Abundance

The Water Rat King had killed Matthew Long's two companions but was ultimately slain by Matthew Long himself. This 'Soul Devourer' ability must have been the special skill acquired from defeating the Water Rat King.

Both men swiftly transferred all the items from the raft. When Matthew Long spotted the canister of liquefied gas, his eyes lit up. "Good heavens, does this gas canister work?"

"Of course," Simon confirmed.

Matthew Long laughed heartily and said, "The residents of this building used piped gas, which has been cut off. I haven't had a hot meal in days. With this, we can finally cook something warm. Come, let's head upstairs. The ground floor is flooded and uninhabitable."

Urgently, Matthew Long hurried them along. "We can move the rest later. Let's go."

Simon nodded, and he and Lily Grace followed him out of the apartment and toward the stairs. Matthew Long led the way, carrying the gas canister, while Simon hefted the container of boiled water and Lily Grace carried a large bag of snacks.

Matthew Long, having fortified his stomach, wasn't concerned about drinking the outside water, but Simon and Lily Grace couldn't risk it. For them, the stored water was crucial.

The building reeked of blood, and they frequently encountered the corpses of beastly creatures, along with evidence of destruction everywhere. It was clear that fierce battles had taken place here. Recalling that Matthew Long had mentioned there were initially four people here, now reduced to just him, the ferocity of the previous conflicts was evident.

Simon was curious about Matthew Long's current level as a spirit-source warrior. Several times he almost asked but decided against it, considering they had just met and weren't yet familiar enough for such personal questions.

### Chapter 34: Abundance

When Simon had earlier inquired about "Soul Devourer," he felt a bit impolite, but Matthew Long didn't mind and explained it thoroughly. This revealed Matthew Long's straightforward nature, making Simon feel he was someone worth befriending.

Reaching the top floor, Matthew Long unlocked one of the security doors with a key. Upon entering, Simon noticed that all the furniture had been moved out, and the windows were sealed, creating a space resembling a warehouse. Inside, vital supplies were stored.

Simon saw an array of provisions: rice, flour, oil, salt, cookware, stoves, ropes, bread, alcohol, beverages, and more. The adjacent room was filled with clothes, shoes, socks, and blankets. It had everything one might need—though the quantity of each item wasn't large, the variety was impressive.

"These three floors contain twenty-four apartments, and we've gathered nearly everything useful here," Matthew Long explained with a hint of pride. "As long as these supplies don't spoil, they'll sustain us for quite some time. Unfortunately..."

He paused, a trace of regret crossing his face. "We can't stay here for long."

Simon's curiosity was piqued. "Why not? Even though the water level is rising, it would take a long time to reach this top floor."

Matthew Long shook his head. "It's not the water level—it's the monsters."

"Monsters?" Simon echoed.

Matthew Long sighed. "Yes. Over the past few days, I've noticed the monsters appearing are becoming more terrifying. If I were alone, I wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer. Luckily, with you two here, we stand a better chance."

His spirit lifted, Matthew Long asked, "What levels are you at? I'm level 3 and just eight spirit sources away from another breakthrough."

Simon had been curious about Matthew Long's level and was pleased he shared it voluntarily. Smiling, he said, "I'm only level 2, far behind you."

Not only was Matthew Long a level 3 spirit source warrior, but he was also close to another advancement, needing just eight more spirit sources. In contrast, Simon was still level 2 and required fourteen spirit sources for his next breakthrough.

"As for Xuehui, she's just an ordinary person."

"Oh," Matthew Long nodded. "That's not a problem. We'll catch a few zombies for her to kill later; it's not difficult."

Simon understood that by "zombies," Matthew Long meant corpse beasts.

"There are plenty of clothes, shoes, and socks here, in all sorts of styles. Feel free to choose whatever you need."

Both Simon and he were drenched. After changing into clean clothes and dry socks, Matthew Long went to the kitchen, connected the canister of liquefied gas to the stove, and lit the flame. His excitement was palpable, almost childlike. He then found a pressure cooker and, with a grin, said, "We'll soon have some delicious white rice."

Simon opened the storage box filled with cooled boiled water. Knowing Lily Grace was an ordinary human who couldn't risk drinking the outside water, Matthew Long took some water from the storage box to rinse the rice and began preparing the meal. Meanwhile, Simon went downstairs to bring up all the supplies they had previously carried over, stacking them in their new refuge.

Occasionally, Simon glanced outside. He could faintly see shadows flickering in the water surrounding the building. He even spotted corpse beasts occasionally surfacing, though they didn't approach or attack. Instead, they would emerge briefly and then submerge again.

Clearly, the area was far from safe. Simon started to understand the gravity of Matthew Long's earlier words. His former residence had never exhibited such dangerous activity; he had never seen corpse beasts surfacing so frequently.

Before long, the fragrant aroma of cooked rice wafted through the air. Simon inhaled deeply; it had been days since he last enjoyed a hot meal, and the smell of rice was more enticing than any gourmet delicacy he could imagine.

Once the rice was ready, Simon fetched a table from the adjacent room, and Lily Grace wiped it clean with a cloth. Matthew Long, with a magician's flair, produced an array of delicacies from their supplies: fermented tofu, beef cubes, chili sauce, sausages, salted duck eggs, vacuum-packed chicken feet, and braised duck legs. The spread looked remarkably sumptuous.

Lily Grace couldn't help but swallow in anticipation.

"Doesn't it feel a bit like home?" Matthew Long laughed heartily. "In these past few days, this is the first meal that truly feels like a proper one."

He laughed again, placing three sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table and filling each bowl generously with rice.

Simon remembered the few cans of beer he had brought along. He quickly retrieved them and handed one to Matthew Long.

In the past, during work, Simon had consumed countless drinks while closing deals and entertaining clients. He had drunk so much that he had grown weary of alcohol. Yet, after just a few days without it, he found himself oddly nostalgic for the taste.