Although they had well-equipped ship and a very large lake with dozens of creeks deep enough to be used for sailing, they still had to proceed with great caution.
After all, no one on this ship had experience sailing ship.
Well, Zen had been, but he relied more on the ability of a magic tool than a conventional boat at the time.
More importantly, they don't know where to go.
So, in order to determine which direction they should take, they decided to form small exploration teams to check the direction of the river path.
Although they did not have a concrete map of these lake and rivers, they did have a general map of the towns and cities of the continent.
So, after a long discussion, 4 tributaries were chosen as potential paths for them.
Using canoe, 4 teams of 5 members per team were sent to check the condition of the river, including the depth of the river, the area of the river, and draw a map of the river path.
While these 4 teams go to investigate the condition of the river path, the crew on the ship will familiarize themselves with the experience of driving a ship on the water.
Zen felt bored of having to wait quietly on the ship without doing anything, so he joined one of the teams as an additional member.
Zen was on the number two team.
Number two team tasked with exploring the number two tributary that looked the most promising direction towards their destination.
Within this team, apart from the two people from the newcomer group, Zen didn't know much about the others.
Sitting in the back while the others took care of their own affairs, Zen looked around.
River... Despite being so-called, the river is over 200 meters wide; was huge for a river, and indeed enough to accommodate the voyages of the Red Trickerss ship.
The river water is quite clear, but it is a little turbid in the deeper part due to the current.
Zen glanced to the side.
There sat a girl from the newcomer group. A girl named Jonna.
The girl wears glasses and a nerdy hairstyle, but her arms and legs are strangely covered in scars and bandages.
She didn't have the physical strength to paddle a canoe or guard against monsters and threats, so she served as a map drawer and recorded river data for their team this time.
Zen glanced at the results of the picture mad of Jonna, and indeed, this girl had quite a bit of expertise in this matter.
The girl noticed Zen's gaze.
Her cheeks were slightly red and she wore her black hair bangs to cover part of her face.
Seeing how shy this girl was, Zen became curious as to what caused Jonna to have so many scars on her body.
Of course, it was just a mere curiosity.
Zen is not a person who likes the idea of meddling in other people's personal affairs.
He had enough of such things in his previous life.
It had been 4 hours since they affected this tributary.
Now, the sun had risen very high in the sky.
"Let's rest first."
Seeing that they were all covered in sweat, Zen stood up and suggested it.
Jonna and the others showed surprised expressions.
"Huh?"
"But we must immediately record and check the course of this tributary..."
Zen smiled in response.
"It's okay. We will not only rest. Quickly put the canoe aside. We'll check something."
Without waiting for their answer, Zen immediately turned his right arm into a long dark tendril using the {Darkness Grip}.
His tendril reached a tree that grew near the right bank of the river, and then quickly pulled Zen there.
Zen turned around, then motioned for the people who were still drying their faces to come closer.
Jonna and the others looked at each other before eventually obeying Zen and pulling the canoe aside.
***
When Zen first learned about the fact that spreading his magic energy around could expand his field of vision, Zen had a maximum limit of 10-15 meters.
After practicing, he reached an area of more than 50 meters.
Then, after consuming the Z-Emperor pouch's Monster Gem, Zen can expand his magic energy to more than 400 meters.
Such a very significant increase was probably due to the fact that the Z-Emperor pouch was an extremely powerful high-level monster.
As long as he was in Number two team, Zen always kept his magic energy in check on the surrounding area filled with lush forests.
To his surprise, he found something while doing so.
Inside the forest, the silhouette of a hut built merging with the trunk of a tree with roots forming an 'h' shape appeared in front of Zen and the others as they stepped deeper into the forest.
"From here on, we will act with caution," Zen instructed Jonna and the others.
Seeing Zen's serious look, they immediately understood and prepared themselves.
Jonna was placed in the middle of the team, while the fighters were on the front line, just behind Zen, with sword, spear, and shield raised. The only witch on the team, a woman with long brown hair, was placed in the very back row.
Zen nodded in satisfaction at his team's quick reaction.
Zen expanded his magic energy and focused most of it on the hut that was built fusing with the trees as they moved closer.
As they approached, they passed a broken fence that seemed to have originally been built by the owner of the hut.
There is also a stone road that leads to the entrance of the hut.
Zen stopped at the door of the hut and glanced at their team's magician.
The female witch nodded and formed a faint shield from the wind elements around them.
Zen also added a barrier using his own wind element magic before, finally, pushing the door open, and stepping in.
The old wooden door crackled open.
The faces of Number two team were all nervous.
And, what they found there was... Nothing.
Inside the hut there are only table, chairs, and shelves filled with some old items.
They were surprised.
Why did they even have to be so careful?
When Number two team began to doubt Zen, Zen's magic energy detected a surge of magic energy from behind the door of one of the other rooms in the hut.
Zen moves quickly.
Flames engulfed his arms and legs.
[Flaming Punch Technique, First style...]
***
[Flaming Punch Technique] was a martial technique created by a genius cultivator named Wuji.
This martial technique is very unique because it utilizes the powerful energy of the water element to practice.
Wuji's method was so new and unique that he was severely lacking in reference materials.
As a result, although this martial technique was extremely powerful and almost reached the law of immortality, this martial technique only had few abilities and had many limitations.
If the one practicing the [Flaming Punch Technique] was someone without a powerful water elemental energy, they would only have 1 move.
This movement is called Ignite Fire.
The movement condenses fire energy into a fist or foot, which is then detonated after hitting something.
However, that's not all the main function of this movement.
Apart from being a means of attack, the fire energy that is compacted can provide a strong defensive effect as well.
And Zen, right now, was also using this movement at this way.
***
[Flaming Punch Technique, first style, Ignite Fire]~!
At the same time as the flames engulfed Zen's arms and legs, a pillar of gray light shot out from behind the door of the room inside the hut towards them.
Team number 2's magician realized that as well, so she strengthened the barrier that enveloped Jonna and the others.
Since Zen was in front of Jonna and the others, he wasn't included in the barrier.
The barrier that Zen had created earlier was also directed to protect them. Himself remained unobstructed.
However, it doesn't matter.
Zen concentrated his fire energy onto his right fist, then he pushed his fist to meet the coming gray pillar of light.
The flames exploded violently and shattered the pillar of light.
However, Zen didn't stop. He sensed the movement of the three individuals in the room behind the door.
[Flaming Punch Technique, first style, Ignite Fite]~!
"Get ready. They're coming!" Zen shouted at team number 2.
The group's expression immediately became serious.
The female magician began to prepare her magic, while the three warriors kept a high vigilance around them.
Zen, on the other hand, stepped forward.
As Zen moves forward, two shadows move past him and attack Jonna and the others.
Zen glanced at the moving shadow.
It was a pair of armored, sword-carrying skeletons.
After judging that they weren't too dangerous, Zen handed them over to team number 2 and rushed closer to the origin of the previous gray pillar of light.
Passing through the perforated doored wall, Zen entered a small room that resembled a kitchen.
There, there are furnace, cauldron, as well as various types of dried plants and strange objects hanging from the ceiling.
A cloaked skeleton stood behind a cauldron with a wooden wand in its grasp.
The skeleton and Zen simultaneously said: ""Undead!""
Their movement stops simultaneously.
The two judged each other.
Zen looked at the other party curiously. This was the first time he had met a monster capable of communicating, not including the Z-Emperor pouch.
The skeleton, on the other hand, stared at Zen coldly.
"Are you one of them, Zombie?"
The skeleton's distorted voice was strangely filled with hatred.
Zen was confused, so he asked: "What do you mean?"
The skeleton laughed.
"Kekekkek, don't make excuses. I felt it. You're a Zombie with the same aura as them."
The skeleton loosened its grip from its magic wand.
"Hah... I know that. So, you guys have started moving. Chaos seems to be coming back to attack Humans..."
Zen once again wanted to ask, but the Skeleton interrupted him once more.
"Ah, you're curious about who I am? I'm a Necromancer. The man who tries to fight death by sinking himself into darkness, Kekeke..."
The skeleton then looked at Zen with a gaze that seemed to be full of compassion.
"You're still very young. Maybe death would be better for you than continue to be tormented by the body of your strange Zombie."
The skeleton that called itself the Necromancer raised the wand towards Zen.
"Die."
Gray energy exploded from it's magic wand, then shot towards Zen.
'Same attack again?'
Zen raised his eyebrows, but he still raised his fist to parry it off.
As before, the gray pillar of light was successfully dispelled by Zen.
However, the Skeleton didn't stop and continued to shoot a pillar of gray light towards Zen, while Zen would fend it off with Ignite Fire each time.
Zen assessed the enemy's abilities, while Skeleton also assessed his abilities.
The skeleton placed its left hand on it's chin.
"Hmm. You're strong. As expected of someone who is able to withstand the Soul Devouring that overshadows you."
Zen frowned.
He really wanted to ask about what exactly this skeleton was talking about just now.
'Does this skeleton know something about what happened so that the world fell into a Zombie apocalypse?'
The skeleton shook its head at Zen who continued to fight him.
"Alright, it's time for me to go," Said the skeleton.
He shot out a pillar of gray light twice as much as his previous attack.
Zen tried to parry it, but he immediately widened his eyes when he felt a surge of magic energy happening right behind his back.
The surge of magic energy then formed a 2 meter tall armored skeleton with a great sword in his hand.
'Damn!'
Zen smiled.
'It seems that this world also holds some great things!'
Contrary to the Skeleton Necromancer's expectations, Zen did not despair.
The smile on his face was The Crow's signature smile when he found a precious treasure.
The blood energy within Zen flowed at a high speed.
Flames enveloped his entire body.
"BURN UP!"