Zombie-like creatures have a characteristic: the weak ones are like ordinary zombies, extremely weak, while the strong ones are immensely powerful, often residing at the top of this world’s food chain.
However, powerful zombie-like creatures are rarely seen, or rather, have not appeared for a long time.
The undead tide compresses step by step, continually approaching the withered tree, making the activity of branches emerging from the ground difficult. Often when they emerge from underground, they are grabbed by the zombies in the undead tide.
The undead tide slowly presses its power onto the withered tree until it finally collapses under the pressure.
The first zombie touched the White Frost Withered Tree, followed quickly by a second and then a third. The giant, accompanied a massive withered log, smashed it heavily onto the protruding arm from the tree, creating cracks.
Sena and the others witnessed this scene and were greatly shocked, thinking that even if the undead tide were powerful, it would not hold a considerable advantage against the White Frost Withered Tree. Yet the situation soon became one-sided, like tree logging, as the enormous White Frost Withered Tree began to sway, scattering a multitude of branches across the air.
It, unlike other extraordinary creatures, lacked legs and was immobile, facing the huge numbers of the undead tide, it could only await death if it wasn’t capable of defeating them.
Elsewhere, Su Changxing was astonished by the strength of this withered tree, withstanding the undead tide for so long, "Such combat power, probably surpasses an average Tier Seven creature, right?"
The expedition corps now faces Tier Seven extraordinary creatures without any pressure. As long as they can encircle them, they are sure to hunt them down. In terms of combat power, they can probably reach Tier Six.
The sound of the cracking tree continuously echoed, finally culminating in a loud crash as the wavering tree collapsed amid the undead tide.
It seemed not too long had passed, less than an hour.
"This is unbelievable; the undead tide actually knocked down the White Frost Withered Tree. What are these zombies?" A member of the expedition, holding a black cane, widened their eyes, full of disbelief. If not for their extensive experience and strong adaptability, they would certainly think they were dreaming.
Sena involuntarily took a cold breath, feeling uneasy as she looked at the dense multitude of zombies in the distance. It seemed as if she saw a gigantic black meteor with sparks crashing from the sky, kicking up dust, with black flames spreading relentlessly among the crowd and city, turning everything to ashes.
"······"
"Captain, Captain?"
The voice grew louder, morphing into reality.
With the shouts from the teammate beside her, she snapped back from the hallucination, her forehead soaked in cold sweat soaking through the bandages, and her breathing became hurried.
Her profession is a Prophet, indeed a Great Prophet, possessing little combat strength herself, yet capable of collecting information and obtaining visions of the future within the borderlands.
Great Prophets are singularly transmitted, existing only within the expedition corps and effective exclusively within the borderlands. Each generation of Great Prophets died in various unexpected events during expeditions, plagued by misfortune, as if cursed, none living past thirty.
"Disaster? Catastrophic disaster," she mumbled to herself, a terrified expression in her eyes, her hands trembling uncontrollably.
The teammates beside her noticed something amiss, supported her with one hand, and asked with concern: "Captain, what happened? Did you see something?"
Sena glanced at the people around her, took a deep breath to steady her emotions, "You all hold the undead tide here, Xiaoyi, you come with me to transmit the intelligence to the Empire."
"Now?" The female teammate, carrying a metal box and wearing a yellow cap, showed a look of surprise, realizing the captain may have obtained significant information this time.
The number of messages sent is limited due to the chaotic energy in the borderlands, relying on the communication device to transmit intelligence inland.
This greatly drains the operator of the communication device, able to send at most three times. Unless in special circumstances, they won’t waste precious chances.
Having used it once before, with two chances remaining.
Sena nodded: "What I saw this time is quite unusual; it needs to be sent back immediately for the Spiritualist to analyze."
The information obtained by a Great Prophet is immensely accurate, concerning the fate of the entire civilization. Yet it manifests as some kind of vision, needing professional Spiritualists to interpret the precise information for effective foreknowledge.
Information acquired in this manner is always accurate; historically, it has never been wrong.
Sena couldn’t understand why upon seeing the undead tide, she immediately received such information, extremely terrifying, seemingly foreshadowing a catastrophic blow to civilization.
The Great Prophet herself can also extract information from visions, just not as precise, but could still grasp the general outline.
While walking, the teammate named Xiaoyi asked softly: "Captain, what did you see? It must not be an ordinary thing."
Sena looked at her and spoke seriously: "Just adhere to your duties; unnecessary things you need not know."
Xiaoyi had never seen the captain so serious, even when concerning foreseen matters she would speak briefly to her, nodding: "Understood."
She could roughly imagine that the information foreseen this time is indeed extraordinary, unlike the information obtained in the past.
Behind a rock, Sena with her back to Xiaoyi, took out a piece of white paper and an ink pen, swiftly sketching. Within merely four to five minutes, she accurately replicated the scene she had just seen—the black meteor, black flames, drifting smoke, and the burning city and crowd.
She placed the crafted intelligence into an envelope, sealed it, and handed it to Xiaoyi.
Xiaoyi took the envelope, put it into the metal box, placed the box on the ground, raised her cane and swung it, reciting complicated spells as bright lines appeared on the metal box.
Her movements grew faster, tracing afterimages in the air, causing the lines on the box to become increasingly luminous.
Finally.
A crisp ’crack’ sound echoed from the box as Xiaoyi ceased her movements, sitting down heavily, and said in a low voice: "Succeeded~"
The envelope in the box began to burn, swiftly turning into ashes, drifting through the air.
At this moment.
She felt as though she hadn’t rested for ten days and nights, utterly exhausted, the bandages around her mouth stained with blood, her entire being seemingly drained.
Information transmitters like them are inherently expendable.
But then, who isn’t?
Sena inquired: "Are you okay?"
Xiaoyi shook her head, with Sena’s help, struggled to stand up: "No major issue, a bit of rest should be enough."
Suddenly.
Sena froze, seeing black flames burning fiercely, growing more intense as if to engulf everything. Amidst the blaze, she saw eight different eyes slowly open—sinister, unsettling, scanning her across countless times and spaces.
A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, she fell backward, the back of her head striking the rock.
A stone seemingly from nowhere hit her right on the forehead.