Soul Devourer

As Matthew Long spoke, he pushed the raft swiftly through the water. Simon, reflecting on what Matthew Long had mentioned, realized he had also noticed the peculiar situation but couldn't fathom its cause. Feeling a bit guilty watching Matthew Long push the raft, he said, "Brother Ding, please come aboard. I can row us there."

He picked up an oar and began rowing. Matthew Long smiled and hesitated before saying, "Actually, I get a bit seasick."

Simon was astonished that someone so adept in the water could suffer from seasickness. Seeing Simon's surprised expression, Matthew Long laughed heartily, "I don't really understand it myself. Ever since I was a kid, I would get seasick on boats. That's why I worked hard to learn swimming, thinking it would cure my seasickness. Ironically, the older I got, the worse it became. While I never cured my seasickness, I did become an excellent swimmer, which is proving quite useful now."

Simon nodded empathetically. In a city suddenly submerged by an unprecedented flood, being a strong swimmer significantly increased one's chances of survival. He recalled how he had plunged into the water, nearly drowning due to his lack of swimming skills. If he had been a better swimmer, he wouldn't have found himself in such a desperate situation.

Noticing Matthew Long's seasickness, Simon didn't insist on him boarding the raft. As they neared the looming building, Simon remained vigilant, ready to face any unexpected threats.

With Matthew Long's assistance in pushing the raft, they quickly reached a balcony, securing the raft alongside it. Simon grabbed a brick tied with a rope and tossed it inside first.

"I'll hold the raft steady. You two go up first," Matthew Long offered enthusiastically, swimming alongside the raft.

Simon nodded in agreement, hoisting himself onto the balcony. He noticed that the floor inside was already submerged under three to four centimeters of water, a clear sign that the water level had been gradually rising, rendering the thirtieth floor uninhabitable.

Standing on solid ground brought Simon a sense of relief; being in a building felt far safer than drifting on water. He secured the rope and signaled to Lily Grace. She cautiously stepped forward, extending her arms towards him.

Simon grasped her arms and helped her over the balcony. Once she was safely inside, he returned to the raft to start unloading their supplies. They planned to stay here for a while, so all their provisions needed to be brought up.

Lily Grace stood by the balcony, receiving various items, although she struggled with the heavier ones. Meanwhile, Matthew Long emerged from the water, grabbed the edge of the balcony, and hoisted himself up as well.

"Little girl, take a break. Let me handle this," Matthew Long said with a smile as he took the storage box filled with cold boiled water from Simon. Curious, he asked, "What's in here?"

"It's all cold boiled water. It's clean and safe to drink, and can be heated if needed," Simon explained.

"Cold boiled water? You've really outdone yourself, bringing so much water. Haha, it's actually unnecessary," Matthew Long laughed.

Simon's eyes lit up. "The tap water here hasn't been shut off?"

Matthew Long effortlessly placed the 170-liter water-filled storage box down, then smirked. "What are you thinking? Water, electricity, and gas have been out for a long time. But there's water everywhere now; it's the last thing we lack, so there's no need to bring it."

Simon looked at Matthew Long in surprise. "You drink this water?" He pointed to the vast expanse of water outside, considering how many corpses might be soaking in it, what filth it might contain, and what bacteria or parasites might be lurking. He was definitely afraid to drink it.

Matthew Long nodded, seeing Simon's astonished expression, and laughed. "I know what you're thinking. It's actually fine; you just need to strengthen your stomach. Judging by your reaction, you haven't fortified your stomach, have you?"

Simon's mind stirred. During his previous two enhancements, he had been prompted to strengthen his stomach but had chosen to fortify his lungs and muscles instead.

Seeing Simon shake his head, Matthew Long explained, "At least one stomach enhancement is necessary. This way, our stomachs can handle drinking cold water and eating raw meat, ensuring we won't get sick from it. Although food is currently sufficient, no one knows how long this situation will last. Clean food is finite, and we may eventually be forced to eat the meat of these creatures, which an ordinary stomach likely can't digest."

Simon nodded in understanding, then curiously asked, "Earlier, I saw you attack the water rat. There were no visible wounds on its body. Why did it suddenly die?"

"Water rat? You call those giant water-dwelling rats 'water rats'? Haha, that's quite fitting. You're asking about this, right?" As Matthew Long spoke, he raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist. Simon noticed a faint, almost imperceptible substance flowing over its surface. It appeared for just an instant before vanishing again.

"This is called 'Soul Devourer,' an ability I gained from killing a massive rat. That rat was similar to the ones you saw, but two or three times larger. It was probably their leader, and it was incredibly fierce."

"There were originally four of us living here, including myself. Two were killed by that creature. I was fortunate enough to deliver the final, fatal blow, thus acquiring this ability called 'Soul Devourer.' This power allows me to attack without damaging the surface of the skin, yet it directly destroys the brain internally. According to the information I received, it supposedly devours souls, hence the name 'Soul Devourer.' However, in my understanding, it's similar to the concept of 'striking a bull through a mountain'—no external damage, but complete internal destruction."

As Matthew Long spoke, a complex expression appeared on his face, a mix of pride and wistfulness. He was proud of the eerie and potent ability he had gained but saddened by the loss of his former companions to the massive rat.

Listening to Matthew Long's explanation, Simon began to understand. Matthew Long, lacking the 'Insight Sigil,' couldn't identify the creatures, hence he referred to them simply as giant water rats. The creature he mentioned, much larger than the water rats they had encountered, was likely the evolved form known as the Water Rat King.

The Water Rat King, an elite type of spirit-source beast, typically provided unique skills upon defeat. Simon himself had acquired abilities like the 'Insight Sigil' and 'Voracious Fangs' from defeating such elite creatures.