Free Web NovelChapter 2041: Getting Closer
They made sure to gather as much energy as they could for that night, knowing that they finally had a direction. Using the previous strategy of studying the core and carcass composition, they slowly headed in the direction where more anomalies were happening.
The following day, they passed a few more kilometers deeper into the Undead Zone, to the point that their original entry point was already well beyond the horizon.
With increasing proficiency, they killed another large batch of Undead. These were once humanoid creatures, but now they were non-sentient monsters. They saw this as mercy killing.
Although they already had a lead, there was still plenty of trial and error involved. They were trying various directions, after all, and sometimes the ’samples’ didn’t show change or had lesser changes. This meant that they were heading farther away from their target direction.
Every step was one kilometer, and the energy taken by creating platforms each time was no joke.
The next few days were a struggle, though fortunately not life-threatening. They would go on to hunt hundreds if not thousands of undead every day, (trying to) head towards where they felt the aether was stronger.
It was a struggle because their energy was limited, and they also had to take care not to splurge on their potions and food. While they had plenty—budgeted to last months, if they rationed well— it was still good to be careful.
Not to mention, these monsters were level 20s. The two men were just above level 30, and the women’s levels weren’t that high either, with Medusa just shy of level 15 with minimal combat experience.
However, thanks to their knowledge of their movement patterns, their weaknesses (including their slowness due to water mist), the group had managed to deal with the situation despite being outnumbered a thousand to one each day.
Of course, they were still careful, making sure they were not overwhelmed. They ensured they were killing steadily, with safety in mind.
Other than their platforms, they also learned to add Garan’s metallic spikes angled out, stabbing the undead. With that, it was easier for them to target the nuclear cores. Once the Undead was dead and no longer moving, it was easier for Althea to gather the cores using her vines.
Of course, if other people knew them now, they would gape.
There were many reasons why this place was no man’s land.
Not to mention the perceived threat of the undead, horror stories were spread about this place.
Even seeing a small group of the undead creeped people out, seeing them as cursed beings just by being close to them.
To them, the undead were not only scary, they were also ugly. They also liked eating people, and they even ’cursed’ them, causing those bitten to be extremely ill for the rest of their lives. Even those who went too near them could be afflicted by the curse.
Thus, from the locals’ point of view, this place was akin to hell. Rather, even the area behind the gates was hell, now they were in the heart of hell.
It wouldn’t even enter their imagination that only four people were wreaking havoc here. Even Erol’s group assumed that this group would just stay outside, or at best at the mouth of the mountain pass.
But who’d think that there was someone who knew the enemies’ weaknesses, how to handle infection, how to handle radiation, and so on? freewebnovёl.ƈom
During this week, everyone not only gained EXP, but also improved their foundations. Each one of them was an elementalist, and their control over their elements had grown leaps and bounds during this time.
After so long, Garan’s platforms had become easier to sprout like mushrooms, Althea’s platforms had become more stable and required less energy, Sinnan’s metals became more solid and could last longer, while Medusa—who was primarily responsible in making the mists—also spiked up.
Sometimes, they would even jump over the ’temporary’ jumping platforms and battle from there. These were much shorter and thinner than the main ones, so it was actually a bit dangerous.
At some point, they even learned to jump on the small hills made of Undead carcasses, maximizing their reach.
Whenever they felt tired or gained a few new injuries, they would look at their gains, and their bodies would immediately feel lighter.
One day, when camping, Althea even got a bit of enlightenment from Medusa. It was related to her mastery of the earth element.
Her earth element was a bit different from others. Most earth users controlled the mass itself. The earth had its own signature energy that was tapped on by earth users. They handled the solid itself, or its variation.
In her case, she had a better grasp of organic matter, like the top soil, which was quite unique. With proper soil, her mana use was significantly lower than others because of this, and she could easily make larger platforms with minimal effort.
However, the problem was in cases like in the desert area or in the drylands when the earth was nearly dead.
"Even in Space, the most lifeless void, has organic matter, doesn’t it?" Medusa said while they were cooking, and made Althea think a lot.
She soon learned that she just had to sharpen her senses to the point that even those small elements could be touched upon.
Unlike dead plain rocks, controlling the organic elements present was like creating a web of control. While still mana and energy-consuming it made things better. She reckoned her earth skill would increase its effectiveness because of it as well.
It was only two days later that they saw a place that was visually different. It wasn’t obvious at all, either. After all, the Undead were dense and were everywhere. It was only after their latest jump and setting the newest platform was it revealed.
After a while, the Undead would congregate to where they were, clearing out some areas that normally would not be visible.
It was a small section with...grass?!
