The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 40

They only stopped when they had exhausted their spiritual energy.

……

The rain intensified considerably the following morning.

Han Ning arrived at the main building entrance of Biyun Resort on time with snow cakes.

Soon, Lin Qianqian appeared.

She was still wearing that neat windbreaker and work pants, with a one-piece raincoat over them, her long hair tied back, and her expression calm.

He had a travel bag on his back, a quiver tied around his waist, and a compound bow in his hand.

Accompanying her was a girl who looked quite young.

The girl was about twenty-one or twenty-two years old, only reaching Lin Qianqian's ears in height. She was wearing a slightly oversized pink raincoat, with bright, watery eyes and a cute appearance.

"This is Yu Na," Lin Qianqian introduced simply.

"Her ability is a 'mental barrier,' which allows her to use energy to construct a shield against mental shocks, release similar mental shocks, and also has some reconnaissance capabilities. She will serve as a backup plan for us to keep our minds clear."

"Hello, I'm Han Ning," Han Ning greeted him.

Although Yu Na has a cute appearance and seems like a lively and adorable girl, she is actually very cold.

He merely gave Han Ning a cold nod, which was his way of greeting him.

"Let's go." Lin Qianqian was used to Yu Na's reaction and didn't say much. She took the lead and walked towards the flooded road outside the resort.

On the way, Lin Qianqian explained the situation at the southern entrance to Han Ning:

"The south entrance was originally located on the edge of an urban village near the ocean, which was being demolished. The buildings there were relatively low and sparse, the water was deeper, and there was hardly any human presence."

"The mirages active in that area are generally smaller in size, and their mental attacks are weaker than those encountered at the northern entrance."

"Occasionally, a lone juvenile or sub-adult crocodile lizard will wander by; it is rare to see them in groups."

"Our route today is to advance about 300 meters inward from the south entrance. This distance is still within a relatively safe range. If we encounter any danger that we cannot handle, we can retreat quickly."

Soon, the surrounding scenery began to change.

Milky white mist began to rise from the water ahead.

The fog was initially thin, but it grew thicker and thicker as they moved forward, and visibility dropped rapidly.

The sound of raindrops hitting the water's surface became muffled, as if most of it had been absorbed by the thick fog.

"We've entered the edge of the fog zone," Lin Qianqian said in a low voice. "Be vigilant; mirages could appear at any moment."

"I don't know how much energy you have. If you feel any depletion, tell me immediately and I'll replenish it for you," she instructed.

"Understood!" Han Ning nodded.

Thick white fog swirled, reducing visibility to less than ten meters.

The water underfoot was icy cold, and every time I lifted my leg, I felt a nauseating stickiness.

Snowcake walked in front, its vertical pupils scanning its surroundings warily.

Han Ning followed Xuebing two steps behind, with Lin Qianqian and Yu Na close behind. The three formed a triangle formation, maintaining a high level of vigilance.

"Be careful, the hallucinogenic effect of the fog here is stronger." Lin Qianqian's voice came through the hood of her raincoat, sounding somewhat muffled.

"Mirage worms...appear at any time..."

Lin Qianqian's voice became ethereal, and the scene before them suddenly distorted.

Deep within the thick fog, the outline of a village could be vaguely seen.

The crooked wooden houses, the dilapidated tiled roofs, the muddy paths... all exuded an indescribable eeriness.

It looks exactly like the village in the Hong Kong horror film "The Haunted Village".

A strange chill swept over me.

"No, it's an illusion!" Alarm bells rang in Han Ning's mind.

Without hesitation, he mobilized the spiritual energy within his body.

A vibrant green light instantly emanated from his palm, like warm sunlight dispelling the gloom and enveloping his entire body.

[Nature's Blessing (Beginner) Proficiency +1, currently 30/200]

hum!

The scene before my eyes was as if it had been quickly erased by an invisible eraser.

Chapter 44 Allocation Rules

The distorted village and muddy paths vanished instantly, replaced by billowing white mist and murky puddles.

Lin Qianqian and Yu Na stood less than two meters away from him, both of them enveloped in a faint, shimmering blue halo.

Less than five meters in front of them, on the water's surface, a shape that was not human was half-lying there.

It was wearing tattered work pants and a vest whose color was indistinguishable; its clothes were already stuck to its rotting flesh.

Most of its body was submerged in murky water, and the exposed skin was a corpse-like bluish-gray, covered with festering sores and slippery mucus.

A head is tilted upwards at an extremely bizarre angle, its facial muscles contorted, its mouth wide open, revealing black and yellow teeth, and its empty eye sockets without eyeballs.

It seemed to sense Han Ning's consciousness, and a hissing sound came from its rotting throat. It suddenly pushed its upper body out of the water, bringing with it a strong stench of corpses and the fishy smell of silt, as if it was about to pounce.

"die!"

Several vines appeared out of thin air, tearing through the thick fog and shooting towards the rotting corpse with a sharp whistling sound.

Puff puff puff!

The vines pierced through the corpse's body without any hindrance.

[Vine Technique (Advanced) Proficiency +1, currently 9/500]

The corpse's movements stopped abruptly, its body convulsed violently a few times, and then it went completely limp.

Han Ning did not stop. His gaze was cold as he manipulated the vines to churn wildly inside the rotting corpse.

[Vine Technique (Advanced) Proficiency +1, currently 10/500]

The rotting flesh and broken bones were dragged out by the barbs on the vines, a nauseating sight.

Just then, the corpse's abdomen suddenly swelled up and began to writhe violently.

puff!

A worm, about two fingers thick, grayish-white in color and covered with translucent mucus, shot out of its ruptured abdominal cavity like an arrow, writhing wildly as it tried to burrow into the murky water to escape.

"Snowflake, grab it!" Han Ning immediately gave the order.

"Roar!"

Snowcake was already poised to strike. The moment Han Ning gave the order, its thick hind legs kicked out of the water, and its massive body shot out like a cannonball. Its large mouth, filled with sharp teeth, accurately bit the fleeing clam.

Click!

The snow cake easily bit through the clam's body and held it tightly in its mouth.

"Squeak!"

The clam worm writhed and struggled wildly inside the snow cake's mouth, emitting a sharp, piercing screech.

But the bite force of the snow cake was so terrifying that no matter how much it struggled, it was all in vain.

"Hiss..."

"Oh? You want to eat it?"

At this moment, Han Ning felt a strong sense of longing coming from Xuebing through the soul contract link.

It was a kind of...craving for the prey in one's mouth.

Previously, Xuebing had shown a clear aversion to crocodile lizard meat.

So, does it just not want to eat the flesh of its own kind?

"Try eating it," Han Ning ordered.

With its master's permission, Snowcake let out a low growl and opened and closed its mouth a few times.

"Crack! Crack! Creak..."

A chilling chewing sound rang out.

The still-writhing mirage was instantly bitten into several pieces and chewed up in Xuebing's mouth.

A few seconds later, the mirage completely disappeared into the snow cake's mouth.

hum!

A faint flow of energy, mixed with a strange, cool sensation, flowed from Xuebing's body to Han Ning through the bond of the soul contract.

Druid growth progress +3

[Beginner Druid Lv4, Current Progress 32/600]

[Mental Strength +0.05, Mental Strength: 0.75]

At Lv4, the experience required to advance to Lv5 has doubled.

The Druid's progress includes the mirages killed in the past two days, as well as the progress gained from training skills.

Han Ning speculated that accumulating so much energy would likely result in a significant buff once the upgrade reached Lv5.

At the same time, subtle changes also occurred in Xuebing.

The lizard seemed more lively now.

[Swamp Crocodile Lizard growth progress +1, currently 12/200]

[Spiritual power +0.01]

Seeing how easily Han Ning dealt with the mirage worm.

For the first time, a clear look of surprise appeared on Lin Qianqian's charming face.

Han Ning seems to be even stronger than she expected.