The Giant Rat

"It seems the next step is to find a temporary place to stay and figure out how to enlarge the raft. It's still too small and can't carry enough supplies," Simon mused thoughtfully. He had already considered a temporary shelter, about two to three hundred meters away, where another building emerged from the water.

From here, it appeared to be a vast three-story structure. In reality, it was a 32-story skyscraper with the lower twenty-nine floors submerged, leaving the top three floors visible above the water. From a distance, it looked like a massive three-story building.

As the water level continued to rise, it had reached the thirtieth floor, making it uninhabitable. Thus, neither Simon's previous building nor this one was suitable for a temporary stay.

Simon's true target was the 32-story building. Even if the thirtieth floor was uninhabitable, the top two floors could still serve as a temporary refuge. Given the current rate of rising water, it would take some time before the thirtieth floor was completely submerged, making it the most suitable place to stay for now.

Simon decided to take Lily Grace there. "If we're lucky, there might be other survivors there," he thought.

He then helped Lily Grace sit on the storage box. "Hold on tight, we're moving out," Simon said, picking up the paddle and handing the hammer he had been using to Lily Grace.

Now that he had a more powerful iron rod, the hammer was no longer useful for him. It was best suited for Lily Grace. With a push against the wall, the raft gently drifted away. Simon gazed at the three-story building emerging from the water about two to three hundred meters away. Although he appeared calm, a weight lay heavy on his heart.

Three hundred meters seemed a short distance, but to Simon, it was fraught with unseen dangers. No one could predict what perils lay ahead.

"Remember what I'm telling you now," Simon said as he navigated the raft, moving towards their distant destination. "To survive, you must be strong and make yourself powerful. The world has changed entirely. When you see monsters, don't be afraid. Face them with courage."

"Those corpses you saw in the corridor are called corpse beasts. They only look terrifying but aren't truly formidable. They move slowly and have dull minds. If you encounter them, just smash their heads with the hammer to kill them. And when you kill them, you will become stronger."

Lily Grace sat obediently on the storage box, listening quietly to Simon's words. She then looked down at the hammer in her hand. The handle was wooden but had turned deep black from the bloodstains, emitting a faint, metallic scent of blood.

Simon had used this hammer to smash countless corpse beasts' heads. Now, he had passed it on to Lily Grace.

Simon shared his accumulated experiences with Lily Grace as he paddled, steering the raft towards the distant thirty-two-story building. His eyes and ears were on high alert, vigilant for any signs of danger. The tension was palpable; the unknown perils lurking beneath the water could spell disaster with the slightest lapse in caution.

"The constant state of vigilance is quite taxing," Simon thought, as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. They had only covered a mere forty to fifty meters, yet he felt as if he had been through an intense battle. This heightened his longing for a safe haven where he could rest properly.

Lily Grace, however, appeared unperturbed by the gravity of their situation. She quietly listened to Simon's guidance, though it was unclear how much she absorbed. Instead, she extended her small hand towards Simon, revealing a handful of raisins.

Simon, somewhat puzzled, looked at her outstretched hand and realized she was offering him some raisins. He couldn't help but feel a pang of envy at her innocence. "Ignorance is bliss," he mused. Unaware of the potential dangers lurking in the water, she still had the appetite for a snack. Shaking his head, he said, "No, thank you. You eat them."

Upon hearing this, Lily Grace withdrew her hand and slowly popped a raisin into her mouth. She ate so slowly that Simon estimated the handful of raisins would last her quite a while. He continued paddling, creating small ripples in the water. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a long, narrow shadow gliding near the submerged paddle.

"Hmm?" Simon's heart tightened as he became instantly alert. His muscles tensed, and he swiftly withdrew the paddle, gripping the iron rod beside him. The atmosphere grew tense.

Lily Grace, noticing Simon's reaction, seemed to sense something amiss. She parted her lips slightly, as if to ask Simon a question. Simon gestured with his left hand for her to remain silent, while his eyes meticulously scanned the surroundings of the raft.

In the blink of an eye, just as Simon turned around, a splash erupted from the water behind him. A wet, dark figure shot out from the water along the edge of the raft, moving with lightning speed. Before Simon could react, it lunged forward and sank its teeth into his calf.

Pain seared through his leg, and Simon felt a force dragging him. The raft rocked violently, causing him to lose his balance and slip into the water. Despite the sudden attack, Simon remained remarkably composed, having learned to stay calm under pressure through recent deadly encounters. As he was pulled into the water, he kept his eyes wide open, grabbing the edge of the raft with his left hand to stabilize himself. At that moment, he saw clearly what had bitten him.

It was a giant gray rat, its body over a meter long with short tail and long limbs. Its large feet were webbed, and its mouth housed four sharp fangs. These fangs were now deeply embedded in Simon's calf muscle.

Its limbs paddling in the water, the creature continued to tug at Simon's calf, attempting to drag him deeper into the water.

Simon took a deep breath. "Type I strong lungs" and "Type I muscle hypertrophy" were already activated. In this heightened state, he could unleash a force equivalent to seven hundred pounds and hold his breath for an astonishing four minutes.

Releasing his grip on the raft with his left hand, Simon forcefully submerged himself into the water. With a powerful movement of his waist and abdomen, he lifted his legs upward while simultaneously lowering his upper body downward, curling himself into a ball. His left hand clenched into a fist and he brought it down forcefully towards the head of the giant rat that had bitten his calf.