The moment the ten vines appeared, Han Ning could clearly sense the presence of each one, as if they were extensions of his ten fingers. Controlling them felt as natural as breathing.
With a slight thought, he locked onto a smooth wall.
"Go!"
Ten dark green vines covered in sharp wooden thorns whistled through the air, lashing violently against the hard concrete wall.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
A series of dense, muffled impacts rang out.
The tiles on the wall shattered, leaving dozens of clear whip marks. Fine cracks spread outward from the center of each mark. The sharp wooden thorns at the tips of the vines dug deep into the concrete.
[Vine Manipulation (Intermediate) Proficiency +1, 1/200]
Han Ning had tested it before—beginner-level Vine Manipulation could only leave shallow scratches on the wall at best.
But now, it could shatter tiles outright.
"The power has improved significantly."
He tried making the vines constrict.
The ten vines twisted and coiled like snakes, tightening against the wall.
The surface of the wall emitted an ear-piercing screech as cement fragments crumbled away.
[Spiritual Power: 5/15]
Suddenly, a wave of weakness surged from deep within his body.
Han Ning withdrew the vines and took several deep breaths.
Clearly, while the power of Vine Manipulation had increased, so had its consumption.
Looking at the chaotic web of cracks on the wall, Han Ning stepped closer and ran his fingers along the edges of the gouges.
The texture was hard—the wooden thorns on the vines were far tougher than he had imagined.
"Increased quantity, faster speed, significantly improved hardness and piercing power… Overall, it's about 50% stronger, but the Spiritual Power cost has gone up too."
"Against something as defensively formidable as a Crocodile Lizard, relying solely on physical binding and piercing from the vines still isn't efficient enough… A more direct offensive method would be the key to a qualitative leap. But for now, this should be enough to deal with juveniles."
His gaze swept over the newly awakened skill on his panel—[Animal Companion].
[Animal Companion]: Form a natural contract with an animal or plant, making it completely obedient to you while sharing its vision.
Shared vision?
Han Ning's heart stirred.
This was practically a god-tier skill for surviving the apocalypse.
If he could control a bird or a stealthy animal, it would be like having a tireless scout that feared almost no danger.
Unfortunately… in this damned place, aside from those violent monsters, even a normal rat was nowhere to be seen.
For now, this skill would have to remain shelved.
Gurgle…
The protest from his stomach pulled Han Ning back to reality.
His strength had grown.
But…
His body's demands seemed to have increased as well.
Han Ning unscrewed a half-empty bottle of mineral water and took two careful sips.
Only six and a half bottles of water remained.
He looked out the window.
The torrential rain continued unabated, showing no signs of weakening.
Occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the darkness outside.
Murky floodwaters rampaged through the ruins of the city, forming vast "lakes" across the ground.
Some of the lower-lying buildings were already completely submerged, with only their tilted rooftops stubbornly peeking above the water's surface.
Further away, floating debris of furniture and car rooftops bobbed uncertainly on the turbulent waters.
"Now that my strength has increased and food is running low, it's time to venture out."
If he didn't find a safe water source and more food soon, he would quickly find himself in dire straits.
To prevent other Crocodile Lizards from entering his home while he was away, Han Ning decided to reinforce the damaged security grille a second time.
He rummaged through the apartment and eventually found several half-meter-wide, one-centimeter-thick composite boards used as partitions inside the wardrobe.
After removing these boards, he searched high and low for half a roll of transparent tape and a small bundle of leftover thin wire from previous renovations.
Returning to the balcony, the corpse of the juvenile Crocodile Lizard lay in a pool of blood, its grotesque head tilted to one side, its yellow vertical pupils staring vacantly at the ceiling.
Han Ning lashed out with vines, wrapping the corpse layer by layer before flinging it forcefully through the hole in the security grille.
The body was thrown off the balcony, landing in a distant gutter below with a loud splash.
He had no intention of eating Crocodile Lizard meat for now, nor the energy to dissect its corpse for biological study. What he needed most was a safe food source and clean water.
Splash, splash...
Faint sounds of flowing water emerged, soon drowned out by the relentless patter of raindrops.
Then, with both hands, he bent the torn and precarious security grille inward, trying his best to close the hole the size of a washbasin.
He placed the dismantled composite boards over the hole, wrapping the edges tightly with layers of transparent tape until it was completely sealed.
Next, he coiled the thin wire around the boards and the twisted frame of the security grille, tightening it with pliers to ensure it wouldn't be easily damaged in the short term.
He covered the hole with several boards until most of the grille was shielded, then finally stopped.
"Phew... I hope this holds for a while."
Wiping the rain and sweat from his face, he felt slightly reassured as he looked at the hole now barely sealed with boards and wire.
During the process, rainwater inevitably dripped onto him from outside.
Where the rain touched his skin, a faint stinging sensation arose, soon leaving small red marks.
Just as he suspected, the rain outside contained some level of toxins and wasn't safe to drink directly.
However, brief exposure didn't seem to cause significant harm.
Back inside, Han Ning locked the balcony door securely and drew the living room curtains tightly.
He checked the remaining six and a half bottles of mineral water, carefully tightening their caps and placing them within easy reach on the bedside table.
Exhaustion washed over him as soon as he finished these tasks.
He stripped off his cold, blood-soaked pajamas, wiped himself down hastily, changed into relatively dry clothes, and collapsed onto the bed.
The old injury on his waist throbbed faintly from the earlier fight and exertion.
Instinctively, he raised his palm, a faint green glow emanating from it. The power of [Rejuvenation] flowed like a gentle stream, seeping into his aching muscles and bones, bringing a soothing coolness.
[Spiritual Power: 4/15]
[Rejuvenation Proficiency +1, 9/100]
Feeling the weak warmth in his palm, Han Ning closed his eyes wearily.
Outside, the never-ending downpour provided the only background noise.
The sound of the heavy rain was quite soothing in his exhausted state.
Before he knew it, he had fallen into a deep sleep.
The next day.
When Han Ning woke up, the sky outside was already faintly bright.
"Ugh... I'm so hungry!!"
He hadn't been woken by his biological clock—he'd been roused by hunger!
A burning sensation of starvation radiated from his stomach.
Grimacing, Han Ning sat up and checked his Spiritual Power reserves.
[Spiritual Power: 15/15]