Shao Haoran, Li Qingshan, and Mo Jun collectively held their breath as they witnessed the gruesome end of the powerful zombie. The head soared through the air, leaving behind a trail of dark, coagulated blood. The body fell to the ground like a puppet that has lost its strings.
Seeing that, the trio exchanged relieved glances, their tense postures gradually easing.
"That would have been a real headache if it had grown stronger after feasting on those other zombies' heads.", Li Qingshan couldn't help but voice his concerns as he was catching his breath.
Mo Jun, wiping the sweat from his forehead, added, "I've been dealing with zombies for a while now, but this is the first time I've seen up close a zombie absorb strength by consuming the heads of its fallen brethren."
Shao Haoran nodded in agreement.
"We can't afford to underestimate these creatures. They adapt, just like any other living being. Let's not linger here. Wrap up and get ready to head back."
With a collective agreement, Li Qingshan and Mo Jun swiftly moved to scavenge the crystal cores from the lifeless, rotting corpses strewn across the battlefield. The eerie silence that had settled over the area was only interrupted by the sound of flesh being slides and wet sounds of blood being mashed around.
As the two scavengers worked efficiently, Shao Haoran kept a watchful eye on the surroundings. His sharp instincts were a testament to his years of experience in dealing with the unpredictable nature of the undead.
"Alright, we're done here," Shao Haoran announced, motioning for his companions to regroup. "Let's get back to the safe zone."
Li Qingshan and Mo Jun, carrying the harvested crystal cores in their bags, fell into step behind Shao Haoran as they made their way towards the safe zone's base. The journey was tense, the trio remaining vigilant for any signs of undead activity.
Upon reaching the fortified safe zone, a collective sigh of relief swept through them. They stepped into the base with relaxed smiles on their faces.
"Why does it seem like the base feels cleaner than it was before we left?", Li Qingshan can't help but comment as he sniffed the air.
"Really?", Mo Jun asked as he too sniffed the air. "There doesn't seem to be much difference to me."
As soon as they neared the house, they saw Shen Tian sitting at the swing, writing something.
"Shen Tian!" Mo Jun shouted to get his attention. "We're back!"
Shen Tian then looked up and saw the three men. Although they looked like they've rolled around in the mud and grass, they all look happy and intact, which made Shen Tian think that they may have gotten a good harvest.
"Glad to see that you all came back safe and sound.", Shen Tian smiled as he stood up to greet them. "Did you harvest lots of crystal cores?"
Li Qingshan laughed upon hearing that. He saw Shen Tian's eyes twinkle when he mentioned the crystal cores,.
"The crystal cores haven't even warmed up on our hands yet and you're already thinking of how to get them from us?", he teased.
Shen Tian sheepishly scratched his cheek on that comment while grinning.
"Of course!", he laughed. "You three are my only source of crystal cores at the moment. It can't be helped if I get extremely pleased when you get lots of crystal cores."
"Don't linger around anymore! Go ahead and take a bath. You can rest or eat some food if you want. I've left some dishes on the table for you three."
All three men voiced their appreciation at Shen Tian's words. In this zombie world, being able to take a bath, rest, and eat after a day's work of killing zombies is a great luxury, after all, so showing their appreciation is a must.
Seeing the three men go inside the house, Shen Tian returned to his seat to continue what he was doing. He glanced at the system prompt of his next task and smiled widely. After all, this is probably the easiest task he got so far.