Chapter 19: Truly Irresistible

“Not bad attack power... It seems these foods weren’t eaten in vain.”

Though the vine was deliberately weakened by him to limit its strength, the power Snowcake just displayed far exceeded that of most young beasts on Earth.

Han Ning estimated that, in terms of sheer explosive force, this little creature was probably already comparable to a healthy boy of twelve or thirteen years old.

“Howl?”

After biting through the vine, Snowcake seemed a bit confused. It shook its head, spat out the fibrous remnants from its mouth, then looked up at Han Ning, its tail wagging gently, as if seeking praise.

“Go play.” Han Ning lightly nudged it with his foot.

“Howl!”

With Han Ning’s permission, Snowcake resumed frolicking around the living room.

Looking at this newly born little guy and then at the supplies he had painstakingly stockpiled—which were quickly depleting—Han Ning felt a mix of joy and worry.

The joy was that Snowcake had immense potential; once grown, it would be a powerful ally.

The worry was that... the little glutton ate so much. The small amount just fed to it might have been merely an appetizer.

Now it was less than a meter long but had such an appetite. What about when it grows to one and a half, two meters... or even three meters like its mother?

“Raising you really isn’t easy...” Han Ning sighed.

...

Night fell.

In the eighth-floor apartment, Snowcake curled up in a simple nest made from old clothes, softly rumbling as it drifted into a deep sleep.

Knock, knock, knock.

A sudden knock broke the silence.

“Shh...”

Snowcake jolted awake, its yellow-bronze vertical pupils fixed intently on the door.

“Don’t be nervous, go back to sleep.”

Han Ning patted its back and got up to open the door.

Outside stood Liu Feng, holding a candle in the hallway.

“Is it convenient for you to come down to the fourth floor? We need to discuss the next steps.”

“Sure, you go ahead. I’ll be there shortly.” Han Ning nodded.

“Then hurry.”

Watching Liu Feng walk away, Han Ning glanced back at Snowcake and, after some thought, decided to leave it at home.

He gathered a bunch of food, persuaded Snowcake, who wanted to follow, to stay, and then headed down to the fourth floor.

At Liu Feng’s home, by the tea table.

Lu Minghu sat back in his chair, pale but seemingly in good spirits.

Everyone else was already seated nearby.

Only a few candles flickered in the dark living room, giving the impression of some mysterious ritual underway.

“Everyone’s here.”

Liu Feng got straight to the point.

“After today’s outing, as you all saw, the situation outside is far worse than we expected.”

His voice carried a weight of seriousness:

“Just two crocodile lizards nearly cost us casualties, and that was with preparation and teamwork. Minghu’s injury won’t heal properly for at least ten days, maybe more. We haven’t even left the community’s boundary.”

“The initial plan to reach Egret Harbor five kilometers away now seems a bit of a pipe dream.”

“The situation outside the community is more complicated; monsters will only increase. With our current strength, forcing our way out is a death sentence.”

No one objected; they listened quietly.

Only Zhou Wan raised her eyes and spoke, “Indeed, the risk is far beyond our estimation. We need better preparation.”

“Exactly.”

“Forcing our way through is pure suicide. So I want to adjust the plan.” Liu Feng agreed.

Leaning forward slightly, the candlelight flickered in his eyes:

“After killing those monsters, our bodies absorb a peculiar energy that not only heals wounds but makes us stronger.”

“It’s like... leveling up after defeating monsters in a game.”

“So you want to... grind levels first?” Chen Yan pondered.

“Yes!”

“Focus on this community area, hunting those isolated or small groups of crocodile lizards within a familiar range.”

“On one hand, to absorb the energy they release upon death and enhance our strength.”

“On the other, to clear threats nearby while gathering scarce resources like water, food, and medicine—we’re lacking everything.”

He held up a finger:

“For the first cycle, I propose ten days. During these ten days, our core mission is hunting, absorbing energy, and improving ourselves.”

“After ten days, we’ll assess our progress and reassess the risks of going to Egret Harbor before deciding our next move.”

Liu Feng’s gaze swept over everyone.

“Any thoughts?”

Leveling up?

Not a bad idea.

Ever since killing that juvenile crocodile lizard, Han Ning had been thinking along these lines.

Only that, alone and weak, he couldn’t venture out to hunt and level up.

Now with teammates, it was much more feasible.

Besides, he wanted to see if hunting crocodile lizards could help Snowcake grow faster.

After a brief silence, Lu Minghu was the first to speak:

“I’m fine with it.”

“Me too.”

Several others, including Han Ning, expressed their agreement.

...

“Ha-hiss, ha-hiss~”

Back home, Snowcake immediately pounced on him like a puppy.

Before preparing dinner, Han Ning went to the corner near the balcony to check on the crops.

The apple tree was fine. This kind of fruit tree grew slowly; even with accelerated nourishment, it was just over a meter tall.

Usually, apple trees take three years to bear fruit—an exceedingly long time.

“Hm?”

Han Ning’s expression shifted when he saw the container where he planted potatoes.

He had planted the most potatoes.

The once lush green leaves had turned yellow and withered.

Pushing aside the soil revealed numerous potatoes of varying sizes.

Though not very large, their quantity was substantial, weighing down the roots.

“Got it!” A strange sense of accomplishment welled up inside him.

This was the first harvest he had personally cultivated in this desperate world.

Carefully, he dug out each potato and placed them in a clean basin.

“A total of sixteen jin—pretty good!”

Han Ning smiled brightly, stroking the irregularly shaped tubers.

The empty flowerpots and potting soil scavenged from other rooms finally came in handy.

He carefully cleared away the mature potato plants, leaving only the strongest few to save for seeds.

Then he selected medium-sized potatoes with plump eyes, cut them into pieces, and planted them in several pots filled with soil.

Notably, these pots weren’t separate; Han Ning had broken one side of each and combined several pots to create a larger interior space.

This way, more potatoes could grow.

Finally, he activated [Rapid Growth] again.

A faint green glow seeped into the soil, and the newly planted potato pieces sprouted tender shoots visibly, beginning a new life cycle.

Having done all this, his hunger intensified.

Tonight, Han Ning decided to treat himself.

He boiled a small pot of water on a gas stove, peeled and cut the potatoes, boiled them until soft, then mashed them.

On the other side, he cut a still-fresh steak into small cubes, lightly fried them in precious cooking oil, sprinkled a bit of salt.

Lastly, he spread the fragrant mashed potatoes at the bottom of a bowl, topped them with steaming hot steak cubes, and drizzled a little of the meat’s juices over it.

A steaming, aromatic bowl of mashed potatoes and beef was ready.

“Smells amazing!”

Inhaling the savory aroma, Han Ning began to devour his meal heartily.