No one knew if there might be a spiritual source beast like the one-eyed frog lurking in the water, ready to suddenly attack.
The reason Su Li had nailed the raft full of planks and wrapped it tightly with ropes, making it so sturdy, was to guard against any monsters that might emerge from the water. What he feared most wasn't the monster attacking him directly, but rather it striking the raft from below.
If the raft were to shatter into pieces, all these supplies would be lost, and without the raft, he'd be even more vulnerable in the water.
That was his greatest fear.
Though the distance was only forty or fifty meters, Su Li was on edge, his nerves stretched taut with intense focus. Coupled with his lack of skill in paddling, the raft wobbled left and right, drifting slowly toward the building protruding from the water in the distance.
In just a short while, Su Li was so tense that cold sweat beaded on his forehead, feeling even more anxious than when he'd fought for his life against that one-eyed frog.
After all, this was his first time rowing a boat, and under circumstances where danger could strike at any moment.
Fortunately, the journey passed without incident. As the building ahead grew closer and soon entered within five meters, Su Li let out a long sigh of relief, stopped paddling, and let the raft drift toward the structure on its remaining momentum. He then pulled up the thick rope that served as an anchor.
Holding the rope in hand, he aimed at the window ahead and hurled it with force.
The three bricks tightly bound together whistled through the air, dragging the thick rope along as they flew.
With a crash, the window glass shattered, and the bricks, trailing the rope, flew inside, pulling the raft faster toward the wall beneath the window.
Su Li raised his paddle and braced it against the wall, slowing the raft as it gently approached the windowsill.
He wedged the paddle handle into a few of the tightly bound ropes to secure it, then took out his iron hammer and cleaver, moving closer to the window with its broken glass.
He didn't climb in immediately but first peered inside.
Through the window, he saw a study. A bookshelf piled with books stood directly ahead, and beside it was a desk with a laptop, a leather pen holder holding a few pens, and a small Bluetooth speaker.
The study door was closed, so he could only see what was inside this small room.
Confirming there was no danger, Su Li climbed in through the window.
Stepping onto the wooden floor of the study, Su Li felt a sense of calm settle over him. This was far safer than drifting on the raft.
He pulled out the cleaver with his left hand. This place was completely unfamiliar, so he had to be cautious.
Approaching the desk, he noticed a thick layer of dust on its surface—it seemed no one had cleaned here in a long time.
Nothing in this study struck Su Li as valuable. He didn't linger, walking straight to the door. He listened for any sounds outside, and sensing only silence, he grasped the doorknob and gently turned it.
He opened the door just a crack and peered through the gap.
By now, the sky was fully bright. Through the gap, Su Li could see a fairly well-lit living room, with a sofa set, a coffee table, a TV cabinet, and a curved-screen TV. The TV wall behind the cabinet looked quite impressive.
Judging by the decor, this household must have been well-off, Su Li thought as he slowly pushed the study door fully open and stepped into the living room.
He walked straight to the double-door refrigerator in front of him. Opening it, a musty smell hit his nose.
Su Li frowned slightly.
Inside the fridge were piles of fruits and vegetables, but they had all rotted and gone moldy. Clearly, they had been stored there for a long time.
Regretfully, Su Li closed the fridge.
"It seems no one has lived here for ages, yet the flood only appeared two days ago. In just two days, these fruits and vegetables couldn't have decayed this badly. That's strange."
Su Li recalled a similar situation in the young couple's room he'd seen earlier—thick dust on the table, moldy spilled soup. The timeline didn't add up, and now this same oddity left him puzzled.
After checking the other rooms and confirming no living people were present, he headed toward the security door of the living room.
His main goal in entering here was to find other survivors, and his second was to gather useful supplies, especially food.
He decided to first inspect every room on this floor to see if anyone else was alive, then thoroughly search each room for usable items.
As he approached the security door leading outside, Su Li's nose twitched slightly—he caught a whiff of blood.
That immediately put him on high alert.
"Something's going on out there," he thought, stopping himself from opening the door. Instead, he peered through the peephole to observe the outside.
Beyond the security door was a long corridor, and Su Li saw bodies scattered haphazardly.
These corpses, both male and female, all had their heads crushed, their faces unrecognizable.
Su Li understood at once: these were all corpse beasts formed from drowned human bodies, but they had been killed by having their heads smashed in.
"Who killed these corpse beasts? Could there be another survivor like me hiding here?" The thought stirred Su Li's spirits, lifting his mood.
If other monsters had killed them, the bodies would show signs of being eaten. With only their heads crushed, the most likely explanation was that a survivor like him had done it.
Su Li took a deep breath to steady himself, then gripped the security door handle and slowly turned it.
He gently pushed the door open, and the smell of blood rushed in with a breeze.
After two days, Su Li had grown accustomed to this strong stench, so it didn't bother him much. He silently activated the "Peeking Rune" to examine the corpse beasts lying in the corridor.
As expected, the information in his mind indicated they were all low-level corpse beasts.
"To kill so many corpse beasts, this survivor must have become a spiritual source user like me. I wonder if they're still here, or if they've left like I did?"
Su Li stepped out slowly. The layout of this apartment was almost identical to his own—three households on this floor. Looking at the corridor, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.
As he pondered, he moved along the corridor toward the security door of the second household.