Han Ning felt as if his head had been slammed into scorching sand—hot, swollen, and disoriented. The world before him twisted into bizarre shapes. The walls seemed to warp, the rain outside the balcony transformed into an upside-down crimson waterfall, and Snowflake's incomprehensible roars echoed in his ears.
His sense of touch became chaotic—one moment floating among clouds, the next buried in suffocating mud...
"Ugh... Did I eat some kind of mushroom?" Han Ning groaned, steadying himself against the wall as he shook his head violently.
The vertigo and sensory distortion struck fiercely but faded just as quickly. Though it lasted mere seconds, cold sweat already drenched his forehead, his heart pounding like a drum. The intense dizziness, auditory hallucinations, and visions gradually dissipated.
Gasping lightly, Han Ning stared at the tomato in his hand—now missing a small bite—his eyes filled with wary disbelief. "This doesn't seem edible at all. More like... a biological weapon."
The "optimization effects" from Nature's Blessing were truly... unexpected. So far, Han Ning hadn't noticed any benefits—no mental enhancement, no Energy boost, no surge of strength. Just side effects!
Then again, if even a Druid like him felt this disoriented from a tiny bite, wouldn't monsters consuming the whole fruit be completely incapacitated? "I'll test it in the Mist Zone tomorrow..." The thought sparked a flicker of excitement in him.
...
While Han Ning experimented with the tomato's effects, a hotel conference room in Azure Cloud Resort flickered with candlelight, casting shifting shadows across a dozen tense faces. The assembled figures sat around a central table, their gazes locked onto the heavily bandaged figure beside Chairman Wu.
No one had expected Vice Chairman Wang—missing for days after venturing into the Mist Zone—to return today.
"Old Wang," Chairman Wu broke the silence, his voice grave, "what happened during your two days in the Mist Zone?"
Though visibly injured, Vice Chairman Wang's spirit seemed intact. He swallowed with difficulty before speaking: "We found the Berth Core Area."
The words landed like water in hot oil, shattering the oppressive atmosphere. Everyone straightened instinctively, curiosity flashing across their faces.
"My investigation confirmed access through the control room of the submerged gate in Abandoned Maintenance Tunnel 3," Wang continued. "But..." His tone shifted. "The guardian monsters are formidable."
"Beyond the usual wandering creatures, there's an obvious leader—a massive thing, nearly 6 meters long and over 2.5 meters tall. Like a giant tuna clad in Bone Armor."
"And on its back... a glowing coral cluster."
"When I looked at that coral, my mind went blank. The nearby monsters instantly detected me." He exhaled sharply. "I barely regained consciousness in time, evading their pursuit for two days before escaping..."
.
"Two days in hiding?" Dean Wu frowned slightly. "Why didn't you come back?"
Vice Chairman Wang gasped for breath, his eyes inexplicably filled with red veins, his words becoming hurried:
"The route to the resort was blocked by a large number of monsters. I could only hide in abandoned containers or buildings, waiting for moments when the monster density was lower to make a desperate escape."
As he spoke, Vice Chairman Wang suddenly began coughing violently, dark red blood flecks splattering onto the bandages—a horrifying sight.
"...Quick...we must hurry...the mist in the core area of the Mist Zone...is thickening rapidly...the monsters...are becoming...more ferocious...we can't wait...we can't wait any longer!"
After saying these words, Vice Chairman Wang seemed to have exhausted all his energy, leaning back in his seat and falling silent.
Chairman Wu slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the varied expressions around him, and spoke:
"Lao Wang risked his life to scout the route to the berth area for us. We must go—those ships are our only hope for survival."
"But I think we should first scout the area, confirm the surroundings, and then formulate a concrete plan."
A brief meeting about exploring the core area quickly unfolded in the tense atmosphere.
...
Apartment Building, Eighth Floor, Room 803.
"I'll temporarily name you Crimson Mist Tomato."
Han Ning placed the Crimson Mist Tomato back into the pot.
Without pressure, the faint red mist gradually stabilized before finally receding into the tomato's skin.
Then, Han Ning turned and walked to the next room.
Tap tap tap~
"Come in!"
When Han Ning pushed the door open, Lao Xu was holding Yinyin by the window, watching the heavy rain outside.
"Pack up. We're moving tomorrow—to Azure Cloud Resort near White Egret Port," Han Ning said succinctly.
"Azure Cloud Resort?"
Lao Xu froze. "Boss, what's the situation there?"
Han Ning explained:
"Better than here. There's a market, lower water levels, more Awakened, and relatively safer."
"Pack your essentials tonight—food, water, clothes, and daily necessities. Leave the rest behind."
"Understood, Boss!"
Lao Xu quickly agreed, then lowered his voice as if remembering something:
"By the way, Boss, about Liu Feng and his group you asked me to keep an eye on...it seems they left the building this morning."
"I passed by the fourth floor earlier and saw most of the strong ones gone, leaving only some ordinary people with no survival skills."
"Probably found another hideout or gathering spot."
"Left?"
Han Ning had expected to encounter Liu Feng and his group near Azure Cloud Resort.
But it seemed they hadn't gone in that direction.
According to Lin Qianqian and the others, Azure Cloud Resort had already absorbed most of the Awakened from nearby resorts and even farther residential areas.
If Liu Feng hadn't gone there, he was likely trying to establish his own faction.
But Han Ning had no time to deal with them now. The priority was to strengthen himself as quickly as possible.
...
Early the next morning.
Han Ning, carrying a bulging backpack, and Snowflake, carrying Xu Ming and Yinyin—who clung tightly to her father's neck—waded through the last stretch of murky water, arriving safely at Azure Cloud Resort.
Just as Han Ning set Yinyin down, he looked up and locked eyes with Lin Qianqian, who was walking briskly out of the hallway.
She was still wearing her practical windbreaker, her long hair tied back, with an unusual solemnity on her charming face. Spotting Han Ning, she paused mid-step.
"I was just looking for you," Lin Qianqian got straight to the point, her gaze sweeping over Xu Ming and his daughter behind him without further questions.
"Perfect timing. I also need one or two adjacent empty rooms to settle them," Han Ning gestured behind him.
"Follow me," Lin Qianqian turned to lead the way.
As the association's vice chairman, Lin Qianqian easily arranged two rooms near Han Ning's residence for Xu Ming and his daughter.
After handling the matter, Lin Qianqian showed no intention of leaving. The two sat in the resort's lounge area.
"Vice Chairman Wang has returned," Lin Qianqian suddenly spoke.
"Vice Chairman Wang? The Awakened who went alone to explore the Mist Zone?"
Han Ning had heard about this Vice Chairman Wang from Lin Qianqian and Chen Feng.
This man's ability leaned towards speed and reconnaissance, making it difficult for others to keep up with him, hence he usually operated alone.
Having been missing for two days, everyone assumed he'd gotten lost in the Mist Zone.
Now he's actually back?