Chapter 23: Enhancing Support and Logistics

"HISS..."

In his agitation, he accidentally aggravated the wound on his shoulder.

A wave of intense agony washed over him, making Han Ning involuntarily shudder.

"Now that I'm injured, it won't be convenient to go out hunting for a while. I need to at least let my wound heal first," he thought.

Enduring the pain, he unwrapped the blood-soaked gauze, exposing the hideous wound to the air.

On his left shoulder, near the collarbone, there was a claw mark so deep that the bone was visible. The flesh was peeled back, its edges tinged with an unnatural grayish-white.

If he hadn't dodged in time, that bone spike would have likely slashed right through his carotid artery.

Seeing the wound, a lingering wave of fear washed over Han Ning.

He closed his eyes. A faint, emerald green light blossomed in his palm, which he then pressed over the injury.

[Rejuvenation Technique (Basic Level) Skill Level +1, Current 38/100]

The vibrant green light seeped into the wound, bringing a faint, tingling sensation.

Under the Healing effects of the Rejuvenation Technique, the torn flesh slowly began to mend and wriggle.

"My Rejuvenation Technique's Skill Level is too low. The Healing effect isn't very ideal," he thought.

Han Ning frowned, looking at his Druid status panel.

[Class: Basic Druid (Level 3)]

[Spiritual Power: 15/20]

[Skills:

Vine Technique (Middle Level): 182/200

Rapid Growth (Basic Level): 78/100

Rejuvenation Technique (Basic Level): 38/100

Tree Skin Technique (Basic Level): 12/100

Animal Companion (Basic Level): Snow Cake (Swamp Crocodile Lizard Level 1 Growth Progress: 34/100), Skills' Skill Level (27/100)]

The Skill Level of the Intermediate Vine Technique had already reached 182/200, just a tiny bit away from leveling up.

However, unlike the Basic Level, the Intermediate Vine Technique wouldn't increase its Skill Level just by hiding in a room and casting it at nothing, or by striking random small objects.

Han Ning clearly remembered how, over the past few days, no matter how much he practiced indoors—spawning vines to whip the air or wrap around the furniture—the Skill Level hadn't budged an inch.

It seemed that only after experiencing the pressure of real combat—colliding with the Scale Armor of monsters, wrestling with them, and even being torn apart—could the Vine Technique absorb the "nutrients" it needed to grow.

"I might as well take advantage of this recovery period to practice my other Skills," he thought.

This experience had taught him that in a desperate situation surrounded by monsters, survivability was always the top priority.

Healing, Defense, and logistics were every bit as important as offensive capabilities.

…

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

Right at that moment, someone knocked gently on the door.

Snow Cake, who had been resting on the floor, was instantly on high alert.

"No need to be nervous." He patted Snow Cake's head.

Without even having to ask, Han Ning immediately guessed who it was.

He walked over and opened the door.

Standing outside was none other than Liu Feng.

He was alone, holding a bag wrapped in a waterproof tarp.

"Han Ning, my friend." Liu Feng offered a smile, lifting the bag in his hand. "I brought some things over. I want to have a chat with you."

Han Ning remained silent for a few seconds. He didn't step aside to let Liu Feng in; instead, he blocked the doorway and replied coldly, "We have nothing to talk about."

Liu Feng seemed to have expected this. He smiled bitterly. "I know you're angry. If I were in your shoes, I'd be angry too.

"That bastard Chen Yan... really crossed the line. He was just terrified out of his wits by that giant lizard and had a momentary lapse in judgment... I want to apologize to you on his behalf." Liu Feng gave Han Ning a slight bow.

"Are you his father? Why do you need to apologize for him?" Han Ning was completely unmoved.

Liu Feng's face was full of bitterness. "To tell you the truth, Chen Yan and I... do go way back. His father and my father were comrades in arms, and I'm two years older than him.

"Three years ago, when my father passed away from an illness, Chen Yan's family helped me out a lot...

"I'm caught between a rock and a hard place.

"This whole mess is my fault. I didn't coordinate things properly."

"There's no point in telling me all this." Han Ning waved his hand, cutting him off.

Let alone Chen Yan, even Lu Minghu and Zhou Wan likely had deep ties with Liu Feng.

Lu Minghu was hesitant and had acted like a fence-sitter when they encountered danger, but he ultimately still harbored some good intentions at heart.

That was the reason Han Ning hadn't gone looking for trouble with him.

As for Zhou Wan, she had acted as if the situation had nothing to do with her. However, Han Ning intuitively sensed from the emotional shift in Liu Feng's voice when he called her name that their relationship was anything but ordinary.

"Alright, let's not talk about that guy Chen Yan," Liu Feng paused, his tone growing even more sincere. "But man, in this day and age, sticking together is our only way out.

"I've been trying to contact the residents on the other floors over the past two days, trying to find other people who have Awakened their abilities.

"If there are other Awakened, I can help you organize a new hunting squad. It'll be completely independent, and I absolutely won't interfere."

"No need." Han Ning's voice was devoid of emotion. "Forget it, I'm used to working alone."

Liu Feng sighed. "I know you're capable, but a single person is ultimately too weak on their own. You saw for yourself how dangerous the road to Bailu Port is... Even if you don't join the team, I hope we can still travel together when the time comes. We'd at least be able to look out for each other..."

"I said, no need." Han Ning shook his head, his tone absolute. "I appreciate the gesture, but take these things back."

With that, he ignored Liu Feng, shut the door, and turned toward the living room.

Complete silence fell outside the door.

It was a full half-minute before the faint rustle of a plastic bag being placed on the ground could be heard, followed by Liu Feng's almost inaudible sigh and his gradually fading footsteps.

Listening to the footsteps vanishing into the distance, Han Ning's resolve didn't waver in the slightest.

Chen Yan's cowardly retreat—which even harbored malicious intent—and Liu Feng's hesitation at the time had caused him to completely lose all trust in this hastily cobbled-together group.

No matter what was said, Liu Feng was unwilling to cut ties with Chen Yan, so there was nothing left to discuss.

This so-called "looking out for each other" was nothing more than a fragile fantasy in a true life-or-death crisis.

He would rather face the unknown dangers alone than entrust his back to unreliable people ever again.

This time, he chalked it up to his own naivety.

He walked back to the door, opened it just a crack, and dragged the heavy bag inside.

Peeling back the waterproof tarp revealed two perfectly sealed large bottles of water, several packs of compressed biscuits, two boxes of self-heating rice, and a kilogram of beef jerky carefully wrapped in tinfoil.

In an apocalyptic environment, these supplies were incredibly precious.

Han Ning's lips twitched, his face remaining expressionless.

The other party's obvious intention of using these supplies to smooth over their relationship was clear as day.

He accepted them not because he had forgiven them, but because these items were concrete survival resources. There was no need to reject them out of some misplaced sense of pride.

In this world, surviving was the only absolute truth.

Over the following days, Han Ning became a complete homebody, focusing on raising the Skill Level of his other Skills.

The wound on his left arm was the most pressing issue.

Practicing the Rejuvenation Technique wasn't particularly complicated; it just involved repeatedly casting the Skill on his wound, consuming his Spiritual Power to raise its Skill Level.

Next was the Tree Skin Technique, for which he devised a special method.

He would first cast the Tree Skin Technique to cover his entire body in bark, and then command Snow Cake to use its sharp claws to relentlessly tear at the bark like a cat shredding a scratching post.

As soon as the bark shattered, he would continuously repair it, simulating a real combat scenario.

Finally, there was Rapid Growth, which merely entailed constantly casting it on his crops.

Previously, because his Spiritual Power had been stretched thin, he hadn't given the plants enough care.

Now that he wasn't practicing the Vine Technique and his overall Spiritual Power cap had doubled, the Skill Level of Rapid Growth increased extremely quickly.

Amidst his earnest training, time flew by in a flash...