Seeing the zombie relentlessly lunging at him again, Park Su didn't hesitate. He quickly dodged the attack, turned around, and plunged the dagger into the zombie's brain from behind, giving it a slight twist. As red and white matter oozed out, he pulled out the dagger and continued deeper into the museum.
Behind him, the zombie collapsed silently as soon as Park Su withdrew the blade.
Thinking back to his first time killing zombies in his past life, his thoughts were more about saving people, but now, his actions were swift and efficient. However, back then, he had still vomited while killing zombies to reach Sun Muyang's company.
After six years in the apocalypse, both to survive and to support that man, his hands were stained with the blood of countless zombies. Now, facing them, his response was more about instinctive slaughter, without the nausea he once felt.
Keeping cautious, Park Su didn't move quickly, but perhaps because he had killed a zombie, the scent of blood on him attracted a couple more. He dealt with them adeptly and had checked several of the marked stones and jades that could potentially become energy stones, but all were disappointing.
The longer he stayed, the more anxious Park Su became, knowing that even if he didn't leave, he could sense that City S was already in chaos, and the longer he delayed, the harder it would be to return to the suburbs.
For his safety, he had to quicken his search. Fortunately, as he passed through a side chamber, he felt a stir in his own abilities, indicating that the energy stone was nearby.
He remembered there was a Ming Dynasty stone carving in the vicinity, about the size of a fist. He had once hoped that this carving was the original stone, as a stone that size would significantly boost his abilities on the first day of the apocalypse. The very thought was thrilling, though he knew finding such a large original stone was unlikely.
But now, it seemed that the stone carving could indeed be the true form of the energy stone. The possibility made Park Su excited, and he quickened his pace. When he saw the stone carving, encased in a glass container with a faint green glow, his eyes lit up. It was indeed the energy stone, and what's more, it was a wood-based one, perfectly suited for his abilities!
He rushed forward, eager to claim this long-desired energy stone, but a sudden, bone-chilling sense of danger made him pause.
His years of surviving in the apocalypse had honed his senses, allowing him to narrowly dodge the first attack. Looking at the crack in the floor where the attack had landed, Park Su's heart tightened, then his gaze fell on an unremarkable pothos plant near the energy stone.
After six years in the apocalypse, he wasn't foolish enough to think that the pothos was still just a simple plant. It must have mutated after the stone carving turned into an energy stone.
It was indeed worthy of being an energy stone. Plant mutations generally appeared in the second year of the apocalypse, after human and animal mutations. Yet here he was, witnessing a mutated plant at the very beginning.
And judging by the force of the attack, this pothos's mutation was far beyond his own capabilities, especially now that he had entered its territory. Its vines, like the arms of an octopus, writhed and twisted, ready to launch another attack at any moment.
What made him even more apprehensive were the leaves, which even in the dim light, looked hard and sharp. He couldn't help but recall the heavy losses suffered by ability users from S base and B base when they came for the energy stone in his past life. He had thought there were high-level zombies inside, but now it seemed it was all because of this mutated pothos.
He and the pothos were locked in a standoff. He knew that taking the energy stone from this plant wouldn't be easy on his own, but giving up what was within his grasp was also not in his nature. After all, one seeks wealth amidst danger, and to give up without even trying was not his style.
The pothos was growing impatient, not liking anyone coveting its possessions. Its spread-out vines suddenly contracted and shot toward Park Su like a net full of blades.
Park Su squinted, concentrating his mental energy to the utmost, with a slight green glow enveloping his dagger. He charged forward, knowing he had to end this quickly!
He wanted to act fast, but the pothos wouldn't let anyone take its treasure. After several attempts to ensnare Park Su were dodged, it grew even more agitated, especially as Park Su got closer to its precious stone with each dodge. How could that be allowed?
So, the previously sprawling pothos vines contracted, one part forming a dense net at the entrance to block access to the energy stone, while the other twisted like a snake, reaching out to entangle Park Su.
In fact, dodging had already been challenging for Park Su. When his dagger touched the pothos's vine earlier, he hadn't cut through it with one strike, confirming his suspicion that the plant's level was likely higher than his, at least late first stage. Thus, he decided to engage at a distance, aiming for a quick victory since his goal was the energy stone, not a duel with the pothos.
But when the energy stone was right in front of him and the pothos suddenly changed its strategy, Park Su's thoughts paused, and his steps faltered, causing the pothos to whip him twice, tearing his clothes and flesh, drawing blood. The pain snapped him back to reality, and he coughed up blood twice.
He knew this wouldn't do, so he quickly transferred the wood-based energy from his dagger to his entire body, forming an energy shield around himself. When the vines struck again, he flipped, grabbing a vine. At that moment, he was grateful that the pothos's vines had no thorns, only needing to be cautious of the blade-like leaves, allowing him at least to touch it. Without hesitation, he channeled his wood-based energy into the pothos.
The pothos, sensing the comforting wood energy, relaxed its guard, which Park Su exploited, focusing his mental energy to momentarily control it. Although he sensed the pothos's level was above his own, he believed that at close range, he could control it for a short time, which was all he needed.
The pothos, having just mutated to late first stage with the aid of the energy stone, wasn't necessarily stronger in mental strength than Park Su. After encountering his wood energy, it went from confusion to lowering its defenses, giving Park Su the opening he needed.
He used his mental strength to control the pothos, making it loosen the vines around the energy stone. Initially, it hesitated, unwilling to comply, but Park Su intensified his control, finally making it yield slightly.
With the pothos distracted, Park Su swapped his dagger for the fire axe from his space ring, gripping it with one hand to prevent any sudden changes from the pothos. With a forceful swing, he smashed the glass enclosure covering the energy stone.
The glass shattered, triggering the museum's alarm system, and a surge of wood energy was released, momentarily stunning both Park Su and the pothos. The pothos, now aware of the situation, shook off Park Su's control.
It thickened the vine Park Su was holding, angrily flinging him away, and simultaneously wrapped another vine around the exposed energy stone, beginning to absorb its energy.
As Park Su was thrown, he sensed a foreboding feeling. He quickly rolled on the ground to minimize the impact of the fall. Upon looking up, he saw the pothos had already moved the energy stone to its roots to absorb it. Park Su's eyes narrowed; he wasn't here to let someone else reap the benefits after all this effort.
He steadied himself and charged at the pothos again. He couldn't give up now, not when he was this close. The pothos, angered by the return of the "deceiver," whipped its vines like a barrage of whips towards Park Su.
Despite getting hit, Park Su's clothes were torn to shreds, and his injuries oozed blood, making him look ragged. Yet, he couldn't back down, knowing that retreating now would mean giving up. He swung his dagger, cutting through the obstructing vines one by one. Perhaps because the pothos was also focusing on absorbing energy, Park Su finally got closer to the energy stone, but it was tightly wrapped by the vines at the plant's roots, making it impossible to retrieve without uprooting the entire pothos.