Natural Disasters Strikes: I stockpiled like crazy! - Chapter 173

Chapter 173: Practice
“The best time to strike is right after you dodge their dash attack,” Nanzhi said, her voice sharp with focus. “Once they’ve committed to that dash, they can’t change direction. And if you get caught in their combo, it’s game over. Don’t let them land a hit—retreat as soon as you can. Then capitalize on the short windows they leave open to counterattack.”

“The Ember Hounds might be slower than the feline beasts, but they’re stronger and more durable. Their fire attacks are no joke,” Lin Weihao added, his tone serious. “You need to take them down first, or they’ll make your job much harder.”

“Exactly,” Nanzhi confirmed, glancing at the team. “And don’t let the two of them work together. If they manage to coordinate, you’re in for a much tougher fight.”

“The most important thing is to watch each other’s backs,” Lin Weihao continued, his gaze sweeping over the group. “No lone wolves here—teamwork is key.”

The three of them nodded, their expressions determined. They took their positions, committing Nanzhi and Lin Weihao’s advice to memory.

“We’ll start with individual fights, then we’ll let you all team up,” Nanzhi said, ready to guide them through the process.

“Got it!” they all responded in unison.

“Alright, let’s do this!” Nanzhi barked, watching as the team leapt into action.

Yu Baoyin stepped forward, hands glowing as she condensed a soil thorn about a foot long and three inches thick. She then summoned several smaller soil pikes that rained down on the alien beasts, disrupting their movements and throwing them off balance.

“Fire Arrows!” Feng Ran called out as his hands crackled with fire, launching two fire blazing arrows that sliced through the air. They struck with precision, forcing the beasts back.

Meanwhile, Bingwen focused his attacks on the beasts’ weak spots: their eyes, bellies, and necks. His metal nails struck true, digging deep into the alien beasts and causing them to stagger. His focus and accuracy were impressive.

As the beasts pressed forward, they found themselves cornered. Lin Weihao and Nanzhi had them boxed in, their eyes sharp as they kept the animals from retreating. The alien beasts had nowhere to go except toward their weaker sides, trying desperately to escape.

Although the team’s abilities weren’t yet refined for prolonged battles, the fight was still a good opportunity for them to learn and adapt. They were at a disadvantage in terms of strength, but their teamwork and determination made up for it.

The downside, however, was that they weren’t yet accustomed to fighting in groups. Some of their attacks and bullets dangerously close to hitting their teammates.

“Watch your aim!” Nanzhi called, her voice full of authority as she deflected a stray bullet that would’ve hit Feng Ran.

“Thanks Sister-in-law!” Feng Ran shot her a grateful look, adjusting his position to stay in sync with the others.

Lin Weihao and Nanzhi were constantly on the lookout, blocking and nullifying attacks that came too close to their teammates. It was a tense moment, but the group managed to avoid any serious accidents.

After about an hour, the battle finally came to an end. The last of the alien beasts crumpled to the ground, their lifeless bodies adding to the growing pile. The team staggered back toward the car, their bodies aching from the intense fight.

“Man, that was exhausting,” Yu Baoyin muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. “But we’re getting better.”

Feng Ran grinned, though he looked equally worn out. “Yeah, but I’m definitely going to feel this in the evening.”

Nanzhi and Lin Weihao shared a knowing look. They were both already scanning the area, looking for the next group of ravagers and hounds to hunt down. The fight had been useful, but it was time to grind more EXP.

“The area’s just beyond that destroyed compound,” Nanzhi said, pointing toward the ruins. “Let’s head deeper into the territory. We might encounter some higher-level beasts.”

[Tier 2 Early Stage- Pyroclaw Ravager]

[Attribute: Speed and Fire]

[Tier 2 Middle Stage- Ember Hound]

[Attribute: Speed and Strength]

The tension in the air grew thick as they approached the next stretch of land. While the human survivors had only recently awakened their powers during the winter, the alien beasts were already advancing to Tier 2. And who knew? Somewhere out there, there could even be Tier 3 beasts waiting for them.

Nanzhi clenched her fists, her determination hardening.

“If we want to survive, we need to get stronger—faster than the beasts, faster than the plants,” she muttered under her breath.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a deep growl.

“Rrrraaagghhh!”

Two of the higher-level alien beasts, a Pyroclaw Ravager and an Ember Hound, were charging straight toward them, drawn by the scent of humans.

The rest of the team watched the fight from inside the parked Land Rover, twenty meters away, as Nanzhi and Lin Weihao took the lead. The agile felines swiped their claws at Nanzhi, but in the split second before they could land the blow, their claws sank deep into the flesh of another alien beast.

“Rrrraghhhh!” The Ember Hounds snarled in fury, attacking the Pyroclaw Ravagers. The chaos of the battle was confusing for the feline beasts—they didn’t understand why their own kind was turning on them.

Taking advantage of the moment, Nanzhi moved with precision. Her fingers flicked in the air, sending invisible red mental needles to strike the Tier 2 beasts’ glabellas. They froze mid-attack, their eyes rolling back in their skulls before their lifeless bodies crumpled to the ground, landing in a series of loud thuds.

On the other side, Lin Weihao’s lighting arrows and metal snakes paralyzed the alien beasts, causing them to twitch and convulse before finally dropping like dead weight to the ground.

“Sister Nan is so cool! I can’t even see her moves! It’s like she’s an assassin,” Yu Baoyin said in awe, watching her eliminate the beasts with such deadly grace.

“Brother Lin is amazing too!” Feng Ran added, his eyes wide. “Those moves are flashy, deadly, and beautiful—just like the male protagonists in the fantasy dramas!”

“I wish I could be like Brother Lin!” Bingwen exclaimed.

“Me too,” Hei Qian whispered, clearly impressed.

The two of them finished off the stronger beasts in less than five minutes, leaving the weaker ones behind. They fell into their familiar routine: eliminate the biggest threats first, then clean up the rest.

Hei Qian joined them for the second round, his sharp observational skills helping him adapt quickly. He picked up on the weaknesses of the alien beasts and improved his strategy.

After three more harrowing rounds, the group had developed a strong sense of area awareness. They were physically exhausted but mentally sharper and more confident in their combat abilities.

Meanwhile, Nanzhi was still full of energy, bounding around and hunting down anything she could find. Nothing escaped her notice—not even a tierless rat, a worm, or a small spider.

[Double EXP Event triggered.]

For the rest of the day, they continued to hunt alien beasts, leaving no corner of the area untouched. By the end of it, Nanzhi had accumulated an astounding 19,200 EXP. But that wasn’t all—she also found something valuable.

While scavenging through a nearby building that appeared to be a former grocery store, she discovered a metal safe containing jades and several boxes sealed in vacuum sheets. Inside, she found rolls of plastic bags, canned goods, and crushed boxes of noodles and biscuits—evidence that the place had been looted.

She didn’t forget to stockpile firewood and intact furniture from nearby homes. Bingwen had also searched the homes for metal kitchen utensils, using them to practice his skills.

But amidst all this, Nanzhi found something else—a pile of broken bones and torn blue fabrics, along with a backpack still filled with unopened cans of tomato sauce and crushed noodles. It was in a two-story house near the grocery store.

After a careful inspection, Nanzhi’s heart sank. The bones were unmistakably human.

The group fell silent.