Even so, he wanted to kill Sun Muyang before being killed himself, so at least his death would have some value. Sun Muyang, realizing that the zombie in front of him was Park Su, whom he had pushed into the horde, and that he still had his thoughts and memories, was shocked. Knowing he was doomed, he tried to escape while the two were arguing.
However, just as he reached the door, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw his heart held in a brown, clawed hand. His brain couldn't process anything beyond, "I'm going to die," before he lost consciousness and collapsed.
Park Su, looking at the heart in his palm that was slowly ceasing to beat, couldn't help but sneer, "Such a heart is still red, how unscientific."
After saying this, Park Su's sharp claws pierced through the heart. Due to the zombie virus, the heart gradually turned black before being crushed in his hand. After finishing this, Park Su turned to look at Cheng Mingxu behind him, wishing he could roll his eyes and give a sarcastic chuckle if his face as a zombie allowed for such expressions.
Sadly, he couldn't make those expressions, so he just stood there, contemplating how to escape. Although he was disgusted by his own condition, he didn't want to die at the hands of his enemies.
Surprisingly, Cheng Mingxu didn't attack; he just looked at him with a hint of regret in his eyes, "Park Su, I'm sorry, I didn't expect things to turn out like this. Had I known Sun Muyang was so cruel, I wouldn't have tried to break you two apart in this way. You've become a zombie, but I won't kill you. You were the first person I genuinely felt something for; I can't bring myself to harm you."
Park Su hadn't anticipated such words from Cheng Mingxu, though he still didn't believe in the sincerity of his affection. Since he said this, there was no need for Park Su to seek death. After all, the real culprit was this man, and while he couldn't forgive him for the pain and despair he caused, albeit unintentionally, he was the catalyst.
But since he was not Cheng Mingxu's match and didn't want further entanglement, if Cheng Mingxu truly didn't mean harm, it was better to leave now. He didn't understand why he had returned here, but he wanted to see Xu Nuo one last time before dying.
So, he gave Cheng Mingxu a cold look, saying, "If that's the case, I should be able to leave, right? You claim to like me; you're not planning to let me go just to have me assassinated later, are you?"
Cheng Mingxu was hurt by Park Su's perception of him and quickly swore, "I swear to you, I will never do anything to harm you again. You can leave, and I won't send anyone after you. But you're now a tier-five zombie; you'll face even more powerful ability users and high-tier zombies. Surviving in this world will be much harder. Please take care of yourself."
Park Su didn't want to say, "Whose fault is it that I'm like this?" to his face, so he just turned and walked away. Cheng Mingxu watched Park Su's figure disappear into the night before he called for someone to deal with Sun Muyang's body.
After killing Sun Muyang, Park Su was left aimless, feeling only the emptiness of vengeance achieved. He had no idea where to find the person he wanted to see.
He wandered aimlessly through the ruins, unable to return to human bases as a zombie. Not knowing where zombies rested, or if he even needed rest since he felt quite energetic despite walking all day, he was also in a heightened state of excitement due to the lingering blood energy from Sun Muyang's heart in his palm, intensifying his hunger.
However, the thought of eating human flesh, even as a zombie with his original thoughts intact, was revolting to him. If one day he couldn't control his zombie instincts and ate someone, the very idea was unbearable.
Therefore, he decided he needed to find a way to curb this temptation for human blood and flesh, at least until he could see Xu Nuo again. His first thought was to try extracting energy from zombie cores to supplement the hunger caused by the lack of food.
Killing zombies was something Park Su found he could still do well even after becoming one himself, especially since he retained his original wood-type ability, though it had reduced to tier five alongside his zombie level. However, his speed had significantly increased, allowing him to utilize abilities of both a speed and wood-type ability user.
After obtaining the crystal cores from zombies, he realized he could no longer absorb their energy in his former human way; he had to chew and swallow them. Thankfully, absorbing the energy from the cores did temporarily alleviate his hunger, giving him some relief. Thus, he began to avoid human paths, hunting zombies for their cores to satisfy his hunger while eavesdropping on human conversations to gather any news about Xu Nuo.
Perhaps due to his persistence, the cores he absorbed over time helped heal his external wounds, though he could never grow back a missing arm. His differences from humans, like his pale complexion, grayish arm, and the color of his nails, were still noticeable up close. However, under the cover of night with poor lighting, he could pass for human. What he desperately needed was an opportunity to blend in with humans to accurately locate Xu Nuo's whereabouts.
Humans were always on guard due to the constant danger, so any approach required caution. Without torches in the area, he could sneak in, having learned from previous failed attempts where he nearly got himself killed. His opportunity came one night while roaming in the forest when he saw three people being chased by tier-three and four zombies. These individuals appeared to be tier-four and five ability users, but zombies of the same level were often more formidable due to their lack of pain, fatigue, and the adrenaline rush from human blood.
With seven or eight zombies appearing at once and only four or five ability users, it was a clear case of being hunted. The ability users were already injured, their blood attracting more zombies, promising a grim end.
With his superior night vision, Park Su saw the despair on their faces, reminding him of his own desperation when pushed into a zombie horde. If he helped them now by killing these zombies, they wouldn't suspect he was one himself.
Without torches or any lost lighting equipment due to the chase, he had a window to act before sunrise. He tried using the mental communication technique Xu Nuo had taught him to guide them towards him. This was his first attempt in his zombie form, and he wasn't sure if it would work. However, he soon saw hope light up their faces as they ran towards him.
For them, there was no time to think; even if it was a trap, it offered a sliver of hope compared to certain death if they kept running. Their trust was soon justified as they saw a figure leap from the trees, using the surrounding vegetation to aid in their escape. Park Su then used the steps Xu Nuo taught, moving among the zombies with ease, his speed matching and even surpassing his past human capabilities. His higher zombie tier suppressed the lower ones, making the task lighter.
Thus, the people, who were being chased in quite a disheveled state, witnessed the dark figure moving through the forest, and one by one, the zombies that were relentlessly pursuing them fell.
As the figure approached them, they looked at him with admiration. However, the night was dark, the moonlight faint, and with their lighting tools lost, they couldn't see the face of this savior clearly, only noting that he was not very tall but agile.
They stood there awkwardly, wanting to thank their benefactor, but before they could speak, the figure spoke first, "I don't need your thanks, but if you truly want to thank me, then tell me about Xu Nuo. I owe him a favor and want to repay it."