Three days later.
Early in the morning, Han Ning stood, as usual, by the small planting area near the balcony in the living room.
After relentless effort, his [Rapid Growth] skill had successfully advanced to the intermediate level the day before.
Now, Han Ning extended his hand toward two potato plants growing side by side.
A verdant glow simultaneously enveloped both seedlings.
What previously required separate casts could now cover two targets at once.
The green light acted like a catalyst—the stems and leaves of the potato plants visibly thickened and expanded, their foliage unfurling at a speed at least 30% faster than at the beginner level.
Nearby, pumpkin vines had climbed all over their trellis, dotted with pale yellow flowers amidst lush green leaves.
"The harvest will come a few days earlier." Satisfied by this vibrant sight, Han Ning nodded.
With these fruits and vegetables, he could sustain himself if external food supplies ran low, ensuring he wouldn't starve.
After finishing the daily "spa" for his plants,
Han Ning sat shirtless on the slightly grimy couch.
The savage gash on his left shoulder had scabbed over, its edges tinged a faint pink.
Though the surface appeared healed, whenever he exerted force, a faint, stabbing pain still lingered deep within the muscle.
Holding his palm slightly above the wound, he channeled his spiritual power, guiding it along the meridians of his spine and arm until it gathered in his palm.
[Rejuvenation (98/100)]
"Almost there. Hopefully, intermediate-level Rejuvenation can fully heal these lingering injuries."
With a thought, emerald light surged from his palm, steadily seeping into the scar.
A faint tingling sensation spread...
[Rejuvenation proficiency +1. Current: 99/100]
...
[Rejuvenation proficiency +1. Current: 100/100. Skill level upgraded!]
[Beginner Rejuvenation → Intermediate Rejuvenation]
The moment proficiency maxed out, the green glow in Han Ning's palm abruptly contracted before violently expanding.
What had been a small cluster of light over the wound now swelled into a cocoon of verdant energy, enveloping his entire left shoulder.
Whoosh—
Not stopping there, the cocoon burst apart under Han Ning's sustained output, fracturing into dozens of green threads that pierced deep into his shoulder muscles from every direction.
The remnants of microscopic damage, the faint stings between bone joints—all dissolved rapidly under the invasive yet restorative strands.
The deep-seated soreness vanished completely.
"Amazing!" Han Ning swung his arm, reveling in the restored fluidity of motion.
Like a well-oiled machine—smooth, effortless, without the slightest resistance.
[Spiritual Power: 12/20]
"Intermediate Rejuvenation is a significant upgrade in healing." A glint of joy flashed in Han Ning's eyes.
Exactly how much stronger it was compared to the beginner level, he couldn't say for sure without a reference.
Just then, a familiar nudge brushed against his leg.
Snowflake rubbed her head—covered in fine gray-white scales—affectionately against Han Ning's calf.
"Murr~"
"Hungry?"
.
As Snowflake's owner, Han Ning could tell at a glance what the little guy was scheming.
"Growl!"
Han Ning chuckled and went to the storage room to fetch a portion of food he had set aside for Snowflake, placing it in front of him.
The meal included a pack of compressed biscuits, three pounds of raw rice, four 250ml boxes of milk, two pounds of nearly spoiled beef and lamb, and five or six potatoes...
Under normal circumstances, Snowflake would need at least two such meals a day, plus a late-night snack after returning from his nightly outings.
At this rate, the household supplies would likely be devoured by Snowflake in just a few more days.
Gluttony aside, after three days of voracious eating, the little guy's size had steadily surpassed the one-meter mark. His limbs were longer and sturdier now.
A row of small, sharp bony spikes had emerged along the midline of his tail, and his yellow vertical pupils shimmered with an intelligent gleam.
He resembled both a crocodile and a lizard, with limbs significantly longer than those of an ordinary crocodile. His spinal structure was unique, allowing him to stand upright like a human.
Additionally, the Animal Companion skill had naturally leveled up during the constant interaction between man and lizard over these three days.
The most noticeable effect of the intermediate-level Animal Companion was the expansion of the perception range.
It had increased from about 600 meters to a full 800 meters.
Moreover, the clarity of perception, as well as the ability to sense Snowflake's emotions and environmental details, had improved significantly.
For the past three days, Han Ning had barely left the apartment, relying on Snowflake to act as his underwater scout.
Under his direction, Snowflake had mapped out most of the aquatic terrain within an 800-meter radius of the apartment building.
Using the underwater "radar map" transmitted by Snowflake, Han Ning had constructed a relatively clear mental image of the surrounding topography.
To the slightly east of the route leading to White Egret Port, about 700 meters from the residential complex entrance, lay a relatively desolate park area with sparse buildings.
The water there was deeper, and crucially, the frequency and density of Crocodile Lizard activity along that route were the lowest among all four cardinal directions.
Although there were still occasional wandering individuals, groups were rare.
Han Ning suspected it was because the park had neither humans nor shops—nothing that would attract the Crocodile Lizards' food sources—hence their scarcity.
"Food is running out too fast. Now that my injuries have healed, it's time to venture out."
He walked to the window and lifted a corner of the curtain.
The rain still poured relentlessly, and the sky was as gloomy as dusk.
Murky floodwaters surged through the urban ruins, carrying all sorts of debris.
A few grayish-white Crocodile Lizards swam lazily in the distance, their heads parting the water and leaving ripples in their wake.
"The temperature seems to have dropped quite a bit..." He could feel the chill distinctly.
"Snowflake." Han Ning called.
"Hiss!" Snowflake scurried to his master's side, his vertical pupils gleaming with excitement and anticipation.
"Today, we're going hunting." Han Ning patted the lizard's cool head.
...
After breakfast, Han Ning sprang into action.
He put on a thick windbreaker and waterproof pants, then draped a raincoat over them.
A kitchen knife was strapped to his waist.
Though it wouldn't be much use against a Giant Alligator Lizard, it could still come in handy for cutting food or handling minor troubles.
Into his backpack went a few compressed biscuits, beef jerky, two bottles of water, basic first-aid supplies like bandages and disinfectant, and a small bag of thawed, slightly spoiled chicken legs.
Finally, he picked up a bundle of tough nylon rope he had prepared earlier—something he'd bought for mountain climbing but never used.
"Let's go!"
Fully prepared, he headed toward the security door with Snowflake.
When they reached the fifth floor, Snowflake slipped out through the corridor window, scaling the exterior wall's protrusions like a gecko before leaping into the water.
Han Ning continued descending the stairs.
Passing the fourth floor, two of Liu Feng's underlings stationed at the doorway gave him friendly smiles.
Han Ning nodded slightly and arrived at the second-floor stairwell.
By now, the floodwaters had risen nearly to the second-floor landing—time was running out.