Chapter 28: The Survivor

After resting for a while and sensing his spiritual energy had recovered to about 12 points, Han Ning patted the cold, scaly head of Xuebing.

"Let’s go. Let’s head north and take a look."

"Awooo!"

Man and lizard submerged once more into the murky, frigid floodwaters. With Han Ning on its back, Xuebing swam rapidly toward the northern side of Blue Bay Park.

Gradually, the silhouette of a building half-drowned in the water emerged through the curtain of rain. Only a small portion of the roof was exposed, resembling a desolate island. On this "island," several small, moving specks were vaguely visible.

"People?!"

Han Ning frowned slightly and signaled for Xuebing to accelerate.

As they drew closer to the convenience store, shrill screams mixed with the heart-wrenching roars of crocodile lizards pierced through the dense rain, reaching his ears clearly.

"Help! Someone help!"

"Get up here! Hurry, climb up!"

"Forget the supplies! Old Li!!"

Han Ning’s heart tightened. He swam behind the wreckage of a floating billboard and carefully poked his head out, peering intently.

On the exposed roof of the convenience store, four people were huddled together. Dressed in raincoats of various colors, they looked gaunt and sallow, their faces etched with extreme terror and despair. Two people on the left were straining to pull their companion’s arms, trying to drag him up from the edge of the roof. Another person had already fallen into the water and was flailing desperately.

Beneath the surface surrounding the store, four hideous, gray-white heads poked out. These crocodile lizards were not large—even smaller than the ones they had hunted before—but they were still far from something ordinary people could contend with. One of the creatures had clamped its jaws onto the waist and abdomen of the unfortunate soul who had fallen in, shaking its savage head violently to drag the person into the deeper water.

"Ah! Ahhh!!"

The murky water was stained by a large pool of dark red blood. The victim emitted only a few short, sharp screams before falling silent. All that remained was the terrifying sound of flesh being torn and bones being crushed.

On the roof, the person being pulled by his companions still had his lower body submerged. A smaller lizard was clawing at the roof's edge, trying to bite his legs. Two others were bracing their hind limbs against the wall, attempting to leap onto the relatively safe roof. The survivors on the roof brandished makeshift weapons, frantically striking at the lizards' heads to keep them at bay.

"Old Zhang, hold on! Don't let go!"

A burly man with a thick beard, appearing to be the leader, gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his arms as he gripped his companion’s arm tightly. Old Zhang, being dragged, was pale as a sheet; his legs were already torn by the lizards' sharp claws, revealing bone and bleeding profusely.

"I can't... I can't hold on... My arm is going to break..."

Old Zhang’s voice was filled with sobs, his rain-drenched face twitching and twisting uncontrollably.

Just as the crocodile lizard clinging to the edge opened its mouth, filled with fine, razor-sharp teeth, and was about to bite into Old Zhang’s calf, a low, guttural beast roar—distinctly different in tone—erupted like a thunderclap, drowning out all other sounds.

Immediately after, a gray-white shadow tore through the rain, darting out from behind the billboard at astonishing speed. Its sturdy hind legs pushed off the floating debris, and its body shot forward like an arrow toward the offending lizard.

"Splat!"

Xuebing’s tooth-filled maw clamped expertly onto the side of the target's neck.

"Gah!!"

The immense impact sent the creature flying from the edge of the roof, tumbling into the murky water with a massive splash.

At the same time, twelve dark green vines whistled through the air, flying in from all directions. They wrapped precisely around the bodies of the other three lizards.

The survivors on the roof were stunned by this lightning-fast turn of events. Watching the vines materialize out of thin air and seeing the fierce lizard, their minds went blank.

"Quick! Pull him up!" Han Ning roared at the dazed bearded man on the roof. Controlling three lizards at once was taking a heavy toll on him. He wasn't saving these people out of a saintly impulse; he needed to kill these monsters to get into the store. Furthermore, he was just a step away from advancing his Druid training, and these monsters were not particularly strong.

The burly man snapped to his senses. Together with his companions, they unleashed their final reserves of strength and finally hauled the half-dead Old Zhang onto the relative safety of the roof.

"Awoo!" Xuebing released its grip, letting the severely wounded lizard sink to the bottom. Its yellow, slit pupils locked coldly onto the three remaining lizards bound by the vines, a low growl emanating from its throat, full of intimidation.

"Stay on the roof and don't move!" Han Ning ordered again, simultaneously pushing his spiritual energy to the limit.

[Vine Technique proficiency +2, currently 199/200]
[Spiritual Energy: 7/20]

Under his control, the vines tightened abruptly, strangling the three lizards.

"Awoo!" "Wu-!!" "Hiss..."

The lizards' scales began to deform under the crushing force of the tough vines and sharp wooden thorns.

"Xuebing, finish them!"

"Roar!"

Receiving the command, Xuebing didn't hesitate for a second, transforming back into a gray shadow and pouncing. It first lunged at the smallest lizard.

"Crack!"

The sound of shattering bone echoed out.

Xuebing didn't stop; it lashed its thick tail, striking the head of another lizard, leaving it dazed and disoriented, before pouncing to deliver the killing blow!

"Hiss! Hiss!"

Seeing its two companions die one after another, the final lizard struggled even more frantically.

"Stay still!"

Han Ning’s eyes sharpened, his spiritual energy surging into the vines.

[Vine Technique proficiency +6, currently 205/200, skill level increased!]
[Vine Technique (Intermediate) -> Vine Technique (Advanced)]

At the exact moment the technique leveled up, the remaining vines erupted with a deep, dark green glow, becoming thicker and tougher, with mysterious, faint green patterns appearing on their surface. The binding force increased dramatically!

"Hiss—"

The last lizard was tightly imprisoned by the Advanced Vine Technique, unable to move an inch. Xuebing seized the golden opportunity, lashing its tail repeatedly against the lizard’s neck.

"Snap!"

The final lizard went completely limp.

The battle ended with extraordinary speed. In just a dozen breaths, all four savage crocodile lizards were dead. Their corpses floated on the murky water, and the air was thick with the heavy scent of blood mixed with the cold rain.

On the roof, the survivors, having escaped death, collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Their gazes toward Han Ning and Xuebing were filled with an indescribable awe.

Four pure blue orbs of light drifted out from the corpses of the lizards and submerged into Han Ning’s chest.

"Ugh..."

Han Ning’s body stiffened as if struck by a high-voltage current. A surge of potent warmth exploded within him. His muscles felt as if they were soaking in a hot spring, accompanied by a faint, stretching ache. These lizards were small, and the total energy gained wasn't vast, but it was enough to help Han Ning break through that barrier!

[Druid growth progress +53]
[Druid level increased, Lv3 -> Lv4, currently 1/600]
[Spiritual Energy limit increased, 20 -> 25]
[Current Spiritual Energy: 15/25]
[New skills awakened: Nature’s Blessing, Fish Gill Technique]