The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 4

Han Ning gritted his teeth, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

The vines, extending from his arms, allowed him to clearly feel the strange texture of touching the crocodile lizard's skin.

But at the same time.

The force with which the crocodile lizard broke free of the vines was also transmitted to his arm in some peculiar way.

As they struggled, the vines gradually gave way and began to break.

New vines kept growing out of the cracks in the wall, replenishing it.

[Vine Technique Proficiency +5, currently 13/100]

[Druid growth progress +1, currently 2/100]

"Get down!" Han Ning pressed down with both hands, and the vines suddenly contracted, throwing the crocodile lizard off the seventh-floor balcony.

A muffled thud came from afar, followed by an angry but fading roar.

"The effect is good..." Han Ning wiped his sweat and looked at his palm with satisfaction.

At this rate, it won't be long before the vine spell can truly trap those monsters.

"So, in the process of releasing skills and accumulating proficiency, you can also accumulate Druid level progress..." Han Ning suddenly realized.

Exhausted of his spiritual energy, Han Ning returned to bed to rest.

This time, he slept very soundly.

He was awakened by the hunger in his stomach once again.

The relentless downpour outside the window seemed to have subsided a little, though the sky appeared to be getting a bit brighter.

It was probably just noon.

Han Ning immediately checked the flowerpots.

The apple seedlings have grown to ten centimeters tall and are covered with lush foliage.

To his even greater surprise, the potatoes also sprouted new shoots, and their growth rate was significantly faster than that of the apple seedlings.

Chapter 3 Practice

Outside the window, the torrential rain continued its relentless assault on this strange and dangerous world.

The raindrops pounded against the glass, creating an annoying pattering sound.

The growth of the crops has been checked.

Han Ning rubbed his still slightly aching lower back, walked to the kitchen, and began to take stock of the remaining supplies.

I managed to get four bags of noodles from the old man next door, each weighing one jin (4 grams), and the packaging was intact.

Half a bag of rice, about ten pounds.

Two packs of compressed biscuits.

Two boxes of roasted meat flavored orchid beans.

The water dispenser's tank has about two-thirds of its capacity remaining, approximately 13+ liters.

There was also a case of unopened mineral water next to it, a pack of 12, each bottle 500ml.

This is all the drinking water he has.

"We should eat our dry rations sparingly. If the potatoes are harvested successfully, they should last for more than half a month."

Even though he's frugal with his food, he still needs to make sure he eats two meals a day, since he still needs to practice his skills.

If you stay hungry all day, your body will break down.

"But what about the water?" Han Ning asked with concern.

The water dispenser was more than half full, and with 12 bottles of mineral water, there were less than 20 liters of water in total.

Although it's pouring rain outside, who knows if the water outside is drinkable?

I recall the "Black Tide" that flooded the planet, as described in the indigenous messages.

Han Ning does not plan to try using outside water for the time being.

"It's too dangerous outside. It's best not to go out if you can avoid it."

The lingering pain in his lower back and the near-death suffocation he felt in the equipment room last night constantly reminded him that with his newly awakened abilities, facing those ferocious crocodile lizards was a near-certain death.

"I'll learn the Sword God of Shili Slope first, and practice the skills until my food is almost gone," Han Ning thought to himself.

Instead of rushing out to their deaths now, they should seize this temporary period of safety and use their precious food and water reserves to fully enhance their strength.

Strength is the only thing you can rely on to survive.

Home is the safe zone of the newbie village.

Having identified his goal, Han Ning immediately took action.

He carefully packed away the noodles, rice, and compressed biscuits, hiding them in the kitchen cabinet.

With supplies arranged, the training began immediately.

Han Ning held his breath and stood in the center of the relatively empty living room.

"Vine Technique!" he shouted, pushing his hands forward, green light flashing in his palms.

Focus your mind on the gaps in the floor.

With a few soft popping sounds, several thin, dull-colored vines struggled to emerge from the ground, swaying and drooping limply like premature ejaculation, before quickly withering and disappearing a few seconds later.

[Vine Technique Proficiency +1, currently 14/100]

One point of spiritual energy is consumed instantly, and the panel displays "[Spiritual Energy: 9/10]".

"too weak……"

Han Ning frowned, recalling the scene last night when the vines were easily broken by the young crocodile lizard at the crucial moment.

"I need more, stronger, more flexible vines!" He took a slight breath and released again.

"Vine Technique!"

"Vine Technique!"

"Vine Technique!"

In the dimly lit living room, Han Ning repeatedly practiced his monotonous one-on-one duels.

Each attempt to summon the vines resulted in them withering rapidly within seconds.

Each time he released it, he would carefully feel the flow of spiritual energy within his body and sense the faint connection between himself and the vines.

When his spiritual energy was exhausted, he went back to bed to rest and let his body recover naturally.

When hunger strikes, he cooks a bowl of fragrant rice, mixes it with soy sauce, and eats it in big mouthfuls to maintain his body's calorie expenditure.

During his breaks, he didn't forget to take care of the potato seedlings.

Potatoes grow significantly faster; this accelerated growth is primarily applied to them.

[Rapid Growth Proficiency +1, currently 4/100]

[Rapid Growth Proficiency +1, currently 5/100]

10 points of spiritual power are roughly equivalent to 7 uses of Vine Technique and 3 uses of Rapid Growth.

As for the rejuvenation technique, he put it aside for the time being.

The soft, verdant light seeped into the soil, and the potato seedlings visibly grew taller, their leaves became larger, and their stems thicker.

Watching them grow strong and healthy, and thinking about the bountiful harvest of potatoes, Han Ning felt even more motivated.

Time slipped away quietly during practice and rest.

The torrential rain outside the window became a constant background noise, occasionally interspersed with the roars of monsters.

At the end of the first day, the proficiency of the Vine Technique increased to [26/100].

The most noticeable change is that two more vines are summoned, their color is darker, and the time it takes for them to wither is extended by one or two seconds.

Thanks to two periods of rapid growth, the potato sprouts have grown to nearly 20 centimeters tall and are lush and green.

The price was that the water in the water dispenser bottle dropped a little.

He licked his slightly chapped lips, suppressing the urge to take another sip.

The training continued the next day.

He tried to change the way the vine spell was cast.

Instead of trying to summon multiple vines instantly, I focused my mind and tried to control the specific location where the vines appeared and how they coiled around me.

At first, I had no idea what to do, and the vines kept randomly sprouting from the cracks in the floor.

Through repeated failures and attempts, he gradually grasped a bit of the feeling.

This seems to be related to one's "intentions" and the way one controls the "spiritual power" within their body.

It's somewhat elusive, yet there are clues to follow.

Han Ning searched for that wonderful feeling again and again.

Once, three times, five times, ten times...

Twenty times later.

As the faint spiritual energy surged into his palm again, he tried to imagine vines sprouting from the floor half a meter in front of him and winding upwards.

"Vine Technique!"

puff!

Three vines sprouted from the designated general area in response.

"Success!"

A hint of joy flashed in Han Ning's eyes.

[Vine Technique Proficiency +5, currently 31/100]