Han Ning swayed his body slightly, effortlessly swimming beneath the security booth before climbing onto its roof in a few quick movements.
Lao Xu tightened his embrace around the little girl in his arms. When he looked up and met Han Ning's transparent eyemembrane-covered pupils and gill-adorned cheeks, his breathing visibly hitched.
He cautiously inquired, "Benefactor?"
"It's me."
Han Ning nodded, his gaze settling on the little girl in Lao Xu's arms. She appeared about five or six years old, with two round little buns tied in her hair. Swaddled in an oversized adult raincoat, only her pair of dark, glistening eyes were visible. Her hair was slightly damp from the rain, clinging to her temples, while her face remained clean—clearly a child who had been well cared for by her parents. Whether from prolonged hunger or not, she looked quite frail, with slightly swollen cheeks.
Startled by Han Ning's peculiar appearance, she shrank fearfully behind her father.
"Yinyin, don't be afraid. He's Daddy's benefactor," Lao Xu patted his daughter's back, gently bringing her forward. "Quick, say hello to Uncle."
Despite her fear, Xu Yinyin obediently called out, "Uncle!"
"Mhm, what's your name?"
Han Ning smiled, his tone involuntarily softening.
"Xu Yinyin! Like the grassy meadow!" Xu Yinyin answered brightly.
"Hello."
Han Ning patted her head before straightening up and pointing at Snowflake, who was crouched beside the security booth. He said to Lao Xu, "Let's go. You'll ride on its back, with Yinyin holding onto you from behind. I'll carry your belongings."
"Alright."
Lao Xu eyed Snowflake's fierce appearance nervously but steeled himself and agreed.
Throughout the journey, Lao Xu remained tense, clinging to Snowflake like an octopus, his body rigid with apprehension. In contrast, little Xu Yinyin was remarkably brave, her eyes wide with curiosity as she continuously surveyed their surroundings. Though initially frightened, the sight of the city ruins whizzing past gradually replaced her fear with excitement.
...
Outside Room 801 on the eighth floor.
Han Ning withdrew his Spiritual Power, the gills on his cheeks and the Scales on his body quickly receding as he returned to his normal appearance. Pushing open the door, a faint musty smell greeted them.
"You'll live here from now on. I'm next door."
Considering his frequent need for research, he decided it was better to live alone. After all, the apartment building had plenty of vacant units—there was no shortage of space for Lao Xu and his daughter.
Lao Xu stepped inside, carrying his daughter, and surveyed the lifeless yet upscale suite. Setting Yinyin down, the little girl immediately began curiously yet cautiously examining the unfamiliar surroundings, her small hand still clutching her father's pant leg.
"This place is much better than where we were. Thank you, thank you so much, Benefactor."
Lao Xu started to bow again, but Han Ning stopped him immediately.
"From now on, don't use honorifics with me, and don't call me 'Benefactor.' Just use my name—Han Ning. 'Han' as in Korea, 'Ning' as in tranquility. What's your name?"
.
"Xu Ming," Lao Xu introduced himself. "How about I call you 'boss'? It feels a bit disrespectful to address you directly by name."
"Whatever you prefer."
Han Ning turned and returned to his own apartment, 803.
A short while later, he returned carrying two bulging plastic bags. Inside were two packs of compressed biscuits, two large bottles of mineral water, several cartons of milk, a few instant noodle cups, some chocolate bars, a small unopened packet of candies, and the cassette stove and gas canisters he usually used.
He placed the bags on the only relatively clean low cabinet in the room.
"If you work for me... there probably won't be any wages, but I'll provide food and shelter. You won't go hungry."
"These are already incredibly precious. Thank you!" Lao Xu didn't know how many times he had said thank you by now, his face filled with deep gratitude.
"Rest for now and tidy up the place. I'll call you when I need you."
"Understood, boss."
...
Back in his own home, Han Ning quickly walked to the wall near the balcony in the living room.
There, arranged in rows, were over a dozen pots and buckets of various sizes—his carefully tended garden.
Growing these plants had cost him a significant amount of water.
Every drop of water from washing his face, wiping his body, leftover cooking water, even urine—he tried not to waste any of it, using it all on these plants.
Dozens of interconnected flowerpots, several plastic buckets, and even a few large soup bowls had been repurposed for planting.
Inside them, lush greenery thrived.
Two apple trees, not yet flowering, stood about a meter tall.
Notably, these two apple trees had been stuck at this height for several days.
Clearly, the limited soil space was restricting their growth.
Han Ning didn't focus too much on the apple trees.
Beside them were clusters of sturdy potato plants, topped with inconspicuous pale purple flowers.
Pumpkin vines climbed simple trellises, their leaves broad as palm fans.
A few bushy pepper plants.
And several tomato plants on the verge of bearing fruit.
The moment he obtained the Nature's Blessing skill, Han Ning had thought of these crops.
"Optimize... evolve..." Han Ning murmured the words under his breath.
The skill description of Nature's Blessing sounded incredibly promising. If he could optimize plants to grow faster, yield more, or even develop beneficial mutations, that would be fascinating.
Taking it further—what if, in the future, he could use it on Snowflake, on other ordinary people, Awakened, or even himself?
But he quickly cooled his excitement.
The skill description was clear:
"The target of optimization cannot exceed the Druid's own level."
Most likely, the effect on himself would be minimal.
"Then I'll start with the plants!"
Han Ning made his decision.
Plants had relatively simple life structures, fitting the "high probability of optimization" condition, and they were the lowest-cost option.
His gaze swept over the different crops.
The apple trees... were immediately dismissed.
Their growth cycle was too long, and results would take too much time.
Pumpkins?
Supposedly a weight-loss superfood, but they didn't seem ideal. Still, they could be an option.
Peppers were mainly seasonings, and their cost-effectiveness wasn't particularly outstanding at this stage.
That left potatoes and tomatoes.
Potatoes were high-yield, rich in starch, and could quickly replenish energy—they were his staple food right now.
Tomatoes provided vitamins, had high water content, could be eaten raw or cooked, and had a relatively short growth cycle.
"These two it is!" Han Ning made the decision.
Of course, he wanted to try every variety, but his Spiritual Power was limited. At this stage, it would be difficult to experiment with all of them.
He stood up and walked over to a pot of potato seedlings and a pot of tomato seedlings.
Both plants were newly cultivated by him and hadn't yet reached the fruiting stage.
The potato seedling stood about thirty centimeters tall, while the tomato plant was slightly shorter with more tender green leaves.
"Let's give it a try."
Han Ning focused his mind on the potato seedling, extended his right hand with his palm facing the emerald leaves, and silently recited: "Nature's Blessing!"
A surge of Spiritual Power far greater than what he'd used for Rapid Growth flowed from his body.
His palm instantly emitted a verdant glow—not scattered light, but a condensed beam of soft radiance that precisely enveloped the entire potato plant.
[Spiritual Power: 15/25 → 12/25]