Chapter 21: Petty Maneuvers

"Gentlemen, please, do me a favor and stop arguing. Besides... this isn't exactly the place for a dispute."

Liu Feng patted Han Ning and Chen Yan on their respective shoulders, playing the part of a peacemaker.

"Heh, I was just making a suggestion," Chen Yan said, shrugging indifferently.

To be honest, if it weren't for the sake of Liu Feng, Han Ning would have whipped a vine across the man's face the moment he encountered such a person. Considering he still needed his teammates for coordination, he suppressed his dissatisfaction and walked to the side, remaining silent.

...

Over the next few days, the hunting operation continued. With the help of Han Ning's vines, the team's hunting efficiency was high. The five-member squad cleared out quite a few stray alligator lizards near the apartment building. On average, they were able to kill one or two alligator lizards, each about 1.5 meters in length, every day. They had encountered larger ones, but thanks to Zhou Wan’s keen observation, they had managed to avoid them.

As the number of battles grew, Han Ning's control over his vines became increasingly refined. His proficiency gradually rose to [Intermediate Vine Mastery, 182/200], and his Druid cultivation progress reached [Novice Druid, currently 162/300]. It was worth noting that the energy gained from the alligator lizards after their death—which contributed to his Druid progress—was not constant; it was calculated based on the size, and roughly the strength, of the lizard. Han Ning harvested about 10 to 15 points per kill on average.

The squad's exploration range gradually expanded from the residential complex to a small commercial district nearby. As for supplies, Han Ning had searched almost every room on the eighth floor. Most of the apartments were either empty, lacked significant supplies, had people hiding inside in silence, or had already been scavenged by Liu Feng’s subordinates. The abundance of supplies found in the "hoarder's" apartment on the eighth floor was never replicated. Nevertheless, in total, he managed to gather about fifty pounds of food, including water, instant noodles, rice, canned goods, vacuum-packed ready-to-eat meals, and various snacks. He also found useful items like alcohol lamps, batteries, candles, paper, and potting soil.

On the fifth day, the squad decided to explore a large, partially submerged abandoned shopping mall at the entrance of the complex, heading toward Egret Port. According to Liu Feng's intelligence, there might be a supply warehouse there that hadn't been completely destroyed by the flood.

The interior of the mall was dim and damp, with water reaching up to their knees, and various types of trash and rotting matter floating about. The air was thick with the heavy stench of mold and decay. Zhou Wan used her excellent vision to scout ahead, Chen Yan and Lu Minghu kept watch on the left and right, Han Ning provided support from the center, and Liu Feng brought up the rear.

"Be careful. This is an entirely unexplored area; there might be quite a few alligator lizards here," Liu Feng cautioned his teammates, carefully observing the surroundings.

"I have a bad feeling about this. It's too quiet. It's impossible for there not to be even a single alligator lizard here," Zhou Wan suddenly stopped and frowned.

"Perhaps we should head back. I trust your intuition."

Just as Liu Feng passed a collapsed shelf and moved next to Zhou Wan, a deafening roar, filled with a brutal aura, suddenly erupted from above. Immediately following, a massive shadow smashed through the second-floor ceiling, showering them with bricks and debris like a falling meteorite, crashing down right in front of the group.

Water splashed everywhere, and the ground seemed to tremble. What appeared before them was a terrifying, giant lizard the likes of which they had never seen. It was nearly 3.5 meters long, its body covered in grayish-white and blue scales, with jagged bone spurs along its back standing up like war halberds. Unlike the other alligator lizards, its slit pupils were a deep, crimson red.

"Hiss..."

This giant lizard did not immediately tear into its prey like the others; instead, it locked its gaze onto the intruders as if observing them, emitting a suffocating aura of destruction.

"It’s this big?!"

Liu Feng’s expression changed drastically, his once-calm voice wavering. He had never felt such terrifying pressure before.

"Scatter! Scatter quickly!" Zhou Wan shrieked a warning, and at the same time, an arrow flew from her bow toward the giant lizard’s eye. However, the arrow collided with the thick, scaly eyelid of the beast, sparking briefly before being deflected.

The giant lizard’s attention was fully drawn to Chen Yan and Lu Minghu, who were closest to it!

"Damn it!"

Chen Yan roared, his muscles bulging and his skin taking on a dense, stony sheen. Instead of retreating, he lunged forward, swinging his fire axe with all his might at the lizard’s outstretched front claw. Lu Minghu flashed forward, attempting to flank the creature and attack its relatively vulnerable abdomen.

"Vine Mastery!"

Han Ning did not hesitate, channeling his spiritual energy with all his might. Over a dozen ink-green vines, covered in sharp wooden thorns, burst wildly from the ground, walls, and ceiling cracks, wrapping layer upon layer around the giant lizard’s limbs, neck, and the terrifying, sweeping tail.

*Screech, screech, screech.*

The vines ground violently against the scales. The lizard’s strength was beyond imagination; the vines wrapped around it tightened to their limit instantly, emitting groans of strain. A large number of the vines were snapped by the beast’s violent power the moment they made contact. However, Han Ning’s full-force effort was crucial, as it delayed the lizard’s movements for a split second.

Chen Yan’s axe struck the scales of the lizard’s front claw repeatedly. *Clang! Clang!* Despite his incredible strength, he only left white marks, unable to break through its defense at all. Lu Minghu’s attack was fended off by a casual sweep of the lizard’s tail, leaving him in a precarious position.

"ROAR!" The giant lizard was thoroughly enraged, its crimson pupils snapping toward Han Ning.

It was clever; it knew who posed the greatest threat. The lizard’s thick forelimbs pushed off the ground, its massive body turning with surprising agility. It opened its cavernous mouth, lined with jagged teeth, and lunged toward Han Ning, carried by a wave of foul-smelling wind.

"Han Ning!" Liu Feng shouted in alarm upon seeing this. In an instant, his short hair stood on end, the surrounding stagnant water churned, and loose metal shelves and concrete blocks rose into the air, hurtling toward the lizard’s head.

Just then, Chen Yan, who should have been guarding Han Ning’s flank to help share the pressure, suddenly stumbled and fell backward into the water for no apparent reason. Lu Minghu’s movements also slowed by half a beat, failing to charge forward immediately.

This half-step of hesitation and brief delay left Han Ning in a dire situation. With the front line broken and no one to provide cover, the beast’s gaping maw was inches away, the stench of its breath washing over him.

"You bastard!"

Han Ning saw Chen Yan’s petty move clearly. With the situation critical, he had no time to settle scores. In his haste, he could only weave a few layers of relatively thin vine barriers in front of him and silently recited:

"Barkskin!"

Green light flowed rapidly over Han Ning’s body, condensing into a layer of wrinkled, brownish-green tree bark.

*BANG! CRACK!*

The vine barrier was shredded with ease. Utilizing that brief moment, Han Ning only managed to pull his head away from the reach of the lizard’s bite. However, a jagged bone spur on the edge of the lizard’s lower jaw, sharp as a short spear, grazed his left arm.

*RIIIP!*

The wrinkled bark was torn away, and blood sprayed instantly. Han Ning felt a heart-wrenching pain in his left arm, as if his bone had been displaced. The massive impact sent him flying, crashing heavily into a slanted shelf behind him, where he was completely buried under falling debris.

"Stop it!" Liu Feng roared, frantically controlling all the debris he could to smash into the lizard’s head and eyes. Zhou Wan’s arrows also rained down, aiming for the beast’s more vulnerable eyelids and the inside of its mouth.

Only then did Chen Yan and Lu Minghu awaken as if from a dream, biting the bullet and rushing forward. Their attacks proved effective. Distracted by the harassment of the other four, the giant lizard momentarily abandoned the buried Han Ning and turned its head.