"I've roughly planned three routes. We'll decide which one to take tomorrow based on the actual situation and Zhou Wan's observations. The principle is to avoid open water and known monster-dense areas as much as possible, choosing routes shielded by high-rise buildings."
"Brother Han Ning," Liu Feng looked at Han Ning, "your Vine Manipulation is crucial. When encountering monsters, especially multiple ones, your first task is to restrict their movements and create a safe environment for the rest of us to attack. Prioritize controlling fast and high-threat targets."
Han Ning nodded. "Understood."
"Chen Yan, you're the vanguard. Hold the front line and draw their attention."
"Lu Minghu, you're responsible for flanking support, looking for opportunities to deal fatal blows to key targets or clearing out scattered monsters that get too close."
"Zhou Wan, your eyes are our radar. Give us early warnings and lock onto targets, especially hidden threats."
Chen Yan gave a faint "Hmm" in acknowledgment.
"Those Crocodile Lizards have thick leather armor. Without proper weapons, I might struggle to deal effective damage," Lu Minghu frowned slightly.
"No problem. To complement your ability, I've specially prepared a chainsaw for you. With this, you should be able to cut through their scales easily." Liu Feng pointed to a toolbox in the corner of the living room and smiled.
"A chainsaw? How did you get your hands on that?" Even the usually indifferent Chen Yan couldn't help but ask, showing curiosity.
"Heh, it was pure luck. My people found it in the greenery downstairs. Probably some workers were trimming landscape trees when the world shifted."
Han Ning actually thought someone like Chen Yan, a strong, warrior-type Awakened, could wield the chainsaw too. But then he considered that the chainsaw was a "fixed-damage" weapon—whether wielded by the strong Chen Yan or the agile Lu Minghu, the damage output would be similar. In Lu Minghu's hands, it would be more mobile and intimidating.
Thinking this, he agreed with Liu Feng's plan. The only downside was the chainsaw's weight—would it affect Lu Minghu's speed?
"Alright, that's the gist of it." Liu Feng didn't elaborate further and asked the group, "Does anyone have questions or anything to add?"
Silence.
In this environment, no plan could keep up with sudden changes. Teamwork and adaptability were key.
"Then it's settled. Rest well tonight and conserve your energy. We'll meet at the fourth-floor stairwell at 10 AM tomorrow." Liu Feng slapped the table, finalizing the plan.
...
The next morning at 10 AM.
The rain showed no signs of stopping—if anything, it grew heavier.
At the fourth-floor stairwell, the five-member squad had assembled.
Each was clad in thick raincoats, wrapped tightly with only their eyes exposed. Beneath the bulky raincoats, they carried their prepared equipment.
Chen Yan gripped a sturdy metal baseball bat in his left hand and a sharp fire axe in his right, looking like a berserker straight out of a game.
Lu Minghu carried a portable fuel can on his back and held a small chainsaw in his hand.
Zhou Wan had a waterproof quiver slung across her shoulder, steadily gripping a sleek black compound bow.
Liu Feng wore a fire axe at his waist and thick leather gloves on his hands.
Lastly, there was Han Ning—empty-handed except for a cleaver stamped with "Wang Mazi" tucked at his waist.
Apart from Lu Minghu, each of them carried a backpack filled with food and first-aid supplies.
"Check your gear! We move out now!" Liu Feng's voice cut through the rain, heavy with tension.
The guards strained to shift the barricade blocking the entrance.
A rush of icy, damp air—reeking of earth and decay—flooded in instantly.
The five of them descended the slick stairwell to the first floor.
Below the staircase, murky water had already swallowed several steps, its surface littered with debris and suspicious floating objects.
"Move!"
Chen Yan was the first to step into the filthy water, followed by Lu Minghu, Han Ning, Liu Feng, and Zhou Wan.
The frigid sewage rose past their thighs in an instant.
A bone-deep chill sent shivers through them all.
Exiting the stairwell, they entered the apartment building's flooded lobby.
The once-familiar space was now submerged under storm-swollen waters.
The yellowish surface was strewn with countless floating fragments.
Zhou Wan scanned the water ahead warily, signaling the group to press forward.
The lobby was relatively safe, and they soon waded to the main entrance.
Outside, the devastation was even more harrowing than what they'd glimpsed from above.
Gale-force winds lashed the downpour like countless whips against everything in sight.
Visibility was abysmal—beyond ten meters, the world blurred into obscurity.
The greenery outside the apartments had vanished entirely, replaced by a churning swamp.
Turbulent currents surged through waist-deep filth, carrying wrecked cars, shattered furniture, and even bloated, pallid animal carcasses.
Buildings on either side leaned like giant tombstones half-sunk in sludge, their ground-floor shops mostly drowned.
Stepping past the apartment gates, every movement became a struggle.
The current battered their bodies as their feet slipped on slimy mud and unseen obstacles.
Icy rainwater seeped through gaps in their raincoats, leaching away body heat.
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
"Woooo—"
Only the howling wind, pounding rain, and rushing water filled their ears.
"Brother Minghu, how did you guys make it through conditions this bad?"
The environment outside was so hostile that Han Ning couldn't fathom how the others had traveled back and forth between apartment buildings unscathed.
"Can't speak for the rest, but I moved into your building about a week ago—right after I awakened my ability. Old Liu found me then."
Lu Minghu turned his head, shouting over the storm,
"Didn't have any family, so I just relocated."
"Oh, I see." Han Ning nodded.
"Watch the debris on the right!" Zhou Wan's warning rang out.
They followed her gaze—a white, refrigerator-like object spun in the turbid current, crashing toward a neighboring building.
"Left side! Hug the wall!" Liu Feng barked.
The group painstakingly shifted left, pressing against the relatively intact exterior of an adjacent apartment building.
The icy wall provided some support, but it also increased the risk of being hit by falling debris from above.
Just as they dodged the floating objects, Zhou Wan's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of urgency:
"Two o'clock direction, abnormal water flow."
"Wait—it's alive!"
Before the words fully faded, two blurred shadows beneath the turbid water broke through the current, torpedoing toward them at alarming speed.