Park Su felt that Xu Nuo's reasoning made perfect sense, so he nodded in agreement with his plan. As for the other two, after witnessing the abilities of both Xu Nuo and Park Su, they suddenly felt much more confident about venturing further into the resort.
Thus, the four of them began moving deeper into the resort once again. This time, there was no need for Green Ivy to scout ahead, as Dandelion Seed floated gently, dispersing its dandelion seeds to help them find the safest path. It helped them avoid several dangerous traps and navigate through dense bushes. Eventually, they came upon a row of luxurious five-story villas.
It was clear that these villas were once meant as accommodations for vacationing guests, but they also knew that those guests had likely turned into zombies by now.
As for the location of the energy crystal, they were still uncertain. Fortunately, Dandelion Seed had a deep understanding of the area.
Through its guidance, they learned the precise location of the most powerful zombies. Dandelion Seed informed them that the zombies were hiding in the middle villa of the five-story row. This particular villa consistently emitted a very soft energy, especially in the early morning, when the energy was most intense.
Every morning, the zombies would gather there. Even Dandelion Seed itself liked to stretch out its seeds to that location to secretly absorb the energy, which it found particularly comfortable. It was thanks to this energy that it had been able to absorb enough power to reach the peak of the second tier in such a short time.
Upon hearing this, both Park Su and Xu Nuo grew even more certain that there was likely an energy stone or something similar in that villa.
However, since Dandelion Seed mentioned that the energy was strongest in the early morning, and the zombies tended to gather there at that time, they had to be cautious. As they entered the area, they had already dealt with one wave of zombies, and now, it was exactly the early morning. This meant there could be a large number of zombies gathered around that villa!
Xu Nuo immediately closed his eyes and focused on sensing the surrounding spiritual energy fluctuations. Sure enough, he could feel the abnormal energy Dandelion Seed had mentioned.
At the same time, he sensed a large number of zombies converging toward that location.
Xu Nuo frowned and said, "I think I've pinpointed the location of what we're looking for, but as Dandelion Seed said, this is when the zombies are gathering. There are definitely a lot of them over there. However, once they absorb the energy, if they form a small zombie swarm, they'll rush toward us, and we won't be able to escape. Instead of waiting for that to happen, we should take the offensive as a form of defense. While they're focused on absorbing the energy, we should rush in and deal with some of the zombies. Afterward, we can set up traps to lead them into them. Park Su, you should take advantage of the chaos and grab what we need. But we need to act quickly and decisively, without lingering too long. You've been with me for a long time, and you're familiar with my tactics, so I trust you. As for the two of you," he turned to look at the other two, "I don't know your personalities well. I've already made it clear: there are many zombies over there, and once we take action, I might not have the time to cover for you. If you can follow my orders and stick to the plan, then join us. If not, head back to the entrance and wait for us to return."
After seeing Xu Nuo and Park Su's abilities, Ge Qing and Lu Shang knew that Xu Nuo's words were not out of arrogance but out of concern for their safety.
After all, they didn't know how many zombies were in the area, but if Xu Nuo was warning them, then it was clear there were likely a significant number. They had seen him dispatch over thirty zombies in one go with ease, his efficiency being nothing short of impressive.
Moreover, as awakened beings, their intuition was heightened, and they too sensed that the situation ahead was quite dangerous.
Therefore, the best choice for them seemed to be exactly what Xu Nuo had suggested—back off and wait for him and Park Su to finish dealing with the situation.
However, as a team that had come this far together to seek opportunities, they couldn't just retreat now. They had come this far together, so they couldn't back down.
Moreover, they knew they might not find someone like Xu Nuo, a master capable of leading the charge, again.
After weighing everything, Ge Qing firmly held Lu Shang's hand, swallowed, and said resolutely, "We've decided to stay and go with you, even if there's danger."
Xu Nuo had already expected this decision, so it didn't surprise him. However, having two more people with him would slightly increase the difficulty of their surprise attack.
After all, they trusted him enough to follow him into danger, and though he said he wouldn't be responsible for them, in the event of a crisis, he would still have to look out for them to some extent.
He simply nodded, then used his spiritual energy to detect where the zombies were most concentrated, before using his unique movement technique to dash out. He began setting up several explosive formations around the area.
No matter how many times Park Su saw Xu Nuo use this technique, he was always impressed. As for the other two, who had never seen Xu Nuo use this technique before, they were absolutely stunned.
They realized the more they interacted with Xu Nuo, the more they realized just how powerful he was—he was almost beyond human.
Xu Nuo quickly set up the formations, moving silently and skillfully. Then, he returned to his original position and mentally communicated with Park Su, saying, "It's time to act. The fewer zombies they absorb, the easier it will be for us to handle. If you get the energy stone, you'll be able to absorb more energy. Remember, don't hold back. Don't hesitate—focus on getting the energy stone, don't waste time killing zombies."
Park Su had already shared his spiritual energy with Xu Nuo earlier to get a sense of the situation, so he knew how many zombies were present. To be honest, as a mere third-tier wood-elemental ability user, he still felt a bit hesitant about charging in like this.
Had it not been for his complete trust in Xu Nuo, he would never have dared to take such a risk. But since Xu Nuo had already made the necessary preparations and was so confident, Park Su figured there was more than a 90% chance of success.
After all, in their past life, every mission Xu Nuo undertook had never ended in failure.
After Park Su nodded, Xu Nuo turned to Ge Qing and Lu Shang and said, "Prepare to move."
Ge Qing and Lu Shang had no idea what Xu Nuo had done, but since he had given the order, they naturally followed it. They didn't know exactly what was going to happen, so they gathered their energy into their palms and prepared for battle.
Then they heard Xu Nuo's serious voice again: "I'll take the lead, Park Su follows me. You two, use your synergy to assist Park Su in stealing the items. Remember, you have to move fast and then retreat immediately. Don't get into prolonged combat with the zombies. Also, no matter how many zombies you see, stay calm and don't be afraid!Remember, we're not here to kill zombies. As long as the high-tier zombies don't hurt you, the main goal is to draw their aggro and lead them into the traps we've set up, not for you to go out there and die, understand?"
The two of them, after hearing Xu Nuo's psychological preparation for them, realized that the number of zombies ahead was far greater than they had imagined. They couldn't help but swallow nervously.
But before they had much time to mentally prepare, Xu Nuo had already charged ahead, with Park Su quickly following right behind. They had no time to react.
Reluctantly, they had to follow their pace as well. Since they had agreed to go together, they couldn't afford to be the ones holding back.
However, when they reached the hall, they were still shocked by the sight before them. It looked like a massive zombie gathering spot. The area around the villa and the open villa doors were packed with zombies, swarming everywhere.
They couldn't tell exactly what the zombies were doing there, but they looked almost reverent, as though they were gathered for some purpose. They weren't sure if the word "reverent" was appropriate for zombies, but that's what it looked like.
Seeing such a scene made them want to retreat immediately. They had no desire to move forward. They didn't even know if backing out now would be possible, but ultimately, they had no choice.
In the moment they paused, Xu Nuo had already made his move. Given the sheer number of zombies, Park Su didn't bother using his abilities to control the zombies, nor did he use any talismans. Instead, he drew a peachwood sword from his spatial ring. With a swift flick of the sword's tip, he cleanly decapitated several zombies in front of him.
This action immediately stirred the other zombies, and almost instantly, they locked onto Xu Nuo as their target, charging toward him with alarming speed.
Park Su moved swiftly as well. With Green Ivy and dandelion seeds working in tandem, he used wood spikes to quickly eliminate several zombies, injuring many more.
However, thanks to the coordinated teamwork of Ge Qing and Lu Shang, Park Su had a little more time. He opened his spiritual senses to search for the energy stone.
Unfortunately, the area was still filled with zombies, and he couldn't find the energy stone quickly enough. But what he hadn't expected was that Green Ivy's senses were quicker than his. As soon as he sent out the ivy's tendrils, Green Ivy, excited, communicated mentally, "Oh my god! It's the thing we absorbed that day! This energy feels amazing! Park Su, hurry up, it's on the third floor! If we get this, we can break through again!"
Park Su, realizing he now had the direction, was excited as well. He immediately reported to Xu Nuo, "The energy stone is on the third floor. Can we make it? There are so many zombies outside. Should we clear some first before heading up?"
Xu Nuo replied, "Since we've already alerted them, and the third-tier zombies are intelligent, I'm worried that after today, we might not have another chance to get to the energy stone. I chose to attack now because I was afraid we might get trapped if we wait, and this way, we can clear out as many zombies as possible."