Outside the window, the relentless storm continued to wash over this strange and dangerous world.
Raindrops pelted densely against the glass, creating a disconcerting patter.
After checking the growth of his crops, Han Ning massaged his still-throbbing lower back and walked to the kitchen to take stock of his remaining supplies.
From the old man next door, he had scavenged four bags of dried noodles, each weighing half a kilogram, all intact. There was also half a bag of rice, roughly five kilograms, two packs of compressed biscuits, and two boxes of barbecue-flavored orchid beans. The water dispenser's tank was two-thirds full, holding about 13 liters, with an unopened case of 12 mineral water bottles (500ml each) stacked beside it. This was his entire water reserve.
"If I ration the dry food carefully and the potatoes yield well, it should last over half a month," he thought.
Rationing was one thing, but he still needed two meals a day to maintain his strength—especially since he had to practice his skills. Staying hungry all day would only weaken him.
"But what about water?" Han Ning's expression darkened with worry. Between the water dispenser and the mineral water, he had less than 20 liters in total. Though the rain outside was heavy, who knew if it was safe to drink? The mention of the planet-submerging "Black Tide Water" in the indigenous records made him hesitant to try using it for now.
"It's too dangerous out there. Best to stay inside if possible."
The lingering pain in his side and the suffocating near-death experience from last night in the equipment room were constant reminders that, with his newly awakened abilities, facing those ferocious crocodile lizards would be a death wish.
"First, I'll follow the 'Ten-Mile Slope Sword God' approach—grind my skills until the supplies run low," Han Ning decided.
Rather than rushing out to certain death, he would use this temporary safety period and his precious food and water reserves to focus entirely on improving his strength. Strength was the only guarantee of survival. His home was the safe zone of the beginner's village.
With his goal clear, Han Ning acted immediately. He carefully stored the noodles, rice, and compressed biscuits in the kitchen cabinet. Once the supplies were secured, training began.
Standing in the relatively open living room, Han Ning steadied his breathing and focused. "Vine Manipulation!" he muttered, pushing his hands forward as green light flickered in his palms.
His concentration fixed on the gaps in the floorboards. With a few soft pops, several thin, dull-colored vines struggled to emerge, swaying weakly before drooping limply like a premature failure. Within seconds, they withered and vanished.
[Vine Manipulation proficiency +1. Current: 14/100]
His Spiritual Power instantly dropped by 1 point, leaving him with [Spiritual Power: 9/10].
"Too weak…" Han Ning frowned, recalling how easily the juvenile crocodile lizard had snapped his vines during last night's crisis.
"I need more. Stronger. More flexible vines!" He took a shallow breath and cast again.
"Vine Manipulation!"
"Vine Manipulation!"
"Vine Manipulation!"
In the dim living room, Han Ning repeated the monotonous, solitary drills—summoning vines over and over, only for them to wither seconds later.
With each release, he carefully felt the flow of Spiritual Power within his body, sensing the faint connection between himself and the vines.
When his Spiritual Power was exhausted, he would return to bed to rest, allowing his body to recover naturally.
When hunger struck, he would cook a bowl of fragrant rice, mix it with soy sauce, and eat heartily to maintain his body's energy expenditure.
During breaks, he never forgot to tend to the few pots of potato seedlings.
The potatoes clearly grew faster, as he primarily used his Rapid Growth ability on them.
[Rapid Growth Proficiency +1, Current 4/100]
[Rapid Growth Proficiency +1, Current 5/100]
Ten units of Spiritual Power roughly translated to seven uses of Vine Manipulation and three uses of Rapid Growth.
As for Rejuvenation, he temporarily set it aside.
The emerald-green glow seeped into the soil, and the potato seedlings visibly grew taller, their leaves fuller and stems thicker.
Watching them thrive and imagining the bountiful harvest of potatoes, Han Ning felt even more motivated.
Time passed quietly between practice and rest.
The torrential rain outside became a constant backdrop, occasionally punctuated by the roars of monsters.
By the end of the first day, the proficiency of Vine Manipulation had increased to [26/100].
The most noticeable change was that the number of vines summoned had increased by two, their color deepened, and their withering time extended by a second or two.
Under the effect of two uses of [Rapid Growth], the potato seedlings had grown to nearly twenty centimeters tall, lush and verdant.
The cost was a small drop in the water level of the dispenser.
He licked his slightly chapped lips, suppressing the urge to take another sip.
On the second day, training continued.
He attempted to alter the way he cast Vine Manipulation.
Instead of focusing on summoning multiple vines at once, he concentrated his will, trying to control the exact location where the vines emerged and how they coiled.
At first, he had no clue, and the vines still sprouted randomly from the floor cracks.
Through repeated failures and attempts, he gradually grasped a hint of the technique.
It seemed related to his "intent" and the way he controlled the "Spiritual Power" within his body.
Elusive yet traceable.
Han Ning searched for that peculiar feeling over and over.
Once, three times, five times, ten times...
After twenty attempts.
As the faint Spiritual Power surged toward his palm again, he visualized the vines emerging from the floor half a meter ahead and coiling upward.
"Vine Manipulation!"
Whoosh!
Three vines sprouted from the approximate designated area.
"Success!"
A flicker of joy flashed in Han Ning's eyes.
[Vine Manipulation Proficiency +5, Current 31/100]
[Druid Growth Progress +1, Current 20/100]
The third day... the fourth day... the fifth day...
Life seemed to fall into a fixed cycle: practicing skills, resting to recover, tending to the potatoes, and calculating the consumption of food and water.
One bag of dried noodles was eaten.
A small layer of rice was gone.
The water in the dispenser finally ran dry.
Han Ning had no choice but to start using bottled water.
Every time he opened a new bottle of mineral water, his heart ached a little.
As for bathing, it was completely out of the question.
After six or seven days of training.
The proficiency of Vine Manipulation had risen to [87/100].
Now, the number of vines he summoned stabilized at seven or eight, their color a deep emerald green, as thick as an adult's finger, and their texture tough, whipping through the air with a faint whistling sound.
The most crucial aspect was control. He could now precisely direct the vines to emerge from specified locations with increasing accuracy.
He could command them to perform simple actions like coiling, lashing, and binding, growing more proficient with each attempt.
Although each summoning seemed to consume slightly more Spiritual Power, the power and practicality were incomparable to before.
[Rapid Growth] had also advanced to [30/100].
The potato seedlings received the best care. With Han Ning prioritizing this skill whenever his Spiritual Power recovered slightly, they had grown to half a person's height, their lush foliage nearly overflowing the pots. Two of them even sprouted tiny, pale purple flower buds at their tips.
As for the Druid level, the overall progress had reached [62/100].