After a brief rest, sensing his Spiritual Power had recovered to about 12 points, Han Ning patted Snowflake's cool head:
"Let's go check the northern area."
"Roar!"
Man and lizard submerged again into the turbid, icy floodwaters. Carrying Han Ning on its back, Snowflake swiftly swam toward the northern section of Blue Bay Park.
Gradually, the outline of a half-submerged building emerged through the curtain of rain.
Only a small portion of the rooftop remained visible, resembling a lonely island.
And on this "island," several moving dots could faintly be seen.
"People?!"
Han Ning frowned slightly and signaled Snowflake to accelerate.
As they approached the small shop,
piercing screams mixed with the heart-stopping roars of Crocodile Lizards penetrated the dense rain, reaching his ears clearly.
"Help!"
"Climb up! Hurry!"
"Forget the supplies! Old Li!!"
Han Ning's heart tightened. Swimming behind a floating GG sign wreckage, he cautiously peeked out, focusing his gaze.
On the exposed rooftop of the small shop, four people huddled together.
They wore raincoats of various colors, their faces sallow and emaciated, etched with extreme terror and despair.
Two on the left were desperately pulling another person's arm, trying to drag their companion up from the roof's edge.
One had already fallen into the water, flailing and struggling.
Beneath the water surrounding the shop, four pale, ferocious heads emerged.
These Crocodile Lizards weren't large—even smaller than those previously hunted—but still beyond what ordinary people could handle.
One lizard had clamped its jaws around the waist of the unfortunate person in the water, its savage head thrashing wildly as it dragged the victim into deeper water.
"Ah, ah!!"
The murky water turned dark red with blood. After a few short screams, the drowning person fell silent.
Only the horrifying sounds of flesh being torn and bones crunching remained.
On the roof, the person being pulled by their companions still had their lower body submerged. A slightly smaller Crocodile Lizard was clawing at the roof's edge, trying to bite their leg.
Two other lizards used their hind legs to push against the wall, attempting to leap onto the relatively safe rooftop.
The survivors on the roof wielded makeshift weapons, frantically beating the lizards' heads to keep them at bay.
"Old Zhang, hold on! Don't let go!"
A bearded man who seemed to be the leader gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his arms as he clung to his companion's arm.
Old Zhang, being dragged, was deathly pale. His legs bore deep, bone-exposing gashes from the lizard's claws, blood streaming down.
"I can't... hold on... my arms are breaking..."
Old Zhang's voice trembled with sobs, his rain-soaked face contorted in pain.
Just as the lizard clawing at the roof opened its maw lined with razor-sharp teeth, about to sink them into Old Zhang's calf in that critical moment—
"ROAR!!"
A deep, bestial roar, entirely different in tone, erupted like thunder, drowning out all other sounds.
Then, a gray-white shadow tore through the rain, shooting out from behind the GG sign at astonishing speed.
Chapter
Its powerful hind legs pushed off the floating debris, propelling its body like an arrow toward the Crocodile Lizard about to attack.
"Thud!"
Snowflake's massive maw, lined with sharp teeth, clamped down with practiced precision on the side of the target Crocodile Lizard's neck.
"Screech!!"
The sheer force of the impact sent the creature flying off the rooftop's edge, tumbling into the murky water below with a tremendous splash.
At the same time.
Twelve dark green Vines shot through the air with a series of sharp whistles, streaking in from all directions.
They coiled around the bodies of the other three Crocodile Lizards with pinpoint accuracy.
The survivors on the rooftop were stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Their minds went blank as they stared at the inexplicable Vines and the ferocious Crocodile Lizard.
"Quick! Pull him up!" Han Ning roared at the bearded man still frozen in shock on the rooftop.
Controlling three Crocodile Lizards at once was already straining him.
He wasn't saving these people out of some saintly impulse—he needed to clear these monsters to access the convenience store.
Besides, his Druid training was just one step away from a breakthrough, and these creatures weren't particularly strong.
The bearded man snapped out of his daze and, with his companions, mustered their last reserves of strength to finally drag the half-dead Old Zhang onto the relative safety of the rooftop.
"Growl!" Snowflake released its grip, letting the severely wounded Crocodile Lizard sink into the depths.
Its yellow slit pupils locked coldly onto the other three Vines-bound creatures, a deep, rumbling growl erupting from its throat—a clear display of dominance.
"Stay on the rooftop and don't move!" Han Ning barked another order, channeling his Spiritual Power to its limits.
[Vine Manipulation proficiency +2, current 199/200]
[Spiritual Power: 7/20]
Under his control, the Vines abruptly tightened, crushing the three Crocodile Lizards in their grip.
"Screech!" "Groan!!" "Hiss…"
The creatures' Scales began to warp under the relentless pressure of the tough Vines and sharp wooden thorns.
"Snowflake, finish them!"
"Roar!"
Without hesitation, Snowflake lunged again, a blur of gray.
It went for the smallest Crocodile Lizard first.
"Crunch!"
The sound of shattering bone echoed.
Without pause, Snowflake whipped its thick tail, smashing another Crocodile Lizard's skull and sending it reeling before pouncing for the killing blow!
"Hiss! Hiss!"
The last Crocodile Lizard, seeing its companions fall one after another, thrashed wildly in desperation.
"Hold it down!"
Han Ning's eyes flashed sharply as he poured his remaining Spiritual Power into the Vines.
[Vine Manipulation proficiency +6, current 205/200, skill level upgraded!]
[Vine Manipulation (Intermediate) → Vine Manipulation (Advanced)]
The moment the skill broke through, the remaining Vines erupted with a deep, dark green glow, thickening and hardening, their surfaces now etched with faint, mysterious emerald patterns.
Their binding force intensified instantly!
"Hiss—"
The last Crocodile Lizard was completely immobilized by the Advanced Vine Manipulation, unable to move a muscle.
Seizing the perfect opportunity, Snowflake lashed its tail repeatedly against the creature's nape with brutal efficiency.
"Snap!"
The final Crocodile Lizard went limp.
The battle ended with startling speed.
In just a dozen breaths, all four savage Crocodile Lizards lay dead.
Their corpses floated in the murky water, the heavy stench of blood mingling with the cold rain in the air.
On the rooftop, the few survivors who had narrowly escaped death lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath as they gazed at Han Ning and Snowflake with indescribable awe.
Four pure blue orbs of light drifted up from the corpses of the Crocodile Lizards and merged into Han Ning's chest.
"Ugh..."
Han Ning's body stiffened as if pierced by high-voltage electricity.
A surge of warm energy exploded within him.
Every muscle in his body felt like it was soaking in a hot spring, accompanied by faint sensations of tearing and swelling pain.
These Crocodile Lizards were all small, so the total Energy gained wasn't much.
But it was enough to help Han Ning break through that barrier!
[Druid Growth Progress +53]
[Druid Level Increased, Lv3 → Lv4, Current 1/600]
[Spiritual Power Limit Increased, 20 → 25]
[Current Spiritual Power: 15/25]
[New Skills Awakened: Nature's Blessing, Gills Technique]