The twisted village and muddy paths instantly vanished, replaced once more by rolling white mist and murky stagnant water.
Lin Qianqian and Yu Na stood less than two meters beside him, both enveloped in a faint, rippling blue aura resembling water waves.
Less than five meters ahead of them on the water's surface, a grotesque "thing" lay half-submerged.
It wore tattered overalls and a discolored vest, the clothing already fused with rotting flesh.
Most of its body soaked in the turbid water, with exposed skin displaying a corpse-like grayish-blue hue, covered in festering sores and slimy mucus.
Its head tilted upward at an unnatural angle, facial muscles contorted, mouth gaping wide to reveal blackened teeth, empty eye sockets devoid of eyeballs.
It seemed to sense Han Ning's awakening, emitting a wheezing "huff huff" sound from its decayed throat as it suddenly pushed its upper body from the water, reeking of putrid flesh and swamp mud, poised to pounce.
"Die!"
Several vines materialized from thin air, tearing through the thick mist with sharp whistling sounds as they shot toward the rotting corpse.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The vines pierced through the corpse's body without resistance.
[Vine Manipulation (Advanced) Proficiency +1, Current 9/500]
The corpse's movements froze abruptly, its body convulsing violently several times before going completely limp.
Han Ning didn't stop. His gaze icy, he mentally commanded the vines to churn wildly inside the corpse's body.
[Vine Manipulation (Advanced) Proficiency +1, Current 10/500]
Rotting flesh and shattered bones were dragged out by the vines' barbs, creating a nauseating scene.
Just then, the corpse's abdomen suddenly bulged and writhed violently.
Squelch!
A grayish-white worm about two fingers thick, its surface covered in translucent slime, shot out from the ruptured abdomen like an arrow from a bow, writhing frantically as it tried to burrow into the murky water to escape.
"Snowflake, catch it!" Han Ning immediately ordered.
"Roar!"
Snowflake had been ready. The moment the command came, its powerful hind legs kicked violently in the water, launching its massive body like a cannonball, its tooth-filled maw snapping precisely at the fleeing Mirage Worm.
Crunch!
Snowflake easily bit through the worm's body, clamping down firmly.
"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"
The worm writhed desperately in Snowflake's jaws, emitting piercing shrieks.
But against Snowflake's terrifying bite force, its struggles were futile.
"Hiss..."
"Oh? You want to eat it?"
Through their Soul Contract connection, Han Ning sensed an intense craving from Snowflake.
A hunger... for the prey in its mouth.
Previously, Snowflake had shown clear aversion to Crocodile Lizard meat.
So it seems it just didn't want to eat its own kind?
"Go ahead and eat it," Han Ning commanded.
With its master's permission, Snowflake growled low in its throat, its massive jaws working violently.
"Crunch! Crunch! Snap..."
The horrifying sounds of chewing filled the air.
The still-wriggling Mirage Worm was instantly bitten into several segments and crushed between Snowflake's jaws.
Within seconds, the Mirage Worm completely disappeared into Snowflake's mouth.
Buzz!
A faint Energy Stream, carrying a peculiar cool sensation, flowed back to Han Ning through the Soul Contract bond from Snowflake's body.
[Druid Growth Progress +3]
[Novice Druid Lv4, Current Progress 32/600]
[Mental Power +0.05, Mental Power: 0.75]
At Lv4, the experience required to reach Lv5 had doubled compared to previous levels.
The Druid's growth progress included both the Mirage Worms killed over the past two days and the progress gained from skill training.
Considering the substantial Energy accumulation needed, Han Ning speculated that reaching Lv5 would likely bring a significant power boost.
Simultaneously, subtle changes occurred in Snowflake.
The entire lizard seemed slightly more agile now.
[Swamp Crocodile Lizard Growth Progress +1, Current 12/200]
[Mental Power +0.01]
Witnessing Han Ning effortlessly dispatch a Mirage Worm, Lin Qianqian's charming face showed visible surprise for the first time.
Han Ning appeared slightly stronger than she had anticipated.
Even Yu Na, who usually maintained an aloof indifference to everything, couldn't help but blink her large, moist eyes.
"Your strength exceeds my expectations. Let's continue." Lin Qianqian nodded approvingly. "Na Na!"
"Hmm..."
Responding to Lin Qianqian's call, Yu Na immediately turned her gaze to Han Ning, her cold eyes shimmering with a watery blue glow.
Whoosh~
A blue protective shield expanded, enveloping Han Ning.
The trio pressed forward deeper into the Mist Zone.
As they progressed, the fog grew increasingly dense, nearly reaching the point where they couldn't see their own hands.
The water beneath their feet deepened slightly, and the underwater terrain became more complex, frequently revealing broken bricks or twisted metal fragments.
An oppressive silence surrounded them, broken only by the splashing of their footsteps through water and the occasional dull plop of raindrops hitting the surface, creating an almost suffocating atmosphere.
As an Animal Companion, Snowflake possessed far superior underwater perception compared to humans, especially regarding detecting living creatures. Now with the added protection of Yu Na's Mental Barrier, the lizard made for an ideal scout.
"Boss Lin, I have a question," Han Ning suddenly spoke as they ventured deeper into the mist.
"Hmm? Go ahead."
"Regarding the distribution rules of dissipated Energy after killing monsters, does your association have any established theories?" Han Ning voiced his curiosity.
While keeping watch on their surroundings, Lin Qianqian calmly explained:
"Let me first address material distribution."
"Within the association, spoils naturally belong to the individual hunter in solo operations. For team hunts, the distribution rules are more flexible."
"The monster corpses themselves are valuable materials—useful for research, weapon crafting, or other applications. These are typically distributed according to combat contribution ratios or through team negotiation."
"As for the most important part—the Energy that strengthens us after a kill..."
"That Energy cannot be 'distributed.' It automatically selects its target, and we cannot interfere."
This was precisely what concerned Han Ning most. He pressed further:
"Have you researched the criteria by which this energy automatically selects its recipients? Why is it that sometimes the person who contributes the most doesn't necessarily receive the largest share?"
Lin Qianqian pondered for a moment before speaking slowly:
"The Association has indeed had many people study this issue. The current mainstream speculation is..."
"The distribution of this energy is likely related to the monster's 'perception' of the surrounding Awakened from the moment of battle until its death."
"It doesn't depend on who dealt the final blow or who caused the most physical damage."
"Rather... when facing enemies, the monster subconsciously determines which Awakened poses the greatest 'threat' to it or inspires the deepest 'fear.' Then the majority of that energy will automatically flow to that Awakened."
"Simply put, whoever appears most terrifying in the monster's 'eyes' gets the largest piece of the 'cake.'"
"Dealing the final blow doesn't necessarily make you seem the most frightening. Sometimes, powerful control abilities or certain soul-shaking capabilities can inspire deeper fear in them."
Lin Qianqian added, "Of course, this is just speculation based on observations—it might not be correct. We're still figuring out this world's rules."
After hearing this, Han Ning still didn't know whether Lin Qianqian's explanation was accurate.
He vaguely felt that her interpretation might not be entirely correct either.
"Thanks for the explanation."
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