Chapter 6: Supplies Running Low

The moment the ten vines appeared, he could clearly sense the existence of each one. They felt like ten extended fingers, and commanding them was as natural as breathing.

With a slight shift of his mind, he locked onto a smooth wall.

"Go!"

The ten dark-green vines, covered in sharp wooden thorns, whipped fiercely against the hard concrete wall, whistling through the air.

THWACK THWACK THWACK!

A series of dense, muffled impacts echoed. The tiles on the wall shattered, revealing dozens of clear whip marks. Fine spiderweb cracks spread outward from the marks. The sharp wooden thorns at the tips of the vines had pierced deeply into the concrete.

[Vine Technique (Middle Level) Skill Level +1, 1/200]

Han Ning had tested it before; the Basic Level Vine Technique could only leave shallow scratches on the wall at best. But now, it could directly shatter the tiles.

"The power has improved a lot."

He tried making the vines constrict and strangle. The ten vines writhed and constricted madly against the wall like snakes. The surface of the wall let out a teeth-grinding SCRAPE of friction as concrete debris pattered down.

[Spiritual Power: 5/15]

Suddenly, a wave of weakness washed over him from deep within his body.

Han Ning retracted the vines and panted heavily. Clearly, as the power of the Vine Technique increased significantly, so did its consumption.

Looking at the mess of cracks on the wall, Han Ning stepped closer and picked at the edges of the craters with his fingers. They felt extremely hard. The wooden thorns on the vines' surface were much tougher than he had imagined.

"The quantity has increased, the speed is faster, and the hardness and piercing power have been significantly enhanced... Overall, it's about a fifty percent improvement. At the same time, the Spiritual Power consumption has also gone up.

"Against a Crocodile Lizard with such astonishing Defense Power, relying solely on the physical binding and piercing of the vines isn't efficient enough for a kill. A more direct method of attack would be the key to a qualitative leap. Still, for now, this should be enough to deal with a juvenile."

His gaze swept over the newly awakened Skill on the interface: [Animal Companion].

[Animal Companion]: Form a natural contract with an animal or plant, making it obey your commands entirely and allowing you to share its vision.

Share vision?

Han Ning's heart skipped a beat. This was simply a god-tier Skill for apocalyptic exploration. If he could control a bird or a stealthy animal, it would be the equivalent of having an untiring scout immune to most dangers.

Unfortunately... in this godforsaken place, apart from those ferocious monsters, he couldn't even find a normal rat. For now, he could only shelve this Skill.

GRUMBLE...

The protesting sounds from his stomach pulled Han Ning back to reality. His strength had grown, but his body's consumption seemed to have increased as well.

Han Ning unscrewed a half-empty bottle of mineral water and carefully took two small sips. Only six and a half bottles of water remained.

He looked out the window. The torrential rain was still pouring down without the slightest sign of abating. Occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the dark scenery. Muddy rainwater coursed wildly through the city ruins, forming vast "lakes" on the ground. Some low-rise buildings in lower-lying areas had been completely submerged, leaving only their slanted rooftops stubbornly poking above the water's surface. Further away, floating debris of furniture and car roofs bobbed up and down on the turbulent waters.

"My strength has improved, and my food is almost gone. It's time I make a trip out."

If he didn't find a safe water source and more food soon, he would quickly fall into a desperate situation.

To prevent other Crocodile Lizards from sneaking into his home while he was out, Han Ning planned to reinforce the damaged security grilles a second time.

He rummaged through the apartment and eventually found several composite wooden boards used as shelves inside the wardrobe, each about half a meter wide and a centimeter thick. He dismantled these shelves and went through boxes and cabinets until he dug out half a roll of clear tape and a small bundle of thin iron wire left over from a previous renovation.

Returning to the balcony, the corpse of the juvenile Crocodile Lizard still lay in a pool of blood. Its hideous head tilted to one side, yellow slit-pupils staring blankly at the ceiling.

Han Ning flicked out his vines, tightly wrapping them around the corpse layer by layer, and then hurled it forcefully toward the hole in the security grille.

SPLASH!

The corpse flew out of the balcony and plunged into the flooded trench far below. He had no intention of eating Crocodile Lizard Meat for now, nor did he have the energy to dissect its corpse for biological research. What he needed most right now was a safe food source and clean water.

SPLASH SPLASH~

The faint sounds of sliding water echoed, but were quickly masked by the dense drumming of falling rain.

Next, he exerted force with both hands to bend the torn and precarious security grille inward, closing off the basin-sized hole as much as possible. He then covered the hole with the composite wooden boards and wrapped clear tape around the edges numerous times, layer after layer, until it was airtight. He also wound the thin iron wire around the boards and the twisted grille frame, tightening it with pliers to ensure it couldn't be easily broken in the short term.

He secured several wooden boards in a row until most of the security grille's surface area was covered. Only then did he stop.

"Phew... I hope this holds up for a while."

He wiped the mixture of rain and sweat from his face. Looking at the hole barely sealed by the boards and wire, he felt a little more at ease.

During the process, it had been inevitable that rainwater from outside would drip onto him. The skin exposed to the rainwater gave off a faint stinging sensation and quickly developed small red marks. Just as he had suspected, the outside rain contained certain toxins and could not be drunk directly. However, it seemed that brief contact with the rain wouldn't cause significant harm to his body.

Returning inside, Han Ning deadbolted the balcony door and pulled the living room curtains tightly shut. He checked the remaining six and a half bottles of mineral water, carefully tightened their caps, and placed them on the nightstand within arm's reach.

Having finished all these tasks, exhaustion suddenly washed over him like a tidal wave. He peeled off his cold, wet pajamas—which were stained with bloody water—hastily wiped his body down, changed into relatively dry clothes, and collapsed onto the bed.

His old waist injury began to throb with a dull ache from the earlier struggle and heavy lifting. He subconsciously raised his palm. A faint green light glowed in the center of his hand, and the power of the Rejuvenation Technique slowly seeped into his aching muscles and bones like a trickling stream, bringing a hint of cooling relief.

[Spiritual Power: 4/15]

[Rejuvenation Technique Skill Level +1, 9/100]

Feeling the faint warmth in his palm, Han Ning wearily closed his eyes.

The ceaseless drumming of the torrential rain outside the window was the only background noise. In his exhausted state, the sound of the rain was surprisingly soothing. Before he knew it, he drifted into a deep sleep.

The next day.

When Han Ning woke up, the sky outside was already growing light.

"Ugh... I'm starving!!"

He hadn't been woken up by his biological clock, but rather by his hunger! A burning sensation of starvation emanated from his stomach.

Han Ning grimaced as he sat up and checked his Spiritual Power reserves.

[Spiritual Power: 15/15]