I built a safe house in the eerie night.

Jiang Ning looked at the two "Devouring Flowers" in front of him and couldn't help but feel a little frightened.

The appearance and smell of this thing are truly bizarre.

But since it's a first-tier trap, it should still be powerful. It's just unknown how many strange creatures these two plants can hunt down.

Resources are ultimately the biggest limitation. There are enough "Yin Wood" left in the warehouse to build two more trees, but Jiang Ning immediately rejected the idea.

Building continuously in a short period of time could attract far more strange creatures than can be controlled, posing too high a risk.

He looked at the rickety, cracked wooden door, then glanced at the materials needed to upgrade the [Wooden House] on the panel: [100 catties of Black Tai Sui, 10 pieces of Yin Wood].

Currently, resources are barely enough, and the improved defense and environment brought by upgrading houses are clearly more practical than building two more traps that have nowhere to be placed for the time being.

Setting up traps outside the upgraded cabin will provide better protection and make it easier to observe the traps.

"Upgrade the cabin!" Jiang Ning commanded telepathically.

The familiar black smoke rose again, this time not just in one spot, but enveloping the entire house.

A slight tremor was felt, and under the astonished gaze of Wang Fu and the watchful eyes of Jiang Ning, the dilapidated wooden house, enveloped in black smoke, began to undergo a slow and wondrous transformation.

The old, decaying wooden planks became solid and flat, their color turning into a deeper dark brown, and the gaps were mended by an invisible force.

In just a few moments, a sturdy and much more orderly-looking solid wood cabin replaced the original dilapidated house.

The changes inside the house were equally noticeable.

The pervasive dampness and chill had mostly dissipated, and while the air wasn't exactly fresh, it felt drier and warmer, with even a wooden table and two stools appearing.

Jiang Ning reached out and touched the brand-new wall. It felt solid and reliable, and a genuine sense of relief and joy appeared on his face.

[Wooden House: Level 1]

[Condition: In good condition]

[Effect: Slightly improves defensive capabilities, can withstand weak winds and minor impacts from low-level wandering creatures, provides a warmer and more stable dwelling, and currently poses no risk of collapse.]

The next stage of the "Stone House" upgrade requires: 300 catties of black Tai Sui and 10 black stones.

"Black Stone..." Jiang Ning murmured the name of the newly appeared material.

It's probably similar to "yin wood," another basic building material that might be found in the mountains. I'll have to keep an eye on that in the future.

He then manipulated the two "Devouring Flowers," and with the assistance of the [Heavenly Craftsman] interface, they seemed to be given simple action commands, and their roots moved on their own.

One plant was placed on the outside of the upgraded, sturdy wooden door, while the other was placed outside the window.

From inside the house, through the cracks in the door and the holes in the window paper, one can vaguely observe the situation near the two traps.

After all this was done, the last rays of sunlight outside completely disappeared.

The night was as black as ink, pouring down with a roar and enveloping the surrounding fields.

This mountain wilderness, which remained deathly silent and empty during the day, has now truly awakened.

In the distant, deep forest, shadows seemed to be writhing and converging.

A low whimper, a sharp hiss, the crisp sound of dry branches snapping underfoot... all sorts of eerie sounds mingled with the howling wind, growing clearer and closer.

In the village, every household had its doors and windows tightly shut, there wasn't a single light, and not a sound could be heard; it was like a dead zone.

Only the dilapidated altar in the center of the village, its top still burning with runes, emitted a glow that was about to be swallowed by the darkness, flickering like a candle in the wind in this boundless night.

Jiang Ning bolted the door, checked the windows, and then sat down at the newly appeared wooden table, his hands involuntarily clenching into fists.

Success or failure hinges on this moment.

Success might yield the resources gained from hunting down the strange creature.

Failure could result in nothing, or even backfire.

But this step must be taken.

Wang Fu stood hunched over by the door, clutching a rusty hoe tightly in his hand.

This farming tool, used for digging the ground, became the only psychological comfort and source of security he could find at that moment.

His old eyes were fixed on the crack in the door, and his ears were perked up, trying to catch any sounds outside.

Inside the room, only the suppressed breathing of the two people could be heard, along with the increasingly noisy and eerie sounds approaching from outside the door.

Jiang Ning squinted, staring intently at the "Devouring Flower" outside the door, which emitted wisps of black energy in the darkness.

The faint light from the altar's barrier seemed to weaken the black aura, making it thinner. Fortunately, the aura still managed to penetrate the thin barrier and spread outwards.

The rustling sounds grew closer.

Soon, a bizarre, distorted shape appeared in Jiang Ning's sight.

It could be described as an irregular mass of flesh, with several short, deformed limbs dangling from it, walking in a very uncoordinated, crooked way, constantly emitting low "hoarse" growls.

coming!

Jiang Ning held his breath, cold sweat beading on his palms, just as he was about to suffocate—

"Bang!"

A muffled thud was heard, accompanied by a noticeable tremor in the wooden house!

The thing crashed into the upgraded wooden wall, seemingly ignoring the "Devouring Flower".

In the darkness, Jiang Ning and Wang Fu stared at each other in astonishment, their faces filled with extreme fear and panic.

Jiang Ning was stunned, cursing inwardly, "Damn it, bite this thing to death!!"

As if it had heard his thoughts, the eerie creature paused briefly on the wall, its slimy body beginning to twist and turn unnaturally, finally aiming at the black flower that was so close at hand.

"Hiss—Roar—!!"

A fierce roar erupted!

It suddenly sprang into action, opening a gaping maw filled with fine, sharp teeth, brandishing its pointed bone spikes, and pounced madly at the Devouring Flower.

And it tore and rammed wildly!

The seemingly thick and menacing petals swayed violently under the impact, but showed no intention of fighting back, passively enduring the attack in the night wind.

Jiang Ning's heart sank again.

It's going to be demolished before it even starts swallowing anything? What garbage!

Fortunately, the next moment, something unexpected happened.

At the center of the flower, which was passively enduring the attack, the dark, sharp-toothed opening suddenly widened to its maximum size, like a python striking out, swallowing the eerie creature that was biting and tearing at the petals whole.

Only half of the deformed body remained outside, writhing in vain.

Immediately afterwards, the petals began to chew and wriggle powerfully, making a teeth-grinding "crunch" sound, accompanied by a strange, low-pitched hissing.

Become!

Jiang Ning clenched his fist and punched hard.

It was incredibly satisfying; the scene reminded him of playing Plants vs. Zombies in his previous life.

Wang Fu, who was standing next to him, was so shocked that his body stiffened.

But Jiang Ning's joy lasted only a moment.

Through the crack in the door, he saw more figures emerging from the darkness outside the village, drawn by the stillness and the atmosphere, constantly gathering around the wooden house.

Then, it began indiscriminately attacking and scratching the Devouring Flower that was feeding, acting particularly frenzied.

Jiang Ning's heart jumped into her throat.

Will the resources be destroyed by a mob before they even get a chance to be released?

Fortunately, this Devouring Flower possessed a certain level of defense and digestive priority. Despite enduring attacks from several other strange creatures around it, it remained focused on chewing its first prey.

Meanwhile, another "Devouring Flower" planted outside the window has successfully devoured an approaching monster and entered a digestive state.

The price was that Jiang Ning's upgraded wooden house was almost completely surrounded by low-level monsters, with all sorts of chilling howls and constant banging sounds engulfing him like a tide.

He could feel the cabin shaking continuously, as if it could be breached at any moment.

Jiang Ning could only close his eyes, forcing himself not to listen or think, and pray in his heart.

Hold on, you have to hold on...

Time passed slowly amidst the torment.

Finally, the Devouring Flower outside the door completed its first digestion.

It spat out the bizarre remains that had turned into rotten mud, and then its central maw opened wide again, instantly swallowing another bizarre creature that pounced on it.

This time, however, its chewing speed was noticeably slower, as if digestion also required energy.

At the same time, the noise outside the window suddenly intensified, accompanied by a crisp sound like plant stems breaking, and more eerie, restless roars.

Jiang Ning felt a chill run down his spine and cautiously peered out the window.

The Devouring Flower outside the window, after enduring too many attacks, developed obvious cracks on its petals. After struggling to swallow one of the monsters, it finally succumbed to the pressure and burst open, turning into several pieces of pitch-black remains, unable to swallow a second one.

This was like stirring up a hornet's nest.

The strange creatures that had gathered around them went mad, lunging even more violently at the pile of wreckage.

The tearing, fighting, and devouring also significantly reduced the attacks on the wooden house.

Jiang Ning let out a long breath, his back drenched in cold sweat.

It was impossible to close my eyes that night.

In such an environment, closing your eyes might mean eternal sleep.

"Young...Young Master!" Wang Fu suddenly lowered his voice and waved urgently, signaling him to come over.

Jiang Ning tiptoed to the door like a thief, and following Wang Fu's trembling finger, peered through the crack in the door at the strange pool of mud that had been spat out.

Amidst the foul-smelling, viscous substance, a faint, milky-white halo lay quietly.

It was a slightly cloudy white bead.

Rare treasure!

Jiang Ning's eyes widened, and a surge of joy welled up inside him.

I got a loot drop!

It was fruitful!

However, the corners of his mouth had just turned up, not yet fully open.

"ah--!!!"

A child's heart-wrenching scream suddenly pierced the night sky from a house in the village.

Then came the man's desperate cries and screams of despair.

Jiang Ning's smile froze instantly, and his heart clenched so tightly it stopped.

His worst fears came true.