《A Night of Desperation》


 Chapter 1: The Mysterious Shadow (1)

    ¡°Yi Yi.¡±


    ¡°Yi Yi.¡±


    A faint voice called out, waking the little girl from her slumber.


    In the dark of the night, in a cramped square bedroom, a young girl with long ck hairy in bed, covered by a grey-white quilt that reached her shoulders, revealing the fadedce trim of her nightgown.


    The girl looked to be about seven or eight years old. She had a delicate face with a slightly high nose, and two red pimples on her chin. She seemed to be at that age when she was just beginning to understand the world around her.


    Upon hearing the voice, she slowly opened her eyes, sat up, and looked around.


    The room was shrouded in darkness, with only a faint moonlight filtering in through the window, dimly illuminating the foot of the bed.


    At the foot of the bed, there stood a dark figure.


    The upper body of the figure was engulfed in darkness, its face obscured.But the girl could feel that it was silently watching her.


    ¡°Mom?¡± The girl asked cautiously.


    She clutched the nket tightly, her face tense, sensing that something was wrong.


    The room was eerily silent, with only her voice standing out as it echoed slightly in the stillness.


    ¡°Remember, Yi Yi, no matter what sounds you hear, you must hide in the secret altar. Don¡¯te out until the white stone turns ck.¡±


    The figure spoke softly.


    ¡°Don¡¯te out.¡±


    After the words were spoken, it slowly turned around and silently walked toward the door.


    The wooden door opened with no sound, revealing an expanse of darkness outside, which quickly swallowed the figure whole.


    ¡°Mommy!!¡± The girl seemed to sense something was wrong. She suddenly threw off the nket, jumped out of bed, and tried to chase after her.


    Boom!!!


    A loud crash echoed, followed by a strong tremor, ringing loudly in her ears.


    Hiss!!!


    The girl snapped her eyes open, arching her chest as she took a deep breath.


    It had all been a dream.


    Her eyes were wide with terror, her pupils dting, and her consciousness slowly began to break free from the drowsiness of the dream.


    Boom!!


    Another loud bang.


    The entire room seemed to be shaking and trembling.


    The wooden door rattled violently, with a series of crashes that sounded as if a giant beast was violently battering against it.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!!


    The powerful impacts seemed as though they could shatter the door.


    Faint cracks began to appear on the surface of the door, slowly spreading.


    The girl snapped back to reality, remembering the sounds from her dream.


    ¡°Mom.¡± She didn¡¯t know why, but tears welled up in her eyes, and a deep pain rose in her chest.


    But hearing the crashing sounds and recalling the words from her dream, she quickly threw off the nket, jumped out of bed, and looked at the door.


    Creak!


    The wooden door was suddenly smashed open, and broken splinters flew inward,nding on the brown earthen floor.


    The girl¡¯s body stiffened, her heart racing, and her face turned pale. She quickly crouched down and crawled under the bed.


    She crawled for a few steps, found a hidden ck mudboard, grabbed the ring, and pulled it open with great effort.


    Beneath the mudboard was a small, square space just big enough for her to curl up in.


    The walls of the space were lined with white stones of varying sizes.


    These stones were shaped differently, but they all shared one feature: they were etched withplex red symbols.


    The girl quickly crawled inside, covered her head with the mudboard, and huddled in the darkness, shivering as she listened to the sounds outside.


    Strangely, once she hid in the space, the crashing noises outside ceasedpletely.


    It was as if everything she had heard earlier had been a hallucination.


    Silence.


    Absolute silence.


    The only sound in the space was her own breathing.


    The girl tightly pressed her hands over her mouth, fearing that any noise from her breath might give away her position.


    The immense fear and tension soon wore down her small body, and exhaustion slowly began to creep in.


    As time passed, the girl gradually fell into a deep sleep.


    She didn¡¯t know how long it had been.


    An hour, maybe two.


    ¡°Yi Yi.¡± A familiar voice called out, waking the girl from her sleep.


    She moved her body, as if trying to make herself morefortable.


    ¡°Yi Yi?¡±


    ¡°Yi Yi, where are you? Mommy is back.¡±


    The voice outside sounded again, faint and familiar.


    The girl¡¯s fear seemed to have eased somewhat after her nap.


    Upon hearing the voice, she moved quickly, eager to get out.


    But suddenly, she remembered something. Looking at the white stones embedded in the wall, she noticed that they had not turned ck.


    ording to what her mother had said, only when the white stones turned ck would it bepletely safe.


    The girl¡¯s desire to go outside stopped immediately.


    ¡°Yi Yi, it¡¯s morning. It¡¯s safe now. You cane out.¡±


    The voice echoed again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, with the light, those things won¡¯t daree in. Mommy is here. You cane out.¡±


    The girl calcted the time. Normally, her mother would return about now.


    Every time she hid in this small space, after taking a nap, she would be able to see her mother when she came out.


    This time, the timing seemed right, so it should be no different.


    As for the white stones on the wall, maybe they hadn¡¯t turned ck because too much time had passed. The stones were white during the day as well.


    The girl thought for a moment. She looked up through the small venttion hole in the mudboard, peeking outside.


    She saw a faint white light.


    It was indeed morning.


    Finally, she rxed.


    ¡°I¡¯ming!¡±


    She called out.


    ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ming.¡±


    She began to move, her little hands reaching up to push the mudboard above her.


    Soon, she managed to push open the mudboard and struggled to lift her head out of the small space, returning to the area under the bed.


    Then, she looked outside.


    ¡°!!??¡±


    Outside.


    It was stillplete darkness.


    Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be daylight?


    The girl¡¯s scalp tingled.


    She sensed something was terribly wrong. With clenched teeth, she quickly crouched down, trying to retreat back into the small space.


    Clop.


    Clop.


    Suddenly, a pair of pale feet wearing her mother¡¯s cloth shoes stopped right in front of the bed.


    ¡°Yi Yi, my dear daughter, where are you?¡± The soft and familiar voice sounded again.


    The girl dared not make a sound. She tightly covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face as they slid down her cheeks.


    But she didn¡¯t dare move. At such a close distance, any slight movement could make a sound in the silent environment, exposing her position.


    Suddenly, she remembered that her mother couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware about the small space under the bed.


    So her mother couldn¡¯t be asking where she was.


    At that moment, she realized¡­ she had been tricked.


    Clop.


    Clop.


    Soon, there was no response. Perhaps the girl¡¯s response from the small space had been too quiet for the other person to hear.


    The feet slowly moved away from the bed and left, heading toward another part of the house.


    The steps were slow, barely making a sound. Soon, with a faint click of a door closing, the figure disappeared.


    Everything returned to silence.


    The girl continued to hold her breath, waiting.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She didn¡¯t know how long it had been. When she didn¡¯t hear any more sounds, she slowly exhaled, letting go of her tension and shrinking back.


    After enduring so much, her body was weak. She could hear a faint buzzing in her ears, and her vision felt blurry.


    She could no longer hold on. Leaning against the small space, she gasped for air.


    When she realized the danger had passed, the girl waited a bit longer to be sure that there was no movement. Then, with great difficulty, she crawled out of the small space and slowly crept toward the exit under the bed. ?£Á¦­????


    Plop.


    Suddenly¡­


    Her shoulder bumped into something.


    The girl froze, an unsettling feeling sweeping over her.


    She slowly raised her head, looking toward the top right.


    A woman in a tattered white dress with long hair sat silently on her wooden bed, her left leg hanging down, resting on the girl¡¯s right shoulder.


    The woman¡¯s hair obscured her face, but she looked down at the girl. Through the dim moonlight, her pale lips were visible, showing signs of decay.


    Whoosh!


    The woman¡¯s decayed face suddenly leaned in, growingrger.


    *


    *


    * *


    ¡°This time, he didn¡¯t die.¡±


    In the darkness, a blurry voice emerged.


    It seemed to be a woman¡¯s voice.


    ¡°He is still alive, but¡­ just injured and very weak. You know, you always go out into the forest to rescue people, but we barely have enough food here. How can you bear to feed a sick person too?¡± the woman said.


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s¡­ fine, mom¡­ tell me,¡± a stuttering young girl¡¯s voice followed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about your mom, just listening to you talk tires me. Okay, I stitched up your wound. Just don¡¯t get it wet and try not to get infected. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice continued as she seemed to be packing up something.


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± the stuttering girl said,ughing awkwardly.


    ¡°Stop thanking me. If ites to it, just drag him outside and leave him there. He should be gone by morning.¡± The woman sighed.


    ¡°Thank you, only you help,¡± the stuttering girl said gratefully.


    ¡°That¡¯s just how it is. Life is hard for everyone, and no one has the energy to care for others. You¡¯re the only one who hasn¡¯t thrown him back into the wild by now,¡± the woman responded.


    Yu Hong slowly gathered strength, trying to open his eyes in the darkness.


    He saw a small, dirty girl with messy ck hair talking to a middle-aged woman with yellow skin.


    The woman wore sses, and her grayish-white long sleeves were stained with various smudges.


    Yu Hong only remembered that he had been exhausted from work, went home, and fell asleep. But in the middle of the night, he suddenly heard some noise, then felt a pain in his forehead, and everything went ck.


    ¡°This¡­ where is this?¡± He tried to speak, but his throat felt like it was being sliced by a knife, and no words came out, only heavy breathing.


    At the same time, he felt that his forehead was very hot, his body feverish, and his eyes were full of crusted sleep.


    It must have been an infection somewhere, perhaps his throat.


    ¡°Medicine,¡± the girl¡¯s voice came.


    After the sound of a door closing, everything fell silent.


    The dirty girl struggled to move, pulling out a ck metal box from the corner of the room.


    ¡°Take the medicine. It will get better.¡± She walked over and handed Yu Hong the box.


    With a click, she opened the lid, revealing several pieces of ck charcoal, and inside, wrapped in paper, were three pale yellow capsules.


    But these three pills had small mold spots on them, with blue moldy fuzz growing on them.


    ¡°These pills¡­ they can¡¯t be eaten,¡± Yu Hong said stiffly, looking at her. Now fully awake, his throat felt much better, but still painful.


    ¡°And what is this medicine? What¡¯s wrong with me? How can you give me medicine when you don¡¯t even know what¡¯s wrong with me? This won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°First, tell me who you are, where I am, and what¡¯s going on?¡±


    The girl seemed confused, opening her mouth but only stammering, unable to produce any sound.


    Yu Hong leaned in and finally saw her clearly.


    Her skin was dark, covered in yellow stains. She wore clothes from different seasons¡ªsummer, fall, winter¡ªallyered together. Her cor was greasy and ck, and she smelled strongly of sweat.


    She looked like a beggar.


    In fact, many beggars were probably cleaner than her.


    From a distance, she looked like a moving ck ragged clothes trolley.


    Up close, he saw her body was deformed. One of her legs wasme, and on her right shoulder was arge tumor that was visible even through her clothes.


    She was barely five feet tall, dirty, and slow-moving.


    But her eyes¡ªthose eyes¡ªwere as clear as gemstones, almost without a trace of impurity.

 Chapter 2: The Mysterious Shadow (2)

    In response to Yu Hong¡¯s questions, the girl waspletely unable to react; she didn¡¯t know which question to answer first.


    She stood there in a daze, trembling with the medicine box in her hands. The shaking was so intense that it seemed like the medicine might fall out at any moment.


    Click.


    The door was pushed open again, from the outside.


    A middle-aged woman in a dirty whiteb coat walked in. With yellow skin and ck hair, wearing ck-framed sses, she was the same woman who had appeared earlier, presumably a doctor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer your questions. Don¡¯t make things difficult for Yi Yi. She had an illness before and was frightened. Her speech and thoughts aren¡¯t quite right,¡± the woman said.


    She walked over to the bedside and ced a light gray water jug on the wooden nightstand.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how you got here. Last night, Yi Yi went out to gather firewood and identally found you in a pit, then dragged you back.¡±


    ¡°When we found you, you were unconscious. There didn¡¯t seem to be any visible injuries, but you were unconscious with a fever. Yi Yi fed you some filtered water, and you finally woke up after waiting through the night.¡±The woman exhaled.


    ¡°As for where this is, this is Baiqiu Vige. The area is surrounded by deep mountains, and the only way out is an old road to the west.¡±


    She paused.


    ¡°I¡¯m the vige doctor, myst name is Xu. She¡¯s called Lin Yi Yi, an orphan living here alone. There¡¯s not much else to say. Well, now it¡¯s your turn. Who are you? How did you get here? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Xu, can I call you that?¡± Yu Hong, still holding his throat in pain, spoke in a low voice, trying to make sense of the situation.


    He saw her nod and continued.


    ¡°My name is Yu Hong. I was just sleeping at home before, and then¡­¡± He recounted his previous feelings in detail.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I got here. I¡­¡± He struggled to raise his hand and press it to his forehead.


    ¡°How old are you?¡± Dr. Xu suddenly asked.


    ¡°Twenty¡­ twenty-seven,¡± Yu Hong reflexively responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Anyway, you won¡¯t be going back. With the way things are, it doesn¡¯t matter where you came from or how. There are no vehicles; if you go outside, you¡¯ll die. You¡¯ll probably have to stay here for quite some time,¡± Dr. Xu said indifferently.


    ¡°??? No vehicles? Can you¡­ can someone lend me a car to take me to the nearest bus station? I can pay!¡± Yu Hong was confused.


    ¡°A bus station?¡± This time it was Dr. Xu¡¯s turn to be puzzled. ¡°What are you talking about? Where would you find a bus station? Who¡¯s going to drive you? Outside there are all sorts of strange monsters. If you go out, you¡¯re just asking for death.¡±


    ¡°Monsters?!¡± Yu Hong froze.


    ¡°What kind of monsters?!¡± He doubted that the woman was ying a prank or had some mental issue.


    But as he looked at Dr. Xu, who was staring at him like he was a fool, Yu Hong began to feel that something wasn¡¯t right.


    A sense of unease started to rise in his chest.


    He was just an ordinary office worker. No one would hire such a low-level actor to deceive him, would they?


    ¡°Well, looks like you¡¯re a fool after all,¡± Dr. Xu sighed as she raised her head.


    ¡°A fool with another fool. You two are quite a pair.¡±


    She nced out the window.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early. When night falls, you¡¯ll see. I¡¯ll leave now. Yi Yi, keep an eye on him. Don¡¯t let him open the door tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± the girl, stuttering, quickly nodded.


    When Dr. Xu turned to leave, the girl hurriedly called out.


    ¡°Medicine! Sister!¡± she anxiously called out.


    Dr. Xu turned back, understanding, and took a mercury thermometer from her pocket, shoving it into Yu Hong¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check your temperature.¡±


    After a while, she took the thermometer out and looked at it.


    ¡°38.5¡ãC, you won¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°Medicine¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± The stuttering girl quickly handed over the medicine box to Dr. Xu for inspection.


    The mold spots on the medicine made Dr. Xu frown.


    ¡°Yi Yi, I don¡¯t have much medicine left either. The post office only goes to town once a month.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the girl immediately panicked, looking around before quickly finding something resembling a yam from a corner cab and handing it over. ??£ÁN¨®??¨¨??


    ¡°Trade, this, trade¡­ for medicine!¡±


    Dr. Xu shook her head, saying it wasn¡¯t enough.


    The girl then started rummaging through other ces.


    They haggled, and the voices reached Yu Hong¡¯s ears.


    He felt drowsy and weak, his body sluggish. Soon, he fell back into a deep sleep, his throat still aching, his head heavy, and his limbs too weak to lift.


    His body¡¯s natural healing mechanism drove him into sleep to quickly recover his strength.


    Time passed quickly.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how long had passed¡ªmaybe an hour, or maybe three. Time was meaningless for someone in a daze.


    Slowly, Yu Hong woke up from his stupor.


    His whole body ached, feeling weak, and his throat felt blocked as if something was lodged there, making it impossible to speak. Only hoarse breaths escaped.


    He opened his eyes, struggled to prop himself up, and surveyed the surroundings.


    The room was quiet.


    This small, square bedroom had walls and a ceiling made of wood, all a light yellow color.


    The floor was ck mud, smooth and dry, with some corners even sprouting grass.


    Yu Hong slowly shifted his body, lowered his legs over the edge of the bed, and gently let his feet touch the ground.


    The solid feeling of the floor under his feet made his heart feel inexplicably relieved.


    He looked down at himself.


    He was wearing a grayish-white short-sleeve T-shirt, with a cartoon tiger head printed on the front, stained with some yellow marks. His pants were cream-colored casual trousers, now wrinkled.


    His gray socks were torn at the big toe, with two big toes poking out through the holes, covered in ck dirt.


    ¡®What is this?¡¯ He noticed a ck mark on the back of his right hand.


    The mark looked like an ancient seal, a square stamp with what looked like a clump of rotten mud on it, with no patterns or characters. It resembled a birthmark at first nce.


    But Yu Hong clearly remembered that he never had such arge birthmark, especially not on his prominent right hand.


    He rubbed the mark, but it didn¡¯t hurt or itch.


    He tried to wipe it off, but it didn¡¯te off, so he gave up for now.


    After checking his body and confirming there were no external injuries, Yu Hong touched the stubble on his chin and nced toward the window.


    The window was square, located to the right of the bed, and was secured with horizontal wooden nks, both inside and outside. It was tightly sealed, as if protecting from a mental illness patient, messy yet unsettling.


    The light outside was dim, casting a faint yellow glow into the room, leaving pale yellow spots beside the bed.


    Yu Hong took a deep breath, noticing a strange, indescribable burnt odor in the air.


    He walked a few steps to the door and saw a thick stack of old newspapers by the doorframe.


    Pausing, he bent down, struggling to pick up the stack, and looked at the topmost paper.


    ¡°Top Alert: Major ck Disaster Strikes Nationwide¡±


    The huge headline almost took up half the page.


    Below it were the details.


    ¡®¡­The frequent ck disasters and the weak response from authorities have posed a huge threat to the lives of the people. In the face of this grim situation, the National Disaster Prevention Committee has urgently set up an Emergency Management Department to respond swiftly to the worst-hit areas and organize rescue efforts.¡¯


    Yu Hong frowned and flipped to the back of the page.


    A chaotic scene of rescue efforts appeared in front of him. It showed a grey, dpidated building with people in heavy protective suits lifting stretchers, carrying ckened corpses.


    ¡°ck disaster?¡± He had never heard of such a term.


    He continued flipping the paper.


    ¡°Massive Bug Disaster Approaching, How Should We Respond?¡±


    ¡°Food Shortage, Water Crisis, National Rescue Teams Work Relentlessly to Save Thousands¡±


    ¡°Suspected Biochemical Agent Leak, Yi Guan City Sealed Off with Vehicle Barricades¡±


    ¡°Experts Discuss Blood Ticks in Response to ck Disasters¡±


    ¡°First Hope City Completed, 10,000 People Move In¡±


    With the sound of the pages rustling, Yu Hong¡¯s expression grew more serious.


    Not only were the headlines bizarre and abnormal, but more crucially, he suddenly realized that these newspapers were written in anguage he had never learned before. It wasn¡¯t Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Russian, or anynguage he recognized.


    It was an entirely unfamiliarnguage.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    Yu Hong put down the newspaper and looked at the date.


    January 3, 2020.


    He had never seen thisnguage before, yet he could understand it.


    This strange feeling made a sense of difort rise in his chest.


    After putting the newspaper back in its ce, Yu Hong nced at the door in front of him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The door was gray-ck, with arge and small square pattern, one above the other. The doorknob was white, with some of the paint chipped off, revealing the ck metal underneath.


    He reached out, gripped the handle, and the cold, solid touch sent a shiver through him. He gently turned it.


    Click.


    The door opened.


    Outside was a gray stone staircase, with three steps.


    Beyond that was a broken, rocky path.


    On the opposite side was a small, dark house with its door open.


    The walls were gray and white, the roof ck and ruined.


    The house was only about three meters tall, and there were red slogans painted on the walls, now too faded to read.


    The nted roof tiles still had pebbles and yellow dry leaves on them, which rustled in the wind.


    Yu Hong stepped outside, only to realize he wasn¡¯t wearing shoes, just his tattered gray socks.


    The rough ground felt ufortable, pricking his feet.


    He stood still for a moment.


    He looked around.


    On both sides of the rocky path stood a row of houses with stone walls and tile roofs.


    These houses were very old, their walls covered with mold and stains. Some had red slogans written on them, like ¡°Live a Happy Life, Be Safe Forever,¡± ¡°One Person Serves the Family, Everyone Is Safe,¡± and ¡°Fire, Bug, and Moisture Protection.¡±


    The rocky path was a bit gloomy, with the sun blocked by the houses. Only a sliver of light was seeping through the doors and windows.


    It was because these houses were all rtively low.


    He scanned his surroundings.


    Each house, like a person standing in line, was of simr height, dpidated, with leaking doors and windows. Most of the dark wooden doors were wide open, revealing empty rooms and the sound of the wind howling through them.


    He turned to look back at the house where he had been staying.


    Indeed, his ce, though also a tile-roofed house, was different from the others.


    Both the doors and windows were nailed with thick ck and yellow wooden ts, with the gaps stuffed with heavy cloth, and the threshold was higher than the others.


    ¡°This ce¡­¡± Yu Hong couldn¡¯t shake off a sense of unease rising in his chest.


    Click.


    Suddenly, a faint sound came from the right side, in the distance.


    It sounded like shoes stepping on gravel.


    Yu Hong quickly looked in that direction.


    He saw, inside a house on the right side of the road, a blurry figure in white standing in the shadow of the doorway, looking at him.


    From afar, it seemed like the person was smiling at him.


    ¡°Smiling my ass!¡± Yu Hong frowned and ignored the person.


    Although he was eager to ask someone what was going on, the person¡¯s appearance was a bit unnerving. It felt wrong, making him ufortable.


    So, he decided to look for someone else.


    He turned his head, stopped looking at that person, and began scanning the other houses, hoping to find someone else.


    Unfortunately, after a quick scan, he didn¡¯t see anyone else.


    So, he reluctantly turned back and looked at the figure in white.


    But this time, when he looked back, his heart sank.


    The figure in white was no longer in the house he had just seen.


    Instead, it was now in another house, much closer to him.


    Standing in the shadow of the doorway, smiling at him.


    In just a few seconds, the person had closed the distance by at least several dozen meters.


    What was even stranger was that despite the proximity, Yu Hong still couldn¡¯t make out the person¡¯s face clearly. He could only barely see the person smiling, with very pale skin, and it appeared to be a man.


    There was no sound of running¡ªhow had this person crossed such a great distance so quickly?


    A chill began to creep up Yu Hong¡¯s spine.


    He took a deep breath and turned his head to look in another direction, then quickly looked back at the figure in white.


    Only a second had passed.


    But in that second¡­


    The figure in white was gone again, and now appeared in a house just ten meters away, across from him.


    The person was still standing in the shadow of the doorway, smiling at him.


    ¡°Goddamn!!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s heart raced as he slowly began to back away.


    What was even stranger was that, despite being this close, he still couldn¡¯t make out the details of the person¡¯s face!


    Remembering the earlier situation, he dared not blink, slowly backing away.


    He stepped back into the house, still watching the figure, and began to gently close the door.


    Slowly.


    The door was now only open a crack.


    Yu Hong strained to keep his eyes open, but they were growing sore, and tears began to pool in the corners of his eyes, increasing by the second.


    He could barely hold on.

 Chapter 3: Danger (1)

    Click.


    Finally, the door waspletely closed.


    Yu Hong let out a heavy sigh of relief.


    ¡°What kind of ce is this?!¡±


    He locked the door, stood up straight, but suddenly thought about the little stutterer from earlier.


    This ce looked increasingly strange. The stutterer seemed like a good person, but how did she survive here?


    He took two steps back and sighed deeply.


    Poof.


    Suddenly, his back seemed to bump into something.It was cold and somewhat hard.


    It felt like a person!!


    Yu Hong froze.


    He looked down and saw a pair of white shoes quietly standing behind him on the ground.


    This person¡­ actually came in!? When!?


    Bang!!


    There was a sudden loud noise.


    The wooden door was mmed open, and a short figure rushed in, throwing something grayish-white at him.


    ¡°Ah!!¡±


    At the same time, the stutterer¡¯s voice pierced the silence like a suona, instantly snapping Yu Hong out of his daze.


    He felt a grayish-white shadow brush past his cheek, hitting the white figure behind him.


    Poof, poof, poof!


    The sound of something hitting cloth filled the air, but with it, Yu Hong felt his body loosen up. He stumbled forward a few steps, almost falling.


    His body was weak, and he had already been drained by fear and emotions, which caused him to lose more strength.


    After a few steps, his legs gave out, and he copsed to the ground.


    Turning over, he saw the stutterer had rushed in, holding a thick wooden stick and smashing it into the white figure.


    And what was even stranger was that the white figure seemed to dete like a balloon. Poof! It quickly exploded into foam-like particles and shattered into rags that disappeared without a trace. ?¦¡??£Â??


    The rags hadn¡¯t even touched the ground before they shattered, fading away, leaving nothing behind.


    It was as if everything that had just happened had been a hallucination.


    Huff, huff.


    The stutterer was panting heavily, putting down therge wooden stick, her face flushed and veins bulging on her skin. The tiny beads of sweat were clearly visible in the dim light.


    ¡°People¡­ dangerous¡­ don¡¯t¡­ go outside!¡± She turned back to look at Yu Hong, speaking seriously.


    Yu Hong subconsciously nodded.


    At that moment, he felt a sharp pain in his back, as if his skin had been scraped off.


    When he turned over on the ground, he suddenly noticed that there was a small amount of blood where his back had been.


    Seeing this, the stutterer quickly rushed over to help him up.


    Together, they exerted some force, and the stutterer¡¯s strength immediately became apparent.


    She was actually stronger than Yu Hong, a grown man, and by quite a bit!


    She lifted him up with ease, turned him around, propped him against the door frame, and took off his shirt.


    Then she rummaged through her things, pulling out a jar, and began applying something to his back.


    Soon, a rough pain spread across his back.


    Yu Hong gritted his teeth, knowing that she was trying to treat his wound.


    ¡°What¡¯s this medicine?¡± he asked.


    ¡°My grandfather¡¯s¡­ medicine powder,¡± the stutterer replied, her words fragmented. ¡°It works¡­ well.¡±


    A long silence passed.


    Yu Hong reflected on the white figure from earlier. His mind was filled with questions that he wanted to ask.


    After thinking for a while, he finally spoke again.


    ¡°What exactly was that white figure?¡±


    ¡°Ghost shadow,¡± the stutterer answered.


    ¡°Ghost shadow?¡±


    ¡°Is it human?¡± Yu Hong asked again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Yu Hong felt like his long-held belief in materialism was about to copse, especially after the figure had disappeared right before his eyes. The scene had left him with an indescribable sense of falseness and unreality.


    He thought for a long time, until the light outside dimmed.


    ¡°So, was that white figure a ghost?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the stutterer answered. ¡°It¡¯s in¡­ the newspaper.¡±


    She spoke with such effort that she paused, then bent down to pick up a newspaper. Flipping through it, she found a page in the middle and handed it to Yu Hong.


    Yu Hong took it, and saw the headline:


    ¡°Ghost Shadow Experiment Makes Major Breakthrough¡±


    Below it were the details.


    ¡°ording to the Human United Research Institute¡¯s public announcement, the essence of the ghost shadow is closely linked to the blood tide. However, after careful analysis, the institute¡¯s published experimental content shows that the ghost shadow itself has no memories. They may appear as human forms butck any corresponding memories or emotions. They instinctively hunt and kill any living creatures thate close or notice them, mainly targeting their own kind.


    In other words, the ghost shadow is more like a new type of hunter with a high level of camouge. They cannot be killed but can only be driven away. Even ifpletely shattered, they will soon reappear and possess the ability to prate most existing materials. In certain experiments, some institutions even suspect that they may not exist in reality at all but exist within our brains, like a special signal akin to self-delusion.¡±


    After quickly reading the report, Yu Hong felt an icy chill spread throughout his body.


    Danger!


    So dangerous!!!


    What kind of hellish ce is this!? How is it so dangerous!? He just stepped outside! Does he want to die!?


    Clutching the newspaper, Yu Hong took a few deep breaths to calm down. He re-read it several times.


    Bang.


    Yu Hong sat heavily on the bed, his face pale, watching as the stutterer cleaned up the things she used to treat his wounds.


    She then began organizing a bamboo basket filled with various messy, rotten roots and mud.


    The air in the room became thick with the smell of decayed mud due to theck of venttion.


    After sitting for a while, Yu Hong felt dry in his mouth and his body growing warm.


    ¡°Do you have water?¡± he asked weakly.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The stutterer hesitated, then raised her hand, pointing to an inconspicuous ck jar in the corner of the room.


    The jar was about the size of a human head and had faint, blurry bird and branch patterns on its surface.


    Yu Hong stood up, walked over, squatted down, and lifted the lid of the jar.


    Inside was a shallowyer of yellowish water that smelled faintly foul.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He was speechless. Just looking at it, he knew the water was undrinkable.


    Suddenly, a ck, teapot-like metal object was passed over to him from the side.


    It was the stutterer.


    She shook the teapot.


    ¡°Filter.¡±


    She mimed a motion as if scooping water from the teapot¡¯s spout.


    Yu Hong then noticed that there seemed to be a filter attached to the spout of the teapot.


    He remained silent for a moment, then took the teapot. He found a small scoop by the water jar and carefully scooped out a bit of water.


    After a long time, he managed to filter out a small cup of water.


    He poured the water into a wooden cup.


    Shh.


    A stream of water, slightly foul-smelling but mostly clear, flowed into the cup, filling about a third of it before stopping.


    Yu Hong looked at the water. Despite being filtered, it still smelled.


    He hesitated. He didn¡¯t want to drink it, but his body was desperately thirsty. He knew that if he didn¡¯t drink, especially with his current sickness and injury, he¡¯d be finished.


    Just as he was about to raise the cup to his lips, the stutterer snatched it from his hand and drank it all in one go.


    Smack.


    She put the cup back on the edge of the jar with a clink.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± she said.


    Yu Hong paused, then went to scoop more water, filter it again, and finally held the cup in the air.


    He paused.


    The cup hovered there.


    He then lowered it.


    Again, he raised it.


    After repeating this several times, he sighed deeply, gripping the cup tightly, his face growing paler.


    Can¡¯t the water be cleaner?


    He was worried. If the water didn¡¯t hydrate him properly, he might copse. The stutterer had drunk it with no problem, but that didn¡¯t mean he would be fine. Sometimes, the difference between people¡¯s constitutions was much greater than expected.


    Enhance the water cup?


    Suddenly, a faint voice whispered in his ear.


    Clink¡ªhe put the cup on the wooden table.


    Yu Hong¡¯s face changed slightly, and he looked around. But the only one there was the stutterer, standing quietly, looking confused.


    Enhance the water cup?


    The voice came again, impossible to tell whether it was male or female, emotionless like a mechanical voice.


    Yu Hong looked around again, but there was no one in sight.


    He focused on the wooden cup on the table.


    Soon, a faint number appeared on its surface: 3rd.


    There was nothing else.


    Yu Hong¡¯s face turned pale, and he blinked several times, unsure if he was seeing things. But after blinking again, he realized the number was still there.


    Suddenly, it clicked in his mind. He looked at the back of his right hand, at the ck mark.


    Sure enough.


    The mark was the size of an egg, with the ck area shimmering like water ripples.


    This thing is behind all of it!


    Yu Hong instantly understood.


    His eyes flickered, his mind racing, standing there with thoughts shing through his head.


    But soon, he remembered the stutterer was still by his side.


    He quickly raised his hand and showed her the mark on his hand.


    ¡°Can you see this?¡±


    The stutterer shook her head, looking confused. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ see¡­ anything.¡±


    Yu Hong lowered his hand, nced at the cup, and confirmed that the number was still there, feeling some sense of realization.


    He turned and walked toward another part of the room.


    The room wasn¡¯t big, and the furnishings were sparse.


    A wardrobe, a table that doubled as a desk, two bedside cabs, an old-fashioned mirror, and two stools.


    There was a pile of misceneous things in the corner, where the small water jar had been ced.


    He walked around, then finally stopped in front of the wooden door.


    Reaching out, he pressed his hand against the door.


    Recalling the events from earlier, a thought started to form in his mind.


    Can¡¯t this door be better?


    Hiss.


    Suddenly, it felt as if a thin thread was passing through the mark on his hand, drilling into the door.


    Soon, a ck number appeared on the door: 16th.


    Enhance the door?


    The faint voice came again, emotionless, like a mechanical sound.


    Yu Hong stared at the number, and he began to understand.


    The number likely represents the time needed for enhancement. But what will it look like after it¡¯s enhanced?


    He withdrew his hand and turned to look at the water cup, only to find that the number on it had disappeared.


    ¡®Moreover, how is this enhancement done? Will it make a lot of noise? Can it continue to be enhanced indefinitely, or are there any limits?¡¯


    One question after another emerged in his mind.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the little stutterer couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°I just felt dizzy, my brain¡¯s a bit out of sorts,¡± Yu Hong sighed, not mentioning the numbers or the ck mark.


    He wasn¡¯t nning to reveal anything to anyone until he figured out the situation.


    The priority now was to find something to test the enhancement effect of the ck mark.


    The wooden door would take too long, and it couldn¡¯t guarantee the noise level.


    Yu Hong walked around, quickly fixing his attention on a small, inconspicuous object ¡ª the white stone that the little stutterer had smashed earlier.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 4: Danger Part (2)

    This stone could hurt the white-d ghostly figure, so it was likely some sort of special item. Additionally, its small size made it harder to notice, even if there was some noise.


    Moreover, if it could truly be enhanced, the power of the white stone would increase, making it much safer to deal with the previous ghostly figure.


    With this in mind, Yu Hong picked up a white stone and looked at the little stutterer.


    ¡°Could you give me one? Thanks for saving me earlier! I¡¯ll repay you,¡± he said earnestly.


    The little stutterer shook her head.


    ¡°This one¡­ it¡¯s already useless,¡± she exined. ¡°If you want it, just take it.¡±


    Yu Hong nodded, took the white stone, and examined it.


    The stone was about the size of a thumb¡¯s nail. Its surface was marked with a dark redplex symbol that resembled some kind of religious talisman. A third of the stone had turned ck, though it wasn¡¯t clear why.


    The stone felt icy to the touch, like an ice cube¡ªchilling and somewhat bone-piercing.Ssss.


    Soon, a number appeared on the stone¡¯s surface: 3 days.


    A thought shed through Yu Hong¡¯s mind. It seemed the ck mark sensed it and immediately transmitted a voice.


    ¡®Would you like to enhance the target?¡¯


    Yu Hong stuffed the white stone into his pants pocket.


    He tried responding in his mind: Yes.


    The moment he confirmed, the ck mark on the back of his hand heated up slightly, then quickly returned to normal.


    At the same time, the white stone in his pocket also heated up briefly before returning to its usual state.


    The little stutterer didn¡¯t react at all to the movement of the white stone.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked curiously, looking at him.


    ¡°Almost¡­ the sky is getting dark quickly. We¡­ must prepare,¡± she stammered.


    ¡°Prepare for what?¡± Yu Hong asked. After the recent emotional and physical strain, his already weakened body was now returning to a normal state due to hormones dissipating. ?a¦­§°?¨§?


    He was still sick and inmed. Earlier, he had only been able to fight off danger temporarily with physical and mental strength. Now, with the threat gone, his body was fighting off the virus and bacteria.


    His immune system had started rapidly splitting immune cells again, and his body temperature was beginning to rise.


    ¡°At night¡­ monsters are dangerous,¡± the little stutterer replied.


    She nced out the window. The sunlight outside was rapidly dimming.


    The darkness was¡­ abnormal. It was too fast.


    It got so dark that Yu Hong could feel with his eyes that the light was fading.


    This strange phenomenon made him feel increasingly anxious.


    Clink, clink, clink¡­


    The little stutterer suddenly pulled out a hammer and began hammering nails around the edges of the door and windows, seemingly reinforcing the surroundings.


    The door was locked with thick chains from the inside, and three heavy bolts were ced across it.


    Each bolt was as thick as an arm. The contact points between the bolts and the door panel were already worn smooth, showing that this wasn¡¯t the first time such measures had been taken.


    The light continued to grow dimmer and dimmer.


    Yu Hong stood still in the room, stunned for a moment before he quickly reacted and tried to help check the safety of the cracks.


    But because he was unfamiliar with the environment, the little stutterer soon pushed him back onto the bed, annoyed by his interference.


    ¡°You, don¡¯t make trouble,¡± she said seriously.


    She then crawled under the bed and pulled out arge ck cloth bag.


    Inside the bag were densely packed white stones. She carefully picked up a red pen and began writing red symbols on each of the stones.


    ¡®So, she drew these red symbols herself?¡¯ Yu Hong thought as he watched, realization dawning on him.


    Suddenly, a very faint, sharp, theatrical-sounding female voice echoed from outside the room.


    The voice was high and low, melodious yet eerie, like crying or acting, with a strange sense of being both real and fake.


    Clink.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The little stutterer obviously heard the sound as well. She quickly grabbed a few white stones and handed them to Yu Hong, then took arge yellow candle from a corner, rubbing it with something like a magnesium stick to light it. She held it up, nervously watching the doors and windows.


    Yu Hong stood behind her, noticing that the candle was unusuallyrge¡ªabout the size of an egg.


    ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± the little stutterer suddenly said.


    At this point, Yu Hong noticed that the light outside the window hadpletely disappeared.


    Only an unrelenting ckness remained, seeping through from outside.


    Was it already night? How could it happen so fast?


    He wanted to speak, but suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him, impacting his consciousness. His body was growing hotter, and his throat became increasingly painful.


    He needed to drink water and take medicine¡­ fever medicine.


    Otherwise, things might not turn out well.


    He knew his own condition¡ªwhenever he had a fever from a cold, it felt like this. Thest time he had a fever of 39¡ãC, he wasn¡¯t this weak; it was likely the shock had taken a toll on him.


    Sitting on the edge of the bed, he tightly gripped the white stone, staring nervously at the doors and windows.


    The room was quiet, with both of them waiting.


    The air was filled only with their breathing and heartbeats.


    This state didn¡¯tst long.


    Clink.


    Finally, a faint noise came from outside the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± the little stutterer shouted.


    Her body tensed, her muscles visibly tightening. She held the thick candle high, creating a circle of light that covered as much of the room as possible.


    Yu Hong, also tense, watched nervously.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what would happen, but from the little stutterer¡¯s reaction, something bad was likely about to ur.


    After all, the white ghostly figure from earlier hadn¡¯t made her this nervous.


    Soon, their wait bore fruit.


    Outside in the dark, the sound of bugs crawling on the door and windows grew increasingly louder.


    The sound was sudden, intense, and frantic, like a quiet void suddenly filled with the noise of a desert storm.


    The sand-like noise continued to scrape the doors and windows of the room.


    Yu Hong¡¯s eyes widened as he saw that through the small gaps in the door and window¡ªless than a centimeter wide¡ªsmall ck bugs were crawling in.


    They were swarming in, hundreds, maybe thousands of them, all small like ants, with oval-shaped exoskeletons on their backs and monstrous, centipede-like mandibles. They had no eyes but many pairs of legs.


    They looked like tiny ck centipedes.


    The bugs flooded the room, the scraping sounds growing louder, while the high-pitched female voice from the air grew closer and clearer.


    ¡°Get out!!¡± the little stutterer screamed. But she remained strangely still, holding up the candle and yelling furiously.


    Yu Hong, sitting on the bed, wanted to stand and help, but his weak body didn¡¯t have much strength left.


    His back was sweating, but it quickly evaporated due to his high fever.


    As he watched the ck bugs pouring through the cracks in the room, his body tensed in fear, trembling.


    His mind filled with horrific images of the bugs crawling all over his body, gnawing at his flesh.


    It was a primal fear, impossible to suppress.


    But then, something unexpected happened.


    Ssss.


    The first group of ck bugs that crawled into the circle of light from the candle quickly dissolved, turning into ck smoke and evaporating into the air.


    The bugs seemed to be melting away, as if they were being burned, but they didn¡¯t retreat. They continued to surge towards the little stutterer, relentlessly.


    Soon, a ring of ck bugs surrounded her, constantly dissolving, turning into ck smoke, then dissipating into the air.


    The smoke rose and quickly disappeared, leaving behind a pungent, foul smell.


    Yu Hong stood there, shocked by the sight.


    He racked his brain for an exnation, but couldn¡¯t think of any bugs that would dissolve into ck smoke when exposed to light.


    This strange scene shattered all his previous assumptions and expectations.


    Monsters.


    Suddenly, a term mentioned by Doctor Xu earlier popped into his mind.


    Yes, monsters.


    The ck bugs before him were truly monsters, weren¡¯t they?


    They were endless, like a tide, yet disintegrated and disappeared at the touch of light.


    Yu Hong fell into a state of mental fog, carefully observing the ck bugs and the candle, trying to find any signs of trickery.


    asionally, he pinched his thigh hard, using the pain to keep himself awake, trying to prove that what he saw wasn¡¯t a dream.


    But all his actions confirmed that this was all real. It wasn¡¯t a dream, nor was it an illusion.


    And he noticed one more thing.


    As the ck bugs dissolved, therge candle in the little stutterer¡¯s hand, which should havested for a long time, was quickly melting down as well, burning faster as the bugs attacked.


    It seemed like fighting these ck bugs was rapidly consuming the candle¡¯s energy.


    Time continued to pass in this tense, still silence.


    Ten minutes.


    Half an hour.


    An hour.


    Two hours.


    They remained in this state without moving.


    The candle in the little stutterer¡¯s hand shrank from the size of her forearm to the length of her palm.


    Suddenly, Yu Hong jumped up, turned, and reached back, grabbing a ck bug from behind.


    As soon as the bug was exposed to the light, it dissolved into smoke.


    But Yu Hong quickly touched his backside.


    His left cheek had been bitten by a bug, and blood soaked his pants, clearly indicating a deep wound.


    The ck bugs seemed to be attracted to the blood and began to surge towards him, but the candlelight remained firm, turning them into smoke.


    Yu Hong covered his wound and limped towards the little stutterer, standing by her side, both of them watching the scene unfold.


    The bugs surrounding the light ring continued to melt, turning into ck smoke.


    This strange, dangerous scene was like a meteor shower, shattering his worldview into pieces.


    He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed.


    Finally, the high-pitched female voice faded away, bing distant.


    As the voice disappeared, the ck bugs entering the room started to thin out.


    A faint light began to shine through the cracks in the door and window.


    Finally.


    Thest few bugs were enveloped by the light, struggling to dissolve into smoke.


    Everything returned to calm.


    (End of this Chapter)

 Chapter 5: Danger (3)

    Morning arrived.


    Bright sunlight seemed to fast-forward through the dim dawn, turning dazzlingly bright, almost ring.


    Yu Hong stared nkly at the scene before him, his mind groggy, his body feverishly hot.


    He was already weak, and after staying awake all night, his condition had worsened.


    Now that the immediate danger seemed to have passed, he finally lost control, copsing onto his side and lying on the ground.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Little Stutterer blew out the candle and was carefully putting it back in the cluttered corner. When She turned around, She saw Yu Hong lying on the ground. Startled, She hurriedly rushed over.


    Feeling his burning hot body, she quickly fetched some water, filtered it, and poured it into his mouth in a rush.


    After giving him water, she rummaged for medicine. She had acquired some from Dr. Xu and promptly fed it to Yu Hong.


    Though Yu Hong was aware of her help, his body was too weak to respond.He felt himself being lifted by the waist and ced onto the bed. Then, she found a piece of used white stone and ced it on his forehead to cool him down.


    The white stone, cold and refreshing, absorbed much of the heat, making Yu Hong feel significantly better.


    Asfort began to return, Yu Hong couldn¡¯t resist the pull of sleep and slipped into unconsciousness once again.


    This time, he slept deeply, entirely unaware of the passage of time.


    In a hazy state, he eventually regained a slight sense of awareness, unsure how much time had passed.


    ¡°It¡¯s the fourth day. His fever has gone down, so he doesn¡¯t need more medicine,¡± came Doctor Xu¡¯s voice. She seemed to be standing by the bedside, lightly touching Yu Hong¡¯s forehead.


    The faint sensation tickled him, but his weak body left him unable to raise a hand to scratch the itch, so he let it fade on its own.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Once¡­ more¡­¡± stammered the little stutterer¡¯s voice.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. You¡¯ve already traded everything you could. There¡¯s not much left to exchange. The post office hasn¡¯t received supplies for ages, and I¡¯m running out of antibiotics,¡± Doctor Xu refused.


    ¡°No, must¡­ more!¡± the stutterer insisted. ¡°Back then¡­ you¡­ same!¡±


    At these words, Doctor Xu fell silent.


    ¡°True. If it hadn¡¯t been for you, I would¡¯ve died on the roadside long ago, my bones probably gnawed clean by monsters. Fine, I¡¯ll trade you onest dose. But this is it¡ªno more!¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll give you food!¡±


    A rustling sound followed.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t enough. ording to our previous exchange rate¡­¡± Doctor Xu said helplessly.


    ¡°I have more here!¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Just take it. This is thest time. Really, you should stop trying to save people. We¡¯re struggling to survive as it is.¡± Doctor Xu sighed.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± said the stutterer gratefully.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯m off to check on Old Yu. Don¡¯t bother seeing me out,¡± Doctor Xu said. Her voice faded with retreating footsteps, followed by the sound of a door closing. The room fell silent. ?¨¢¦­?B§§?


    Weakly, Yu Hong opened his eyes to see the stutterer¡¯s grimy, dark face by the bedside, holding a wooden bowl filled with some unidentifiable ck mush.


    She scooped some of the mush with a spoon and brought it to Yu Hong¡¯s mouth.


    Without resistance, Yu Hong ate the mush spoon by spoon, lying on an elevated pillow, his face pale and yellow.


    One fed while the other ate. Gradually, they emptied the bowl.


    Yu Hong licked his lips, finding himself oddly savoring the mush¡¯s taste.


    ¡°Is there more?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± The stutterer¡¯s eyes lit up with pure joy as she hurried to prepare another bowl of mush and continued feeding him.


    Though it filled him somewhat, the mush seemed too low in energy, and his long period of fasting left him weak. After finishing the second bowl, he still felt hungry and asked for more.


    The stutterer eagerly brought a third bowl. Finally, after eating, Yu Hong felt somewhat full. The cool, refreshing mush brought aforting warmth to his belly and restored some of his strength.


    ¡°How long was I asleep?¡± he asked, looking at her.


    ¡°Four days,¡± she said, holding up four fingers and shing a yellow-toothed smile.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Yu Hong said earnestly.


    He knew that without her care, he would have likely sumbed to his illness during his fevered unconsciousness.


    ncing at the ominous and perilous world outside, he realized that survival in such a ce was impossible without someone¡¯s help. Alone, he doubted he¡¯dst a day.


    He resolved to repay this debt of gratitude in the future. As a capable man, he believed he could one day outdo the stuttering girl in skill and resources.


    ¡°No problem,¡± the stutterer said cheerfully.


    She stood up to fetch more water for Yu Hong but struggled to scrape together even a small cup from the little jar.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the well to fetch water,¡± she said, gesturing to Yu Hong.


    ¡°Wait for me. Don¡¯t open the door or window for anyone, no matter who knocks,¡± she warned seriously.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Yu Hong nodded solemnly.


    With that, the stutterer took the jar and dashed out the door.


    The air inside, thick with mildew, made Yu Hong ufortable, but he recalled her advice. Breathing in some mold spores was better than exposing himself to the dangers outside.


    More importantly, he remembered the white stone in his pocket, the one he had tucked away before losing consciousness.


    Curiosity and anticipation filled him as he reached into his pocket, pulled out the stone, and examined it closely.


    The white stone had changed. Its previously darkened parts had returned to a pure white, now resembling jade with a faint sheen. Even the red symbol etched into it had be more intricate and vivid, its strokes more defined.


    ¡®Is this an upgrade?¡¯ Yu Hong wondered.


    To confirm his suspicion, he retrieved an unused white stone from a pile of supplies andpared the two. The differences were striking¡ªthe upgraded stone looked significantly superior, with a far moreplex symbol.


    ¡®This enhancement feels like a level-up,¡¯ he thought, intrigued.


    Carefully tucking the enhanced stone away, Yu Hong returned to his bed. Though the fever was gone, his body remained weak, and even minor movements left him dizzy and fatigued. His back injury felt numb, leaving him uncertain about its condition.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Suddenly, the door rattled with knocks.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Yu Hong asked, alert.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Doctor Xu. Is Yi Yi there?¡± a familiar voice called from outside.


    ¡°She¡¯s not here,¡± Yu Hong replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought her medicine. I¡¯ll leave it by the door. Make sure she gets it when she returns,¡± Doctor Xu instructed.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Yu Hong agreed.


    The faint sound of footsteps receded, and quiet returned.


    Taking a deep breath, Yu Hong slowly stood up, steadying himself on the bed, and made his way to the door. The medicine was too valuable to leave unattended¡ªit needed to be brought inside immediately.


    Gripping the doorknob, he hesitated, recalling the stutterer¡¯s warning not to open the door under any circumstances.


    Peering through the crack below the door, he froze.


    In the sunlight filtering through the gap, a shadow stood still outside the door.


    Someone¡ªor something¡ªwas silently waiting for him to open it.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t right,¡¯ Yu Hong thought, his body tensing.


    Quietly releasing the doorknob, he stepped back to the center of the room, gripping the enhanced white stone in his pocket.


    That voice¡ªidentical to Doctor Xu¡¯s¡ªhad nearly tricked him into opening the door.


    Terror and relief washed over him as he realized how close he hade to danger. His eyes stayed glued to the door crack, unwilling to look away.


    The shadow eventually shifted and moved away quietly, as if it had realized its trick had failed.


    Even as it left, Yu Hong remained on high alert. His chest heaved with heavy breaths as he cautiously approached the window to confirm the threat¡¯s departure.


    Peeking through the wooden nks covering the window, he scanned the outside.


    His heart nearly stopped.


    A face¡ªDoctor Xu¡¯s¡ªstared back at him, expressionless, through the gap.


    (End of this Chapter)

 Chapter 6: Danger (4)

    Their eyes met.


    A wave of dread exploded in Yu Hong¡¯s chest.


    A gut-wrenching, unbearable nausea surged from his stomach.


    His abdomen convulsed in pain as his entire body began to tingle and stiffen uncontrobly.


    An indescribable terror swelled in his heart and coursed through his veins.


    Around his eyes, ck veins began to bulge and spread like tree roots branching outward.


    The veins grew thicker and thicker, as though they were about to burst at any moment.


    Just then, a chilling energy seeped from the strengthening white stone in his pocket, rushing into his thigh.


    This cold energy was like a steel pin, piercing deeply into his rigid body and pulling him back from paralysis.Bang!


    His legs gave out, and he crumpled to the floor, finally breaking eye contact with the entity.


    Huff! Huff! Huff!


    Bent over, Yu Hong gasped for air, feeling the white stone¡¯s icy energy rapidly relieve the stiffness in his body.


    He was ovee with a deep sense of gratitude, as though narrowly escaping death.


    Without daring to look outside again, Yu Hong quickly pulled out the strengthening white stone. He noticed the faint glow of a red symbol on its surface¡ªso faint it was almost imperceptible.


    ¡°A lifesaver!¡± Yu Hong thought with a surge of relief, immensely grateful that he had chosen to strengthen this white stone first.


    Ever since the stuttering girl used it to save him earlier, he had realized its extraordinary importance.


    Thankfully, his judgment had been correct.


    Scooting himself away from the window, Yu Hong decided not to take any more risks. In this eerie ce, even a single nce outside could be dangerous.


    ¡°But why¡­ Why don¡¯t the stuttering girl or Dr. Xu encounter such dangers when they go out?¡±


    ¡°Do they have some other means of protection?¡±


    A flicker of doubt rose in Yu Hong¡¯s mind.


    But soon, the sheer exhaustion of his ordeal began to pull him into sleep again.


    His body was far too weak.


    Clutching the white stone tightly, he crawled back onto the bed. Wrapped in the foul-smelling, grayish nket, he waited for a while, making sure nothing outside could get in. Only then did he rx slightly and drift back into unconsciousness.


    Time passed.


    Maybe hours. Maybe an entire day.


    When Yu Hong woke again, the stuttering girl was bustling about the room.


    ¡°You¡­ awake?¡± She turned quickly at the sound of his movement, her face lighting up as she looked at him.


    ¡°Eat this.¡± Soon, she brought over a bowl of ck gruel and began feeding him.


    Without realizing it, Yu Hong finished thest spoonful of the gruel. His body felt much better.


    ¡°Any more?¡± he asked.


    The girl got up and rummaged around, but this time, she couldn¡¯t find any.


    After a long search, she returned, slightly dejected.


    ¡°Finished,¡± she said softly.


    Yu Hong got out of bed, walked to the corner of the room, and saw the wooden barrel she had been searching in.


    Inside were remnants of a multicolored powder, the apparent raw material for the gruel. The bottom of the barrel held only a few scraps.


    As he leaned on the barrel, he confirmed that it was indeed empty.


    Gurgle.


    A rumbling noise suddenly came from behind him.


    It was the stuttering girl.


    She rubbed her stomach and grinned sheepishly.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t eat?¡±


    ¡°Forgot,¡± she replied with a goofyugh.


    Apparently, she had given him all the remaining food.


    Yu Hong was at a loss for words. He couldn¡¯t fathom how this girl had managed to survive in such a dangerous environment.


    Yet, he felt a pang of guilt.


    ¡°So what now? Where do you get this food? I¡¯m feeling better now and can help look for more,¡± he offered earnestly.


    ¡°No need. Yi Yi strong!¡± The stuttering girl thumped her chest, putting on a confident expression.


    ¡°I helped you. You help me find Dad and Grandpa,¡± she added, her words halting but clear in their intent.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you saved me?¡± Yu Hong understood. Having a request made things easier¡ªit gave him a chance to repay her.


    ¡°I promise,¡± he nodded. ¡°If I¡¯m able, I¡¯ll help.¡±


    Though the environment was perilous, the ck mark on his hand gave him a sliver of hope for the future.


    With the mark¡¯s ability, if everything could be strengthened, then perhaps he could create a safer shelter or stronghold.


    After his firsthand experience, he knew the house¡¯s defenses were inadequate against the strange and deadly threats outside.


    Neither the white-d figure, the ck bugs, nor the terrifying mimic of Dr. Xu had been stopped.


    ¡°By the way, I wanted to ask, when you weren¡¯t here just now¡­¡± Yu Hong quickly told the other person what had happened earlier.


    After listening, the stuttering girl¡¯s expression grew serious.


    ¡°It was a shadow wraith!¡± she answered.


    ¡°That was a shadow wraith?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°This question¡­ let me answer it.¡± A voice came from outside the door.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The stuttering girl rushed to open it, happily weing Dr. Xu inside.


    Dr. Xu had changed her outfit. Dressed in hiking gear with a camo bodysuit and arge backpack, she looked ready for a trek into the mountains.


    Her eyes swept over Yu Hong as she stepped into the room.


    ¡°In this ce, shadow wraiths are amon threat during the ck Disaster. There are two main types: the white shadow, which you encountered earlier, and the impostor.¡± ?¦Á??§£¦¥?


    ¡°White shadows aren¡¯t too dangerous. As long as you carefully maintain eye contact and don¡¯t blink, you can escape safely. Reinforced white stones can also temporarily dispel them.¡±


    ¡°But impostors are a different story. You must remain vignt at all times and never trust anything outside of what¡¯s been agreed upon.¡±


    Dr. Xu fixed her gaze on Yu Hong and emphasized, ¡°Agreements are extremely, extremely important here!¡±


    ¡°Agreements?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s thoughts began to churn.


    ¡°Yes. Before separating from yourpanions, you must set clear agreements. For example, what the signal will be when you regroup, what conditions allow for opening doors or windows, and so on. If you don¡¯t¡­ impostors will exploit any gaps, killing you one by one,¡± Dr. Xu exined with a sigh.


    ¡°This is also why the residents of Baiqiu Vige live alone. Even during the day, the imposter might appear and attack.¡±


    Imposter.


    Thispletely new concept made Yu Hong suddenly realize something.


    He might never be able to return to his old life.


    ¡°Can you take me outside? I want to see if I can make it to the city,¡± Yu Hong spoke after a moment of silence.


    ¡°Take the glowstone¡ªthose white stones. As long as you go out during the day, you¡¯ll be fine, but control the time you return,¡± Dr. Xu replied. ¡°Also, while imposters can appear during the day, only those who are physically weak will see them. Healthy people cannot see them.¡±


    Yu Hong immediately understood.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there any way to get rid of these monsters?¡± he asked in a low voice.


    ¡°No. We haven¡¯t found any, and the national authorities haven¡¯te up with anything either,¡± Dr. Xu shook her head. ¡°Well, Yi Yi and I are going out. If you want to join, hurry up. Baiqiu Vige doesn¡¯t keep useless people. You¡¯ve been dragging Yi Yi down for too long.¡±


    She seemed quite dissatisfied with Yu Hong, and her gaze was far from friendly.


    ¡°I remember the favor you did for me,¡± Yu Hong said seriously.


    ¡°First, survive on your own,¡± Dr. Xu sneered, not bothering to look at him again. She turned to talk to the stuttering girl.


    Soon, Little Stutterer began preparing the things and equipment for their departure.


    Yu Hong¡¯s body had recovered significantly, and he also started packing.


    He didn¡¯t mention the strengthening of the white stone. He couldn¡¯t exin where the strengthened white stone came from, but from the abilities of the ck mark, it was clear that it would be his greatest support in the future.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if others had this ability, and the information he had was too limited, so it was more important to gather as much intelligence as possible first.


    This ce was too dangerous; they had to be cautious and careful every step of the way.


    ¡°I will repay you.¡± With this thought, Yu Hong spoke again, repeating himself.


    Dr. Xu didn¡¯t even nce at him, pretending she hadn¡¯t heard. Clearly, she thought that as long as Yu Hong didn¡¯t hold Little Stutterer back, that would be good enough.


    Soon, arge cloth bag was prepared and ced on the ground.


    Dr. Xu lifted it carefully and ced it on Little Stutterer¡¯s back. The bag was filled with white stones marked with symbols.


    ¡°First, go to Old Yu¡¯s ce to exchange for food, then head to the open-pit mine to dig for glowstone, and finally gather pigments. Including the return time, we must reach Old Yu¡¯s ce within an hour. You can rest for the night at the mine, and tomorrow after collecting the pigments, we will head back,¡± Dr. Xu arranged.


    ¡°Is it far?¡± Yu Hong frowned, feeling that his physical strength might still be an issue, as he hadn¡¯t fully recovered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go. You won¡¯t keep up. Just wander around here ande back,¡± Dr. Xu said coldly. ¡°At night, light the candle, focus on the glowstone during the day, don¡¯t open the door for anyone, and don¡¯t look outside. If there¡¯s no major issue, everything will be fine. This is also a test for you. If you fail, it means you can¡¯t adapt to this environment, and won¡¯t survive for long. The sooner you die, the better.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t that a bit too direct?


    Yu Hong was speechless.


    ¡°Yi Yi has saved many people, and I was saved by her too. But you know the people she saved¡­¡± Dr. Xu was about to say more, but Little Stutterer tugged at her sleeve.


    She realized and immediately stopped talking. This time, she decided not to pay any more attention to Yu Hong. She grabbed the things and opened the door, walking out with Little Stutterer.


    Yu Hong paused for a moment, grabbed the house key, and followed them out.


    He had decided to go outside and take a look.


    No matter what, they had to solve the source of food and water first. He couldn¡¯t keep relying on a disabled little girl to take care of them.


    Moreover, the key issue was that only by learning more could he figure out a more effective way to survive and cope.


    With a click, he closed the door behind him.


    The three of them lined up in a row and walked along the gravel road outside the door to the left.


    The temperature outside was mild, neither too hot nor too cold, and the sunlight was pleasantly warm.


    Of the three, Dr. Xu walked in the lead, followed by Little Stutterer, and then Yu Hong.


    After walking for a few minutes along the winding gravel road, they reached the exit of the vige.


    At the end of the gravel road, it connected to a ck mud road.


    The dry ck mud surface was wide enough for two vehicles to drive side by side.


    The road was dark and winding, passing through abandoned green fields on both sides, stretching into the distance, leading to the dense and deep forest at the foot of the mountains.


    Yu Hong noticed that there was little grass along the edges of the ck mud road, and two rows of ck wooden fences had been built.


    Many ces of the fence had rotted away, covered in moss.


    ¡°This is the only old road leading out of here,¡± Dr. Xu said. ¡°If you walk along it for about thirty miles, you¡¯ll reach the nearest town, but that ce might be even more dangerous than here. The more people there are, the more dangerous it bes, attracting those dangerous characters.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She stepped off the gravel road and onto the ck mud road.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 7: Decision (1)

    Bright golden sunlight poured down.


    Baiqiu Vige, surrounded by dark green mountains and forests, looked like a piece of dark chocte in the middle of a green cake, standing out sharply.


    The entire vige sat atop arge patch of grayish-white hills, at the top of the ridge.


    There were more than thirty scattered tile-roofed houses in the vige.


    At this moment, at the western edge of the vige, a pale-faced man was leisurely strolling, ncing around from time to time, looking nervous.


    The man wore a gray T-shirt and yellow casual pants, both dirty and wrinkled, clearly long overdue for a wash. His hair, oily and sweaty, was styled into a mohawk.


    On his feet were a pair of gray, nearly unrecognizable sneakers, which were not suited for the muddy ground beneath him.


    Around Baiqiu Vige, there were no sounds of insects or birds, only the soft crunch of the man¡¯s steps on the ground.


    ¡°About fifteen minutes now.¡±Yu Hong took out his old phone from his pocket and looked at it. The phone, which he had kept because of sentiment, had unexpectedly be an essential tool in this ce.


    He had been lying in bed for several days. If it were a smartphone, it would have run out of battery long ago. But this old phone had a small screen, arge battery, and a standby time of over a week. It was also durable, resistant to damage and water.


    At such a critical moment, it provided him with much-needed reassurance.


    The phone¡¯s screen clearly showed the time: March 5, 2024, 15:32.


    ¡°Sigh,¡± Yu Hong sighed softly. This was the time from before he came here.


    But now it meant nothing.


    Looking at the empty signal bar in the top-right corner of the screen, he understood that he was probably no longer in his original world.


    From the newspaper reports, to what Little Stutterer and Dr. Xu had mentioned, and the strange and bizarre things he had encountered, it was clear that this ce was not his world.


    He looked up at the bright sunlight.


    Yu Hong lowered his head and marked the ground with a few stones, forming a small triangr structure.


    It was a mark to prevent getting lost.


    It had been fifteen minutes since Dr. Xu and Little Stutterer left. In these fifteen minutes, he had walked around the vige for a while.


    But to his disappointment, it seemed that there were no other living people here besides the three of them.


    ¡®Maybe the living people are hiding, after all, even in daylight, there could be great danger.¡¯


    Yu Hong sighed inwardly, his hand always clutching the reinforced white stone.


    From his previous encounters, he had learned that in this ce, the effect of the white stone was his only guarantee of safety.


    ording to what Dr. Xu said before leaving, there would be no ck insects in the daytime when there was sunlight, and at most, there would be a rare encounter with a ghost shadow. ????????¦¥?


    As long as he had the white stone, the danger during the day was not great.


    Because these ghost shadows seemed to be very weak during the day.


    Yu Hong believed this, otherwise, Little Stutterer and Dr. Xu would never have been so bold as to keep going outside.


    He looked back at the marks he had made along the way, confirming they were still there, and then continued walking forward.


    Quiet.


    Dead silence.


    Shh.


    Shh.


    Aside from the asional crisp sound of grass being stepped on, there was no other noise.


    Even the wind was barely noticeable.


    After more than ten minutes, Yu Hong had finally circled the entire vige.


    He stood at the initial gravel road, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and tried to remember some important locations he had just discovered.


    The most important of these was the well.


    Earlier, he had seen a well in a yard from a distance.


    There were many footprints around the stone-built well, clearly indicating it was a rare water source for the vige¡¯s living people.


    However, from a distance of more than ten meters, he had felt a chilling, bone-piercing cold emanating from the well. Even the sunlight couldn¡¯t suppress it. He felt something was wrong, so he didn¡¯t approach and only remembered the location.


    ¡°Strange. A well on a hilltop in a small vige?¡± Yu Hong thought. Normally, wells are dug in lower ground, since water flows downhill.


    But this ce was different.


    Standing on the gravel road, he looked around again.


    The vige was surrounded by endless dark green forests.


    The forests stretched out like a sea of trees.


    There were no bird calls, no visible animals, and even the dark green trees and grass gave an eerie, ufortable feeling.


    Yu Hong stood motionless, staring at the only old road leading out of the vige for a long while before turning back.


    The journey was uneventful, and he returned to Little Stutterer¡¯s house.


    He didn¡¯t rx until he had firmly closed the wooden door behind him.


    ¡°This ce is too creepy,¡± Yu Hong thought. The idea that he might have to live here without knowing for how long, with no hope of returning, filled him with despair.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already looked around. There are no vehicles, but there are tire marks on the ground. This suggests that there were vehicles here, but they were taken away.¡±


    Yu Hong picked up a piece of charcoal from the corner of the room and began drawing a map of Baiqiu Vige on the wall.


    The map was simple, just some basic lines with small squares representing houses.


    He marked the well, the old road, and Little Stutterer¡¯s house on the map.


    The three locations formed a triangle.


    ¡®What should I do now?¡¯ Yu Hong thought as he stared at the map, pushing down his feelings of despair and considering his next move.


    ¡®I can¡¯t keep relying on Little Stutterer. I need to learn to deal with these dangers myself and figure out how to find food and shelter.¡¯


    Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he drew on the wall with the charcoal.


    Then he raised his hand, looking at the ck mark on the back of his hand.


    ¡®And this mark. If I don¡¯t want to be discovered, I have to choose to live alone. Otherwise, in this extremely dangerous environment, letting others know about my ability could be very risky!¡¯


    Although he wasn¡¯t sure if others had simr abilities, he was certain that Little Stutterer and Dr. Xu didn¡¯t.


    He could tell from some subtle signs.


    ¡°First, I need to learn how to find food and water, then move out!¡± Yu Hong quickly made up his mind.


    Having made the decision, he got up and returned to the bed, nning to rest again and wait for Little Stutterer toe back.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Suddenly.


    There was a rhythmic knock on the door.


    Yu Hong¡¯s throat tightened as he nced at the wooden door. He didn¡¯t make a sound.


    The knocking wasn¡¯t right.


    But he didn¡¯t respond, gripping the reinforced white stone tightly, taking a deep breath, and lying down quietly, preparing to rest.


    Bang, bang, bang. The knocking continued.


    One after another.


    But Yu Hong remained silent, pretending not to hear.


    Hey sideways on the bed, his gaze fixed on the door, his hand clutching the reinforced white stone, his body tense, ready to react at any moment.


    Fortunately, after seven knocks, the sound stopped.


    Instead, there seemed to be someone peeking through the window.


    Peering in through the gap in the seal.


    Yu Hong¡¯s hair stood on end, and he turned to stare at the window, holding his breath and taking deep, controlled breaths.


    A strong sense of danger continued to stimte his adrenaline, making his blood rush and circte rapidly, his face flushed red.


    He didn¡¯t know how long it had been.


    It seemed the figure outside the window lost patience and quietly left.


    The window no longer blocked the light, and everything returned to normal.


    Yu Hong tightly gripped the reinforced white stone, feeling sweat on both the stone and his palm.


    He lowered his head, took a deep breath, and adjusted his body. He got up, picking up another white stone, this time one he hadn¡¯t used before.


    He looked at the stone, and the number disyed on it: 2 days.


    ¡®So unused stones only take two days to strengthen?¡¯ He sighed with relief.


    Listening to the sound of inquiry in his ear, he silently confirmed the strengthening process.


    Soon, the number on the surface of the white stone vanished, and the entire stone seemed to be coated with ayer of oily substance as it began the ck mark strengthening.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t even look at it, shoving it into the other pocket of his pants.


    He theny back down, squinting his eyes, setting an rm on his phone, and soon drifted into a drowsy sleep.


    This time, he didn¡¯t sleep for long, nor did he sleep soundly. He woke up quickly.


    ¡®Little Stutterer won¡¯t be back tonight, which means I¡¯ll be alone in the house tonight,¡¯ Yu Hong nced at the dim sunlight through the window gap, his heart sinking slightly.


    He got up and went to the storage corner, taking therge candle and match-like items that Little Stutterer had left for him.


    He prepared them and ced them beside the bed, within easy reach.


    Then, hey half-awake on the bed, waiting for nightfall.


    Time slowly passed, and soon, the outside world grew darker, sinking into pitch ck.


    This time, it was very quiet, with no ck insects and no ghostly shadows.


    It seemed as if everything had forgotten about him, and there was an eerie peace.


    In the weary waiting and vignce, the night passed quickly.


    By morning, when Yu Hong saw the bright sunlight streaming in from outside, he sighed with relief.


    Though it was daylight, and nothing had happened overnight, the prolonged vignce and tension had left him mentally and physically exhausted.


    This made him yearn even more for a truly safe resting ce.


    He wasn¡¯t like Little Stutterer¡ªif this continued, he wouldn¡¯t be able to rest properly, and he¡¯d die.


    He got up, filtered some water to drink, and his stomach growled again.


    Although he had eaten all of Little Stutterer¡¯s remaining food yesterday, it had been a while, and his stomach had long digested everything.


    He went out, taking advantage of the perfect sunlight, and wandered around the gravel road for a while.


    This time, he walked down the old road, trying to find edible nts or insects.


    But unfortunately, he didn¡¯t find anything on the road. There were no insects, and he didn¡¯t recognize any of the nts.


    None of the nts here were familiar to him. Even themon wild chrysanthemums and dandelions were nowhere to be seen.


    Fortunately, Little Stutterer and Dr. Xu finally returned.


    Thud.


    Inside the house, Little Stutterer struggled to ce arge bundle off her back onto the floor.


    She then opened the bundle.


    Inside were neatly packed bags of dried meat, dried mushrooms, and dried insects.


    Yu Hong stepped forward to help, noticing that the dried meat mainly consisted of dark, unidentifiable meat chunks from some unknown animal.


    The dried mushrooms were also broken and unidentifiable.


    As for the dried insects¡­


    ¡°Is this¡­ a cockroach??!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s face changed slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ¡®mouthful fragrance,¡± Little Stutterer shook her head and corrected him. Then, she casually grabbed a cockroach-sized dried insect and popped it into her mouth.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    (TL note :- In this context, ¡°Ò»¿ÚÏ㡱 (y¨© k¨¯u xi¨¡ng) is a phrase that could refer to something being very vorful or aromatic, often used to describe food that is particrly tasty or fragrant. In this case, it seems to be a lighthearted or humorous way of describing something, especially given the context of eating a cockroach.)


    ¡°Delicious!¡± She gave a thumbs-up, chewing quickly with a crisp sound. Her eyes widened with delight, full of joy.


    ¡°¡­¡± Yu Hong was speechless.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 8: Decision (2)

    Watching Little Stutterer carefully put away the supplies and then pick up the small jar to head outside, Yu Hong quickly followed. He needed to learn where to fetch water.


    When they stepped out of the house, to his surprise, Little Stutterer didn¡¯t head to the vige well but instead walked down the old asphalt road, past the gravel path.


    After about ten minutes, they reached a broken-down well on a low-lying patch ofnd near the road.


    The well was shallow, and in the dim light, the bottom revealed a pool of dark yellow, foul-smelling water.


    Without a word, Little Stutterer tied the water jar with a rope and lowered it into the well to scoop up the water.


    ¡°Why not draw water from the vige well?¡± Yu Hong couldn¡¯t help but whisper.


    ¡°That¡­water¡­isn¡¯t drinkable!¡± Little Stutterer answered seriously.


    As she filled the jar, she looked up at him.


    ¡°From now on¡­wateres¡­from here!¡± She pointed at the well.Yu Hong nodded. He gazed at the murky water being drawn up, feeling a growing sense of unease.


    He helped Little Stutterer seal the jar tightly to prevent spills.


    Instead of returning to the house, they startedbing through the surrounding grass.


    ¡°We must¡­eat grass!¡± Little Stutterer instructed.


    ¡°Otherwise¡­illness¡­death!¡± She gestured to exin.


    Yu Hong nodded and began observing closely which nts she was digging up.


    This was invaluable knowledge¡ªeating the wrong nt could result in poisoning or diarrhea, and in such harsh conditions, falling ill could easily lead to death.


    After a round of gathering, the two returned to the house, each carrying arge bundle.


    Little Stutterer spread the nts out by the window to dry.


    Yu Hong, meanwhile, meticulously used a piece of charcoal to jot down the key points of what he had learned. He kept the notes simple and concise, just enough for himself to understand.


    The notes were recorded on a piece of old newspaper that Little Stutterer had given him earlier.


    ¡°Do we have to travel far to get dried meat and mushrooms?¡± Yu Hong asked while taking notes.


    ¡°You¡­can¡­grow them,¡± Little Stutterer replied with effort, ¡°but¡­not¡­worth it!¡±


    Yu Hong nodded and added it to his notes.


    As he was about to ask more, a small notebook was suddenly handed to him.


    The notebook had a white cover with a cartoon mouse in the center. Crookedly written on it were the words: Survival Manual¡ªLin Yiyi.


    Yu Hong paused, then looked up to see Little Stutterer holding the notebook, grinning at him with her yellow teeth.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said as he took the notebook and began to flip through it.


    Inside, there were detailed records on how to fetch water, where to buy food, and identifying characteristics and locations of basic wild vegetables.


    The contents weren¡¯t extensive, but they were thorough.


    The notebook also included a list of several vigers from Baiqiu Vige with their corresponding contact details.


    Among them, ¡°Old Yu¡± made dried meat, Dr. Xu provided medical care, someone named ¡°Jenny¡± specialized in leatherworking, and there was a candle-maker. In addition, there were markings for the residences of other vigers, though no names were listed, suggesting unfamiliarity. ???????¦¥s


    Lastly, there was mention of a ce called the post office, located north of Baiqiu Vige in a forest.


    ¡°What¡¯s the post office for?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°To¡­connect¡­towns¡­get¡­supplies¡­salt¡­sugar¡­send¡­letters,¡± Little Stutterer exined, gesturing animatedly.


    ¡°You¡­must¡­learn¡­a skill¡­to trade¡­for goods.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I understand all of this, but I think the most urgent problem to solve right now is safety,¡± Yu Hong said seriously.


    ¡°There¡¯ve already been two instances of impostors causing trouble when you weren¡¯t around. This is too dangerous.¡±


    His mind raced, trying to figure out how to maximize his unique ck seal for protection.


    ¡°No way.¡± Little Stutterer lowered her head dejectedly. It was clear she had considered this issue before.


    ¡°Specters¡­nothing¡­can¡­stop¡­them. Bugs¡­as long¡­as¡­there¡¯s¡­a gap¡­they¡­get in.¡±


    ¡°They¡­go through¡­walls!¡± She gestured emphatically.


    ¡°Through walls?¡±


    Yu Hong stared at the house walls in silence, falling into deep thought.


    ¡®This ce is too crude, full of gaps and vulnerabilities,¡¯ he thought. He remembered how the ck bugs had entered through door and window cracks, which suggested they might not actually pass through solid walls.


    He confirmed this theory with Little Stutterer.


    After thoroughly inspecting the house, he quickly concluded that it was highly insecure.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to move out and find another ce to live on my own,¡± he said quietly. Living alone would eliminate the risk of impostors, as long as no one opened the door.


    Little Stutterer froze.


    She had saved many people before, but they usually wanted to stay with her as long as possible to learn more survival skills.


    But this man¡ªthis Yu Hong¡ªwas barely recovered, and already thinking of living alone?


    Strange.


    What a strange man.


    Little Stutterer blinked at him.


    ¡°You¡­not¡­afraid?¡±


    ¡°I am, but your house is too unsafe,¡± Yu Hong replied. From the information in the notebook, he had a rough understanding of the key points about this ce.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°The main threats are the bugs and the specters. While specters can pass through walls and must be driven away with radiant stones, the bugs can be blocked by doors and walls, as long as gaps are sealed. This means, with enough radiant stones and a properly sealed house, basic safety can be ensured, right?¡±


    Yu Hong calmly analyzed.


    His serious demeanor left Little Stutterer dumbfounded.


    ¡°Should we test it out? Seal the gaps with something, reduce the openings, and see if the bugs can still get in? If they can, figure out how small the gaps need to be to make a vent system work,¡± Yu Hong suggested.


    ¡°And also, how are radiant stones made? Can you teach me?¡± he asked earnestly.


    Little Stutterer stared at him, nodding in a daze.


    At this moment, she seemed to see a figure from the depths of her memory on him¡ªone that was extremely familiar and deeply nostalgic.


    After discussing their ns, the two began preparations immediately.


    Little Stutterer rummaged for tools¡ªhammers, saws, scrap wood, nails¡ªrandom odds and ends.


    Yu Hong, still recovering from his illness, was physically weak, so he directed Little Stutterer in the work.


    To his surprise, Little Stutterer was incredibly strong¡ªstronger than he was even in his normal state. Her robust health was evident; despite sleeping on the floor these past days while he upied the bed, she hadn¡¯t fallen ill.


    ording to the notebook, the ck bugs were officially named <em>Blood Tide</em>.


    Although their name didn¡¯t quite match their appearance, Yu Hong didn¡¯t dwell on it. He was more focused on learning everything about the bugs and specters.


    The two worked hard all day, and perhaps due to his improved health, they weren¡¯t disturbed by specters.


    Night fell without a bug attack either.


    ording to Little Stutterer, the Blood Tide typically urred every three to five days, and adequate lighting was the key to repelling them.


    The <em>Blood Tide</em> relied on light, while specters feared radiant stones.


    These were the survival rules the locals depended on.


    The next day, the pair continued Yu Hong¡¯s n. They sawed wooden ts and made movable seals to thoroughly close the remaining gaps in the doors and windows.


    The movable seals could be opened during the day and shut at night.


    Although simple, these were part of Yu Hong¡¯s efforts to create a safe shelter¡ªor rather, a safe house¡ªthat could ensure his basic survival.


    Little Stutterer¡¯s house fell far short of his standards.


    Beyond the specters and bugs, the mold clinging to every corner and the stale, filthy air would shorten anyone¡¯s lifespan.


    And the water source was another issue.


    If he continued drinking that dirty water, he probably wouldn¡¯t survive long either.


    <strong>Nighttime.</strong>


    Inside the house, Little Stutterer and Yu Hong stood together. Little Stutterer raised the candle high, and the flickering candlelight dispelled the surrounding darkness.


    Hiss, hiss


    The faint sound of crawling insects continuously came from outside the doors and windows, but due to the sealing of the gaps, the small venting openings were much smaller than before.


    These ck insects couldn¡¯t get inside.


    ¡°It works!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s face lit up with joy. He hadn¡¯t expected that his casual attempt would actually be effective.


    Little Stutterer was also grinning happily beside him.


    She realized that no ck insects had entered the area. Even if a few small ones had slipped through, they were quickly melted by the candlelight.


    With this, the candle¡¯s consumption slowed down, and she wouldn¡¯t need to keep buying candles from the store, saving her a lot of trouble.


    She would be able to rx much more.


    Just as the two of them felt a sense of sess¡­


    Click, click


    Suddenly, a faint gnawing sound came from outside the sealed wooden boards.


    The sealing boards at the gaps, as well as the wooden doors and windows, all started making the same gnawing noise.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong! These insects can¡¯t get in, so it seems they started gnawing on the doors and windows!!¡± Yu Hong realized immediately.


    He grabbed a wooden stick, rushed to the door, and forcefully shoved it, pushing the bottom seal up.


    Crash!


    With a muffled sound, arge number of ck insects poured in like a tide, rushing towards the two of them.


    Hiss


    The ck insects rushed into the candlelight and were quickly melted, evaporating and dissipatingpletely.


    The candle also began to burn faster.


    In the bright yellow candlelight, Yu Hong watched the scene unfold before him, and the joy he had felt earlier slowly faded.


    ¡°If they can¡¯t get in, will they start gnawing on the walls of the house?¡±


    He finally understood why Little Stutter¡¯s house, despite knowing there were ck insects, wasn¡¯t sealed off by her parents before.


    ¡°Has it failed?¡± Little Stutterer asked cautiously from behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s not aplete failure,¡± Yu Hong shook his head.


    The night passed without incident.


    <strong>The next morning.</strong>


    Yu Hong left the vige early and headed to the forest at the base of the hill.


    He circled around the trees in the forest, asionally tapping them with a hammer.


    Little Stutterer, having nothing else to do, started collecting a few medicinal herbs and nts for making ink.


    Her survival materials for trade were the glowstones with symbols drawn on them.


    ording to Little Stutterer, the glowstones with symbols were more effective than regr ones.


    The sun was shining brightly. While Little Stutterer gathered her materials, she asionally looked up at Yu Hong, who was doing something strange.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± After watching for a while, she couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°I¡¯m picking wood, choosing a location, preparing to build my own safe house,¡± Yu Hong replied.


    ¡°Build¡­ a house yourself?¡± Little Stutterer couldn¡¯t understand.


    Could a house built by yourself be stronger than one made of stone bricks?


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 9: Operation (1)

    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely built by myself. I n to use wood to assist with the construction, but the primary material will still be stone. Considering that stone bricks can¡¯t be found, the only solution is to find a natural stone cave,¡± exined Yu Hong.


    ¡°Oh,¡± the little stutterer didn¡¯t quite understand but felt that Yu Hong¡¯s expression was confident and calm, so he must be quite capable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help!¡± she said, patting her chest. ¡°I know¡­ a hunting cave!¡±


    ¡°A cave?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s eyes brightened.


    He had long since wanted to leave the little stutterer¡¯s ce. Not only was safety not guaranteed, but more importantly, he couldn¡¯t experiment freely with his ck seal to determine its effects.


    He touched the third piece of reinforced white stone in his pocket, which was actually enhanced glowstone, and quickly made a decision.


    ¡°Can you take me there?¡±


    He was in urgent need of a secluded ce to test the specific effects of the ck seal.


    He was wondering, if he reinforced the door and walls, what would happen? The glowstone could be enhanced into a material simr to jade, which seemed to make it stronger¡ªwhat about other things?Little stutterer put down what she was holding and returned it to the house. Then she led Yu Hong along a small path, going in the opposite direction of the old road, winding through the forest.


    After several days of rest, Yu Hong¡¯s physical strength had recovered significantly.


    Because of this recovery, he hadn¡¯t encountered the strange shadows during the day, which made him believe somewhat in what the little stutterer and Dr. Xu had said.


    In the eerie and quiet forest, they walked one behind the other, stepping carefully across slopes until they reached the bottom of the hill.


    The little stutterer looked around and seemed to find something near a tree hollow.


    She approached, reaching out to touch some carvings on the edge of the tree hollow.


    ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± she said seriously.


    Just as Yu Hong was about to ask, she raised her hand and pointed towards the distant right.


    Yu Hong was taken aback and looked in the direction of her finger.


    In the distance, he could vaguely see a gray rock wall emerging from the forest.


    In the middle of the rock wall, a dark cave was suspended in mid-air.


    The entrance of the cave was at least two to three meters above the ground, but there were some excavated recesses forming steps.


    Yu Hong nced at the little stutterer, who had already started foraging for vegetables, and then held the reinforced glowstone as he walked towards the cave. ????B¦¥?


    Soon, he reached the bottom of the rock wall.


    He carefully examined the cave entrance.


    The entrance was about two people tall and more than one person wide. It wasn¡¯t very deep, and the sunlight from outside allowed him to see the cave floor.


    The bottom was cluttered with some cloth bags and animal skins.


    ¡°Are there animals here?¡± Yu Hong couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Yes, but not many,¡± the little stutterer replied as she followed him.


    ¡°Before, there were many¡­ ck disasters. Afterward, there were fewer.¡±


    Yu Hong nodded and climbed up the recesses, entering the cave.


    The entire cave was just over five meters deep, and the interior was a littlerger, about three meters wide, enough for one person to rest.


    The ground was dry, with no musty smell, which was clearly due to the rock material.


    The cave was oval-shaped, with some irregrities in the oval cavity.


    Yu Hong thought to himself thatpared to the little stutterer¡¯s house, this ce was clearly much morefortable. At least itcked the mold that could damage the lungs, which would help him live much longer.


    More importantly, the Baiqiu vige itself had a strange atmosphere. He always felt that the many strange shadows he encountered during the day were likely rted to the environment of the vige.


    Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t so many vigers want to continue living there, even though there were plenty of empty houses?


    ¡°By the way, Yi Yi, do you know how many vigers are still in contact with you?¡± Yu Hong had be somewhat familiar with the situation over the past few days.


    From the booklet and the little stutterer¡¯s words, he learned that many vigers from Baiqiu Vige lived in the nearby forest, either building their own houses or digging underground shelters.


    A few had left for the nearest town.


    Among them were several people whom the little stutterer had saved.


    Little stutterer, now also in the cave, looked around, ¡°There are four others,¡± she counted on her fingers. ¡°Apart from us.¡±


    ¡°Okay, got it,¡± Yu Hong nodded. He took out the measuring tape he had gotten from the little stutterer¡¯s house and measured the dimensions of the cave entrance.


    Then he climbed down and observed the surroundings.


    ¡°Can I live here?¡± he asked the little stutterer.


    ¡°Yes, no one¡¯s here anymore,¡± she nodded eagerly.


    Yu Hong was satisfied. This ce was too dangerous. In truth, he had considered living with the little stutterer, but the risk posed by the strange shadows was too high, and they were too well disguised to defend against.


    Also, the little stutterer¡¯s environment was poor and dirty, making her prone to chronic diseases.


    Moreover, the reinforcement of the ck seal had to be kept secret.


    These three factors made him eager to find a suitable ce to live alone.


    And this cave was the best option.


    However, the living materials and the modification n would likely take a lot of time.


    After all, living alone meant relying on stored food at the start.


    The cave alsocked a proper door, and things like chimneys and fire pits needed to be set up.


    Once his future residence was confirmed, Yu Hong began to wander around the forest with the little stutterer¡¯s tools, collecting materials.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what kind of wood would work for the door, but he knew it had to be hard and sturdy.


    Over the next few days, Yu Hong continuously designed the structure of his cave, the door, and various pieces of furniture, and started choosing materials.


    Soon, he selected a dry tree, which was sufficiently dry to prevent moisture.


    Then he started chopping the tree.


    His weak body and tired arms made it so that after chopping for a day, his arms were sore, and the next day, he could barely move.


    Bang.


    Bang.


    Bang.


    Bang.


    Crack.


    The little stutterer, holding an axe, watched as the thick, tree-trunk-sized dead tree slowly bent and fell.


    ¡°Do you need more?¡± she asked, turning to look at Yu Hong, whose expression wasplicated.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s enough,¡± Yu Hong shook his head.


    Stepping forward, he began to use a knife to remove the branches, selecting the straight parts of the trunk and cutting them to the approximate length for the cave¡¯s door.


    Although he was just an ordinary office worker beforeing here, he had worked as a carpenter in the countryside for a while.


    Though not very skilled, he understood the basic steps.


    Little stutterer watched curiously and asionally helped.


    Before long, it was dark. The two put down their tools and returned to the house to rest for the night.


    After a quiet night, they had breakfast and returned to the cave to continue their work from the previous day.


    Little stutterer, having eaten too quickly, realized the food was almost gone, so she nned to visit Dr. Xu and buy more food from Old Yu.


    She helped with the treework, and soon saw Dr. Xu approaching from the distant forest.


    Excited, she waved to him.


    ¡°Xu! Over here!¡±


    Dr. Xu slowly walked closer and, seeing Yu Hong still there, frowned immediately.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just get food? I wondered why it was gone again¡ªturns out there¡¯s an extra person,¡± she said, not sounding pleased.


    ¡°Yu Hong is really capable!¡± little stutterer hurriedly waved her hands. ¡°He¡¯s making a much better house. It¡¯s safer than my house!¡±


    Her admiration for Yu Hong was clear, as she defended him at this moment.


    ¡°Fine, whatever. Let¡¯s just go, the sooner the better,¡± Dr. Xu nced at Yu Hong, seeing him about to greet her, and walked a few steps closer to him.


    ¡°What are your ns?¡± She had asionally chatted with the little stutterer and knew that Yu Hong was always busy with his own work.


    He relied entirely on the little stutterer for food, which made her burden much heavier.


    Originally, their food was only enough for half-full meals, and now there was an extra young man to feed.


    ¡°I n to build a safe house. Right now, I¡¯m temporarily relying on Yi Yi, but trust me, I¡¯ll be able to move out soon. She¡¯s helping me now, and I¡¯ll remember it. Once I¡¯m settled, I¡¯ll repay her!¡± Yu Hong understood her intention.


    After saying this, he saw Dr. Xu¡¯s expression soften a little and continued.


    ¡°When I finish building a safer house, I can help Yi Yi build a better one too! Her house is really unsafe, and if there¡¯s a bigger problem, it won¡¯t hold up. That¡¯s when she¡¯ll see how good a safe house can be.¡±


    ¡°Do as you like, but just moving to a new ce won¡¯t make it safer!¡± Dr. Xu clearly didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°Don¡¯t drag Yi Yi down.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Yu Hong replied seriously.


    Dr. Xu stared at him for a moment, said nothing more, and left with Yi Yi.


    Yu Hong stood in the forest, watching them leave until they disappeared from view, then turned his gaze upwards to the sky.


    The bright sunlight gave him a sense of security.


    In this weather, even strange shadows wouldn¡¯t dare to appear recklessly.


    After a short break, he resumed cutting the wood with a saw.


    The segments of tree trunks, quickly scorched by fire, were turned into thick long nks.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The surface burning was to prevent decay, kill off insects and their eggs, and remove excess moisture.


    Once cut into nks, they could be assembled together, using the mortise and tenon joint structure, to create a sturdy wooden door.


    Yu Hong used the simplest form of the mortise and tenon structure, which involved making a hole in one nk and carving a matching protrusion on another nk.


    By inserting the protrusion into the hole, the joint wasplete.


    The greatest benefit of this structure was that it didn¡¯t require nails.


    With this method, Yu Hong slowly and painstakingly made thick, sturdy nks.


    Instead of finishing the door and bringing it all at once, he worked piece by piece, carrying the nks over and assembling them at the cave entrance.


    During this time, he also continued testing the effects of the ck seal.


    He reinforced one piece of glowstone after another.


    Time passed, and just as Yu Hong was getting used to the strange dried meat vor, the wooden door for the cave was finallypleted.


    Early one morning, Yu Hong arrived at the cave entrance alone and attached the final thick nk to the door.


    The door waspletely finished, with a movable central panel, giving it a rough appearance.


    It was made from parts taken from other houses in the vige,bined with wood.


    Additionally, therge nails used to attach the wood to the stone were also from the houses in the vige.


    The entire entrance was nowpletely blocked by the thick gray-ck wooden door.


    Yu Hong entered, cing a piece of reinforced white stone into a groove behind the door.


    This was his idea for blocking the strange shadows from entering.


    Since the glowstone could disperse the shadows, he wondered if cing it strategically along their path could prevent them from entering the cave.

 Chapter 10: Operation (2)

    After cing the enhanced glowstones, Yu Hong walked into the cave again. At the top and on both sides of the ground, he found corresponding indentations.


    These were spots he had prepared for cing the enhanced glowstonester, with the goal of ensuring the absolute safety of the entire safe house.


    Over the past few days, he had relied on Little Stutterer¡¯s help for food, and now he had collected seven enhanced glowstones.


    His stockpile was quite plentiful.


    The ck insect blood tides, which had once been a major concern, no longer worried him. The eerie shadows that asionally appeared also stopped showing up.


    ording to Little Stutterer, they were in a safe period, which generallysted about a month, before suddenly erupting into a high-intensity period.


    At that time, both the blood tides and the eerie shadows would be significantly stronger.


    ¡®No wonder Dr. Xu is so upset with me. I¡¯ve be a burden, dying the progress of Little Stutterer, who should be gathering supplies now. This will cause her to run low on resources and get into danger.¡¯


    Yu Hong thought to himself.But he didn¡¯t mind it.


    Because Dr. Xu didn¡¯t know what he was truly capable of. Not to mention, the effect of the enhanced glowstones was enough to ensure Little Stutterer¡¯s safety when facing the eerie shadows.


    At least, they worked much better than the regr glowstones.


    Regr glowstones could only be used once, but enhanced glowstones could be used multiple times.


    However, it was unclear how many times they could be used. He would have to find a chance to test itter.


    Thinking about this, Yu Hong snapped back to reality, closing the wooden door and standing alone in the cave.


    Once the door was shut, the cave grew dim, with only the striped venttion hole letting in bright golden rays.


    Yu Hong stood with his back against the door, extending his hand.


    His arm, darker than before, still couldn¡¯t hide the clear ck mark on the back of his hand.


    Soon, arge ck number appeared on the door: 12 days.


    ¡°Do you want to reinforce the wooden door?¡±


    A faint sound reached his ears.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression became serious, and he took a deep breath.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯


    He responded strongly in his mind.


    Immediately, a ck line flowed from the ck mark on his hand, entering the wooden door, disappearing without a trace.


    Then, the number on the door changed, from 12 to 11 days and 23 hours, 59 minutes.


    The numbers flickered, faintly glowing, extremely mysterious.


    ¡°Countdown!?¡± Yu Hong was surprised to notice this for the first time.


    When he had used the enhanced glowstones before, he had always tried to avoid Little Stutterer and hadn¡¯t paid attention to the process.


    Now, it seemed that this ck mark even had a countdown function, which was very convenient.


    ¡®Alright, now we just need to wait.¡¯


    Yu Hong sighed in relief. So far, the strengthening of the ck mark hadn¡¯t caused him any negative side effects. The worst he had felt was a bit of mental fatigue after use, but a short rest was enough to recover. ?¨¤??B¦¥s?


    Twelve days.


    By then, he would be able to assess the effect of the reinforced wooden door.


    He was quite eager.


    After watching the wooden door for a while, Yu Hong picked up a piece of rubble from the cave, trying to activate the ck mark again.


    But nothing happened.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised.


    He had tried before to see if he could strengthen two objects at once.


    But now it seemed that either it never worked, or perhaps he hadn¡¯t yet met some special condition.


    Yu Hong wasn¡¯t in a hurry.


    His main priority was to finish the safe house. After that, he would have plenty of time to study the ck mark.


    Little Stutterer had gone out and wouldn¡¯t be back tonight. So, Yu Hong rested for a while in the cave, then stored the enhanced glowstones in various corners and headed back to Baqiu Vige.


    Soon, he returned to the house, familiar with the path.


    After closing the door and cing the enhanced glowstones in their designated spots, he drank some filtered water to soothe his throat.


    The filthy, foul-smelling filtered water hadn¡¯t upset his stomach. That was truly a miracle.


    Yu Hong finished his preparations, took a piece of dried meat, and sat by the bed, slowly nibbling on it.


    The dried meat was very tough, unlike any meat he had eaten before. It was thin and ck in color.


    ording to Little Stutterer, it was lizard meat.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t mind; at least he could tolerate it more than the other two types of dried meat: rat and cockroach.


    As nightfall approached, Yu Hong lit a candle and ced it beside him on the nightstand, ensuring the candlelight illuminated the venttion holes in the door and windows.


    Then he closed his eyes and rested quietly.


    A peaceful night.


    The next morning, Yu Hong went to the vige road to wait.


    His phone had long since run out of power, so he had to use the shadow of the sun on the ground to estimate the time with a simple sundial.


    After waiting for about an hour or so, two figures appeared at the end of the road, carryingrge bags.


    As they got closer, Yu Hong recognized them as Little Stutterer and Dr. Xu.


    He hurried over to help Little Stutterer with the heavy bag on her back.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Safe house, how¡­ is it?¡± Little Stutterer asked with an expectant look on her face.


    Before they left yesterday, she had checked the progress and thought it was almost done.


    ¡°It¡¯s done. The door ispletely finished!¡± Yu Hong said seriously, nodding and smiling.


    He was in a good mood.


    ¡°I bought waterproof paint!¡± Little Stutterer signed clumsily. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ paint it for you.¡±


    Waterproof paint?


    Yu Hong froze. Right, he had forgotten to apply the waterproofing. Otherwise, the wooden door he had worked so hard to build would soon rot from the moisture.


    After all, he wasn¡¯t a professional carpenter¡ªhe knew some basic skills but had overlooked key steps.


    Luckily, Little Stutterer had remembered to take care of it.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I didn¡¯t even think about the waterproofing!¡± Yu Hong pped his hand to his forehead in realization. ¡°Good thing you remembered, or all that effort on the door would have been wasted!¡±


    ¡°The paint¡¯s half used up. I traded it for three-quarters of the dried meat,¡± Dr. Xu said with a cold look in her eyes.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Since the door¡¯s done, when will you move out?¡± she asked next.


    ¡°Soon, very soon!¡± Yu Hong nodded. ¡°Dr. Xu seems to misunderstand me. Just wait, soon I¡¯ll be able to help Little Stutterer live a better life.¡±


    Little Stutterer had helped him a lot, and he kept that in mind. As for the secret of the ck mark, he was now sure it was something only he possessed.


    At least, neither Little Stutterer nor Dr. Xu had it. He had asked Little Stutterer, and no one she had met had ever heard of such a special ability.


    So, he felt much more confident now.


    ¡®Here we go again, another guy who just talks big.¡¯


    Dr. Xu shot him a disgusted look, turned, and walked away.


    She had seen people saved by Little Stutterer before. They would wake up, learn something briefly, and leave.


    None of them stayed longer than five days.


    But Yu Hong¡­ he had been there for almost a month, twenty days, and still hadn¡¯t left!


    Not only was he not leaving, but he wasn¡¯t helping with the work either! This had caused Little Stutterer to spend even more time digging wild vegetables and painting glowstones, while they were eating less food.


    Food had been scarce, and now with two people eating, they had to ration it more.


    ¡°I trust you!¡± Little Stutterer said earnestly, getting closer to Yu Hong.


    ¡°Mm! Thank you!¡± Yu Hong nodded, watching Dr. Xu leave.


    The two returned to the house, where they sorted through the items they had brought back.


    Arge bag of glowstones, minus the paint, had been exchanged for only half a pound of dried meat and one pound of dried mushrooms.


    Mixed with the wild vegetables, they would need to eat this for at least three to five days.


    In the house, the two of them sorted the dried meat into bags, adding charcoal to absorb moisture and tying them up to avoid opening them frequently.


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s the strength of the eerie shadows and blood tides during the high period? Can you exin in more detail?¡± Yu Hong asked while sorting the meat.


    ¡°They¡¯re strong,¡± Little Stutterer nodded. ¡°The eerie shadows can appear at any time. The blood tides wille every day, along with the eerie shadows.¡±


    ¡°Ten glowstones are needed to deal with one eerie shadow.¡± Little Stutterer began to exin the dangers of the high period in detail.


    As she exined in her broken sentences, Yu Hong gradually understood more about the high period¡¯s dangers.


    Especially the eerie shadows. For them, even after drawing the symbols, the regr glowstones were only effective if ten were used to drive one away.


    Little Stutterer¡¯s glowstones were naturally better than others, which was why they always sold for a good price.


    But in the high period, even her glowstones needed ten to deal with one eerie shadow. Other people¡¯s glowstones would be much less effective.


    Yu Hong also asked about the candle usage.


    The answer made his heart sink.


    During the high period, onerge candle was used up every night. The consumption was huge. Of course, they could burn firewood, but they always needed a light source to block the blood tides.


    After learning the specific details, Yu Hong calcted the remaining time for the high period, looking at the old calendar on the table. Only fifteen days left.


    The wooden door would be reinforced in twelve days. If the reinforcement didn¡¯t work well, things might getplicated.


    His heart sank slightly.


    ¡°Where do you buy the candles?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Uncle Wang,¡± Little Stutterer pointed to a distant spot on the simple map she had drawn.


    ¡°He¡¯s from the old vige,¡± she added.


    ¡°How long does the high period usuallyst?¡±


    ¡°It used to be one day. Later, it became five days,¡± Little Stutterer replied.


    ¡°Will itst longer?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Little Stutterer nodded vigorously.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Yu Hong knew he needed to hurry.


    In theing days, he began to speed up the construction of his safe house. Although the door was done, the internal structures were not fully set up.


    The chimney, for example, had to be prepared in advance if he wanted to use fire inside.


    This wasn¡¯t too difficult, as he had seen houses with chimneys before.


    He just needed to take the chimney pipes from those houses.


    However, as Little Stutterer had warned, he should avoid going inside those buildings.


    While he could take the doorboards from outside, entering the dark areas could mean encountering eerie shadows.


    But with the enhanced glowstones, he didn¡¯t worry too much.


    One enhanced glowstone could handle several eerie shadows, which was much better than regr glowstones.


    Even so, the thought of the eerie shadow¡¯s terrifying presence made Yu Hong uneasy. He really didn¡¯t want to get too close to it.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 11: Accumulation (1)

    This world is very dangerous. Extremely dangerous.


    In the more than half a month since Yu Hong arrived here, he has fully realized this.


    As an ordinary person, his survival knowledge is far inferior to that of Little stutterer and the others, and his physical abilities are also significantly weaker.


    Even Little stutterer and Dr. Xu are struggling so much; if he were to rely solely on himself, it would definitely not be enough.


    Therefore, he must utilize his unique advantage¡ªthe ck mark.


    On a bright, sunny morning, outside a strange tiled house in Baiqiu Vige.


    Yu Hong and Little stutterer, both dressed in filthy clothes, their hair greasy and matted into strands resembling dreadlocks, stood in front of the house, gazing inside.


    The interior of the house was dark, constantly emitting a cold and eerie aura. asionally, a slight cold breeze would surge out, apanied by a musty and unknown stench.


    The sunlight stopped at the door, dividing the outside from the inside into two separate worlds.¡°There¡¯s the smoking pipe I need inside,¡± Yu Hong said in a deep voice.


    ¡°How do we get it?¡± Little stutterer asked seriously from the side, as though mimicking Yu Hong.


    ¡°The phantom shadows could appear at any moment, so I must act quickly,¡± Yu Hong replied.


    The cave¡¯s safe house must have a warm stove, but lighting a fire in a sealed cave is extremely dangerous, so the smoking pipe is essential! At that moment, as he looked into the dimly lit house, determination rose in his eyes for the first time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just too scared.¡±


    To find safety, one must first face danger.


    He had no other choice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With his reinforced white stones in his pocket, Yu Hong strode into the house.


    Little stutterer, behind him, also held a bag of white stones, nervously scanning the area.


    p.


    As soon as their feet entered the darkened space, a chilling sensation started creeping up from their ankles.


    At that moment, both the reinforced white stones and the regr white stones activated, releasing cold air that countered the chill.


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong, quickly!¡± Yu Hong instantly realized there was a phantom shadow and sped up, rushing deeper into the house.


    He had examined many houses, and this one¡¯s chimney was the most suitable, the longest. This time, he was determined to get it!


    The two quickly crossed an open space and reached the innermost corner of the room.


    There, a square metal stove was ced, with a vertical iron chimney pipe protruding from one corner.


    The chimney pipe extended two meters upward, then curved to the side for over three meters, reaching an opening in the wall.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! Grab it!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s eyes lit up as he rushed forward and grabbed the chimney pipe.


    Thud.


    He yanked it hard.


    It didn¡¯t move.


    He looked down.


    The chimney pipe was welded to the corner of the stove, immovable.


    Just as he was about to pull harder, Yu Hong suddenly caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye. A small door to the bedroom in the corner of the room slowly opened. §²¨¤?????§§?


    In the darkness beyond the door, a figure in gray stood, its face obscured.


    The figure stood motionless in the shadows, staring toward them.


    At the same time, a more intense chill surged out from the small bedroom door.


    ¡°Yi Yi!!¡± In a panic, Yu Hong shouted, gripping the reinforced white stone tightly, his muscles tensing as he began to aim.


    His eyes darted toward the back, looking at Little stutterer (Yi Yi).


    But¡­ ¡°!!!?¡±


    There was no one there.


    Not only was Yi Yi missing, but the stove and chimney had also disappeared.


    Yu Hong quickly shifted his gaze again and saw Little stutterer, carrying the stove and dragging the chimney pipe, running toward the door to leave.


    The heavy stove in her hands seemed as light as a cardboard box, having no impact on her.


    ¡°Run! Yu!¡± Little stutterer charged out into the sunlight, only to realize Yu Hong hadn¡¯t followed. She quickly looked back, confused, and saw Yu Hong still standing where he had been, frozen in ce. She immediately shouted.


    ¡°¡­¡± Yu Hong had no words to respond.


    But at that moment, the phantom shadow had locked its sights on him.


    A chilling, rigid sensation surged through him again, attempting to freeze him in ce.


    The power of the reinforced white stone surged continuously to resist the stiffness.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°I!!¡±


    Yu Hong trembled, unable to move from his position, clutching the reinforced white stone in his hand as though he were a machine on the verge of falling apart.


    Sweat poured down from his forehead and temples, his pupils dted as intense fear threatened to engulf him.


    ¡®I¡¯m so scared.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s terrifying.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Why, why is there something so terrifying here?!¡±


    ¡®Why.¡¯


    ¡®Why.¡¯


    ¡®Why.¡¯


    ¡®Why.¡¯


    In an instant, countless ¡°whys¡± crawled up his mind, like insects, filling every inch of his being. They overwhelmed his thoughts, his consciousness, consuming everything.


    But at that moment, he was caught in an eerie struggle, the power of the phantom shadow and the strength of the reinforced white stone cancelling each other out. This battle yed out through his body.


    Amidst this paralysis¡­


    Yu Hong suddenly felt movement behind him.


    Crack.


    He heard a faint sound.


    It was as though a shoe had stepped on the muddy floor of the room.


    The soft, rhythmic sound of footsteps came, one after the other, seemingly getting closer from behind.


    Step. Step.


    The footsteps were steady, neither fast nor slow, moving directly toward him.


    Then, the wooden door of the house silently began to close, slowly shutting off the bright sunlight and Little stutterer from the outside world.


    Yu Hong was terrified. His whole body shook as tears and sweat streamed down his face.


    At this moment, he could do nothing but watch the door slowly close.


    Helpless.


    A deep sense of helplessness surged from the bottom of his heart.


    ¡°I¡­¡± He opened his mouth, trying to speak.


    Smack.


    Suddenly, a hand tightly gripped his from behind!


    Ah!!!!


    In an instant, Yu Hong felt like he had been struck by lightning. He let out a piercing scream.


    He violently jumped up, and with a swift motion, he pulled arge wooden club from his pants leg and swung it backward with all his might.


    The wooden club was studded with steel nails, embedded with three pieces of reinforced white stone.


    Fear hadpletely consumed Yu Hong. As he swung the club, it let out a deep, whistling sound in the air.


    Amid the noisy sound of the club slicing through the air, there was a loud crash.


    Boom!!!


    The wooden club mmed into a white figure behind Yu Hong, splitting it in two. The figure deted, scattering into pieces, vanishing into thin air.


    ¡°Ahhhhhh!!!¡±


    Yu Hong raised the steel-nail-studded club and immediately turned, rushing toward another gray figure by the small bedroom door.


    Boom!!!


    Another loud crash.


    The wooden club mmed into the doorframe, creating a deep dent.


    The gray figure shattered with the impact, turning into a pile of gray cloth that scattered to the ground and evaporated.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!!


    By this time, Yu Hong¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Holding the steel-nail club, he continued wildly swinging at where the gray figure had been.


    Until the doorframe began to shake and splinter, he finally came to his senses.


    Seeing that the phantom shadow had disappeared, Yu Hong quickly rushed out of the house and into the sunlight.


    Huff! Huff! Huff!


    Amidst his heavy breathing, he slowly bent down, crouching on the ground.


    Little stutterer stood nearby, staring nkly at him, unsure how tofort him.


    She had initially nned to rush in to save him, but seeing Yu Hong¡¯s sudden outburst, she was scared and could only stand in ce, helplessly waiting for the oue.


    The result was that Yu Hong emerged himself, violently smashing the two phantom shadows into pieces, his expression reflecting extreme fear as he crouched down outside, panting.


    ¡°Yu¡­¡± After a while, Xiaojieba hesitated and softly called out.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Yu Hong¡¯s voice trembled, his body drenched in sweat, as though he had just been pulled out of water.


    ¡°I was just¡­ so scared.¡±


    He paused for a moment, slowly calming down as his emotions settled.


    He stood up, turned, and looked at Little stutterer.


    His face was filled with pain, helplessness, and a sense of vulnerability.


    ¡°They¡­ they scared me.¡±


    He waved the steel-nail club in his hand repeatedly, as though trying to express his intense emotions through bodynguage.


    ¡°I was so scared.¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s skin trembled.


    ¡°So, I had to smash them to death¡­ I¡­ I know what I¡¯m doing, but if I didn¡¯t smash them, I was afraid¡­ afraid they woulde after me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Little stutterer blinked, taking a step back as the steel-nail club swung dangerously close, making her feel uneasy.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine now, just let it go. Let it go!!¡± Little stutterer raised both hands, trying to soothe him.


    Yu Hong, realizing that he was not in his right state, also started to take deep breaths.


    Inhale.


    Exhale.


    After thirty breaths, he finally felt his body stabilize.


    ¡°Good, good. I¡¯m d I prepared in advance,¡± he said, lowering the heavy wooden club. He felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him.


    He was someone who always prepared thoroughly for anything he did.


    Just like when he went into the house to grab the chimney pipe. He had already nned out how to use his few remaining reinforced white stones.


    The three pieces of reinforced white stone embedded in the wooden club weren¡¯t actually ¡°embedded¡± in the traditional sense. Instead, Yu Hong had carved small recesses in the wood and tightly bound the stones with ropes.


    Looking back, this method had proven to be quite effective.


    ¡°Are you okay now?¡± Little stutterer asked carefully, her gaze focused on him.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Yu Hong said, shaking his body in helplessness. ¡°I got too worked up.¡±


    Little stutterer shook her head, signaling that she wasn¡¯t scared. ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯ve seen something like this before.¡±


    She lifted the stove and chimney pipe, and with Yu Hong, they began walking back.


    As they walked, she told him about the people she had encountered before.


    From her words, Yu Hong learned that there had been others in simr situations¡ªpeople who had fallen into extreme fear, just like him.


    Some of them, like him, had exploded in a frenzy, fighting back.


    But Yu Hong was different from them.


    After those people fought back, they would exhaust themselves, weakening further and falling into even greater danger.


    But Yu Hong wasn¡¯t like them.


    After smashing the phantom shadows, he didn¡¯t stop. He immediately turned and ran, heading for the safety zone, before finally letting himself rx.


    In extreme emotional states, it¡¯s rare for people to hold back any strength. Yet Yu Hong had managed to do so.


    Not only had he destroyed the phantom shadows, but he also conserved his energy to turn around and flee.


    This made him stand out in a very unique way.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 12: Accumulation (2)

    Bang, bang, bang.


    Inside the safe house cave, Yu Hong let out a long sigh, took two steps back, and looked at the super-simple fixed setup he had created. He had secured the stolen stove along with the chimney to the middle section of the cave wall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it like this for now.¡±


    He put down the hammer and turned to nce at the door, which was still undergoing reinforcement. The remaining time on the door read: 9 days, 5 hours, and 42 minutes.


    After finishing this, he exited the cave and looked at the little stutterer who was tying up arge bundle of wild vegetables.


    The incident with the chimney was over, but the emotions from it still left a deep impression on him.


    Even now, when he thought back to what had happened, he felt an intense sense of fear.


    This emotional state made him yearn desperately for apletely safe solitary cabin.


    A ce where he could rest in peace.With such a ce, he would be able to safely explore this incredibly dangerous world.


    Shaking off his thoughts, Yu Hong picked up the steel spike stick he had just used, noticing that some of the nails were bent. But that wasn¡¯t the key issue; the key issue was the three pieces of reinforced white stones.


    The first piece hadpletely turned ck and lost its jade-like texture.


    ¡®Looks like it¡¯s used up.¡¯ Yu Hong reached out to remove this stone and reced it with a new one.


    He still had a piece of reinforced glowstone left, which should be enough for now.


    But since the reinforcement could only be done one item at a time, he couldn¡¯t reinforce anything else until the wooden door was finished.


    Therefore, he needed to conserve the glowstones as much as possible.


    ¡®Based on previous usage, one piece of reinforced glowstone can shatter three ghost images. This means that one piece of reinforced glowstone is equivalent to thirty pieces of ordinary glowstones!¡¯


    With this in mind, if he could advertise thisparison and trade the reinforced glowstone for supplies, the difference in value might allow him to stop worrying about supply shortages.


    While thinking about this, Yu Hong started to consider his future ns.


    Time passed quickly, and soon the sky began to darken.


    Little stutterer also finished packing the cloth bag and refilled the water jar. The two of them returned to the house in Baiqiu Vige.


    It was only after they had returned from the cave that the ce was finally tidied up, clean and fresh, with better air.


    Compared to the old house, which was dirty and filled with a musty smell of mildew, Yu Hong couldn¡¯t bear to stay there even for a moment.


    The night passed without incident.


    In the following days, unable to reinforce anything, Yu Hong and the little stutterer began collecting dry wood to store in the cave.


    Now that there was a door, it could block the wind and rain, and it was possible to store some firewood.


    Next, they prepared to filter water.


    ording to the little stutterer, the water outside was very unclean, and drinking it directly would cause a strange illness, so it had to be filtered. ????¦­?£Â¨§?


    Extra filters could only be bought in the town.


    So, they would have to make a trip to the town.


    ¡°It¡¯s over thirty miles to the town. I don¡¯t think I can make it,¡± Yu Hong said, fully aware of his physical limits.


    He might be able to push through the journey by sheer willpower, but after that, his knees could be injured, he could suffer from exhaustion, or other new illnesses could strike, all of which would greatly slow his response to potential dangers.


    At the slope by the cave entrance, the little stutterer dug while nodding.


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ a way.¡±


    ¡°A way?¡± Yu Hong sat down and rested on the stone surface at the cave entrance, wiping the sweat from his forehead.


    ¡°Post¡­ office,¡± the little stutterer replied, then began exining in short, interrupted sentences.


    Since speaking was difficult for her, she simply used charcoal to write on the stone.


    But she didn¡¯t know many characters, so she wrote while gesturing.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I ask you to buy it for me at the post office?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Filter¡­ can¡¯t buy¡­ must¡­ have qualifications,¡± the little stutterer replied.


    Qualifications? What qualifications? Yu Hong was about to ask again when he saw, from a distance, Dr. Xu carrying a cloth bag and walking towards them.


    ¡°Yi Yi, the peak period ising soon, we need to go to the town!¡± Dr. Xu looked a little pale, and her right arm was wrapped in a white bandage, probably from an injury she had sustained in recent days.


    ¡°Okay!¡± the little stutterer responded loudly.


    Dr. Xu nced at Yu Hong, didn¡¯t acknowledge him, and walked with the little stutterer to Baixiu Vige to pick up items they were going to exchange.


    Soon, the two of them checked all the glowstones.


    ¡°Why is there less than half?!¡± Dr. Xu was shocked.


    Normally, every time they went to exchange goods, the little stutterer could provide twice as much as this, but now¡­


    ¡°This amount won¡¯t get us much food! And Yi Yi, you¡¯re feeding two people!¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Too¡­ busy,¡± Yi Yi replied sheepishly, rubbing her hands together.


    ¡°What were you busy with? Building some useless ¡®safe house¡¯ for that Yu Hong?¡± Dr. Xu exploded.


    ¡°I told you, no matter how thick the boards, they can¡¯t stop the ghost images and insects! The ¡®safe house¡¯ you¡¯re building is a waste of effort!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I believe in him!¡± little stutterer patted her chest.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be killed by him!¡± Dr. Xu shouted angrily. ¡°If you don¡¯t eat enough, you¡¯llck energy and get sick. I went to the post office yesterday, but the mailman had disappeared, and there was no way to buy medicine. Many important supplies can only be obtained through him. We need to conserve food and seasonings, or we¡¯ll run out of suppliester!¡±


    ¡°No, it will be fine!¡± The little stutterer shook her head. She had received a piece of reinforced glowstone from Yu Hong. Though she had promised not to tell anyone, she knew in her heart that Yu Hong was different from the others.


    ¡°You!!¡± Dr. Xu was so furious that she almost ran to hammer Yu Hong, but seeing the little stutterer¡¯s look, she swallowed her anger.


    The two of them left the vige, slowly making their way down the old road.


    On the other side, Yu Hong had re-arranged the safe house in the cave, checked all the sealing devices, and ensured everything was secure before starting to paint.


    Waterproofing was essential, and the cave walls had to be painted as well; otherwise, living there would cause temperature differences, leading to moisture condensation and mold.


    Once everything was checked, he decided not to return to Baiqiu Vige but instead stayed in the cave, using the candles and nkets he brought, preparing to spend the night there.


    ¡°Whoo¡­¡±


    Slowly, the sky darkened.


    The wind outside the cave howled, the temperature dropped rapidly, bing cool enough to feel.


    Inside the cave, Yu Hong sat cross-legged on arge wooden board, lit a candle, and quietly began to calcte how many supplies would be needed to safely survive the uing peak period.


    ¡°Thest peak periodsted five days, and following the principle of continuous strengthening, it should be six days. One candle per day means at least twelve candles.¡±


    ¡°Then, food and water for six days need to be prepared. I don¡¯t have time to reinforce the White Stones for now; I¡¯ll have to wait until the wooden door is finished.¡±


    ¡°Once the wooden door is finished, there are still three more days until the peak period. Rather than gambling on the safety of the reinforced door, it¡¯s better to prepare myself.¡±


    While calcting, Yu Hong listened quietly to the sound of the wind outside.


    Soon, a rustling sound echoed again.


    The ck insects brought by the blood tide started to invade once more.


    However, therge number of ck insects could only enter through the designated opening. Their speed was not fast, and as soon as they entered, they were illuminated by the candlelight, quickly dissipating into nothing.


    Yu Hong observed carefully for a while, confirmed there was no issue, and then rxed.


    He checked the candle¡¯s consumption rate, thought everything seemed fine, ced a steel nail and wooden stick beside him, andy down on the bed, slowly pretending to sleep.


    Soon, dawn broke.


    Little stutterer and Doctor Xu returned. This time, they brought back half the supplies they hadst time.


    Little stutterer calcted that it would only be enough for them for five days.


    After some thought, Yu Hong decided to have little stutterer try drawing moreplex patterns on the reinforced radiant stones. After testing the patterns, if they worked, they could be sold.


    For now, to handle the immediate needs, he also began helping little stutterer gather wild vegetables.


    Days passed.


    The two began to store water, and Yu Hong asionally checked on the progress of the wooden door.


    Before long, the time on the wooden door was approaching its end.


    To observe the changes to the door closely, Yu Hong specifically asked little stutterer to go to Doctor Xu¡¯s ce to borrow some food, which was a deliberate way to send her away.


    He then went to the safe area in the cave and quietly waited for the countdown to finish.


    In the midst of the rumbling sound, Yu Hong sat on the ground, his eyes fixed on the wooden door, which had not changed at all in the past twelve days.


    He wanted to carefully observe how the ck imprint¡¯s reinforcement would bepleted.


    The key was that he nned to seamlessly continue reinforcing other things to avoid wasting the reinforcement time of the ck imprint.


    The door, now painted in yellow-ck, showed ck numbers that only Yu Hong could see.


    0 days, 0 hours, 1 minute.


    In the final minute, just a little more, and the reinforcement of the wooden door would bepletely finished.


    During thisst minute, Yu Hong didn¡¯t dare to blink, keeping his gaze fixed on the final change.


    One second.


    Ten seconds.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Twenty seconds.


    Thirty seconds.


    Snap.


    Suddenly, Yu Hong¡¯s vision blurred for a moment.


    When his vision cleared again, the wooden door had transformed into a much thicker, more tightly sealed giant door.


    The surface of the new door had delicate, wave-like patterns, and the air vents were covered with thick metal mesh, dense and breathable.


    In the middle, there was also a special observation window, allowing a view of the outside scenery.


    The originally loose connection between the door and the cave had beenpletely reinforced, with a dense ring of screws. It looked far sturdier than before.


    Yu Hong stood up, stepped forward, and touched the door.


    Thud, thud, thud.


    He knocked on it with his fingers. It was thick, hard, and flexible.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t the same material as before.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t expected that the reinforcement would change the material itself.


    ¡®They¡¯ve also added more materials.¡¯ Yu Hong touched the thick air vent at the bottom and opened the observation window at the top.


    He ran his hand along the edge, finding no burrs.


    ¡°Impressive!¡±


    With that thought, he quickly looked at the surrounding walls.


    His original n was to reinforce the wooden door first, then reinforce the surrounding stone walls. But now, due to the food shortage, he decided to try reinforcing other things first.


    ¡°First, this.¡±


    Yu Hong pulled his hand back from the door and went to the stove. He picked up a piece of dried lizard meat from the stove.


    ¡®Can food be reinforced?¡¯


    The thought shed through his mind.


    Immediately, the dried lizard meat in his hand quickly showed a number: 3 hours.


    ¡®Three hours?¡¯ Yu Hong thought it over. He then put the meat back and grabbed the entire bag of dried meat.


    ¡®What about now?¡¯


    On the outside of the cloth bag, a new number slowly appeared: 1 day, 8 hours, and 4 minutes.


    The numbers were precise, with both whole and decimal points.


    ¡®Let¡¯s see the result.¡¯ Yu Hong decided to wait for the reinforcement effect.


    A little over a day was something he could endure.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 13: Experiment (1)

    Soon, Little Stutterer returned, carrying a small bag of dried vegetables, seemingly made from sun-dried plants like fiddlehead ferns.Together, they used a wooden bucket to filter some water in the house, preparing reserves for the upcoming surge period.


    Early the next morning, Little Stutterer went out to gather firewood. The workload was heavy today, with only two days left before the surge period.


    They needed to ensure everything was ready.


    After Little Stutterer left, Yu Hong headed alone to the mountain cave¡¯s safe house to check the surroundings.


    Once he confirmed that everything was in order, he picked up the bag of jerky undergoing enhancement.


    Yu Hong and Little Stutterer had divided the jerky into many small packets, opening one bag at a time when needed to prevent moisture damage.


    Each packet contained only ten small pieces.


    At this moment, the light from outside illuminated the cave, making it bright and visible.


    The brightness mainly came from a small mirror placed near the cave¡¯s vent, reflecting sunlight inside. The cave, usually dark and gloomy, was now much more livable thanks to this clever setup.


    Yu Hong took out the moisture-absorbing charcoal from the corner and left it outside to dry in the sun. Only after closing the door did he grab the jerky bag to examine it.


    The gray cloth bag displayed a timer: 0 days 0 hours 5 minutes.


    ¡°Almost there,¡± Yu Hong thought with anticipation as he sat down to wait.


    A minute passed.


    Two minutes.


    Three minutes.


    Suddenly, a faint rustling came from outside, like grass being brushed aside.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression shifted slightly. He quickly got up and went to the cave entrance, peering out through the observation slit.


    The viewing slit was roughly cut and narrow, providing a limited but sufficient view in all directions.


    The reinforced wooden door, now vastly improved compared to before, had many additional reinforcements at the edges. The material also appeared much sturdier.


    It was fortunate that Little Stutterer¡¯s cognitive limitations prevented him from noticing these changes, and with no one else around, the transformation of the door remained concealed.


    The rustling sound came again, softer this time, as though the source was trying to stay unnoticed.


    Through the slit, Yu Hong saw two men in camouflage uniforms, their clothes tattered and stained with filth.


    They were walking through the wild grass, occasionally glancing at the narrow path that Yu Hong and Little Stutterer had inadvertently created with their frequent trips.


    When the men paused, Yu Hong¡¯s heart tightened. It was clear they had noticed the traces.


    The two men began searching the area, their eyes darting around.


    Following the trail, they arrived at the open area near the entrance of the cave safe house.


    About ten meters from the door, they stopped and hesitated, waiting quietly.


    Yu Hong stayed still and silent, observing their intentions.


    From his vantage point, he could see the men clearly against the green slopes outside.


    One man was thin and gaunt, with sallow skin, a weak-looking adult. The other was older, around his late 30s or early 40s, with a sturdier build and a machete hanging from his waist. ?¦ÁN?????¦¥?


    After waiting outside the door for a while, seeing no movement and possibly realizing they couldn¡¯t break in, the two eventually turned and left.


    Their figures disappeared into the forest, leaving Yu Hong to finally let out a sigh of relief.


    In this environment filled with dangers and severe resource shortages, encountering strangers didn¡¯t inspire thoughts of seeking help. Instead, Yu Hong¡¯s first instinct was caution.


    ¡°The surge period is coming in two days. Those two men must know this. They aren¡¯t like me¡ªsuddenly brought here with no knowledge of the situation. They must understand what¡¯s at stake.


    ¡°If they¡¯re wandering around with weapons at a time like this, their intentions are clear without needing much guesswork.¡±


    Returning to the cave, Yu Hong¡¯s gaze fell on the bag of jerky, which had completed its enhancement during the commotion.


    At this moment, he noticed that the jerky he had been waiting for to finish strengthening was already complete.


    His eyes lit up as he stepped forward and picked up the bag of jerky from the ground.


    Surprisingly, the cloth bag now looked quite different from before.


    The original bag had been grayish-white with a faded cartoon rabbit design on the outside.


    The rabbit had big buck teeth, long ears standing straight up, and was dressed in a black leather jacket.


    This was the ¡°Bandit Bunny,¡± the protagonist of Little Stutterer¡¯s favorite cartoon.


    All their bags were of this Bandit Bunny design, but with prolonged use, the rabbit¡¯s image had become somewhat faded¡ªafter all, it had only been printed on with some kind of cheap ink.


    Previously, this Bandit Bunny bag had been used to hold the jerky.


    But now, after strengthening¡ª


    Yu Hong held the bag and noticed the neatly printed text on the outside:


    ¡°High-Energy Protein Bar¡±


    Below the title was a small description:


    ¡°One bar fulfills your daily energy needs! Rich in essential trace elements required by the human body, featuring a combination of ingredients that rapidly replenish physical energy¡ªcarbohydrates, fats, proteins, dietary fiber.¡±


    The description was exceptionally comprehensive, including a list of ingredients, manufacturing details, and even a one-year shelf life. Everything was accounted for, except for a manufacturer.


    Holding the jerky bag, Yu Hong remained silent for a moment.


    ¡°It seems this strengthening process uses some sort of standard template to enhance the original items.¡±


    He frowned slightly, recalling the strengthened wooden door and the previous glowing stone. Combined with the jerky bag before him, a faint idea began to form in his mind.


    Rip.


    He decisively tore open the bag.


    The bag was still made of cloth, but the inside was lined with a layer of sealed paper that used a sealing strip to keep the contents dry.


    Reaching into the bag, he pulled out a piece of jerky.


    Yu Hong examined it carefully.


    The jerky had also changed.


    Previously, it was an uneven, dull grayish-black color, clearly handmade.


    But now, the jerky was a perfectly shaped rectangular block with smooth edges, and its surface was sprinkled with white sesame seeds.


    It emitted a rich meat aroma with a faint hint of sweetness.


    Yu Hong snapped off a small piece and popped it into his mouth.


    Immediately, his expression changed, his face scrunching up tightly.


    ¡°Sweet!


    Too sweet!!¡±


    No wonder one bar could last an entire day and had a shelf life of up to a year.


    ¡°I would have found this unbearable in the past, but now, this level of sugar concentration is actually a good thing.¡±


    Although it tasted awful, Yu Hong¡¯s mood improved considerably.


    Previously, a small bag of jerky could only feed him and Little Stutter for two meals at most, but now, this single bag could last five days.


    Food was no longer a problem!


    The black imprint had brought him an unexpected surprise.


    Although he still needed to test its effects to see if one bar could truly sustain him for an entire day, judging by the sweetness, Yu Hong felt it was likely.


    He stuffed the protein bar into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it down, then took a big gulp of water. Soon, he felt full.


    ¡°The jerky¡¯s strengthening result is in. Next is something else.¡± Yu Hong¡¯s gaze quickly landed on his water cup.


    Drinking water had been his biggest headache since arriving here.


    The foul smell made every sip feel like torture.


    ¡°If only I could strengthen the filtration system. But unfortunately, we only have one, and Little Stutterer definitely won¡¯t let me tamper with it.¡±


    Carrying the high-energy protein bars, he walked to the wooden door. After a moment¡¯s thought, a question suddenly came to mind.


    ¡°This area is all forest, dense with trees and vegetation. Trees and weeds need water the most. So, where does their water come from?¡±


    The idea, once formed, stuck in his mind and kept rolling around.


    Coming back to his senses, he glanced at the items scattered in the cave.


    His gaze fell on the water cup.


    The outside of the wooden cup instantly displayed a number: ¡°3 days.¡±


    ¡°Not enough time. Let¡¯s try something else.¡± Yu Hong¡¯s gaze swept around and soon landed on a candle.


    The impending peak disaster period was a test for all survivors, and candles were a critical resource.


    They were essential for resisting the tide of blood insects during the black calamity.


    The candle, as thick as his arm, was something Little Stutterer had given him. Made of yellowish-brown wax, it was about as long as a pencil and had only been used a quarter of the way.


    Now, as Yu Hong focused on it, a new strengthening time appeared: ¡°1 hour and 12 minutes.¡±


    ¡°The time is short? Worth a try.¡± A thought stirred in Yu Hong¡¯s heart. He walked over, picked up the candle, and held it in his hand.


    ¡°Strengthen the tree oil candle?¡± A prompt appeared again.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Hong confirmed in his mind.


    With just over an hour needed, he didn¡¯t have to wait long.


    Sitting in the cave, he held the candle tightly, staring at it without blinking.


    As the remaining time ticked down to the final minute, he carefully observed, curious about how the strengthening process would unfold.


    Pop.


    Suddenly, the candle blurred for a moment, then quickly cleared up.


    The previously yellowish candle transformed into a brand-new pure white one with a brass casing.


    ¡°It even comes with a lamp fixture?¡± Yu Hong was surprised.


    The black imprint¡¯s strengthening process gave him a strong impression:


    The enhancement wasn¡¯t bound by the principle of conservation of mass. The contents of an item before and after strengthening could be vastly different.


    For example, the candle had initially consisted only of wax and a wick.


    But now, the strengthened candle¡ª


    He picked it up. It was still as thick as his arm, but its exterior was wrapped in a brass windproof casing. The top had a small oil-catch bowl connected to a brass base.


    Unfortunately, the size hadn¡¯t changed.


    ¡°Interesting. Can strengthened items be strengthened again?¡±


    With this thought, Yu Hong focused on the brass lamp-candle, attempting to strengthen it again.


    But, to his disappointment, nothing happened.


    Looking down at the black imprint on his hand, he found it remained completely inactive.


    ¡°Is it limited to one enhancement, or is there some other condition?¡±


    Leaving the question in his mind, he glanced outside. It was already noon, and the light was at its strongest. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His gaze shifted again, landing on a filthy blanket.


    As soon as the thought of strengthening arose, a large black number appeared on the blanket: ¡°1 day 0 hours 56 minutes.¡±


    He then looked at a nearby axe, used previously for chopping wood.


    A black number appeared: ¡°3 hours 12 minutes.¡±


    ¡°It seems everything can be strengthened. Then¡­¡±


    Yu Hong lowered his head and looked at his own body.


    ¡°What about me? Can I be strengthened?¡±


    A storm of thoughts churned in his mind as he stared intently at himself.


    Ten seconds.


    Twenty seconds.


    Thirty seconds.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 14: Experiment (2)

    No response, no digits appearing.¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to work,¡± he thought, disappointedly lifting his head.


    After resting for a moment, he recalled the two people he had seen earlier.


    ¡°Threats don¡¯t just come from monsters and spectral figures¡ªthey might come from humans as well. Safety must always come first.¡±


    ¡°My physical fitness is poor¡ªworse than even Little Stutterer¡¯s. I haven¡¯t fully adapted to life here either. In the short term, the fastest way to ensure my safety is through equipment.¡±


    But he didn¡¯t have anything suitable at hand. What could he do¡ªstrengthen the axe to use against others?


    He glanced back at the axe, saw, nails, hammer, and other tools lying around.


    Shaking his head, he felt little hope.


    Still, he approached the axe, picked it up, and watched the digits appear on its surface, confirming the enhancement process.


    ¡°Since there¡¯s still time, I might as well give it a try.¡±


    After confirming the start, he placed the axe in a corner and covered it up.


    He then walked to the door and peered outside through the observation window.


    Outside, it was deserted and silent.


    The wind rustled through the leaves with a soft swish; even the insects and birds were absent.


    Click.


    Yu Hong opened the door, carrying a bag of protein bars as he stepped out, warily scanning the surroundings.


    He checked the steel-nail embedded wooden rod tied to his waist¡ªthis tool had been incredibly useful last time.


    It was especially effective against spectral figures.


    Although, according to Little Stutterer, spectral figures couldn¡¯t truly be killed and would eventually reappear, the tool still bought him enough time in a pinch. ?????£ÎO?????§¦s


    Closing the wooden door behind him, Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°If someone finds this place, there¡¯s nothing stopping them from taking everything inside.¡±


    He touched the door lock.


    The round keyhole was made of standard metal¡ªcold and hard.


    The wooden door originally didn¡¯t have a lock, and he didn¡¯t know how to make one. But after enhancing it, the lock appeared on its own, along with several keys.


    This mysterious enhancement mechanism intrigued Yu Hong greatly.


    Standing at the doorway, he gathered leaves and vines from the surrounding area, spreading them across the entrance to conceal it.


    From a distance, the door was now far less noticeable.


    It still wasn¡¯t entirely safe, but it was better than before.


    Once he finished camouflaging the entrance, he cautiously headed toward White Hill Village.


    The protein bars alleviated their food shortage for now, but candles remained a pressing need.


    There simply weren¡¯t enough candles.


    If the heightened danger period lasted the full six days, their current three candles would fall far short.


    He had to get more.


    Following the familiar mountain path, he walked for about ten minutes before catching sight of White Hill Village in the distance.


    Just as he was about to approach, Yu Hong suddenly stopped.


    His expression shifted as he glanced toward the village, quickly hiding behind a tree trunk.


    Between his position and the old road leading into the village, a figure lay sprawled in the grass.


    It was a thin, black-haired man in camouflage, lying motionless in a pool of blood that had soaked the ground around him.


    ¡°Dead?¡±


    Hiding behind the tree, Yu Hong tensed up.


    Remaining perfectly still, he observed the scene, even controlling his breathing to avoid attracting any attention.


    Minutes passed, and the man didn¡¯t move. Yu Hong deduced that the man was either dead or unconscious.


    After carefully surveying the surroundings to ensure no one was lurking nearby, he cautiously stepped out and inched toward the figure.


    Kneeling beside the man, he patted his shoulder.


    ¡°Hey?¡±


    No response.


    Yu Hong reached out to feel the man¡¯s neck.


    It was cold.


    His heart raced¡ªhe was truly dead.


    A corpse.


    A freshly dead body of someone he had just seen alive earlier.


    The thought sent a wave of nausea through him. His stomach churned, his breathing quickened, and his pupils dilated. He felt an overwhelming urge to vomit, and his hand, which had touched the body, now felt unclean.


    Suppressing his revulsion, Yu Hong grabbed the corpse¡¯s shoulder and flipped it over.


    Thud.


    The black-haired man fell onto his back, lying face-up on the ground.


    A deep, dark-red hole was visible on the left side of his chest. His eyes were wide open, his mouth agape, as if frozen mid-scream.


    Yu Hong dared not look any longer, quickly searching the man¡¯s pockets.


    He found no food or useful tools, only a cracked black radio.


    Grabbing the radio, Yu Hong bolted.


    He had no desire to linger near the corpse.


    Even though he had mentally prepared himself for such sights, facing a dead body in reality was an entirely different experience.


    Within moments, he reached Little Stutterer¡¯s door and began pounding on it.


    ¡°Little Stutterer, open up!¡± he called, immediately reciting their agreed-upon code phrase.


    The sharp knocks echoed through the quiet, dusky village.


    Usually, Little Stutterer would respond quickly when Yu Hong knocked.


    But this time, there was no movement inside.


    ¡°Little Stutterer?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s voice grew louder.


    His knocking and shouting reverberated through the deserted streets, the sound bouncing off the empty, dark houses.


    The village grew even quieter.


    ¡°Little Stutterer!?¡±


    Unease crept over Yu Hong. Was she not home?


    He glanced around nervously, ensuring no spectral figures were nearby, and stopped knocking.


    Where could she have gone?


    Nightfall was approaching, and without a safe place to hide, the danger would be immense.


    Yu Hong¡¯s breathing quickened as he clutched the bag of protein bars in one hand and gripped the steel-nail rod with the other.


    ¡°Com-ing.¡±


    Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from within the house.


    It was Little Stutter.


    Yu Hong¡¯s heart lifted, and he knocked again.


    ¡°Night¡¯s falling fast. Let me in first.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied from inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªcom-ing.¡±


    Relieved, Yu Hong scanned his surroundings, still wary of the white-clad figure from last time.


    This village was far from normal.


    It had far more spectral activity than the mountain cave, one of the reasons he was desperate to relocate.


    Seconds passed.


    ¡°Are you coming or not?¡± Yu Hong frowned, the delay making him uneasy.


    The sky was growing darker by the moment, and time was running out.


    ¡°Com-ing.¡±


    Little Stutterer¡¯s voice sounded again, this time very close, right behind the door.


    But Yu Hong realized he hadn¡¯t heard any footsteps inside the house.


    In such an eerily quiet setting, footsteps should have been audible.


    It was as if¡­


    As if she had suddenly appeared behind the door.


    A chill ran down Yu Hong¡¯s spine.


    Click.


    The door slowly creaked open a crack.


    Bang!


    Without thinking, Yu Hong kicked the door open, barging in with his steel-nail rod raised.


    ¡°Die, die, die!¡±


    Driven by sheer terror, he swung the enhanced rod wildly.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Behind the door, a pale figure didn¡¯t even have time to materialize before being struck and shattered into fragments that dissolved into nothingness.


    ¡°Little Stutterer!¡± Yu Hong shouted, rushing inside. Fear fueled his frantic search, rod ready to strike.


    But the room was empty.


    On the table lay a piece of paper with scribbled charcoal writing.


    Panting heavily, Yu Hong noticed blood dripping from his nose.


    Wiping it away, he saw the vivid red stain on his hand.


    ¡°That thing didn¡¯t even touch me¡ªhow am I bleeding?¡±


    Looking down, he saw a slash on his shirt.


    Underneath was a small, knife-like wound on his chest, oozing blood.


    Clearly, the spectral figure had somehow injured him.


    Shutting the door and lighting a candle, Yu Hong slumped into a chair, catching his breath.


    ¡°This damned place,¡± he muttered under his breath.


    ¡°This damned, cursed place!¡±


    The flickering candlelight stretched his shadow long across the floor, swaying as if alive.


    Picking up the paper, Yu Hong read the messy scrawl:


    ¡°I went to get candles. Back tomorrow.¡±


    There were no punctuation marks, no proper spacing¡ªthe writing was crooked, but at least legible.


    Setting the note down, Yu Hong pinched his nose to stop the bleeding.


    ¡°I¡¯ll build a shelter¡ªa completely safe shelter where I won¡¯t fear anything. I have to!¡±


    He had enough of this wretched place, full of traps and deceptions. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gripping the candle tightly, he sat by the bed, staring at the cracks around the door and windows¡ªthe entry points for the black insects.


    Their attacks came unpredictably, every three to five days.


    Little Stutterer had told him that when they first appeared, they were far fewer in number and less frequent.


    But now, their numbers and the toll they took on candles were overwhelming.


    After a while, his nosebleed stopped, allowing him to check his chest wound.


    Luckily, the wound wasn¡¯t itchy or inflamed. Without clean water, he could only endure it and hope against infection.


    Satisfied that the wound was manageable, Yu Hong let out a sigh, listening to the howling wind outside.


    A deep sense of loneliness crept over him.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m the only one left in Baiqiu Village now.¡±


    Most of the villagers had left long ago. Only Little Stutterer remained, living here alone.


    Yu Hong had no idea how she survived, but it must have been grueling and perilous.


    He sighed deeply, leaning back against the bed.


    Something hard poked him from behind.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Reaching back, he pulled out the object.


    It was the radio.


    ¡°Wait¡­ can I enhance this broken radio?¡±


    Just as he was about to set it aside, the thought struck him.


    As soon as the idea surfaced, numbers appeared on the radio¡¯s surface: 5 hours, 12 minutes.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 15: Trouble (1)

    The purpose of a radio is to receive external signals, but if it could also be enhanced, it might yield unexpected results.Looking at the numbers on the radio,


    ¡°Five hours, just enough time to finish by dawn, I can give it a try.¡±


    Up until now, Yu Hong hadn¡¯t noticed any side effects from enhancing the black marks, and the only cost seemed to be the consumption of mental energy.


    At this point, the axe had likely finished its enhancement, and he could hear the corresponding prompt for enhancement in his ear.


    In an instant, the radio in his hand blurred for a moment before quickly becoming clear again, with the display showing the numbers: 5:11.


    Seeing the countdown begin, Yu Hong placed the radio aside, sat alone on the bed, holding a candle, letting out a long breath, feeling an increasing sense of loneliness and fear in his heart.


    This fear came not only from the ghostly shadows and monsters that could appear at any moment but also from the unfamiliar corpses lying in the wilderness.


    He sat there, motionless, his mind racing.


    By dawn, his anxiety had somewhat eased.


    After drinking some water, Yu Hong left the room. The sunlight outside was weak, and the sky was covered with thick clouds, signaling an impending rainstorm.


    The air felt damp, and cold gusts of wind swept across his ankles as he walked on the ground.


    As he walked, he suddenly paused and turned to look at a nearby building.


    In the darkness, there were faint white figures flickering in and out of view.


    He took a deep breath, picked up the radio, and quickened his pace, heading toward the cave shelter.


    After about ten minutes, he reached the safety house.


    Bang.


    The reinforced wooden door slammed shut, and the lock was secured.


    Yu Hong finally relaxed a bit and sat down heavily on the floor next to the bed.


    Picking up the radio, he inspected it carefully, only to find that the numbers had disappeared.


    The entire device had quietly transformed, now looking completely new.


    The parts that had been broken before were now repaired.


    ¡°Could it be that my enhancement ability can not only enhance objects but also repair damaged items?¡± Yu Hong thought to himself.


    He turned the radio over and opened the battery compartment, only to find two blue AA batteries inside.


    Suppressing his surprise, he put the battery cover back on and switched it on.


    Click.


    A sudden sound came from the radio.


    Hiss¡­


    Then, the familiar static hiss filled the air.


    ¡°It really works!?¡± Yu Hong was astonished.


    He examined the device again, making sure there was no issue, and then held it to his ear.


    The sound was clear, without any static, and he was quite pleased.


    ¡°Let me try tuning into a station here.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since arriving in Baiqiu Village, he had been preoccupied with survival, constantly adapting to the environment and dealing with dangers.


    Now, with the cave shelter offering some safety, he could finally relax a little.


    Feeling more at ease, Yu Hong turned the large circular knob on the front of the radio to adjust the frequency.


    As he turned the knob slowly, the static hiss fluctuated, varying in intensity.


    Soon, with a sudden whoosh, a quiet frequency flashed by.


    Yu Hong quickly returned to the previous position, and after fine-tuning, a sad melody began playing from the radio.


    The music sounded like a dirge¡ªslow, long, and melancholic, its low tones evoking a sense of heaviness.


    Before Yu Hong could guess what program it was, a voice came through the radio.


    ¡°This is a reminder for everyone: Due to a shortage of batteries, please make sure to turn on your radios at this time every day, adjust the frequency, and remove the batteries after listening to save energy.¡± ?§¡??¦Â??


    A deep, magnetic male voice came through the radio.


    ¡°This is the National Special Disaster Response Management Bureau. I will provide daily updates on disaster conditions and the actual changes in various types of dangers during the Black Disaster, along with some research and predictions made by the Silver Tower. Please take this seriously.¡±


    Hearing this, Yu Hong¡¯s expression stiffened. He knew he had found the right station, so he set the radio aside and listened quietly.


    He had been operating near Baiqiu Village for a while now. Due to his physical limitations, he couldn¡¯t venture farther into larger areas.


    Even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t be able to access the latest national research results.


    Therefore, the content he was hearing from this radio station was invaluable to him.


    The broadcast continued.


    ¡°According to statistics from the National Security Department, there are currently 759 locations in our country still affected and expanding due to the Black Disaster. Each of these areas is dominated by blood ticks, with occasional appearances of ghostly shadows.¡±


    ¡°Research by the Silver Tower has shown that the overall intensity of the Black Disaster is on the rise over time. The strength of the ghostly shadows is also gradually increasing. It is advised that cities prepare accordingly.¡±


    ¡°The peak period is approaching, and during this time, all Black Disasters will show a significant increase in damage. The blood ticks¡¯ resistance to light is also slowly improving, which will require more energy for lighting tools.¡±


    Yu Hong listened carefully. Much of the information the announcer was sharing was new to him.


    Particularly the fact that the overall intensity of the Black Disaster was rising, which once again filled him with a sense of urgency.


    He only had a small amount of enhanced glowstones left. The rest were either embedded in items or hidden in various dark corners of the cave, serving as a safety net.


    If the peak period arrived and he encountered ghostly shadows, even one or two a day would be too much for him to handle.


    At that moment, he decided to enhance more glowstones. He had just picked one up to start the process when a loud thunderclap was heard from outside.


    The wind howled, and the rain began to fall, first as scattered droplets against the wooden door, then quickly intensifying into a downpour.


    The sound of the rain hitting the door grew louder and more rapid.


    Yu Hong quickly reacted, retrieving a wooden barrel from the corner. He opened the door and placed it outside to collect rainwater.


    Rainwater was far cleaner than stagnant water.


    Closing the door, he listened to the roaring thunder and the heavy rain outside.


    Inside the cave, it was dry and quiet.


    A sense of calmness settled over him.


    Sitting back down on the musty, smelly bed, he let out a sigh.


    Although it smelled bad, it was safe.


    Under such conditions, even the water for drinking was in short supply¡ªthere was no way to take a bath.


    Suddenly, Yu Hong had a thought. He considered going outside to collect rainwater to wash himself but quickly dismissed the idea, fearing he might catch a cold or pneumonia. With no medicine available, he couldn¡¯t risk it.


    He decided to stay in the cave, staring out at the gray sky through the observation window.


    The radio continued to play.


    ¡°Due to the rapid increase in ghostly shadows in various regions, the Disaster Response Management Bureau will dispatch patrol teams to collect detailed data on the ghostly shadows.¡±


    A few sentences later, the announcer¡¯s voice cut off, replaced by rapid breathing.


    ¡°Emergency broadcast: A serious ghostly shadow incident has occurred at Hope City 43 in Wu Liang Mountain, resulting in hundreds of casualties. These types of shadows have extremely strong spreading abilities, and all communications with this location have been cut off.¡±


    ¡°Please note: The incident occurred at Hope City 43 in Wu Liang Mountain.¡±


    The announcer repeated the location several times, his tone tense and serious.


    Yu Hong sat there, confused.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± he wondered, baffled. ¡°No rescue measures? Just isolation? No supplies either?¡±


    But no matter how long he waited, the announcer never mentioned the incident again. Instead, the broadcast continued with updates on research from an organization called the Silver Tower.


    The Hope City incident was no longer mentioned.


    Yu Hong stayed by the radio for over ten minutes, still hearing no further news.


    Finally, he seemed to understand.


    Perhaps the authorities had no other way to deal with the ghostly shadows and the Black Disaster except to isolate the affected areas and wait for the intensity to pass.


    He stood up, sighed, and walked to the door, gazing outside.


    The rain continued to pour, and the once clear view of the mountains was now obscured by the downpour.


    A loud thunderclap sounded in the distance.


    Yu Hong suddenly thought of the little stutterer. He wondered how she was doing. She must have been caught in the rain on the way.


    He hoped she was alright.


    In such weather, he couldn¡¯t afford to go out looking for her. Moreover, she was much stronger than he was, so if he did find her, he would only be a burden.


    With that in mind, Yu Hong sat down again, feeling the moment of safety and quiet.


    He turned off the radio and resumed enhancing the glowstones.


    His biggest problems now were the lack of candles and insufficient glowstones.


    Tomorrow was the last day before the peak period arrived, and it was their final chance to go out and get more candles.


    As for the glowstones, he could only continue enhancing them while hoping the little stutterer could hurry up and finish her drawings.


    ¡°If the Black Disaster is truly getting stronger, how will ordinary people in the wilderness survive?¡± Yu Hong felt a slight fear rising in his heart.


    He was a naturally fearful person, easily scared and prone to imagining things in a complicated and dangerous way.


    This extreme mindset wasn¡¯t normal.


    But in this environment, that trait seemed to be of great use.


    ¡°If everyone else is gone, even with my black mark enhancement, I can¡¯t survive without food.¡±


    He knew he had to solve the food problem on his own. He had to be self-sufficient.


    With safety mostly secured for now, Yu Hong turned his attention to food.


    ¡°And I need to make a water filtration device too. These things aren¡¯t something I can make myself. I need to plan carefully.¡±


    *


    *


    *


    Boom.


    The mountain forest outside was drenched in heavy rain, and the dense droplets almost formed mist, covering the forest and obscuring the view.


    It should have been bright in the morning, but now the rain had made everything appear dim and gray.


    The vast forest looked like a piece of bread covered in green mold.


    At the edge of the area, two figures moved like sesame seeds, quickly heading toward Baiqiu Village.


    Both were wearing black raincoats and carrying trekking poles, running swiftly with practiced steps.


    ¡°Hurry, hurry! It¡¯s getting dark, and those things are going to come out soon!¡± the figure behind gasped, urging the one ahead.


    ¡°I know. Almost there,¡± came the stuttered response of the small figure ahead. It was the little stutterer, Yi Yi, returning from outside.


    The two quickly reached the lower part of the village and rushed along the gravel path.


    Bang.


    They reached the door, and the little stutterer pulled out a key to unlock it, one hand ready with a glowstone, prepared to release it at any moment.


    Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened.


    They made it inside without incident.


    Just as the door closed behind them, a flash of lightning lit up the gravel path outside, revealing several blurred figures standing there.


    The light disappeared in an instant, and the figures vanished, like mirages.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 16: Trouble (2)

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine now.¡± Little Stutterer sighed with relief, took off her raincoat hood, and then looked away.The other person also removed her hood, revealing Dr. Xu¡¯s tired face.


    ¡°This trip¡­ we encountered more strange shadows than before on the way back, and the consumption of the Huishi stone was too high. Also, the monster we encountered last night has been officially reported and assessed. It shouldn¡¯t have been in this area.¡±


    This time, Little Stutterer had borrowed food from Dr. Xu, and as a form of payment, Dr. Xu had asked her to accompany her on a trip. She exchanged some dried meat and mushrooms in return.


    At first, Dr. Xu thought she was just helping out of kindness, but during the journey, if it hadn¡¯t been for Little Stutterer¡¯s timely assistance¡ªpulling her out of danger several times¡ªshe might have¡­


    Dr. Xu felt a wave of fear as she thought about it.


    ¡°This time¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Bang!!


    Suddenly, there was a loud bang.


    The wooden door of the house was violently slammed.


    The huge impact shook the door panel, causing chunks of the wall to fall off.


    The door frame trembled violently, clearly loosening up.


    ¡°What is that!?¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s heart raced in panic. ¡°It¡¯s that monster! It¡¯s following us! Why!?¡±


    It was the same one they had encountered at their temporary shelter the previous night.


    ¡°Hold! Hold it!¡± Little Stutterer dashed forward and braced her shoulder against the wooden door.


    Bang!


    But another loud crash sent her tumbling backward.


    The monster outside was too powerful. There was no way to stop it.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Bang!!


    The door was being struck again and again. The nails holding the door frame in place were slowly loosening, one by one, pulling out.


    Dr. Xu¡¯s heart raced, frozen in place, unable to react.


    ¡°It¡¯s it. That thing. How could it¡ª¡±


    Her son had died in a similar situation.


    At that time, she and her family reacted immediately, rushing to brace the door. But the force of the blows from outside was something they couldn¡¯t resist. ???¨°?¨¨?


    In less than half a minute, the door shattered. Her son had tried to draw the monster away, and in the chaos, he ran out, far away.


    She only saw his shadow being caught by that monster before they fled.


    Boom!!!


    Just then, the wooden door shattered completely, sending debris flying toward the frozen Dr. Xu.


    It looked like the debris was about to hit her in the forehead.


    Suddenly, Little Stutterer reached out and grabbed Dr. Xu, pulling her to the side and rolling away.


    Whoosh!!


    After the door shattered, the massive black monster outside was pushed in by the force of the impact.


    Seizing the moment it stumbled, Little Stutterer grabbed Dr. Xu and sprinted away.


    She dashed out the door, running as fast as she could along the rocky path.


    ¡°Where¡­ do we go?¡± Dr. Xu stammered, her voice shaking.


    Little Stutterer¡¯s mind raced through various places.


    Her own house had been reinforced, and it couldn¡¯t withstand that monster¡¯s force. If they went anywhere else, it wouldn¡¯t hold up long.


    What should she do?


    What should she do?


    What should she do!!?


    Sweat mixed with her hurried breaths, dripping down her temples.


    After running out of the village, Little Stutterer unknowingly found herself at the forest clearing where she had worked with Yu Hong during the day.


    Realizing the danger, she quickly turned and headed in another direction, not wanting to lead Yu Hong into danger.


    But carrying someone while running in the rain, even with her extraordinary physical strength, she began to tire rapidly.


    What should she do??


    Her mind kept racing, but no matter how she thought, without the protection of a house or the barrier of the Huishi stones, they couldn¡¯t resist the strange shadows, let alone the monsters.


    ¡°Yi Yi, put me down. If I die, then so be it. I can¡¯t drag you down with me!¡± Dr. Xu said, her voice breaking, faintly coming from her shoulder.


    Little Stutterer didn¡¯t respond, her head down, running full speed toward the distance.


    Bang!!!


    Suddenly, she veered left, changing direction and charging forward.


    A large tree beside her was violently struck by the black monster behind her, producing a muffled sound.


    The tree swayed and the trunk bore deep dents, almost toppling over.


    *


    *


    * *


    Yu Hong placed the radio down, removed the batteries, and covered it with dry leaves.


    This would be the key to getting information from the outside world in the future.


    So, it had to be kept in good condition.


    After finishing that, he glanced at the Huishi stone, which was still being enhanced. The surface showed a faint countdown, barely noticeable, requiring careful observation to see.


    Phew.


    He exhaled and noticed his breath turning into a faint white mist.


    ¡°The temperature has dropped this much?¡±


    Standing up, he moved to the stove, planning to start a fire to warm up. The smoke pipe was connected to a vent on the door, ensuring safety when lighting the fire.


    However, looking at the firewood in the stove, Yu Hong knew it wouldn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°I wonder when Little Stutterer will come back. If only we could find some coal or something¡­¡±


    The cave here was far more secure than her house.


    The doors and windows at her place were only half as thick as those at the cave, and the materials used were much softer¡ªold wooden boards.


    What was missing now was a solution to heating and food.


    If those were solved, this could become a proper safe haven.


    Bang!!


    Suddenly, Yu Hong thought he heard a faint sound from outside.


    ¡°What¡¯s that noise?¡± He furrowed his brow. In this rainy weather, any sound would definitely be from a monster or a strange shadow.


    He stood up, intending to check the noise outside.


    However, just as he stood, a pale face suddenly appeared in the observation window, scaring him.


    Even with the enhanced Huishi stone blocking it, getting frightened and mentally exhausted was inevitable.


    With that thought, Yu Hong sat back down.


    Bang!


    Another loud sound followed.


    Yu Hong¡¯s face changed. He immediately got up and rushed to the observation window, pulling the cover aside to look outside.


    He saw Little Stutterer and Dr. Xu being chased by the black monster.


    ¡°Damn!¡±


    Looking at the monster, Yu Hong¡¯s heart froze.


    In the heavy rain, several dozen meters away in the forest, a massive creature resembling a giant tick, more than two meters tall and over four meters long, with a completely black body, was chasing the two women.


    Silent.


    Stalled.


    Yu Hong stood at the door.


    Bang!


    He suddenly threw the door open.


    ¡°This way! Hurry, over here!!¡± He yelled toward Little Stutterer.


    His body was tense, trembling, his blood rushing through his veins, and his face turned bright red.


    The overwhelming fear and anxiety urged him to quickly shut the door, afraid the monster would notice him.


    But Little Stutterer had saved him before, helped him so much.


    Even in fear, Yu Hong had his principles, his bottom line as a human being.


    Gripping the steel Huishi rod by the door, he struggled to control himself, refusing to let fear take over and lock the door, to hide.


    ¡°Over here!! Yi Yi!!¡±


    Yu Hong stepped out into the rain and yelled.


    ¡°Run this way!!¡± He shouted.


    He knew that, out here in the increasingly darkening environment, if a strange shadow appeared, the result would be certain death.


    Instead of that, he preferred to hide with them, hoping that the reinforced wooden door would hold up against the monster¡¯s attack.


    As long as they could hold on for a bit, it was still daytime, and once the clouds cleared, the monster would retreat¡­


    Far away, Little Stutterer and Dr. Xu heard the sound and turned to look. Not only them, but the monster also noticed the noise and turned toward the direction of the sound.


    Seizing the opportunity, Little Stutterer gritted her teeth and prepared to run in another direction.


    ¡°Trust me! Yi Yi!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s voice came again.


    Little Stutterer stopped for a moment and looked at him.


    From afar, she saw the fierce determination on his face.


    ¡°Come!!¡± Yu Hong yelled, reaching out to her.


    Whoosh!


    The black monster charged again, the wind it created blowing Little Stutterer¡¯s hair back.


    Even the rainwater couldn¡¯t resist the strong gust.


    At that moment, Dr. Xu was the first to react, pulling Little Stutterer and rushing toward Yu Hong.


    Her movement triggered the monster.


    The giant black monster followed, charging toward the cave entrance where Yu Hong was.


    The beast, resembling a huge black tick, charged like a monstrous war machine with eight legs, charging toward the cave with a thunderous force.


    Its rhino-like size was terrifying, a completely different kind of fear compared to the strange shadows.


    Yu Hong took a step back, standing on the side of the door, looking at the approaching monster. His legs shook uncontrollably.


    A month ago, he had been just an ordinary office worker. Now, he was facing this terrifying, unknown creature!


    Fear.


    Intense fear.


    His whole body froze, almost unable to move.


    His right hand, gripping the door handle, trembled violently, wanting to shut the door quickly.


    But Yi Yi and Dr. Xu hadn¡¯t arrived yet!


    Dr. Xu, that was fine, but Little Stutterer was different. She had saved him back then, so now, he had to save her.


    Bang!


    Yu Hong slapped his own legs hard.


    ¡°Afraid of what, damn it!¡±


    ¡°Stop!!¡±


    ¡°Stand still, damn it!!¡±


    He yelled in his heart, staring fixedly at Little Stutterer and Dr. Xu, who were getting closer.


    Twenty meters.


    Fifteen meters.


    Ten meters.


    Five meters!


    One meter!!


    Swish!


    In an instant, Dr. Xu and Little Stutterer burst through the door. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as they entered, Yu Hong slammed the door shut and locked it behind them.


    Bang!!!


    In less than a second, a massive crash hit the door, shaking the entire cave.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Bang!!


    The black monster began furiously slamming into the reinforced door.


    It seemed to be angry, furious that Yu Hong had stolen its prey.


    But no matter how hard it slammed, the door only trembled and showed no signs of damage.


    ¡°Phew, phew, phew¡­ What is this??¡± Little Stutterer collapsed to the ground, looking back, confused, at the door in front of her.


    She stared at it in disbelief.


    She remembered that the door she and Yu Hong had worked on before wasn¡¯t like this.


    This door seemed much more advanced and sturdier than the previous one.


    ¡°After you left, I improved this door and reinforced the surroundings.¡± Yu Hong noticed her confusion, sitting down and panting, explaining.


    ¡°¡­?¡± Little Stutterer stared at him blankly, noting the vast difference between the original wooden door and this reinforced one.


    ¡°Never mind that, help hold the door!¡± Yu Hong quickly got up and ran to the back of the door.


    Dr. Xu and Little Stutterer scrambled to their feet and helped brace the door.


    The banging continued, but with the three of them working together, the monster outside was unable to break the door.


    The banging lasted for about a dozen more strikes. When it realized it couldn¡¯t break through, the monster finally turned and left, disappearing into the rain.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 17: Trouble (3)

    Thud.Yu Hong and the other two fell to the ground, their bodies limp and exhausted, gasping for air.


    The loud breathing created a rhythmic sound in the cave, stirring up tiny whirlwinds in the air.


    ¡°I told you. Didn¡¯t I say you should trust me?¡± Yu Hong said, his face pale and his voice weak.


    ¡°This door?¡± Little Stutterer still couldn¡¯t understand. The wooden door wasn¡¯t like this before, how did it suddenly change in just a day?


    ¡°What exactly did you encounter? What was that monster just now?¡± Yu Hong didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he looked at Dr. Xu, trying to get information from her. Communicating with Little Stutterer was simply too slow.


    Dr. Xu¡¯s face was pale, with blood slowly seeping from a wound on her calf. Upon hearing this, she carefully examined the reinforced wooden door, then looked around the cave.


    ¡°This is your idea of a safe place?¡±


    Boom!!!


    At that moment, a huge explosion interrupted her.


    In the sound of the explosion, the wooden door shook violently again, and small bits of stone flew off the edges.


    Hiss!


    A muffled and eerie screeching sound came from outside.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!!


    Then came a series of rapid, violent crashes.


    This time, the force was far stronger than before.


    The reinforced wooden door trembled under the massive force, emitting tiny vibrations.


    The three of them froze for a moment, then quickly reacted.


    ¡°It¡¯s that monster! It hasn¡¯t left!!¡±


    Dr. Xu screamed. Her voice was sharper than usual, nearly changing pitch entirely.


    Without hesitation, Yu Hong and Little Stutterer rushed forward and braced the door with their shoulders.


    Seeing this, Dr. Xu gritted her teeth, got up, and joined them in holding the door.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!!!


    The continuous heavy blows made the reinforced wooden door sway and the screws fixing the door frame began to loosen.


    ¡°Hold it!!¡± Yu Hong shouted.


    One after another. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three of them struggled to hold the door, trying to prevent the vibrations from the impact from loosening it further.


    They all knew that if the door were to break down, it would be the end.


    So, they were putting all their strength into it.


    One minute.


    Two minutes.


    Five minutes.


    Ten minutes.


    And finally, after thirteen minutes¡­


    The heavy rain outside began to subside, and the dense clouds in the sky cleared a bit.


    Sunlight finally began to shine down from the gaps in the clouds, like straight golden rays.


    Boom!!


    The final explosion.


    The three of them felt a violent jolt through their bodies, and cracks had appeared around the door, threatening to tear it off the stone wall.


    Hiss!!


    The massive tick-like monster let out one final strange screech and then stopped crashing against the door, retreating.


    The screeching sound quickly faded, then completely disappeared.


    The three of them continued to brace the door, motionless, afraid the creature might come back with a surprise attack.


    They waited for more than ten minutes.


    The golden sunlight slowly filtered in through the inspection window, and Yu Hong finally knew it was safe.


    Thud.


    He collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.


    He was so exhausted. They had almost been overrun. If the door had been breached just then, the outcome would have been clear: certain death.


    In their state, if the door had been breached, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape.


    Thankfully, everything was over.


    Huff, huff, huff.


    The three of them gasped like a bellows, sweat streaming down their faces, dripping onto the floor and forming a trail of dark spots.


    ¡°It should be okay now. The sun¡¯s out,¡± Yu Hong said as he stood up, swiftly pulling open the inspection window and looking outside.


    Through the wire mesh, the sunlight poured in, accompanied by a damp, chilly breeze that brushed against his face, making him shiver slightly.


    After scanning both sides through the window, he was certain that the monster had disappeared, and he finally relaxed.


    Turning around, he looked at the other two, who were also sitting on the ground.


    ¡°What was that thing? How did you guys attract it?¡±


    ¡°That was a large blood tick from the blood tide. We usually call it the Big Skin,¡± Dr. Xu wiped away the sweat on her brow, rubbing it on her dirty clothes as she replied. ?????????????


    ¡°But it shouldn¡¯t have appeared now. It only shows up occasionally during peak times, and it¡¯s never this aggressive and dangerous!¡±


    Thinking this, she forced herself to stand up.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here any longer. Something must have gone wrong. We have to pack up and head for the town¡¯s bunker! We can¡¯t stop the Big Skin on our own!¡±


    Her face grew tense with anxiety.


    ¡°Yu Hong, we held it off!¡± Little Stutterer stood up, also wiping the sweat from her face, pointing at the reinforced wooden door.


    She shouldn¡¯t have pointed it out because, when she did, both Yu Hong and Dr. Xu noticed the cracks at the edge of the door.


    ¡°What about next time? What if the peak season comes?¡± Dr. Xu said grimly.


    She turned to Yu Hong.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you made such a sturdy door, but the peak season is coming soon. We could barely stop one Big Skin now; do you really think you can handle it? Do you think staying here will keep you safe?¡± She pointed at the cracks in the door, raising her voice.


    Yu Hong fell silent. He placed a hand on the door and stared at the words that appeared on it: Repair time: 17 minutes.


    It was still possible to repair it, which he hadn¡¯t expected.


    Also, although going to the town might seem like the best choice, he wasn¡¯t so sure.


    He looked uncertain.


    If they left, a lot of things could go wrong. Besides, they had just managed to hold it off, didn¡¯t they? Though the door had almost broken, it was due to a lack of preparation. With a few more reinforcements, it would be much easier to handle next time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go,¡± Yu Hong said.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t either,¡± Little Stutterer looked at the cracked wooden door and spoke hesitantly.


    But she was interrupted by Dr. Xu.


    ¡°Are you both crazy? The door is about to break, and you still don¡¯t want to leave? What if two Big Skins show up next time during peak season?!¡± Dr. Xu couldn¡¯t understand.


    Her breathing grew rapid again as she stared at Yu Hong.


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful that you opened the door and saved us, but this is no time for stubbornness. Do you really think your almost broken door can withstand the peak season¡¯s onslaught? Do you want to get yourself killed?¡±


    ¡°Is it really safer in the town? With so many people, wouldn¡¯t the strange shadows be even more dangerous?¡± Yu Hong retorted, his emotions more stable now.


    After the intense fear and anxiety, he felt much calmer.


    ¡°Yes, but the committee is there. They have ways of handling it. It¡¯s at least safer than staying here with the Big Skin!¡± Dr. Xu said loudly.


    Yu Hong shook his head. ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t want to go.¡± At this moment, he felt that everywhere outside was dangerous. His self-made cave was safer than anything else.


    At least the black marks he could see now provided some measure of safety.


    After the door was repaired, he just needed to reinforce a few more panels or add chains, and next time, dealing with the Big Skin would be much safer.


    But he couldn¡¯t explain all this.


    In an environment where materials and parts were scarce, suddenly having such a well-made safety door was already abnormal.


    ¡°Crazy!¡± Dr. Xu stared at Yu Hong, ¡°You¡¯re really crazy! You¡¯ll die!¡±


    She pointed at the door.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got this security door, but it won¡¯t stop the blood tide. Peak season is different from usual. If the Big Skin shows up like before, there could be several next time. You won¡¯t be able to stop it!¡±


    She kept trying to persuade him.


    But no matter what she said, Yu Hong only shook his head.


    He didn¡¯t believe that the safety measures in the town would be better. Going to the town¡¯s bunker might indeed be safer.


    But he didn¡¯t want to rely on places or people that were beyond his control.


    So, no matter how much Dr. Xu tried to persuade him, he shook his head.


    In the end, seeing she couldn¡¯t convince him, Dr. Xu turned to Little Stutterer.


    ¡°Yiyi, he can¡¯t be reasoned with. We¡¯re leaving!¡±


    Little Stutterer fell silent, then turned to look at Yu Hong.


    ¡°Stay¡­ together,¡± she stuttered.


    Clearly, Dr. Xu¡¯s speech hadn¡¯t convinced Yu Hong, but it had convinced her.


    After all, the reinforced wooden door was already at its breaking point. If another Big Skin charged at it, they were definitely finished.


    Yu Hong couldn¡¯t offer any explanation or supporting reason for his decision.


    He just stayed silent.


    ¡°Yu¡­ Hong!¡± Little Stutterer looked at him, ¡°Come with us.¡±


    She patted his arm, her eyes clear.


    But Yu Hong just shook his head.


    ¡°You two go. I don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    He knew that going to the town¡¯s bunker would indeed be able to handle the Big Skin. Otherwise, the town would have been overrun by the blood tide by now, and they wouldn¡¯t have been able to collect information about the Big Skin.


    Little Stutterer and Dr. Xu were better off there.


    But he didn¡¯t want to go.


    He didn¡¯t feel safe anywhere outside; only his cave felt safe.


    At least with the black marks, he could see and improve his safety.


    Even if he went to the town, with his current weak body, if he exposed the ability of the black marks, the danger might be far greater than staying in the cave.


    After all, people¡¯s hearts are often the hardest to guard against.


    The monster might be terrifying, but it was straightforward, simple, and crude.


    ¡°Yiyi, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll fix the door myself. It¡¯ll be fine as long as I don¡¯t provoke a few Big Skins. The cave entrance is high, which makes it hard for monsters to charge in. I just need to hold out for a few more days. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yu Hong reassured Little Stutterer.


    Little Stutterer blinked, looking at him, wanting to say more, but Yu Hong raised his hand to stop her.


    ¡°Go on. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Yu Hong lowered his voice, ¡°You¡¯ve helped me for a long time, and it¡¯s time we part ways. But if you run into trouble in the future, you can come here. I¡¯ll help if I can.¡±


    He pulled out a reinforced glowing stone from his pocket and handed it to Little Stutterer.


    ¡°He can choose to die if he wants!¡± Dr. Xu was dry-mouthed from trying to persuade him. Seeing Yu Hong¡¯s unshakable attitude, she gave up.


    ¡°Stubborn as a mule! Let¡¯s go, Yiyi. We need to leave now if we¡¯re going to make it!¡± She grabbed Little Stutterer¡¯s hand and walked to the door, looking out through the inspection window to check the surroundings.


    Little Stutterer was being pulled away but turned to look at Yu Hong one last time.


    ¡°Come on, together.¡± A hint of urgency appeared on her face.


    But her hand was pushed away by Yu Hong.


    ¡°Yu¡­ Hong?¡± She was confused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Go with Dr. Xu. You two can look out for each other.¡± Yu Hong looked at her seriously.


    ¡°Dr. Xu, take care of Yiyi. If you run into trouble, come here. It may not be as good as the town, but it¡¯s safe to survive.¡±


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 18: Troubles (4)

    ¡°It¡¯s a man!¡± Doctor Xu said as she opened the door, turning to look at him.¡°I take back what I said about you being a burden, and I thank you for saving me. But right now, your decision is really stupid!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t understand how someone like Yu Hong could exist. He was like one of those idealistic, naive people who always say and do things that normal people can¡¯t understand.


    Now, it seemed that Yu Hong might actually have some skills. Being able to craft such reinforced wooden doors was impressive.


    But he was too full of himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this. You have no idea how hard the peak period will be.¡± Doctor Xu couldn¡¯t help but mock.


    That was just her personality.


    ¡°You can still change your mind and join us! It¡¯s not too late!¡±


    She stared at Yu Hong, her eyes softening with a subtle attempt at persuasion.


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Yu Hong shook his head. ¡°I prefer living alone.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Doctor Xu¡¯s expression changed slightly, letting out a huff. She grabbed Little Stutterer and stormed out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! The ground¡¯s difficult to walk on since it just rained; we must hurry! Let¡¯s stay with one of the patients I helped before!¡±


    She finally stopped paying attention to Yu Hong and dragged Little Stutterer out of the cave, jumping down the rocky cliff and running off into the distance.


    Little Stutterer looked back at Yu Hong as she ran.


    ¡°Yu, Hong!¡± She struggled to wave her hand. ¡°House, things, all¡­ for you!¡±


    She felt like it might be the last time she¡¯d see him, and a tinge of sadness filled her heart.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Yu Hong waved back, a smile on his face. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Watching the two of them getting smaller and smaller as they ran further into the wet forest, he suddenly had a feeling.


    Maybe Doctor Xu and Little Stutterer wouldn¡¯t be back for a long time.


    The sudden appearance of the large blood tick seemed to signify that the external environment was starting to deteriorate further. If the Big Skins started appearing regularly¡­


    Yu Hong stopped thinking about it.


    Looking in the direction they went, he suddenly felt a deep sense of loneliness.


    Suddenly, he took a deep breath and shouted loudly.


    ¡°Yi Yi! I¡¯ll wait for you here, always waiting!!¡±


    His voice was loud and echoed through the mountains and forests, one shout after another, traveling far.


    The two dots in the distance paused slightly before continuing to move, disappearing completely.


    At this moment, more golden rays pierced through the gray clouds, lighting up the earth and the forest.


    Yu Hong looked in the direction where they had gone, then turned to look toward Baiqiu Village.


    ¡°Now, there¡¯s no one left.¡± He exhaled.


    ¡°It¡¯s just me now.¡±


    If all the villagers and survivors around here encountered the Big Skins, they would definitely make the same decision as Doctor Xu.


    They would look for a larger scale bunker. It was impossible to fend off the stronger monsters with just a few people.


    ¡°Maybe, in a radius of dozens of kilometers, I¡¯ll be the only one living in the wild.¡±


    Yu Hong stared at Baiqiu Village, the old houses filled with patches, giving off a cold and eerie death aura.


    From the cave entrance, he could barely see the outline of the village through the forest.


    He stood motionless at the cave entrance for a long time.


    Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and his muscles tensed slightly.


    From far away, he saw a figure suddenly appear at the entrance of Baiqiu Village¡¯s broken stone road.


    It was a middle-aged man in gray-white old clothes, with a thin build.


    The distance was too far to make out his appearance.


    He could only see that the person seemed to be smiling and waving his hand in this direction.


    The person stood at the village entrance, raising his right hand, mechanically waving toward Yu Hong.


    Yu Hong blinked, but as soon as he blinked, he noticed that the person was gone.


    ¡± Ghostly shadows!¡± He gritted his teeth, feeling his jaw tighten.


    The frequency of Ghostly shadows appearing in broad daylight was increasing. According to the little stutterer¡¯s information, it wasn¡¯t like this before. ??????O?§£§§?


    This was not normal.


    And with the appearance of the new large blood ticks¡­ Big Skins.


    ¡°Just as the radio said¡­ the environment is deteriorating. It¡¯s getting more troublesome.¡±


    Yu Hong slowly retreated, not looking back at the village direction. Instead, he began searching for the wooden barrel he used to collect rainwater.


    Soon, he found a barrel with a big hole in it, about ten meters from the cave entrance.


    Luckily, there was still a small amount of rainwater left in the barrel.


    He lifted it with difficulty and returned to the cave.


    Then, he checked the wooden door and placed his hand on the door panel.


    ¡°Would you like to repair it?¡± The mechanical voice of the black mark sounded again.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yu Hong replied in his mind.


    Immediately, a black line flowed from the black mark on the back of his hand, shot out from his hand, and entered the wooden door.


    Then, a countdown appeared, visible only to Yu Hong.


    Seeing the repair start, he breathed a sigh of relief, opened the door, and let the wind from outside blow in a little.


    Then he started to count the food and supplies stored in the cave.


    One bag of enhanced protein bars, ten pieces. This should last him ten days if the packaging isn¡¯t lying.Dried mushrooms and vegetables that the little stutterer gave him. It was a large package, enough for a long time, providing trace elements and dietary fiber.One stinky cotton blanket.A radio.Two round wooden stools.One stove.One broken water bucket.One enhanced glowstone.An axe-saw lumbering kit.One enhanced candle.


    These were the main things. Other daily supplies were in the houses in Baiqiu Village.


    But¡­


    Yu Hong walked to the window of the cave and looked in that direction.


    In the sunlight, he could vaguely see that every door and window in the ruined old village had a vague figure standing there.


    They stood quietly, motionless.


    As Yu Hong stared at them, it seemed like they noticed something and turned to look back in his direction.


    ¡°So many!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s scalp tingled, and he quickly slammed the board shut to block his view.


    Baiqiu Village had clearly changed, and it had become more dangerous.


    Not just the blood ticks were changing, but even the Ghostly shadows.


    ¡°Before, with such strong sunlight during the day, there shouldn¡¯t have been so many Ghostly shadows. Why is this happening now?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t understand.


    The enhanced glowstone in his hand had only one left, with the rest embedded in the walls and the door.


    Right, the rods!


    Yu Hong grabbed the steel spike rod and looked around at the enhanced glowstones embedded in the cave¡¯s surroundings, feeling slightly safer.


    Now, he kind of understood Doctor Xu.


    She was right.


    If the black mark weren¡¯t here, going to the bunker in town would be the best, and the only way to survive.


    ¡°By the way, after using the enhanced glowstone, I wonder if it can be repaired or replenished.¡± Yu Hong sat on one of the stools, picking up a piece of enhanced glowstone he had used before.


    This stone, once removed from the steel spike rod, had lost its jade-like texture and turned a pale white, resembling lime.


    The symbols on the surface were still there, but upon closer inspection, Yu Hong noticed that the lines had broken in many places, no longer continuous.


    Holding the enhanced glowstone, Yu Hong sat quietly, staring at the countdown on the door.


    He didn¡¯t dare go outside.


    The outside was clearly not normal.


    Tomorrow would be the peak period, but today had already started to feel extremely abnormal.


    Baiqiu Village had the things the little stutterer said she would leave for him, but he didn¡¯t dare go to get them now.


    Because it was too dangerous.


    Just now, from afar, he had seen at least twenty Ghostly shadows. These were Ghostly shadows that dared to appear in broad daylight.


    This was a completely different concept from before. Once these Ghostly shadows attacked, his enhanced glowstones wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them.


    Yu Hong kept his eyes on the countdown while thinking.


    ¡°Luckily, before I left, I gave one of the enhanced glowstones to Yi Yi and had her learn the more complex symbols on it. That should help her.¡±


    Suddenly.


    Just as he was thinking, the wooden door in front of him flickered.


    In an instant, the damaged wooden door with cracks was completely restored, as if it had just been made.


    All the damage, cracks, and loosened screws had been reinforced and restored to their original state.


    Yu Hong breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and carefully inspected it.


    After confirming that there was no issue and that the door had indeed returned to its original reinforced state, he felt a deep sense of relief.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not enough.¡±


    Thinking of the terrifying impact of the Big Skins before, a shadow appeared in his eyes.


    After thinking for a moment, he picked up the steel spike glowstone rod, cautiously opened the door, and stepped outside.


    Outside was a quiet, dense forest.


    The moisture from the rain was rising, turning into a light mist, spreading through the forest and beginning to obscure his vision.


    The blurry mist made Yu Hong feel a sense of vigilance in his heart.


    But he had to go to the place where he made the wooden door earlier to find some long wooden planks to reinforce it.


    With the steel spike glowstone rod in hand, he moved as quietly as possible, climbing down the rock wall, and coming to a small open area in the forest.


    The clearing had a few stumps from trees that had been chopped down, black marks from fires, and wood shavings scattered around.


    This was where he had made the wooden door before.


    Yu Hong looked around and made sure it was safe, quickly picking up two thick wooden planks the size of his arms.


    These were leftover materials that had been discarded because they weren¡¯t straight enough.


    But now, they were just right for making door bolts and support beams.


    Dragging the two wooden planks, Yu Hong returned to the cave.


    The planks were soaked from the rain and very damp.


    But he didn¡¯t care about that. He wasn¡¯t concerned about whether they were wet or not; he just needed to survive through the peak period first.


    He took out a saw, measured them briefly, and then began cutting the planks.


    Soon, after adjusting and processing the ends of the planks, they were just the right size to be placed at the back of the wooden door, slanted to reinforce the door¡¯s defense.


    Once done, Yu Hong placed his hand on one of the planks.


    Thinking about reinforcing the door¡¯s support device.


    This was a test for him.


    On the surface, these were just two rough wooden planks. If he gave them a functional name, could the black mark reinforce them too?


    If not, that would mean the black mark had very specific requirements for its reinforcement targets.


    If it could, there would be much more flexibility.


    Pressing his hand on the plank, Yu Hong quietly chanted in his mind.


    Soon.


    ¡°Would you like to reinforce the door reinforcement device?¡±


    With a faint sound, only he could hear, the numbers on the wooden plank appeared.


    11 Minutes.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    He answered in his mind with great force.


    It worked!!


    It really worked!!!


    At the same time, a spark of excitement rose in his heart.


    If that¡¯s the case, then I can create a simple water filtration tool, and it should also be reinforced properly!


    ¡°Then there are furniture and various tools. As long as I give them a designated functional name, perhaps¡­¡±


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 19: Another Attempt (1)

    The eleven minutes passed in the blink of an eye.Under Yu Hong¡¯s expectant gaze, the thick wooden bar supporting the door blurred with a faint ¡°whoosh¡± and transformed within two seconds into a jet-black metal rod!


    The metal rod resembled an oversized chocolate stick, complete with anti-slip pads at both ends to enhance friction. The material seemed like iron, but it was much darker.


    Picking up the rod, Yu Hong examined it closely.


    ¡°Although the structure is still simple, the material has been strengthened. It¡¯s obviously sturdier than before. Amazing!¡±


    He was in awe.


    Next, he repeated the process to reinforce the second wooden bar.


    Within minutes, two black metal rods were symmetrically bracing the back of the door.


    ¡°This is so much stronger than when three of us tried to hold it with our shoulders,¡± Yu Hong said, nodding in satisfaction.


    ¡°Now, there¡¯s only one final issue.¡±


    Candles.


    Baiqiu Village was a dangerous option, but the candles, along with the water filter, pots, and cups, were all back there.


    ¡°I only have one candle left. It¡¯s definitely not enough unless I start a fire. Wait!¡±


    Suddenly, Yu Hong¡¯s eyes narrowed as he turned to the furnace by the stone wall.


    The furnace, which Little Stutterer had retrieved for him, came with a smoke pipe and hadn¡¯t been put to use yet.


    ¡®What if I strengthen this?¡¯


    The thought brought a wave of anticipation.


    Recalling the previously reinforced axe, Yu Hong went to the corner to retrieve it.


    The axe had undergone a significant transformation.


    It was no longer the simple wooden-handled tool it once was, complete with numerous nicks from chopping.


    Now, after being reinforced, it had turned into a robust, metal-handled felling axe.


    The long, black handle featured anti-slip grooves, and the silver axe blade was visibly thicker, with a razor-sharp edge glinting coldly in the dim light. £Ò??????B?S


    What was once an old, worn axe had transformed into a premium-quality tool.


    Putting the axe down, Yu Hong approached the furnace.


    The furnace was a black, metal, rectangular structure resembling a low table. Its surface was coated in black lacquer.


    Yu Hong pressed his hand against its edge.


    The cold sensation sent a chill down his spine.


    ¡®Strengthen¡­ no, enhance it as a lighting and heating system.¡¯


    A sudden inspiration hit, prompting him to refine the furnace¡¯s purpose.


    With a soft hiss, the black mark on the back of his hand released a thin black thread that seeped into the furnace¡¯s surface.


    Soon, a glowing number appeared on the furnace: 12 hours and 7 minutes.


    ¡®Do you wish to enhance the lighting and heating system?¡¯ The mark¡¯s query echoed in his mind.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯ Yu Hong responded firmly.


    Instantly, the numbers on the furnace changed into a countdown timer.


    ¡®Here¡¯s hoping it works,¡¯ Yu Hong thought, anticipation rising.


    With a bit of daylight left and one candle still in hand, he was confident he could make it through the night. If the enhanced furnace failed to meet his expectations by morning, he¡¯d have no choice but to risk venturing into Baiqiu Village to retrieve the candles and other supplies left behind by Little Stutterer.


    Watching the timer on the furnace, Yu Hong sat down on a dry spot, exhaustion washing over him.


    The day¡¯s string of events had taken a toll, and the effort of reinforcing the wooden bars had drained him.


    Drowsiness soon overtook him, and clutching the lone candle in his hand, he leaned against the metal-reinforced rod and drifted off. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Here¡¯s the translation of the provided text:


    ¡°Old Yu?¡±


    ¡°Old Yu??¡±


    A gentle call jolted him awake from his sleep.


    Yu Hong opened his eyes and saw a familiar, cheerful face hovering in front of him, smiling warmly.


    It was his colleague, Chen Huiru, from the office.


    ¡°Old Yu¡¯s awake! You scared me! I thought something serious happened! Thank goodness, it¡¯s just a scare.¡± Chen Huiru turned her head to speak to someone else nearby.


    ¡°I told you, Old Yu¡¯s not that fragile.¡±


    ¡°This prank went too far. We¡¯re all from the same office, that¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°Old Yu always brags about his courage, but look at him now¡ªscared out of his wits. I¡¯ve got enough material for a whole year!¡± Laughter erupted around him.


    Soon, Yu Hong rubbed his eyes and realized he was sitting on the grass outside the office building, surrounded by a circle of colleagues, the greenery around them vibrant.


    Each of them was smiling at him, chattering away.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it lifelike?¡±


    ¡°The bug was a model I rented from a nearby film crew. You¡¯re the fourth person we scared! You were lucky, Yuan Zhou nearly wet his pants. We even filmed it!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say anything! It was your bad idea!¡±


    His colleagues continued laughing and joking, surrounding him in the warm sunlight on the grassy lawn.


    Their smiles were warm and harmonious.


    As they chatted, they started holding hands and walking in a circle around Yu Hong.


    One circle.


    Two circles.


    Three circles.


    ¡°Look at Old Yu, still not recovered.¡±


    ¡°Too funny!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. Later, Gao Ge will treat us to a meal, let¡¯s go have fermented hotpot!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take some pictures, say cheese~~¡±


    The voices kept coming, drilling into Yu Hong¡¯s ears.


    He sat there, dazed, watching the colleagues spinning around him. Their smiles were so real, so warm.


    ¡®So, it was all a prank¡­¡¯ Yu Hong sighed in relief as his tense nerves finally relaxed.


    He stood up and reached out to grab one of his closest colleagues.


    Swish.


    Everything suddenly went quiet.


    The sounds disappeared completely, and a deep silence enveloped the air as Yu Hong¡¯s vision blurred.


    He took a sharp breath and slowly opened his eyes.


    The cold, hard stone floor greeted him, rough against his spine.


    He was still sitting on the ground, still leaning against the foul-smelling blanket, facing the countdown timer on the furnace, motionless, his hands wrapped around his knees.


    The cave was silent, with faint light filtering through the door¡¯s window.


    ¡°It was a dream¡­¡± He sighed.


    It was getting dark.


    Yu Hong¡¯s gaze shifted to the window.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Through the window, he saw a blurry face peering through the wire mesh, silently staring at him!


    Staring at him, the one who had just woken up from his sleep!


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Yu Hong jumped up, grabbing the steel nail rod, ready to confront whoever was out there.


    But after sitting still for so long, his legs had gone numb. When he tried to stand, his body tingled, nearly losing balance.


    He leaned against the furnace to steady himself, but when he looked back, there was no face in the window.


    ¡°Ha¡­ ha¡­¡± Yu Hong¡¯s face turned pale, realizing it was probably a ghostly shadow. He hadn¡¯t heard any footsteps. The shadow¡¯s movements were jerky, crossing distances in an unnatural way, characteristic of these spectral figures.


    Earlier, to let in some fresh air, he had opened the window so the outside air could flow in through the wire mesh.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that the ghostly figure would find him so quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯s still dusk, and the ghostly figure is already active.¡±


    He stood up carefully, moving forward to close the window.


    Swish.


    The light from the window disappeared, and the cave plunged into darkness.


    Yu Hong moved to another air vent on the opposite side. It was slower, but at least it wouldn¡¯t be so terrifying.


    Who knew how long that ghostly figure had been watching him while he slept?


    After doing that, with the little light coming from the air vent, he checked the reinforced stone behind the door.


    The stone was half its original size, now turned pale gray, almost like lime.


    Yu Hong¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Good thing I have the reinforced stone, or I might not even know how I died if I fell asleep alone.¡±


    He sighed deeply, smelling a faint moisture in the cave, knowing that if he didn¡¯t dry it out soon, it would start to mold.


    At this point, his only hope was to see what would happen with the furnace after it was enhanced.


    The countdown on the furnace still had more than ten minutes to go.


    Yu Hong decided to sit down and eat some dried mushrooms.


    He didn¡¯t look at the door anymore; his eyes were focused on the furnace.


    The minutes passed quickly.


    The numbers on the furnace were about to reach their end.


    Yu Hong¡¯s nerves tightened slightly because this enhancement might be crucial for his next plan.


    Swish.


    At that moment, the numbers on the furnace disappeared, and the entire furnace, along with the smoke pipe, blurred.


    The blurring lasted a second before everything returned to clarity.


    A brand new furnace now stood before him.


    ¡°!!? What is this?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s eyes widened as he took in the new furnace.


    What stood before him was a completely integrated fireplace, seamlessly connected to the cave wall.


    The fireplace seemed to have merged with the rock wall, its pipe buried deep into the stone.


    But the most surprising part wasn¡¯t this¡ªwhat struck him most was that the furnace was made entirely of transparent material!


    It was like glass, crystal-clear synthetic material!


    Yu Hong stepped forward and lightly knocked on the outer edge of the furnace.


    Bang, bang!


    The sound was dull but hard.


    ¡®Incredible. It really serves both heating and lighting purposes.¡¯ Yu Hong was speechless.


    The furnace naturally had a heating function, but making it transparent also gave it a lighting function.


    This enhancement was a stroke of genius!


    He walked around the new furnace, observing it for a while, until the outside light had completely dimmed, and faint rustling sounds began to emerge.


    He quickly grabbed a match and lit a candle.


    The enhanced candle had windproof features and could also absorb smoke, which was quite useful.


    He placed the candle on the stool and quickly started loading the furnace with kindling and firewood.


    The kindling was the wood shavings he had left from cutting wood¡ªthin, curled, and easy to ignite.


    He added some dried grass leaves to the mix.


    Crackle, crackle.


    Soon, a dark red flame slowly flickered inside the fireplace.


    The flame grew larger with time, and white smoke began to rise from above, flowing into the smoke pipe, drifting outside without a trace inside the cave.


    The flame gradually brightened and grew.


    After more than ten minutes, as the fireplace stabilized, Yu Hong added thicker firewood and blew out the candle.


    ¡°Finally, it¡¯s done!¡±


    He dropped onto the wooden stool, watching the burning fireplace with satisfaction.


    Warm waves of heat radiated from the transparent surface of the fireplace.


    The material even had good thermal conductivity.


    As the warmth spread, the chill of the cave was gradually dispelled, replaced by relaxation and warmth.


    For a moment, the entire cave was as warm as spring, bright and safe.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 20: Another Attempt (2)

    Yu Hong stretched his hand to warm up for a moment, suddenly feeling an unbearable thirst. He stood up and walked to the wooden barrel to scoop some water to drink.The water in the barrel was quite murky, a faint grayish color, but it was much better than the foul-smelling water.


    Yu Hong took a piece of dry charcoal, used an axe to cut off a small piece of cloth, and wrapped the charcoal inside. He then placed it on top of the wooden cup he intended to drink from, just the right size to stay in place and not fall out.


    With this, he had made the simplest, rudimentary charcoal filtration cup.


    He carefully and slowly poured water from the barrel over the cloth-wrapped charcoal.


    The water slowly seeped through and then very slowly dripped out from beneath the cloth, falling into the cup.


    Yu Hong observed and found that the water, at first, had some black charcoal residue, but gradually became cleaner, much clearer than the water in the barrel.


    Although still murky, it was an improvement.


    ¡°Water must be drunk, it can¡¯t be lacking. Let me see if I can reinforce and improve it. If not, I¡¯ll go to the little stammerer¡¯s house for help.¡±


    With this plan in mind, Yu Hong gripped the wooden cup. He concentrated, intending to reinforce it.


    Immediately, a new black number appeared on the side of the cup: 2 hours and 34 minutes.


    At the same time, the mechanical sound of the black imprint rang in his ears again.


    ¡°Do you want to reinforce the filtration cup?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Yu Hong replied eagerly, feeling hopeful.


    With a swish, the number on the side of the cup turned into a countdown.


    Relieved, he sat down, leaning against the fireplace to enjoy the warmth that radiated from it, feeling much more at ease.


    Two hours wasn¡¯t too long. A little rest would be fine.


    Sitting on the wooden bench, Yu Hong felt the continuous warmth from the fire flow through him, seeping into his body, making him feel increasingly lethargic.


    Despite the coming danger of the dark night outside, with its damp coldness and lurking threats, this warmth made it hard for him to muster any energy.


    Before he knew it, his eyelids began to droop.


    ¡°No! I can¡¯t sleep!¡± He suddenly stood up, distancing himself from the fireplace.


    By this time, a faint sweat odor had started to permeate the cave.


    It was the smell of his clothes and bedding being dried by the heat.


    Before, it hadn¡¯t been noticeable due to the dampness, but now that everything was drying out, the smell quickly spread.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Yu Hong rubbed his nose, realizing that the best thing to do now was to open the door and let in some fresh air. Unfortunately, it was nighttime¡ªthe most dangerous time outside. ???O??¨§?


    Ssss


    A faint, hissing sound of insects crawling outside the door began to reach his ears.


    It was clear that the blood tick insects had started to appear.


    He didn¡¯t know where these bugs came from; they weren¡¯t visible during the day, but once night fell, they all crawled out.


    Moreover, they evaporated and vanished when exposed to light, which seemed unnatural.


    But at this moment, he didn¡¯t have time to think about it.


    He stood up and waited quietly by the fireplace.


    The flames in the furnace flickered like red silk, constantly shifting, their light dancing and fluctuating. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ssss


    Soon, a large number of black insects began to pour in through the ventilation hole on the right side of the door, like black sand seeping in.


    As soon as the black insects entered, they were exposed to the furnace¡¯s flames and instantly turned to black smoke, vanishing.


    The flames dimmed for a moment but quickly returned to their normal intensity.


    ¡°Thankfully, the blood tick insects don¡¯t consume much of the fire. As long as I control the number of them coming in, the firewood should last through the night.¡±


    Yu Hong assessed the dry firewood in the corner and breathed a sigh of relief.


    He stood by the fireplace, waiting for the insect invasion to subside while staying prepared to add more firewood.


    Time passed, and the firewood slowly began to dim.


    Yu Hong¡¯s movements were fast as he swiftly threw more dry wood into the furnace.


    Soon, the fire reignited and the light returned to normal.


    This cycle repeated, and he had to add more wood roughly every half hour, or the flames would quickly fade.


    This kept him from letting his guard down, constantly having to focus on the fireplace.


    Boom!!!


    Suddenly, the wooden door was struck with a loud crash.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of rapid knocks followed. The door shook violently, like a giant drum being hit, and stones began to fall off the edges of the doorframe.


    But the two reinforced support pillars were doing their job.


    In the midst of the loud bangs, the door shook and trembled, as though the entire cave might collapse. However, thanks to the support pillars, it was still firmly held in place, and the surrounding screws remained intact.


    Yu Hong stood frozen, heart pounding, trying his best not to look at the door, instead keeping his eyes on the fireplace, making sure the flames didn¡¯t shrink.


    The minutes dragged on in this tense atmosphere.


    He had long lost track of time, and his phone had run out of battery and shut off.


    All he could do was silently watch the fire, waiting for dawn.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Suddenly, a thought struck him. ¡°The phone is also an item. Can¡¯t it be reinforced too!?¡±


    Yu Hong quickly realized that the most technologically advanced thing he had was his phone.


    If he used it to reinforce, maybe he could turn it into a center for calculating and controlling intelligent systems.


    Maybe he could even create an absolutely intelligent and secure shelter base in the future!


    While standing there, Yu Hong let his mind wander.


    After a while, the loud banging sounds finally stopped.


    The large creature outside seemed to have realized that it couldn¡¯t break through the reinforced door, so it gave up and scuttled away, leaving behind only faint rustling noises that soon faded.


    About ten minutes of silence passed.


    Outside, apart from the usual blood tick insects, there was no other movement.


    Everything had returned to the same state of standstill.


    But after being struck for so long, the reinforced door had a slight inward bulge, with cracks beginning to spread across the surface.


    Phew.


    Yu Hong let out a sigh of relief. It seemed like half the night had passed. If he could hold on just a little longer, he¡¯d make it through.


    Boom!!!


    Just then, a huge crash exploded on the door.


    The door panel was struck so hard that a crack appeared.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression changed. He quickly ran up to the door, dragging a quilt to brace against the door panel.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!


    A new round of strikes followed, louder and stronger than before.


    ¡°Either this isn¡¯t the same creature, or the big creature has entered a berserk state!¡±


    Yu Hong gritted his teeth, holding the door, while his shoulders, already sore from the earlier strain, burned with pain.


    Ten minutes.


    Twenty minutes.


    Half an hour.


    Forty minutes passed.


    Finally, the banging stopped, and silence descended.


    Yu Hong breathed a sigh of relief, letting go of the quilt and checking the door.


    The reinforced door panel had several more raised areas on the inside, with cracks spreading all over.


    If the strikes had continued for another half hour, the door would have been completely broken.


    At this moment, a faint ray of light shining through the ventilation hole made Yu Hong realize that the creature outside hadn¡¯t given up, but it was just dawn.


    He slumped down, drenched in sweat, feeling both hungry and thirsty.


    He turned to look at the reinforced filtration cup. The countdown had long since disappeared.


    In its place was a completely upgraded black metal cup.


    The cup had a large filtration device attached, looking like a weight with the lid of the cup connected to it. The cylindrical base of the cup resembled a beer mug, with a capacity of at least 500 milliliters¡ªabout the size of a standard bottle of mineral water.


    Taking the reinforced filtration cup, Yu Hong quickly poured some water from the barrel into it.


    The rainwater filtered through, slowly dripping into the bottom of the cup, gradually forming a layer of clearer cold water.


    Yu Hong waited for a while, tilted the cup, and poured out the filtered water.


    ¡°This is drinkable now, but it still needs to be boiled.¡±


    The boiling pot and basin were in the house in Baiqiu Village.


    Yu Hong could only take a symbolic sip to moisten his mouth.


    Then he walked to the door, lifted the barrier, and peeked outside.


    The light outside had grown brighter, and sunlight was once again shining down.


    Yu Hong checked his surroundings and, finding it safe, removed the support pillar and unlocked the door.


    He stood at the door, checking the extent of the damage to the large door.


    To his shock, it was almost about to give way. If the reinforcement hadn¡¯t been done in time, it would¡¯ve been breached just before dawn.


    Yu Hong silently placed his hand on the surface of the door.


    ¡°Do you want to repair it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he confirmed.


    As the countdown appeared on the door, Yu Hong felt a faint sense of unease.


    ¡°It¡¯s still not enough; I need to reinforce the door even further. If another big creature comes and hits it, this door won¡¯t hold!¡±


    ¡°So how do I reinforce it?¡±


    He stood by the door, closed it, and began thinking carefully.


    After a while, he quickly grabbed an axe, and the sound of wood being chopped echoed through the cave. Soon, Yu Hong dragged two thick wooden boards back.


    Using a hammer, he made a lot of noise, and after some effort, the two thick wooden boards were nailed to the back of the door.


    But the boards were not nailed to the door itself. Instead, they were fixed against the stone walls on both sides, one at the top and one at the bottom, placed parallel to each other.


    This way, although it would be more cumbersome to enter and exit, the door was once again reinforced.


    Next, Yu Hong repaired the wooden boards, placing vertical strips along the back of the door to thicken it.


    Having done all that, he was exhausted and sat down.


    Wiping sweat from his brow, he took the small wooden box given to him by the stammerer, inside which only two nails remained.


    ¡°The steel nails are almost gone. I need to replenish them.¡±


    The mortise and tenon structure was useful, but it had to be planned from the start. Otherwise, later modifications would rely on things like steel nails.


    Sitting still, Yu Hong thought for a moment before filtering another cup of water and sipping it slowly.


    He picked up the steel nails and a fluorite rod, took a deep breath, and surveyed the entire cave.


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll go to Little Stutterer¡¯s house to move some things. Before I leave, I should reinforce something to save time.¡±


    He thought for a moment and chose to reinforce the newly added door reinforcement boards.


    Reaching out, he placed his hand on the reinforcement board behind the door, focusing his thoughts.


    Soon, the familiar black mark of a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.


    ¡°Would you like to reinforce the door reinforcement board?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Without hesitation, he responded in his mind.


    Immediately, a number appeared on the board, which soon turned into a countdown: 1 hour 32 minutes.


    ¡°Not too bad. It¡¯s not too long,¡± he sighed in relief.


    Then, he picked up the stick, tucked the single piece of enhanced stone into his pocket, and opened the door.


    Without hesitation, he jumped down the rock steps and headed toward Baiqiu Village through the forest.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 21: Exchange (1)

    Fortunately, this time, there were no unexpected issues. Yu Hong smoothly moved out the dried meat, mushroom jerky, and other supplies from the house, as well as some unmarked white stones that hadn¡¯t been inscribed with runes yet. He also grabbed the iron pot and other tools. There wasn¡¯t much else of use in the house.By the time he returned to the cave, over an hour had passed. Panting, he put the items down and organized them neatly. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The door reinforcement was also just completed.


    After a blurry flicker, the reinforced board was perfectly embedded into the back of the door, fusing seamlessly with it. As a result, the entire door was at least half thicker than before.


    The heavy door was noticeably more difficult to open and close, but it made Yu Hong feel more secure.


    Once he finished these tasks, he closed the door and sat down on a wooden stool inside the cave, beginning to boil water.


    While the water boiled, he used a charcoal pencil to write and sketch on a piece of newspaper.


    The charcoal pencil was thick and hard to write with, but Yu Hong gritted his teeth, enduring the discomfort. He carefully wrote a line of text.


    ¡®Comprehensive Physical Training Plan¡¯


    Then, below this line, he added the following numbered items:


    ¡®1¡ª¡ªJogging for fifteen minutes every day.¡¯


    ¡®2¡ª¡ªAt least thirty push-ups a day, ten per set.¡¯


    ¡®3¡ª¡ªAt least thirty sit-ups a day, ten per set.¡¯


    These were simple plans for physical exercises.


    Yu Hong then extended his hand, pressing it onto the newspaper.


    The thought of reinforcement flashed in his mind.


    Immediately, the black mark on the paper rippled, and a black line flowed into the newspaper.


    ¡®Completeness insufficient.¡¯


    A mechanical voice suddenly echoed in Yu Hong¡¯s ears.


    ¡°??¡±


    He froze for a moment, withdrew his hand, and frowned at the paper.


    This was an experiment he tried¡ªwriting a few basic exercise methods and guiding his thoughts to see if the black mark could enhance them into more effective and powerful training methods. §²??§à?¨¨?


    But now, it seemed¡­


    ¡°Completeness insufficient? What does that mean? What¡¯s missing?¡±


    He picked up the paper and examined it closely.


    ¡°There are exercise methods, and the frequency is also there¡­ Wait! I understand.¡±


    Suddenly, his expression changed. He grabbed the charcoal pencil and started adding more.


    ¡®4¡ª¡ªSupplement protein, carbohydrates, and trace elements every day.¡¯


    ¡®5¡ª¡ªTrain six days a week, rest one day, and ensure at least ten hours of sleep daily.¡¯


    After tapping the charcoal powder off the paper, Yu Hong nodded, placed it down, and pressed his hand on it again, focusing his thoughts.


    Soon enough.


    ¡®Would you like to reinforce the Comprehensive Physical Training Plan?¡¯ The black mark¡¯s voice inquired.


    At the same time, the countdown to reinforcement appeared on the paper: 5 days, 12 hours, 16 minutes.


    Yu Hong was delighted. He knew his test was a success!


    However, seeing the long time required¡ªfive days¡ªhe didn¡¯t confirm immediately. He released his hand, canceling the reinforcement.


    Now was the peak period; if he reinforced it now, the black mark would temporarily be unavailable. He decided to wait until after this period.


    ¡®Since it¡¯s feasible, let¡¯s try again!¡¯


    Excited, Yu Hong turned the page and wrote another title: Martial Arts


    Under this, he wrote down basic martial arts techniques he¡¯d seen online, struggling to piece together an adequate set, covering offense, defense, dodging, and pursuit. After thinking hard and completing it, he placed his hand on the paper again, full of expectation.


    ¡®Reinforce Martial Arts, with a focus on fantasy cultivation style!¡¯


    In that moment, after watching too many novels, Yu Hong¡¯s heart was full of hope for the future. He nervously awaited the black mark¡¯s response.


    The black mark rippled again, and a black line flowed from it into the paper.


    ¡®Completeness insufficient.¡¯


    A feedback sound followed promptly.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression of hope froze. Although he had guessed this might happen, he still felt a bit disappointed seeing it for real.


    Then, thinking for a moment, he decided to change tactics. He pressed his hand on the paper with the Comprehensive Physical Training Plan.


    ¡®Reinforce the Comprehensive Physical Training Plan, with a focus on life evolution!¡¯


    Hiss.


    The black mark surged again, flowing into the paper.


    Soon, the feedback came again.


    ¡®Completeness insufficient.¡¯


    Yu Hong wasn¡¯t disappointed this time. Instead, he raised his hand again, pressing it onto the paper.


    ¡®Reinforce the Comprehensive Physical Training Plan, with a focus on human extreme training methods.¡¯


    Hiss.


    The black line reappeared, surging into the paper.


    This time, the black mark was silent for a long while.


    Finally.


    ¡®Would you like to reinforce it into human extreme training methods?¡¯


    ¡°Success!!!¡± Yu Hong let out a low exclamation, unable to suppress the smile spreading on his face.


    Then, he looked at the numbers that had appeared on the paper.


    ¡°.¡±


    His smile slowly faded, replaced by disappointment and speechlessness.


    The numbers appeared in the middle of the so-called Comprehensive Physical Training Plan:


    ¡®678 days, 12 hours, 06 minutes.¡¯


    ¡°.¡± Yu Hong was speechless. He stood up and paced around for a bit.


    After a moment, he sat back down.


    ¡®Maybe I set the difficulty too high. I¡¯ll try adjusting it lower.¡¯


    Once more, he pressed his hand on the paper.


    ¡®Reinforce the Comprehensive Physical Training Plan, with a focus on advanced physical enhancement.¡¯


    This time, he didn¡¯t try to push it too high. Since he now understood that harder things needed more time, he lowered his expectations and just focused on the most basic level, with a slight lean towards internal martial arts.


    Sure enough, the black mark¡¯s inquiry returned.


    ¡®Would you like to reinforce it as advanced physical enhancement?¡¯


    Numbers also appeared on the paper. Compared to before, these numbers were much more reasonable: 9 hours, 16 minutes.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯ This time, Yu Hong gave a definite answer.


    This time, with the reinforcement requiring just a sleep¡¯s worth of time, he was eager to see how the enhanced version differed from regular training methods.


    After boiling the water in the cave, he ate some dried meat, drank some water, and was about to go out to gather firewood when he suddenly heard someone shouting.


    ¡°Yu, Hong! Yu, Hong, are you there?¡±


    A familiar voice came from afar.


    With the sound of branches snapping underfoot, someone was quickly approaching the cave.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression changed. He rushed to the door, peering through the peephole to look outside.


    In the bright forest, a small figure in camouflage was rapidly approaching.


    The person was wearing a steel helmet, brown hiking boots, a camouflage tactical vest, goggles, and a black breathing mask.


    With this gear, no one could tell who they were.


    But Yu Hong recognized the voice¡ªit was Little Stutterer, Lin Yiyi!


    ¡°Yiyi, is that you?¡± He quickly called out. ¡°1726495!¡±


    ¡°2, 3, 2!¡± Little Stutterer hesitated for a moment and immediately responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!!¡± Yu Hong quickly opened the door, cautiously checking the surroundings, and went out to meet her.


    The two quickly met on the sloped ground in the forest.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright! That¡¯s great!!¡± Little Stutterer grabbed Yu Hong¡¯s hand, both relieved and happy.


    ¡°I thought you¡­ were¡­ gone!¡± She gestured with her hands while pulling out a letter from her vest pocket.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving! Read the letter.¡± She showed her face, a mix of happiness and helplessness.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yu Hong, noticing her outfit, had a bad feeling.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been recruited into the United Army. I must go with the main force to a distant place!¡± Little Stutterer answered, gesturing to the letter.


    ¡°All the details are in here.¡± She said helplessly. ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay, that¡¯s good.¡±


    For a moment, Yu Hong didn¡¯t know what to say.


    In this environment, being drafted into the military was an extremely dangerous situation.


    But now, it was too late.


    He quickly took the letter and unfolded it to read.


    The handwriting was much smoother than before, so it was either someone else had written it for her, or Little Stutterer had practiced and gotten better at it.


    The letter explained that once she arrived at the town, she used the enhancement crystal to disperse three consecutive illusions, and because of her strong physique and great strength, the local defense forces had taken an interest in her.


    Little Stutterer didn¡¯t mind joining the army. At least she¡¯d have food and water, no more hunting and scavenging to survive. She would have clean clothes, gear, and housing, much better than when she was in the village.


    The letter also mentioned that the town¡¯s defense team had noticed the enhanced white stone¡¯s effects and might come to Yu Hong to negotiate an exchange.


    Although Little Stutterer didn¡¯t know where the enhanced white stone came from, she could see through their intentions.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Little Stutterer warned seriously.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Yu Hong nodded. He had already prepared mentally for the possibility of the defense team coming for the enhanced white stone before he sent it with Little Stutterer, but he didn¡¯t expect it to happen so soon.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. The time¡¯s up.¡± Little Stutterer said one last time.


    She turned and ran off. After running about ten meters, she suddenly turned around and looked at Yu Hong.


    ¡°You can write a letter, at the post office!¡± She shouted, pointing in the direction of the previous postal worker¡¯s residence.


    After the order collapsed, Baiqiu Village¡¯s only external communication method had been through the post office.


    The postal workers, paid with state-issued supplies, trained their physical fitness every day. Their only job was to stay in contact with various regions, relaying intelligence and information about local specialties to higher-ups.


    The letter also mentioned that postal workers also had the task of being a general goods merchant. They would take local products to the distant gathering places, sell them, and buy necessities in return, making a profit from the price difference.


    Lastly, the letter mentioned that postal workers could help deliver letters for a fee, but only for nearby posts, and it wasn¡¯t cheap.


    In the forest, Yu Hong watched Little Stutterer as she gradually disappeared into the trees.


    He understood that it would be incredibly hard to meet again.


    Standing at the cave entrance, his heart was filled with emotion.


    Little Stutterer was the one who had guided him from the very beginning. Without her, he might have died in the wilderness or succumbed to illness.


    ¡®Safe travels,¡¯ he silently wished in his heart.


    Turning around, he went back inside, about to close the door.


    Suddenly, there was a rustling sound outside.


    The sound was messy but not hurried or concealed, indicating that the person wasn¡¯t trying to hide their presence.


    Yu Hong turned back quickly, closed the door, and looked out through the peephole.


    Outside, two figures in camouflage clothing emerged from the forest.


    Both men were over 1.8 meters tall, with broad shoulders and sturdy builds, each holding a slender metal rod, pushing through the bushes as they approached the cave.


    (End of this chapter)

 Chapter 22: Exchange (2)

    The two individuals wore goggles and black face masks, dressed in the same way as the little stutterer earlier.Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the cave, and the taller one stepped forward and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Yu Hong from Baiqiu Village?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me. What is it?¡± Yu Hong replied, hiding to the side of the door.


    He didn¡¯t stand behind the door but instead leaned against the stone wall.


    ¡°I heard you have better luminous stones for sale?¡± the taller man asked, without revealing his identity.


    (TL Note :- Changing white stone to luminous stone )


    ¡°What better luminous stones? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, and who are you?¡± Yu Hong asked, his voice low.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hide it. We¡¯ve already seen the two luminous stones in Lin Yiyi¡¯s possession. They¡¯re impressive. If you have such skills, you shouldn¡¯t be staying here. You should come with us to the town. There, you¡¯ll be able to make full use of your talents and save more people,¡± the taller man persuaded.


    ¡°By the way, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Zhao Zhenghong, and this is Xu Yang. We¡¯re from the town¡¯s United Army.¡±


    ¡°United Army?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not interested in going to the town. I feel safer staying here alone. However, I can sell you some enhanced luminous stones, but not right now. I don¡¯t have enough myself, and I don¡¯t have time to make more.¡±


    He had considered using enhanced luminous stones for bartering, but currently, he couldn¡¯t mass-produce them. It took three days to make just one, which was a huge waste for him, considering the use of Black Mark.


    ¡°It¡¯s a high-demand period, and many places need luminous stones. If you come with us to the town, you¡¯ll be under the protection of a lot of people, and you can focus on making larger luminous stones. It¡¯s far better than staying here and handling everything yourself,¡± Zhao Zhenghong continued.


    ¡°I forgot to mention, we¡¯re local to Baiqiu Village, so I¡¯m giving you a choice. You don¡¯t have to come, but you must contribute your technology on how to make the enhanced luminous stones, okay?¡±


    ¡°In these difficult times, every additional enhanced luminous stone could save lives. Once you share the technology, it doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t make them yourself. It won¡¯t stop you from hiding here and contributing to the greater good without much trouble, right?¡±


    Zhao Zhenghong¡¯s words were reasonable. If it were someone else, they might have been persuaded.


    But unfortunately, Yu Hong¡¯s enhanced luminous stones didn¡¯t rely on his own technology but on Black Mark.


    And Black Mark¡¯s ability was something that couldn¡¯t be exposed.


    ¡°Sorry, I only trade. As for the technology, it¡¯s something you can¡¯t master,¡± Yu Hong replied steadily.


    With the reinforced wooden door, he didn¡¯t think they could break in, so his refusal was firm.


    Zhao Zhenghong¡¯s eyes flickered, but instead of getting angry, he smiled.


    ¡°Alright, since that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll visit again. You can think it over, Yu Hong. After all, staying here and suffering alone isn¡¯t better than enjoying life in the shelter, with food and no worries, plus a girl to share your life with.¡±


    He patted his companion, and the two turned and walked down the stone steps, heading into the distance.


    Soon, the two vanished into the forest, leaving no trace.


    However, just out of sight from the cave¡¯s window, another figure, dressed in camouflage, silently pressed against the rock wall, hiding to the right of the door.


    This figure was dressed the same as Zhao Zhenghong and his companion, holding a knife in one hand and standing motionless against the rock wall like a gecko. ??????????????§¦?


    From this position, as soon as the cave door opened, they could rush in and control whoever was inside.


    At this moment, Yu Hong quietly pulled his eyes away from the peephole and sighed. He watched for a while and confirmed that no one was around before relaxing slightly.


    ¡°The kind of trade I want is not with people like them.¡±


    He knew that the enhanced luminous stones would attract unwanted guests, but for the safety of the little stutterer, he hadn¡¯t been stingy with his trade.


    Since the fame of the enhanced luminous stones would spread, more people would likely come to trade with him.


    After all, the old luminous stones were too bulky, and carrying them was inconvenient. Just like when the little stutterer dispersed the phantom, he had to throw the luminous stones one by one.


    Snapping back to the present, Yu Hong didn¡¯t go outside. Instead, he waited quietly in the cave.


    He had food and water that could last for a day, so there was no hurry to go out.


    If those two came back, it would be troublesome.


    Leaning against the fireplace and feeling the warmth from it, Yu Hong thought to himself that perhaps living quietly in the safe house forever wasn¡¯t such a bad idea.


    Suddenly, his stomach rumbled loudly.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression changed, and his good mood disappeared without a trace.


    He quickly rushed to a corner, grabbed a small bucket, and pulled his pants down to use it.


    Splash.


    As soon as he positioned himself, a gush of sound erupted.


    Yu Hong¡¯s face turned pale.


    He had diarrhea!!


    The sharp pain in his stomach told him that this wasn¡¯t just a simple case of catching a cold, but possibly an intestinal infection!


    Soon, after wiping himself with leaves, Yu Hong stood up, but after just a short time, he felt his stomach churning again. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He opened the lid of the bucket once more and had another episode of diarrhea.


    ¡°This is troublesome!¡±


    Yu Hong stood up and quickly started rummaging through his belongings. He soon found a small black box.


    Inside the box were two deep blue capsules, the purpose of which was unclear.


    But Yu Hong remembered that these were the cold medicine that Dr. Xu had given him. They weren¡¯t antibiotics.


    He had used up all his antibiotics. Later, when they ran out, the little stutterer exchanged some valuable items with Dr. Xu, but it still wasn¡¯t enough. In the end, Dr. Xu, out of goodwill, made a loss on the exchange.


    Only after taking the medicine did his body slowly improve.


    ¡°No, I need to find a solution!¡± Yu Hong closed the bucket, but the smell in the cave had already spread.


    He had to open the peephole to allow fresh air to circulate.


    ¡°I need medicine, either anti-diarrheal or intestinal anti-inflammatory!¡± Yu Hong thought urgently. He suspected that the rainwater he had drunk, which hadn¡¯t been boiled, might have caused the diarrhea.


    But strangely, the water he had drunk before had been filtered through the little stutterer¡¯s dirty filter and hadn¡¯t made him sick. The rainwater, however, seemed odorless, yet it caused an upset stomach.


    Yu Hong held his stomach and glanced at the newspaper on the comprehensive fitness exercise method, which was still in the countdown for reinforcement. Only a little over two hours had passed, so it still had time to finish.


    He looked outside at the daylight. Biting his lip, he grabbed two boards and wedged them into his shirt and abdomen. Then, he picked up the steel nail luminous stone rod and headed for the door.


    He needed to go to the other villagers¡¯ homes in Baiqiu Village to check if the post office had medicine.


    Otherwise, by tomorrow, the diarrhea would have left him exhausted, and his condition would be worse.


    Also, he had to figure out how to stock up on more medicine. Maybe he could use Black Mark¡¯s reinforcement once he returned.


    Gripping the doorknob, Yu Hong twisted it forcefully.


    Click.


    The lock turned with a sound.


    But Yu Hong stood still and waited quietly.


    He even held his breath, listening for any noise outside.


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, he pushed the door outward.


    Then, with a bang, he quickly slammed the door shut again.


    With a crisp sound, just as the door closed, a figure flashed past from the outside, tumbling down the stone steps and crashing into the grass.


    ¡°Damn!¡±


    The person cursed as they stood up and muttered something in an unfamiliar dialect.


    Seeing that there was no movement inside the cave, the person glanced at the sky, snorted coldly, and quickly turned and walked away.


    Behind the door.


    Yu Hong took a deep breath, sweat beading on his forehead, but his expression eased. He remained standing behind the door, unmoving.


    After waiting for another ten minutes, he repeated the earlier tests and confirmed that there was no further movement outside. Only then did he slowly open the door.


    The sunlight outside was bright, and it was the best time of day, just past noon.


    ¡°At least five hours until dusk. The post office is about a mile away, so it¡¯s no problem to make a round trip. I can also ask other nearby villagers if they have anything to trade. If the post office has no medicine, someone else might.¡±


    As for what to trade, Yu Hong brought along the filtration cup he had made. It was reinforced and had good workmanship, filtering much better than regular devices. It should be very popular for trading.


    This cup was completely handmade by him, with a wooden cup that didn¡¯t even have a handle. It was simple to make¡ªjust carve a round hole into a piece of wood.


    For filtering, he used a piece of cloth and some charcoal, which was cheap and quick to reinforce.


    It was perfect for trading.


    With the filtration cup, the steel rod, some dried meat, and a water skin, Yu Hong set out, following the direction the little stutterer had given him, heading toward the post office.


    Since he had been there many times, a small path had already been worn into the ground.


    The grass on the road had been cleared, and it was shorter than the rest.


    Plus, the little stutterer had marked the trees to prevent getting lost.


    Yu Hong jogged along, without taking a wrong turn.


    About half an hour later.


    He finally reached the so-called post office of Baiqiu Village¡ª a square white stone house.


    The house was surrounded by a fence, and on the wooden door of the entrance hung a sign that read: Ring the bell before visiting.


    Yu Hong glanced at the stone house and walked to the sign, only to find that the bell had fallen to the ground.


    He picked it up. It was an egg-sized copper bell, and when shaken gently¡­


    Ding dong!


    The sound echoed.


    He shook it continuously, the bell ringing, its sound spreading through the forest, in circles, as if responding to the wind.


    He shook the bell for several minutes.


    But there was no movement from inside the house. It seemed deserted.


    ¡°Stop shaking it. The postman has gone to the shelter in the town. There¡¯s no one here.¡±


    A cautious female voice called out from behind.


    Yu Hong turned and saw a small woman with blonde hair, wearing a green men¡¯s jacket, bowing down as she rose from a patch of grass.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 23: Exchange (3)

    The woman, though short in stature, had an agile build. She held a large mountain-cleaving knife in her hand and was eyeing Yu Hong with a scrutinizing look.¡°Got any food?¡± Her gaze briefly lingered on the steel nail luminous stone staff Yu Hong was holding.


    ¡°Want to trade? What do you want?¡± she added quickly.


    ¡°Got any medicine?¡± Yu Hong, observing her toned physique, felt that this woman might be stronger than him, and a sense of caution rose within him.


    As he kept a wary eye on his surroundings, he looked her over. ¡°I need anti-diarrheal medicine and anti-inflammatory medicine.¡±


    ¡°I have some, but you need to figure out exactly what¡¯s wrong with you, or it¡¯ll just be a waste.¡± The woman responded quickly.


    ¡°Diarrhea, several times in a row. I think it¡¯s because I drank rainwater,¡± Yu Hong answered promptly.


    ¡°Rainwater!?¡± The woman¡¯s expression changed, and she stopped in her tracks, glaring at Yu Hong. ¡°Did you drink it directly, or did you filter it first?¡±


    ¡°Filtered it,¡± Yu Hong replied, sensing her reaction and feeling uneasy.


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s a relief.¡± The woman¡¯s tone relaxed. ¡°Rainwater has to be boiled before drinking. Ever since those things started appearing two years ago, the rainwater has been contaminated. Drinking it straight will cause severe diarrhea, only people with very strong constitutions can handle it.¡±


    ¡°So, what should I do now?¡± Yu Hong furrowed his brow and threw a piece of dried lizard meat toward her.


    She caught it, sniffed it, bit off half of it, and chewed slowly. Her gaze toward Yu Hong softened.


    ¡°Good thing you filtered it first. Didn¡¯t anyone tell you not to drink rainwater?¡± she said, sounding exasperated.


    ¡°No, I have a companion. She just drinks it without thinking,¡± Yu Hong recalled his time with Little stutterer , who often drank rainwater but never offered him any.


    ¡°You have a strong companion,¡± the woman murmured in silence.


    ¡°I guess she¡¯s like a wild buffalo, able to lift you with one hand.¡±


    ¡°Not that strong. But can you tell me how to fix this?¡± Yu Hong tossed another piece of dried meat toward her.


    She caught it with a faint smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Dig up some black, slightly purple soil from the ground. Take a lump about the size of an egg, mix it with water, and drink it down. You¡¯ll feel better soon.¡±


    She stood up straight, eyeing Yu Hong.


    ¡°By the way, this is probably your first time exchanging with someone, right? You just gave everything away. Were you from the underground bunker in town?¡±


    Yu Hong said nothing but looked at her, his expression revealing just how she knew.


    He wasn¡¯t from the bunker, but it didn¡¯t hurt to let her believe so.


    ¡°You¡¯re Yu Hong, right?¡± The woman suddenly said, speaking his name. ¡°Yi Yi is indeed strong, I¡¯ve heard her mention you. There are very few newcomers around here, and you¡¯re the only one recently.¡± ?????§§S?


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m Yu Hong. What¡¯s your name?¡± Yu Hong, hearing Yi Yi¡¯s name, relaxed a bit, knowing the woman was familiar with her. But he still gripped his staff tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jenny, a leather worker. You¡¯ve probably heard of me from Yi Yi. I can repair any clothing for the people around here,¡± the woman spoke more gently now.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Yi Yi? Why is it you instead of her? Why isn¡¯t she here?¡± Jenny asked, confused.


    ¡°She went to town,¡± Yu Hong lied casually, not saying that Yi Yi had left.


    ¡°Alright. Got any more food? I told you how to treat rainwater-induced diarrhea. If you have anything else to trade, just bring food. Need any clean clothes?¡±


    Her eyes scanned Yu Hong¡¯s filthy T-shirt and she smiled. The once-gray shirt now looked yellow and soaked with sweat, heavy and unpleasant to wear. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Got any nails?¡± Yu Hong thought for a moment and asked. He needed nails for his work; they were much more convenient than traditional joinery.


    ¡°I have plenty. What do you need them for?¡± Jenny blinked, and then her eyes widened as if realizing something. ¡°Wait, you can make things?¡±


    ¡°A bit,¡± Yu Hong nodded and pulled out a water filter cup he had made. ¡°This is my work. If you need it, you can order from me. Medicines, clothes, unprocessed gemstones, or help with some tasks can all be traded for it.¡±


    Jenny looked at the water filter cup in his hands, her eyes growing brighter as she examined it.


    ¡°If this works well, everyone around here can benefit. Because of the recent big disaster, we¡¯ve all gathered at Old Zhou¡¯s bunker. Once the crisis passes, I¡¯ll come to trade with you!¡± She quickly said.


    ¡°Will you trade this cup now?¡± she asked, pointing at the filter cup.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    He could make things, and he was good at it. This was the identity he had crafted for himself, and it helped ensure his basic safety in the area. As long as he was alive, he could continue to provide what others needed. That was his value.


    ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Jenny said, not saying how much she would trade, and turned to run into the forest, disappearing in a flash.


    Yu Hong watched her go and then carefully found a place to hide, not wanting to remain foolishly exposed.


    He desperately wished for the exercise method he was about to finish enhancing. His physical condition was too poor, and he feared he couldn¡¯t defend himself if anyone attacked.


    Once the enhancement method succeeded, he could strengthen various survival skills, including wilderness survival and stealth techniques.


    But the key was that the enhanced skills had to be usable by him.


    ¡°Exercise still needs adequate food and rest. I wish I could figure out how the lizard jerky is made. And the mushrooms¡­¡± Yu Hong crouched in the grass, deep in thought, waiting.


    Fortunately, it was the hottest part of the day, and the phantom-like creatures wouldn¡¯t appear at this time.


    For some unknown reason, there were few mosquitoes or insects in the forest, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about being bitten.


    The leaves rustled with the wind, sometimes loud, sometimes soft. The sunlight was intense, casting a warm glow on his body.


    Yet, apart from the rustling of the leaves, the forest felt eerily quiet. No birds, no insects, just a suffocating silence.


    Yu Hong¡¯s eyes constantly scanned the area to ensure he wasn¡¯t being approached by a phantom.


    The forest, so full of life and sunlight, felt oddly lifeless. There were no butterflies, no bees, no flowers¡ªjust grass, tree branches, and roots. The layers of leaves, in shades of light green, emerald, and yellow, intertwined, forming a bizarre and unreal forest.


    ¡°This forest feels like it¡¯s dead. So lush yet falsely quiet,¡± a thought flickered in Yu Hong¡¯s mind.


    After several minutes, footsteps once again came from the direction of the post office stone house.


    ¡°Yu Hong? Are you here? I¡¯m back.¡±


    Jenny¡¯s voice called out.


    Yu Hong carefully peered through the grass, looking in the direction of the voice.


    Jenny appeared in her previous attire, holding a small cloth bag, scanning the surroundings.


    He didn¡¯t rush out but kept observing her. After a moment, he noticed her movements were natural, not stiff, and she was walking step by step.


    Clearly, she was not a phantom.


    Also, no one else had followed her. She was alone.


    Once he was sure of this, he slowly stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m here. Got the stuff?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± Jenny narrowed her eyes, looking in his direction. ¡°Stay still!¡±


    She suddenly shouted.


    ¡°What¡¯s the exchange we agreed on?¡±


    ¡°The filter cup and nails!¡± Yu Hong answered immediately.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Jenny relaxed and approached.


    ¡°Here,¡± she handed over the small cloth bag.


    Yu Hong took it, opened it, and found a large handful of rusty iron nails, each about the size of a finger.


    ¡°About thirty or so, should last a while. But this isn¡¯t enough for the filter cup.¡±


    He looked up at her.


    ¡°Add this.¡± Jenny placed a backpack on the ground, opened it, and pulled out a patched-up long-sleeve sweatshirt.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d need a change of clothes. If you get soaked by the rain, you might catch a fever.¡±


    She smiled and winked at Yu Hong.


    ¡°Deal!¡± Yu Hong nodded, handing her the filter cup and receiving the sweatshirt.


    The sweatshirt was gray, made from some unknown fine grass and adorned with animal fur, looking warm and practical.


    ¡°This shirt has wild boar skin, it can keep the rain off, but don¡¯t stay in the rain for too long,¡± Jenny reminded him. ¡°It was originally for my daughter, who works at the bunker in town. She comes back once a month. She should be only a little younger than you.¡±


    A soft smile appeared on her face as she mentioned her daughter.


    ¡°You really love your daughter,¡± Yu Hong said, tucking the sweatshirt and nails away.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s my pride. She inherited the best traits from both her father and me¡ªbeautiful, confident, capable. She can handle everything in life,¡± Jenny replied with a smile.


    ¡°By the way, if I want to contact you from a distance, how can I do that?¡± Yu Hong suddenly changed the topic.


    ¡°You can use a long-distance communicator, but charging it is a hassle. It was useful before the disaster, but now it¡¯s pretty much useless,¡± Jenny replied. ¡°The mailman has one, though, and he can always contact the bunker in town.¡±


    ¡°How does the charging work?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s mind lit up, and he quickly asked.


    ¡°With a hand-crank generator. There¡¯s also solar power, but the efficiency has dropped over time, so now it only works as a backup,¡± Jenny explained. ¡°Why? Do you want one?¡±


    She quickly guessed Yu Hong¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°I have some small electrical devices. If they can be charged, they¡¯d be a huge help. When the mailman returns, can you ask if they¡¯re selling solar generators?¡± Yu Hong said.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 24: Exchange (4)

    ¡°If you still have something as good as a water filter cup, he will definitely buy it,¡± Jenny said with a laugh.Filtering water had always been a big problem for her. The water filter jugs sent from the bunker were only good for filtering coarse particles. They needed to be replaced frequently.


    She had just quickly checked the water filter cup in her hand. The filter inside had five layers, so it should work well.


    ¡°Would you mind if I try it?¡± She took a leather water pouch from her waist bag and compared it.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yu Hong stepped back a little, letting her pour water into the filter cup.


    Soon, clear water flowed out, and the quality was so good that Jenny¡¯s eyes lit up. Clean water was in high demand, especially for washing wounds.


    After the transaction, they each stepped back and quickly parted ways.


    On his way back, Yu Hong found the soil that Jenny had mentioned. He dug up a bit and brought it back to the cave.


    He planned to try enhancing it. If the soil indeed had a diarrhea-stopping effect, the Black Mark should be able to enhance it into a medicine with fewer side effects.


    This was his true trump card! At that point, if the enhancement time was right, he would have another source of trade for supplies.


    On the other side.


    Jenny quickly passed through the forest and stopped in front of a patch of grass. She bent down, pushed aside some weeds, and dug out a pull ring from the ground.


    Grabbing the ring, she pulled it up.


    Immediately, a wooden board camouflaged as grass stood up.


    Below the board was a simple tunnel.


    She quickly crawled into the tunnel, going deeper into the dark passage. After crawling for more than ten meters, she soon reached the end of the tunnel.


    At the end, there was a black-gray round metal door.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    She knocked on the door, then, without waiting for a response, pulled out a key, inserted it into the keyhole, and turned it to open the door.


    Behind it was a small square room with atomic lights on the walls. The faint green light cast everything in a strange hue.


    This was her solitary bunker, furnished with tables, chairs, cabinets, a bed, tools, and plenty of materials used for leather crafting.


    Jenny crawled out of the passage, closed the door behind her, stretched, walked over to a cabinet, and poured the filtered water from the cup into a small pot, waiting for it to boil.


    She then walked to the bookshelf, sat down, took out a charcoal pencil and some newspaper, and prepared to record her encounter with Yu Hong today.


    ¡°Mom, did you just go out?¡± Suddenly, a clear voice came from another room.


    This bunker had a small hall with three rooms: one for leather crafting, one for the bedroom, and one for storage.


    The voice came from the bedroom.


    ¡°Is that you, Eve? When did you come back?¡± Jenny¡¯s face lit up as she turned to look in the direction of the voice.


    ¡°Not long ago.¡± A girl with a golden ponytail walked out of the bedroom. She wore a green hoodie and tight jeans. Her face was delicate, and it seemed like she had put on light makeup. ???????????¨¨S?


    She was Jenny¡¯s daughter, Eve, the most beautiful girl in the survivor settlement.


    ¡°Is there any food, Mom? I just checked, and there¡¯s nothing.¡± Eve complained.


    ¡°There¡¯s some left.¡± Jenny stood up and quickly found a small bag of dried meat in the corner. She opened the bag, grabbed half of it, and prepared to give it to her daughter.


    But before she could, Eve snatched the whole bag.


    ¡°There¡¯s this much? Thanks, Mom! I knew you were the best!¡± Eve happily gave her mom a kiss and quickly darted out through the exit.


    Jenny¡¯s hand hung in the air, the dried meat now gone.


    She smiled wryly but didn¡¯t stop her.


    She hadn¡¯t had the chance to say that the dried meat was most of her remaining supplies for the peak of her hunger.


    What¡¯s left was barely enough for her to make clear soup to survive each day.


    Sighing, Jenny suddenly smiled again.


    ¡°She must be really hungry. Well, it¡¯s good to help her.¡±


    She didn¡¯t think about why her daughter, who was doing well, suddenly ran back from the town, nor did she wonder why Eve wasn¡¯t considering her at all.


    She only knew that since her husband¡¯s death, Eve was her only remaining family.


    ¡®She¡¯s still young in this regard. She¡¯ll understand when she¡¯s older.¡¯


    Comforting herself, Jenny continued to focus on handling some old clothes she had received in trade.


    She was dismantling the old clothes to make new, well-fitting ones, which was one of her trades.


    Elsewhere.


    Yu Hong quickly entered the cave and was greeted by a familiar stench, which reassured him.


    He closed the door and opened the window to let in some fresh air.


    He grabbed a protein bar and slowly chewed it while laying the soil he had dug out earlier on a piece of newspaper.


    Finally, he pulled over a round log stool, sat down, and quietly watched the newspaper with the ¡°Comprehensive Physical Training Method¡± flickering with a countdown.


    At this point, the countdown had just over five hours remaining.


    Yu Hong decided to stay put and wait calmly, sitting on the stool, watching the time pass.


    One hour. Two hours. Three hours. The sky outside began to darken.


    The wind in the forest picked up, howling louder.


    Yu Hong stood up, stretched his legs, and reached for the shutter to close the observation window.


    At the same time, he swapped out half of the strengthening stone for his only complete one.


    After doing this, he grabbed the small pot, poured out the boiled water, and took a small sip from the cup to avoid dehydration.


    ¡®With the rain outside, one day isn¡¯t enough to dry the wood. There¡¯s not enough dry firewood, so tonight, I¡¯ll have to make do.¡¯


    He calculated the remaining firewood and then took out a candle, placing it somewhere easily accessible.


    Afterward, he lay down on the blanket, gazing at the door, waiting for nightfall.


    Not long after, about twenty minutes later, the sky turned completely dark.


    The familiar rustling sounds of black insects crawling came once again.


    Yu Hong quickly got up and used the remaining embers in the fireplace to light the candle.


    The candlelight illuminated the entire cave.


    During this time, he began lighting the fireplace.


    By nightfall, the outside temperature had dropped to just a few degrees, and the black insects rapidly swarmed in.


    The flames in the fireplace gradually grew brighter as Yu Hong added dry wood.


    Time passed in this monotonous routine.


    During this time, Yu Hong had to run to the toilet twice, each time experiencing severe dehydration symptoms. His complexion grew paler, and his lips lost their color.


    Finally, after closely monitoring the process, the ¡°Comprehensive Physical Training Method¡± enhancement finished.


    After a brief blur, the newspaper instantly transformed into a thin black manual.


    The manual was about the size of a palm, with a cover neatly stamped with the words: Advanced Physical Training Method. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this, Yu Hong¡¯s eyes lit up. He quickly put down the dry wood and walked over to grab the booklet.


    Under the firelight, he eagerly flipped to the first page.


    Immediately, a diagram of a standard running posture appeared before him.


    The figure in the diagram was a bald man with no skin, showing all his muscles, tendons, and bones.


    The areas where force should be exerted were highlighted in red, and arrows indicated the direction and intensity of the force.


    Looking at the text above the diagram, it read: Basic Breathwork Running.


    ¡°This is just running, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yu Hong carefully checked the details on the diagram, confirming that this was an extremely detailed guide on running technique.


    However, he distinctly remembered that he had directed the enhancement toward martial arts, internal skills, or similar areas.


    At the time, he had thought that even if the name was ¡°Advanced Physical Training Method,¡± slight deviation wouldn¡¯t matter.


    But this was the result?


    Yu Hong frowned, sighed, and patiently turned to the next page.


    The second page included a diagram of breathing techniques for running.


    Again, it showed the same skinless bald man, with red and blue arrows indicating exhalation and inhalation rhythms, quantities, times, and pathways.


    There were also small notes beside it, stating that a specific pattern needed to be visualized during running.


    The third page showed that very visualization pattern.


    It was an odd image, resembling a mix of black sludge and silver sand.


    At first glance, Yu Hong felt a slight dizziness, as if his eyes were being sucked in.


    He didn¡¯t dare to look further, because below it was a small warning: Do not look before the training period.


    He flipped the page again.


    Finally, there were some herbal materials to accompany the exercises. Yu Hong was surprised to find that these herbs were common in the surrounding forests.


    There were also cautionary notes and warnings.


    ¡®This training method is customized based on individual physical and mental conditions. Do not use it if you are not the intended recipient. Any consequences will be your own responsibility.¡¯


    ¡°So intelligent?¡± Yu Hong felt more amazed by the Black Mark¡¯s power and mystery.


    He closed the last page, suddenly realizing that this ¡°Advanced Physical Training Method¡± only included a jogging exercise diagram?


    The black insects outside were still swarming in wildly.


    The noisy sounds brought Yu Hong back to his thoughts.


    He quickly set down the manual and walked over to the fireplace to add more wood.


    As he added the wood, he carefully recalled the exercise methods he had just seen.


    ¡®It didn¡¯t say that I need to run outdoors. It seems like I could try running in place indoors.¡¯


    Unfortunately, the idea seemed good, but after just two minutes of running in place, his legs gave way, and he was exhausted.


    Having not eaten, only drinking water and suffering from dehydration, his body had already entered a state of fatigue.


    Realizing this, Yu Hong quickly remembered that he hadn¡¯t taken the medicine yet and his diarrhea hadn¡¯t improved.


    He grabbed a piece of firewood, went over to the mound of soil he had dug earlier, and touched it.


    ¡®Enhance the diarrhea medicine, with the goal: Reduce side effects.¡¯ He silently thought.


    If this soil really had a natural diarrhea-stopping effect, the Black Mark enhancement should succeed.


    If not, the Black Mark might fail to enhance, just like before, because the soil wasn¡¯t effective.


    This would be the test of whether it worked or not.


    Yu Hong stared at the soil, not blinking, quietly waiting.


    Hiss.


    Soon, a black line emerged from the Black Mark on the back of his hand, drilling into the soil.


    Immediately, a familiar countdown appeared on the surface of the soil.


    This time, the countdown was red, instead of black.


    ¡®1 hour, 51 minutes.¡¯


    Really!!


    Yu Hong¡¯s eyes lit up, and a look of relief crossed his face.


    Although he didn¡¯t think Jenny would deceive him, seeing the results in person brought him a sense of relief.


    In this dangerous environment with a lack of medicine, being able to reliably produce enough diarrhea medicine would be a great benefit to both him and others.


    ¡®Do you want to enhance the diarrhea medicine?¡¯ The cold, mechanical voice of the Black Mark slowly sounded.


    Yu Hong licked his dry lips.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 25: Setback (1)

    An hour and fifty-one minutes, or rather, two hours, was not long for Yu Hong.While adding firewood, he patiently waited.


    Unknowingly, the number of black bugs outside began to decrease, and faint light started to shine through the ventilation holes.


    Morning arrived.


    He slowly walked to the back of the door and opened the observation window.


    Outside, the forest was shrouded in a hazy gray mist, unclear and indistinct. The sunlight illuminated the mist, turning everything into a dull gray-white.


    Suddenly, Yu Hong smelled a pungent odor and involuntarily took two steps back, frowning slightly.


    He glanced at the enhanced medicine behind him; there were still a few minutes left.


    Not in a hurry, he calmly sat and waited.


    Before long, the numbers on the surface of the black soil dropped to zero.


    Its entire body twisted and blurred for less than a second, then quickly returned to clarity.


    Once clear, the original soil had turned into six black capsules, lined up together.


    The back of the capsules had writing: Antidiarrheal medicine, usage: one capsule at a time, once a day. Side effects: abdominal pain, constipation, stomach discomfort.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression brightened, and he quickly ran over to pick up the medicine. He took out one capsule and put it in his mouth, then grabbed the filtered boiled water and drank it, swallowing the pill with a few gulps.


    After taking the medicine, he felt much calmer.


    The enhanced black imprint ability had never failed. Since it had marked the pill as an antidiarrheal, it would definitely be safe.


    The medicine hadn¡¯t taken effect yet, so Yu Hong, with nothing else to do, began using the remaining wood to make a new water filtration cup.


    As long as it was roughly made, the enhancement would perfect it.


    He also took a protein bar and popped it into his mouth.


    This bar claimed to replace a full day¡¯s worth of nutrition, and he wanted to give it a try.


    While working with the saw, he casually turned on the radio.


    The radio was set up and hadn¡¯t been tampered with.


    Once switched on, a voice emerged, an interview format.


    ¡°.The major disaster in Youyun City in the past two years has not been an isolated case. According to the statistics of the National News Agency, since the appearance of the Black Disaster, special disasters have been increasing nationwide. The casualties caused by strange shadow creatures and blood tide monsters have not been particularly severe. They only caused considerable damage in the early stages of the Black Disaster. But in the more stable environments later, it was the more dangerous Evil Shadows that led to the sharp rise in casualties.¡± ?????¨§????


    ¡°The Evil Shadows are not afraid of ordinary glowing stones, move extremely fast, and have strong infectivity. Although their appearance is rare, they cause far more harm once they appear than the previous two monsters. The recent disaster in Youyun caused over six hundred casualties, comparable to the early case in Frika, Charle Town.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Professor Han, do you have any advice for us?¡± the radio host asked.


    ¡°Advice? There is only one: Try to reach larger Hope City outposts. They have better weapons, stronger protection, and a single person cannot find a way to combat the Evil Shadows. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, by the way, you previously mentioned that the Silver Tower Joint Research Institute is about to release a survival manual for defending against the Blood Tide and strange shadow monsters. Do you know if this is true or not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it, but I¡¯m not sure whether it¡¯s true. However, the environment outside the cities is getting worse. Blood Tide and strange shadow creatures are increasing, and the night is growing longer. The demand for lighting is rising. Personally, I think Silver Tower has an obligation to release such a manual.¡±


    ¡°Lastly, a listener asked: In large gathering places, when danger strikes, more people die and the risk of being affected is higher. Just like the Bokov incident from a year ago or the Music Box incident five months ago, both led to mass casualties. There are even more incidents happening in various corners that haven¡¯t been reported. What is your opinion on these concerns?¡±


    ¡°I must warn you about these incidents. Investigations show that they were all caused by Evil Shadows. Their high infectivity allows them to spread rapidly through any contact with their mediums. This is the key to their large-scale casualties.


    As for the Evil Shadows, aside from isolating and dispersing the mediums, we have no effective means of driving them away.¡±


    ¡°How about high-concentration Luminous stone bombs?¡±


    ¡°No, the danger of Evil Shadows lies in their ability to recover extremely fast once dispersed, without any harm. So, once encountered, it is crucial to leave swiftly. With more Evil Shadow incidents outside, various Hope Cities are becoming stricter in their checks for people entering. I advise all survivors outside to enter the cities¡¯ bunkers as soon as possible. Otherwise, they may face difficulties entering and a lack of supplies.¡±


    The program ended with a thank-you message as the professor left the broadcast room, and the station played soothing music.


    Yu Hong sat on the bench, engrossed in listening. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that even the seemingly safe Hope City outposts were facing such great dangers.


    ¡®Well, it makes sense. The more people, the more danger draws towards them. If I were a strange shadow monster, I¡¯d go to places with more people to find food.¡¯


    Snapping back to reality, he sighed lightly.


    Standing up, he placed a rough wooden cup on the ground and, as usual, wrapped charcoal in cloth to block the cup¡¯s mouth.


    He pressed down on it and activated the enhancement.


    The countdown numbers appeared: 3 hours and 2 minutes.


    ¡°Huh? Why is the time longer?¡± Yu Hong remembered that the last time the enhancement took only two and a half hours.


    He looked at the new cup he had made. It was very rough¡ªjust a square wooden bowl hacked out with an axe, with a messy hole carved in the middle with a chisel.


    It was much worse than the finely crafted wooden cup he made the first time.


    ¡®Could it be that the craftsmanship is affecting the time?¡¯ he wondered.


    He made a mental note of this.


    After resting for a while, feeling better, he began enhancing the water filtration cup. Then, he cleaned up the cave, throwing out the garbage and changing into the new clothes he¡¯d found, before going outside to gather more firewood and collect water from puddles.


    After finishing these tasks, three hours had passed.


    The cup was enhanced, and there was no noticeable difference from the last one.


    He tested it out, and indeed, it worked well.


    That day, he didn¡¯t run around much, instead staying near the cave, gathering firewood.


    The dry firewood had been soaked by the rain, but it was still good for small crafting projects.


    Another three hours passed, and Yu Hong enhanced another filtration cup.


    With two now, he paused and decided not to continue, instead picking up his tool kit.


    This kit, assembled by the little stutterer, included a saw, axe, chisel, shovel, screwdriver, and more¡ªquite comprehensive.


    Yu Hong decided to enhance it properly for future use; if it broke, it would be troublesome to fix it later.


    Inside the cave, he placed all the tools together, bundled them in a piece of rag, and then pressed his hand on the cloth.


    ¡°Enhance tool kit, focus: reinforcement.¡±


    A black line flashed, and the countdown immediately appeared: 1 hour and 12 minutes.


    A short time.


    Yu Hong withdrew his hand, deep in thought.


    ¡°Looks like this enhancement is closely related to my requirements. The more difficult the requirement, the greater the time difference. There¡¯s also something about the level of completeness; I¡¯m not sure how low the minimum requirement is.¡±


    He calculated in his mind, then found a place to sit and rest.


    The antidiarrheal medicine was very effective; for six hours, he didn¡¯t have any problems and felt no discomfort.


    The remaining medicine could be saved for future use or exchanged at a crucial moment.


    As the afternoon passed, Yu Hong decided to take a break. After familiarizing himself with the environment, he returned to the shelter and prepared to sleep early.


    He couldn¡¯t sleep at night, so he planned to use the advanced physical training method to exercise his body.


    Before sleeping, he couldn¡¯t let the enhancement time go to waste, so he checked the status of the tool kit.


    When he reached the corner of the cave, Yu Hong was momentarily stunned.


    The once scattered and broken tools were now all fixed in place by a black metal rack.


    Each tool looked brand new, no longer showing any wear or damage.


    Moreover, the surfaces of the tools seemed to have a layer of unknown black substance attached, making them thicker and sturdier.


    ¡°Wow¡­ impressive. Just one hour?¡± Yu Hong couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, picking up a saw.


    The saw¡¯s teeth, which had previously been broken in some places, were now fully intact, sharper than before.


    Impressed again, he began to look for the next item to enhance.


    Now, in the cave, food, water, and tools were guaranteed for the time being.


    The only remaining issue was the place to rest.


    His gaze fell on the thick, smelly quilt.


    ¡®Let¡¯s enhance this too. If it can be turned into something resistant to mold, lightweight, and easy to clean, that would be great.¡¯


    With that thought, he crouched in front of the gray-white quilt the little stutterer had given him and extended his hand.


    ¡°Enhance bedding, focus: anti-mold, pest control, more lightweight and easier to clean.¡±


    His requirements flashed in his mind.


    The black line from the imprint on his hand flashed out and entered the quilt.


    The countdown appeared: 10 hours and 14 minutes.


    ¡°Ten hours?!¡± Yu Hong was surprised. But then, he realized that the extra requirements and the larger size of the bedding might be the cause.


    Ten hours¡ªfrom now until morning¡ªhe could wait.


    He made up his mind and sat down to rest. As the countdown on the quilt began to move, Yu Hong started jogging in place, continuing his physical exercises.


    He kept his breathing steady, focusing his mind, and coordinating with his muscles.


    It was a challenge to synchronize all three.


    He kept trying and repeating, occasionally stopping to add firewood, as time continued to pass.


    By the later hours of the night, he gradually found the rhythm of coordination.


    As he jogged, he began to hear faint water sounds.


    The sound was initially soft.


    But over time, it grew louder and louder, eventually overtaking even the sound of the black bugs outside.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 26: Setback (2)

    Gradually, Yu Hong began to feel heat surging through his body, a thin layer of sweat forming on his skin. He swung his arms with effort, coordinating his movements with his entire body.In his mind, he visualized the diagram of the advanced exercise method.


    Unknowingly, fatigue set in; his body grew heavier, and exhaustion crept in.


    This sensation lasted only a few minutes before¡ªsuddenly!¡ªa faint, almost imperceptible coolness emerged in the soles of his feet.


    This coolness seemed to be composed of countless tiny particles within his body, converging to form it.


    Yu Hong could distinctly feel countless tingling, itchy spots gathering around his soles, eventually coalescing into that faint thread of cool air.


    While his feet kept moving, a refreshing current began flowing upward from the center of his soles.


    The airflow moved slowly upwards, naturally following his running motion¡ªfirst reaching his hips, then his waist, his chest, and finally his head.


    The two streams of cool air converged at the top of his head, forming a vortex before flowing down the back of his neck, eventually returning to his soles and forming two circular loops.


    Curiously, as the two streams completed their first loop, Yu Hong felt a sudden chill sweep through his body, instantly alleviating much of his fatigue.


    Shortly after, he stopped to add wood to the fireplace, carefully savoring the sensations brought about by the advanced exercise method.


    That night, no large skinned creatures battered at the door¡ªonly a ceaseless tide of black insects poured in, seemingly endless.


    Unknowingly, dawn broke.


    Yu Hong ceased his exercises, glanced at the fortified bed, and began tidying up the ashes, eating, drinking water, and attending to other necessities.


    After waiting a while, he listened to the radio as the countdown for the fortification process neared its end.


    Swoosh!!


    In an instant, the scene twisted momentarily.


    The previously grimy quilt blurred before snapping back into clarity.


    What lay before Yu Hong was no longer just a blanket.


    It was now a grayish-white sleeping bag with a zipper and hood!


    The material had transformed from cotton to a lightweight, unfamiliar fabric. Yu Hong pinched it with his fingers¡ªit felt soft and gentle, exuding a faintly fragrant smell likely intended to repel insects.


    ¡°Now I just need a large supply of water to take a bath,¡± Yu Hong remarked, inspecting his improved cave, which had become far more comfortable compared to the beginning.


    ¡°How can I secure a large water source?¡± he muttered. It was a troublesome question.


    While there was just enough water to sustain basic needs, obtaining a large quantity required either a well or a stream.


    ¡®Wait¡ªif anything can be fortified, what about a well? Could a well also be fortified?¡¯ A sudden thought flashed in his mind.


    He pushed this idea aside for later, drank a cup of water, and pulled out a small bag of dried meat. Fortifying dried meat was the most cost-effective way to pass the time. ?????????¨®?????s


    A small bag containing ten pieces required only 8 hours to fortify, turning them into protein bars that could last for ten days. Compared to their pre-fortification shelf life of two to three days, the improvement was substantial.


    For the next two days, Yu Hong didn¡¯t leave the cave, focusing entirely on physical training.


    His meals consisted of protein bars mixed with dried mushrooms and wild vegetables.


    By boiling everything into a pot of soup, even the time for heating water was saved.


    Time flew, and the six-day peak period of fortification finally passed.


    On the last day, two large skinned creatures attempted to breach the door again but were repelled by the reinforced and re-fortified barrier.


    It was a close call.


    With this, the small safe house finally lived up to its name, providing genuine safety.


    After the peak period, Yu Hong tallied his remaining food supplies. All the dried meat had been fortified into protein bars¡ª26 in total¡ªalong with dried mushrooms and wild vegetables.


    Using the Black Seal, he fortified them into something similar to nutrient bars. According to the description, consuming one bar per day provided all essential micronutrients and dietary fiber.


    The forest was abundant with wild vegetables, but meat and water were still the main concerns.


    After the peak period, Yu Hong spent his days wandering the forest in search of streams and his nights training his body with the advanced exercise method before resting by the fireplace.


    Life became simple and rhythmic.


    Occasionally, shadowy figures would probe the area, but they were repelled by the Great luminous Stone.


    Yu Hong had come to prefer the name ¡°Great luminous Stone¡± as used by the town¡¯s allied military, so he adopted it himself.


    Days passed peacefully, one after another.


    In the blink of an eye, twenty days went by.


    With food supplies dwindling¡ªonly six protein bars left¡ªrestocking became urgent.


    Bang. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yu Hong closed the door behind him, holding a black metallic mace, and scanned the surroundings cautiously.


    Half a month of training had added some muscle to his frame, replacing the former frailness.


    His eyes now carried a sharp focus, a noticeable improvement.


    The most significant change, however, was his weapon¡ªa steel-spiked mace, which had been fortified into a lighter, sturdier weapon with concealed slots for inserting Great luminous Stone.


    The spiked club now came with an anti-slip wrist strap that secured it to his arm, preventing it from falling during combat.


    Three large luminous stones were discreetly hidden in the compartments along the middle section of the club, undetectable unless the compartments were unlocked.


    In addition, Yu Hong¡¯s dark green anti-stab jacket, which he wore, had been made by enhancing a hoodie purchased from Jenny.


    Although it had taken some time to complete, the results were worth the effort.


    The anti-stab jacket had been reinforced with two hardwood plates at the front and back, granting it some bulletproof capabilities. It could significantly reduce damage from anything short of a close-range shot, not to mention its excellent protection against stabbing weapons.


    The rest of his time had been devoted to enhancing the large luminous stones. Including the one he already had, he now possessed five in total.


    Phew.


    Yu Hong exhaled, watching his breath turn into a plume of white mist in the air. The temperature had dropped again.


    He pulled up the hood of his anti-stab hoodie, which also served as protection against rain and cold.


    ¡°I still need anti-stab gloves and a bulletproof helmet. If I trade jerky, maybe I can ask around. And salt is running out; I wonder if the courier has returned. If I can get solar equipment, electricity won¡¯t be a problem anymore.¡±


    Yu Hong lowered his head, jumped off the stone steps, and headed toward the post office.


    He had to hurry because he had noticed a clear trend recently: days were getting shorter, and nights were getting longer.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just that autumn and winter are approaching,¡± Yu Hong reassured himself.


    Wearing reinforced boots, he moved steadily through the forest, staying alert to his surroundings at all times.


    After twenty days of training, his physical stamina had improved significantly.


    The cool sensation generated by the advanced physical training method was generally of little help to him. Only when he was utterly exhausted would the cool energy manifest, rejuvenating his tired body.


    It was essentially like having a backup supply.


    Other than that, the training method was not much different from ordinary jogging.


    Though slightly disappointed, Yu Hong wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He figured he could refine the method later based on his current experiences and knowledge.


    If possible, he even hoped to learn from professionals to improve further.


    Crunch, crunch.


    Amid the sound of footsteps and branches breaking underfoot, Yu Hong soon arrived at the stone house post office.


    To his surprise, there was already quite a crowd gathered in front of the building.


    Among the seven or eight people, he immediately recognized Jenny.


    The middle-aged woman he had traded with before was noticeable, though not as much as the striking young woman beside her.


    The young woman had a curvaceous figure, long legs in tight whitewashed jeans, a full chest, and an exquisitely made-up face. Her soft, golden hair fell gracefully over her shoulders.


    In this forested area, surrounded by grimy people, she stood out like a beacon of cleanliness, seemingly out of place in this environment.


    Yu Hong¡¯s arrival drew a wave of tension from the crowd as multiple gazes fixed on him.


    ¡°Is that Yu Hong?¡± Jenny stepped forward first. ¡°What did we trade last time?¡±


    ¡°A water filter cup and steel nails,¡± Yu Hong answered quickly, moving a few steps back and forth to show he was flexible and not a spectral shadow.


    ¡°It¡¯s the kid rescued by Yi Yi!¡± A familiar voice emerged from the crowd.


    A middle-aged woman in a worn white coat stepped out, wearing black-framed glasses.


    It was none other than Dr. Xu, whom he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time.


    ¡°Dr. Xu? You¡¯re back?¡± Yu Hong asked in surprise.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be? That town¡¯s a nightmare! Forced labor every day, and the soldiers don¡¯t even pay for medical treatment. Speak too loudly, and they beat you!¡± Dr. Xu grumbled.


    Her sharp, abrasive tone was the same as ever, though it oddly improved Yu Hong¡¯s mood this time.


    At least, seeing a familiar person safe and sound¡ªsomeone who had helped him, even if it was due to Yi Yi¡¯s influence¡ªwas comforting.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you made it back safely,¡± Yu Hong nodded, his tone softening.


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t a Ghostly shadow but someone they knew, the others stopped paying attention and returned their focus to the stone house post office.


    Yu Hong approached, nodding at Jenny before standing next to Dr. Xu.


    Compared to Jenny, with whom he had only traded once, he was naturally more familiar with Dr. Xu.


    Despite her sharp tongue, Dr. Xu was loyal and kind-hearted. During the dire situation with the giant skin creature, she had pulled the mute girl to safety, saving her life.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen so many people here since I arrived,¡± Yu Hong whispered.


    ¡°Go to the town; you¡¯ll see plenty. But crowds aren¡¯t always a good thing,¡± Dr. Xu replied coldly.


    Up close, Yu Hong noticed one of her glasses lenses was cracked, and there was a bruise on the corner of her mouth. She had clearly been beaten.


    ¡°What¡¯s everyone here for? Has the courier returned?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Yes, they just came back with news. The town is preparing to evacuate people to a larger Hope City. They¡¯ll leave the day after tomorrow. Anyone wanting to join must have certain skills and pass an assessment in town. Those who pass can leave with them,¡± Dr. Xu explained indifferently.


    ¡°What about ordinary people? What will happen to them?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    He wasn¡¯t one to meddle excessively, but such policies were bound to cause unrest. After all, the number of ordinary people far exceeded that of skilled professionals.


    ¡°No idea. A few days ago, there was a mass killing in town. Over twenty people died, not from Ghostly shadows or blood tide parasites. No one knows the cause. I suspect it¡¯s a new kind of shadow,¡± Dr. Xu replied.


    ¡°What about you? Are you going with them?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I won¡¯t live much longer anyway. Why bother? In this wretched world, I¡¯ll just stay here and wait for the end,¡± Dr. Xu replied coldly.


    Having lost her family, she was merely surviving, day by day.


    When Yu Hong returned the question, Dr. Xu looked at him suddenly.


    ¡°And you? Are you going?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yu Hong answered calmly.


    ¡°Weirdo.¡± Dr. Xu finally noticed his meticulously crafted gear.


    ¡°Your gear is impressive. Where did you get it?¡± After the last incident with the Big skin creature, her perception of Yu Hong had shifted, making her attitude noticeably less hostile.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 27: Setback (3)

    TL Note:- Happy New year everyone on this occasion of New year imma upload bonus chapters for every novel I translate (Casino Wizard , Instant Kill, Time-Stop Spellcaster And A Night of Desperation {you should try this one its pretty good} ) love you all and thank you for reading my translated novels.***


    ¡°Scavenging. Good luck, plus I¡¯m pretty handy at fixing things,¡± Yu Hong replied simply.


    ¡°By the way, let me ask you something.¡± He scanned the people around him. ¡°Do you know where the dried lizard meat we¡¯ve been eating comes from? Could we raise them ourselves?¡±


    Dr. Xu pointed to a balding man standing a bit away from the crowd. ¡°You¡¯ll want to talk to Old Yu. The mushrooms, cockroaches, and lizards we eat all come from him.¡±


    The old man was hunched over, wearing a brown short-sleeved shirt. His eyes were dull, and he coughed occasionally as if he had asthma.


    ¡°We call him Yu Toad because of his big belly, and he¡¯s always hunched over, wheezing like a toad. If you want to ask, you¡¯ll have to approach him yourself,¡± Dr. Xu said quietly. ¡°And I¡¯d advise you to hurry¡ªothers have already asked him about it.¡±


    Yu Hong nodded but wanted to ask more questions when suddenly the sound of a door opening came from the stone house.


    A heavy wooden door creaked open, and out stepped a middle-aged man with a buzz cut. He was dressed in camouflage fatigues, with a large red postal emblem prominently displayed on his chest.


    ¡°Anyone coming with us, step up to register!¡± the man shouted.


    The crowd surged forward.


    Yu Hong stepped back, waiting for everyone to register.


    Several others did the same, but most people rushed forward.


    *


    *


    *


    At the Mountain Cave Safehouse


    Two strong figures clad in camouflage uniforms with helmets and masks quickly emerged from the forest, approaching the mountain cave.


    ¡°This is the place.¡±


    One of them stopped at the stone steps beneath the cave entrance and looked up at the wooden door.


    ¡°Looks pretty sturdy. It¡¯s up to you now,¡± he said, glancing at the other. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The second man set down his backpack and opened it, pulling out a set of long, thin metal tools.


    ¡°I¡¯ve opened plenty of locks. This one¡¯s no problem,¡± he chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll empty the place first, and then we wait to ambush the guy.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Everything else is fine, but the Great luminous stone is the priority.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that can help with the mess we¡¯re in this time. HQ is desperate for it, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough chit-chat. Just open the door.¡±


    The two bantered while keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. They climbed up to the heavy wooden door.


    The man with the tools inspected the keyhole.


    ¡°This lock is so pristine. Who knows how long it¡¯s been since someone last touched it,¡± he muttered.


    Ever since the Black Plague outbreak, his skills as a petty thief had earned him a spot in the joint forces. Without the alliance, there would be no luminous stones, and without those, encountering a shadow creature would mean certain death. ?????N?????¨º£Ó


    ¡°Stop wasting time and hurry up,¡± the other man urged impatiently from behind.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Stop rushing me.¡± The locksmith inserted his tools into the keyhole carefully.


    The sound of clicks and scrapes filled the air as he focused on the feedback from the lock.


    One minute passed.


    Two minutes passed.


    Ten minutes passed.


    Sweat began to bead on his forehead, and his hands started to tremble.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right! This lock is nothing like any I¡¯ve seen before!¡± His voice quivered.


    Captain Zhao had brought him along specifically for his expertise in locks. If he couldn¡¯t deliver, he might lose his special privileges within the team.


    ¡°Can you open it or not?¡± The other man was visibly annoyed.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The locksmith hesitated. The lock was unlike anything he¡¯d encountered; its very mechanism seemed to defy basic principles. Without dismantling it for study, there was no way he could crack it quickly.


    ¡°This lock is¡­ different!¡± he stammered, pulling out his tools to try again.


    ¡°Forget it!¡± The other man yanked him back. ¡°I scouted earlier, and there¡¯s no one inside. Let¡¯s hide nearby and ambush that Yu Hong guy when he comes back.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯re not opening it?¡±


    ¡°Forget the damn lock! Let¡¯s go find a hiding spot!¡± the other man snapped.


    *


    *


    *


    At the Post Office Stone House


    All the registered evacuees had returned home to pack their belongings and prepare to leave.


    After chatting briefly with Dr. Jenny and others, Yu Hong noticed the postman was now free and approached him.


    Yu Hong¡¯s goal on this trip was to purchase food, and if he could trade for something valuable, it would be a bonus¡ªespecially the solar generator Dr. Jenny had mentioned earlier. If he could get it and enhance it himself¡­


    The thought filled him with excitement. Having electricity would make many things much easier.


    The postman, a stoic-looking man, was reviewing a newly written registry. He had a stick of some kind of food in his mouth¡ªit looked like chocolate but darker.


    Seeing Yu Hong approach, he glanced up briefly.


    ¡°Here to register? Name?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, not to register. I¡¯m looking to buy some food. Got anything?¡± Yu Hong got straight to the point.


    ¡°Not registering?¡± The postman looked surprised but quickly returned to his indifferent demeanor. He had seen many overconfident people who thought they could handle the dangers without evacuating¡ªusually those who hadn¡¯t yet encountered real threats.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got some food. Not much. Dried lizard, dried cockroach, dried mushrooms. What¡¯ll it be?¡±


    ¡°Take a look at what I¡¯ve got to trade first.¡± Yu Hong pulled out his prepared items.


    He revealed a water filter cup and several large luminous stones, all stored in a single bag.


    ¡°A water filter cup? Did you make this? And these Great luminous stones?¡± The postman¡¯s interest was piqued. While the filter cup was finely crafted, he had top-tier gear from the authorities and wasn¡¯t lacking. But the luminous stones were a different matter.


    Especially recently, with shadow creatures prowling, only newly discovered luminous stones had proven effective.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get these?¡± He instinctively reached for a stone but was stopped when Yu Hong stepped back.


    ¡°I made them myself,¡± Yu Hong replied. ¡°Are they worth trading?¡±


    ¡°Let me check first.¡± The postman pulled out a small black box the size of an egg, with a gray LCD screen and a round button underneath¡ªrudimentary but functional.


    ¡°This is a Red Value Detector. It¡¯s used to measure the quality of luminous stones and the ambient blood tide concentration,¡± he explained.


    ¡°This thing can measure that?¡± Yu Hong was surprised. He hadn¡¯t known the authorities had tools capable of assessing luminous stones, let alone something called a blood tide.


    ¡°It¡¯s a product from the Silver Tower research labs. Pretty reliable,¡± the postman said, pressing the button.


    The device emitted two quick beeps as the screen lit up with a red glow.


    He brought the device close to one of the luminous stones, stopping just centimeters away.


    Beep!


    The detector emitted a sharp sound, and the numbers on the screen began fluctuating rapidly.


    Yu Hong caught a glimpse of the values: the numbers jumped from 0 to -78, fluctuated a few times, and finally stabilized at -81.


    ¡°Wow, -81! Impressive!¡± The postman exclaimed. ¡°Ordinary luminous stones are usually around -20. This one¡¯s top-notch!¡±


    ¡°Name your price,¡± Yu Hong said decisively.


    ¡°Two pounds of dried lizard meat for one stone,¡± the postman offered after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°I¡¯ll take all four of yours.¡±


    Food wasn¡¯t a concern for him, but luminous stones were lifesavers in critical moments¡ªsomething you could never have too many of.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trading all of them for meat. I heard you¡¯ve got a solar generator on its last legs?¡± Yu Hong asked quietly.


    ¡°That thing still works! Don¡¯t call it broken,¡± the postman retorted, frowning. ¡°If you want it, two stones.¡±


    ¡°The solar battery¡¯s about to give out, isn¡¯t it? Two stones is too much. How about one?¡± Yu Hong bargained.


    The two haggled for several minutes. Pressed for time, the postman finally relented.


    In the end, they settled on two luminous stones for the solar generator and a broken air purifier. The remaining stones were exchanged for meat and a small atomic lamp¡ªsomething Yu Hong insisted on.


    The atomic lamp, made from radioactive materials, emitted cold light and required no energy source, lasting over a decade. While its brightness diminished over time, it was perfect as a secondary light source in the cave.


    After completing the trade, Yu Hong bundled everything together. The solar generator, when folded, was no larger than a medium-sized bag. Along with the other items, the total weight was only about 10 kilograms.


    Yu Hong hefted the bundle. Thanks to weeks of physical training, he felt much stronger, and the weight barely registered.


    As the postman stored the luminous stones safely, he gave Yu Hong a scrutinizing look.


    ¡°Brother, let me give you some advice. Leave with the others as soon as you can. This bunker won¡¯t hold. Shadow creatures are one thing, but you don¡¯t want to face the Evil Shadows.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, brother?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    Perhaps pleased with his haul of luminous stones, the postman, chewing his snack, looked around cautiously. After ensuring no one was nearby, he lowered his voice.


    ¡°Evil Shadows are different from regular ones. Regular shadows stay confined to specific areas and rely on stealth and ambush tactics. Evil Shadows move freely, and no one knows how they travel. One moment, they¡¯re here; the next, they¡¯re there.¡±


    He paused for effect.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this much. This isn¡¯t really a secret anymore since most people are leaving. Just don¡¯t go blabbing.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I won¡¯t say a word,¡± Yu Hong assured him, lowering his voice.


    ¡°I heard from insiders¡­ the Evil Shadow wiped out an entire street in the town¡ªboth civilians and joint forces alike. Not a single survivor. The number of dead¡­ it¡¯s impossible to count. There were just too many,¡± the postman said grimly, his voice trembling ever so slightly.


    ¡°The joint forces didn¡¯t call for reinforcements?¡± Yu Hong asked urgently.


    ¡°The Silver Tower focuses on shadow research. Their response was to isolate and abandon the town,¡± the postman sighed. ¡°Listen, brother, every Evil Shadow is unique, with its own abilities. The Silver Tower gives each one a codename. The one in our town is called ¡®Withered Maiden.¡¯ Its specific abilities are unknown, still under study. There¡¯s no way to fight it¡ªonly retreat.¡±


    ¡°And what about the survivors around here?¡± Yu Hong pressed.


    ¡°They¡¯re on their own,¡± the postman replied grimly. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to leave. Once the town¡¯s deserted, the Evil Shadow will eventually move on, likely to the nearest inhabited area. And we¡¯re a bit too close for comfort.¡±


    Yu Hong fell silent, deep in thought, weighing his options.


    After a moment, he asked another question.


    ¡°Even if I leave with the others, what¡¯s to say there won¡¯t be an Evil Shadow wherever we go next?¡±


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 28: Setback (4)

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the mailman shook his head. ¡°But the more people involved, the greater the impact, and the higher-ups will take it seriously. The Silver Tower will provide maximum support. It¡¯s better than us untrained brutes trying to figure things out ourselves. Do you think the higher-ups would dispatch a rescue team for just a few of you?¡±Yu Hong remained silent for a moment before asking:


    ¡°Does Great luminous Stone work against the Evil Shadows?¡±


    ¡°They say it helps a bit. Some people have managed to escape with its aid, even with stones smaller than yours,¡± the mailman nodded.


    By examining the surface of Yu Hong¡¯s Great Luminous Stone, the mailman deduced that it was likely handcrafted, possibly by Yu Hong himself or someone he knew recently. This fueled his eagerness to engage further¡ªmotivated by the military alliance¡¯s incentive program for recommending skilled individuals.


    ¡°Thanks for your concern, brother, but I¡¯ve decided not to leave. Maybe if enough of us stay behind, the Evil Shadows won¡¯t bother with this area anymore,¡± Yu Hong replied softly.


    The mailman scrutinized Yu Hong¡¯s expression but found no clues. After some more attempts to persuade him, he finally gave up.


    ¡°Well, whatever the case, this area isn¡¯t safe. If you insist on staying, I wish you luck.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words. I wish you a safe journey and good fortune,¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    The mailman sighed and returned to the stone house, while Yu Hong gathered his belongings, preparing to leave.


    As he stood up, he noticed someone behind a tree trunk¡ªDoctor Xu, holding a bag, seemingly waiting for a while.


    ¡°I heard you can make water filters?¡± she asked, adjusting her glasses.


    ¡°Want to trade?¡±


    Recalling her previous disdain, where she considered Yu Hong a burden, Doctor Xu¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly. However, the value of a reliable water filter in maintaining health was undeniable.


    ¡°I only have one left. Let¡¯s trade,¡± Yu Hong replied calmly.


    ¡°What do you want in return? I have extra iodine disinfectant. Interested?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Can iodine still be produced?¡± Yu Hong was surprised.


    ¡°Yes, the production chains in larger cities are quite intact,¡± she nodded. ¡°One bottle of iodine for one water filter. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    After trading a 200-milliliter bottle of iodine for a water filter, Yu Hong prepared to return.


    However, another voice stopped him.


    It was Jenny, accompanied by a beautiful blonde girl.


    ¡°Do you still have Great Luminous Stones to trade?¡± Jenny asked.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re too late,¡± Yu Hong replied, his gaze briefly pausing on the blonde girl.


    Pretty and clean are certainly good, but it also depends on the environment. At this time of year, it¡¯s surprising that some people dare to use filtered water to bathe. ?????£Î????????§§????


    Hearing the sound, Dr. Xu, who had not gone far, turned around when she saw the two of them. She frowned, quickly scanned the beautiful girl, and seemed like she wanted to say something. However, she quickly held back, glanced calmly at Yu Hong, and turned to leave.


    Once Dr. Xu left, only Jenny, the two of them, and Yu Hong were left on the scene.


    ¡°Is that all? What a pity. Can I pre-order the next batch of Great luminous stone?¡± Jenny frowned and asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say for sure now. I¡¯m not sure if I can get the goods,¡± Yu Hong replied. He didn¡¯t want to become a tool for producing Great luminous stones; it depended on whether he had time to stay and reinforce the black marks.


    ¡°Alright, the filtered water cup you made before worked really well. I hope we can exchange again next time,¡± Jenny said, slightly disappointed.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    ¡°Mom, aren¡¯t you going to introduce me? He actually made the filtered water cup himself? That¡¯s amazing!¡± the blonde, beautiful woman suddenly spoke up.


    Without waiting for Jenny to respond, she stretched out her hand toward Yu Hong.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Eve. You¡¯re Yu Hong, right?¡±


    Yu Hong looked at her clean, fair hand, then shook it with his own. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To his surprise, Eve subtly scratched the back of his hand without leaving a trace.


    Yu Hong noticed the smile Eve gave him, but before he could figure out what it meant, they let go.


    ¡°Yes, nice to meet you. If you have anything good to exchange, feel free to find me¡ªcandles, food, or other odd things. I might be interested,¡± Yu Hong said briefly.


    In this environment, he didn¡¯t care whether she was beautiful or not. What mattered was whether she could get him the things he needed.


    The current safe house was still far from his ideal state.


    At the very least, he wanted to create a safe house that was self-sufficient in food, water, and energy.


    A safe house that could support at least a few years without needing to trade outside.


    But right now, it was still a long way off.


    ¡°Are you going to exchange for Great luminous stones? Or something like the filtered water cup?¡± Eve asked curiously.


    ¡°Mostly Great luminous stones,¡± Yu Hong replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I happen to have some miscellaneous items. They¡¯re not here right now, but next time you come, I can show you what I have. Let¡¯s see how many Great luminous stones we can exchange for,¡± Eve smiled.


    Yu Hong nodded.


    He had a feeling that Eve was a bit unreliable and unstable, but since Jenny was around, he didn¡¯t have much to say.


    This trip had exchanged all his items, and he had gained a lot, especially the solar power generator, which was the biggest gain. If it could be reinforced, life at the safe house would be much easier in the future.


    The atomic lamp was also a good addition¡ªan uninterrupted light source. Although it was a bit dim, it saved him from having to constantly light fires, and maybe he could finally get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Soon, with the items he had exchanged in hand, Yu Hong and Jenny agreed on the next exchange date¡ªexactly one month later¡ªand then turned to leave.


    On the way back, they saw the postman gathering the nearby residents who were ready to leave.


    One by one, they were standing in an open space, listening to the postman loudly explaining the rules for leaving together.


    Dr. Xu and Jenny¡¯s mother weren¡¯t among them, clearly planning to stay.


    Yu Hong left the post office carrying a stick and large bag, walking steadily toward the cave.


    On the way back, he was still very cautious, constantly paying attention to any movements around him, fearing that an unexpected threat might ambush him.


    Since it was still early, he also took the opportunity to gather some dry firewood along the way.


    In such an environment, the safe time during the day was extremely precious and should never be wasted; he had to do something productive.


    Soon, carrying his package, stick, and some dry firewood in his arms, Yu Hong returned to the vicinity of the cave.


    Just ahead, on the backside of the cave wall, two figures in camouflage clothing were quietly pressed against the stone, waiting silently.


    As soon as Yu Hong approached the cave entrance and tried to climb the stone steps to open the door, he would definitely pass by their ambush.


    Yu Hong slowly walked toward the cave, getting closer and closer.


    Suddenly, his gaze froze as he noticed the new muddy footprints on the stone steps.


    Bang!


    Yu Hong dropped his things and immediately ran!


    Without hesitation, without delay.


    He turned and dashed into the forest in the distance.


    By the time the two people in ambush reacted, he had already run more than thirty meters!


    ¡°Damn it! Chase him!¡± The two immediately started running after him.


    They had received a life-or-death mission from Team Zhao. If they failed to capture him and return, the punishment would be severe¡ªhalf of all rations would be cut.


    But if they captured him, all rations would double, a huge difference.


    The three of them¡ªone ahead and two behind¡ªwere soon running wildly through the forest.


    Yu Hong had already covered a long distance, so his physical strength was greatly depleted. As he ran, he quickly started feeling exhausted.


    The forest flew past his ears, the wind howling, and his feet were constantly moving.


    This explosive running at full speed caused his stamina to plummet rapidly in an exaggerated manner.


    After a short while, he was gasping heavily, sweating profusely.


    Fortunately, his legs, after being trained for a while, didn¡¯t give out and weren¡¯t cramping or weak.


    ¡°Quickly!! He¡¯s almost done for!¡±


    Running, Yu Hong heard voices behind him getting closer.


    He didn¡¯t know who they were, but he knew that anyone hiding near the safe house was not doing so with good intentions.


    Run! Run!


    He pushed his legs to the limit, trying to squeeze the last bit of strength from his body.


    In a blink, another hundred meters passed.


    The three had completely left the cave¡¯s surroundings and entered a completely unfamiliar area, far from Baiqiu Village.


    The ground here was even harder to walk on, with untouched grassy slopes everywhere.


    Up and down, through sharp or thorny plants, Yu Hong¡¯s protective clothes left scratches while the two behind him were actually injured.


    With a series of muffled groans, the two didn¡¯t give up and continued to chase Yu Hong.


    The distance between them was only about ten meters, slowly closing in.


    Yu Hong¡¯s lungs felt fiery, gasping for air, and he felt himself becoming oxygen-deprived. No matter how fast he breathed, it couldn¡¯t keep up with the rapidly consumed oxygen.


    ¡®I can¡¯t make it.¡¯


    ¡®My stamina isn¡¯t enough. I can¡¯t hold on.¡¯


    Sweat soaked his clothes, and his hands kept pushing aside the thorns and grasses ahead.


    With the sound of heavy breathing growing closer, Yu Hong could no longer hold out.


    His mind raced, and with a focused thought, a cool energy in his lower abdomen quickly began circulating.


    The cool energy flowed upward, passing through his chest, neck, forehead, and top of his head, down his spine to the tailbone, then through the perineum, and back to his abdomen.


    As soon as the cool energy flowed out, something miraculous happened.


    Yu Hong¡¯s body, which should have been exhausted, seemed to receive a long rest and quickly regained its composure.


    His sweat stopped, his lungs stopped heaving, and he didn¡¯t feel tired anymore.


    It was as though the long distance he had just run was all a mirage.


    Everything returned to the way it was before he left to trade goods.


    And so, Yu Hong kept running.


    He led the two behind him around the area near the cave.


    One circle, two circles, three circles.


    At least a mile had passed, and despite running full speed, Yu Hong was near exhaustion.


    But the two behind him, now panting heavily, had legs that could barely hold them up.


    ¡°Yu¡­ Yu Hong! Stop, please!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t let him keep running!¡± one of them finally couldn¡¯t hold back, pulling out a gun from his waist.


    At that moment, Yu Hong, whose stamina had been completely restored, released another surge of cool energy.


    His physical strength was instantly restored, and he turned to charge.


    Boom!


    The person who was about to draw his gun was hit head-on, rolling violently down the slope.


    The rolling bodies collided with the other person who was still climbing.


    Ahh!!


    Two screams echoed as they both tumbled down the slope.


    Exhausted, they were quickly knocked out by Yu Hong, who took a stick and knocked them both on the head.


    Bang! Bang!


    With their heads struck hard, they collapsed, unable to get up.


    Yu Hong quickly grabbed the guns from their bodies, a wave of fear rushing through him.


    ¡°They even carried guns!!¡± He shuddered at the thought of what might have happened if he had hesitated for just a moment.


    A surge of intense fear made him strike them once more, just to be sure.


    Bang! Bang!


    This time, they didn¡¯t get up.


    With the hollow sticks, the blows weren¡¯t fatal, but their heads were swelling with blood.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 29: Choice (1)

    Hoo, hoo, hoo!!In the forest, Yu Hong was panting heavily, staring at the two people in camouflage lying on the ground before him.


    Their attire reminded him of the previous stutterer.


    ¡®Are these people from the Allied Army?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but recall the guy named Zhao Zhenghong who had come last time.


    The guy had said it was an invitation, but in reality, he had sent someone to secretly hide by the door, trying to ambush him when he went out.


    Such a sly and treacherous person. After the appearance of the evil shadow, and the increased importance of the Great Luminous Stone, it made sense for him to send people to capture him again.


    Crouching down, Yu Hong carefully examined the two individuals.


    Soon, he found various miscellaneous items.


    Two military green daggers, two bags of old-version Luminous Stones, two leather water pouches, but none of these were anything special.


    One thing, however, made Yu Hong a little surprised.


    It was a grayish-white silver coin found on the person who had drawn a gun.


    The front of the coin depicted a tall, sharp, and beautiful tower, and the back had a special symbol commonly seen on Luminous Stones.


    ¡°Could this be the town¡¯s regular currency?¡± Yu Hong wondered, holding the coin thoughtfully.


    Whether it was or not, he decided to pocket it for now. After looting the two, he saw they hadn¡¯t woken up yet and didn¡¯t bother with them. He cleaned them out and then headed back the way he came.


    As for whether the two would survive, that was up to luck. If they woke up before nightfall, they might live. If not¡­


    Soon, Yu Hong found the things he had dropped earlier, and even collected the scattered dry wood, hugging it all and returning to the cave.


    If it weren¡¯t for the high-level physical training method, which allowed him to recover twice from the chilling effects, he probably would have been captured by now and sent off as a tool.


    Click, he opened the door with the key and quickly entered, shutting it tightly behind him.


    The heavy door slammed shut, locking securely, and Yu Hong felt a deep sense of safety.


    He temporarily set down the items, placed them near the fireplace to prevent them from getting damp, and then sat on a stool to think about the issues he had encountered that day.


    First, there were the items he had looted¡ªtwo handguns, a silver coin, two daggers, two bags of old-version Luminous Stones, and other miscellaneous things.


    He fiddled with the handgun, having never touched one before. After a long search and study, he finally managed to unload the magazine.


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s only one bullet in this magazine¡­¡± Yu Hong was somewhat speechless.


    A single bullet in each gun?


    ¡°Has the government become this poor?¡± he said, speechless.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how the handgun would perform after being enhanced, but for now, he needed to focus on other preparations.


    The appearance of the evil shadow in the town was a serious matter, and he couldn¡¯t rely on luck. He had to prepare ahead of time.


    ¡®Evil shadow, Withered Maiden? Ordinary Luminous Stones are useless, and now even the Great Luminous Stones can only be used to escape¡­¡¯


    He looked at the Great Luminous Stones placed in his cave.


    There were three of them in total, one at the entrance and two on the ground. With this density, they would probably only be useful for dealing with strange shadows. §²????¦­??§¦?


    He took out the last piece of Great Luminous Stone he had kept as a backup.


    He had originally thought it would be enough, but now¡­


    ¡°By the way, why can Luminous Stones dispel strange shadows? According to the stutterer, even without this symbol, the Luminous Stones can still disperse the strange shadows, but the effect is weaker. So¡­ the question is¡­¡±


    He reached out and stroked the symbol on the Great Luminous Stone.


    ¡°Where did this pattern originate? The black disaster¡ªhow did it first appear?¡±


    He had a feeling that the symbol on the Luminous Stone might be connected to the appearance of the black disaster.


    ¡®The black seal¡¯s enhancement fails due to incomplete functionality. It seems I might be able to use this to test whether this symbol alone can resist strange shadows.¡¯


    With this thought, Yu Hong took out a newspaper and a black charcoal pen.


    The charcoal pen had been enhanced, transforming it into a size similar to an ordinary ballpoint pen, but the writing was finer and clearer than before. It seemed the material of the charcoal had also been enhanced into some unknown form of charcoal.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t care about this. As long as it worked, he was satisfied.


    He laid the newspaper flat, placed the silver coin under it, and then carefully traced the symbol pattern from the silver coin with the charcoal pen.


    Soon, a black symbol appeared before him.


    The background color was dark gray, and the pattern was darker, making it clearly visible.


    After drawing, Yu Hong placed his hand on the symbol.


    ¡®Enhance the dispelling of the Ghostly shadow rune, direction set, effect strengthened!¡¯


    He silently muttered in his mind.


    Soon, a black line flowed out, but then quickly returned.


    ¡®Insufficient completeness.¡¯


    It failed.


    Yu Hong frowned and withdrew his hand.


    From the black seal, it was clear that the symbol didn¡¯t have the effect of dispersing strange shadows. Or rather, it didn¡¯t have the effect on its own.


    ¡°It seems I can¡¯t figure out the principle of this in a short time. Well then¡­¡±


    He took a piece of ordinary Luminous Stone.


    He had collected quite a few of these, from both the two people he had just dealt with and from the stutterer¡¯s remains.


    He had gathered enough to fill four small bags, each containing ten pieces.


    ¡®Is it because ten pieces are needed to completely dispel the Ghostly shadows?¡¯ Yu Hong speculated.


    He placed the ordinary Luminous Stone down, then took another piece that hadn¡¯t been etched with a symbol yet.


    The tools for etching Luminous Stone symbols were also with him.


    He compared the symbols drawn by the stutterer and the ones he had just captured. The colors of the symbols on the two Luminous Stones were different, indicating different inks had been used.


    ¡®It seems the ink doesn¡¯t affect the symbols much. Let me try it myself.¡¯


    He picked up the enhanced charcoal pen and began carefully drawing on the surface of a raw Luminous Stone.


    He drew the original symbol, not the enhanced one.


    The original symbol was simple¡ªjust a circle, four strange letters inside it, a small circle in the center, and a flame-like symbol.


    After practicing a few times, Yu Hong soon drew five pieces of Luminous Stone.


    He placed them on the ground, from left to right, in order.


    The order wasn¡¯t random, but based on the neatness of the symbols.


    From left to right, the symbols gradually became more precise, with the lines becoming more rounded and clearer.


    After finishing this, Yu Hong exhaled and reached out again, pressing his hand on the first piece on the left.


    ¡®Enhance into Great Luminous Stone, direction: strengthen effect.¡¯


    He thought to himself.


    Soon, a black line shot out, and a response sounded.


    ¡®Would you like to enhance it into a Great Luminous Stone?¡¯


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t respond, but instead let go of his hand, his gaze fixed on the symbol-covered Luminous Stone.


    The countdown had already appeared on it.


    ¡°3 days, 2 hours, 18 minutes.¡±


    He withdrew his hand and quickly wrote down the time in his notebook.


    Then, he extended his hand again, pressing it on the second Great Luminous Stone, repeating the same operation.


    Instantly, the second Great Luminous Stone also displayed a number.


    ¡°3 days, 1 hour, 2 minutes.¡±


    Next, the third one.


    ¡°3 days, 51 minutes.¡±


    The fourth one.


    ¡°3 days, 42 minutes.¡±


    The fifth one.


    ¡°3 days, 21 minutes.¡±


    Withdrawing his hand, Yu Hong looked at the row of numbers he had recorded, and a look of realization finally appeared on his face.


    ¡°Sure enough. The length of the enhancement time is influenced by the perfection of the item being enhanced. The smaller the difference between the item before and after enhancement, the shorter the required countdown time.¡±


    ¡°That being the case, if I had used an already enhanced Great Luminous Stone symbol from the start, the enhancement time would surely have been significantly shortened!¡±


    Yu Hong speculated.


    ¡°Because I saved time on enhancing the symbol!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it!¡±


    Immediately, he picked up a raw Great Luminous Stone and began to mimic the complex symbols on the enhanced Great Luminous Stone.


    These intricate patterns were far more difficult than the regular Great Luminous Stones.


    If the symbols on regular Luminous Stones had a complexity of 1, then the advanced symbols on Great Luminous Stones had a difficulty of 4.


    Not to mention the strange symbols that needed to be written for the advanced symbols¡ªthere were at least ten of them.


    Looking at them, they almost resembled some game arrays Yu Hong had seen in his memory.


    As time passed, he immersed himself in drawing the advanced symbols, completely forgetting about the time.


    Unknowingly, the sky outside began to darken.


    Yu Hong lit the fireplace and continued to draw.


    The firewood he had collected was enough to last the night, and from the information he had gathered, the threat of the evil shadow might indeed affect this place.


    If he didn¡¯t encounter it, it would be fine, but if he did, the small amount of Great Luminous Stones would definitely not be enough to block it!


    So he needed to think of a strategy.


    Finding a way to counter the evil shadow was naturally the most important. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now, since that solution wasn¡¯t available, shortening the enhancement time of the Great Luminous Stones was more crucial.


    After all, even if he didn¡¯t use them, he could exchange them for goods with others, and they were truly hard currency.


    Time passed quickly while Yu Hong was engrossed in his work.


    Luckily, there were no blood waves or beetles to disturb him that night. Yu Hong drew deep into the night, and when he felt tired, he enhanced some dried meat. It took about three hours to enhance one piece. Once he confirmed the countdown time, he went to sleep.


    He slept until morning.


    In the morning, after eating and taking care of personal needs, he began practicing the advanced physical training method.


    At noon, he went out to gather firewood, pick wild vegetables, and refill his water supply.


    In the afternoon, he returned to continue practicing drawing advanced symbols, and during breaks, he enhanced more dried meat, making sure not to waste the black seal time.


    This routine repeated every day.


    Finally, by the afternoon of the fifth day, the drawing of the advanced symbols was finally successful!


    In the cave, Yu Hong let out a deep breath, his face relaxed, smiling as he held up a Great Luminous Stone with the advanced symbol he had just drawn.


    ¡°Not bad. Not worse than what the stutterer drew!¡±


    He eagerly placed it down and pressed his hand on it.


    ¡°Enhance into a Great Luminous Stone, direction: effect enhancement.¡±


    He thought to himself.


    Immediately, there was feedback from the black seal.


    A black line shot from his hand and instantly entered the Great Luminous Stone.


    Then, a mechanical voice echoed in his ear.


    ¡°Would you like to enhance it into a Great Luminous Stone?¡±


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t respond but instead released his hand, his gaze fixed on the Great Luminous Stone with the advanced symbol.


    The countdown had already appeared.


    ¡°2 days, 19 minutes.¡±


    Bang!


    Yu Hong slapped the ground hard.


    ¡°It worked!!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but laugh with joy.


    ¡°Sure enough, my guess was correct! Shortening the difference between the item before and after enhancement can shorten the enhancement time!¡±


    Two days for a Great Luminous Stone¡ªthis was a third shorter than the previous three days!


    This meant he could enhance more Great Luminous Stones more quickly, ensuring his safety! He could also exchange them for more supplies!


    After the excitement, Yu Hong quickly had a new thought.


    ¡°The enhancement time for the Great Luminous Stone has shortened, but I have no idea how powerful the evil shadow really is. What if the danger of the evil shadow is greater than I imagined?¡±


    (End of chapter)


    ***


    TL Note :- Tl Note :- Again Happy new year to y¡¯all, love y¡¯all Mwwwaaaaa

 Chapter 30: Choice (2)

    The smile on Yu Hong¡¯s face slowly faded.He needed information, sufficient information about the ¡°Evil Shadow.¡± If he could find the survivor who had narrowly escaped death, the one who survived after being attacked by the Evil Shadow¡¯s Withered Maiden, he might obtain first-hand intelligence.


    But unfortunately, the town had relocated earlier, and that person had probably already left by now.


    With this thought, Yu Hong chose not to continue with the enhancement. Instead, he stood up and walked back and forth in the cave.


    After a while, he paused and walked to the door, peeking through the viewing window to look outside.


    The forest at dusk was eerily quiet.


    In the distance, the vague outline of Baiqiu Village could be seen, also still and quiet.


    As he gazed out, Yu Hong suddenly had a thought. His expression went from slightly furrowed to thoughtful.


    He pulled over the divider, and his gaze landed on the upgraded wolf fang stick made of polished Luminous stone.


    The stick was originally a rough steel-spike Luminous stone stick, but now it had been significantly improved. Of course, it had been upgraded once already, and further enhancement would be useless.


    So, he wasn¡¯t focused on the stick itself, but on the concept of placing Great Luminous stones inside it.


    ¡®If a single Great Luminous stone is insufficient, then could I combine several stones together? Or, what if I ground the Great Luminous stones into powder, mixed them into ink, and used it to draw advanced runes?¡¯


    ¡®Would that strengthen the effect and shorten the time?¡¯


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    *


    * *


    More than ten kilometers away from Baiqiu Village, Baishi Town.


    On the winding and long main street, dry yellow leaves were blown across the ground by the wind, making a rustling sound.


    The smooth gray cement road was full of potholes and cracks.


    On both sides of the street, the storefronts had long been shut down.


    The dim yellow sunlight divided the street into two parts of light and shadow.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a shop door was smashed open from the inside.


    A burly man with a beard, dressed in a gray tracksuit, stumbled out of the door, running wildly toward the end of the street.


    He was sweating profusely, his eyes bloodshot, and in one hand, he was clutching a Great Luminous stone.


    But the jade-like luster of the Great Luminous Stone was rapidly turning pale from top to bottom.


    This indicated it was being consumed at a fast pace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t kill me!! Stay back!!¡±


    The man was on the verge of collapse, his voice echoing down the street, amplifying the emptiness of the place.


    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t come any closer!!¡±


    He cried out, stumbling forward, glancing back in fear, as though something was chasing him.


    But behind him, there was nothing¡ªonly an empty, silent street.


    Thud.


    Suddenly, the man lost his footing and fell to the ground.


    A clear black handprint slowly appeared on his back.


    The handprint was small, as if a child had left it. But now, the print seemed to seep through his clothing, staining it like ink.


    Hiss.


    In an instant, a thick black liquid began to pour out from the handprint.


    The liquid dyed the man¡¯s clothes black, and soon his arms and face were completely coated.


    As his body was dyed black, the man¡¯s figure rapidly shriveled, as if losing all moisture.


    He struggled, his throat emitting weak cries, but in just a few seconds, his voice disappeared.


    The man¡¯s entire body stopped moving, turning into a dried, blackened corpse.


    A gust of wind blew by.


    The corpse disappeared suddenly, leaving only a pile of clothes behind.


    *


    *


    *


    The Next Day.


    At the Baiqiu Village post office.


    In the forest, in front of the stone building of the post office.


    Jenny, Dr. Xu, Yu Hong, and Old Yu were all gathered together.


    Jenny looked somewhat haggard, as if she hadn¡¯t rested well last night, and her gaze seemed unfocused, as though she was lost in thought.


    Dr. Xu was chewing on some jerky, squinting his eyes.


    Old Yu, the one in charge of breeding lizards to make jerky, looked even worse than before.


    ¡°Old Yu, didn¡¯t you leave? Why are you back again?¡± Dr. Xu asked.


    ¡°I turned back halfway,¡± Old Yu shook his head. ¡°Suddenly, they said they wanted to confiscate half of the supplies, everyone had to contribute. Heh, if I hadn¡¯t remembered the way back, they would¡¯ve really scammed me!¡± §²???¦Â¨¨????


    Old Yu gave a cold smile, then glanced at Yu Hong.


    ¡°Young man, Jenny said you can get Great Luminous Stones? Are you sure you can get them steadily in the long term?¡±


    ¡°Yes, though sometimes I need to rest,¡± Yu Hong nodded. He had originally planned to take over Old Yu¡¯s breeding cave with Jenny and Dr. Xu.


    After all, they needed a stable food supply, and before leaving, Old Yu had agreed to let them use his breeding cave.


    But to his surprise, Old Yu had returned so soon. However, it was actually a good thing. It would be better if Old Yu handled the breeding rather than them trying to figure it out on their own.


    ¡°Good to hear that. Now we have candles and Great Luminous Stones. As long as we¡¯re careful, the chances of surviving are high. Since we¡¯re all gathered here, I propose we move into the post office basement. It¡¯s the most solid place, with enough rooms and facilities, and it¡¯s safer together.¡± Old Yu suggested.


    ¡°I have no objections. I¡¯ve got the candle-making tools, and I¡¯ll take care of the candle supply from now on. It¡¯s not difficult to make,¡± Dr. Xu replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯m used to living alone,¡± Yu Hong declined.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with whatever,¡± Jenny nodded.


    ¡°One less person is fine too. Alright, it¡¯s settled. Jenny will handle the clothing, repairs, and modifications. I¡¯ll take care of the food, Yu Hong will handle the Great Luminous Stones, and Dr. Xu will manage the candle-making and emergency medical care. From now on, this place will be just us. Let¡¯s watch each other¡¯s backs and work hard,¡± Old Yu said, clearly anticipating that Yu Hong might refuse.


    ¡°Any news about the Evil Shadow in town?¡± Yu Hong couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    He always felt uneasy, as if something might go wrong, until he understood the strength of the Evil Shadow.


    ¡°Some. It¡¯s said to be connected to the black handprints. If you see a black handprint in the wild, don¡¯t touch it. Keep your distance,¡± Old Yu said, coughing.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Jenny asked.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t go to the town and try to grab things. A lot of people who stayed behind there have died,¡± Old Yu gave a strange smile. ¡°In this world, one day of life is a day to be cherished.¡±


    After agreeing to meet at the scheduled time, the four returned to their respective dwellings.


    Yu Hong confirmed that the food supply was relatively stable and the candle supply was decent, which eased his mind.


    Returning to the cave, the floor was scattered with the Great Luminous Stone rune designs he had drawn.


    These were all practice sketches, but he hadn¡¯t used charcoal; he had just drawn and written with stones.


    Looking at the messy room, Yu Hong sighed, knowing that there was still a lot to be done.


    He had already begun to officially enhance the Great Luminous Stone yesterday to shorten the strengthening time.


    Since he didn¡¯t know how much Great Luminous Stone would be required to dispel the Evil Shadow, he could only try to make as many Great Luminous Stones as possible.


    At the same time, he had to explore new and better ways to resist the Evil Shadow.


    He took out an energy bar, bit into it, and began his advanced physical training.


    After an hour, he found a hammer and squatted in a corner of the cave, looking for a place to grind the stone.


    He had already smashed a small piece of raw Great Luminous Stone. Now, his main task was to grind it fine enough.


    ¡®If the effect of dispelling the Evil Shadow is created by both the Great Luminous Stone and the runes, then I should be able to use the Great Luminous Stone powder to draw runes directly, and it should work!¡¯ Yu Hong thought as he ground the stone, brainstorming for other better methods.


    About half an hour later, the Great Luminous Stone powder was ready.


    He added a little charcoal powder, poured it into a wooden bowl, added water, and stirred to make a standard Great Luminous Stone ink.


    Once successful, Yu Hong looked out the window, noticing that the sky was getting darker again.


    ¡®Why does it seem like the night is coming faster?¡¯ he furrowed his brow. He walked up, pulled the peephole partition shut.


    Since being frightened by the Evil Shadow once, he no longer opened the partition while sleeping.


    Pulling the partition down, he didn¡¯t light the fireplace this time but instead lit a candle and placed it on the wooden stool.


    He then used a wooden stick, dipped it in the Great Luminous Stone ink, and carefully began drawing the Great Luminous Stone runes on the stone wall beside the fireplace.


    The stone wall wasn¡¯t smooth, so he had previously used a chisel and hammer to carve out a large space for the Great Luminous Stone runes.


    Since he had already practiced elsewhere, drawing runes on the wall was no difficulty for Yu Hong.


    After all, it didn¡¯t require precision¡ªjust roughness was enough, and it needed to be large. Compared to drawing on a small Great Luminous Stone, this was much easier.


    Yu Hong carefully wiped away the dust from the wall, then filled the lines of the Great Luminous Stone rune with the ink.


    The lines were very fine, so the ink didn¡¯t take up much space.


    After about ten minutes, the entire wall carving was complete.


    Yu Hong stepped back and admired his work.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Suddenly, the door was knocked with a steady rhythm.


    ¡°Is anyone there?¡± A strange woman¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, can you let me in to hide?¡±


    ¡°I hear someone inside, right?¡± The voice continued.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn¡¯t heard it. He glanced at the door and saw the Great Luminous Stone behind it, slowly but steadily changing color from top to bottom.


    He sighed, grabbed a chair, sat behind the door, and quietly waited, watching.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    The knocking continued.


    Once.


    Twice.


    Three times.


    Finally, everything went silent again.


    The Great Luminous Stone behind the door had already been consumed by one-third.


    Yu Hong quickly took it down and replaced it with a fully restored one.


    He casually charged the new Great Luminous Stone with the black mark, stood up, and returned to his sleeping bag to lie down.


    The amount of Great Luminous Stone consumed determined the recovery time.


    This time, the Ghostly Shadow¡¯s knock wasn¡¯t too strong, and it would take only two hours to recover.


    Yu Hong placed his hands behind his head and lay back, resting beside the candle.


    The best thing about candles compared to the fireplace was that they didn¡¯t require extra wood.


    And according to what Jenny told him, atomic lamps couldn¡¯t dispel the Blood Tide Black Insects.


    Only open flames could.


    ¡®Luckily, I bought the atomic lamp to see what the enhanced version might look like. If it can directly enhance things like an energy reaction furnace¡­¡¯ He began to daydream.


    As time passed day by day, he had already grown used to living in this dangerous forest.


    He had gotten used to sleeping in this state, where danger could strike at any moment.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Late at night, the candle flickered.


    A knocking sound woke Yu Hong from his sleep.


    He looked at the peephole. Outside, it was pitch black again. He knew it was another Ghostly Shadow. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he stood up, grabbed the small kettle, and took big gulps of water.


    After drinking, he stood up, ignoring the knocking, and walked to the Great Luminous Stone rune he had drawn earlier that day.


    The large rune on the wall had already dried.


    On the floor below, the restored Great Luminous Stone had also been fully charged back to its original state by the black mark.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t pay attention to the Great Luminous Stone. Instead, he extended his hand and gently pressed it against the large rune on the wall.


    This was an experiment. If it succeeded, it would greatly improve the efficiency of using the Great Luminous Stone.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 31: Strengthening (1)

    Inside the cave.In front of the gray-black symbol pattern.


    Yu Hong¡¯s palm gently pressed against the cold, dry stone wall.


    At the same time, he silently recited in his heart.


    ¡°Strengthen the Great Luminous Stone symbol, direction: Enhance the effect of dispelling the Ghostly Shadows.¡±


    Hiss.


    In an instant, a black mark on the back of his hand shot out a thin black line, which drilled into the stone wall.


    One second later.


    A feedback sound echoed.


    ¡°Do you wish to strengthen the Great Luminous Stone symbol pattern?¡± A cold, mechanical voice rang out.


    Yu Hong was momentarily stunned, then a slow smile spread across his face.


    ¡°It worked! As expected, it can be done!¡± he thought with joy.


    This confirmed his speculation that this combination could indeed dispel the ghostly Shadow. Now, after polishing a Great Luminous Stone, it could be attached to any surface, anywhere, to carve this symbol pattern.


    With the black mark¡¯s supplement, these large symbol patterns were no longer one-time-use items; they could perfectly protect any surrounding area!


    At this moment, a black number appeared at the center of the symbol stone carving on the wall.


    ¡°1 hour and 12 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the reduced quantity of the strengthening material means it doesn¡¯t need more time?¡± Yu Hong speculated.


    After all, it took only a third of the time to finish the symbol stone carving after grinding a piece of Great Luminous Stone to make the ink. Strengthening this small amount of material wouldn¡¯t take much time either.


    ¡°As long as it takes just over an hour to strengthen, let¡¯s test it and see the effect,¡± he thought with some anticipation, then silently responded affirmatively. ????B??


    Instantly, the countdown on the symbol stone carving began to tick.


    While waiting, he found a stool, sat to one side, and idly fiddled with another unloaded handgun.


    He aimed, fired, the sound of an empty shot rang out, then lowered the gun.


    He practiced repeatedly, drawing and firing from different angles.


    Since there were no bullets, it was safe to practice.


    Twice, the Allied Forces came to capture him, attempting to use him as forced labor, which left Yu Hong feeling unsafe.


    Although the Allied Forces had probably left with the people from the town.


    It was hard to know when they might return.


    Then there were the two people who had attacked him last time. He had gone to check on the place where they had been knocked unconscious while gathering firewood. Now, only two sets of tattered undergarments remained.


    Clearly, the night¡¯s blood tide black insects had consumed everything¡ªflesh and bone.


    This deepened Yu Hong¡¯s understanding of the dangers of the night.


    ¡°Wait, if I can practice shooting by myself, refine my shooting technique, then summarize my shooting experiences, and strengthen them with the black mark, could that work? Would I get a better training manual for shooting techniques?¡± he pondered.


    After a moment, Yu Hong quickly came up with a new and unique strengthening idea.


    ¡°Also, I need to prepare reconnaissance methods. If I have traps or bells around, perhaps they could serve as an effective warning.¡±


    He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    The cave safe house he had painstakingly built must not be compromised, so he had to ensure its basic safety.


    As the creator of the Great Luminous Stone, the appearance of ghostly Shadows would undoubtedly increase the importance of the Great Luminous Stone significantly. In the future, someone might come after him, so he needed to be prepared.


    *


    *


    *


    Post Office Gathering Spot.


    Several earth caves were clustered together, forming a small gathering point.


    The largest and most sturdy one was undoubtedly the stone basement beneath the post office.


    Rather than a basement, it was more accurate to call it an emergency shelter that had been built in the past to prepare for war.


    It was large, about the size of the entire Baiqiu Village, located over ten meters underground.


    Since the Black Disaster outbreak, such war shelters had become bases for people to seek refuge.


    When people were unable to survive the extreme Black Disaster attacks, they would take shelter here for temporary protection.


    At this moment, in the dark emergency shelter, narrow and dim corridors stretched ahead.


    On either side of the corridors were small, cramped rest rooms.


    The green atomic lights above cast a dull green light along the hallway.


    A damp, chilly wind swirled and swished through the ventilation shafts in the corridor.


    Old Yu, his belly protruding, nervously looked around and carefully walked up to a room door.


    The edges of the gray-black iron door were covered in rust. He reached out and gently grasped the door handle.


    Creak.


    He twisted the handle downward.


    The door was slowly pushed inward.


    Just as Old Yu was about to enter and close the door behind him, he suddenly felt a tingling sensation on the left side of his body¡ªfrom his left cheek to his left leg, the skin along that side broke out in goosebumps.


    A strange yet familiar sense of dread flooded into his heart in an instant.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    His throat tightened as he sensed something on the left side.


    His peripheral vision caught sight of something in the darkness of the left corridor¡ªthere seemed to be a person standing there.


    Gulp.


    He swallowed nervously and slowly turned his head to look.


    His body trembled, and his trembling right hand slid down his sleeve, exposing rough, yellow-black skin.


    On that skin was a small black handprint, clear and distinct.


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, he turned his head quickly and glanced toward the left side.


    But the darkness revealed nothing. The corridor was empty, save for his own breathing.


    At this moment, he was the only one left in the underground shelter. The others wouldn¡¯t be moving their things in until tomorrow.


    Originally, he thought he could last just one more day¡ªjust a short day.


    But now¡­


    Sweat dripped from his forehead to his nose and fell.


    Old Yu stared anxiously at the left corridor, repeatedly confirming that he saw no one. Only then did he turn back, gently push the door open, and step into his bedroom.


    He quickly grabbed a bag of Great Luminous Stone from the corner, hugged it to his chest, and sat on the bed.


    A candle¡¯s faint glow illuminated the area, offering some reassurance.


    He sat on the bed, trembling all over, burying his head in the blanket as he silently cried.


    The truth was, he hadn¡¯t escaped on his own. He was forced out because he had been found with the black handprint.


    It wasn¡¯t that his supplies were being confiscated, but simply because he had been infected with the black handprint.


    ¡°Why¡­ why did they do this to me?¡± Old Yu stared at the candle in front of him, hands pressed to his face, tears flowing down continuously, soaking his palms.


    ¡°I was just a little greedy¡­ I returned everything¡­ I really did return it all!!¡±


    His tear-filled eyes blurred as he curled up on the dark bed, too frightened to move.


    Creak.


    Suddenly.


    The handle of the bedroom door turned from the outside.


    The sharp sound echoed loudly in the silence.


    Old Yu shuddered, his eyes wide as he stared at the door.


    But that door¡­ he had locked it!!


    How could it possibly open!?


    But the fact was, the bedroom door that had been locked and secured with a metal chain was now ajar.


    Creeeak.


    The door slowly opened.


    Revealing only a pitch-black darkness.


    Old Yu fixed his gaze on the darkness, staring at the crack, not daring to blink.


    The large basement door was still locked, with bags of Great Luminous Stone hanging on it. The hallway below was also filled with hanging Great Luminous Stones.


    He had exchanged everything he had accumulated for bags of Great Luminous Stones, scattered everywhere, some even etched with large Great Luminous Stone symbols.


    No one could get in.


    No ghostly Shadows could enter.


    But now¡­


    Bloodshot veins appeared in Old Yu¡¯s eyes from staring too long without blinking. Tears streamed down his face as his fear and sense of danger grew stronger, making him unable to move, his eyes glued to the door crack.


    Fortunately, the door remained still.


    It seemed as though it had only been pushed open by the wind.


    This gave Old Yu a slight sense of doubt.


    ¡°Maybe I was just too scared earlier and forgot to lock the door when I entered,¡± he thought.


    With that small hint of doubt, he glanced at the bag of Great Luminous Stone¡ªeverything inside was fine, none had been consumed.


    This calmed his fear somewhat.


    Raising his head, he took the candle, using its light to stand up, intending to go back and lock the door again.


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, the candle was blown out in one gust.


    Without warning, someone had come up behind him and blown out the candle!


    Old Yu stood frozen in fear.


    In that instant when the flame went out, he thought he saw a hazy figure with long hair beside him.


    The darkness swallowed everything completely.


    *


    *


    *


    Inside the Cave.


    Yu Hong stared eagerly at the large symbol pattern on the stone wall, counting down.


    If this test succeeded, it meant he could quickly create anti-ghostly Shadow symbol formations anywhere, anytime.


    Yes, he had named this large symbol pattern the symbol formation.


    ¡°If I repeatedly layer this type of symbol formation, crisscross them, or even directly arrange them with Great Luminous Stones¡­ the power would far exceed that of ordinary Great Luminous Stones!¡± Yu Hong thought.


    Of course, such a combined symbol formation would require a significantly long strengthening time.


    For now, he was mainly focused on how this large symbol formation would strengthen.


    Soon, the countdown entered its final 30 seconds.


    He silently watched the symbol formation on the wall, awaiting the outcome.


    5


    4


    3


    2


    1


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, the symbol formation blurred for a moment, then became clear again.


    The rough lines of the symbol formation were now smoother and more refined.


    The ink used in the formation had also deepened in color, its concentration seeming to have increased.


    Most importantly, the entire symbol formation now seemed to have a faint jade-like texture, clearly having turned into Great Luminous Stone material.


    ¡°It¡¯s done!!¡± Yu Hong exclaimed in delight.


    It had only taken a little over an hour.


    This meant he could drastically shorten the production cycle of the Great Luminous Stone.


    Provided the symbol formation¡¯s effect was not worse than the Great Luminous Stone.


    ¡°Even if the symbol formation is slightly weaker than the Great Luminous Stone, as long as it¡¯s stronger than regular Luminous Stones, it¡¯s still a win!¡± Yu Hong thought, calculating his next steps.


    Looking at the symbol formation, he wondered where he could find a ghostly Shadow to test it out.


    With that thought, he quickly crouched down again, searching for a spot on the back of the large door to draw the symbol formation. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In just ten minutes, Yu Hong, now proficient, quickly drew a symbol formation the size of a basin on the back of the door.


    He pressed his hand on it, ready to strengthen it.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± he suddenly thought.


    ¡°If I can guide the strengthening direction, why not just strengthen more, making its effect stronger? Maybe I should test the upper limit of black mark strengthening.¡±


    With that thought, Yu Hong was intrigued.


    Black mark strengthening surely had its own strength limit.


    Otherwise, why would a Great Luminous Stone only become a Great Luminous Stone and not a Giant Luminous Stone?


    Could this default strengthening limit be adjusted, and if so, by what means?


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 32: Strengthening (2)

    Yu Hong planned to take the opportunity to test this value.Without hesitation, he pressed his hand on the rune array, a thought rising in his mind.


    ¡°Strengthen the rune array, direction: strengthen its effect until the limit.¡±


    Immediately, black lines flowed from the black seal, merging into the rune array, and a clear countdown appeared.


    ¡°2 days, 13 hours, 09 minutes.¡±


    So much!??


    Yu Hong was startled. He recalled the countdown of just over an hour he had encountered earlier.


    Comparing it to this more than two days, he immediately understood that the strength of the enhancement could indeed be adjusted, but it required active change.


    ¡°Do you wish to begin the enhancement?¡± The cold, mechanical voice of the black seal rang in his ears.


    Yu Hong took a deep breath, ready to try it out.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    He confirmed the response in his mind.


    Sizzle!


    In that instant, as soon as he responded, the rune array on the door flashed with a jade-like light.


    Immediately, Yu Hong¡¯s physical strength and mental energy rapidly began flowing into the back of his right hand, into that mysterious, eerie black seal.


    His whole body tensed, feeling as though the black seal had become a vortex, a bottomless black hole, crazily devouring everything in him.


    Physical strength, mental energy, even his flesh seemed to be on the verge of being absorbed completely.


    As the terrifying absorption continued, he tried to struggle, to stop it, but it was futile.


    All his strength was being devoured by the black seal.


    ¡°Wait!! I can recover!!¡± Suddenly, Yu Hong realized, hastily calling upon the two cool air streams cultivated in his abdomen.


    (TL Note :- changed Jogging to Cultivate ¡­ don¡¯t ask why I just didn¡¯t use cultivate in the first place, looks like the ghostly shadows are affecting me too ) ?¨¢??????¦¥?


    These were his special trump cards, refined through advanced physical training methods.


    With his thoughts controlling it, the first stream of cool air rapidly moved, circulating throughout his body, restoring the physical and mental energy that had nearly been exhausted.


    But it still wasn¡¯t enough. Yu Hong felt that his recovered physical and mental energy was being continuously devoured by the black seal.


    Soon, the first stream of cool air was exhausted. He quickly called upon the second stream. Just as the second stream was about to be consumed, the black seal seemed to calculate his limit and stopped just in time.


    Everything returned to calm.


    Huff! Huff! Huff!!


    Yu Hong collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.


    He felt as though he had almost been absorbed and turned into part of the black seal.


    ¡°Is this the upper limit of the black seal¡¯s enhancement?¡±


    He finally understood that, on a daily basis, the black seal likely consumed only a small amount of his physical and mental energy, so he didn¡¯t feel much.


    But this time, in order to enhance it to its maximum, it started to require a massive amount of energy.


    Yu Hong looked at the rune array behind the door with lingering fear.


    The countdown there finally began to move, indicating that the enhancement had officially begun.


    ¡°Now, I just need to wait and see what the enhanced rune array will look like.¡±


    Although the experience had been perilous, after calming down, Yu Hong was even more eager to see the result of the rune array¡¯s enhancement.


    After all, it had just scared him quite a bit.


    Two days passed. Since the black seal couldn¡¯t be enhanced, Yu Hong spent the time practicing his training methods diligently.


    The training method was basically a form of running. The more he practiced, the more he felt his legs becoming more flexible, and his muscles slowly growing stronger.


    The next morning.


    As dawn broke, Yu Hong set up a small pot, tossed in dried mushrooms, wild herbs, protein bars, added water, and began cooking a rich soup.


    Above the fireplace, there was a metal lid, allowing him to place the pot directly to heat it without worrying about smoke leaking out.


    Yu Hong stood by the fire, holding a spoon in one hand and adding firewood with the other, stirring the pot constantly.


    The protein bar soon melted and broke down, turning the entire pot of soup into a milky white color.


    A rich, sweet fragrance slowly mixed with the scent of mushrooms.


    In the milky soup, grayish-white mushrooms and dark green wild vegetables floated in and out of the surface as Yu Hong stirred.


    But his face remained unmoved, quietly stirring.


    After a while, he covered the pot.


    The soup smelled delicious, but the taste was hard to describe. And drinking this every day¡­ after dozens of servings, even the best dish would make one feel like throwing up.


    While the soup continued to simmer, Yu Hong sat down, leaned against the fireplace, and began fiddling with the newly arrived pistol.


    He found that the gun was quite different from those he had seen on TV.


    The safety was on the side, not at the back. It also had a simple sight attached: just a small circular lens with a red crosshair.


    The side of the gun was engraved with a line of text: ¡°Aurora Manufacturing.¡±


    ¡°Only one bullet, which likely means that the production of ammunition has been heavily restricted. The production line may be down, but it¡¯s more likely that the mine is the problem. After all, if iodine can still be produced, bullets should be easier to make than such a relatively complex chemical product.¡±


    Yu Hong attached the gun, along with its holster, to his lower back. He had already loaded two bullets into one of them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never used a gun, and I¡¯m not sure about the recoil. The best way to use it is probably just for intimidation. If I can avoid using it, I will. If it¡¯s unavoidable, I¡¯ll use it up close to ensure accuracy.¡±


    After finishing this, he began disassembling the solar power generator he bought from the mailman.


    He intended to enhance it before using it, and for the direction of the enhancement¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s best to enhance its durability. If this machine breaks, I won¡¯t be able to repair it, and it¡¯ll be useless. So, extending its lifespan as much as possible is the priority.¡±


    Soon, the soup in the pot began to boil, emitting steam.


    Yu Hong snapped back to his senses, stood up, and covered the fire to save firewood.


    Then, he took the pot off, grabbed chopsticks made from branches, and prepared to eat.


    Suddenly, a hurried set of footsteps approached from outside.


    The sound of footsteps crushing branches and leaves grew louder as they quickly reached the entrance of the cave.


    Thud, thud, thud!


    ¡°Yu Hong! Are you there? Something¡¯s happened! Old Yu¡¯s in trouble!!¡± It was Dr. Xu, her voice urgent.


    Yu Hong quickly stood up, checked the Great Luminous Stone behind the door, confirming no energy had been consumed, and immediately knew that it was a human.


    ¡°What did I exchange with you last time?¡± For safety, he still needed to verify some information.


    ¡°Iodine! It was iodine!¡±


    Click.


    Yu Hong opened the door to see Dr. Xu, sweating and looking very panicked.


    She hadn¡¯t even put on her coat, just a tight-fitting gray sports outfit, and had rushed over in a hurry.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Yu Hong asked in a deep voice.


    ¡°Old Yu¡¯s in trouble! His place is locked, and no matter how much we knock, there¡¯s no response. We suspect he¡¯s in trouble! I heard you bought a set of stone-carving tools from the post office.¡± Dr. Xu quickly replied.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll bring it right away and head over with you!¡± Yu Hong nodded quickly. ¡°Wait here.¡±


    He pulled Dr. Xu inside, closing the door to prevent any Ghostly Shadows from entering.


    Then he hurriedly found the stone carving tools, grabbed his favorite Luminous Stone wolf fang club, stuffed a protein bar in his mouth, grabbed his water bag, put on his anti-stab gear, and donned a hood. He even stuffed thick newspapers inside.


    Finally, he thought for a moment and decided to bring the recently prepared Luminous Stone ink.


    As he rushed to prepare, Dr. Xu, who had just entered, stared in bewilderment at the strange safe house cave.


    It was completely different from her own.


    The ground was covered in mysterious rune-like lines that seemed to be carved into the stone. Some were incomplete, others were intact.


    On the wall, there was a huge jade-colored rune array that caught her attention.


    For some reason, this rune array gave her a soft sense of security, making her feel very comfortable.


    But what shocked her the most was the fireplace.


    The fireplace looked like it was made of crystal glass, seamlessly integrated with the mountain rock wall. The flames inside could be clearly seen, lighting up the cave.


    Above the fireplace was a metal disk that allowed heat to be transferred for cooking.


    The craftsmanship and design¡­ Dr. Xu compared it to the simple firepit in her own cave and felt an indescribable pang in her heart.


    Look at this place¡ªthere¡¯s even a way to cook and drink hot water on rainy days.


    Meanwhile, in her own cave, once the door was closed, she couldn¡¯t dare to make a fire, or else she would suffocate from the smoke.


    Looking at the warm and transparent fireplace, Dr. Xu¡¯s eyes showed a hunger that was almost as if she hadn¡¯t eaten for ten days, longing for something that could fill her stomach.


    Yu Hong, noticing her expression, felt a chill in his bones.


    ¡°Did you make this fireplace yourself?¡± Dr. Xu couldn¡¯t resist asking. Even though Old Yu was in trouble, her desire for the fireplace couldn¡¯t be suppressed.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been gathering materials for a long time. It¡¯s impossible to replicate. The main body isn¡¯t something I could have made. I just put it into the wall,¡± Yu Hong quickly replied. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s eyes were glued to the fireplace, not knowing how long it had been since she had peacefully slept beside a fire.


    At night, once the door was closed, she had to put out the fire completely, or the smoke would suffocate her.


    Now, the temperature had started to drop, and the cave at night was cold and damp, with a musty smell.


    But here, there wasn¡¯t a trace of mold, and it was warm as spring.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, didn¡¯t you say Old Yu is in trouble? We should head over,¡± Yu Hong urged.


    Dr. Xu reluctantly touched the fireplace one last time before turning to leave.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this fireplace need to be put out?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, once the firewood burns out, it automatically goes out. It also helps dry the house,¡± Yu Hong responded.


    They locked the door behind them and hurried toward the post office gathering area.


    About ten minutes later¡­


    When they arrived at the post office, Jenny and her daughter were already standing at the stone house door, holding something and scanning around.


    It was a red-screened device that flickered, showing changing numbers.


    Seeing Yu Hong and Dr. Xu arriving, Jenny¡¯s expression turned serious as she walked up to them.


    ¡°Something¡¯s really happened. The red value inside is already above a hundred!¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°It means there¡¯s something like a Ghostly Shadow in the underground shelter of the post office,¡± Jenny answered. ¡°But strangely, I¡¯ve checked. The basement door and vents haven¡¯t been opened. Old Yu can¡¯t have forgotten to put Luminous Stone bags behind the door.¡±


    ¡°So we need to break down the door and check! No matter what happened, there¡¯s a lot of dried meat and mushroom jerky in there, enough for us to eat for a long time. We have to rescue it.¡± Jenny quickly said.


    ¡°We also need to think about how to handle food from now on. Old Yu probably has detailed breeding notes and tools.¡± Dr. Xu added.


    ¡°Are we really going to break open the door and go in?¡± Jenny¡¯s daughter, Eve, interjected. ¡°It¡¯s definitely dangerous inside. I¡¯m not going. Whoever wants to go, go. But I won¡¯t!¡±


    Her face changed slightly as she stepped back, giving a ¡°not my problem¡± expression.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 33: Trouble (1)

    ¡°If we don¡¯t go down, there will be no food, Eve,¡± Jenny whispered, frowning and trying to persuade.¡°I¡¯ll go down, you stay up here to assist me, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright, but be careful, Mom,¡± Eve whispered. As soon as she heard she wouldn¡¯t have to go down, she immediately agreed.


    ¡°Okay, stop talking. Let¡¯s get started,¡± Dr. Xu snapped, giving Eve an annoyed look.


    She extended her hand toward Yu Hong.


    ¡°Give me the things, I¡¯ll open the door.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Yu Hong shook his head, carrying the stone carving set, and walked to the stone house door of the post office.


    ¡°Open this door first, then where is the basement entrance?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s inside the house, so we need to open two doors,¡± Dr. Xu replied.


    Without further words, Yu Hong took out his hammer and chisel and began smashing the door lock.


    The dull thudding sounds echoed throughout.


    After hammering for several dozen strikes, the lock was finally destroyed. Wooden shavings scattered around, and a fist-sized hole was punched in the lock.


    The wooden door became loose.


    Yu Hong withdrew the hammer and took a step back, kicking the door.


    Bang!


    The door stood firm.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Dr. Xu, standing beside him, sighed in exasperation, grabbing the door handle and pulling outward.


    With a creak, the door slowly opened, revealing a dimly lit interior.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yu Hong muttered, putting away his tools.


    The first thing the group noticed as they stood at the doorway was a mesh bag lying on the floor.


    Inside the red mesh bag were chunks of grayish-white luminous stone.


    However, at this moment, all the luminous stones had turned pale, clearly having been completely consumed.


    Seeing the consumed luminous stones, the group exchanged glances, and their expressions grew grim.


    ¡°The luminous stones are all used up. Clearly, there¡¯s been some Ghostly Shadows inside. Everyone, be careful. In these dark environments, the Ghostly shadows love to hide,¡± Jenny was the first to speak. In fact, she was the most skilled among them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in first,¡± Jenny said after a moment. She pulled a large round luminous stone out from her waist pouch. This stone was identical in material to the one Yu Hong had enhanced, but the patterns on it were entirely different, more like the simplified older version.


    ¡°Is this luminous marrow!?¡± Dr. Xu exclaimed in surprise. ¡°This isn¡¯t just any stone, one piece is worth ten regular luminous stones, and its price is exorbitant. How do you have this?¡±


    ¡°My husband left it to me,¡± Jenny replied coldly. If it weren¡¯t for the extreme danger she felt, she wouldn¡¯t have used it. This was originally something to preserve her life.


    ¡°It¡¯s been many years, right? I heard the patterns on these stones have changed recently, with more complex and effective versions coming out. Your stone is already outdated, why not get it re-engraved?¡± Dr. Xu asked curiously. ????¨¤£Î????????¨§?


    ¡°It can¡¯t be washed away, and even if it could, it wouldn¡¯t matter. The patterns serve a guiding purpose, and the moment they are drawn, the effect is already in place. Scrubbing them off afterward won¡¯t change anything,¡± Jenny explained.


    As she spoke, she hung the large luminous stone around her neck, drawing out her machete from the side of her thigh while holding the red detector in one hand, carefully stepping toward the door.


    She led the way, Dr. Xu followed in the middle, and Yu Hong took up the rear. As for Eve, not wanting to go down, she stayed at the stone house entrance to watch over.


    The three moved in a line and soon arrived at the central hall of the stone house.


    On the floor of the hall was an open basement door, revealing a dark, eerie basement entrance.


    A chill gust of wind poured from the entrance, spreading to all sides, making the whole stone house feel unnaturally cold.


    The three exchanged a look, and Jenny pulled out an atomic flashlight, aimed it at the entrance, and opened the flashlight cover. Immediately, a greenish glow lit up a section of a rusted silver metal ladder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go down first. You two wait for my signal before coming in,¡± she warned, taking a deep breath.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Dr. Xu replied, and Yu Hong nodded in agreement.


    After ensuring that both were ready, Jenny swiftly scaled the metal ladder, climbing down like a monkey.


    In no time, she reached the basement hall, which was over ten meters deep.


    While Jenny was descending, Dr. Xu unfolded a hand-drawn map and showed it to Yu Hong.


    ¡°The main structure down there consists of several corridors. The point where we are is the junction of all the corridors. From here, three corridors branch out, each with many rooms and storage rooms. This place was originally built as a shelter for wartime, specifically to defend against large-scale weapons of mass destruction,¡± Dr. Xu sighed. ¡°I never thought we¡¯d be using it for this.¡±


    ¡°Are the corridors narrow?¡± Yu Hong asked, frowning as he looked down.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been down there a few times to bandage the postal workers. The corridors are about a meter wide, built to save on materials and space. The height isn¡¯t much either,¡± Dr. Xu nodded.


    Yu Hong fell silent, his hand unconsciously rubbing the handle of the luminous stone wolf tooth club. His expression had become more serious than usual.


    Time passed slowly.


    Around five minutes later, they heard Jenny¡¯s voice from below.


    ¡°All clear, you can come down. There¡¯s nothing inside,¡± she said, sounding a bit tired. The greenish glow of the atomic flashlight soon appeared.


    Dr. Xu and Yu Hong exchanged glances, checking their luminous stones to make sure there were no signs of depletion. Then they carefully climbed down the metal ladder.


    Both reached the small central hall of the basement, stepping onto the floor and surveying their surroundings.


    In the green light, the entrances to three corridors surrounded the small hall, resembling three dark and eerie caves, each blowing cold wind outward.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found Old Yu¡¯s room. Follow me,¡± Jenny said, holding the flashlight with a somber expression.


    ¡°Found him?¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s face tightened, and she quickly asked. It wasn¡¯t that she was particularly concerned about Old Yu, but without him, obtaining food would become much more difficult for them.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± Jenny shook her head, turning and leading the way down one of the corridors.


    The two followed her as they walked through the dark corridor to a room on the side. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Old Yu had enough supplies, why didn¡¯t he set up some atomic lights to illuminate? Doesn¡¯t he fear this place being so dark?¡± Dr. Xu asked, unable to stop herself.


    ¡°He used to say that atomic lights have too much radiation, and he was worried about getting cancer. Now it seems¡­¡± Jenny didn¡¯t finish the sentence. Among the three of them, she had spent the most time with Old Yu.


    Dr. Xu and Yu Hong were both outsiders who had been rescued by the little stutterer.


    So, when it came to knowing Old Yu, Jenny was the most familiar.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a cowardly, miserly guy, afraid of death, and he even once tried to pursue me,¡± she sighed again as she spoke.


    The other two said nothing in response. Jenny may have gotten older, but it was clear her figure was still in great shape, her movements nimble and strong, and her face free of wrinkles. Her skin had been well-maintained. Additionally, as everyone had grown paler due to lack of light, she exuded a certain western vampire beauty that Yu Hong had once noticed.


    It was entirely possible that Old Yu had tried to pursue her.


    ¡°This is the place, be careful,¡± Jenny said, gripping the large luminous stone in one hand, her expression becoming more serious as she stared at the half-open iron door.


    Without hesitation, she used the tip of her machete to gently prod the door, applying force to push it open.


    Creeeak.


    The iron door slowly opened, revealing a dark bedroom inside.


    The room was empty, with disheveled bedding in the corner, as though someone had recently been lying there. Other furniture, like tables and chairs, looked normal, with no strange marks.


    Just as Jenny was about to enter, she suddenly retreated quickly, her breathing becoming hurried.


    ¡°Careful!!¡±


    She spread her arms, blocking the two behind her.


    ¡°Look at the floor!¡± she quickly said.


    Yu Hong and Dr. Xu immediately followed her gaze.


    On the black floor of the bedroom, a set of gray male work clothes had been scattered around.


    The clothes consisted of long-sleeved shirts, yellowed white shirts inside, long pants, and a pair of long rubber boots. The shiny white rubber gleamed with a faint greenish light under the atomic flashlight.


    ¡°These are Old Yu¡¯s clothes and shoes,¡± Jenny said softly, her voice filled with complexity.


    ¡°The person must be gone,¡± Dr. Xu said, her mood growing heavy as she looked at the abandoned clothes. With the small number of people in their gathering place, losing another person¡ªespecially someone who produced food¡ªwould have a huge impact on them.


    She crouched down and reached out to pick up Old Yu¡¯s clothes.


    Suddenly, her pupils shrank, and she quickly stood and stepped back.


    ¡°Wait!! Everyone, stay back! Don¡¯t touch the clothes!!¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Jenny and Yu Hong immediately retreated.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡± Yu Hong tensed up, tightening his grip on the club and scanning the area.


    ¡°Look at the back of the clothes!¡± Dr. Xu gritted her teeth, her voice trembling.


    Yu Hong quickly directed the atomic light toward the clothes.


    He saw that Dr. Xu had turned the clothes over, revealing a clear black handprint on the sleeve!


    ¡°Black handprint!?¡± His heart sank. He had just heard about the characteristics of the Evil Shadow and the Withered Maiden, and now, seeing this distinctive black handprint, he felt uneasy.


    ¡°Get out of here! We can¡¯t stay here!¡± Jenny made a decisive call and turned to leave.


    The other two felt a chill in their hearts and quickly followed her.


    They didn¡¯t dare touch anything, rushing back to the small hall and climbing up the ladder to return to the stone house.


    Bang.


    Jenny kicked the metal cover back over the basement entrance.


    ¡°We can¡¯t go back in there!¡± she said firmly.


    ¡°Old Yu must have been infected long ago, which is why he was sent out and couldn¡¯t be relocated!¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s face went pale. ¡°I¡¯ve had contact with him before; I hope I wasn¡¯t infected too.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, check yourselves carefully. I heard that if you don¡¯t have direct contact, you usually won¡¯t get infected. The black handprint can seep through clothes,¡± Jenny said, her scalp tingling with unease as she spoke. She was also furious, realizing that Old Yu¡¯s concealment could lead to a catastrophe for everyone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check each other,¡± Yu Hong said after a long silence.


    At that moment, all three fell silent.


    Then, they slowly moved apart and began inspecting each other for black handprints.


    A few minutes later, to their relief, none of them had been infected, which allowed them to breathe a little easier.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here. Let¡¯s get out first,¡± Jenny said in a low voice.


    ¡°What about the food?¡± Yu Hong asked. ¡°Without Old Yu, we¡¯ll have to find food on our own. Relying on wild vegetables won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°I know a bit about Old Yu¡¯s Breading process. Let¡¯s give it a try. If it doesn¡¯t work, we can go back down and search,¡± Jenny replied.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 34: Trouble (2)

    Immediately, the three left the stone house. Jenny returned with a nervous-looking Eve at the door.Dr. Xu and Yu Hong, having exchanged candles for some Great luminous stone, also returned to rest.


    Carrying their items, Yu Hong didn¡¯t head back directly but instead made his way to the old Yu¡¯s former residence¡ªa small hillside cellar that looked like a burial mound.


    He opened the cellar door, and immediately, the smell of mold and rotten meat rushed out.


    Holding his stick, he fought off his disgust and carefully crawled inside.


    About ten minutes later, he crawled out from the cellar, stinking all over, holding a black-covered notebook in his hand, and walked off.


    Returning to the cave¡¯s safe house.


    Yu Hong resumed his previous routine. He exercised in the morning, went out at noon to collect firewood, find water, and dig for vegetables, then spent his afternoons studying the enhancement of the black mark with books.


    Two days passed quickly.


    Crack.


    At noon, inside the stone house, Yu Hong snapped a dry branch in two, shortening it to a size that could fit into the fireplace, then tossed it aside and picked up another.


    Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the countdown on the door.


    There were only a few minutes left on the timer.


    ¡®It¡¯s almost time. Soon, I¡¯ll know what the effects will be after reaching the maximum enhancement,¡¯ he thought, filled with anticipation.


    Although the threat of the evil shadow had spread to the post office gathering area, as long as he wasn¡¯t infected, with the symbol array strengthened by the black mark, he didn¡¯t believe the Ghostly shadows and evil creatures could harm him without a trace.


    The only thing he was worried about was how effective the symbol array would be against the evil shadow. This hadn¡¯t been tested for real, so no one knew if it could withstand it.


    Minutes passed quickly, and the countdown hit zero.


    Hiss!


    A blur covered the symbol array behind the door, but it cleared again in an instant.


    The symbol array that appeared was now completely different. The originally gray-white lines of the array had been enhanced to a faint silver color.


    The symbols in the array had changed too. They went from the Great luminous stone¡¯s level to a completely new design. This new design was far more complex than the one with the Great luminous stone and included many detailed aspects of shading and depth.


    ¡®It looks very strong. Just don¡¯t know how it will perform in practice,¡¯ Yu Hong thought, happily observing the array. He reached out to touch it, feeling the surface, which was incredibly smooth as though nothing had been carved. ????????§¦?


    ¡°Not bad, not bad. Next, if I grind the Giant luminous stone into powder and make Giant luminous stone ink, would it be even stronger?¡± He had now roughly grasped the lower limits of the black mark¡¯s potential.


    Indeed, each object could only be enhanced once, but if the enhanced object were processed again with a large amount of personal material added, it could be enhanced once more.


    The key difference was that the material added must constitute the majority of the final composition.


    ¡®The evil shadow might be nearby. Considering the soldiers who passed by before, I need to stay alert.¡¯


    In these past few days, Yu Hong had also set up some basic warning systems around, such as fine ropes tied between trees, hidden in the grass. If someone brushed against the ropes, it would trigger a bell at the end of the rope.


    The bells were found in the stone house where the old Yu had been.


    Returning to his work, Yu Hong went to another corner, picked up a piece of Great luminous stone, and began to grind it. He added water and carbon.


    Soon, he skillfully created a fresh batch of Great luminous stone ink.


    This time, instead of carving anywhere else, he took a prepared wooden board and began to carefully draw the Giant luminous stone symbol array.


    The silver array¡¯s symbols were too complex. He observed closely but found that the varying depths required were too difficult to replicate, so he chose to use the more familiar jade-like symbols, the enhancement marks naturally found on Great luminous stone.


    After about ten minutes, a brand-new wooden board symbol array, drawn with Great luminous stone ink, appeared in his hands.


    He stretched out his hand, pressed it down, and began to enhance it.


    And not just any enhancement, but the highest level of enhancement.


    Soon, a new countdown appeared on the wooden board: ¡°2 days, 1 hour, 04 minutes.¡±


    Yu Hong, feeling once again completely drained, struggled to confirm the start of the enhancement process.


    He planned to prepare as much as possible. If Jenny and the others failed to cultivate the meat, he might have to move food from old Yu¡¯s cellar.


    As for how strong the evil shadow was, he didn¡¯t know, so he could only prepare in every way he could.


    If it really came down to it, he planned to experiment using old Yu¡¯s notebook.


    But that was a last resort because starting from scratch would mean many failures and plenty of troublesome issues.


    *


    *


    * *


    Five days passed in the blink of an eye.


    At the Post Office gathering site, Jenny¡¯s cave.


    ¡°The high tide period is coming. We don¡¯t have enough dried meat, Mom! Do we have any more food hidden away? I¡¯m so hungry!¡± Eve slumped on the bed, flipping through a romance novel.


    ¡°We just ate not long ago,¡± Jenny¡¯s voice came from the workroom. ¡°I gave you all the dried meat, and there¡¯s none left at home. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go see Dr. Xu to see if I can borrow some.¡±


    She had given most of their food to her daughter, but it had been five days, and she still hadn¡¯t managed to grow edible mushrooms.


    Growing mushrooms was the first step in raising the lizards, but now, she didn¡¯t even know where to start. She used to think it was easy when Old Yu grew mushrooms so quickly, but now she realized it was far slower than she thought.


    ¡°But Mom, I¡¯m so hungry,¡± Eve complained. ¡°We¡¯ve already borrowed food from Dr. Xu once. It¡¯s probably all gone by now.¡±


    ¡°Just bear with it. It will be over soon. We can make do with mushrooms and wild vegetables for now,¡± Jenny said helplessly.


    Old Yu¡¯s disappearance had thrown her carefully planned schedule into disarray. She had originally planned to grow food herself, but unexpectedly, Old Yu had returned. Thinking they no longer needed to grow food, she had stopped.


    But now, just when they needed to replenish food, Old Yu was gone!


    This had put both Jenny and Dr. Xu in a state of hunger with little food left.


    ¡°Old Yu should have some at his place, right? Why don¡¯t we just go and take it?¡± Eve said disgruntled. ¡°He¡¯s gone now, so it¡¯s basically free to take, right?¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t. What if there are black handprints there? What if they¡¯re contagious?¡± Jenny was startled and quickly raised her voice. ¡°I can help you with all sorts of problems, but this time, you have to listen to me! Absolutely do not go to Old Yu¡¯s place. It¡¯s too dangerous!¡±


    Seeing her mother so adamant, Eve had no choice but to nod, signaling she wouldn¡¯t go.


    However, she squinted, lowered her head, and rubbed her hungry, shriveled stomach, feeling feverish all over. She craved meat, meat, meat.


    She was becoming more and more obsessed with the food piled up in Old Yu¡¯s place. It was said that Old Yu had stocked up on candies and drinks from the town. If she could get her hands on them, it would be so satisfying!


    ¡®The person¡¯s been dead for so long. The black handprints must have disappeared by now. Besides, I¡¯ll just go in, grab something, and leave. I won¡¯t touch the black handprints, so it should be fine!¡¯


    She wasn¡¯t concerned.


    With the high tide period fast approaching and the dried meat reserves running low, if she didn¡¯t hurry to stock up, she might starve to death before the bugs even had a chance to bite her.


    Now that the canned food her father had left was finally finished, everything depended on outside supplies. If she didn¡¯t go out now, she would have no energy left to go out later when she got too hungry.


    Eve pretended to agree, but while waiting for her mother to go out and borrow food from Dr. Xu, she quietly slipped out of the cave.


    She didn¡¯t wander off. Soon, she arrived at the stone house with the broken door, and after turning on the atomic flashlight, her face showed a bit of fear. But with her stomach growling from hunger, she hesitated briefly before making up her mind and quickly slipping inside.


    Not long after, she tiptoed back out, crawling out of the basement.


    Afraid her mother would find out and scold her, she had only grabbed a small packet of food from the entrance. It was a stash she had hidden for herself. She vowed not to let her mom find out, or she might get another slap.


    She returned and carefully hid the food. Sure enough, her mother didn¡¯t notice, which gave her a sense of accomplishment.


    The next day, she used the excuse of going out to collect firewood to sneak back to Old Yu¡¯s basement, light the candles inside, and look for more food. She had a delicious meal.


    The same happened on the third day.


    Days passed slowly, and Eve didn¡¯t notice that with each visit to the stone house¡¯s basement, she had ventured further inside, away from the original entrance.


    After realizing nothing was wrong, her vigilance decreased. Every day, she lit candles and leisurely enjoyed eating in the basement. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, the food in one of the rooms was finished, so she moved on to the next room.


    As time passed, she eventually reached the bedroom where Old Yu had been attacked.


    In the dim, dark corridor, candles were lit at intervals. The bright candlelight gave Eve a lot of reassurance.


    After stealing food for so many days, she was now certain that there was nothing wrong with this place and no danger. Her mother and Dr. Xu had just been scaring themselves.


    Humming a little tune, she approached the bedroom door, glancing at the scattered clothes on the floor and noticing the black handprint on the sleeve.


    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t touch the black handprint, it¡¯ll be fine. Why are they making such a big deal out of this? It¡¯s not like anything happened,¡± Eve thought as she stepped over the clothes and entered the bedroom.


    With the candlelight in her hand, she quickly searched the bedroom, rummaging through cabinets for food and good items.


    The dark, cold basement was fully illuminated by Old Yu¡¯s candles, showing every corner.


    It wasn¡¯t her stuff, so she didn¡¯t care about it. These supplies that belonged to Old Yu were now being recklessly wasted by Eve.


    After a quick search, she cheered when she found a piece of white chocolate in a cabinet.


    ¡°This is so good!¡± She stuffed it into her mouth and hummed in satisfaction.


    Bang!


    At that moment, a soft sound came from the bedroom door.


    Eve froze, turning her head to look. She saw that the candle at the door had gone out.


    Bang!


    Just as she turned to look at the door, another soft sound came from beside her, and the candle in her hand went out too.


    Eve hurriedly turned back but saw nothing.


    She looked at the room, which was slowly darkening, and started to feel a little scared.


    ¡®I need to go back,¡¯ she thought nervously, stepping back two paces and quickly heading for the door.


    Just as she was about to cross the pile of clothes at the door¡­


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, two candles in the corridor went out at once.


    Immediately, only two candles remained lit in the corridor.


    Eve was so startled that she shivered, and her feet slipped, causing her to fall onto her bottom with a painful thud.


    Thud!


    She fell hard onto the floor, her butt aching from the impact.


    As she hurriedly tried to get up, she suddenly froze.


    Looking down, she realized she had sat right on top of Old Yu¡¯s pile of clothes!


    ¡°No way¡­¡± She felt a chill run through her body, and her scalp went numb. She jumped up and ran toward the exit.


    But she didn¡¯t notice that on her lower back and buttocks, a clear black handprint was slowly forming.


    Whoosh!


    After she left, the last two candles in the corridor were suddenly blown out.


    *


    *


    * *


    The high tide period was fast approaching.


    At this time, Yu Hong, Dr. Xu, and Jenny had arranged to meet up to exchange supplies.


    In the safe house, Yu Hong carefully packed everything he could carry. His physical fitness had noticeably improved during these training sessions, and there was now a slight chill in his body.


    This meant that he now had three strands of cool energy inside him to use.


    ¡°I hope Jenny can manage to grow some dried meat. Otherwise¡­ I can last a while, but they won¡¯t make it.¡±


    After packing his things, Yu Hong opened the door, looked out at the bright sunshine, and stepped out, heading toward the Post Office gathering site.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 35: Trouble (3)

    The sun was scorching, its rays causing a prickling sensation on the skin. The temperature had risen to at least thirty degrees.After fully gearing up, Yu Hong had only walked a short distance before he was drenched in sweat, but he dared not remove his equipment.


    In such an environment, he had to be wary not only of the Ghostly shadows but also of people.


    So even though it was hot, he had to endure it.


    After walking for over ten minutes, he quickly reached the gathering point by the post office.


    He waited for a while in front of the stone house. While waiting for others to arrive, he was also carefully observing his surroundings.


    The grayish-white stone house stood quietly among the dark green trees.


    The exterior of the house was full of worn, unidentified marks, and the edges and corners showed signs of damage from impact.


    Vines, a mix of green and gray-brown, had climbed up the roof.


    A gentle breeze stirred, making the leaves and branches of the plants sway slightly.


    Yu Hong looked down at the ground and suddenly furrowed his brow.


    The ground outside the stone house seemed to have some footprints.


    ¡°Yu Hong, you¡¯re here so early today?¡± Jenny¡¯s voice came from behind.


    ¡°Mm, the high tide period is approaching, trouble¡¯s coming again, so we need to prepare in advance. The problem now is how to deal with food,¡± Yu Hong turned around and looked at her.


    Jenny had changed into a form-fitting camouflage outfit, her expression tired, and her eyes bloodshot. She clearly hadn¡¯t had enough rest.


    As soon as she got close, a sour, unpleasant odor wafted from her, indicating she had likely not had time to clean herself.


    ¡°I tried growing mushrooms, but the ones that grew are completely inedible. They¡¯re all contaminated with toxic bacteria,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°We usually eat ox-leg mushrooms, right?¡± Yu Hong had been reviewing Old Yu¡¯s record manual in the past few days. While it didn¡¯t provide the exact cultivation process, it listed many of the problems encountered during cultivation. This manual was essentially Old Yu¡¯s mistake book and was quite useful for reference.


    Ox-leg mushrooms were a type of non-light-dependent mushroom, similar to chicken-leg mushrooms, non-toxic, and large in size. Cultivating them once could yield a considerable amount, making them perfect for supplementary food.


    The key was that these mushrooms didn¡¯t require light, making them ideal for a closed, humid environment like theirs.


    ¡°Do you think the contamination could be from spores of other mushrooms? After all, random bacteria don¡¯t just appear,¡± Yu Hong thought aloud.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been very careful, but it¡¯s impossible to completely eliminate the risk,¡± Jenny shook her head. ¡°I heard Old Yu had his own cultivation box specifically for growing ox-leg mushrooms. If we could get our hands on that, success would be much easier.¡±


    ¡°Where is the cultivation box?¡±


    ¡°In the post office basement.¡±


    For a moment, neither of them spoke.


    No one dared go into the post office basement anymore. Once infected with the black handprints, even the town¡¯s Allied military forces couldn¡¯t stand up to the terrifying Shadow Woman, let alone ordinary people like them.


    ¡°I also tried cultivating,¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s voice, weary as well, came from their side.


    She had changed into a black long-sleeve T-shirt and jeans, her lips cracked and her face pale.


    ¡°I remember Old Yu secretly digging in corners of some forests several times. I suspect that the soil must be specific for growing mushrooms; otherwise, it won¡¯t work,¡± she continued. ????£Á???????????


    She paused before adding, ¡°And I must remind you both, when trying to grow mushrooms, be cautious of mushroom lung disease.¡±


    ¡°Mushroom lung?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s face shifted slightly as a memory came to him. He recalled reading about this disease online before.


    ¡°Yes, when mushrooms are nearing maturity, they silently release spores. If inhaled into the lungs, it can cause mushroom lung disease. The symptoms include coughing, white phlegm, chest tightness, shortness of breath, sometimes even fever, palpitations, and nausea,¡± Dr. Xu explained. ¡°Of course, it only happens if you¡¯ve been inhaling spores for a long time. As long as you¡¯re careful and wear a mask, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°No wonder Old Yu always coughs non-stop. He might have a problem,¡± Jenny thought out loud.


    ¡°That¡¯s possible, but it¡¯s too late to discuss this now. Anyway, the high tide is almost here. The key now is how to get food,¡± Dr. Xu shifted the topic.


    The three of them looked at each other, and then fell silent.


    For a moment, the breeze brushed by, and the scorching sunlight fell on the three of them, but they couldn¡¯t feel the warmth.


    Without food, they wouldn¡¯t survive for a week.


    Yu Hong was better off. His protein bars had extremely strong endurance, and one could last him a whole day. Plus, he had swapped food with Old Yu earlier, so his food supply could last for two weeks.


    But Jenny and Dr. Xu wouldn¡¯t be fine. Judging by their current state, they¡¯d likely run out of food in a few days.


    ¡°Without a proper cultivation method, we can only find other food to tide us over,¡± Jenny said in a low voice. She had clearly been thinking about this for a long time before coming. ¡°As for what other food, I don¡¯t need to explain, right?¡±


    ¡°You mean scavenging from other people¡¯s homes?¡± Dr. Xu immediately reacted. ¡°Is that feasible? They probably took everything with them, right?¡±


    ¡°There must still be some down below the postal building. Also, I know a few hiding spots from people who died during the high tide. There¡¯s definitely food there, though the entrances are tricky to open.¡± Jenny replied.


    ¡°Shall we go?¡± Dr. Xu looked at Yu Hong. After visiting Yu Hong¡¯s safehouse, she had developed a sense of respect for him. She realized that he wasn¡¯t just boasting but actually had real skills.


    It was a pity that Yi Yi left too early; otherwise, if she¡¯d followed Yu Hong, she might have had a much better life.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go check,¡± Yu Hong nodded. Even if they couldn¡¯t find food, it would still be worth it if they could find valuable miscellaneous items from other people.


    Especially the Red Value Detector. He was somewhat covetous of it. If he could get one and upgrade it, it might prove very useful. At the very least, it could provide environmental warnings.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll lead the way. You guys follow closely.¡± Jenny nodded, as if she had expected them to agree.


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Eve? Is she not coming out?¡± Dr. Xu suddenly asked.


    ¡°She said she wasn¡¯t feeling well and is staying in her room alone. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing in there. But since she¡¯s moving less and using up less energy, I didn¡¯t bother her,¡± Jenny answered.


    ¡°By the way, wasn¡¯t Eve in the town? Why did she suddenly come back? Why didn¡¯t she migrate with the town?¡± Dr. Xu asked curiously.


    ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± Jenny showed an unnatural expression. ¡°I think she offended someone in the town, but I don¡¯t know the details. But you know, Eve is very beautiful, and she always attracts a lot of admirers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sometimes being too beautiful isn¡¯t a good thing in times like these,¡± Dr. Xu agreed with a sigh.


    Yu Hong, walking behind, wiped his sweat as he listened to their conversation. When he heard the part about offending someone, his expression seemed to shift slightly.


    In the quiet forest, the three of them equipped with their tools, left the stone house by the postal building and followed a waterway washed out by rain. Soon, they reached a small hill.


    At the foot of the hill, there was a rough iron door.


    The door was black, painted over, with yellow rust showing where the paint had chipped off.


    Jenny stopped in front of the iron door and picked up a thick tree branch to knock on the door.


    Clang, clang, clang.


    The iron door made a dull sound.


    ¡°This was Elsie¡¯s place. He and his father lived here. One day, they went far away to dig for Luminous ores and never came back.¡±


    ¡°Elsie¡­ a shy young man. He and his father were good people. They even helped me chop wood.¡± Dr. Xu recalled with a melancholic look in her eyes. ¡°Good people never seem to live long.¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with being good or not. How long you live depends on how careful you are,¡± Yu Hong added.


    ¡°True.¡± Dr. Xu nodded.


    The three of them stopped talking and let Yu Hong step forward. Holding the chisel he¡¯d brought earlier, he began hammering at the door.


    Clang, clang, clang!


    The iron door, already rusted badly, gave way with just a few hits.


    Yu Hong pulled the door open, and immediately, a cloud of visible dust poured out.


    A mixture of moldy and rotten smells filled the air.


    ¡°What¡¯s that smell?!¡± Jenny quickly stepped aside, covering her nose with a twisted expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s a body.¡± Dr. Xu bent down to peer into the hole.


    Inside the narrow pit, a grayish-yellow body, already decayed to the point where only the skin and bones remained, lay quietly on the ground surrounded by tiny insects.


    The body was dressed in tattered long sleeves and pants, now grayish-white. A bandage was wrapped around the arm, and the man wore black-framed glasses. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His face was turned sideways, his eye sockets gnawed out, staring blankly at the door, as if still yearning to escape even in death.


    ¡°It¡¯s Elsie. This bandage¡­ I was the one who bandaged him. I didn¡¯t expect he¡¯d come back,¡± Dr. Xu recognized the body and her eyes filled with sadness.


    ¡°He was a good kid.¡±


    ¡°Stop lamenting. Time is running out.¡± Yu Hong stepped around the body and entered the pit, holding his breath.


    After a quick search, he soon found two bags of dried meat, one bag of dried mushrooms, and one bag of half-eaten dried wild vegetables.


    ¡°The food is still here. He didn¡¯t die of hunger.¡±


    He walked over to the firepit in the corner, picked up the tilted aluminum kettle, shook it, and found it still contained half a kettle of water.


    ¡°And the water¡¯s here. He didn¡¯t die of thirst.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Ghostly shadow.¡±


    Dr. Xu bent down to pick up a bag of Luminous stone powder. Even in the powder, she could faintly see fragments with red symbols.


    Yu Hong shook his head, took the food, checked it for safety, then divided it among them.


    The three of them continued to the next house.


    One by one, they smashed open various hiding places, and as time passed, they visited several abandoned survivor safehouses.


    Some were completely empty, while others yielded some food.


    After visiting five safehouses, each person had two bags of dried meat, one bag of mushrooms, and one bag of dried wild vegetables. This was enough to alleviate their immediate problem.


    By the time they finished the last house, Jenny glanced at the sky.


    ¡°We still have time. We can go to the nearby Luminous Stone mine and collect some Luminous stone for later. What do you think?¡± she asked the others.


    ¡°How far is it from here?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°About two kilometers from here, but the mountain paths are much harder to traverse than flat ground, so we have to move quickly,¡± Jenny replied.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go tomorrow. It¡¯s too rushed now. If anything happens on the way, and we end up stuck in the wild overnight, it would be dangerous,¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 36: Trouble (4)

    Jenny glanced at Dr. Xu and saw that she also wore an approving expression.¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back first. The food should be enough to get us through this high-risk period,¡± Jenny said.


    Once the three of them reached a consensus, they quickly made their way back, picking up some dry firewood along the way.


    It was slow when they left, but much quicker on the return, and within less than twenty minutes, they successfully arrived at the post office gathering site.


    As they were about to part ways, Yu Hong suddenly thought of something and asked aloud.


    ¡°By the way, Jenny, I remember that it was several days between Old Yu¡¯s return and the incident, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was definitely several days,¡± Jenny nodded.


    ¡°Does this mean that even if he was infected, it could take several days before he spreads it to others?¡± Yu Hong furrowed his brows. ¡°So the question is, what¡¯s the method of transmission for the black handprints? Do you know?¡±


    ¡°Contact, it should be contact,¡± Jenny replied. ¡°As long as you touch a black handprint or an individual with a black handprint, you could be infected.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Yu Hong nodded and glanced at Dr. Xu while picking up his things. ¡°Since it¡¯s transmitted by contact, then when Old Yu first returned, who did he come into contact with?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The other two fell silent.


    They both recalled the situation and felt uneasy. Old Yu, being a butcher, had nearly come into contact with everyone. Looking at it this way, any one of them could have been infected.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check again. Everyone, be cautious,¡± Yu Hong paused, his gaze turned toward the stone house.


    ¡°Also, there¡¯s one more thing.¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Suddenly, Eve¡¯s voice came from a distance. Her face looked somewhat haggard, and she was dressed in a gray thin sweater and black pants, walking quickly toward them.


    When she got closer, instead of looking at the food in her mother¡¯s hands, her eyes immediately fell on Yu Hong, her expression brightening with joy.


    She immediately walked briskly towards Yu Hong.


    ¡°Brother Yu,¡± she said with a sweet smile, puffing her chest to subtly accentuate her body¡¯s curves. ¡°I heard you can make Great Luminous Stone. How many pieces do you have now? Could you sell me some more?¡±


    ¡°Eve!¡± Jenny scolded from the side, unable to hold back.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Brother Yu is a good person, mom, don¡¯t worry.¡± Eve unconsciously moved closer, reaching to hold Yu Hong¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Yu Hong suddenly took a step back, his gaze cold as he distanced himself.


    ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± He fixed his eyes on Eve.


    ¡°What¡­ what question!?¡± Eve was startled by his sudden loud voice and stood frozen, not daring to move.


    Jenny, on the other hand, was on high alert, her hand subtly resting on the hilt of the knife at her side.


    She feared Yu Hong might harm her daughter. After all, in these times, there were many people with mental issues living alone.


    Dr. Xu, without saying a word, also gripped the hilt of her short knife and slowly moved closer to Yu Hong, her eyes focused on Eve and Jenny.


    Clearly, compared to Jenny and her daughter, she trusted Yu Hong more.


    For a moment, the four of them were split into two sides, with a tense atmosphere brewing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, I just want to ask a question.¡± Yu Hong took a step back, signaling Dr. Xu to also back off.


    ¡°The footprints at the entrance of the post office stone house. Aside from the ones we left that day after we left, there was another set. Who do they belong to?¡± £Ò??§°????¨¨?


    His gaze shifted between Jenny and Eve.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie, I remember the footprints clearly from when we left that day. I made sure to remember the shape. But when I came back today, I noticed the footprints were different. Clearly, someone else has entered and exited the stone house more than once!¡±


    As soon as he said that, the expressions of the three of them changed.


    Jenny and Dr. Xu were both confused and fearful, while Eve was simply panicked.


    Jenny glanced around and immediately noticed her daughter¡¯s strange behavior. She was very familiar with Eve. Whenever Eve was anxious, she would stiffen, lower her head, and avoid eye contact, unconsciously pressing her hands against her thighs, wiping the sweat from her palms.


    ¡°Eve!!¡± Jenny suddenly shouted, her voice echoing through the woods.


    ¡°Was it you!?¡± She gritted her teeth, staring at her daughter with bloodshot eyes, hoping that Eve would deny it.


    But Eve¡¯s reaction caused Jenny¡¯s hopes to collapse rapidly, leaving her in despair!


    Pfft.


    Eve covered her face with both hands, standing frozen in place, her face pale.


    After a long pause, she slowly turned around.


    Indeed, on the left side of her hip, a small black handprint was faintly visible.


    The reason she had changed into black pants was clearly to cover up the gradually emerging black handprint on her body.


    If it weren¡¯t for Yu Hong¡¯s suspicion, and if Eve hadn¡¯t been questioned, the three might not have noticed the handprint hidden on her black pants.


    Seeing the handprint, Yu Hong and Dr. Xu didn¡¯t say anything further and quickly distanced themselves.


    ¡°The food¡¯s been found. Let¡¯s all scatter and calm down for a while,¡± Yu Hong quickly said.


    ¡°Jenny.¡± Dr. Xu called, seeing that Jenny hadn¡¯t shown any sign of distancing herself from her daughter. She couldn¡¯t help but remind her.


    ¡°If one person is infected, perhaps Great Luminous Stone can still help. But with two people, it¡¯s different!¡± She paused. ¡°Also¡­¡±


    Dr. Xu¡¯s gaze turned sharp as she stared at Eve.


    ¡°Keep an eye on your daughter.¡±


    Her tone was rather blunt.


    Jenny froze for a moment, her eyes reddening, as if she hadn¡¯t heard the warning. She just turned her head, staring at her daughter with a fierce gaze, her chest rising and falling violently, her back to Yu Hong and Dr. Xu, crouching slowly beside Eve, as if deaf. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dr. Xu didn¡¯t say anything else. She quickly grabbed her things and left.


    The two of them left one after the other, checking each other for any black handprints as they walked. After confirming that neither of them had any, they let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Eve definitely tried to infect us!¡± Dr. Xu gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Why would she do that!?¡± Yu Hong pulled out a half-changed Great Luminous Stone from his chest and exhaled. It was this item that had alerted him. He had initially been unsure about who had entered the stone house, but once the Great Luminous Stone showed abnormal behavior, he quickly identified the culprit.


    ¡°There must be some benefit, otherwise, both she and Old Yu wouldn¡¯t have concealed it and actively made contact with others,¡± Dr. Xu speculated.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always felt something was off.¡± Yu Hong spoke. ¡°With Eve¡¯s personality, in such a harsh environment, how could she not have any sense of vigilance? There are shadows and bugs everywhere, hasn¡¯t she been scared?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that.¡± Dr. Xu showed a hint of recollection. ¡°Eve really is different from most people. I remember when Jenny¡¯s family first arrived, her father was still around. He was a very frail old man, with no color on his face. He was at least 20 or 30 years older than Jenny. And¡­¡±


    ¡°And what?¡±


    ¡°And back then, Eve hardly ever came out. It was mostly her parents who showed up.¡± Dr. Xu recalled as she leaned against a tree.


    ¡°Later, Eve¡¯s father suddenly said he was going out, but never returned. After that, Eve started going out. This girl is very capable, don¡¯t be fooled by how silly she seems. Actually, she¡¯s a linguistic genius, speaks four languages, and has deep knowledge of ancient linguistics. I don¡¯t know why her family moved here.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else unusual?¡± Yu Hong pressed.


    ¡°One more thing.¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. ¡°Their underground tunnel, no one¡¯s ever gone in there. And they don¡¯t allow anyone to visit. Also, several times during surge periods, when everyone was on the brink of collapse and several people died, their family was fine.¡±


    ¡°Looks like they have something going on.¡± Yu Hong nodded. Based on what he learned from Dr. Xu, they definitely had some hidden secrets.


    ¡°Definitely. Before, Eve went to town and brought back two guys who were pursuing her, but they quickly disappeared. I don¡¯t know why, but I always feel like this girl is hiding something.¡± Dr. Xu frowned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close to them for now. If anything happens, come find me. If there¡¯s any abnormality, tell me immediately.¡± Yu Hong took another piece of Great Luminous Stone from his waist pouch.


    ¡°I¡¯ll lend you one piece of Great Luminous Stone for now. Be careful, it will emit slight heat when it changes color. Carry it close to your body, and you¡¯ll be able to sense many places of danger.¡±


    He handed the Great Luminous Stone to Dr. Xu. No matter what, she was the only medical professional around, and she was a familiar face with a good nature. If he could help, he would.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s eyes flickered, and her face showed a trace of emotion. She quickly took the Great Luminous Stone. ¡°I¡¯m working on a herb right now, basically made from wild plants and minerals found nearby. It¡¯s very helpful for wound infections, almost done. I¡¯ll give you some when it¡¯s ready!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s eyes brightened. He hadn¡¯t expected an extra reward. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will!¡± Dr. Xu nodded firmly.


    The two of them parted under the tree and returned to their respective shelters.


    By the time Yu Hong returned to the safe house cave, the sky had already dimmed.


    He put the firewood in the corner, started a fire, and began preparing food.


    Sitting by the fireplace, he carefully thought back on the details of Jenny and Eve, his brow furrowing deeper.


    ¡®The evil shadows are getting closer, quietly arriving beside the people around me. Eve is definitely done for. If Jenny stays with her, she¡¯ll die too. That means, after this, only Dr. Xu and I will still have food issues left. Two more people will be gone.¡¯


    He sighed and poked the fire with a stick to ensure the oxygen could circulate better.


    The red glow of the fire danced on his face, flickering in and out.


    After adding more wood, Yu Hong stood up to check the protective symbols he was reinforcing on the walls. He had set up symbols all over the inner walls of the cave. But instead of reinforcing them to the extreme, he was strengthening them to a normal level.


    Now, the walls and floor were covered with these symbols, designed to prevent evil shadows and malignant entities from entering the cave.


    The threat of evil shadows was imminent, and he needed to be as prepared as possible.


    These symbols all over the cave were the first step.


    The second step was to create a portable temporary formation plate, which could be used to test the protection range of the symbol formations in other locations.


    How large an area one symbol formation could protect was an important piece of data.


    Only by confirming the range could he strengthen it on clothing, armor, and even on his body!


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 37: Secret (1)

    The next day, in Baiqiu Village.A warm breeze blew gently, and the sun was at its hottest around noon.


    In front of the desolate houses of the village, a tall figure dressed in gray-black anti-stab clothing slowly walked along the gravel road, as though surveying the surrounding environment.


    The figure wore a helmet and carried a black wolf-tooth club, its spikes glinting faintly silver in the sunlight, looking menacing.


    After a while, the figure raised his head, revealing a pale, expressionless face¡ªYu Hong.


    His footsteps paused as he stopped in front of a slightly larger, dark stone house.


    Without a sound, he quietly took a bag from his back, opened it, and pulled out a palm-sized yellow wooden board.


    Inlaid in the board was a jade circle with a Great luminous stone (Dahuishi) rune array.


    He gently pressed the rune array board against the stone door and lightly secured it with nails.


    Once his hands were free, he opened the door, looked inside at the dark, pitch-black interior, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.


    Before long, his figure disappeared into the darkness, and silence fell.


    Time passed slowly.


    Five minutes later.


    Bang!!


    A figure suddenly shot out from the darkness, rushing toward the door.


    It was Yu Hong.


    His expression remained calm, but several spikes of the wolf-tooth club he held had already bent.


    Hiss!


    Behind him, a woman in black with her skull crushed in, rapidly approached, her pale, decayed right hand reaching toward his back.


    Just as the woman¡¯s hand was only a few inches from Yu Hong¡ª


    Suddenly, he lunged forward and rolled on the ground, just as the door creaked open a little, allowing him to escape, narrowly avoiding her grasp.


    In the split second, the woman¡¯s hand collided with the door that had been nailed with the rune array board.


    Ah!!!


    A sharp, invisible sound wave exploded, and the woman¡¯s right hand turned translucent, distorting as if it were mist in the wind, about to dissipate.


    Then, her entire body seemed to undergo intense interference, rapidly twisting, creating large ripples.


    Poof!


    Moments later, the woman vanished.


    The rune array board on the door also turned completely gray-white, and the runes began to crack and break apart.


    After the scream, everything returned to stillness.


    Yu Hong slowly rose from the gravel road, his gaze fixed on the rune array board on the door.


    ¡°Surprisingly, the effect is even stronger than the regular Great luminous stone. It seems the power of both the luminous stone and the rune array is related to the specific area of the rune array.¡± ??????????B§§?


    This wasn¡¯t even the strongest silver rune array, just an ordinary Great luminous stone rune array, and a single piece was enough to repel a Ghostly Shadow.


    After removing the nails and rune array board, Yu Hong carefully examined the area where the rune array had activated.


    There was a faint gray-white circle around the board on the wooden door.


    It looked like a chalk circle drawn around the rune array itself. This mark didn¡¯t exist before, but it had appeared after the rune array and the apparition made contact.


    Yu Hong gently touched it and confirmed it couldn¡¯t be wiped away. It was already imprinted on the door.


    He thoughtfully withdrew his hand and estimated the size of the circle¡ªit was about three times the size of the rune array.


    He quickly noted the data on a piece of paper and packed up his things, leaving quickly.


    After walking a distance, he suddenly felt a chill blow from behind and quickly turned around, looking toward the stone house he had just left.


    Inside the house, the wooden door was wide open, and through the shadows, a blurry figure of the woman in black¡ªthe apparition he had just dispersed¡ªwas standing.


    It seemed the apparition was reconstructing, with her body gradually becoming clearer from the previous blur.


    Yu Hong withdrew his gaze, quickly calculated the time, looked down to record the data, and then left in a hurry.


    Soon, he left Baiqiu Village, collecting some dry firewood along the way, and returned to his cave.


    He took out more Great luminous stone ink and repaired the broken lines of the rune array on the board. He then placed his hand on it.


    The black lines flickered, and a countdown instantly appeared on the board: 45 minutes.


    Once that was done, Yu Hong walked to the corner, took out a thin wooden board rune array that he had started making yesterday.


    This rune array board was very thin, almost as thin as a mobile phone. He had made over ten of these and stacked them in the corner.


    Ever since discovering Eve¡¯s infection with the Black Handprint, he had been preparing to face the dark apparitions.


    Regular Great luminous stones could no longer block them, which had already been tested. One Great luminous stone was only as effective as a bag of ordinary luminous stones. Given the mass death in the town overnight, it was impossible no one had tested bags of luminous stones.


    The greater possibility was that the bags of luminous stones had no effect at all.


    So, he needed a stronger solution.


    The rune arrays were his trump cards.


    Sitting in the corner, Yu Hong took one of the boards and drew the Great luminous stone rune array on it.


    Crack!


    At that moment, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside.


    Crack. Crack.


    The footsteps were slow and rhythmic, steadily approaching, stepping on dry twigs.


    As the sound grew nearer, Yu Hong stopped drawing, placed the board down, stood up, and grabbed the wolf-tooth club in his hand.


    His eyes grew vigilant, focusing on the door as the footsteps continued to approach.


    The peephole in the door was covered, and he could only see faint sunlight streaming in through small cracks.


    Despite the bright, warm sunlight, a strong, bone-chilling coldness slowly rose from within Yu Hong¡¯s heart.


    Crack. Crack.


    The footsteps were almost upon the door.


    Finally, the sounds stopped.


    The person outside seemed to hesitate, considering whether to continue.


    Yu Hong also reached the back of the door, holding his wolf-tooth club in one hand and two large luminous stones in the other, gently pressing them against the door.


    One minute.


    Two minutes.


    Three minutes.


    There was no further movement outside.


    Yu Hong¡¯s tense nerves slowly began to relax. He glanced at the luminous stones behind the door.


    The luminous stone had quietly consumed half of its energy and had now stopped, returning to silence.


    Sigh.


    He let out a quiet breath, reached out to open the peephole, and looked outside.


    It was bright and sunny, with the wind calm, the area empty, and nothing in sight.


    Seeing this, Yu Hong sighed in relief. He replaced the luminous stone behind the door and closed the peephole again.


    Bang!!!


    At that moment, a pale face suddenly pressed against the iron net of the peephole.


    With a loud crash, the decayed face pushed hard against the net, causing it to creak and almost break.


    The face glared at Yu Hong, then pushed with more force.


    To Yu Hong¡¯s horror, the face squeezed through the iron net and broke through the peephole!


    Buzz!!!


    In an instant, the luminous stone behind the door turned to white powder. The two other stones in Yu Hong¡¯s hands shattered as well.


    These luminous stones could not block the face¡¯s entry.


    At that moment, the silver rune array on the door suddenly lit up with a flash of silver.


    The higher-level rune array, which had taken two days to complete, suddenly emitted an intense, pure, invisible wave.


    The wave spread like ripples, covering the entire door and even the stone walls of the cave surrounding it.


    With the spread of the wave, the decayed face flickered, like a phantom, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Everything immediately fell silent.


    The iron net of the peephole remained damaged, but the face had completely vanished.


    Yu Hong stood rigid, his body frozen as he realized the gravity of what had just happened, breathing heavily.


    He hadn¡¯t been able to move at all!


    It had all happened so suddenly.


    The pressure from the attack had been so overwhelming that he had been stunned and hadn¡¯t reacted in time to deal with it.


    When he finally regained his senses and prepared to act, everything was already over.


    ¡®Wait!! There was some special force that had paralyzed me!¡¯ Yu Hong recalled. Logically, by now, he shouldn¡¯t have been as vulnerable as he had been when he first arrived in this environment, and even if he were scared, he wouldn¡¯t have been completely frozen.


    But that feeling, the overwhelming fear, made him feel like a newcomer again.


    That terrifying sensation.


    He looked down at his body, noticing a faint gray-black handprint on his jacket¡¯s chest that was slowly fading away.


    ¡°Was it the withered Maiden?¡± he wondered.


    Compared to the apparition, the strength of that attack had been far greater.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the silver rune array activating, he likely would have been caught and faced an unknown danger.


    He bent down and carefully inspected the silver rune array, noticing that the silver had faded slightly, indicating some of its power had been consumed.


    ¡°Tomorrow is the high surge period. Looks like I won¡¯t be able to leave casually after this.¡±


    Yu Hong checked the damage to the peephole and stretched out his hand to reinforce it, but then remembered there was still something in countdown. He could only wait for now.


    So, he grabbed a chair, sat down in front of the door, and started recovering his strength. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not long after, when the countdown ended, he began to repair the broken iron net.


    It didn¡¯t take long to fix it, and then Yu Hong began to replenish the silver rune array¡¯s consumed power.


    After two hours, the silver rune array was back to normal, looking as it had before. However, inside, Yu Hong had gained a rough estimate of the strength of the withered Maiden and the apparition.


    *


    *


    *


    nside the Jenny cave.


    Eve was frantically scrubbing at the black handprint on her hip with a wet towel, but no matter how much she rubbed, the handprint remained stubborn and pitch black.


    Her face was filled with panic, and she seemed agitated. When she couldn¡¯t get rid of it, she immediately grabbed a knife, intending to cut the mark off herself.


    Bang!


    A stick swung from the side and struck her hand hard, knocking the knife to the ground.


    The stick was held by Jenny, her face cold, a hint of panic in her eyes as she kept a tense watch on their surroundings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do something pointless! You¡¯re not dead yet, there¡¯s still hope! Don¡¯t give up!¡±


    ¡°But Mom!¡± Eve said, her face pale, her eyes already swollen from crying. ¡°Even Old Yu is dead¡­ I can¡¯t escape¡­¡±


    ¡°Go to the isolation room. Now!¡± Jenny barked.


    Eve was startled but gritted her teeth and quickly made her way to the wall in the bedroom.


    She moved aside a bear skin hanging on the wall to reveal a silver metal door beneath.


    Pushing the metal door horizontally, Eve crawled in and slammed it shut behind her.


    ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll stay in there. Do you understand?¡± Jenny said solemnly. ¡°Until the handprint disappears completely. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Eve¡¯s voice came muffled from inside the silver metal door.


    ¡°Tomorrow is the peak period. I¡¯ll go out and figure something out for you,¡± Jenny said as she put down the stick, pulled the bear skin back into place, grabbed a bag of glowing stones, glanced at the clock, and quickly left the cave.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 38: Secret (2)

    The sky was dim, approaching twilight.In front of the cave¡¯s safe house.


    Knock knock knock.


    A series of hurried knocks rang out.


    Jennie stood at the door, holding a knife in one hand, knocking with the other.


    ¡°Yu Hong! Do you have a business deal?¡± she asked, glancing at the sky, knowing that night was coming soon and she had to act quickly.


    ¡°What business?¡± Yu Hong asked from behind the door.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Jennie to come this late. But then again, it was to be expected; she would come sooner or later.


    ¡°My daughter¡¯s situation is my fault, and I apologize to you. But everyone has their selfishness. We all want to survive. I hope you understand that,¡± Jennie quickly explained, keeping a wary eye on the surroundings.


    Yu Hong scoffed inside.


    She nearly infected both him and Doctor Xu, and she casually mentioned such a major event like it was nothing.


    He had thought Jennie was relatively normal, but now, it seemed she was just like her daughter.


    ¡°What are you trying to say? There¡¯s nothing to discuss,¡± he said coldly.


    ¡°I want to buy all the Great Luminous Stone you have, using something you absolutely can¡¯t refuse,¡± Jennie said swiftly.


    ¡°The peak period is coming. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything that would make me refuse,¡± Yu Hong responded indifferently.


    ¡°You can at least listen,¡± Jennie continued, unbothered by his response.


    She went on, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know how Eve and I ended up here. Baiqiu Village is just a remote village. Why would our family go all the way to this place?¡±


    Yu Hong remained silent. Indeed, this seemed strange.


    ¡°My husband used to work as a researcher at the Silver Tower Joint Research Institute. Silver Tower isn¡¯t just a single place, it¡¯s a global alliance of many research institutions,¡± Jennie explained.


    ¡°He discovered that certain places in the world were the original sources of the black disaster. Baiqiu Village is one of those places. So¡ª¡±


    ¡°So he brought us here to find the source. He taught Eve from a young age, and both of them became quite proficient in ancient languages. Near this village, they discovered an underground relic,¡± she paused, sighing.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not the most important part. The most important thing is that my husband brought out a liquid metal from Silver Tower. It can be used like spray paint. Its name is ¡®Sunshine No. 1.¡¯¡±


    ¡°This liquid metal is the only substance in current research that can block and isolate the ghostly shadows,¡± Jennie sighed.


    ¡°I have a small vial of this metal. I can trade it to you for all your Great Luminous Stone!¡±


    Sunshine No. 1? Such a thing exists?


    Yu Hong was half skeptical and didn¡¯t respond immediately. Strangely, Jennie didn¡¯t urge him but stood outside and continued speaking.


    ¡°You should think carefully. Right now, Eve is hiding in the Sunshine No. 1 room, which can temporarily block the evil shadows, but she can¡¯t stay in there forever. The moment she steps outside, she will likely be tangled by the evil shadows. So, after the peak period, I will come again. By then, I hope you¡¯ll have made your decision.¡±


    After speaking, Jennie quickly left the door and sprinted off into the forest, her movements as swift as a leopard.


    Soon, she returned to her cave home.


    She closed the door, locked it, and walked to the silver metal door where her daughter was.


    Squatting down, Jennie saw that the bag of Luminous Stone outside the silver metal door had already turned into white powder.


    Her face changed immediately.


    ¡°Eve, are you still there?¡± she called out loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Mom!¡± Eve quickly responded from inside.


    ¡°According to the attack pattern, the next strike should come in six hours. I¡¯ve used the red-value detector, and the environmental red value will peak over 200 just before the attack! Luminous Stone can neutralize the red value to reduce the peak, preventing the attack. So, all I can do now is gather as many Luminous Stone and Great Luminous Stone as possible to place near you to neutralize the environmental red value!¡± ??¦­?£Â??


    Jennie spoke in a low voice.


    At that moment, she seemed like a completely different person from when she had been with Yu Hong and Doctor Xu.


    She knew much more and showed no sign of hiding or pretending.


    ¡°I understand. It will be fine. It¡¯s just that the black handprint is crazily driving me to infect more people. It feels like¡­ if I can infect enough people, I can avoid the danger!¡± Eve shouted from inside.


    ¡°It will be fine, just like before. As long as your father¡¯s things are here, I will cure you! Don¡¯t worry, Eve,¡± Jennie comforted.


    ¡°I believe you, Mom,¡± Eve responded.


    Then, Jennie started preparing food for both of them while getting ready for the peak period.


    *


    *


    *


    Night slowly descended.


    Yu Hong stirred the fire in the stove, boiling the thick soup he¡¯d just added ingredients to.


    The large gate and the silver rune array have been restored. Next, he must keep the black mark to prepare for the next possible enhancement.


    The words Jennie said in the afternoon kept echoing in his mind.


    Ancient language? Origin of the black disaster? Sunshine No. 1?


    These things, these names, had wrapped Baiqiu Village, which he once thought was just a regular village, in a mysterious veil.


    Yu Hong had always wondered about something: where did the red symbols on the surface of the glowstones come from? They didn¡¯t seem like modern technology products.


    And in this technology-driven modern society, when dealing with ghostly shadows and blood tides, there had to be some method of defense. What could that method be? Now, Jennie had given a potential answer.


    It was likely Sunshine No. 1.


    Thinking about it, he stood up and walked to the corner, pulling out a stack of newspapers he had brought from Jiuba¡¯s place, flipping through them.


    Soon, his hand paused. He pulled out one paper.


    The headline mentioned Sunshine No. 1 material.


    ¡°Regarding the newly developed special liquid metal, Professor Peng Siwei translated it as Sunshine No. 1. This liquid metal has the characteristic of solidifying upon exposure to light. Its initial discovery was near a few of the black disaster source points. The material is believed to have been generated alongside the black disaster.¡±


    It really exists¡­ Yu Hong muttered to himself, stunned.


    Then, he recalled what Doctor Xu had said. Jennie and her daughter had encountered extremely dangerous peak periods multiple times and had managed to survive.


    Combined with Eve¡¯s odd and out-of-place nature, Jennie and her daughter clearly had secrets, and they weren¡¯t ordinary ones.


    ¡°From the way she spoke earlier, she was very confident that she and her daughter could survive the peak period. It must be the effect of Sunshine No. 1.¡±


    As this thought passed through his mind, Yu Hong felt a flicker of temptation.


    Bam!!


    Suddenly, a loud sound came from the front door.


    He turned to look at the wooden door.


    The door trembled slightly, as if some large creature outside was ramming against it.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!!


    The continuous heavy bangs kept coming.


    Black insects began pouring in from the ventilation holes like sand.


    These insects had black shells, long and dense short legs, and menacing mouthparts like centipedes.


    But no matter how vicious they looked, the moment they entered the safe house, they were instantly melted by the light and turned into black smoke, disappearing into thin air.


    Yu Hong¡¯s face remained calm. The peak period wasn¡¯t a big threat to him now. All he needed to do was wait for the large creature to leave, then quickly repair the door.


    While waiting, Yu Hong kept an eye on the door¡¯s stability and began drawing ordinary runes, reinforcing them with black prints.


    These runes were all drawn on regular wooden boards, then stacked and connected using pre-made wooden nails to form a whole.


    In this way, a large rune array, made from nine wooden boards, was successfully completed.


    Over the next six days of the peak period, Yu Hong made three of these rune arrays. Two of them were ordinary rune arrays, and the last one, which was made with a silver rune array at its core, was a silver-core version. It was made specifically to deal with the impending danger of the ghostly shadow and the withered Maiden.


    Soon, the peak period passed.


    The next early morning.


    Yu Hong opened the door to go out and gather more firewood, when he soon heard faint footsteps approaching.


    He returned to the stone steps at the cave entrance and looked into the distance.


    In the distance, Jennie was walking quickly toward him with Eve.


    Six days had passed, and Jennie looked more haggard. Her eyes were sunken and dark, and she had lost a lot of weight.


    Her daughter Eve looked the same. Her once bright golden hair had lost its luster, and she seemed timid, anxious, and fearful.


    But despite everything, they were still alive after six days, and had not been taken by the evil shadows. This alone was an abnormal sign.


    Seeing them approach, Yu Hong didn¡¯t hesitate. He quickly went inside, locked the door, and quietly waited for them to arrive.


    His impression of Jennie and her daughter had become vague, replaced by a sense of mystery.


    Soon, they stood outside the wooden door, just a door away from Yu Hong.


    ¡°It¡¯s been six days. Have you thought about it? Maybe you should try the effect,¡± Jennie¡¯s hoarse voice came from outside.


    ¡°How do I know if what you say about Sunshine No. 1 is true? After all, you don¡¯t have what I need. Our trade is not balanced,¡± Yu Hong replied coldly.


    ¡°Everyone just wants to live,¡± Jennie said. ¡°Eve just wants to survive. Is that wrong?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong,¡± Yu Hong said. ¡°But that has nothing to do with me. I have no reason to help you.¡±


    ¡°But we have no other choice,¡± Jennie said, reaching out to grab a wooden stick. The end of the stick was connected to Eve¡¯s hand.


    The two of them were connected by this stick.


    ¡°I said, it has nothing to do with me,¡± Yu Hong said calmly. He didn¡¯t want to deal with someone like Eve, who was trying to secretly infect others.


    ¡°You have the ability! That¡¯s what makes it your concern!¡± Jennie raised her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not obligated to help you,¡± Yu Hong replied. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°But we have no other choice!¡± Jennie retorted. ¡°Don¡¯t force us.¡±


    Her eyes deepened with danger.


    ¡°How am I forcing you? I don¡¯t have the ability to save you. How is that forcing you?¡± Yu Hong was almost laughing in anger. He had heard of people like this before, but never thought he would meet one in reality.


    ¡°Faced with the pressure of death, to survive, many people will do anything,¡± Jennie said calmly.


    Behind her, Eve stepped forward, standing up.


    ¡°But if you help us now, we will be very grateful,¡± Jennie continued.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your gratitude,¡± Yu Hong said in a low voice.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll perish together,¡± Jennie smiled. ¡°Eve will sit at your door from now on. If she dies here, the Withered Maiden¡¯s black handprint will remain on your door. Your safe house will be completely destroyed and become a source of evil shadows. Once you step outside, the evil shadow¡¯s black handprint will stick to you!¡±


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 39: Secret (3)

    Jenny spoke lightly, but the look in her eyes was ice-cold.¡°Do you want to try? See if we can destroy your safehouse?¡±


    For a moment, the three people inside and outside the door fell silent.


    Yu Hong remained silent, his expression changing unpredictably, clearly deep in thought and hesitation.


    After a long pause, he slowly spoke.


    ¡°This deal is unreasonable. I need to know why you are so sure that with my help, you can escape the Withered Maiden¡¯s attacks? That you can survive?¡±


    Outside the door, Jenny remained calm, taking a sip from her water pouch. As soon as she heard his words, she knew he was starting to compromise.


    ¡°This was part of my husband¡¯s research. Later, I can offer it as compensation for you. But the condition is, you must help us through this crisis.¡±


    ¡°¡­How do you plan to get through it?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Great Luminous Stones! We need enough of them!¡± Jenny replied.


    ¡°I can give you three at most. That¡¯s all I have in stock.¡± Yu Hong answered, furrowing his brow.


    ¡°Three should be enough for a while. As long as we don¡¯t face them head-on, it will last a long time!¡± Jenny quickly responded, showing a hint of joy on her face.


    ¡°But how do I know you¡¯ll keep your promise and tell me the secret to avoiding the Withered Maiden?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what I propose. I¡¯ll give you part of the information, and then you place two pieces of the Great Luminous Stones outside for us to take. Afterward, I¡¯ll tell you the last part, and then you give me the final stone.¡± Jenny quickly said. ¡°It¡¯s less secure for us, but it guarantees your part of the benefit. How about it?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yu Hong answered after a moment of silence, confirming his agreement.


    He stood up, walked to the corner of the cave, and pulled out his stock of Great Luminous Stones. There were only five left in total.


    The barriers and the main door needed frequent replacements, so there were only a few complete Great Luminous Stones left. He had been researching talisman arrays and hadn¡¯t had time to make or restore the less efficient Great Luminous Stones.


    He took out three of them, returned to the door, and sat by the side stone wall.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the stones. You can back off,¡± he said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Jenny replied, her emotions more stable now. She grabbed a stick and helped her daughter down the stone steps, retreating.


    From a distance, the two kept a close watch on the wooden door, paying attention to every movement.


    After about half a minute, the wooden door made a crisp cracking sound, then slowly opened, revealing a narrow gap.


    A hand appeared, holding a Great Luminous Stone, and carefully placed it outside.


    This was the first one.


    The hand retracted, then took out the second stone and placed it next to the first.


    Crack.


    The door closed again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Jenny¡¯s face lit up with joy. She quickly stepped forward, climbed the stone steps, and picked up the two Great Luminous Stones.


    ¡°Now, can you tell me how you avoid the Withered Maiden?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s voice came from behind the door.


    ¡°We can tell you half,¡± Jenny said, giving her daughter a look. Her daughter understood and stepped back a little.


    ¡°The Withered Maiden and the Withered Shadows are essentially the same. Before attacking living beings, they cause a series of premonitions. We can detect these premonitions using instruments to prepare in advance, preventing them from attacking successfully.¡± ?????£Î£Ï£Â¨§S?


    She paused before continuing.


    ¡°According to my husband¡¯s research, by using the Red Value Detection Instrument, if you maintain the red value within a certain range, it will cause the Withered Shadows to hesitate, making them indecisive.¡±


    ¡°Do they have intelligence?¡± Yu Hong pressed.


    ¡°Uncertain.¡± Jenny replied. ¡°Anything else you want to ask?¡±


    ¡°How do you know the red value range for the Withered Maiden?¡± Yu Hong narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°By adjusting it based on the average strength of the Withered Shadows, it¡¯s not difficult. What¡¯s hard is stabilizing the value. Usually, whether it¡¯s the Withered Shadows or the Withered Maiden, before they appear, the red value rapidly rises to its maximum. This is the main reason we need your Great Luminous Stones,¡± Jenny quickly explained.


    ¡°Lastly, the Sunlight No. 1.¡± Yu Hong reminded.


    ¡°The secret to avoiding the Withered Maiden¡¯s pursuit can be exchanged for three Great Luminous Stones. That¡¯s enough,¡± Jenny said coldly. ¡°If you still want Sunlight No. 1, you¡¯ll need to give us more Great Luminous Stones!¡±


    ¡°I have more questions. If you¡¯re willing to answer, I¡¯ll give you another Great Luminous Stone.¡± Yu Hong continued.


    ¡°Four stones? Alright, but I need to assess the value of your questions.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    They quickly reached an agreement.


    ¡°Now, tell me the red value range for avoiding the Withered Maiden. I¡¯ll give you the third stone,¡± Yu Hong said.


    ¡°Alright, the red value range for avoiding the Withered Maiden is between 120 and 140! As long as it stays in this range, the Withered Maiden will be at a point where she¡¯s about to appear but can¡¯t. However, this point will continuously drain the red value. After maintaining it for half an hour, the Withered Maiden will retreat,¡± Jenny responded promptly.


    ¡°Good. Now, step back a little. I¡¯ll give you the third one!¡± Yu Hong also agreed quickly. Although he didn¡¯t fully trust her, at least it provided some reference value.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Jenny replied, slowly stepping back. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, this time, she didn¡¯t retreat too far. Instead, she circled around and hid to the left side of the wooden door.


    She grabbed the wall effortlessly, as agile as a rock climber, and climbed to the left side of the wooden door in the cave.


    After securing herself, she drew a black dagger from her waist and aimed it at the door.


    The moment the door opened, she would leap down and immediately subdue the person inside.


    With her professional combat skills, she could easily take down someone like Yu Hong, who was a weak man.


    Time ticked by.


    Soon.


    The wooden door made a slight cracking sound.


    The gap in the door grew larger and larger until it was wide enough for a hand to slip through and place a Great Luminous Stone outside.


    At this moment, Jenny jumped down from the side, grabbing the wooden door with her body and pressing herself inside.


    As long as she could get behind the door, with her fighting skills, Yu Hong was nothing to her.


    Crack.


    A gun was raised, aiming directly at her chest.


    Just as Jenny jumped into the cave, ready to leap and restrain Yu Hong, a black barrel had already been aimed at her.


    The gun didn¡¯t budge, and the muzzle was only a few centimeters away from her chest. The person holding it was Yu Hong.


    His expression remained calm as he reached out and pulled the trigger without hesitation.


    Bang!


    Jenny was shocked. She swiftly retreated, rolling sideways to the ground with a thud, blood spreading from her chest.


    She was hit in the right side of her chest at such a close range, but fortunately, her opponent¡¯s marksmanship was poor, or perhaps the recoil from the gun was unfamiliar to him.


    This mistake gave her the only chance to survive!


    Jenny¡¯s body went numb.


    The bastard had a gun!?! He had a gun and was still so cowardly!? So fake!? She thought, her mind racing, realizing for the first time how treacherous human nature could be!


    The purpose behind Yu Hong¡¯s actions swirled in her mind, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what he was trying to achieve by doing this.


    Wounded and struggling, she quickly rushed to her daughter¡¯s side and grabbed the wooden stick in her hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!!¡± She said harshly.


    The intense pain made her face twist, but the pain also sharpened her mind.


    She had been caught off guard this time, but once she had recovered, there would be many ways to deal with Yu Hong.


    As long as he kept going out to collect firewood, fetch water, or find food, she would have a chance to ambush him and take him out. If worse came to worst, her husband¡¯s last few chemical poisons could easily kill him without a trace, just by spraying them into his air vents.


    The two ran quickly into the distance.


    Bang!


    Another gunshot rang out.


    Jenny fell to the ground with a cry, her back and waist bleeding profusely, staining her clothes.


    Her daughter, Eve, was pulled down with her and fell beside her.


    Seeing her mother¡¯s injury, Eve was clearly stunned.


    A few moments passed.


    She trembled all over, reached out, and wanted to touch her mother, but was hesitant due to the Withered Maiden¡¯s infection.


    ¡°Run!¡± Jenny raised her pale face, speaking weakly to her daughter.


    When Eve didn¡¯t respond, Jenny gathered all her strength and shouted.


    ¡°Run!!¡± She cried, stuffing the two Great Luminous Stones into Eve¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Stop! Kneel down!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s voice came from behind.


    He still held the gun, aiming at Eve, and was stepping forward.


    But Eve was clearly panicking. Gripping the Great Luminous Stones, she turned and ran.


    She didn¡¯t even glance back at her mother, running wildly toward the woods, stumbling, falling, then getting up again, not turning around, gradually increasing the distance between them.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want Jenny to die, stop and stay still!¡± Yu Hong shouted as he approached, aiming at her.


    His voice echoed across the forest.


    Unfortunately, Eve didn¡¯t listen. It was as if she hadn¡¯t heard him, continuing to charge ahead until she disappeared deep into the woods.


    Yu Hong lowered his gun and looked at Jenny¡¯s body, which had already bled a large pool on the ground, staining the surrounding grass.


    It seemed she was done for.


    ¡°Anything you want to say?¡± He asked coldly.


    Unlike the first time he had killed someone, Yu Hong now seemed to have adjusted to the rules of this world.


    ¡°Eve¡­ She will survive.¡± Jenny¡¯s pupils were unfocused. ¡°She will¡­ survive¡­ and take revenge for me.¡±


    ¡°Nice fantasy,¡± Yu Hong said flatly. He didn¡¯t even look at her anymore as he quickly headed toward the bunker where Jenny and Eve had lived.


    He ran at full speed, chasing after them.


    Finally, after using his second breath.


    Bang!!


    A large wolf¡¯s fang club slammed into Eve¡¯s head, knocking her to the ground.


    In the forest, only thirty or forty meters from the post office, Yu Hong caught up with Eve.


    Looking at the girl who was dazed and lying on the ground, he looked around and walked forward, prying the two Great Luminous Stones from her hands using the wolf¡¯s fang club.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t touch her directly, fearing she might infect him.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± he whispered to her.


    ¡°No, no!!¡± Eve struggled, her voice weak like a mosquito¡¯s, tears flowing down her cheeks.


    Bang!


    Several muffled sounds rang out.


    Yu Hong turned and left, leaving Eve lying there, completely unconscious.


    Blood continued to flow from her forehead, spreading more and more.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t kill her, because Eve hadn¡¯t participated in Jenny¡¯s threats. She was just a child, unaware of much.


    She was young and didn¡¯t understand many things.


    So, he only broke her limbs, then knocked her unconscious.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 40: Secret (4)

    Walking on the way back, the image of Eve, who had just fainted, kept stirring in Yu Hong¡¯s heart.He had originally wanted to kill her outright, but when the time came, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it.


    He had been an ordinary person, a regular office worker. Even though he had knocked out two soldiers during his counterattack last time, he hadn¡¯t killed anyone!


    That¡¯s right.


    He had only knocked out two people. If they woke up in time, they would survive.


    So, he hadn¡¯t killed anyone. As long as the person didn¡¯t die immediately in his hands, it didn¡¯t count.


    And this time, it was the same.


    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill. He couldn¡¯t bear to see a living, moving, and struggling life¡ªan equal life¡ªgradually fading away in his hands.


    That indescribable feeling made his heart grow more and more nauseous, as if he wanted to vomit.


    Perhaps he would get used to it in the future, but for now, at least at this very moment¡­


    He still harbored mercy. He was still just an ordinary person.


    Returning to the cave¡¯s safehouse, Yu Hong gave the unconscious Jenny a few more blows, breaking her limbs.


    Then, he took her keys and dagger, among other items, before feeling at ease and heading back inside, starting a fire. He took off his sweat-drenched clothes, sitting by the stove, bare-chested.


    He didn¡¯t move, sitting quietly as three talismans lay beside him, within easy reach.


    He remained silent for a long time¡ªperhaps over an hour.


    ¡°Sigh.¡±


    Yu Hong sighed, watching the flickering flames in the fireplace, a trace of confusion and sadness in his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it to be this way.¡±


    He muttered softly.


    ¡°But the environment is like this, and the people outside are like this. It¡¯s not my fault.¡±


    He extended his hand and took out the handgun from his waist holster.


    The black Aurora-made pistol, now completely out of ammunition, had just fired the last two shots from his limited supply.


    Since it was already empty, he might as well use it for an enhancement attempt.


    Gripping the gun¡¯s handle, Yu Hong silently whispered in his mind.


    ¡°Enhance the firearm, with the direction being¡­ automatic bullet replenishment.¡±


    ¡°Integrity insufficient.¡± The feedback from the black mark was clear¡ªit wasn¡¯t going to be that easy. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upgrading an ordinary handgun into one with infinite bullets was clearly impossible.


    Yu Hong thought for a moment and changed his approach.


    ¡°Enhance the firearm, with the direction being: reduced recoil, refill bullets once.¡±


    ¡°Integrity insufficient.¡±


    The feedback from the black mark still didn¡¯t work.


    Yu Hong furrowed his brows and started to try other enhancement directions.


    But no matter which direction he chose, it seemed he couldn¡¯t replenish the bullets.


    Remembering the items he had enhanced earlier, many had automatically been repaired or even fully restored. For example, the big door was like this.


    So, he decided to begin with a basic recoil reduction for the handgun.


    The countdown began at last, with 32 minutes on the clock.


    Not long.


    Yu Hong simply sat there, quietly waiting, organizing his thoughts and future plans.


    Soon, the time came. The handgun in front of him shimmered briefly before becoming clear again.


    After the enhancement, the handgun looked the same but was obviously much newer, and the Aurora mark was gone.


    Yu Hong quickly picked it up and ejected the magazine.


    It was empty, causing him to show a disappointed expression.


    ¡°Looks like it still can¡¯t replenish the bullets. This means bullets are treated as separate items from the handgun.¡±


    He gave up on the firearm and got up to exercise.


    The advanced physical training method had been very helpful to him so far. His stamina had improved, and running had become faster and easier.


    After exercising and eating some rich soup, the sky outside had gradually darkened.


    Yu Hong thought about the mysteries surrounding Jenny and her daughter.


    ¡°If we follow Doctor Xu¡¯s judgment, Jenny and her family are definitely abnormal. Jenny herself has clearly trained in combat and is skilled with a dagger. Her daughter Eve is proficient in ancient languages and multiple foreign languages, which is something that can¡¯t be taught in such a small place. The educational environment is simply insufficient.¡± ?¨¢??????§¦????


    ¡°So, this means they must have lived in a much better environment before. What¡¯s strange, though, is that even if they were investigating the secrets of the Black Disaster, Jenny¡¯s husband shouldn¡¯t have brought his whole family here. His family would obviously be safer in a bigger place.¡±


    ¡°Why bring them here?¡± Yu Hong couldn¡¯t understand.


    But at least tomorrow, he planned to visit Jenny and her daughter¡¯s home to see if he could find something useful, like the Sunshine No. 1.


    The sky had completely darkened.


    Yu Hong sat alone on a round stool, drinking some freshly cooked sweet soup.


    Outside, the sound of black insects crawling could be heard, but as they entered, they were burned by the firelight, turning into black smoke.


    By now, he had become quite calm in the face of the Black Disaster¡¯s invasion.


    Compared to the Black Disaster, the eerie shadows and evil shadows posed a much greater threat to him.


    He casually took out a wooden plate with a drawn array and began enhancing it again.


    ¡°If the fireplace could automatically add wood, so I wouldn¡¯t have to manage it, I could sleep peacefully without worrying about anything. Instead of having to manually add wood every half hour like this.¡±


    He sighed softly.


    The night passed without incident.


    The next morning, he fully armed himself with a wolf tooth club and went out.


    First, he went to the place where Jenny had been lying.


    She had crawled for more than ten meters across the grass, finally resting under a tree, where she had completely disappeared, leaving only a pile of scattered clothes.


    Yu Hong checked and confirmed that the clothes were fine, with no black handprints. He rolled them up and placed them in the cave¡¯s safehouse.


    These fabrics could be used to make many things. They had a wide range of uses, so after losing the people who made leather and clothing, cloth needed to be saved for later.


    Skipping past Jenny, Yu Hong continued toward the post office.


    Soon, he arrived at the place where Eve had collapsed.


    As expected, only a set of clothes was scattered in the grass, unmoving.


    But this time, Yu Hong didn¡¯t dare touch anything because the pants of the clothes had a clear black handprint on them.


    He picked up some stones and placed them on the clothes to prevent the wind from blowing them away. Then, he continued on his way to the post office.


    Doctor Xu¡¯s underground residence was nearby, and he needed to give him a heads-up to avoid any misunderstandings.


    After all, they were the only two living people in the area.


    When passing the post office, Yu Hong suddenly stopped, shocked to see someone outside the stone building sweeping the yard.


    The person looked like a hiker, dressed in blue and white camouflage, carrying a khaki backpack and wearing a baseball cap. He was about 1.8 meters tall, very strong, and had a dark complexion.


    The man saw Yu Hong and put down the broom, slowly walking toward him.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m the new postman, Li Runshan.¡±


    He didn¡¯t approach too closely, stopping about five meters away.


    ¡°I¡¯m Yu Hong, I live nearby.¡± Yu Hong briefly introduced himself. ¡°Are you really a postman?¡± He had some doubts.


    ¡°This is my ID, medal, and tools.¡± Li Runshan took out a small dark blue booklet and opened it to show Yu Hong.


    Inside the booklet was indeed an official identification with a red seal, stating that he was part of the Republic¡¯s United Army Postal System, with the national emblem, his name, and ID number.


    The medals were much simpler. Li Runshan casually flipped his coat open, revealing several medals of various sizes and colors hanging inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m a veteran, served over ten years in a field unit. Sigh.¡± He exhaled. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought the world could change so quickly.¡±


    ¡°The nearby town has been relocated. Did you know?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not from the town. The relocated town merged with our Hope City, and now it¡¯s part of the city. The Hope City code is 231, but we all just call it Baihe City now,¡± Li Runshan explained. ¡°I was sent from the city.¡±


    He paused.


    ¡°To be honest, not many people want to come here. There are hardly any living people left. But this Baiqiu Village has a nearby Luminous Stone mine and some ruins. Actually, the ruins aren¡¯t much, but more importantly, the Luminous Stone mine is growing. With the increase in Ghostly Shadows and evil shadows, three towns disappeared just last month. Your nearby town is lucky¡ªit was evacuated and sealed off right away. Otherwise, heh¡­¡±


    This man was clearly a chatterbox and seemed to have just come from a bigger place, eager to share everything with someone after a long journey.


    ¡°Ruins¡­ accompanying Luminous Stone mines? So you¡¯re saying Luminous Stone is connected to the source of the Black Disaster?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°Mostly, yes. But there are many mines that have been independently excavated. By the way, my superior told me to contact a researcher named Freen from the Silver Tower. Do you know him?¡± Li Runshan asked casually.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him,¡± Yu Hong immediately thought of Jenny and Eve.


    ¡°Then he¡¯s probably gone.¡± Li Runshan lowered his head and popped something dark into his mouth, chewing carelessly.


    ¡°To be honest, I was pushed out by the city, and I offended some people. That¡¯s why I was sent here. You know how it is out there. Ghostly Shadows everywhere, the Black Disaster is getting stronger, and no one survives long out here. Most people who are sent out here never make it back.¡±


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    ¡°However, I volunteered to come here. The people in the city were just too disgusting,¡± Li Runshan added.


    ¡°Tell me more about that Silver Tower researcher. Are you sure he came here? If he¡¯s dead here, will they send more people?¡± Yu Hong looked at him with a slightly hopeful gaze.


    He didn¡¯t ask whether they would come but whether they could come¡ªthis suggested he was hoping for more people to arrive.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but once the higher-ups recover, they¡¯ll likely send more people. This place was one of the original sources of the Black Disaster. The first protection symbols were discovered here,¡± Li Runshan replied.


    ¡°Protection symbols?¡± Yu Hong asked curiously.


    ¡°They¡¯re the symbols on the Luminous Stone. Anyway, I need to clean up the post office now.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Be careful in your basement. Watch out for the black handprints left by the evil shadow. Don¡¯t touch them.¡± Yu Hong kindly warned him, feeling that Li Runshan had provided useful information.


    ¡°Mm, thanks! I¡¯ve already seen them.¡± Li Runshan smiled and seemed a bit more at ease.


    Clearly, as a postman, he had more ways to handle these things. Even traces left by the evil shadow weren¡¯t too difficult for him to deal with.


    ¡°By the way, there are two letters here, one for Xu Ruoyin and one for Yu Hong.¡± Suddenly, he remembered something and quickly took out two letters from his backpack, glancing at the covers before handing one to Yu Hong.


    ¡°This one should be for you, Yu Hong.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Yu Hong took the letter, curious. He wondered who would send him a letter from afar since he hadn¡¯t been here long.


    Suddenly, he thought of one person.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 41: Letter (1)

    The sun shone brightly, and the shadows of the trees swayed.Eve, whose clothes had been swallowed by the wind, rolled about uncontrollably but remained rooted in place due to the pressure of a stone. It remained motionless.


    On the grass, a tiny black centipede slowly crawled out of the soil, moving toward the pile of clothes.


    The centipede didn¡¯t directly crawl on top of the clothes. Instead, it circled around, turning back and forth, again and again.


    After realizing it couldn¡¯t crawl into the clothes, the centipede grew impatient, turned, and scuttled off in another direction.


    Poof!


    At that moment, a black hand shot out from the pile of clothes and pressed down on the centipede.


    Whoosh.


    The black hand withdrew into the pile of clothes, vanishing with the centipede.


    Soon, the pile of clothes seemed to be seized by something and was pulled sideways, causing the stone to roll away to the side.


    The clothes seemed to be moved by the wind, rolling about as if alive, heading toward the gathering place near the post office.


    *


    *


    *


    With a rustling sound, the envelope was torn open, and the letter unfolded. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yu Hong carefully read the precious letter.


    ¡°I am Lin Yiyi. I¡¯ve been at this seaside base for three days now. According to the regulations, our squad will be stationed here for a long time, so in the future, you can send letters directly here. The address is at the end of the letter. But remember, don¡¯t send any valuable items; they may be lost along the way.¡±


    ¡°Just as I thought, it¡¯s Yiyi.¡± Yu Hong sighed in relief. Seeing that the stutterer was safe, he finally eased his worried mind.


    He continued reading.


    ¡°That day I left in a hurry, but honestly, I don¡¯t regret leaving. Baiqiu Village became increasingly strange and dangerous.¡±


    There were marks of something crossed out, clearly more words had been written but erased.


    ¡°My father and grandfather went missing, and my mother disappeared one day when she went out and never returned.


    I remember, when the food ran out at home, I started eating rats and bugs. Later, even the rats and bugs became scarce, and I ate tree bark and mud. Eventually, my stomach grew larger, and my mind became more and more unclear. That¡¯s when I realized, tree bark and mud couldn¡¯t be eaten anymore. So, I started walking outside.¡± ???§à?¨º?


    ¡°I stayed out one night. You probably wouldn¡¯t believe it, but luckily there were no black bugs that night, so I survived. I stayed at the Luminous Stone mine near the village. If you ever find yourself in a situation you can¡¯t handle, you can go there too. But don¡¯t stay too long. After I came back from there, I got a fever that same day. I don¡¯t remember much after that, just that an old man who wanted to steal something from the house saved me.¡±


    ¡°I was still young and stupid back then, didn¡¯t understand anything, so I gave him everything. Afterward, whenever I was close to dying, he would come and give me some food. But after I grew older, I never saw him again. He might have died.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m telling you all this just to let you know that I¡¯m fine, doing well, and you don¡¯t have to worry. By the way, this letter was written by my roommate Anseline. She¡¯s a good person and treated me well. If you have anything nice, you can send it to her.¡±


    When Yu Hong read this last line, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. This line clearly wasn¡¯t written by the stutterer herself. It was likely added by her roommate. The smoothness of the language indicated it had been polished by her.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. At least this proved that the stutterer was safe.


    Moreover, the fact that she had time to reminisce about the past meant she must be in a relatively stable environment.


    After finishing the letter, he flipped it over and, just as expected, saw a somewhat scribbled map.


    The map marked Baiqiu Village, the post office, the town, the Luminous Stone mine, and the ruins.


    Lines connected these locations, each marked with a number.


    Yu Hong carefully examined the numbers, which seemed to correspond to the estimated time taken for walking between locations.


    His face softened. With this simple map, he now had a clear idea of the locations of the mine and the ruins.


    Just as he was about to fold the letter and keep it, his gaze seemed to land on a spot on the map.


    He stopped his actions and unfolded the map again for a closer look.


    Indeed.


    On the map, right next to the ruins, there was a small black dot.


    This black dot didn¡¯t stand out much on the map, but it was marked with a red ¡°X¡± and a small line of text next to it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go there!¡±


    ¡°Even Baiqiu Village wasn¡¯t marked like this, so this place must be even more dangerous.¡± He carefully remembered the location.


    After securing the letter, he quickened his pace, heading toward the cave where Jenny and her daughter lived.


    He soon arrived at the entrance of the cave.


    He stopped and scanned the surroundings, making sure no one else was around before he took out a Great Luminous stone from his pocket and approached the door step by step.


    He squatted in front of the door, took out a key, gently inserted it, twisted, and pulled upward.


    Click.


    The wooden door, camouflaged as part of the grass, made a distinct unlocking sound before being pulled open.


    Yu Hong took a quick glance inside. It was a dark, deep tunnel.


    A hint of hesitation flashed across his face.


    Places like this, once you go in and someone blocks the exit, it¡¯s a certain death.


    If Jenny and her daughter were still around, they would know if there were any other exits in the tunnel.


    But he wasn¡¯t the owner, and didn¡¯t know what dangers or exits might be inside.


    Poof.


    He quickly shut the wooden door again, locked it, and turned to leave.


    ¡°I need someone to guard the outside if I¡¯m going to try searching inside.¡±


    There was another way, but it wasn¡¯t the right time to use it.


    He left Jenny¡¯s house and went straight to Dr. Xu¡¯s house.


    Unlike Jenny¡¯s cave, Dr. Xu¡¯s residence was a typical underground cellar.


    The door was solid, with a cross-shaped window on one side. From the outside, it looked as though the entire hill had been hollowed out.


    Knock knock knock.


    Yu Hong knocked on the door.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s cautious voice came from inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Yu Hong.¡±


    ¡°When did we last part ways?¡±


    ¡°Before the outbreak of the climax period, you were to check if the Luminous stone reacted,¡± Yu Hong reminded.


    There was silence behind the door, followed by the unmistakable click of the door being unlocked.


    Dr. Xu¡¯s tired and haggard face appeared, but her eyes were much brighter than before.


    ¡°You came just in time! My herb worked!¡± She said, filled with joy. ¡°I tested it on rats and found that it can really substitute for the treatment of wound inflammation and disinfection! It¡¯s only slightly weaker than antibiotics like penicillin. Of course, I¡¯ve also been making penicillin and streptomycin, but they can¡¯t handle contamination interference. I need better disinfection equipment.¡±


    She pulled Yu Hong inside, locked the door, and excitedly led him into the house.


    The cellar had three rooms: one for her bed, another full of various tools and containers, obviously a workshop, and the last was a storage room, which seemed to double as a bathroom.


    The whole place reeked of mildew and was damp and cold, which was typical of most cellars and basements.


    ¡°Come, come here!! The herb I promised you is really ready!¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s face was flushed, clearly in a state of mental excitement.


    She dragged Yu Hong into the workshop and pointed to a pile of green mush that had been stirred into a sticky paste.


    ¡°This is it! I did it! I tested it on rats, and the inflammation disappeared completely! This is a brand-new anti-inflammatory drug. If society were still intact, I¡¯d definitely make a fortune and earn tons of money!¡±


    ¡°Very impressive!¡± Yu Hong nodded, raising his assessment of Dr. Xu considerably.


    Creating such a herb, if it truly works, means they will have a continuous supply of medicine, which is a huge boon considering the severe shortage of drugs.


    But that wasn¡¯t why he had come here today.


    Once Dr. Xu calmed down a bit, he carefully chose his words and said seriously, ¡°Do you remember Jenny¡¯s daughter, Eve? The one who tried to infect us with the black handprint.¡±


    ¡°Of course. She must be dead by now, right?¡± Dr. Xu frowned, her mood cooling from the excitement. She had a feeling there was something off about Yu Hong¡¯s unexpected visit.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± Yu Hong nodded. ¡°Her mother, Jenny, is also dead.¡±


    ¡°Jenny¡¯s dead too?¡± Dr. Xu was a bit surprised, but quickly accepted it.


    ¡°Well, her daughter was a mess, so maybe she passed the infection to her. It¡¯s better that they¡¯re both dead. At least I¡¯ve seen their true colors.¡±


    She paused, then suddenly looked at Yu Hong.


    ¡°A new mailman came, did you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I saw him just now. His name is Li Runshan, looks like a decent guy,¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    ¡°He can send letters. Yiyi sent me one, and I plan to reply, but the price is a bit high.¡± Dr. Xu frowned.


    Yu Hong had been considering the same thing. Luminous stones were heavy, making them difficult to mail, and they might be lost along the way. No, they definitely would be taken.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, then. Jenny and her daughter are dead, but their stuff and supplies are still there.¡± Yu Hong said in a deep voice.


    Upon hearing this, Dr. Xu¡¯s eyes lit up.


    After a moment, the two headed back to Jenny¡¯s cave.


    Yu Hong opened the cover, revealing the dark tunnel below, and then looked at Dr. Xu.


    ¡°Who¡¯s going in?¡±


    Though he trusted Dr. Xu more than others, it was still concerning to enter a sealed tunnel.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Dr. Xu said without hesitation and crouched, heading into the tunnel.


    Before long, she disappeared into the darkness.


    Yu Hong stood guard at the entrance, alert.


    About five minutes later, there was movement from the tunnel again. Dr. Xu struggled to drag a large plastic bag out of the tunnel.


    ¡°It worked!¡± She was covered in dirt, her hair soaked with sweat, and her gray top was drenched, revealing her full body curves, though she didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°There are many good things inside, but¡­ I didn¡¯t dare take much. There were many things I didn¡¯t dare touch.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Yu Hong frowned, pulling her out.


    ¡°Many things inside had no markings, but when I got close with the Luminous stone, it reacted.¡± Dr. Xu pulled out a Luminous stone from her chest, which she had been wearing as a pendant. Half of the stone had already turned a dull gray.


    ¡°But the most important thing is that I managed to take it out. The rest can wait for another time.¡± She changed her expression and pulled a small black box from her pocket. It looked like a pager, palm-sized, with a gray LCD screen in the middle.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 42: Letter (2)

    Red value detector!¡± Yu Hong laughed, deeply impressed by this device. He could say that without it, following Jenny¡¯s suggested method of avoidance would have been completely ineffective.Snap.


    Dr. Xu pressed a button to test it.


    Whir.


    Instantly, a red glow appeared on the detector, and the data on the LCD screen began to change rapidly.


    Sizzle!


    The numbers surged upwards. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    50!


    80!


    120!


    230!!


    The red glow from the detector became brighter and more blinding.


    Yu Hong and Dr. Xu were momentarily stunned.


    Bang!!


    Suddenly, Yu Hong pushed Dr. Xu away forcefully, and they both fell to the ground.


    As they separated, a shadow appeared behind Dr. Xu, reaching out toward her.


    Beep!!!


    The sharp alarm of the red value detector sounded.


    Yu Hong rolled on the ground and quickly grabbed a spiked club, swinging it toward the shadow.


    The spiked club whistled through the air and struck the shadow¡¯s head directly.


    But strangely, it seemed as though the club had struck a cloud of black mist, as it passed through the shadow and came out beneath it.


    The three Great Luminous stones inside the club immediately turned to ashes and vanished.


    The red value detector faltered, and the numbers plummeted, dropping by 200.


    Then, it dropped to 150, 100, 60, 30.


    It stopped at 30, but after just a few seconds, the numbers began to climb again.


    ¡°Run!¡± Yu Hong grabbed Dr. Xu, and the two of them sprinted toward the distance.


    The alarm of the red value detector sounded again as they ran.


    The sharp warning echoed through the surrounding woods.


    Back at the entrance to Jenny¡¯s underground path, a shadow was rapidly regaining its form. In just a few seconds, the shadow fully restored itself and suddenly vanished. ??¦­?????¨º????


    Huff! Huff! Huff!!


    Yu Hong was panting heavily, running while checking the large glowing stones on his body.


    All three stones in his spiked club were gone, turned to white ash.


    However, the talisman array and three large glowing stones he carried were still intact.


    ¡°It destroyed my three Great Luminous stones in one blow; that was definitely an evil shadow!!¡± He tried to steady his breathing, shouting loudly.


    Dr. Xu was running quickly behind, seeming to have slightly better stamina than him.


    But it was understandable; those with poor stamina wouldn¡¯t have survived this long.


    ¡°Where¡­ where do we go now!?¡± she asked.


    ¡°To my place! Only there can we possibly stop that thing!!¡± Yu Hong answered urgently.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my medicine!¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s face changed.


    ¡°Survival comes first! We can get it later!¡± Yu Hong replied.


    They sprinted through the woods at full speed, with no signs of anything chasing them, yet they both felt an overwhelming sense of dread, as though something was rapidly closing in on them.


    The trees on both sides seemed to be retreating quickly, and the grass beneath their feet was being stamped down, leaving clear footprints.


    Whir!


    Suddenly, Yu Hong stopped, looking ahead.


    His abrupt stop caused Dr. Xu to almost crash into him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Before Dr. Xu could ask, she too saw the situation ahead.


    A black figure stood silently behind a large tree, only half of its messy black hair visible.


    A torn black dress, disheveled dry black hair, an unseen face, and the rapidly rising red value data¡ªeverything indicated the identity of the figure¡ªan evil shadow!


    Yu Hong slowly stepped back, but was suddenly pulled by Dr. Xu¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Behind us¡­ there¡¯s more!¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s voice trembled.


    Yu Hong subtly shifted his body and tensed, looking back.


    Sure enough!


    There was another black-clad figure behind them, standing behind a tree.


    No¡­ not just behind them!


    His entire body stiffened as he saw black-haired figures slowly moving behind every tree around them.


    Ten.


    Twenty!


    Thirty!


    Fifty!!


    Perhaps even more!


    They were clustered around the trees, heads lowered, long hair covering their faces. They stood silently, waiting, surrounding the two of them.


    ¡°Why are there so many!!?¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s voice cracked, as if she had lost her usual tone, sounding like a completely different person.


    ¡°Do you have Jenny¡¯s stuff!?¡± Yu Hong inhaled deeply and asked in a low voice.


    ¡°I¡­ I have it,¡± Dr. Xu answered.


    Back to back, their clothes were soaked in sweat, and they didn¡¯t dare to move recklessly.


    ¡°Hold on tight.¡± Yu Hong took another deep breath, suppressing the fear in his heart, and grabbed the only talisman array hidden in his clothes.


    ¡°Stick close to me!¡±


    He lowered his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll count to three, then we run.¡±


    Dr. Xu¡¯s face turned pale, and she nodded hurriedly.


    She no longer knew what to do, but now she understood the level of danger that the evil shadow posed¡ªthis was the force that had driven an entire town¡¯s united army to retreat.


    ¡°One.¡±


    Yu Hong gently clenched the talisman array and pulled it out.


    ¡°Two.¡±


    His other hand touched the spot where the three Great Luminous stones were, ready to grab them and throw them out at a moment¡¯s notice.


    The surrounding woods were eerily quiet, and even the wind had died down. Only the heavy sense of oppression remained, constantly closing in, attempting to overwhelm the two of them.


    ¡°Three!!¡±


    As soon as he said ¡°three,¡± Yu Hong charged forward, running toward the direction of his cave.


    He didn¡¯t look at the black figure ahead but rushed straight toward it.


    He raised the talisman array and, with his other hand, threw the Luminous stones.


    At the same time, Yu Hong activated a cool air flow inside his body to recover his stamina.


    ¡°Stay close to me!¡± he shouted.


    The three Great Luminous stones he threw flew toward the shadow ahead, but before they could reach it, they turned into white powder.


    He quickly grabbed the talisman array with one hand and pressed it forward.


    The black figure twisted rapidly, becoming blurred, clearly affected by the three Luminous stones.


    At the same time, the talisman array¡¯s wooden board quickly approached, and with the sharp alarm of the red value detector, the talisman and the shadow made contact.


    Bam!!


    A flash of white light, followed by a sound like a lightbulb exploding.


    The talisman and the shadow exploded simultaneously, disappearing into thin air, and the shattered wooden pieces scattered across the surrounding grass.


    At that moment, Yu Hong and Dr. Xu broke free from the encirclement and sprinted toward the cave.


    The two of them ran for their lives, not daring to stop.


    They dashed through patchy forests, slopes, and rocky areas. What should have taken ten minutes or even half an hour was reduced to just ten minutes by their frantic pace.


    Both of them were drenched in sweat, their muscles growing weaker, their lungs burning with pain, and their vision beginning to blur.


    ¡°Hurry!!¡± Yu Hong activated another burst of cool air, quickly recovering his stamina and alleviating much of the negative physical state.


    He realized then that the cool air didn¡¯t perfectly restore his body; it just replenished his energy temporarily. The physical injuries were still there.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go on¡­¡± Dr. Xu was barely able to breathe, already close to exhaustion.


    Running at full speed for ten minutes, even for someone as fit as her, was an immense burden in this environment, lacking many essential microelements.


    The fact that she had made it this far was already beyond her limits.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there! Hurry!¡± Yu Hong reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her forward.


    But just as he turned back, he saw a black figure appear less than ten meters behind them.


    ¡°It¡¯s here again!! Hurry, we¡¯re almost there!!¡± he urged, pushing forward.


    The stone wall of the cave entrance was ahead, the door growing closer and clearer.


    They were almost there!!


    Whir!


    Suddenly, a black figure flickered into existence, just less than a meter behind them.


    The shadow reached out, almost touching Dr. Xu.


    A chilling aura enveloped them, trying to slow them down.


    But it was just barely, just a fraction of a second too late.


    Bang!


    Finally, Yu Hong reached the door!!


    He slammed into it, pulled out the key, and quickly unlocked it. Then, he pulled Dr. Xu inside, rolling them both into the safety of the cave.


    Bam!


    The door slammed shut, locked, and the silver talisman array on the back of the door suddenly glowed, blocking the black shadow rushing toward them.


    At that moment, Dr. Xu collapsed to the ground, her eyes filled with a snowstorm of flashing lights, unable to see anything. Her body was convulsing violently, and her leg muscles were twitching visibly.


    Soon, she tilted sideways and collapsed onto the ground, curling up. Her mouth opened unconsciously, saliva mixing with sweat, dripping down her chin.


    She felt herself losing control of her body, starting from her legs, with sensation gradually fading away.


    The loss of feeling continued to climb, reaching her thighs, then her entire lower body.


    Vaguely, she thought she heard something crash into the door, creating a loud noise.


    The sensation of numbness quickly spread upwards, reaching her abdomen, almost to her chest.


    Bam!


    Yu Hong quickly helped Dr. Xu to sit against the stone wall, then grabbed the talisman array and moved toward the door.


    He had used one of the talismans, leaving two remaining. One of them was the most powerful version, centered around the silver talisman.


    At the door, he pressed the talisman against the back of it.


    Bang!


    Another loud crash against the door.


    As the silver talisman flared to life, the black shadow outside immediately dissipated.


    But there were too many shadows, and soon, another black figure rushed toward the door.


    Bang!!


    The new shadow was also dissipated under the silver light.


    But more black figures kept coming.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!!


    One after another, violent crashes rocked the door, causing Yu Hong to tremble as well.


    The silver talisman in his hand quickly dimmed, losing its effectiveness. He quickly switched to a new one, pressing it against the back of the door.


    Again and again, the light from the talismans faded rapidly, mixing white and silver light, weakening with each use.


    The light was about to go out completely, and there were only two more uses left before the door would be breached.


    The noise suddenly stopped.


    The white light on the talisman slowly faded away, extinguishing. Half of the talisman runes remained intact, which meant the evil shadow had either left or disappeared completely.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t dare move, still standing in place, drenched in sweat, waiting.


    He endured for another ten minutes.


    Finally, when the talisman was completely still, he was sure the evil shadow had either left or disappeared.


    Slowly, he released the talisman and sat down heavily on the ground.


    Looking down at his hands, marked with red impressions from the talisman, his body began to tremble uncontrollably.


    ¡°Damn!¡± His face twisted as he clenched his hands tightly, trying to calm his fear.


    Yes, he still had stamina. His physical state now was purely a result of psychological stress.


    This direct confrontation had made him truly understand how dangerous the evil shadow was.


    Close.


    So Close.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 43: Thoughts (1)

    Inside the cave¡¯s safe house.Yu Hong sat down and panted heavily, recovering his strength.


    He placed the talisman array on the ground, drenched in sweat, his eyes clouded with it, making it hard to open them.


    After resting for a few seconds, he glanced at Dr. Xu and noticed she had her eyes closed, seemingly resting as well. He then extended his hand and pressed it against the silver talisman array on the door.


    After a brief pause, he released his hand and saw a black countdown appearing on the surface of the talisman array, indicating the recovery process was in progress. He sighed in relief.


    It wouldn¡¯t take long¡ªjust over forty minutes for him to fully recover.


    ¡°Dr. Xu, are you okay?¡± Yu Hong finally found the time to ask.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    There was no response.


    Yu Hong furrowed his brows and looked back again, noticing that Dr. Xu was still curled up on the ground, motionless. Sweat and saliva dripped from her chin, and her body twitched and trembled slightly.


    ¡°Dr. Xu?¡± Yu Hong called again, sensing something was wrong, his expression becoming more serious.


    He extended his hand and pushed her, but there was no reaction.


    He quickly stood up, went to get a cup of water, and tried to feed it to her.


    Unfortunately, Dr. Xu¡¯s mouth was too tightly shut, and her breathing was irregular, making it dangerous to try to feed her water.


    Yu Hong carefully moistened her mouth and then dragged her over to a softer sleeping bag.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any first-aid medicine, and I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening to you. The only thing I can do now is hope you can help yourself,¡± he said quickly, sitting by her side. ¡°If you can hear me, can you tell me what to do to help you?¡±


    Dr. Xu did not respond, her eyes still closed as she lay in the sleeping bag, twitching and unable to move.


    Her body was cold, yet sweat kept seeping out.


    Soon, the warmth of the fireplace flared up, making her body relax a little. Her breathing seemed to calm with the warmth.


    Seeing her condition improve a bit, Yu Hong breathed a sigh of relief. At this point, handling logistics and making materials on his own was impossible. A person like Dr. Xu, who was not only a good person but also a familiar acquaintance, was someone he wanted to save if possible.


    He glanced at the countdown on the door, then at the grime on Dr. Xu¡¯s face, and used a piece of tree leaves and newspaper to wipe off the sweat and saliva.


    Then, he sat down and started rummaging through the bag he had just retrieved from the cave of Jennie and her daughter.


    The bag was not a cloth bag but a large, thick black plastic bag with white ear straps, allowing it to be carried with one hand.


    Yu Hong tore open the opening and began pulling out the items inside.


    At the top was a red value detector, which he placed on the ground.


    Next came a pair of black leather boots for women.


    Three candles.


    A hardcover brown notebook.


    A bottle of small red pills with an unknown use.


    A black, somewhat dirty fabric mask.


    A short knife with a scabbard, featuring a snake-skin pattern.


    A small green box resembling a handheld gaming device, complete with a screen and cross-button.


    Yu Hong picked up the green box and found a small black switch on the side, flipping it.


    Nothing happened.


    He put it down and picked up the small pill bottle. Through the transparent glass, he could see the red pills inside¡ªnew and dry, not a trace of mold.


    ¡°Jennie and Eve couldn¡¯t find any signs of illness. So what is this medicine? Emergency anti-inflammatory medicine, or¡­?¡± he wondered.


    Unable to figure it out, he decided to wait until Dr. Xu woke up to test it.


    He set the pills aside and picked up the short knife, gently pulling it from the scabbard.


    The sharp silver blade was quite clean, with a faint layer of maintenance oil. The back of the blade had a saw-like design, and the side of the blade featured a blood groove, making it look very practical. ?????¦­O?????§§?


    ¡°Shh.¡±


    After closing the short knife, Yu Hong finally reached for the notebook.


    He picked it up and opened it.


    ¡°Adjust the radiation time according to the dosage, continue the next step of testing based on the detailed plan of Solution 2.¡±


    ¡°In April, three accidents occurred, and 16 samples of radiation data from the Luminous Stones were collected.¡±


    ¡°In May, radiation data surveys of the surrounding terrain of the Luminous Stone mine were conducted, with 74 samples taken.¡±


    ¡°In June, it was found that an individual entered the mine, and slight physical mutations were observed. Data was successfully collected.¡±


    ¡°In July, five successful animal model experiments were conducted. Due to environmental changes, the number of animals and insects drastically decreased, and the experiments had to be halted.¡±


    ¡°In August, Eve¡¯s cells were collected and cultured. Radiation tests were then conducted on the cultured tissues. The comparison between these and Lin Yiyi¡¯s previously collected cell tissues revealed the mutation process.¡±


    Under the firelight, Yu Hong furrowed his brow as he read the rows of text in the notebook. Below the text were detailed charts and character data, many of which were coded abbreviations that he didn¡¯t understand. From the context, however, it was clear that Jennie¡¯s family likely had ulterior motives for coming here, and they had also been secretly sampling and observing Lin Yiyi.


    He kept flipping through the pages, skipping over many data charts, and soon came across some key text.


    ¡°The Luminous Stone disease has been confirmed to give the illusion creatures increased resistance. Under similar conditions of infection, individuals with the Luminous Stone disease experience some level of cognitive decline, but in high red-value environments, they show a stronger resistance. Symptoms such as body rigidity, twitching, and hallucinations will no longer occur.¡±


    ¡°In cell sampling experiments, the cells infected with the Luminous Stone disease showed a significant increase in activity, but their lifespan decreased by 65.4%, and their resistance to bacteria and viruses improved by over 70%. It was determined that taking Eve to the mine every five days for about half an hour can effectively suppress the special marking disease she suffers from.¡±


    By now, Yu Hong had started to understand.


    Jennie¡¯s family had likely come here seeking a research method to save their daughter, Eve, who had been affected by some unknown source. Unfortunately, their research had barely shown some results before being interrupted.


    Eve hadn¡¯t died from the evil creatures but was instead killed by this ordinary human.


    ¡°But the Luminous Stone disease¡­ the Luminous Stone can actually cause illness?¡± Yu Hong recalled the situation with Lin Yiyi.


    She had cognitive decline, yet she was highly resistant to the illusion creatures. He¡¯d never seen Lin Yiyi so scared of the illusion creatures.


    ¡°Could it be that Lin Yiyi has the Luminous Stone disease too?¡± Yu Hong speculated in his heart.


    If he could determine the cause, maybe he could find a way to cure her in the future.


    *


    *


    *


    Baihe City (White river City)


    On the surface.


    On the beach, the waves repeatedly carried white lines of water, rushing up and then retreating, over and over.


    A hundred meters above the beach stood a group of abandoned, rusted skyscrapers, quietly standing in the scorching sunlight.


    The faint blue glass on the buildings reflected the glaring sunlight, occasionally making a clanging sound as the sea breeze blew.


    On top of one of the buildings, at the rusted rooftop.


    Several men and women in camouflage clothing were speaking in low voices.


    They were gathered together, their clothes marked with the United Army insignia.


    One of the men with short hair and glasses held a large piece of jade-like glowstone, his head lowered, frowning as he listened to the others. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man had a gentle face, a bronzed complexion, and a silver-white handgun at his waist. A unique three-star insignia appeared on his right forearm.


    ¡°A Dong and the others still haven¡¯t returned. We didn¡¯t have time to pay attention before, but now that we¡¯ve finally settled down, I sent people to the agreed location to wait, but there¡¯s no one there. I suspect something happened to them,¡± said a dark-skinned young woman, her voice low.


    ¡°They both had guns and resting points along the way. It shouldn¡¯t be possible for anything to have happened, right?¡± another person interjected.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. The evil creatures were rampant before. They might have been killed halfway. Now the satellite signals are too disrupted, and we can¡¯t contact them from a distance. The only thing we can rely on is whether they show up on time. If they don¡¯t, we¡¯ll have to assume they¡¯re dead,¡± the young woman replied swiftly.


    ¡°What should we do? If someone at Baiqiu Village is capable of making Great Luminous Stones, it would be a huge waste to give up now,¡± another voice said.


    ¡°True. So who¡¯s willing to go back and investigate what happened to confirm the truth?¡± the man with glasses asked loudly, scanning the people around him.


    But every time his gaze met someone¡¯s, they quickly looked away, unwilling to respond.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t anyone willing to take the lead?¡± the man with glasses sighed. ¡°If we can capture the person making Luminous Stone, I¡¯ll guarantee double the treatment every month¡ªfood, supplies, whatever.¡±


    Still, no one spoke.


    Having just escaped the evil creatures, no one wanted to go back to their deaths.


    Besides, with such a long distance, they might not even make it to their destination before encountering those creatures and dying.


    ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯ve always been my most reliable assistant,¡± the man with glasses said, focusing his gaze on a strong man wearing a black face mask.


    ¡°Team Zhao, if we go back on our own, we¡¯ll likely encounter danger along the way. Think of how many problems we ran into just migrating here,¡± Xu Yang said quickly.


    ¡°Are you saying¡­¡± The man with glasses frowned.


    ¡°The key right now is that Baiqiu Village is too dangerous. None of us here can handle it. So we need to find someone who can,¡± Xu Yang smiled.


    ¡°Who can guarantee they can handle it?¡± the man with glasses asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already found someone. There¡¯s a black-market bar in Baihe City that hires outlaws. I met a real expert there last time. He used to be a mailman, and he comes from the Aurora City United Army frontline. He¡¯s elite¡ªhis shooting and hand-to-hand combat skills are top-notch,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Sounds expensive,¡± the man with glasses frowned. ¡°And why would such an expert be willing to work for us? He could catch people and earn more himself.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t tell him. Let him catch people, and if he finds out later, we can negotiate. At worst, we¡¯ll share some benefits with him. It¡¯s better than doing nothing,¡± Xu Yang smiled.


    The man with glasses nodded and carefully examined the Great Luminous Stone in his hand.


    ¡°Good point. In the current environment of White River City, if we can control the person making these Luminous Stone, it¡¯s like having a goose that lays golden eggs.¡±


    He paused.


    ¡°This is the equivalent of Luminous Stone marrow. The symbols on it are secondary. Many similar types can be easily replicated. The key is the material. It can be used to fake the rare Luminous Stone marrow, and the price difference is far beyond what most people imagine. I really don¡¯t know how he made it.¡±


    He exhaled and looked at Xu Yang again.


    ¡°Take care of this. Can you handle it?¡±


    ¡°Guaranteed,¡± Xu Yang smiled.


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Bai Mang, Guo Xudong.¡±


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 45: Thoughts (3)

    ¡°I¡¯m planning to buy something, Is she your?¡± Yu Hong asked in a low voice as he looked at the chubby little girl.¡°Yes, she¡¯s my daughter, Aisina,¡± Li Runshan said with a smile. ¡°She¡¯s very sensible and can draw. When you have time, I¡¯ll show you her drawings; they¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    As he spoke, he pulled out a rolled-up sheet of white paper from his waist pouch.


    The paper was filled with items for trade.


    ¡®Edible wild vegetables¡¯¡®Cow leg mushrooms¡¯¡®Sanitary cockroaches¡¯¡®Red-tailed lizards¡¯¡®Custom small furniture¡¯¡®Mail services¡¯¡®Mailing items¡¯¡®Candles¡¯¡®Basic survival skills training¡¯¡®Basic combat skills training¡¯¡®Basic firearms and knife skills training¡¯


    Yu Hong remained silent as he gazed at this extremely detailed list of trade items.


    ¡°No wonder you dare to bring a child to such a desolate mountain wilderness alone. You really are impressive!¡± he muttered in admiration.


    ¡°You¡¯re overpraising me,¡± Li Runshan smiled. ¡°These are just essential skills for a postal worker. After all, in some places, you lack everything and have to do everything yourself.¡±


    Yu Hong asked, ¡°So what can these items be exchanged for? I don¡¯t see any prices marked.¡±


    ¡°Depends on what you have. Right now, I¡¯m cultivating mushrooms and breeding cockroaches. Food and water are scarce. If you can provide some, it can be exchanged. Of course, if you have Luminous Stone or Great Luminous Stone, that would be even better,¡± Li Runshan smiled.


    ¡°I have Great Luminous Stone, but the price needs to be negotiated. Also, if I exchange for the basic survival manual, would you teach me how to cultivate mushrooms?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Sure, it depends on what you need, what you¡¯re lacking. Just filling the gaps,¡± Li Runshan nodded. ¡°These are not classified, just basic outdoor survival skills.¡±


    Yu Hong nodded. It seemed that Li Runshan was much more versatile compared to previous postal workers.


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to teach me how to cultivate mushrooms and lizards, as well as basic combat and firearms skills. How should we price it?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any extra food? I¡¯m a bit short on food here,¡± Li Runshan asked.


    ¡°How about this?¡± Yu Hong handed over a protein bar. ¡°One of these can keep you full for a day. I made it myself.¡±


    Li Runshan raised an eyebrow, took the protein bar, and examined it.


    ¡°Can I try it?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    Li Runshan sniffed it, then broke off a small piece and tasted it, squinting his eyes as a faint wrinkle appeared on his face.


    ¡°High in calories! There¡¯s sesame, peanuts, butter, sugar, cream, rice flour¡­ Hmm, and a lot of other ingredients I can¡¯t quite place. This isn¡¯t something you made yourself; you don¡¯t have that many ingredients.¡±


    Yu Hong was startled. He hadn¡¯t expected Li Runshan to be so skilled, able to identify so many ingredients just by taste. The sweetness of the bar had masked most of the flavors, and Yu Hong himself couldn¡¯t identify much.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. This was from my previous stock. I don¡¯t have much left. Can you tell me what you can exchange it for?¡± he said, maintaining his composure.


    ¡°Sure. If you want the mushroom cultivation techniques, you need to give me ten of these protein bars, on the condition that one of these bars really lasts you a day.¡± Li Runshan nodded. ¡°As for the combat and firearms skills, there are many subcategories. And for combat, you need a high-calorie intake. If your food intake is inadequate, it could harm your body. I recommend you focus on a specific type first, like boxing, ground fighting, leg techniques, or swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°As for firearms, I can only give you a manual of what I have recorded. You¡¯ll have to practice on your own. Honestly, there¡¯s a shortage of bullets now, and since firearms are useless against the Black Disaster, many military factories have been repurposed for other uses. So, bullets are scarce, mostly used internally. I suggest you focus on shooting, and I can teach you about slingshots. I have a lot of experience with those.¡±


    ¡°Slingshots??¡± Yu Hong blinked, suspecting he had misheard.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Li Runshan pulled out a large slingshot from his waist, the handle as thick as an egg, with more than ten rubber bands attached.


    ¡°Consider it. It¡¯s a bit cumbersome, but you can use stones as ammo, which are easy to find anywhere. It¡¯s got enough killing power.¡±


    ¡°Let me think about it,¡± Yu Hong said, speechless. ¡°Since you¡¯re into cultivation, I heard you¡¯re already growing mushrooms?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll have mushrooms ready in about a week, and it will cycle quickly. I brought some seeds,¡± Li Runshan nodded. ¡°So, right now, I need a week¡¯s worth of food. If you can provide fourteen protein bars for me for the week, I can exchange that for survival manuals and three combat training sessions.¡±


    Yu Hong was somewhat tempted.


    If he got the survival manual, he could supplement his food and wouldn¡¯t have to rely on others.


    As for combat skills, they were essential. Since he could enhance his armor with bulletproof features, combat skills would become critical when firearms became obsolete.


    Most importantly, the advanced physical training methods he had developed had greatly improved his leg strength and endurance.


    So, it was better to plan ahead.


    Had it not been for his gun, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat Jenny. And if Jenny had a bulletproof vest, he likely would have lost.


    If someone wearing a bulletproof vest, fast and skilled in hand-to-hand combat, approached quickly¡­


    He might not stand a chance.


    ¡°This danger is far worse than the Black Disaster and the Ghostly Shadows. At least they don¡¯t try to pick locks in various ways,¡± Yu Hong thought.


    He counted his protein bars. All his jerky had been converted into protein bars. Including the two bags of jerky he found, he had a total of thirty-six protein bars.


    If he gave fourteen away, he would still have twenty-two left, which was enough.


    ¡°Alright, one week for mushrooms, and if you can replenish, it¡¯s fine,¡± Yu Hong said, calculating and nodding.


    ¡°Great, I was planning on cutting my daily food intake in half. You¡¯re a big help!¡± Li Runshan smiled. ¡°So, what combat skills do you want to learn? Boxing, sword techniques, leg techniques, or ground fighting? I can teach all of those.¡±


    ¡°Leg techniques,¡± Yu Hong decided. His legs had become stronger with training, so reinforcing his strength would give him an advantage over others.


    ¡°Good choice. It¡¯s also useful for running fast. You don¡¯t need to outrun the ghostly Shadows, just outrun the people around you. The Black Disaster is the same.¡± Li Runshan chuckled.


    The two agreed on a time to exchange, then parted ways quickly.


    Yu Hong went back to grab the protein bars, counted them carefully, and then headed back to the post office.


    They stood by the stone house¡¯s fence.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the survival manual and the basic leg training steps I¡¯ve put together. Take a look first, and ask me if you have any questions,¡± Li Runshan handed Yu Hong two small booklets. The edges were worn, clearly having been used for some time.


    ¡°After you¡¯re done, return them to me. You can copy them, just don¡¯t damage them.¡±


    Yu Hong took the booklets in silence, feeling somewhat tricked as he watched his protein bars being taken.


    He had hoped for just two manuals, but he had ended up spending so many protein bars.


    Opening the survival manual, the first page clearly said: .


    He sighed and started reading.


    The first page had a directory.


    ¡®Mushroom Cultivation ¨C Pages 1-4¡¯¡®Cockroach Cultivation ¨C Pages 5-8¡¯¡®Lizard Cultivation ¨C Pages 9-13¡¯


    He continued flipping.


    ¡®Mushroom cultivation requires enough humus, clean spores, and the right environment. Given the current special conditions, only a few types of mushrooms can be cultivated. After thousands of attempts, the Silver Tower Research Institute developed a special species called ¡°Cow Leg Mushroom.¡± This species is rich in protein, oil, and calories, with levels 40% higher than other mushrooms under similar conditions.¡¯


    ¡®The most crucial aspect is that the Cow Leg Mushroom is a lightless species, growing without any need for light, making it perfect for underground cultivation. Below is what you¡¯ll need for planting.¡¯


    Yu Hong looked at the diagram below.


    It showed a mushroom cultivation box, resembling a large wooden crate, with a bag of clean spores and a pile of dark dirt labeled Humus Soil.


    (End of Chapter) S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 46: Thoughts (4)

    yu hong flipped through the subsequent pages.¡°humus soil should be dug from under trees. please try to dig in areas where there are more decayed branches and leaves, as the soil extracted from these areas is richer in nutrients. after digging up the soil, it needs to be exposed to the sun for three days to kill the insect eggs and weed seeds.¡±


    the following pages contained details on how to place the soil in boxes, maintain humidity, how much water to apply, how to introduce mushroom spores, how frequently to observe, and how to deal with various issues.


    all the necessary details were covered.


    in just a few pages, the content was concise and there was even a reminder on how to prevent mushroom lung.


    after reading through the mushroom cultivation section, yu hong had a rough plan for how to farm mushrooms.


    ¡°the key is i don¡¯t have the spores yet, or the cultivation boxes!¡± he frowned, ¡°so this was waiting for me.¡±


    he went back to the previous page and saw a line: ¡°if you need to purchase spores and cultivation boxes, you can inquire about the specific prices.¡±


    shaking his head in speechlessness, yu hong continued to strengthen a new array and flipped through the rest of the content.


    this time he flipped faster, just scanning through.


    then he noticed a problem.


    ¡°wait, mushroom cultivation is actually the foundation for other types of farming?¡±


    ¡°after cultivating mushrooms, they are used to raise cockroaches. once there are enough cockroaches, they are used to raise lizards. one cycle after another. but the initial seeds for each cycle must be bought from the post office.¡±


    now yu hong understood how the old man had been providing three types of food¡ªmushrooms, cockroaches, and lizards¡ªon his own.


    as for wild vegetables, they were everywhere in the forest, and he had already become familiar with many varieties by following little stutterer.


    after finishing the survival manual, yu hong picked up the martial arts leg technique manual.


    ¡°ugh,¡± he looked at the drawings in the manual with some exasperation.


    the book contained only three moves.


    low kick, side grab and kick, and an upward thrusting kick.


    the low kick, according to the picture, involved kicking someone¡¯s lower leg to make them lose balance and fall.


    the side grab and kick was more brutal. it involved grabbing the opponent¡¯s arm, turning sideways, and kicking their waist or abdomen with the heel. the force created a tearing and pulling effect due to the arm being grabbed, making this move extremely damaging. if it succeeded, a normal person would immediately suffer severe internal injuries and collapse.


    the upward thrusting kick was the simplest move: kicking directly to the opponent¡¯s vulnerable area between the legs.


    ¡°these three moves. i could probably come up with them myself,¡± yu hong thought in disbelief, continuing to flip through.


    the following content caught his interest.


    the manual described how to use these three moves most effectively in various situations, different postures, and from different positions.


    ¡°now this is more like it,¡± he nodded slightly.


    after carefully studying both manuals, the sky had turned dark again.


    after cooking some food and lighting a fire, he resumed strengthening the array.


    for three consecutive days, yu hong stayed in the cave, either practicing advanced physical training or studying and transcribing the survival and martial arts manuals.


    the reinforced charcoal lines were thin, and he quickly transcribed the content of both manuals.


    he wrote on thin wooden planks that he had chopped using an axe. these wooden planks were stacked together to form a book.


    after completing the transcription, he returned the manuals to li runshan and asked about the three problems he had accumulated.


    li runshan answered his questions readily, then started selling the mushroom cultivation boxes, clean spores, and a simple training mannequin for leg techniques that he had recently made.


    the guy seemed to be targeting yu hong for a profit.


    but to be self-sufficient, yu hong still bought the boxes and spores with the great luminous stone.


    after bringing them back, he began digging soil to expose it to the sun while preparing clean water for future cultivation.


    he also needed to carve out a separate space in the cave to serve as the mushroom cultivation room.


    although there were special cultivation boxes, the spores released by the mature mushrooms could escape through any gaps, so the risk was still significant.


    he didn¡¯t want to end up like the old man, coughing, feverish, and weak.


    soon, two more days passed.


    all of yu hong¡¯s arrays were finally fully strengthened, covering the entire cave and sealing every corner, forming a standard luminous stone-tight room.


    the dark ink could now be freed up to reinforce other things.


    the most urgent thing yu hong wanted to strengthen was the martial arts leg technique manual.


    inside the safety room of the cave.


    he quietly observed the stack of leg technique wooden planks in front of him. there were thirteen planks in total, representing the leg technique training manual li runshan had sold to him.


    ¡°last time i enhanced ordinary physical training into advanced physical training, so what will happen if i enhance these ordinary leg combat techniques?¡±


    yu hong felt a cool sensation inside his body. he had now developed four threads of cool energy, meaning he could restore his physical stamina four times even under extreme exhaustion.


    although he was still like an ordinary person in most respects¡ªjust running a bit faster than others¡ªthis cool energy had completely turned him into a small superhero compared to regular humans.


    ¡°normally, if someone can run five kilometers, i can run twenty kilometers. if they can run ten kilometers, i can run forty kilometers! this advanced physical training works best when enhanced early on, as it creates a snowball effect, making me stronger and stronger.¡±


    with this thought, yu hong exhaled, reaching out to touch the wooden planks.


    he silently chanted in his heart.


    ¡°enhance leg technique training manual, with the direction: internal force martial arts leg techniques!¡±


    last time, when his mind focused on a martial arts style, the high-level physical training was successfully enhanced. after tasting the benefits, this time, he envisioned the martial arts scenes he had seen in movies.


    a flash of dark ink appeared.


    soon, the dark ink responded.


    ¡°would you like to begin enhancement?¡±


    yu hong looked down and saw a countdown on the wooden planks: 4 days, 17 hours, and 41 minutes.


    ¡°really?!¡± his heart lifted with a sense of excitement.


    the advanced physical training had given him a huge physical advantage. now, if the enhanced leg technique combat skills also greatly improved his combat ability, it would be a huge survival boost in this harsh environment.


    able to fight and run, coupled with enhanced bulletproof gear, he would truly be armed to the teeth!


    ¡°i hope it gets strong enough!¡± yu hong thought eagerly. ¡°last time, enhancing the high-level physical training only took about nine hours. this time, it¡¯s over four days, so it must be far stronger than the high-level physical training!¡±


    *


    *


    *


    baihe city


    in the eerie underground passage.


    the ground was covered in abandoned railway tracks, dark with occasional red rust, and every so often, piles of various junk were scattered around.


    xu yang, along with two team members, holding hand-crank flashlights, walked along the edges of the railway tracks.


    they passed by piles of junk, and the air was filled with a musty smell and the stench of dirty water.


    the trio walked, observing the surroundings.


    the walls on either side were covered with chaotic graffiti and slogans, with a lighted room every so often, where curses and loud laughter could be heard.


    xu yang furrowed his brow and continued inward. he soon arrived at a room with the sign ¡°old cat bar.¡±


    outside the door, the walls were covered in green mold and had a slimy reflection.


    xu yang looked up and noticed water seemed to be leaking from the ceiling, with a fine stream of water dripping down the walls, splitting at the doorframe and pooling on the ground.


    he wrinkled his nose in disgust and entered the room.


    it was indeed a bar, with red lighting dyeing the individual sofas red.


    each sofa was separated by wooden boards.


    there were only a handful of people inside, with some waitresses dressed scantily, serving food and drinks.


    at the center, four people were gathered, loudly playing cards. the noise was coming from them.


    ¡°how about a glass of mushroom wine?¡± as xu yang and his team entered, a ponytailed girl in minimal clothing approached them.


    ¡°we¡¯re here to find someone.¡± xu yang impatiently pushed her aside and walked toward a corner of the bar.


    the trio, in their full joint military uniforms, made the bar¡¯s security frown but not approach.


    they quickly reached a corner, where a tall, burly man stood, about two meters tall.


    ¡°mr. bai mang?¡± xu yang asked in a deep voice.


    the burly man lowered his head, his hands resting on the table like a crouched bear. his black hair was disheveled, and his gray shirt was unbuttoned at the chest, revealing his muscular torso.


    he appeared to be in his early forties, with tired features and dull eyes, with traces of vomit around his mouth.


    this was a man who seemed to be in a miserable state.


    ¡°something up?¡± the man raised his head coldly and scanned xu yang and his team.


    ¡°we¡¯ve got a job for you. the reward is negotiable.¡± xu yang¡¯s voice was low.


    ¡°say it. what¡¯s the job?¡± bai mang asked coldly.


    ¡°go to a place two hundred kilometers away, near the luminous stone mine, find a man, and bring him back within six months,¡± xu yang explained.


    ¡°too far. not interested,¡± bai mang replied coldly. ¡°and i have no information on this person.¡±


    ¡°just an ordinary adult male, probably carrying some gear. he shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to handle¡ªany normal new recruit could deal with him. the main challenge is the journey,¡± xu yang quickly added. ¡°we can offer fifty pounds of jerky, twenty pounds of dried mushrooms, and one hundred pounds of synthetic flour.¡±


    ¡°too little,¡± bai mang didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°add five silver coins.¡±


    xu yang paused for a moment.


    ¡°alright, a third upfront, the rest when we return,¡± xu yang agreed.


    ¡°fine. three days from now, come back here with the payment, and i¡¯ll head out immediately.¡±


    ¡°good!¡±


    xu yang and his team left.


    outside the bar, one of the team members couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer.


    ¡°captain xu, that¡¯s five silver coins. are we really agreeing to that? one silver coin can be exchanged for ten to fifteen pounds of jerky!¡±


    ¡°bai mang is very capable, with skills in firearms, close combat, and stealth. aside from his attitude, everything else checks out. and as long as we capture that man, it won¡¯t be a problem. if the person disappears, even if bai mang fails, we don¡¯t have to pay the remainder,¡± xu yang smiled and explained.


    ¡°also,¡± he paused. ¡°you got the exchange rate wrong. nowadays, the national bank gives twenty-three pounds of jerky for one silver tower coin. after all, it¡¯s a currency used to refine sunlight series materials.¡± s§×ar?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    (end of chapter)

 Chapter 47: Reinforcement (1)

    in the dense forest:a tall figure dressed head to toe in stab-resistant gear and a helmet was walking quickly toward a specific direction in the woods.


    occasionally, the figure would stop, bend down to pull some weeds from the ground, and stuff them into a cloth bag.


    the person wore leather gloves and sturdy leather boots, with the helmet covering everything except for their eyes and nose, resembling a fully armored medieval knight.


    a short dagger hung from their waist, and their vigilant eyes constantly scanned their surroundings.


    soon, a grayish-white stone house emerged in front of them, surrounded by a circular wooden fence.


    inside the fence, a burly, short-haired man in camouflage was arranging something.


    upon seeing the approaching figure, the man smiled out of habit.


    ¡°brother yu, here again?¡±


    the figure stopped outside the fence¡ªit was yu hong, returning from the cave once again.


    ¡°i¡¯ve searched the area for a while and found no sign of the evil shadow,¡± yu hong said in a muffled voice.


    ¡°the traces of evil shadow disappear under sunlight three days after losing their carriers. if you encounter a carrier, like clothing or items with black handprints, you can burn them with high heat. but remember, never watch the burning process nearby,¡± li runshan explained.


    ¡°why not?¡± yu hong asked, puzzled.


    ¡°because the evil sahdow will manifest one last time during burning. if anyone is within 20 meters, it can attack and infect a new host, starting another cycle. many places can¡¯t fully eradicate it, so they opt to relocate¡ªthat¡¯s what happened to the nearby town,¡± li runshan sighed.


    ¡°no wonder,¡± yu hong muttered, understanding the situation. ¡°the town had too many dark corners, perfect for hiding the traces.¡±


    ¡°exactly. and the traces can also shift their location,¡± li runshan said, kicking at the remains of a charred pile of clothes with his boot.


    ¡°this pile even tried to move toward me once since i was the closest. luckily, i burned it in time, keeping it out of the house. you should stay vigilant too. evil shadow is a new type of anomaly and might evolve further. much of our knowledge has been gained at the cost of lives.¡±


    ¡°so, brother li, you¡¯re still in contact with headquarters?¡± yu hong guessed. otherwise, how could li runshan have such up-to-date information on the evil sahdow?


    ¡°yes. actually, i won¡¯t hide it. my main task here is to guard this origin site and the luminous stone mine while reporting any changes to headquarters. of course, there are perks¡ªsupply teams pass by occasionally to resupply me. i also have a newly developed enhanced communicator for direct contact with postal headquarters.¡±


    yu hong nodded. with such backing, it made sense that li runshan would dare to bring his daughter to such a dangerous place.


    ¡°it¡¯s good you¡¯re here. otherwise, we might have had to relocate,¡± yu hong said with a sigh.


    ¡°it¡¯s mutual support. before coming here, i thought there would be at least five or six families left. didn¡¯t expect just two,¡± li runshan said, somewhat helplessly.


    ¡°anyway, i¡¯m here to ask for your help in mailing a letter,¡± yu hong said, pulling out a pre-written wooden plank.


    lacking paper, he had to use thin wooden boards.


    he wrote down his current situation and included a regular talisman board as an experiment.


    if the talisman reached its destination, it could help little stutterer, making the effort worthwhile. if not, he would try another method next time.


    the wooden board was covered with a piece of cloth and consisted of two planks nailed together. only yu hong knew that the bottom plank hid the talisman, invisible to outsiders.


    ¡°mailing a letter, huh? it might cost you since i have to wait for the supply team,¡± li runshan said, taking the plank.


    ¡°when will the supply team arrive?¡± yu hong quickly asked.


    ¡°schedules are monthly, but there can be changes. since i just settled here, they promised to come in two weeks¡ªshould be a few days now,¡± li runshan estimated.


    ¡°can we trade with the supply team?¡± yu hong asked.


    ¡°nope. only postal couriers are allowed to trade; others aren¡¯t qualified,¡± li runshan shook his head.


    ¡°alright,¡± yu hong sighed, understanding the postal system¡¯s exclusivity. couriers held immense power as distributors, monopolizing substantial profits.


    ¡°anything else? for mailing, the cost is one silver coin. if you don¡¯t have that, twelve packets of jerky would do.¡±


    ¡°what? twelve packets?¡± yu hong¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    ¡°yep. i¡¯m already giving you a discount. it¡¯s usually fifteen pounds of jerky elsewhere,¡± li runshan said casually.


    speechless, yu hong suddenly remembered the silver coin he had scavenged from two soldiers. after searching, he pulled it out.


    ¡°this one?¡± he asked, showing the silver coin.


    ¡°yep, that¡¯s it. perfect,¡± li runshan confirmed with a smile.


    ¡°great. do you have long-range communicators for sale? i¡¯ve got a solar generator for charging,¡± yu hong asked.


    ¡°not here, but i can ask the supply team. these are popular in larger settlements,¡± li runshan said. ¡°by the way, if you find anyone passing by, encourage them to settle here. the more people, the easier self-sufficiency becomes. don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°got it,¡± yu hong nodded.


    as he left, yu hong glanced back at the stone house window.


    a chubby little head peeked out, watching him curiously.


    ¡°why are you staring at him like that?¡± li runshan asked, ruffling his daughter¡¯s hair.


    ¡°that uncle looks¡­ strange,¡± aisina murmured.


    ¡°strange? he¡¯s one of the rare normal ones. these days, finding normal people is a blessing. most loners end up a bit off,¡± li runshan chuckled.


    watching yu hong¡¯s silhouette disappear into the woods, he turned back to his daughter.


    ¡°that uncle feels like a stone¡ªsteady and fearless,¡± aisina added.


    ¡°stone?¡± li runshan pondered, smiling. ¡°well, whatever he is, i¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re the best, dad,¡± aisina beamed, nuzzling his hand.


    *


    *


    * *


    yu hong walked slowly on his way back. he had just stopped by to check on dr. xu ruoying. her health had significantly improved, and she even gave him a packet of her homemade herbal powder.


    in return, yu hong gifted her a large piece of luminous stone as an exchange.


    with so few people left alive around here and the external environment worsening, he sincerely hoped she could hold on and survive.


    on the way back, he arrived at the spot where eve¡¯s clothing had previously been. holding a silver rune-inscribed wooden board in one hand and a short knife in the other, he searched the ground thoroughly but could not find any trace of the clothes.


    only then did he fully believe that the traces of the evil shadow had been dealt with by li runshan.


    ¡°judging by his reaction, it seems this isn¡¯t his first time handling traces of the evil shadow. he seemed very confident about it. besides, he¡¯s brave enough to bring his daughter along. from her name, which doesn¡¯t fit the local naming style, it¡¯s likely that her other parent is a foreigner.¡±


    yu hong speculated internally, feeling increasingly certain that li runshan was not an ordinary man.


    but soon, he changed his focus. regardless of whether li runshan was extraordinary, as long as the man wasn¡¯t a threat to him, yu hong didn¡¯t care what he was up to.


    in fact, the stronger li runshan was, the safer they would all be.


    he returned to the cave without encountering any evil shadow or sinister entities along the way. it was unusually peaceful.


    after closing the cave door, yu hong checked the countdown. there were still over three days left until his leg technique enhancement was completed.


    suppressing his anticipation, he first drank a cup of water, then ground a great luminous stone into powder to make luminous stone ink. he began crafting new rune-inscribed wooden boards.


    he couldn¡¯t afford to be idle during the enhancement of the black seal.


    after making several wooden rune boards, he got up, cooked a pot of sweet protein bar soup, and enjoyed it while studying the intricate patterns of the silver rune array.


    the silver rune array required precise depth gradients, making it far more challenging than the great luminous stone arrays. even now, he had not been able to replicate it successfully.


    after finishing his meal, time quickly slipped into the afternoon. he stood up and began practicing his advanced physical techniques inside the cave.


    two hours of practicing advanced physical techniques was a non-negotiable daily routine he set for himself.


    after completing the practice, he rested for over half an hour, wiping off his sweat, replenishing his energy with food, and sometimes even taking a short nap. this was all part of his established schedule. s§×ar?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    however, today, after finishing his exercises and while wiping off his sweat, yu hong suddenly froze in place.


    he felt a cluster of tiny, tingling points in his abdomen rapidly converging. in no time, they gathered into a new thread of cool energy.


    ¡°the fourth thread of cool energy! it¡¯s getting thicker and stronger,¡± yu hong thought with delight. the more substantial the cool energy, the greater his confidence and strength.


    (end of chapter)


    (tl note :- should i change ¡°cool energy¡± to ¡°cold qi¡± or should i keep as it is ?? personally i think energy is fine but what y¡¯all think ?)

 Chapter 48: Reinforcement (2)

    The consolidation and enhancement of the fourth stream of cold Qi brought joy to Yu Hong¡¯s heart, lifting his spirits significantly.After wiping away his sweat, he rested briefly and moved to a corner of the cave to prepare tools for carving out a new private room.


    ¡°To cultivate mushrooms and breed lizards, I need to carve out a separate space first. But where to dig and how to do it requires careful consideration,¡± he thought. With a knife in hand, he marked and mapped out structural plans on the ground.


    As he pondered, night fell outside, bringing complete darkness.


    It wasn¡¯t until everything was pitch black that Yu Hong suddenly realized: there had been no knocks from the Ghostly Shadow tonight.


    Normally, Ghostly Shadows would periodically knock on the door, pretending to be acquaintances or strangers to lure him into opening it. But now, in the fully enclosed space reinforced with Great Luminous stones, there wasn¡¯t a single knock.


    ¡°Looks like the Luminous stone concealment method is working,¡± Yu Hong mused. Walking to the door, he gently slid open a gap in the barricade and peered outside.


    Pitch darkness. Nothing was visible.


    Confirming there were no insects nearby, he lit the fireplace, dragged over his sleeping bag, and settled down to sleep in peace.


    The warmth of the fireplace dispelled the cave¡¯s chill, and the absence of sudden knocks meant no startling interruptions in the night. Yu Hong slept soundly until almost noon the next day.


    If his throat hadn¡¯t dried out, waking him up, he might have slept even longer.


    Inside the sealed cave, cocooned in blankets, Yu Hong gazed lazily at the sunlight streaming through the cracks in the door. His body felt relaxed and unwilling to move.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve had such a restful sleep,¡± he thought, lying still.


    The scene reminded him of his past¡ªback at home, curled under a blanket, air conditioning on, staring at the sunlight outside yet unwilling to leave the cozy bed.


    It felt nostalgic, like a return to the good old days.


    But nostalgia aside, life had to go on.


    After a brief struggle, Yu Hong emerged from the sleeping bag. Following his previous plan, he began preparations for chiseling out new rooms in the cave.


    Using his reinforced tools, he drew a circular outline on the cave floor with charcoal and started hammering away at the marked area.


    The repetitive sound of hammering echoed through the cave as fragments of hard rock scattered, filling the air with dust. Yu Hong coughed from the dust and was forced to sprinkle water to settle it, using a cloth from Eve¡¯s belongings as a mask.


    The work was monotonous, but with his leg technique enhancement still underway, Yu Hong had plenty of time. Over the next three days, his routine consisted of eating, sleeping, exercising, and chiseling.


    Piles of rocks accumulated, which he repurposed to build a simple stone fence outside.


    When exhaustion set in, he used his cold Qi to recover. When he grew drowsy, he rested. This cycle, aided by his cold Qi, allowed him to make rapid progress¡ªthough by the end, the blisters on his hands became almost unbearable.


    After three days, he had excavated a circular pit over a meter deep in the corner of the cave, complete with crude steps leading downward.


    Still, this was just the beginning. Yu Hong saw this as a long-term project, planning to carve out multiple rooms for various purposes.


    The excavated rocks would either form a perimeter wall outside or be used to dig a small pond for water collection.


    A pond would be useful during droughts and could even enable small-scale gardening within the stone yard. He imagined transplanting and cultivating common wild vegetables in the future.


    As Yu Hong delved deeper into his work, a sense of fulfillment filled him¡ªit was the joy of building a home from scratch.


    Another day passed. Rain drizzled outside, keeping Yu Hong indoors. He rested in his safe haven, keeping an eye on the countdown to his leg technique enhancement.


    Ghostly Shadows remained absent, and the cave entrance he had sealed with a Luminous stone-etched board remained untouched.


    As the countdown timer on the plank kept decreasing, Yu Hong¡¯s mood grew restless. His intense anticipation made him stare unblinkingly at the numbers.


    ¡°What will the enhancement result in?¡±


    ¡°This is a much more refined and professional leg technique than the rough physical training I devised earlier. And with over four days of enhancement, it should definitely surpass the high-body technique from before.¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression hardened as he fixed his gaze on the numbers.


    ¡°01 minute.¡±


    The last minute felt like an eternity.


    Countless thoughts raced through Yu Hong¡¯s mind.


    Finally, snap!


    With a soft sound, the plank blurred instantly.


    Moments later, a thick stack of leg technique notes rapidly condensed into a black leather booklet, the size of a standard book.


    On the cover, clear letters read: Enhanced Leg Technique.


    ¡°So the name didn¡¯t even change from what I used before? Not even slightly refined?¡± Yu Hong muttered, feeling speechless as he stared at the cover.


    ¡°Well, the name doesn¡¯t matter¡ªwhat matters is the content!¡± He eagerly reached out and opened the first page.


    *


    *


    * *


    Li Runshan carefully cradled his daughter, gently placing her into a wooden box lined with dense layers of shimmering Luminous Stone. He closed the lid securely, ensuring his daughter was sound asleep before returning to his desk. Picking up the communicator he had been debugging, he spoke softly into it.


    ¡°This is indeed one of the origin points. I¡¯ve already investigated the black disaster traces. The outbreak pattern matches the detected path.¡±


    ¡°Very good. If possible, I¡¯d like you to collect some Luminous Stone essence,¡± a gentle female voice replied from the communicator.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try. I initially thought someone here had already unearthed Luminous Stone essence, but it turned out to be just a similar material¡ªcompletely unusable,¡± Li Runshan answered. ¡°Also, the situation here is complicated. As soon as I arrived, I encountered a Evil Shadow. It had devoured at least a hundred people and even consumed some polluted individuals marked with blood tide imprints. The situation has mutated, but thankfully, I handled it in time. Without a host, it¡¯s unlikely to return anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard,¡± the woman sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I need to try infecting Aisina with Luminous Stone disease anyway, to see if it can neutralize the imprint,¡± Li Runshan muttered.


    ¡°The radiation near the Luminous Stone mines is severe. You must constantly monitor Aisina¡¯s condition and pay attention to the frequency of Luminous Stone replacement,¡± the woman cautioned.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Li Runshan nodded.


    ¡°What a pity¡­ if Milian were still here¡­¡± the woman sighed.


    Li Runshan said nothing, only remaining silent.


    ¡°All right. If you need assistance, report it promptly. I¡¯ll do my best to support you,¡± she said softly. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Thank you, Commissioner,¡± Li Runshan forced out before the communication abruptly ended.


    Switching off the communicator, Li Runshan leaned back in his chair with a sigh.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    A soft knocking sounded at the door.


    ¡°Dad? Are you there? It¡¯s Aisina,¡± his daughter¡¯s voice called softly from outside.


    Li Runshan glanced at the box where his daughter lay sleeping but remained motionless. He closed his eyes, quietly adjusting his breathing.


    ¡°Dad, open the door! It¡¯s really me, Aisina. It¡¯s so scary outside¡­ something¡¯s chasing me.¡±


    The voice continued, gentle yet eerie.


    Li Runshan paid no attention, as though accustomed to such occurrences. He reached under his desk and pulled out a blanket covered in fine white Luminous Stone dust. Tossing the blanket over himself, he completely concealed his body.


    The voice outside abruptly ceased, vanishing as if it had never been.


    *


    *


    * *


    Inside the mountain cave safehouse.


    Yu Hong, suppressing his excitement, carefully opened the black book to the first page. His eyes locked onto the contents, unblinking.


    Four days of enhancement time¡ªfar exceeding the nine hours for a high body technique¡ªmeant that the power of this leg technique was undoubtedly far superior!


    He swallowed hard, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing as he studied the page.


    ¡°¡®Enhanced leg technique is customized based on the individual¡¯s physical qualities, mental state, and condition. It has no general application. Use with caution.¡¯¡±


    This warning was at the top of the page.


    Below it was the specific content.


    ¡°First Move: Low Sweep Kick.¡±


    The name hadn¡¯t changed, but the details were far more intricate.


    There was a detailed diagram of human blood vessels and meridians, with red and blue arrows indicating the flow of cooling energy and its repetitions. At the bottom was a unique visualization diagram depicting a bizarre metallic castle monster with thick, muscular limbs.


    The monster¡¯s limbs were made of sturdy metal, exuding power. One forelimb was raised in a stomping posture.


    As Yu Hong examined the diagram closely, he noticed something eerie: the black lines outlining the castle monster seemed to correspond closely to his body¡¯s meridian paths.


    Looking up at the human diagram, he realized that the monster¡¯s surface patterns matched the human meridians perfectly.


    Below it, neat, meticulous text read:


    ¡°Leg techniques differ from fist techniques. Once initiated, success is imperative. Being blocked or countered risks losing balance. Balance and rooted stability are the fundamental principles of leg techniques.¡±


    Yu Hong narrowed his eyes and turned to the next page.


    ¡°Ordinary leg strength far surpasses that of punches, but due to balance concerns, leg techniques should be decisive. If you use a leg technique, it must hit and defeat the enemy in one strike.¡±


    Below this were sequential illustrations of the low sweep kick. A muscular, short-haired man bent slightly forward, lifting a leg for a sweeping motion. Behind him, a simplified sketch of the castle monster mimicked the action.


    Further down was new text:


    ¡°The second principle of leg techniques is that the legs must be tough, durable, and indestructible.¡±


    ¡°Thus, one must first harden the leg bones and muscles to enhance defense.¡±


    ¡°Then, equip the legs with alloy guards and add sharp elements to increase armor-piercing capability. Using reinforced leg bones and muscles to absorb the shock of alloy collisions forms the foundation of the ultimate leg technique.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Yu Hong was speechless.


    This leg technique¡­ something about it felt off.


    As he flipped through the rest, he found that the other two moves remained similarly enhanced, requiring visualization and forceful leg reinforcement. All three moves emphasized the use of protective gear to amplify destructive power.


    On the last page, there was an additional note:


    ¡°The visualization diagram is tailored to the individual and cannot be shared. Using someone else¡¯s may result in danger. Proceed with caution.¡±


    ¡°Mastering the enhanced leg technique accelerates movement, increases inner Qi refinement, nourishes leg muscles and bones, and explosively boosts power.¡±


    ¡°Core Tip: This technique amplifies force through leverage. The greater the personal load, the stronger the leg technique¡¯s output. Physical tempering is key.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± After finishing, Yu Hong could only acknowledge that the technique was, indeed, immensely powerful.


    But for some reason, it was a far cry from the martial arts inner Qi technique he had envisioned.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 49: Reinforcement (3)

    Weight Training The heavier the load, the greater the power.Yu Hong carefully memorized the key principles of this leg technique, stood up, and began to assume the stance, attempting to train.


    The training method was simple¡ªthree moves in total, divided into three stages. The first move focused solely on low sweeping kicks.


    The technique involved kicking at the opponent¡¯s lower legs. It seemed to align perfectly with Yu Hong¡¯s natural movements, as every action felt smooth and habitual, as if it was tailor-made for him.


    The only additional requirement was to practice alongside visualizing the provided diagrams.


    Everything proceeded smoothly. Yu Hong trained daily, focusing on advanced body techniques and the first move of the leg technique from morning until night. Seven days passed before Li Runshan¡¯s mushrooms were ready for harvest. The two traded some fresh mushrooms, which they used to make soup mixed with other ingredients, vastly improving the flavor. This marked their first break in training.


    The stone house at the post office, in the yard.


    The sky was thick with clouds, threatening rain at any moment.


    Yu Hong and Li Runshan stood in the yard, looking down at a yellowish sludge mixed into a muddy mess.


    ¡°This is about done,¡± Li Runshan said, setting down the wooden stick and gazing at the mixture with satisfaction. ¡°Next comes cockroach farming. Cockroaches grow fast, lay many eggs¡ªone egg capsule can produce dozens¡ªand fatten up quickly. I brought a good number of egg capsules this time, which will come in handy.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is in this stuff?¡± Yu Hong asked, wrinkling his nose. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Mushroom scraps, some moss I found, roots, oilseed plant fruits, and feces,¡± Li Runshan listed casually. ¡°Just like you need wood chips for mushroom cultivation, cockroach farming requires specific additives. You can¡¯t just raise them randomly.¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression turned wooden. He had initially considered farming cockroaches himself, but now it seemed clear¡ªuntil he had a separate room excavated, he had no intention of attempting it.


    ¡°I understand now why people prefer eating lizards,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a big difference between eating poop directly and eating it indirectly,¡± Li Runshan said with a laugh.


    He turned to Yu Hong and asked, ¡°How¡¯s your training going? Remember to eat, drink, and sleep properly. Training without taking care of yourself just harms your body¡ªit¡¯s like burning through your reserves.¡±


    ¡°Not bad. I sleep ten hours a day and eat plenty, so there¡¯s no problem. But when will you teach me slingshot shooting?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Wait a bit. First, make a slingshot handle yourself. I¡¯ll give you some elastic bands to use. Practice on your own for a while,¡± Li Runshan replied with a smile.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m planning to visit the Pyroxene Mine in a few days. Are you familiar with that place?¡±


    ¡°Not very,¡± Yu Hong said, frowning.


    ¡°Then how did you get those Great Luminous Stone? You might fool others, but you can¡¯t pull that off with me,¡± Li Runshan said with a laugh.


    Yu Hong stayed silent. His advanced body technique had now condensed four strands of cool energy. As for his leg technique, though he only practiced one move, a week of intensive training had given him a solid grasp.


    He had spent his days entirely dedicated to training, aside from basic needs like eating, drinking, and collecting firewood, water, and vegetables.


    Meanwhile, the black seal continued strengthening the silver runic arrays. Now, he had four silver arrays, including the one he had previously created, not counting the one behind the door.


    The silver arrays had a significant advantage: they could be replenished after use, restoring them to full capacity.


    Ordinary runic arrays were more numerous, though Yu Hong had stopped counting them. Whenever he had time, he would strengthen them and pile them in a corner. Unlike the silver arrays, these were consumables¡ªthey couldn¡¯t be replenished and were destroyed after use. However, they required less time to make and were useful in emergencies.


    ¡°Great Luminous Stone are effective against Ghostly Shadows but struggle against the Evil shadows. You¡¯d need a large quantity to make them effective,¡± Yu Hong said in a low voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Great Luminous Stone aren¡¯t mainly for combating Ghostly or Evil shadows. Their primary use is as additives or catalysts in other production processes. Since the discovery of the Black Disaster a few years ago and the establishment of the Silver Tower, the real treasures have been the Sunlight Series materials,¡± Li Runshan said, smiling again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll soon have some Sunlight Series materials in hand. These are exceptional coatings that can disperse ordinary blood tides and conceal your presence to avoid shadowy apparitions. They can even hold off malevolent shadows for a long time, as long as they¡¯re electrified.¡±


    ¡°Sunlight Series? Are they really that strong?¡± Yu Hong asked, doubtful.


    ¡°The Black Disaster¡¯s first target was Hope City, and so were the Evil shadows. They even unleashed monsters far stronger than the ordinary blood tides. What do you think the nation relied on to survive?¡± Li Runshan said matter-of-factly. ¡°The threats in major areas are far more than you can imagine.¡±


    ¡°When is the supply convoy arriving?¡± Yu Hong finally asked.


    ¡°Tomorrow. That¡¯s the notified time, but the exact arrival is uncertain. If you have resources to trade, you can come find me. You might get some food or good tools in exchange,¡± Li Runshan replied.


    Yu Hong nodded and left. His main purpose for visiting was to check on the cockroach cultivation, and since everything was progressing smoothly, he was reassured.


    Returning to the safety of his cave, Yu Hong resumed training in leg techniques and advanced body methods before shifting his focus to strengthening other items.


    Standing at the cave entrance, he used a saw and an axe to fashion some thick wooden planks. These planks weren¡¯t meant for runic arrays but for creating barrel-shaped body armor. However, the process proved challenging, as the planks often cracked. If the supply convoy arrived tomorrow, he planned to trade for bulletproof vests or similar gear.


    After a session of woodworking, Yu Hong returned to the cave, confirmed that another ordinary array had been strengthened, and laid out items for further enhancement. Among them, the most critical ones were:


    A solar generatorA daggerA handgunA pair of boots


    First, he picked up the boots¡ªwomen¡¯s waterproof leather boots, sturdy and tough.


    Examining the dagger alongside the boots, Yu Hong had an idea.


    Placing them together, he concentrated and thought, Enhance to create spiked boots I can wear.


    He visualized boots with extendable blades, like those from martial arts movies.


    The black seal responded: Enhance spiked boots?


    This feedback usually indicated the seal could proceed, meaning the items were compatible.


    Relieved, Yu Hong looked at the countdown displayed on the boots: 1 day, 3 hours, and 5 minutes.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± he thought, as the countdown began.


    Observing the flashing numbers on the boots and dagger, he realized, It seems items placed together can be fused and enhanced. This adds another layer of functionality.


    Feeling encouraged, he slept for a while, then woke to train in his leg techniques again.


    He had named the technique ¡°Heavy Leg Technique,¡± a straightforward name that highlighted its focus.


    In the cave, Yu Hong practiced low sweeps with both legs, visualizing the diagram in the manual and directing the cool energy within his body to flow through the mapped meridians.


    Initially, multitasking was difficult, but after a week, he executed the movements with ease.


    He had now reached the point where the fifth strand of cool energy was beginning to form within him.


    After practicing for a while, he ate and resumed chiseling stone. As night fell, he trained further in the Heavy Leg Technique.


    To master the first move, he needed to coordinate the cool energy with his kicks, achieving an explosive release while aligning with the meridian diagram.


    Standing shirtless in the dimly lit cave, Yu Hong contemplated for five minutes before suddenly sweeping his right leg diagonally forward.


    Swish!


    It felt as though he had struck an invisible opponent¡¯s lower leg. The speed and strength were normal for an average man.


    Gathering focus, he swept again.


    Thud!


    This time, a strand of cool energy surged into his right leg, significantly boosting speed and power.


    ¡°Much better with one strand of cool energy. Let¡¯s try two,¡± he murmured.


    He repeated the motion, this time channeling two strands.


    Boom!


    A muffled noise echoed in the cave, louder than before. The sweeping motion generated an audible gust.


    Breathing heavily, Yu Hong remarked, ¡°Two strands are powerful but require intense focus. It¡¯s less convenient than using just one.¡±


    On his third attempt, he tried all four strands.


    Swish!


    The speed was impressive, but the effort depleted all his cool energy, requiring half a day to recover.


    ¡°Too fast a drain. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll test the full power outside,¡± he thought, glancing at the boots being enhanced.


    Excited by the possibilities, Yu Hong rested for the night and set off early the next morning for the stone house near the post office.


    From a distance, he spotted a middle-aged man with a large backpack chatting with Li Runshan. The man, with a bushy beard and disheveled hair, looked leaner than Li but exuded a sharp, capable energy.


    Keeping a safe distance, the man stood outside the fence. Li Runshan waved enthusiastically as Yu Hong approached.


    ¡°Yu, come here! This is Old Zhou. He came with the supply convoy and plans to settle here.¡±


    ¡°Old Zhou?¡± Yu Hong nodded and studied the man.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Yu Hong, a Luminous Stone supplier in the area. Feel free to reach out if you need to trade for Luminous Stone,¡± Yu Hong introduced himself.


    The identity of a Luminous Stone supplier was one he had carefully crafted to maintain cover. After Li Runshan had previously discovered issues with protein bars, Yu Hong became more cautious, refraining from selling enhanced items directly.


    Instead, he planned to process Great Luminous Stone into powder and create ordinary runic arrays to sell¡ªa safer and more sustainable business.


    ¡°As long as my arrays are slightly better than others, I can secure steady trade,¡± he thought, strategizing his next moves.


    Simply selling Great Luminous Stone is wasteful; using them to create runic arrays is much more practical. They are lighter and far more effective.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 50: Reinforcement (4)

    At this moment, hearing Yu Hong¡¯s self-introduction, the bearded man nodded.¡°I¡¯m Zhou Kaiming, but just call me Old Zhou. I know a bit of everything. If you need anything, feel free to ask. My prices are negotiable.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yu Hong nodded. After maintaining a polite distance, he shifted his gaze to Li Runshan.


    ¡°Brother Li, where¡¯s the supply team?¡±


    ¡°They left, more than half an hour ago,¡± Li Runshan said with a smile. ¡°They can travel through the night, and they probably arrived just as dawn broke.¡±


    Seeing Yu Hong¡¯s slightly disappointed expression, a sly smile flickered on Li Runshan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I remembered what you mentioned last time about needing a bulletproof vest set. I kept an eye out for you and happened to get a set of Grey Lizard gear¡ªhelmet, gloves, boots, the whole package. Interested?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Really?¡± Yu Hong asked in surprise.


    ¡°Of course. Why would I lie to you?¡± Li Runshan nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll cost you twenty silver coins. But if you don¡¯t have silver, you can trade with other valuable goods. For example, those Great Luminous Stone of yours¡ªthey¡¯re quite handy. I went to a mine a few days ago, and there were shadows everywhere outside. I barely broke through thanks to your Luminous Stone. The only downside is they run out quickly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected. But compared to carrying a whole bag of regular Luminous Stone, isn¡¯t it much lighter?¡± Yu Hong chuckled. He didn¡¯t care what Li Runshan did at the mines, as long as there was demand, he had room to barter.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But you should protect this technique of yours. Turning regular Luminous Stone into large ones similar to Luminous cores is quite profitable. If word gets out, a lot of people will want it. If you ever consider selling this technique, let me know first. I¡¯ll offer you the highest price!¡± Li Runshan smiled.


    ¡°Indeed, such a technique is a steady source of income in smaller places. But cities like Hope likely have similar synthesis and refining methods. The purified Luminous Stones they produce have incredibly high purity,¡± Old Zhou chimed in. ¡°I used to have a drinking buddy who showed me. He was a patrol captain in Aurora City, overseeing a district that had a refinery like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the same. Xiao Yu can handle it all by himself,¡± Li Runshan shook his head. Then he turned back to Yu Hong. ¡°Enough talk. Want to see the goods?¡± He started walking toward his stone house.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Yu Hong nodded, keeping his distance. He stopped by the stone house¡¯s fence, standing still like Old Zhou.


    ¡°Speaking of bulletproof vests, I have a spare set. It¡¯s old and used, but still decent. Also a Grey Lizard set. Want it?¡± Old Zhou suddenly asked in a low voice.


    ¡°???¡± Yu Hong was puzzled, but before he could reply, Li Runshan burst out of the stone house.


    ¡°Old Zhou, what¡¯s the meaning of this? Stealing my business?¡± The smile vanished from Li Runshan¡¯s face. He was holding a sturdy camo suit, noticeably different from their current gear.


    Their clothing was mostly dark green and black, while this set was yellow and gray-black. It came with boots, a helmet, and a mask.


    ¡°This is a full set, brand new, complete with a filtered mask¡ªway better than your used stuff,¡± Li Runshan walked up, showcasing the suit.


    ¡°In terms of bulletproof levels, the Grey Lizard set is Grade Four, mid-tier quality. It offers excellent protection against shrapnel and most standard handgun bullets. It even includes high-strength ceramic plates and alloy panels for extra defense. It can double as an anti-stab suit.¡±


    He quickly explained.


    ¡°Of course, if you¡¯re shot at close range, the concern isn¡¯t whether it¡¯ll hold up, but whether the impact will leave you with broken bones or internal injuries.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± Yu Hong asked immediately. The suit was impressive, and if he could enhance it, it would far outperform his current stab-proof gear.


    ¡°Fifty silver if you pay with Great Luminous Stone,¡± Li Runshan said, raising five fingers.


    ¡°Fifty!?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s expression changed. He expected it to be expensive but not this costly. Unless he spent all his time making Great Luminous Stone, it¡¯d take ages to gather enough. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I¡¯ve designed a rune array on wooden boards using Luminous Stone powder. Its effect is even better than Great Luminous Stone. Can I trade with that?¡± Yu Hong quickly proposed.


    ¡°If its effect is really better than Great Luminous Stone, absolutely,¡± Li Runshan¡¯s eyes lit up. He enjoyed dealing with inventive people like Yu Hong, who always seemed to have unexpected surprises.


    In his eyes, Yu Hong was undoubtedly such a person. Furthermore, his background was likely not simple¡ªjudging by the finely processed protein bars he once brought out, Yu Hong probably had ties to some organization or faction, perhaps even a researcher in disguise.


    Yu Hong quickly pulled out a sample rune-etched wooden board and handed it to him.


    ¡°This is a sample I carry with me. You can test it out. We can finalize the deal tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Li Runshan accepted the board with a smile, clearly in high spirits.


    Afterward, Yu Hong bought some fresh mushrooms and returned to his safe-house cave for training.


    Training, digging, and resting, by midday, the reinforced boots were finally finished.


    Inside the cave.


    A pair of brand-new black leather men¡¯s knee-high boots quietly lay on the wooden table in front of Yu Hong.


    He reached out and picked up the boots, squeezing and patting them here and there, when suddenly there was a crisp sound.


    Ssshh!


    A black sharp spike suddenly shot out from the bottom of the boots, pointing in front of the toes.


    The spike was triangular in shape, with a blood groove in the middle, and the tip was extremely sharp, flashing a faint cold light.


    Yu Hong nodded in satisfaction and pressed a switch, causing the spike to retract.


    He placed the boots on the ground, took off his previous boots, and put these on.


    Then he stood up and moved around a bit.


    ¡®They fit perfectly, with breathable holes on the surface. They aren¡¯t suitable for rainy days, but that¡¯s fine, just add a layer of protection.¡¯


    Suddenly, he pressed his toes forward.


    Ssshh!


    Two spikes popped out at once.


    When his toes pressed down again, the spikes slowly retracted.


    Seeing this, Yu Hong smiled with satisfaction.


    ¡®Next, it¡¯s the Gray Lizard suit. If I get it, I¡¯ll have full-body protection. Even a handgun won¡¯t be much of a concern.¡¯


    Wearing the new boots, he left the cave and kicked the nearest large tree.


    Ssshh!


    The surface of the tree was easily pierced, and a hole appeared.


    ¡®So sharp!¡¯


    Yu Hong became interested and began casually testing the spikes¡¯ power.


    He kicked the ground, and a hole appeared in the earth.


    He kicked a stone, and a hole appeared in the stone.


    He kicked some branches and leaves, and they were easily sliced and cut through.


    ¡®Both sharpness and piercing power are great. Now, let¡¯s try using the cool energy, or internal energy, and see how much it increases the effect.¡¯


    With this thought, he returned to the cave and rested quietly. After two hours, when his two internal energy reserves were restored, he got up again, put on the spiked boots, and went outside.


    Standing in front of a large tree, Yu Hong focused, rooted his legs into the ground, and stood still.


    Concentrate.


    Gather strength.


    Kick!


    Suddenly, Yu Hong¡¯s right leg shot out like a spring and hit the tree trunk hard.


    Boom!


    The rough black-barked tree trunk exploded, sending chunks of bark and wood flying.


    This was very different from before; previously, it only pierced a hole, but now, after the spike penetrated, it caused a small explosion.


    ¡®Is this the effect of the cool energy?¡¯ Yu Hong retracted his leg and carefully examined the spike.


    He confirmed that the spike¡¯s edges hadn¡¯t bent or been damaged and felt relieved.


    ¡°The power is huge. With a sneak attack, it could likely decide the outcome in one strike.¡±


    Standing in the open area, he began training his leg technique again.


    This time, without using cool energy, he gradually felt a faint warmth flowing from his legs, spreading throughout his body.


    When visualizing his training diagrams, this warm current became more evident, as if nourishing his entire body.


    After practicing his leg techniques for a while, he began digging again.


    By evening, after dinner, Yu Hong leisurely sat by the fireplace to rest.


    He picked up a bag of dried mushrooms, ready to eat them for a small nutrient boost.


    ¡®Wait!¡¯


    Suddenly, he remembered that he had never tried to enhance dried mushrooms to the limit.


    Not just dried mushrooms, maybe wild vegetable dry grass could be tested as well.


    ¡°I can try to see what it can be enhanced to.¡±


    The success of his leg technique filled Yu Hong with anticipation for the future.


    He was about to use the black imprint to enhance the Gray Lizard suit, which would take a long time. So, he decided to find something with a short enhancement time.


    He picked up a bag of dried mushrooms, opened it, and saw that it was full of black umbrellas and yellow-stemmed cow leg mushrooms. A rich, oily fragrance wafted out, giving a sense of peace.


    Yu Hong reached out and pressed on the mushroom bag.


    ¡®Enhance dried mushrooms to the limit. The direction is¡­¡¯ Various images of medicinal mushrooms flashed in his mind.


    ¡®Do you wish to enhance the dried mushrooms?¡¯ The black imprint kindly didn¡¯t cut off the request directly.


    He only glanced at the countdown that appeared.


    ¡®12 days, 16 hours, 32 minutes.¡¯


    His heart sank. He quickly let go of his hand and swapped to another item, pressing it onto the wild vegetable dry grass.


    ¡®Enhance wild vegetables to the limit, focusing on multi-vitamin supplementation.¡¯


    This time, the black imprint responded normally, and the countdown appeared swiftly.


    ¡®3 hours, 51 minutes.¡¯


    ¡°This time is manageable. I hope it will enhance something useful.¡±


    He put down the wild vegetable bag, took off his boots, and a wave of foot odor quickly filled the cave, making even him hold his nose.


    ¡°Hopefully, socks can be enhanced to absorb sweat, prevent odor, and inhibit bacteria, so I don¡¯t get fungal foot diseases.¡±


    Three hours passed in the blink of an eye.


    Yu Hong went to the wild vegetable bag again, and in front of his eyes was a small square paper box, about the size of a palm.


    The box was labeled: Multi-vitamin Tablets (200 pieces).


    He picked up the box, and it made a rustling sound as if many pills were inside.


    He opened the box and found a wooden round bottle inside.


    Taking the bottle, he twisted the cap and poured out a pill.


    The pill was dark green, speckled with white and black dots, and smelled faintly of grass.


    Yu Hong looked at the back of the bottle, which read: The Multi-vitamin Grass Tablets can supplement the fiber and trace elements needed by the human body, maintain acid-base balance, promote bowel movement, prevent and treat various vitamin deficiencies, and have good therapeutic effects on osteoporosis in middle-aged and elderly people. Warning: Take one tablet per time, once a day, to meet the normal needs of an adult male.


    ¡®Is this really possible??¡¯ Yu Hong was speechless. With this, he could sell the product. Two hundred tablets would be enough for one person for over half a year!


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 51: Relaxation (1)

    More than eighty kilometers away from Baiqiu Village.A man dressed in a gray mountaineering suit, carrying a large bag, holding a hiking pole, and wearing a helmet and face mask, was moving quickly along the winding road toward Baiqiu Village.


    The road was desolate and silent, stretching endlessly into the forest, looking like a thin gray-white line.


    After walking for a while, the man stopped, used a small knife to carve a triangular mark on a tree, and then scanned the surroundings.


    Crack.


    Crack.


    Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him slowly approaching.


    He quickly turned around, but there was nothing in sight.


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s this damn thing again.¡±


    The man took off his backpack and hung it on a nearby branch, then swiftly climbed up a large tree. He took the bag down and unzipped it.


    With a rustling sound, he pulled out a large dark green cover and enveloped himself entirely in it.


    The moment he was covered, he blended completely into the surrounding environment, disappearing from sight.


    At the same time, the strange footsteps behind him vanished completely.


    After waiting for a while, the man removed the cover, folded it back into the bag, and jumped down from the tree to continue his journey.


    Suddenly, he made a sharp left turn, leaped to the ground, and lay flat.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out.


    The grass beside him was hit, splattering small bits of black earth.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead, Bai Mang!! How dare you mess with my boss¡¯s woman!¡± A heavily accented voice shouted from the distant woods.


    The man remained calm, drew a black dagger with his left hand, and swiftly rolled to the side.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    Three consecutive gunshots hit the spot he had just occupied, kicking up three pieces of black earth.


    Taking advantage of this, the man sprang up, planting his hand on the ground to propel himself forward. He then leapt and began sprinting toward the gunfire like a leopard.


    With a series of quick, sudden changes in direction, he avoided several shots and finally closed the distance to the shooter.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    There were three gunmen, all strong and wearing stab-resistant armor.


    Seeing this, the three of them dropped their guns and drew out their knives to surround him.


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    One by one, they lunged toward the man with their knives.


    But before their strikes could land, the man easily ducked his head and avoided them.


    Compared to the agility of the man, they were like heavy, clumsy blocks of metal. All their knife slashes missed.


    The man ducked the first attacker, then his right hand struck out with precision, stabbing into the first man¡¯s abdomen.


    He rolled forward, his short knife easily cutting through the second man¡¯s calf. Then, rising swiftly, he delivered a powerful punch to the third man¡¯s right ear.


    In just a few seconds, the three men were all on the ground. Before they could react, the man spun around and slashed each of their throats with a knife.


    Thud, thud, thud.


    Three precise slashes, blood gushed out, accompanied by the sound of flowing blood. Everything became quiet.


    The man stood up, searched for any valuables, then continued on his journey.


    Throughout, he never once removed his backpack from his back.


    *


    *


    *


    Heavy rain poured down.


    Inside the cave safehouse, a roaring fireplace blazed, completely driving away the dampness and chill.


    The bright yellow flames lit up the somewhat dim cave, making it seem like daylight, though it was already daytime.


    Yu Hong stood in the open space of the cave, practicing his heavy leg techniques with low sweeping kicks, one after another.


    He had discovered that if he didn¡¯t use his inner energy but simply practiced the heavy leg techniques, he could gather new inner energy faster than with his high body techniques.


    This particular martial art seemed to train both striking and internal cultivation at the same time, making it highly efficient.


    So, he decided to focus solely on practicing heavy leg techniques.


    After some time, he took a sip of water, sat down to rest, then continued to strengthen his new talisman formations.


    He already had more than twenty regular rune array, as they only took about an hour to strengthen. After another two days, he¡¯d have enough to exchange for the bulletproof Gray Lizard suit.


    Yu Hong also bargained with Li Runshan and succeeded in getting the price down to forty-two rune array. The rune array had already been tested and confirmed to be effective.


    With this, he made a deal with the new arrival, Old Zhou, to trade thirty talismans for a secondhand Gray Lizard suit.


    ¡°Almost there,¡± Yu Hong murmured as he drank a bowl of protein-rich sweet soup in one go.


    He stood up, began adding weight to his body by tying things to his legs.


    Training with the added weight, he once again felt a faint warmth spreading through his body. In this dangerous environment, the warm sensation nourishing his body gave him a strong sense of security.


    Thunder rumbled outside, and the rain became heavier.


    The raindrops hit the wooden door, making a soft, rhythmic sound.


    The outside was cold and damp, and visibility was poor, but inside was warm and dry, like spring. This contrast helped Yu Hong relax even more, and he completely immersed himself in his rigorous training. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡®I don¡¯t need to master many techniques, as long as I perfect one to the extreme, to use it freely, and strike decisively, that¡¯s enough.¡¯


    With this mindset, he focused on his practice, drawing rune array formations in his rest time and strengthening the wooden array boards.


    After three continuous days, the rain outside finally stopped.


    The entire forest had been washed clean, and the ground¡¯s bloodstains had long been erased, leaving no trace.


    Yu Hong gathered all the talismans, stacked them together, and placed them in his backpack before heading toward the stone house near the post office.


    He had accumulated enough talismans and even prepared extra for himself. Now it was time to trade for the secondhand Gray Lizard suit.


    The secondhand part didn¡¯t matter much to him; he would just strengthen it once he got it.


    Soon, he arrived at the stone house and followed the new sign to Old Zhou¡¯s residence.


    Old Zhou¡¯s place was none other than the same place where Old Yu used to live.


    Several things had been moved out of the cave, and in the open space, Old Zhou was sitting on a wooden bench, carving something with a chisel.


    Seeing Yu Hong approach, he quickly stood up.


    ¡°You came at the right time. I¡¯m heading out the day after tomorrow. If you hadn¡¯t come, our trade would¡¯ve been delayed.¡±


    He put down the chisel, clapped his hands, and went inside the cave. A moment later, he came out with a somewhat old camouflage suit.


    ¡°This is my backup. Do you have the rune arrays?¡± Old Zhou asked Yu Hong.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yu Hong nodded. ¡°Can I ask why you need so many rune arrays? Normally, these would be better off with Old Li to trade with the supply team. Why do you need them all?¡±


    ¡°I might run into trouble outside. Rune arrays are much lighter than the big bricks and have a much wider protective range. They¡¯re very useful,¡± Old Zhou replied with a smile.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yu Hong said, taking out the rune arrays boards from his backpack and placing them on the side for inspection. He then took the Gray Lizard suit and began inspecting it.


    The suit was indeed as described¡ªno damage, just worn out from use, with several bullet holes on the chest.


    However, the bullet holes hadn¡¯t penetrated the alloy plates inside, so it didn¡¯t affect its use.


    The helmet and mask were intact with no damage.


    Yu Hong was quite satisfied with the condition.


    Old Zhou finished inspecting the rune arrays with a red value detector, his expression also satisfied.


    ¡°Pleasure doing business,¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°Pleasure doing business,¡± Yu Hong replied, nodding. The two successfully avoided the unscrupulous Old Li and completed the deal.


    ¡°By the way, how long have you been staying here?¡± Old Zhou suddenly asked, his tone slightly stiff.


    ¡°Not too long, maybe a few months,¡± Yu Hong casually answered.


    ¡°Have you seen a younger man, a little shorter than me, with a dark red 8-shaped birthmark on his face?¡± Old Zhou asked softly.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. We mostly stay in our own dwellings, you know. We don¡¯t often wander around,¡± Yu Hong shook his head slightly.


    ¡°Alright, thanks,¡± Old Zhou said, his gaze darkened slightly as he turned and walked back toward the cave.


    Watching his retreating figure, Yu Hong guessed he might be searching for someone.


    The person he described was likely someone very important to Old Zhou.


    Unfortunately, at this time of year, being outside alone for too long could lead to trouble.


    With the Gray Lizard suit in hand, Yu Hong didn¡¯t dwell on it further and turned to head back to the cave. On the way, he passed the post office stone house and saw Li Runshan playing a game of throwing stones with his daughter, Aisenna.


    When Li Runshan saw the Gray Lizard suit in Yu Hong¡¯s hands, his smile instantly disappeared.


    However, Aisina still cheerfully waved at Yu Hong from a distance.


    Though Yu Hong was fully covered in his stab-resistant suit and helmet, the little one still recognized him at a glance.


    ¡°Uncle Yu Hong!¡±


    Yu Hong waved back at her from a distance, and seeing her chubby little face shaking with joy, his mood lifted.


    Without further conversation, he walked straight back to the safehouse in the cave. The muddy, damp ground made carrying the 12-kilogram Gray Lizard suit a bit more cumbersome than usual.


    When he reached the cave, his pants were covered in grass and black mud stains.


    He shut the wooden door, laid the suit down on the floor, and placed his hand on it.


    Excitement filled his heart again. A complete set of bulletproof armor would elevate his security level to a whole new tier.


    Immediately, he began imagining how he would strengthen it and the direction for the enhancements.


    Soon, after finalizing his thoughts, he silently muttered in his mind.


    ¡®Strengthen the heavy-duty bulletproof suit, enhance the bulletproof effectiveness, improve the filtering mask, add internal pockets for new components, and enhance flexibility.¡¯


    At that moment, his mind flashed with images of the heavy machine-gun soldiers from the shooting war games he used to play.


    This time, his requests were many, and Yu Hong prepared himself for a longer process.


    Quickly, a black line flowed into the suit, and a clear countdown appeared.


    ¡®5 hours 15 minutes.¡¯


    So short?


    He was slightly surprised but then realized that while his requests were numerous, the degree of enhancement wasn¡¯t very high. The Gray Lizard suit was already bulletproof, and the improvements were relatively minor. The difficulty wasn¡¯t much.


    ¡®In that case, I can add a few more features.¡¯


    He thought for a moment and then took out the red value detector he had acquired earlier. He placed it on the suit.


    He pressed his hand onto both the detector and the suit, silently adding the requirement for a red value detection function.


    Soon, a new countdown appeared.


    This time, the time was much longer than before.


    ¡®17 hours 21 minutes.¡¯


    Yu Hong exhaled deeply, confirming the strengthening process.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 52: Relaxation (2)

    Over forty kilometers from Baiqiu Village.Night.


    On a tree as thick as two people embracing, Bai Mang, Guo Xudong is quietly resting, leaning against a branch.


    He is wrapped in a Luminous stone blanket that blocks the Ghostly shadows, using the breathable holes on the blanket to take in air.


    As time passes, the night grows deeper.


    A faint rustling sound from crawling insects begins to rise from the ground.


    Guo Xudong suddenly opens his eyes, tearing off the blanket and looking down.


    In the faint moonlight, the black earth on the ground seems to spout like a fountain, with large groups of black insects emerging one after another.


    The black insects emerge from the ground, spreading like ants, and within seconds, the entire grassy area turns black.


    The waves of black insects move in the forest, searching for anything living to devour and tear apart.


    Soon, some of the black insects seem to detect a scent and begin crawling up the tree where Guo Xudong is resting.


    His expression unchanged, Guo Xudong quickly takes out a small bottle from his body, opens it, and applies some sticky liquid onto himself.


    Soon, he emits a foul odor that causes the black insects below to scatter in all directions.


    After putting the small bottle away, Guo Xudong prepares to continue resting.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a heavy, muffled sound comes from nearby.


    His expression slightly changes, and he rises again, looking toward the source of the sound.


    In the forest, a huge shadow, about the size of a person, appears. It looks like an enlarged beetle, with a mouth resembling pincers made up of many parts, charging rapidly toward him.


    Boom boom boom boom!


    ¡°Big skin? Can this place attract big skin too? Or has the intensity of the blood tide increased?¡± Guo Xudong mutters under his breath, his face darkening.


    Seeing the large insect approaching, he quickly takes out a specially made rope and throws it toward another tree.


    The rope wraps around the tree, and he swings toward it.


    As he swings through the air, Guo Xudong quickly pulls something from his bag, tears off the lid, and throws it behind him.


    The object precisely lands in the wide open mouth of the big insect.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Boom!!!


    In an instant, a burst of flame explodes, ripping apart the two-meter-long body of the big insect, scattering countless black fragments like raindrops.


    Under the light of the explosion, large swathes of black insects nearby evaporate into black smoke and disappear.


    Without stopping, Guo Xudong accelerates and moves farther away. He doesn¡¯t believe that his homemade soil bomb can completely resolve the crisis.


    The blood tide monsters and Ghostly shadows are completely different kinds of threats. Their greatest feature is their infinite numbers.


    *


    *


    *


    The Next Morning


    Knock knock knock.


    Yu Hong is startled awake by the knocking at the door. He slowly sits up, squinting at the door.


    He had exercised late into the night yesterday and also dug a lot of stones, expanding his small room a bit. Additionally, the strengthening process had consumed quite a bit of his mental and physical energy.


    So, his current state isn¡¯t great.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± he asks.


    Due to the effects of the Luminous stone secret room, the eerie shadows haven¡¯t been knocking much. The person knocking now is likely a living person.


    ¡°Xiao Yu, it¡¯s me.¡± Dr. Xu Ruoying¡¯s voice comes from outside.


    ¡°Do you have anything to eat? The food over here isn¡¯t enough. Something happened.¡±


    Yu Hong furrows his brow. He remembers that Xu Ruoying had swapped for enough food from Li Runshan¡¯s side. How could it suddenly not be enough in just a few days? S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he walks to the door and looks through the gap in the barrier.


    Outside the door, Xu Ruoying¡¯s eyes are as red as a rabbit¡¯s, her face haggard, clearly having not rested for a long time.


    After confirming no one else is around and that the Rune Array formation behind the door is still inactive, Yu Hong opens the door and quickly lets her in.


    ¡°Sigh,¡± Xu Ruoying sighs deeply as she enters. ¡°Yesterday evening, a family of three who were fleeing passed by. They went to an empty cave nearby to stay. I couldn¡¯t resist, so I gave them some food.¡±


    ¡°A family of refugees?¡± Yu Hong frowns. ¡°Which direction did they come from?¡±


    ¡°They said they came from Yuehe City, where a terrifying evil shadow broke out, killing many people before they could even escape. The officials tried to prevent the situation from worsening, but they all perished. The citizens were fleeing in all directions, and they were driving fast,¡± Xu Ruoying sighs.


    Yu Hong has no response. He takes out a bag of protein bars and gives it to her. The packaging has been changed, so he¡¯s not worried about it being discovered.


    Previously, Li Runshan had exchanged quite a bit of food from the supply team. He also swapped some items for rune array and anti-diarrheal medicine, which he then strengthened into protein bars.


    Now, he has more than fifty protein bars piled up in the cave, enough to last him for a long time.


    With the food supply adequate, he doesn¡¯t mind sharing some with Xu Ruoying.


    ¡°Do you want to go see them?¡± Xu Ruoying asks softly as she takes the food bag.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s no use going.¡± Yu Hong is silent for a moment, not agreeing to the idea.


    Though he bears the black mark, right now, he can only barely ensure his basic survival and safety needs.


    He is powerless to do anything else.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Xu Ruoying says, taking the protein bars and heading out the door.


    Yu Hong sits down on the round stool, takes out a radio, and turns it on.


    After a brief static, the faint voice of a broadcast starts to play. Two male voices seem to be talking in a Q&A format.


    ¡®We hope to handle this matter properly. Regarding the recent worsening of the large-scale black disaster, the relevant departments have traced the source. A total of seven high-risk evil shadows are involved, causing vulnerabilities in the internal defenses of Hope City, leading to the breach of the black disaster.¡¯


    ¡®These seven evil shadows were collected and classified by the Silver Tower. According to their public information, we know that the black disaster is now classified into nine levels of danger, with the level not representing strength but rather the harm to the surrounding environment and society. The seven evil shadows are all classified between levels two and five.¡¯


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t that mean the lowest-level black disaster is easier to handle?¡¯


    ¡®The lowest level means we already know it well and can devise a precise countermeasure, so it poses minimal danger. For example, ordinary black insects, known scientifically as blood ticks, are level one.¡¯


    ¡®But based on Silver Tower¡¯s statistics, there are also three higher categories: War-level, Nightmare-level, and Despair-level.¡¯


    ¡®This I know, the frontline black disaster currently being fought in Aurora City is a War-level one,¡¯ the host replies.


    ¡®Of course, we can¡¯t simply judge the strength of a black disaster based on its level. If you don¡¯t know the intelligence or weaknesses of a black disaster, even a level one disaster is like a Despair-level one, unavoidable and certain death,¡¯ another person responds.


    ¡®That makes sense. But what about the higher levels? What makes them so dangerous?¡¯ the host asks.


    ¡®It lies in the range of erosion and the desire for erosion. Everyone knows that many city districts outside the core circle of Hope City are facing a new round of challenges. My suggestion is to move into the core area as soon as possible, where the Aurora defense line can offer the best protection,¡¯ the guest advises.


    The rest of the broadcast consists of meaningless thank-yous and compliments, which Yu Hong tunes out. As the broadcasters talk about the deaths and the collapse of defenses in Hope City, they sound indifferent, as though it were a distant event.


    ¡®Have they gotten used to it? Or is there another reason?¡¯ Yu Hong stands up. ¡®Is the withered Maiden one of the level five evil shadows?¡¯


    He doesn¡¯t know.


    If that¡¯s the case, then with so many levels and types of black disasters, human deaths seem like cold numbers, cheap and frequent.


    At this thought, he suddenly feels a sense of suffocation.


    He pours himself a glass of water and drinks it all in one go, then starts practicing his heavy-leg technique.


    Streams of warmth spread up from his legs, extending throughout his body. The feeling of warmth makes him feel much better.


    After some time, he heads back to the reinforced gray lizard suit, where the countdown is almost finished.


    He watches the decreasing numbers and glances at the radiant stone reserves in the corner. The regular Luminous stones he had accumulated are almost used up. He¡¯ll need to go back to the mine to restock.


    A few more minutes pass, and the countdown on the gray lizard suit finally finishes.


    A distorted blur covers the suit, and after a second, the distortion fades. A brand-new, thick and heavy black bulletproof suit appears in front of Yu Hong.


    It still looks like the gray lizard suit but without the camouflage color. It¡¯s noticeably heavier.


    The helmet comes with windproof glasses and a filter mask, and the alloy plates on the body are thicker than before. The stitching is more meticulous, and the bulletproof ceramic plates now cover the entire torso.


    Even the gaps around the neck are protected by high-strength alloy plates.


    Yu Hong is pleased. He quickly puts it on.


    The new gray lizard suit weighs a bit more, about sixteen or seventeen pounds, but its joints move almost as freely as regular clothes, with minimal impact on flexibility.


    Fully armored, he notices the red value detector has been integrated into the collar. A small LCD screen inside the collar displays the current external red value.


    He activates the suit, testing it, and begins practicing the heavy-leg technique again. This time, with the added weight, the heat flow generated is even greater.


    As warmth spreads throughout his body, he opens the door, steps outside into the open space, and starts moving around.


    With the red value detector constantly monitoring, he can detect any Ghostly shadows that might appear nearby.


    After practicing for a while, he thinks about the fleeing group Xu Ruoying mentioned. He might be able to exchange something new from them to reinforce his gear.


    Also, since Xu Ruoying is alone there, she might be in danger. Yu Hong senses the remaining cool air and turns back to grab a bag of protein bars before heading toward her residence.


    With his spiked boots, enhanced gray lizard suit, heavy-leg technique, and the remaining cool air, Yu Hong feels somewhat safer.


    He plans to check on her, then return to reinforce the solar-powered generator, charging the radio and red value detector. Otherwise, once the power runs out, they will be useless.


    Following his familiar route, the heavy suit barely weighs him down. He regularly works with wood and stone, so his strength is already well-trained.


    However, he¡¯s puzzled. Since starting the heavy-leg technique, he¡¯s noticed less pain in his skin and bones, even some numbness in his sense of touch.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 53: Relaxation (3)

    Following the familiar path, Yu Hong walked ahead and soon found the cave where Dr. Xu lived.The cave¡¯s door was half open, and a tall, burly bald man was arguing loudly with Xu Ruoying. The voices were harsh, filled with anger, and their conversation was in a heavy local accent, making it hard to understand, even for Yu Hong who approached.


    He decided to wait at a distance for them to finish talking, but after a short while, the bald man¡¯s voice grew even more furious.


    With a loud bang, the bald man angrily shouted, grabbing Dr. Xu by the collar and yelling at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yu Hong asked in a deep voice, his gaze directed at Dr. Xu.


    ¡°Why the hell aren¡¯t you giving us medicine?! We have three injured people who need it, and you¡¯re giving free medicine to a beggar!¡± the bald man yelled, his face flushed with rage.


    ¡°My medicine, I¡¯ll give to whoever I want!¡± Xu Ruoying shouted back, still struggling as she was pulled by the collar, struggling to breathe.


    ¡°Are you looking for death? Do you believe I¡¯ll beat the life out of you, you bitch?!¡± The bald man threatened fiercely.


    ¡°Speak properly, don¡¯t lay your hands on her!¡± Yu Hong walked up, his face dark, and stepped in to stop the aggression.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?! What¡¯s it to you?!¡± the bald man snapped, still not having adjusted to the environment after escaping from the city.


    Bang!


    Without another word, Yu Hong swiftly kicked out with his right leg, delivering a powerful sweep.


    The move was executed smoothly, using his practice from training. It wasn¡¯t powered by internal energy, just the explosive force of his physical power.


    With a dull thud, the bald man¡¯s face twisted as he bent down, clutching his leg in pain.


    Before he could retaliate, Yu Hong quickly followed up with a series of intense kicks, landing blow after blow on the man¡¯s shoulder and head.


    Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!


    The reinforced steel plating in Yu Hong¡¯s legs added extra strength to the blows, and with just a few hits, the bald man collapsed to the ground.


    ¡°Are you calm now?¡± Yu Hong asked after his series of kicks, feeling no discomfort in his own leg due to the internal cushioning.


    Unable to resist, the bald man, trembling in pain, answered clearly, telling the truth.


    ¡°We saw her take out some anti-inflammatory medicine to save someone, and we wanted some too. She refused, so we thought we¡¯d just take it by force.¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡± Yu Hong casually dismissed him.


    He knew troublemakers would always show up with newcomers. He kicked the man again, the steel plate causing another scream of pain as it struck bone.


    Watching the man limp away, he turned back to face Dr. Xu, who looked tired.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Too many eyes, and I¡¯ve been targeted. Thanks for helping me,¡± Dr. Xu sighed, looking at the retreating bald man helplessly.


    ¡°This group of people is just passing through. You have to be careful. I just gave them food and some medicine, and I got targeted for it. You¡­¡± she started to explain.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Yu Hong reassured her, having tested the strength of his leg kick combined with the steel plating¡ªimpressive, indeed.


    Fully armored, with a helmet and body armor, he felt far more confident in dealing with trouble than before.


    ¡°But that man doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯ll let it go easily,¡± Dr. Xu voiced her concern again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful. In this environment, they dare to roam around like this? Don¡¯t they fear the shadows lurking here?¡± Yu Hong questioned.


    ¡°They drove here but ran out of gas,¡± Dr. Xu explained briefly. ¡°I saw them when I was picking up firewood. There was a baby on the car burning with fever. I just couldn¡¯t resist¡­¡±


    She then smiled faintly.


    ¡°I actually have my own defense methods,¡± she said, her left hand having been behind her back, now holding a white plastic spray bottle filled with a reddish liquid.


    ¡°In times like these, it¡¯s best to protect yourself first,¡± Yu Hong patted her shoulder, then turned toward the post office.


    He planned to check with Old Li for more information. The mailman had far more contacts and would likely know more.


    After walking a short distance, he noticed there was no sound of a door closing behind him. He turned to see Dr. Xu standing in the doorway, lost in thought.


    Yu Hong guessed she was thinking about her family. She once had a husband and children, a happy family, but all of it was destroyed by the Black Disaster.


    Turning back, he continued on his way.


    Not far ahead, two men holding daggers blocked his path. A third, holding a gun, limped against a tree, glaring with venomous eyes. It was the same bald man he had just dealt with.


    There were three of them in total.


    All seemed to be in their thirties, dressed reasonably well, with muscular builds that suggested a life of sufficient nutrition, meaning they weren¡¯t ordinary people.


    The man with the gun spoke up, pointing it directly at Yu Hong.


    ¡°It¡¯s him! My leg is still in pain, let¡¯s take out his leg first!¡±


    As the bald man finished speaking, the other two men quickly closed in, flanking him on both sides.


    Clearly, the bald man was the leader of this group.


    Yu Hong remained silent. His full body armor and internal energy gave him confidence, and this would be a good opportunity to test his equipment against these opponents.


    Though he trusted the armor¡¯s strength, he knew the gun was still a risk at close range.


    He calmly observed their positions and movements. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The bald man, grinning wickedly, raised his gun, aimed at Yu Hong, and pulled the trigger.


    The others prepared to strike, but Yu Hong reacted swiftly, stepping forward and using his wolf-tooth club to attack the nearest attacker.


    The club struck a short blade, creating a loud crash.


    Immediately, Yu Hong¡¯s leg swept low, taking the man off balance and breaking his leg.


    The second man¡¯s short blade cut into Yu Hong¡¯s arm, but the ceramic plates in his armor absorbed the blow, and Yu Hong retaliated with a swift strike to the head, missing the target as the man dodged.


    Before Yu Hong could react, a sharp pain in his side reminded him of the third assailant. He kicked back without turning.


    As the man cried out in pain, Yu Hong spun and grabbed the third assailant, forcing him down and kicking his leg out from under him.


    The last man fell with a painful cry, unable to recover.


    Yu Hong paused, then raised his wolf-tooth club to strike again when a gunshot rang out.


    The bullet ricocheted off his helmet.


    ¡°!¡± Yu Hong stopped, turning his head slightly to see the bald man shaking, gun in hand, firing again.


    The bullet grazed his shoulder, sparks flying as the impact hit.


    Yu Hong quickly adjusted, using his agility to dodge, and then charged at the bald man.


    With no more bullets, the bald man panicked, throwing his gun away and trying to run.


    But after only a few meters, Yu Hong caught up, slamming the wolf-tooth club into the back of the bald man¡¯s head, knocking him out cold.


    The remaining two men also fell in short order, their cries ending as they were taken down.


    Yu Hong dragged the bodies, gathering his spoils. Unfortunately, they were poor and only had a few trinkets and weapons.


    Rising, he turned to see Li Runshan and Aisina watching from a distance. The gunshots had drawn them over, but they arrived to witness this bloody scene.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Yu Hong said, his voice muffled behind his mask, ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to disturb you.¡±


    His imposing figure in reinforced armor, holding a blood-stained wolf-tooth club, left an unforgettable impression, shattering the calm, quiet image they had of him.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 54: Relaxation (4)

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Li Runshan still wore a smile on his face. ¡°These people are potential threats. Even if you don¡¯t deal with them, I would still have them driven away.¡±His gaze swept over the three people on the ground before returning to the suit on Yu Hong.


    ¡°Good to know.¡± Yu Hong exhaled, turned, and slowly picked up his things, heading back to his dwelling.


    At times like these, it was inconvenient to chat with Li Runshan. The other man had clearly grown wary of him.


    Yu Hong¡¯s figure moved at a moderate pace, gradually disappearing deeper into the forest.


    Only after he was completely out of sight did the smile on Li Runshan¡¯s face slowly fade.


    ¡°That gear¡­ Its strength is very high!¡± he muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Dad, Uncle Yu Hong was so scary just now.¡± Aisina spoke softly from behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Daddy will protect you.¡± Li Runshan smiled again, ¡°Although his equipment is impressive, Daddy is stronger.¡±


    He reached out to pat his daughter¡¯s small head. Though he said this, recalling Yu Hong¡¯s two swift leg sweeps earlier, he felt an unsettling sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    Those leg sweeps¡­ weren¡¯t they the basic techniques of the leg strike I sold to him?


    Though his movements were somewhat unrefined, the power behind them was unmistakably similar.


    But why was the speed of those sweeps so fast?


    Thinking back to the earlier strikes, a trace of seriousness flashed in Li Runshan¡¯s eyes.


    He had seen the defensive capabilities of that black suit firsthand¡ªcomprehensive and formidable, far superior to the Grey Lizard suit. Coupled with Yu Hong¡¯s explosive speed beyond the ordinary, it seemed only joint locks could control him.


    *


    *


    *


    Back at the cave¡¯s safehouse, Yu Hong stood in an open area, stretching his body in the suit.


    He didn¡¯t take it off but instead began to practice weighted leg exercises.


    Having just killed three people, he appeared calm on the surface but felt a strange unease deep inside.


    Though he had dealt with others before, this time was different. He had personally taken the lives of three individuals, creating three corpses.


    The sensation of knocking someone out with a single blow felt unreal.


    To calm his mind, he threw himself into his training, practicing repeatedly, over and over again.


    Before he knew it, the sky outside had grown darker, and time flew by. It was already evening.


    When Yu Hong emerged from his trance, the night had fallen.


    There were no black insects tonight, just a calm silence.


    Covered in sweat, he stood motionless in the cave, waiting for his breathing to settle before slowly removing his gear.


    His body felt flushed, and under the intense training, his fifth internal energy had quietly condensed in his abdomen.


    At the same time, a plastic-like sensation began to form on the outer skin of his legs, as if his sense of touch had become dulled.


    He took off his pants and looked down.


    On his white legs, a layer of transparent callus had appeared, he didn¡¯t know when.


    He touched it¡ªit felt stiff, as though it wasn¡¯t his own skin, with minimal tactile sensation.


    ¡°Is this the result of the heavy leg training?¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After putting his pants back on, Yu Hong sighed.


    Unknowingly, he had become completely different from the person he once was.


    He picked up his helmet, which integrated a red-value detector. Once worn, it would light up in corresponding directions based on the user¡¯s location. The collar displayed specific readings.


    This feature was quite practical. It could pinpoint the direction of a lurking shadow or malicious presence far better than the simple red-value detector.


    As the feeling of having killed subsided, he recalled the black imprint function¡ªsynthesis.


    ¡°Since I can combine two items to make something new, then¡­¡± His eyes glimmered as he turned to the pile of firewood in the corner of the room.


    Among the dry branches were several green wild grass stems, clearly still alive.


    Yu Hong walked over, picked up a piece of grass about the size of a palm, and held it in his hand. Then, he grabbed a piece of Luminous Stone, placing them together.


    He then placed his hand on top.


    Yes, he intended to test whether combining these two items would produce something new. He just picked two random items to try.


    ¡°Enhance the wild grass, with the Luminous stone effect.¡±


    Yu Hong silently recited in his mind.


    Soon, black lines flowed from the black mark on his hand, instantly merging with the wild grass and Luminous stone.


    A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his ear.


    ¡°Do you wish to enhance the wild grass?¡±


    He hesitated, then responded with a ¡°yes¡± in his mind.


    Immediately, changes began to occur.


    The familiar feedback sound should have brought Yu Hong joy, but just then, a powerful pulling force surged from the black mark on his hand.


    In an instant, he clearly felt his physical and mental energy being rapidly drained by the black imprint.


    This had happened before, and he suppressed the discomfort, forcing himself to draw internal energy.


    Before long, the first internal energy replenished his strength, but after a few seconds, the replenished energy was swiftly consumed again.


    Yu Hong continued to activate his second internal energy, but this time, the black imprint¡¯s absorption was far more exaggerated. The second internal energy wasn¡¯t enough, followed by the third, fourth, and fifth!


    Even the freshly condensed fifth internal energy was swiftly drained.


    His physical and mental energy continued to dwindle, and fatigue began to weigh heavily on him.


    Finally, the absorption ceased.


    ¡°This always happens¡­ it¡¯s as if the system perfectly calculates all my stored energy¡­¡±


    Yu Hong stared at the glowing imprint in silence, gasping for air, waiting for his body to recover.


    His eyes were full of white spots, his breath quick and labored, and his muscles felt weak. It was as if he was on the verge of total exhaustion.


    After resting for several minutes, he finally gathered enough strength to examine the cause of his current condition: the wild grass and Luminous stone.


    Both the wild grass and the Luminous stone now had a new countdown timer: 2 days, 8 hours, 47 minutes.


    ¡°Really?¡± Yu Hong couldn¡¯t believe it. He hadn¡¯t expected the random items he picked would actually combine.


    Looking at the mismatched objects, he was filled with curiosity, wondering what the enhancement would yield.


    However, now that the black imprint had claimed the enhancement time, he could only wait for two days. At least it was only two days.


    During this time, the black imprint had asked about the enhancement before showing the countdown, leaving Yu Hong feeling cheated.


    If he canceled the enhancement now, it would likely be wasted.


    ¡°Wait¡­ I think I don¡¯t know how to cancel the enhancement?¡±


    Yu Hong suddenly realized, after using the black imprint for so long, that he didn¡¯t know how to cancel an enhancement.


    Lighting the fireplace, he took deep breaths and drank the sweet soup he had made earlier. The taste had become intolerable, but there was little choice.


    After eating, he leaned against the fireplace and immediately fell asleep.


    He slept straight through until the next afternoon. By the time he woke up, it was almost evening again.


    After taking care of personal matters, he set up the solar-powered generator he had bought earlier, placing it in the area behind the door where sunlight would shine, testing if it could work tomorrow.


    He also kept an eye on the countdown of the enhanced wild grass.


    He was genuinely curious about what it would turn into.


    That night, he continued his training, eating, resting, and repeating the cycle until the next afternoon, when the countdown finally neared its end.


    Yu Hong stopped his leg training near the end of the day, quietly waiting.


    Ten minutes.


    Five minutes.


    Two minutes.


    One minute.


    Yu Hong sat at the table, staring at the wild grass without blinking.


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, a distorted blur enveloped the wild grass and the Luminous stone.


    When the blur dissipated, the Luminous stone had disappeared, but the wild grass remained, now with white spots and a thicker stalk.


    Apart from the color and size, the wild grass seemed to have changed little.


    Just as Yu Hong frowned, confused, the black imprint¡¯s feedback voice suddenly rang in his ears again.


    ¡°Enhancement successful, default name: Luminous stone Grass. Current enhancement: Living. Do you wish to mark it?¡±


    ¡°Current mark count: 1.¡±


    Yu Hong stood up in shock.


    ¡°Mark? What is that?¡± He had used the black imprint for so long, and this was the first time he had encountered such a thing.


    The black imprint remained silent¡ªit seemed to be a rigid system, only providing prompts when specific conditions were met.


    Yu Hong stood still, scrutinizing the green grass with spots, deep in thought.


    He pondered what this mark might be.


    After a long pause, he gritted his teeth. The grass he had enhanced couldn¡¯t just be worthless. He decided to test it.


    ¡°Once the mark is set, can it be replaced or canceled?¡± he asked in his mind.


    There was no response.


    Yu Hong thought for a moment, then placed his hand on the black imprint and asked again.


    This time, a reply came quickly.


    ¡°Yes, if replaced, the non-marked object will lose most of its effects.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ mark it!¡± Yu Hong answered in his mind.


    He wanted to see what the new feature of the black imprint would do.


    As soon as he gave his response, a faint white glow surrounded the enhanced wild grass on the table.


    At the same time, Yu Hong felt a sharp sensation, as if something had pierced his mind.


    ¡°Mark complete. Current controlled mark: Luminous stone Grass.¡±


    ¡°Luminous stone Grass!?¡±


    Just then, Yu Hong inexplicably felt a connection between himself and the wild grass in front of him.


    It was as if he could control it, commanding it to make various changes.


    This feeling was like holding a remote control, able to manipulate the moving model in front of him.


    However, this ¡°remote control¡± had been embedded deep within his mind, controlled by his will and thoughts.


    Accompanying the control was a brief stream of information flooding his mind.


    ¡°Luminous stone Grass: A special plant that can reduce red value in the air. When its numbers reach a certain threshold, it will produce a collective effect. It is highly resilient and requires only a small amount of water, sunlight, and ordinary soil to grow.¡±


    ¡°Growth cycle: Four days.¡±


    ¡°The mark controller can use internal energy to shorten the growth cycle.¡±


    Yu Hong stood frozen, his expression stunned as he stared at the plant. For a moment, he almost questioned whether he was hallucinating.


    This enhancement¡­ can it really do this?!


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 55: Hope (1)

    Luminous Grass. A strange plant synthesized from luminous stones and wild grass, the most critical thing is, it seems to be controllable?!(TL Note :- will just call this grass ¡°luminous grass¡± , ¡°luminous stones grass¡± is too long and weird sounding )


    Yu Hong held the reinforced grass stalk in his hand, pondered for a moment, then looked up at the sky outside.


    The golden red light of the setting sun streamed through the gap in the door, dyeing a small area near the door red.


    He exhaled, stood up, held the Luminous Grass, opened the door, and stepped outside into the yard.


    After several days of adjustment and placement, the stone yard outside had started to take shape.


    At first, it was just a large circular ring made of stones. Later, he mixed the stones with black mud, tamped it down, and created mixed pillars.


    At this point, a circle of gray pillars, about ten centimeters high, outlined a roughly 200-square-meter area.


    This area was filled with black mud soil covered in green grass, with occasional large stones sticking out from the surface. A large tree of unknown species grew in one corner, lush and shady, casting an oblique shadow with a diameter of five to six meters.


    Yu Hong glanced at the setting sun, squatted down, casually picked up a branch, and stuck it in the ground to estimate the time.


    Then he stood up, wandered around the simple yard, and thought about where to plant the Luminous Grass.


    After walking around for a while, his gaze fell on a small sloped depression in front of the cave entrance.


    On one side was a white stone wall, and on the other side was the black mud yard, with sparse wild grass.


    ¡°This will do!¡± He went over, pulled out all the few wild grasses, and used a chisel to dig up the roots.


    Finally, he dug a small hole, placed the Luminous Grass roots inside, covered it with soil, and watered it.


    Once everything was done, he stood up, satisfied, and returned to the cave, waiting for the planting results.


    Soon, the sky outside darkened.


    On the solar panel placed at the door, the LCD screen displayed that two bars of power had accumulated.


    The solar generator consists of two parts: one is a solar panel that can be folded out, and the other is the control unit linked to a display and main control console, which is a small plastic box the size of a book, with operation buttons and a square LCD screen showing the remaining power.


    In addition, the solar generator has a set of dedicated charging ports for powering other devices.


    A row of over ten sockets on its side can be used to charge various devices.


    Yu Hong took out the radio, searched for it, and pulled out a half-meter-long power cable from a hidden compartment at the bottom of the radio, plugging it into the solar generator.


    ¡°Finally, I can charge it.¡± He breathed a sigh of relief. Because he had been worried about running out of power, he hadn¡¯t dared to turn on the radio too often. Now, at least the solar generator could still be useful.


    After confirming the charging was fine, Yu Hong calculated the charging time. The radio, which still had half its battery, was fully charged in just a few minutes.


    Meanwhile, the solar generator displayed one bar of remaining power.


    By now, the sunset had already set, and the sky had fallen into a dim twilight.


    ¡°It seems it¡¯s still better to reinforce it. But which direction should I reinforce?¡± Yu Hong pondered.


    ¡°Previously, I only enhanced its durability, but that was not enough. Since I can add functions and enhance synthesis, I need to think carefully about how to strengthen it.¡±


    He pulled down the door panel, lit the fireplace, sat down, and turned on the radio.


    Soft, gentle music drifted from the radio.


    It seemed to be some kind of string instrument, long, delicate, and mellow, like a woman softly crying. At times, a piano-like accompaniment played, crisp and melodious.


    He focused his gaze on the solar generator, and a series of thoughts kept running through his mind.


    ¡°First, durability is a must. Second, increasing the total battery capacity is necessary, to avoid issues with consecutive cloudy weather preventing charging.¡±


    ¡°Third, the conversion efficiency also needs improvement, otherwise, it will be too slow, and if the days get shorter, it may not be enough.¡±


    ¡°Fourth, sturdiness must be reinforced; otherwise, if it¡¯s damaged, I won¡¯t know where to fix it.¡±


    After coming up with these four points, Yu Hong extended his hand, placed it on the solar generator, and began to reinforce it.


    He silently recited his enhancement goals, and soon, the black mark responded with feedback, and the countdown officially began.


    ¡°2 days, 7 hours, 15 minutes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, not too long.¡± Yu Hong nodded in satisfaction, stood up, drank some water, and continued with his daily training.


    In this boring environment, listening to music on the radio while training was far better than before. It made Yu Hong feel like there was a bit more life around him, no longer just himself living in a desolate mountain forest with no one around for miles.


    As the music repeated, Yu Hong gradually immersed himself in his training.


    Time passed quietly in the repeating routine.


    Soon, the solar generator was fully reinforced, looking brand new and sturdier. Yu Hong placed it outside the cave, where it absorbed sunlight during the day and was stored at night.


    He continued his routine: cleaning and exercising every morning, collecting firewood and water, digging for vegetables, and exchanging supplies at noon. In the afternoons, he worked on the runes for the Great Luminous Stones and practiced. At night, he listened to the radio, exercised, and reinforced the rune formations.


    This continued day after day.


    Before he knew it, three weeks had passed.


    In the early morning, the stone yard outside the cave had sprouted some green grass with spots on it.


    These small grasses were sparse, scattered across the muddy ground, and when exposed to sunlight, the spots on them reflected a faint glow.


    Crack.


    The wooden door of the cave opened, and Yu Hong walked out, fully armed in his reinforced gray lizard suit, holding his freshly cleaned Luminous Stone club and with a multi-purpose knife sheathed on his back.


    He descended the stone steps, walked over to the Luminous Grass, and crouched down to examine it.


    As he got closer, the LCD screen on his collar began to quickly display the red value data of the nearby environment.


    After a few jumps, the value stabilized at ¡°-24¡±.


    Yu Hong exhaled, a slight relaxed expression appeared on his face behind the helmet.


    He took out a thin wooden board, pulled out a charcoal pencil from his pocket, and recorded the date and data, including the number of Luminous Grass.


    The board already had many dense records.


    From top to bottom, one could see that the Luminous Grass had spread from just one stalk, continuously dispersing its seeds and growing into a patch of its kind.


    In just twenty days or so, it had multiplied from one to more than ten plants.


    And the effect it had on the surrounding environment, initially a single-digit number, was now over twenty.


    Yu Hong stood up, backed away, and continued testing the red value detector on his collar.


    One meter, two meters, three meters.


    As the distance increased, the red value decreased.


    Finally, he stopped at the boundary of the stone yard, where the LCD on his collar showed a fixed data: -2.


    ¡°This is it. Seems like this is the limit,¡± Yu Hong murmured, walking around to confirm the range and limit of the Luminous Grass¡¯ red value influence.


    Back at the entrance to the cave, he looked at the small patches of Luminous Grass in the soil, extended his hand, and placed it on the black mark, silently focusing on controlling the Luminous Grass.


    Soon, a strange sensation of connection emerged in his mind.


    It was as if a glowing point floated deep in his chest, representing the mark of the Luminous Grass.


    ¡°Do you wish to catalyze and accelerate using inner energy?¡± The cold mechanical voice of the black mark sounded in his ear the moment his consciousness touched the glowing point.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression stiffened. This was exactly the feature he intended to test. He had previously allowed it to grow naturally, just to record the comparison. After all, without knowing the normal growth speed, he couldn¡¯t determine how much inner energy would enhance the growth.


    He calmed himself and silently recited.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In an instant, one of the inner energy threads in his body began to stir, as if wanting to rise and move toward the glowing point representing the Luminous Grass. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yu Hong thought for a moment, coordinated with the inner energy, and guided it upward.


    Before long, the inner energy collided with the glowing point of the Luminous Grass.


    Hiss.


    A faint sound echoed in his ears.


    The inner energy disappeared in the blink of an eye, as if being completely consumed by the glowing point of the Luminous Grass.


    At the same time, the glowing point representing the Luminous Grass brightened dramatically, its brightness at least doubled.


    It seemed to stay in this state, glowing as if burning, consuming the inner energy it absorbed.


    Yu Hong observed for over ten minutes, confirming there were no other issues, and then turned his attention back to the small patch of Luminous Grass on the ground.


    But no matter how much he looked, he couldn¡¯t see any noticeable changes.


    After fruitless observation, he reluctantly set it aside and continued with his fixed daily routine.


    The day passed quietly, and the night gradually fell, covering the sky with darkness.


    Inside the cave.


    Yu Hong quietly adjusted the firewood in the fireplace, using a stick to push aside excess ash from the fire pit to ensure enough oxygen for combustion.


    The firelight illuminated his face, revealing beads of sweat and oil stains on his forehead.


    Long hours of physical labor and exercise had made his muscles more defined, and his body was becoming more toned with each workout.


    The rustling of insects could be heard from outside the door.


    Soon, black swarms of insects began pouring in through the cracks in the door and ventilation holes, flowing like water.


    Before the black bugs could touch the ground, they quickly evaporated into black smoke under the firelight.


    Yu Hong stood up and quietly watched this scene.


    Before, he had been scared of the black bugs from the blood tide, but now, he had long since gotten used to it.


    Time passed little by little, and after about half an hour, the black bugs stopped coming in in such a steady stream, no longer rushing in rapidly as before.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he rummaged through a corner, pulling out a spare candle, lighting it, and slowly walked toward the door.


    Swish.


    He used a stick to open the glass window on one side of the door.


    Through the high-strength glass, the candlelight illuminated the outside.


    Instantly, a small circle of black insects near the yard evaporated into black smoke, clearing the area of insects.


    At the same time, the candle flame shrank considerably, as if it were being suppressed, burning much faster than usual.


    Yu Hong ignored these usual changes and instead focused on the outside through the candlelight.


    What he saw made him look surprised.


    Outside the cave, in the stone yard, the dim night was illuminated by the soft white glow coming from the Luminous Grass.


    The Luminous Grass was glowing?!


    Yu Hong blinked and looked again.


    He confirmed he wasn¡¯t mistaken. The Luminous Grass was indeed glowing, and the white light exactly matched the red value effect range he had tested earlier, covering the entire small stone yard.


    Through the candlelight, he could clearly see the bugs, which seemed to be drawn toward the cave by the faint white light of the Luminous Grass. However, only a small portion of them moved toward it, while more seemed to dislike the white light and scattered toward the distant darkness, like water being diverted by rocks.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 56: Hope (2)

    In the round courtyard, the closer the black insects got to the Luminous Grass, the fewer there were. Many black insects, halfway toward it, diverged and fled again.They escaped the white light, changed their crawling direction, and rejoined the swirling black flow outside.


    In the end, only about one-tenth of the black insects that initially approached actually made it to the cave¡¯s safe house.


    ¡°That Luminous Grass has such a function!? No¡­ wait, perhaps this is one of the core methods used by large cities to expel and isolate the Black Plague.¡±


    ¡ªLowering the environmental red value.


    This was the method that had just come to Yu Hong¡¯s mind.


    ¡®The red value can actually influence the blood tide black insects. This means that, essentially, maybe the blood tide black insects and the Ghostly Shadows are the same kind of existence?¡¯


    Yu Hong speculated in his mind.


    Holding a candle, he turned off the glass window cover and stepped back to a safe area.


    Watching the black insects trickling in intermittently, he had more guesses and plans for the Luminous Grass.


    With just this little Luminous Grass, it could influence the blood tide, so what if there were more? What if the whole courtyard was filled with it? Could it completely isolate the blood tide black insects¡¯ invasion? Even the big skin¡­


    Yu Hong had high expectations in his heart.


    He never expected that something he casually synthesized could have such a large effect.


    For a disaster as serious as the blood tide, which severely affects people¡¯s sleep and rest, he had longed for a good night¡¯s sleep. Not just him, but also others like Old Li, Old Zhou, and Doctor Xu¡ªall of them felt the same.


    He had asked for countermeasures before. If it was the Ghostly Shadows, one could still use Luminous Grass to isolate them, but for the blood tide, there had been no solution.


    The next day, Yu Hong stepped outside early in the morning.


    Yesterday, he had injected a thread of inner energy, and today he wanted to see the results of the catalyzed growth.


    By the time he stepped outside, a small patch of lush, vibrant grass caught his eye.


    ¡°So much!?¡± Yu Hong stood at the door, his eyes wide in astonishment, staring at the Luminous Grass in the courtyard below.


    Yesterday, there had only been a dozen or so small plants, but now, the number had increased by more than half, reaching over twenty plants. Their spread had already covered a third of the stone courtyard.


    ¡°Just one day¡­¡± Yu Hong was amazed. He was incredibly glad he had the help of the black imprint; without it, he was sure he would have already met his end when he left the little Stutterer, with no trace left.


    Descending the stone steps, he confirmed that the newly grown Luminous Grass was real and healthy, so he quickly began testing the red value data in the courtyard.


    This time, standing at the boundary of the courtyard, the red value measured was -13, a significant increase from before.


    On the third day, Yu Hong used inner energy to accelerate the growth of the Luminous Grass again. This time, he used two threads of energy and added them one after another.


    By the fourth day, the entire courtyard was mostly covered in Luminous Grass.


    At the boundary of the courtyard, the red value had reached -41.


    Late at night.


    Yu Hong stood behind the wooden door, peering through the glass window at the courtyard outside.


    A soft white light covered the entire courtyard and extended slightly beyond it.


    From the area bathed in white light, the black insects began to avoid it, diverting and bypassing this area to head elsewhere.


    Thud, thud, thud.


    Soon, a heavy footstep sounded, and a large, dark beetle emerged from the darkness, stepping into the white light zone.


    But after walking just a few steps, approaching a third of the distance, the beetle shook its little head, turned to the side, and left, quickly disappearing into the thick night.


    Seeing this, Yu Hong¡¯s face showed a surprised expression.


    ¡°Even the big skins can be repelled!?¡± His heart was filled with joy.


    ¡°One Great Luminous Stone, even close to it, only emits a red value of around -80 or -90. But this Luminous Grass emits a red value range of -30 or -40, and it continuously emits it, increasing from far to near!¡±


    He had tested the data, and the Luminous Grass up close already emitted a red value of over -100, almost like constantly stacking a Great Luminous Stone right at the entrance of the cave.


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know how long the consumption can last, but this stuff recovers on its own, which is far more economical than using Luminous Stones!¡±


    Looking through the glass window at the blood tide black insects bypassing the courtyard, Yu Hong suddenly thought: Since Luminous Grass can be synthesized from wild grass and Luminous Stones, what about large Luminous Stones and other plants? What if it¡¯s combined with trees? Even cockroach mushrooms, living creatures¡ªif synthesized with Luminous Stones, would there be even greater and stronger transformations?


    If the synthesized result could be controlled, could synthesizing cockroaches, lizards, create specialized, enhanced creatures that he could control?


    At this moment, his mind was a mess, countless ideas flooding in, and countless combinations made him even more excited about the future.


    The next day, bright and early, he went out into the courtyard.


    He didn¡¯t need to check the Luminous Grass since its effects had already been very clear the night before.


    Yu Hong walked to the rough, simple earthen mound in the courtyard. Looking at the mound, which was not even knee-high, he extended his hand.


    His palm pressed against the rough surface of the earthen wall.


    ¡®Reinforce the wall!¡¯


    Yu Hong silently muttered in his mind.


    This was his test, a trial.


    Previously, all the reinforcements were small objects, not very large in size. This time, he planned to test strengthening a larger object.


    From previous observations of the reinforcement process, he had already realized that the black imprint enhancement was more about himself, about how he viewed the range of things.


    Simply put, the target of the reinforcement was mainly controlled by him¡ªthe size, the concept, and the boundary.


    If he viewed something as a whole, the black imprint would do the same, treating it as a whole and providing a countdown for whether it could be reinforced.


    Therefore, right now, he was about to conduct an unprecedented test.


    That is¡­


    *


    *


    *


    Crack, crack.


    In the deep mountains.


    A tall, bear-like figure quickly moved through the fallen leaves of the desolate forest, stopping from time to time to reassess his direction.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± The figure suddenly stopped and carved a triangle into a nearby tree trunk.


    Looking up, he revealed a slightly troubled expression¡ªit was none other than the Bai Mang (white python), Guo Xudong, who had been traveling non-stop.


    He looked around, then suddenly dashed forward a few steps and leaped up, grabbing a thick tree branch with one hand.


    With a single motion, he swung himself forward, flipped, and climbed up the tree, stabilizing himself before looking toward the distant hills.


    In the distance, a small hill could vaguely be seen with some dilapidated gray-white buildings.


    ¡°Baiqiu Village, we¡¯re here. According to the intel, that person should be nearby.¡±


    After dropping down from the tree, the Bai Mang (white python) quickened his pace toward the village. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡®Two previous groups disappeared nearby. Either this place holds a dangerous threat, or¡­ it¡¯s a trap set by someone.¡¯


    Guo Xudong moved swiftly through the forest, his silver-gray dagger now appearing in his hand, reversed in his palm.


    Half an hour later.


    He arrived at the gravel road outside Baiqiu Village and stood at the edge of the road, gazing at the village.


    The deep alleyways, the dark, uninviting doors and windows, the lifeless houses and walls.


    Guo Xudong took a small pouch of Luminous Stones and slowly entered the village.


    But after walking just a few steps, he stopped, lowering his head to carefully inspect the ground.


    Soon, it seemed like he noticed something, standing up and slowly stepping back, leaving the village. He then circled around the entire Baiqiu Village.


    Round and round.


    It took him over an hour to finish inspecting the entire village.


    ¡°There are no footprints of any activity.¡± Guo Xudong decisively turned around and walked down the hill.


    ¡°According to the intel, that person is either in the village or living in a nearby cave. The cave should be not far off. Let¡¯s search carefully.¡±


    He muttered to himself, leaving the village and quickly disappearing into the forest.


    *


    *


    * *


    Yu Hong pressed one hand against the earthen mound in the courtyard.


    He closed his eyes slightly, silently still, holding the position.


    After a few minutes.


    When he felt his mind had calmed, he silently thought.


    ¡®Reinforce the earthen wall, with a focus on material strengthening¡ªheightening and thickening.¡¯


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, a black line from the imprint on the back of his hand fused into the earthen wall.


    Immediately, a countdown appeared in front of Yu Hong.


    ¡®15 days, 6 hours, 44 minutes.¡¯


    ¡°!!!¡± At the moment he saw the countdown, Yu Hong¡¯s face showed a joy that was hard to describe.


    ¡°Wow, it really works!!¡± Although the time was long¡ªfifteen days¡ªprobably because the volume of reinforcement was much larger than the previous smaller objects, the wall, no matter how short or small, was far heavier than the previous reinforcements.


    With this thought in mind, a new idea flashed through his head.


    ¡®If I try to enhance the earthen wall even further, could I significantly shorten the reinforcement time?¡¯


    ¡®And, since the earthen wall can be reinforced, what about the puddle? Can I turn the puddle into a well? Or even¡­ could the whole cave safe house be reinforced? Even if it takes longer, if it¡¯s all done at once, reinforcing it into an underground shelter with multiple rooms would save so much hassle.¡¯


    Now that he had realized the black imprint enhancement worked based on his concept of the whole and its range.


    ¡®What if I consider the entire underground planet as a whole¡ªcould I reinforce the whole planet?¡¯ Yu Hong thought boldly.


    With that idea aside, he suddenly felt a strong urge to complete the earthen wall.


    Unfortunately, his regular Luminous Stones were used up, and he had to go to the mine to resupply. Otherwise, his supply of silver Rune Arrays would be fine, but the ordinary Rune Array and Great Luminous Stones would run out of materials.


    Happy with his progress, he returned to the cave, grabbed his backpack and tools, locked the door, and headed straight for the Luminous Stone mine.


    And not long after he left, a strong, bear-like figure silently emerged from the forest and saw the cave¡¯s safe house surrounded by the courtyard.


    The figure crouched down behind a tree trunk, set down his backpack, and took out his mask, helmet, and bulletproof gear¡ªputting everything on carefully.


    Once prepared, he slowly walked toward the cave, revealing a pair of slightly troubled eyes.


    It was none other than Guo Xudong, Bai Mang (White Python), investigating the area!


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 57: Hope (3)

    Luminous Stone MineNot far from the post office stone house, in a canyon, several natural stone cave openings are quietly embedded in the grayish-white mountain wall, surrounded by vines, green grass, and withered leaves.


    A few scattered birds perch on the withered vines above the caves, emitting sharp cries.


    The sky is nearing dusk. From one of the caves, a tall figure slowly walks out.


    The figure is wearing a full black bulletproof suit. The thick bulletproof suit makes him, whose height is barely 1.7 meters, appear to be nearly 1.8 meters tall.


    Under the helmet are plain gray goggles and a pitch-black metallic filtration mask. The sound of heavy breathing constantly emerges from the filters on both sides of the mask.


    ¡°Rare to see birds,¡± the figure looks up, observing the small birds outside the cave.


    The three small birds standing on the withered vines jump a few times, also looking down at him.


    All three birds have grayish-brown feathers, dirty and even tangled. The pale yellow beaks still have dried blood stains.


    ¡°This environment, even the birds aren¡¯t normal?¡± The figure sighs and looks down at the red value changing on his collar. The data fluctuates between 20 and 40.


    This is right at the entrance of the mine. It wasn¡¯t like this a moment ago. But now¡­


    Holding the luminous stone bag, Yu Hong realizes that these rare small birds are likely problematic.


    The optimism he felt upon seeing the birds slowly fades.


    ¡°What¡¯s still normal in this world?¡±


    With the luminous stone in hand, he doesn¡¯t look up anymore and strides in the direction of his return.


    There is nothing at the luminous stone mine, perfectly normal¡ªno strange shadows, no black insects, no plants, just pure and clean.


    But the only problem is radiation.


    He doesn¡¯t dare stay too long because, according to the experimental records from Jenny¡¯s side, the radiation from the luminous stone really can make people become dull-witted.


    Carrying a full bag of luminous stone, Yu Hong swiftly navigates through the forest path.


    After about 20 minutes, the sky is nearly completely dark.


    The outline of the cave ahead is faintly visible.


    Yu Hong quickens his pace. In this dangerous environment, seeing a safe, warm shelter where he can avoid the wind and rain fills him with an urge to hurry back and rest. ???????§£¨ºs


    ¡®It¡¯s getting colder. The temperature difference between day and night is increasing, and the humidity in the cave is getting worse. If there¡¯s enough solar power, it¡¯d be nice to get some electric lights, make it more comfortable.¡¯


    He thinks to himself. He could go to Li Runshan¡¯s side to pre-order light bulbs and wires. These are cheap, and when he last exchanged supplies, he asked about them. The real problem is the generators needed to power the lights.


    Solar-powered generators are truly hard to get. It is said that the main factories producing them were hit hard by several large-scale terror incidents, many workers died, and the machinery was damaged. Production, which had been good, came to a halt, and now the authorities are urgently searching for new sites to rebuild. Combined with shortages in raw materials, it will take time to recover production.


    So good solar panels are in short supply.


    Thinking this, Yu Hong feels even more fortunate that he has the Black Ink enhancement; otherwise¡­


    He reaches the cave entrance, steps over the earthen mound in the courtyard, and enters the yard filled with luminous stone grass.


    Once inside, his collar¡¯s LCD display quickly shows negative red values.


    Feeling as if surrounded by safety, Yu Hong relaxes even more. He walks toward the wooden door, takes out his key, and aims it at the keyhole.


    Click.


    With a sharp sound, a great force strikes the key from the side.


    The key flies out, landing on the grass.


    Yu Hong freezes for a moment, not understanding what just happened.


    He only feels a tremor in his hand before the key is forcefully yanked away.


    ¡®What was that?¡¯


    ¡®What hit the key?¡¯


    In one second, he snaps out of his stunned state, his body tensing. He drops the luminous stone bag and grabs his mace.


    But at this moment, there¡¯s already a new development.


    Thud, thud, thud.


    While the key is sent flying, urgent footsteps approach from behind.


    The sound is fast!


    So fast that it only takes two seconds from hearing the noise to feeling it close in on him.


    In those two seconds, Yu Hong has just enough time to turn around, tighten his grip on the mace, and assess the situation.


    His lack of professional training shows in that moment.


    When he turns around, before he can make sense of what¡¯s happening¡­


    A figure, as large as a black bear, rapidly closes the distance. The elbow locks around his neck, the immense strength combined with force knocks him hard into the wooden door.


    Bang!!


    The door shakes. Yu Hong feels something crushing his neck. If not for the tough alloy plating in his suit, he might not even be able to breathe right now.


    Even so, immense pressure starts to build on the sides of his neck. The attacker is attempting to quickly subdue him and knock him unconscious.


    This is a very dangerous area of the body. Once trapped in the right position, a few seconds is enough to knock someone out.


    This isn¡¯t a blood circulation issue, but the body¡¯s nervous mechanism being forcibly triggered. It¡¯s also one of the most commonly used lethal moves in ground combat systems.


    The assailant¡¯s strength is overwhelming. He drags Yu Hong leftwards, down the stone steps.


    They crash into the grass, crushing the luminous stone grass in the yard.


    Thud, thud, thud!


    Yu Hong desperately tries to hit the arm trapping him, but it¡¯s no use. His strength is far too weak compared to the attacker¡¯s.


    Luckily, the enhanced suit provides solid protection for his neck, the alloy plates blocking the grip. Besides being immobile, there¡¯s no immediate danger.


    Suddenly, Yu Hong¡¯s expression changes dramatically. Through the goggles, he sees a metal tool with a hooked end, held in a thick, powerful hand, rapidly thrusting toward the filtration device of his mask.


    The mask is also made of alloy and bulletproof, but the only weakness is the filters on the sides used for ventilation.


    Clearly, that¡¯s the target now.


    This part has only ordinary material protection, with a steel wire mesh on the outer layer. Its strength is far lower than the other parts. If pierced by the metal tool, the entire protective system of the mask will be compromised.


    Thud!


    But Yu Hong doesn¡¯t have the strength to break free.


    With a muffled thud, one of the filters gets punctured. The cold air outside rushes into the mask, causing his pores to contract.


    ¡®I can¡¯t let this continue!¡¯


    A strong sense of danger surges up in his heart.


    Yu Hong immediately activates his internal energy, all his strength surging out in a single explosive burst.


    Ah!!!


    He shouts out, and the surge of power allows him to swing the mace behind him.


    This swing targets the head of the attacker sneaking up behind him.


    The mace is swung with all his might, even disregarding the risk of collateral damage.


    Yu Hong bets that his helmet is far tougher than the attacker¡¯s!


    Bang!


    A muffled sound.


    The mace strikes the edge of his own helmet, missing entirely.


    This means the attacker loosens his grip.


    Yu Hong immediately feels the immense pressure on his neck vanish, his body relaxing.


    He quickly scrambles to his feet, takes two steps forward, and turns to look behind him.


    Bang!!


    Before he can stabilize himself, another heavy impact slams into his chest.


    The outer fabric of the bulletproof suit is torn open by something.


    The tremendous force sends him stumbling backward, his head spinning, unable to focus his vision.


    Unfortunately, the attacker doesn¡¯t wait for him to recover but instead seizes the opportunity, charging forward with a punch to his head.


    Bang!


    Yu Hong is knocked into the air, nearly leaving the ground. He falls heavily to the ground.


    In the luminous stone grass yard.


    At this moment, two similarly tall figures, both wearing bulletproof suits, one in camouflage, land heavy punches.


    The punch lands on the chin of the black-suited figure, sending him flying backward.


    ¡°Strong defense, but unfortunately¡­ it¡¯s on a useless body.¡± Guo Xudong (White Python) flexes his right fist and quickly rushes toward the still-trying-to-get-up Yu Hong.


    Bang!


    A powerful kick lands in Yu Hong¡¯s abdomen.


    The massive impact sends him flying, crashing into the earthen mound behind him.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Guo Xudong looks at the incapacitated Yu Hong, pulls out a roll of high-strength rope from his waist pouch, and slowly walks toward him.


    For him, the difficulty of this mission lies in the unknown dangers around them. The rest seems easy.


    He closed in quickly, suddenly lifting his knee and delivering a knee strike to Yu Hong¡¯s head.


    Bang!


    The knee strike landed perfectly, but unexpectedly, it didn¡¯t hit the chin. Instead, it struck the chest.


    Moreover, the solid alloy plate on the opponent¡¯s chest absorbed the impact, making his knee hurt.


    Clearly, he also wore a bulletproof suit, and knee pads were equipped to protect his joints!


    ¡®This guy still has energy!?¡¯ After he had been trapped earlier, both sides had struggled with their strength for a long time. This direct confrontation should have drained both their stamina significantly. Yet now, this guy still seems full of energy.


    Surprised by the opponent¡¯s physical condition, Guo Xudong made a wrong hit, quickly sidestepped, and created some distance. This also just happened to avoid a powerful swinging punch from the opponent.


    He circled behind, right hand drawing a sharp short knife, and delivered a slash to the back.


    Slash!


    The blade was blocked.


    Guo Xudong wasn¡¯t surprised. He was merely looking for weak spots in the opponent¡¯s suit.


    In an instant, he swiftly moved around Yu Hong, light on his feet, delivering punches, kicks, and knife strikes one after another, like heavy artillery, constantly battering Yu Hong¡¯s body.


    The difference in their fighting awareness was too great. Guo Xudong practically treated Yu Hong as a target, relentlessly beating him.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    In the yard, two figures moved like two billiard balls¡ªone aggressive, continuously rolling and crashing, while the other was passive, being knocked around helplessly.


    Soon, a flash of light appeared in Guo Xudong¡¯s eyes beneath his helmet.


    He seemed to have found a weak spot in the opponent¡¯s suit!


    The thick alloy plates and ceramic sheets did indeed provide strong protection, but the entire set of alloy plates also restricted the opponent¡¯s movement and coordination.


    Any movement that required more space would be hindered by the alloy plates, slowing down both speed and power.


    So¡­


    The opponent¡¯s weakness is flexibility!


    Use joint techniques!


    Guo Xudong quickly devised a strategy. No matter how tough the bulletproof suit was, it couldn¡¯t restrict the movement of the joints; otherwise, the wearer would become a zombie.


    As long as the joints could still move and had space to move in, he could directly disable the opponent¡¯s ability to move using joint locks.


    He discarded the short knife in his hand, circled around, and launched a sprint, performing a powerful kick.


    Bang!


    The kick landed squarely on the opponent¡¯s side, sending him flying several meters and crashing to the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Guo Xudong made two quick steps, leaped into the air, and elbowed down hard onto the opponent¡¯s back.


    Weighing over 260 pounds, his weight combined with the acceleration of his descent made the elbow strike devastating. He landed with his elbow as the focal point, instantly knocking the wind out of Yu Hong.


    Even though the bulletproof suit mitigated the impact, this blunt force was far more overwhelming than a bullet or a knife stab.


    Bang!


    Yu Hong collapsed onto the ground. His right wrist was grabbed, twisted behind him, and pulled forcefully. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His forearm was pinned to his back by the knee of someone behind him, rendering him immobile.


    Fortunately, the enhanced suit had some high-strength ceramic inserts to limit reverse joint locks.


    His forearm was compressed, his left hand forced to the ground, unable to turn over. He was in a prone position, completely immobilized.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 58: Hope (4)

    [Tl Note:- sry for not uploading Yesterday was a little busy]¡­..


    Click.


    At the joints of the bulletproof suit, the ceramic pieces made a brittle sound under immense pressure. Tiny cracks began to appear on the white ceramic pieces.


    The cracks grew larger and more frequent. If they broke, Yu Hong¡¯s right arm would instantly snap.


    Without protection, his combat skills were completely useless against his opponent.


    At this point, he no longer knew where his wolf tooth club had gone.


    The pain from his right forearm was becoming more and more pronounced.


    Once again, the two were locked in a contest of strength.


    Ahhh!!!


    Yu Hong let out a loud roar, kicking backward with his right heel, striking the opponent¡¯s back.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!


    After training his heavy leg skills for so long, his leg strength had improved significantly, and now he was going all out.


    One kick after another, more than ten in total.


    Finally, the two suddenly separated.


    Guo Xudong sidestepped the back kick, flipped over, grabbed the wolf tooth club on the ground, and swung it forward with a powerful strike.


    The black wolf tooth club, with its spikes, slammed into the outside of Yu Hong¡¯s arm.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Bang!!


    Each hit landed one after another. Guo Xudong growled as his eyes began to redden. After this prolonged fight, he was clearly starting to breathe heavily.


    Bang!!!


    A heavy blow landed.


    He used all his strength, gripping the wolf tooth club tightly and smashing it down on the opponent¡¯s raised arms, which were attempting to block.


    A muffled thud.


    Guo Xudong watched as Yu Hong fell to the ground, motionless for a moment, unable to rise.


    Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Huff¡­


    He lowered his head, dropped the slightly bent wolf tooth club, and picked up the high-strength rope that had fallen earlier, walking toward his opponent. ?¨¤No?????¨ºS?


    However, after only a few steps, he stopped. His pupils shrank slightly.


    Across from him, about five to six meters away, Yu Hong was once again getting up, breathing heavily.


    Although his broken breathing valve indicated he was exhausted, very possibly nearing his limit, there was no doubt¡­


    This guy¡­ was getting back up!


    ¡°Ah!!¡± Guo Xudong roared again, charging forward with a powerful kick!


    Bang!


    It landed squarely on the target.


    Yu Hong was once again sent flying, crashing into a dirt mound.


    Before he could rise, Guo Xudong quickly followed, landing punch after punch on his head.


    More than ten punches landed in quick succession. Guo Xudong circled around and grabbed Yu Hong¡¯s right arm, twisting it back again.


    But this time, it was blocked.


    Yu Hong raised his leg and executed a low sweeping kick.


    The speed of this sweeping kick was incredibly fast, nearly grazing Guo Xudong¡¯s calf.


    The sudden burst of speed caught Guo Xudong off guard. He quickly released his grip and stepped back to avoid the sweep, widening the distance.


    Taking advantage of the moment when his opponent was dazed, Guo Xudong charged again, stepping sideways and delivering a powerful kick.


    His right leg struck like a cannon, gathering all his strength and slamming into Yu Hong¡¯s chest.


    Bang!!!


    This hit had more power than the previous ones.


    The massive impact caused Yu Hong to lift off the ground, flying out of the dirt mound, soaring two to three meters before crashing into the grass outside the yard.


    Finally, he stopped moving.


    Everything went silent.


    Guo Xudong¡¯s skin turned red, his eyes bloodshot, and the muscles in his face were bulging with veins. His breathing was labored, like a bellows.


    He too was almost at his limit. This continuous full-force combat had drained him immensely.


    Before coming, he never expected this guy to be so tough. If it had been an ordinary bulletproof suit, this person would have been down long ago.


    The strength and comprehensiveness of the suit were astonishing. Whether it was piercing, blunt force, or joint locks, the protection was incredibly complete and of high strength.


    It was only now that he had slightly managed to break through the suit¡¯s defenses.


    At this thought, Guo Xudong¡¯s eyes lit up. If he had such a suit himself, it would significantly improve his safety.


    A regular, useless person, wearing this suit, could last this long¡­ so if it were him, his combat capabilities would skyrocket to the top!


    Perhaps¡­ perhaps he could take on that person.


    With that thought, Guo Xudong quickly moved toward his opponent.


    But after only a few steps, he suddenly stopped. His eyes locked onto his opponent across the yard, revealing disbelief.


    There, on the grass, the black figure was once again slowly rising.


    That guy¡­ he could move again?!


    Guo Xudong felt his scalp go numb, the confidence that had been in his heart suddenly giving way to a deep unease.


    ¡°You bastard!!¡±


    He flipped over, jumped out of the yard, and launched a knee strike.


    It landed squarely on Yu Hong¡¯s face.


    Bang!!


    The force of the strike sent Yu Hong stumbling back. Before he could regain his balance, another kick landed on his chest.


    Then another kick followed, this time aiming for his chin.


    The immense force lifted Yu Hong off the ground, his body going rigid for a moment.


    Before he could land, Guo Xudong unleashed a barrage of punches and elbows, striking his head and chest.


    The heavy blows caused Yu Hong to fall backward, but Guo Xudong didn¡¯t stop. He continued to close in, delivering a flying knee strike to his chest.


    Bang!


    The alloy plate on Yu Hong¡¯s chest had already been bent, and with this strike, it caved in further.


    The attacks didn¡¯t stop. They continued, relentless.


    One minute.


    Two minutes.


    Five minutes¡­


    Bang!


    Another kick landed, sending Yu Hong crashing to the ground once more, motionless.


    Guo Xudong gasped for breath, drenched in sweat, his eyes flickering with faint white sparks.


    ¡°This time¡­ you should be down, right?¡±


    He stumbled forward, picking up the rope and walking toward his opponent.


    But after walking halfway, he stopped again. His eyes were fixed on the black figure slowly rising.


    He suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.


    He stared intently at the black figure rising again.


    A sense of powerlessness and fear surged inside him.


    ¡°¡­Damn!!¡±


    ¡°You¡­!!¡±


    A strong disbelief, mixed with a rising fear and frustration, ignited a wild anger in his heart.


    ¡°You monster!!!¡±


    ¡°Die!!!¡±


    ¡°Die!!¡±


    Guo Xudong completely lost control. He roared, charging forward, right leg swinging with all his might toward Yu Hong.


    At that moment.


    Yu Hong suddenly raised his leg, releasing his inner energy, and executed another low sweep.


    This sweeping kick was much faster than before, and combined with Guo Xudong¡¯s complete loss of control and reason¡­


    The two were almost in sync, but Yu Hong¡¯s burst of speed and strength surpassed Guo Xudong¡¯s, making the attack faster and more powerful. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Swish!


    Crack.


    Guo Xudong¡¯s calf was snapped like a dry twig by the explosive energy.


    He was just about to land his kick on Yu Hong, but this moment became an unattainable task.


    The excruciating pain from the broken leg and the loss of balance made him fall to the ground.


    Before he could rise, Yu Hong stepped forward, and with a burst of inner energy, kicked him with the tip of his boot.


    Thud.


    The tip of the boot, propelled by the explosion of energy, struck Guo Xudong¡¯s chest.


    The spike pierced his chest, went through his ribs, and exploded from within with the burst of inner energy.


    Bang!!


    Guo Xudong collapsed to the ground, his body trembling. The explosion of flesh and blood was contained by the bulletproof suit.


    From the outside, only a small wound on his chest was leaking blood.


    But inside, his entire chest cavity had been destroyed by the explosion of inner energy. There was no life left.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He opened his mouth as if to say something, but his lungs were completely destroyed, and no sound came out.


    He couldn¡¯t understand.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how this guy was able to keep going after so many heavy hits. Even with a super strong suit, the impact and blunt force were not insignificant, and the physical drain was real.


    After all this fighting, how could he still unleash such terrifying force?


    It was beyond reason.


    He had knocked him down countless times, but the moment Yu Hong knocked him down once¡­


    ¡®Could it be¡­ a phenomenon disease?¡¯ Guo Xudong thought, recalling stories he¡¯d heard about people with the phenomenon disease gaining extraordinary abilities¡ªlike strength, speed, or physical endurance.


    But even in the case of the phenomenon disease, no one had ever exceeded human limits.


    And yet, this guy¡­


    His consciousness began to fade, and everything grew fuzzy.


    Guo Xudong collapsed on the ground, his head hitting the grass with a heavy thud. His eyes wide open, but gradually, he fell silent.


    Yu Hong walked over to him, bent down quickly to search for things, then grabbed the key before heading back to the cave¡¯s safe house.


    He struggled to take off his enhanced suit, sat down with his back against the fireplace, covered in blood.


    The injuries came from the bent alloy plates and ceramic pieces, pressing and slicing into him. Even with the protection of the suit, it wasn¡¯t enough to fully absorb the impacts.


    ¡°My wrist is sprained¡­ my chest is swollen¡­¡± Yu Hong checked his injuries.


    ¡°My head¡¯s a bit dizzy, probably from the heavy kick to the chin earlier. A slight concussion.¡±


    Given the suit¡¯s strength, he was lucky. Without it, that kick alone would have sent him straight to meet Jenny and her daughter.


    ¡°And my right leg¡­¡±


    He took off his boot, looking at the red and swollen toes, with the nail torn off. He sighed.


    ¡°This guy is strong!¡± Despite being a bit fragile, the attacker had almost completely suppressed him.


    If not for relying on inner energy to recover and a sudden counterattack, the outcome might have been different.


    He had always thought that with the enhanced suit, he should be able to handle anyone he faced.


    But now it seemed¡­ this guy¡¯s combat skills far surpassed his own, his strength was strong enough to bend even the alloy plates.


    ¡°This guy this time is just a poor bastard, not as well-equipped as me, but if next time someone comes with similar equipment¡ªno, they don¡¯t even need to be exactly the same, just not too far off, with a weapon strong enough to break through my defense¡ªI¡¯m definitely going to be in trouble!¡±


    Yu Hong took out iodine, starting to apply it to his wounds.


    As he did, he reflected on the opponent he had just faced.


    ¡°Where did this person come from? Why attack me? What was their goal? Why, with the protective suit, did they not use a gun?¡±


    Questions continued to rise in his mind.


    He had to figure out who was behind this. After being attacked several times, Yu Hong realized that he couldn¡¯t keep passively taking hits like this. He needed to understand the cause and effect and find a way to eliminate the threat once and for all.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 59: Weakness (1)

    After applying medicine, Yu Hong quickly left the cave and returned to the side of Guo Xudong¡¯s body.Looking at the strong, bear-like figure, he was still a little shaken. This guy was really tough, especially with his rhythm that constantly suppressed him. Each time Yu Hong wanted to counterattack, he was interrupted as soon as he gathered his strength. It was an extremely frustrating feeling. From this, it was clear that the opponent was definitely a skilled fighter.


    If it weren¡¯t for the five bursts of internal energy Yu Hong had to forcibly break through the rhythm, he wasn¡¯t sure who would have come out on top.


    ¡®There can¡¯t be another time. Close combat is now more important to me than firearms, I must enhance my fighting skills.¡¯


    Crouching down, Yu Hong quickly began scavenging the remains of his opponent.


    Soon, the first obvious item caught his eye¡ªa black pistol.


    He skillfully ejected the magazine, finding it fully loaded with nine rounds!


    He had used the two handguns in his safe house countless times, and now, holding a similar gun, his movements were much more proficient.


    ¡°Fully loaded!¡± Yu Hong couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    He had always hoped to get a firearm and bullets to enhance with Black Mark. He thought it would take much longer, but now, he had one so soon.


    ¡°This guy didn¡¯t use his gun on purpose; clearly, he wanted to control me with close combat. It seems this wasn¡¯t a random encounter but an intentional attack, likely aimed at me.¡±


    He knew that the Great Luminous Stone he carried would attract attention because it resembled the mineral¡¯s core, which was very expensive and had vital uses in many products.


    So it made sense that someone would come after him for the technology.


    After two previous attacks, and now this third one, though he didn¡¯t know if it was the same group, he concluded, ¡°This can¡¯t go on.¡±


    Furrowing his brow, Yu Hong quickly stripped everything off the body, then returned to the cave and locked the door tightly.


    Once safely inside, he started a fire and felt much more at ease.


    As the sky darkened outside, he laid out his spoils on the ground.


    Apart from the handgun, the attacker had brought some useful items.


    A neatly folded black blanket, covered with many gray-white stone particles.


    A military-grade metal water bottle, with a built-in filter spout.


    A money bag containing more than ten of those silver coins.


    A box of high-calorie compressed biscuits.


    A sharp, silver-black short knife.


    A damaged bulletproof suit.


    Yes, he stripped the body of the bulletproof suit entirely.


    Aside from that, there were keys, underwear, a cigarette pack, a pendant, and other items Yu Hong didn¡¯t bother to take. They were useless and covered in blood. ??N?????¦¥?


    ¡°This is the biggest gain,¡± Yu Hong said, picking up the black handgun and aiming it forward in satisfaction.


    Nine bullets would be enough for quite a while.


    But the real value wasn¡¯t just the bullets; the full magazine would allow him to reinforce it with the Great Luminous Stone.


    Sitting down, Yu Hong pondered while holding the gun.


    After much thought, he realized that what he really needed wasn¡¯t more shooting practice or reinforcing the gun. Even if the gun was in his hands, it wouldn¡¯t create the most damage.


    In fact, if someone else stole it after it was reinforced, it would become a significant threat to him.


    ¡°So, I can¡¯t enhance its power. I need to reinforce other aspects. What I really need now isn¡¯t a gun. With the reinforced bulletproof suit, the real threat is close-combat experts. I need to quickly improve my hand-to-hand combat skills.¡±


    ¡°Also, the main issue in the ambush was my poor scouting ability. The simple bell I had before was useless against real experts. I must find an effective method to ensure real vigilance.¡±


    After organizing his thoughts, Yu Hong suddenly understood why the guns from the previous two attackers only had one bullet each.


    This handgun only had some use against people. Otherwise¡­


    He sighed as he heard the familiar scuttling noises of insects outside the door.


    Turning to look, he saw that no black insects had entered through the vent this time, only the sounds coming from outside.


    ¡°The Luminous Grass in the yard is working.¡± That thought flashed through his mind.


    Relaxing his body a little, he bit into a protein bar and leaned back against the fireplace, quietly watching the door. He felt the warmth of the fire radiating and, slowly, his eyes closed, and he fell into a deep sleep.


    It had truly been exhausting this time.


    Knocked down again and again, getting back up every time, his stamina drained and only recovering through internal energy. In the end, relying on internal energy bursts, he was victorious in the ambush, but his nerves were on edge the entire time.


    If it weren¡¯t for the reinforced gray lizard suit, he might have been knocked out in a single exchange. The other man¡¯s explosive power was too strong, completely on a different level than him.


    The next day, Yu Hong didn¡¯t go anywhere, just stayed in the cave healing. After all, his toenail had been flipped, and it still hurt.


    Leaning by the fireplace, he suddenly remembered that the flue might be connected to the outside world.


    (Tl Note :- Flue is a duct for smoke and waste gases produced by a fire, a gas heater, a power station, or other fuel-burning installation.)


    So, he searched for the exit of the flue outside the cave. He found that the flue¡¯s exit was also sealed with tough steel wire, layered several times. To prevent accidents, he drew some symbol arrays on the inner wall of the flue exit using Great Luminous Stone powder.


    Though it was hard work, after several days of healing and drawing symbol arrays, he felt somewhat productive.


    By the third day, the solar-powered generator had been reinforced.


    Inside the cave, Yu Hong sat and observed the completed solar generator.


    Originally, the solar panel and the main control box of the generator were separate, connected by wires.


    Now, the whole solar generator had become one piece. It was entirely black, resembling a foldable solar panel. It was wrapped in a layer of transparent, hard glass, and the total power scale had increased from three bars when fully charged to six.


    The rest of the changes were hard to discern for now; only practical use would tell.


    He placed the generator at the door, letting the sunlight shine on it, and casually reinforced a piece of Luminous Stone before going back to rest. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This cycle of life continued until the fifth day.


    Feeling much better, Yu Hong got up to move around, re-equipped the repaired reinforced suit, and prepared to go outside.


    His injuries had healed significantly, but rather than saying they had healed, it was more accurate to say that they hadn¡¯t been serious to begin with. The toenail had been the main issue, but even that was much better now.


    The goal for this trip was to trade with Old Li and Old Zhou, to see if he could find a light bulb. With the large-capacity solar battery now ready, he could keep a light on for a long time.


    At the same time, he needed to inquire about learning combat and scouting techniques.


    Stepping out of the cave, the grass outside was lush, and the yard was already filled with Luminous Grass. Its red radiation quickly caused the values on Yu Hong¡¯s collar to spike to over -100.


    With such high radiation, Yu Hong didn¡¯t dare stay too long and quickly left the yard, heading towards the post office.


    As for the corpse outside, it had already been buried a few days ago, leaving only its clothes and shoes.


    After walking through the forest for more than ten minutes, Yu Hong reached the post office, where he saw Li Runshan playing chess with Aisina.


    The father and daughter sat in front of the stone house, completely focused.


    Aisina wore a pure white dress, her chubby little face full of collagen, and was exceptionally cute.


    Li Runshan, noticing Yu Hong approach, quickly stood up to greet him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a few days. What can I get for you?¡± He smiled at Yu Hong.


    ¡°Do you have light bulbs?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Of course. No, they¡¯re by reservation.¡± Li Runshan replied.


    ¡°Also, I¡¯d like to purchase some basic combat training.¡± Yu Hong added.


    ¡°Oh? Seems like you¡¯ve run into some trouble.¡± Li Runshan noted the slight unease in Yu Hong¡¯s movements.


    ¡°Yes, a small problem has been resolved.¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    ¡°Good. The prices are listed, just bring the items you want to exchange. Also, here¡¯s your mail.¡± Li Runshan turned and brought out an envelope, handing it to Yu Hong.


    ¡°By the way, do you remember the people who came before? They had a car, which is nearby, and I found it. It¡¯s¡­ a tragic scene.¡±


    ¡°Any survivors?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re all dead. From the old to the young. The car was damaged too. I was thinking about scavenging it, see if I could get anything good,¡± Li Runshan shook his head. ¡°But I got word that they¡¯re not the first batch. More people will likely pass through here. There are a few vacant safehouses, so someone might settle here. They may come looking for you to buy stones, so keep an eye out.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Yu Hong nodded, took the letter, and saw that the address was still on the small stutterer¡¯s side, immediately realizing it was a letter from Yi Yi.


    ¡°By the way, the rune Arrys and Great Luminous Stone you gave me last time were very popular. My superiors want you to supply Great Luminous Stone on a long-term basis. How does that sound?¡± Li Runshan continued.


    Yu Hong paused, then thought for a moment, shaking his head.


    ¡°The process of making Great Luminous Stone is random, and I can¡¯t guarantee production, so I can¡¯t supply it regularly.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Runshan shrugged. ¡°What kind of combat techniques are you looking for? Standing techniques? You¡¯ve already bought leg techniques last time. Or is it knife skills?¡±


    ¡°Practical sparring,¡± Yu Hong said in a deep voice. He had had enough of being suppressed this time.


    Li Runshan was a little stunned by the answer. Well, this was going straight for the highest difficulty.


    But recalling the fight he had witnessed before, he understood.


    ¡°Actually, Old Zhou is the expert in this. I can only give you the basics. But he¡¯s not great at teaching. In terms of fundamentals, I¡¯m far better than him. So, you came to the right person!¡± Li Runshan smiled, revealing his black teeth.


    ¡°Your teeth?¡± Yu Hong blinked in confusion.


    ¡°Oh, I brush with charcoal powder, just haven¡¯t washed it off yet,¡± Li Runshan grinned.


    ¡°Looks like your injuries haven¡¯t fully healed. How about we start once you¡¯re completely recovered?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    After reserving the light bulb and wires, he went to check on Dr. Xu, who was still focused on making herbal medicine, clearly preparing to mass-produce.


    ¡°The supply team from Li Runshan¡¯s side? I¡¯ve seen them. We¡¯ve settled on the price. Once I¡¯ve gathered 300 doses of anti-inflammatory powder, they¡¯ll take me to Baihe City.¡±


    Dr. Xu¡¯s face held more hope than before. She was working up a sweat as she stirred the herbal paste with a wooden stick.


    ¡°You¡¯re planning to leave?¡± Yu Hong was slightly surprised, standing at the door.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 60: Weakness (2)

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± Xu Ruoying nodded, her expression somewhat downcast. ¡°The little stutterer told me about the situation in the city. It¡¯s safe, though a little chaotic, but for someone like me with some skills, the city offers decent treatment.¡±


    ¡°So, before you¡­¡±


    ¡°Before, I hadn¡¯t figured out the anti-inflammatory herbs, but this time is different.¡± Dr. Xu looked up, showing a hopeful smile. ¡°So, once I establish a foundation with the little stutterer in the city and settle down, we can help you join us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Yu Hong remained silent.


    Dr. Xu seemed to realize something, and her smile faded.


    ¡°City life is still much better than being on our own out here.¡± She said quietly.


    ¡°Then I wish you good luck.¡± Yu Hong also said quietly.


    Turning around, he headed back towards the cave¡¯s safe house.


    Although he had expected that the others without the Black Mark would eventually leave due to the increasingly dangerous external environment, he hadn¡¯t anticipated it would come so soon.


    But he understood¡ªafter all, for ordinary people in the wilderness, surviving safely was incredibly difficult.


    Back in the cave, he took out the letter he had received, tore open the envelope, and pulled out the letter.


    The handwriting was much messier this time, with many errors, punctuation marks being misused, and even some places entirely missing.


    Clearly, this letter was written by the little stutterer.


    ¡®Yu, I received the things. They¡¯re really handy. I¡¯m doing well here, don¡¯t worry. Everyone is fine, it¡¯s safe here and I¡¯m very happy. No need to worry about food or water, the clothes are clean, and I can even wash myself and take a bath. So happy.¡¯


    Yu Hong felt a bit of a headache reading this. This guy really needs to learn punctuation and paragraphing, it¡¯s so hard to read.


    He continued reading.


    ¡®Because there are big walls made of sunlight materials, the monsters and bugs outside can¡¯t get in. Recently, there have been various talisman papers made from glowstone powder, which have effectively restrained the Ghostly shadows and evil shadows. I plan to investigate my parents¡¯ situation, I want to know where they went.¡¯


    Yu Hong sighed helplessly as he took out a charcoal pencil and began dividing the letter into sections and adding punctuation.


    After a few minutes, the letter was finally legible.


    ¡®I also found friends who want to find their relatives. They are all doing well. We plan to form a small group to collect all the information. By the way, I¡¯ve already asked around, some old people from Baiqiu Village are still alive, and some seem to know something about my parents. I plan to inquire more about it, but for now, I need to carry out tasks and patrol.¡¯ ???????????¦¥?


    The letter ended abruptly here.


    Yu Hong folded the letter back up and put it away. For some reason, after reading it, he felt a bit more relaxed, as if his mood had improved slightly.


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly, imagining the little stutterer in the far-off Baihe City, Hope Town, trying to figure out what to write in the letter.


    Suddenly, he had an idea. He went over to a corner and grabbed the anti-inflammatory herbs Dr. Xu had given him. He knew the herb composition and thought about how the little stutterer might get injured in the military, especially with possible wound infections.


    He placed his hand on the herb powder packet.


    ¡®Strengthened anti-inflammatory medicine, direction: effect enhancement.¡¯


    Black lines began to flow out, and a countdown appeared: 2 hours, 21 minutes.


    Yu Hong confirmed the enhancement query and watched the countdown begin ticking, then pulled his hand away.


    ¡®Sending the enhanced medicine to her is a good idea. Since the Rune Arrays can be delivered, it means the postal system has some guarantees, even if the price is a bit high. And since the little stutterer was able to send letters to both me and Xu Ruoying, there¡¯s likely some military benefit involved.¡¯


    He stood up and practiced his leg exercises. Though injured, his thighs and calves were unharmed, so the leg exercises were not a problem.


    Two hours passed quickly.


    The countdown on the medicine packet disappeared, and the whole packet flashed before transforming into a sheet of compressed tablets, wrapped in silver packaging from an unknown source.


    Yu Hong picked it up and inspected it. There were twelve pills in total, and the packaging thoughtfully included instructions.


    ¡®For adults weighing 50 to 100 kg, take one pill after meals daily. For children, adjust the dosage based on weight. One week per course, with one day off in between.¡¯


    ¡®Treats: systemic muscle inflammation, lung and bronchial tonsillitis, gastrointestinal inflammation, oral inflammation. Can also be applied topically for wound inflammation.¡¯


    ¡°Not bad!¡± Yu Hong nodded in satisfaction. This should help the little stutterer significantly.


    He then began writing a reply and prepared to send the medication along with it.


    *


    *


    *


    One week later, Baihe City.


    Coastal Base.


    The waves crashed against the cement wall outside the base, spraying white foam.


    Inside the base, the soldiers¡¯ dorms were full of young female soldiers chatting and laughing.


    In one dorm room, the light was dim. Four iron beds were set up along the walls.


    The little stutterer was lying on a black iron table by the window, reading the letter she had just received.


    It was a letter from Yu Hong, and it even contained a sheet of anti-inflammatory tablets, which made the little stutterer very happy.


    Recently, she had been having digestive issues from overeating, and the army-issued medicine didn¡¯t work at all. It was obviously the wrong prescription. In the current environment, although there were medicines, the variety was much less than in peacetime.


    ¡°Lin Yiyi!¡± Suddenly, a fiery girl with a ponytail rushed into the dorm.


    The girl appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, dressed in camouflage military clothing, with a high nose and fair skin¡ªshe seemed to be mixed race.


    ¡°I just got the notice. Tomorrow we¡¯re gathering our team to investigate the explosion at the southern water plant. We need to prepare in advance, the situation might be bad.¡±


    The girl was named Ou Li, and she was the little stutterer¡¯s closest friend among the four in the dorm.


    Because the little stutterer was somewhat clumsy and had a bit of a silly side, she was not very popular with others. Her appearance was also considered unattractive, and due to her intellectual disabilities, she couldn¡¯t use most equipment or handle the rapidly changing dangers outside. As a result, people didn¡¯t favor her much.


    Quick thinkers were the most popular in today¡¯s world.


    Ou Li, however, was also someone who wasn¡¯t very popular. The two of them, being isolated, naturally came together.


    ¡°Tomorrow, gathering?¡± The little stutterer put away the medicine and turned to look at her friend.


    ¡°This mission is a bit dangerous. Make sure you have everything packed, don¡¯t forget anything,¡± Ou Li reminded.


    ¡°I know. Thanks.¡± The little stutterer responded with a firm nod.


    ¡°Just help me carry my bag tomorrow,¡± Ou Li waved her hand.


    ¡°Okay!¡± The little stutterer nodded. She paused and then spoke again. ¡°You, tomorrow, do you want to¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be faster alone. You can¡¯t do much, and you¡¯re too slow,¡± Ou Li said without hesitation.


    ¡°Okay.¡± The little stutterer lowered her head, a bit disappointed.


    Ou Li shrugged, muttered something, and then left.


    ¡°By the way, don¡¯t forget to wash my underwear and socks!¡± Her voice floated back into the room.


    ¡°Okay!¡± The little stutterer quickly responded, a happy smile appearing on her face.


    *


    *


    *


    ¡°This fight¡¯s biggest issue was that I couldn¡¯t react to the opponent¡¯s speed or predict his moves. Of course, those are secondary,¡± Yu Hong reflected on the battle in the cave.


    ¡°The real problem is I couldn¡¯t take the hits.¡±


    He recalled the previous encounter.


    ¡®If I had been able to stabilize my body when hit, I could have countered immediately. But unfortunately, most of the time I couldn¡¯t stabilize myself and was knocked off balance, which made it impossible to counter. My legs instinctively went to maintain balance, preventing me from fighting back.¡¯


    ¡®So, my current key point is to increase stability and ensure my body stays steady. And this, happens to align with the heavy leg training.¡¯


    An idea popped into Yu Hong¡¯s mind¡ªadding weight.


    ¡®Rather than increasing the weight, I could increase the thickness of the protective suit, which would improve both defense and stability.¡¯ Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He looked at his full set of reinforced gear, his gaze shifting to the legs.


    ¡®I can¡¯t practice martial arts, but I can just make the lower half of my body heavy enough!¡¯


    Thinking of this, he immediately started modifying the new bulletproof suit he¡¯d obtained.


    The suit had a small white bear logo on the chest with the Aurora brand name, so Yu Hong casually referred to it as the ¡°White Bear Suit.¡±


    The legs of the suit were damaged, and the chest had a small hole, but that didn¡¯t matter. After reinforcement, it would be as good as new.


    What was important was that Yu Hong began adding weight to the lower body¡ªhe stuffed heavy wooden boards into the legs and feet as shields and wrapped them with torn clothing for extra protection.


    Soon, an abnormally heavy protective suit, with the lower half weighted down, appeared before him.


    He reached out to try enhancing it.


    ¡®Enhance protective suit to the maximum, direction: increase weight and size of lower body, reinforce armor for full-body protection, and strengthen the breathing valve for better defense.¡¯


    He also specified the breathing valve issue, which had almost been a fatal weak point during his previous attack.


    As the black lines flowed out during the enhancement, Yu Hong focused on visualizing the exact suit he wanted in his mind, a trick he had recently discovered. This mental visualization helped guide the enhancement process to align with his intentions.


    The black line continued to flow, and soon the prompt appeared:


    ¡®Do you wish to enhance the White Bear Suit?¡¯


    The cold mechanical voice echoed in his head, and Yu Hong sighed in relief. At least he could enhance it.


    He looked at the countdown that appeared:


    ¡®7 days, 7 hours, 05 minutes.¡¯


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At this point, he canceled the enhancement. The short-term items that needed enhancing were more urgent, and he needed to address those before tackling this long-term project.


    After setting aside the White Bear Suit, Yu Hong began inspecting the other spoils of war he had recently acquired.


    ¡°This Luminous stone blanket¡­ what is it for?¡± He carefully examined the item in his hands.


    He had recognized it immediately because of its contact with Luminous stone powder. It was likely part of an item used for creating a simple Luminous stone chamber.


    ¡°Could it be used for that?¡± he wondered.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 61: Methods (1)

    Standing up, Yu Hong opened the blanket and wrapped it around himself, completely enveloping his body from head to toe.


    ¡°It fits just right. No wonder those attackers could run around outside alone,¡± he thought, understanding it a little more.


    He put the blanket down and wandered around the cave, pondering the most urgent thing to strengthen and synthesize.


    ¡®Now, I should solve the water issue. How long has it been since I last took a bath? The little bit of water I used to clean my wounds is not enough at all. This time, it¡¯s just a small injury, but if it were more serious, it would definitely get infected.¡¯ He thought, realizing he couldn¡¯t even remember when he last had a bath.


    Looking down at his body, he rubbed his dirty arm, and immediately a streak of black dirt came off.


    ¡®Water is the foundation of everything, and growing mushrooms later will also require a lot of water. So, I must first solve the problem of water usage.¡¯


    He¡¯s currently healing, so he can¡¯t work on digging stones, and his free time is being spent thinking about how to handle the water issue.


    ¡®Water sources mainly include rainwater, groundwater, and surface river and stream water. The river and streams are too far for me to consider right now. Rainwater is unstable and can come and go. So, the most reliable source is groundwater. This place is in a low valley, surrounded by dense trees, so there must be abundant underground water resources. Otherwise, such a large forest wouldn¡¯t be able to survive here. So, the best method is¡­ to dig a well!¡¯


    Thinking of this, Yu Hong immediately set out. He looked at the sky¡ªstill early¡ªand grabbed a shovel to head outside.


    Since the Ghostly shadows were no longer a problem, life had become much easier and happier for him. Especially with the protection of a large amount of Luminous grass in his yard, the shadows wouldn¡¯t even approach.


    Thus, the yard had become his safe haven.


    Yu Hong found a spot in the yard without any Luminous stone grass and began to dig. With each shovel, piles of soil were moved aside.


    He kept digging nonstop and, after lunch, continued until the afternoon. By the time the sky was getting late, he stopped and began constructing a wooden well inside the half-meter deep pit.


    Building the well was quick¡ªhe simply used rough wooden planks and stuck them in the ground, forming a circular shape like a water well.


    Once that was done, Yu Hong reached out his hand, filled with anticipation, and placed it on the well.


    ¡®Reinforce the well, direction: strengthen, deepen, until water comes out.¡¯


    A black line flashed.


    ¡®Incomplete.¡¯


    The feedback from the black mark made Yu Hong¡¯s hopeful expression freeze.


    He lowered his head and took a look.


    ¡®Could it be that the depth isn¡¯t enough?¡¯


    He glanced at the sky and decided to try again tomorrow.


    The next morning.


    After having breakfast, he went outside to start digging again.


    Shovelful after shovelful, the soil was piled up to the side, and the depth of the pit kept increasing.


    By noon.


    Whoosh!


    Yu Hong forcefully drove the shovel into the ground and was about to dig out the soil when his face suddenly changed. He saw blackness oozing from the edges of the spot where the shovel had been inserted. ?????????§à????§§£Ó


    Instinctively, he stepped back.


    Gurgling sounds filled the air as black, tiny insects began pouring out from the crevices where the shovel had entered.


    These insects surged out like a black spring, pouring out from the cracks.


    But because of the bright sunlight, they quickly evaporated into black smoke.


    But Yu Hong now understood.


    He gripped the shovel and pulled it out, revealing a dark, insect-filled gap at the bottom of the pit.


    Countless black insects dissolved, evaporated, and turned into black smoke under the sunlight.


    As the smoke rose, the gap gradually shrank, as though something was filling and repairing it.


    Yu Hong stood on the side, staring blankly at the scene, unsure of how to react.


    No matter how he thought about it, it seemed like the groundwater plan was no longer feasible.


    Back in the house, he didn¡¯t fill in the pit he had dug but instead thought about the situation with the black insects.


    ¡®It looks like the black insects at night are probably hiding deeper underground. That makes sense because the deeper parts of the ground are shielded from sunlight. So, the idea of digging a well for water is no longer viable.¡¯


    He suddenly recalled the well he had seen in Baiqiu Village. Now that he thought about it, that well probably had big problems too.


    With a sigh, his mind was filled with mixed thoughts, unsure of how to solve the water problem.


    He decided to eat something and then went back to sleep.


    In the following days, he didn¡¯t do any heavy work, instead focusing on recuperating and began reinforcing his White Bear Armor.


    After another seven days, he felt that his injuries had nearly healed.


    He then went out to find Li Runshan.


    Regardless of anything, he needed to improve his combat skills; the recent attack had taught him a great lesson.


    So Yu Hong made up his mind to completely address this weak point of his.


    Inside the post office stone house yard.


    Li Runshan and Yu Hong stood facing each other, ready for combat training.


    Though he had wanted to spend time with his daughter during this period, Li Runshan had no choice but to sacrifice his personal time since the offer from Yu Hong was too tempting. So, he began the combat basics lesson.


    The gentle breeze blew, and leaves fell.


    It was already autumn, and the sunlight no longer felt warm.


    Li Runshan was dressed in protective gear and a helmet, fully covered.


    ¡°To prevent ambushes, we¡¯ll mainly practice with our protective gear on. No objections, right?¡± Li Runshan asked.


    ¡°I think so too. No objections,¡± Yu Hong replied in a muffled voice.


    ¡°Mm, I thought you wouldn¡¯t object,¡± Li Runshan said, his eyelids twitching as he looked at the large figure in front of him.


    He had seen many types of protective suits, but the one before him was unlike any he had seen. This was the first time.


    Where on earth did he get such an exaggerated suit from?


    Li Runshan was speechless, carefully observing Yu Hong.


    The suit was fine overall, resembling a standard, heavily reinforced bulletproof outfit, but from the waist down¡ªhis lower body and legs¡ªit was ridiculously thick and massive, resembling stone pillars.


    Li Runshan carefully observed, estimating that the lower half of this suit was at least three times thicker than a normal one, maybe even more.


    ¡°This suit of yours, it¡¯s like wrapping your lower body in a huge pile of stones?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Mm, it¡¯s custom-made,¡± Yu Hong answered calmly. ¡°The attacker I encountered last time was too strong, and I suffered a big loss, so I strengthened my weaknesses this time.¡±


    ¡°¡­But with this, you won¡¯t be able to perform many agile dodging moves,¡± Li Runshan said helplessly.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll handle it,¡± Yu Hong didn¡¯t mind.


    Heavy leg techniques are more effective with added weight, so he thought that if he really needed agility, he could switch back to reinforcing his Gray Lizard Armor. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Li Runshan said, resigned. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the basics of combat.¡±


    He quickly explained the main attack points, defense methods, and dodging techniques, which all followed specific routines.


    In fact, due to the inherent limitations of the human body structure, humans¡¯ movements are all within a fixed range. As long as you master this range, you can handle most close combat attacks.


    After going over the basics, Yu Hong had a general understanding, so the two began practical sparring. That was his purpose for coming here; if it was just theoretical knowledge, a booklet would have sufficed. There was no need for them to engage in combat training.


    ¡°Alright, watch closely. I¡¯ll launch a frontal attack now,¡± Li Runshan smiled.


    He observed Yu Hong, who stood ready, and suddenly stepped forward with his right leg, crouched, sprinted, and threw a punch.


    Boom!!!


    The punch combined the force from his legs, waist, shoulders, and arms, smoothly flowing like mercury, heavy and without hesitation. It struck Yu Hong¡¯s chest.


    A dull thud echoed.


    It was too fast!


    Incomprehensibly fast!


    Yu Hong barely saw a blur in front of him, and in the blink of an eye, the three-meter distance was crossed, and he felt the punch land on his chest.


    His arms, trying to block, only raised to about a third of the height.


    The speed made him think back to the attacker he faced earlier. That person was also fast¡­ No, that person wasn¡¯t as fast as Li Runshan!


    He suddenly had a clear comparison in his mind.


    If there¡¯s no significant difference in speed, ordinary people wouldn¡¯t notice.


    But now, he could tell, which meant that Li Runshan was faster by a lot than the attacker he faced before!


    After the heavy impact, Yu Hong took a step back, involuntarily retreating.


    But even with that step, it shook him to the core.


    His White Bear Armor alone weighed at least 80 pounds (about 40 kg), and combined with his own weight, he guessed he was now at least 220 lbs (100 kg).


    But despite this weight, Li Runshan¡¯s punch was enough to push him back?!


    ¡°!!??¡± Yu Hong touched his chest, unsure of what to say.


    Li Runshan¡¯s smile faded slightly, and his mouth twitched.


    After throwing the punch, he finally realized just how much additional protection Yu Hong had put on his suit.


    Even through the gloves, he could feel the pain radiating from his knuckles.


    ¡°I feel a bit shortchanged,¡± he murmured, but seeing his daughter watching through the window, he couldn¡¯t back out. Otherwise, he¡¯d ruin his heroic image in her eyes.


    ¡°Again!¡± He shouted and rushed forward, throwing an uppercut.


    His fist cut through the air with a loud whooshing sound, faster than Yu Hong, and hit his helmet.


    Boom!


    Another loud crash. Li Runshan quickly retreated, his gloves reddened from the impact.


    ¡®Damn, it¡¯s so hard!¡¯ Li Runshan was speechless, staring at his opponent.


    Yu Hong¡¯s state was far beyond his expectations¡­ so much so that it seemed his punches didn¡¯t even break through the defense.


    ¡°Hit harder, Old Li! I can take it!¡± Yu Hong said in a muffled voice.


    He slightly bent his knees, hands resting on his thighs, his legs and knees now resembling two thick tree trunks rooted in the ground.


    Just by looking, he gave off an immovable visual impression.


    From the previous two hits, he truly felt that Li Runshan was stronger than the attacker he faced earlier. If he could adapt to Li Runshan¡¯s attacks, then next time he faced someone of that level, he could easily handle it.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 62: Method (2)

    ¡°I was just testing you earlier,¡± Li Runshan said calmly, ¡°It seems like your suit works well, so since you¡¯re stepping it up, I¡¯ll get serious now.¡±


    With his daughter in front of him, he couldn¡¯t afford to back down.


    He immediately took a deep breath, and his left leg started to tremble slightly.


    After a few attempts to gauge the strength of his opponent¡¯s protective suit, he realized that normal attacks wouldn¡¯t do anything. Even ground techniques wouldn¡¯t work unless he could knock the person down first.


    So, his next plan was clear: bring this guy down!


    Puff, puff, puff!


    In an instant, he rushed forward, crouched low, and delivered a powerful kick to the opponent¡¯s knee.


    With a thud, the opponent swayed slightly but instantly dispersed the force across the large surrounding protective panels.


    The dispersed force didn¡¯t even shake the heavy steel boots.


    ¡®What the hell! Is it really that exaggerated!?¡¯


    Li Runshan couldn¡¯t understand it. He weighed over 200 pounds, and crashing into someone¡¯s knee only made them wobble slightly?


    ¡®How ridiculous is that!?¡¯ Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He felt like he might lose big this time.


    Then, as he stepped back, he noticed something strange at the bottom of the opponent¡¯s feet¡ªthere were thick, sharp spikes used to anchor him to the ground!?


    Li Runshan was speechless, unsure of what expression to wear in the face of this.


    Just how afraid must this guy be of being knocked down? The lower half of his body alone must weigh at least 50 pounds. Imagine what 50 pounds of bulletproof armor steel would feel like!


    Normal bulletproof vests, even the heaviest versions, rarely exceed 20 kilograms for the entire body.


    But this suit? Just the legs alone weighed over 50 pounds.


    ¡°Try again!!¡± Li Runshan¡¯s face, hidden under his helmet, was no longer smiling.


    This time, he was really planning to get serious.


    As a courier, especially one stationed in a dangerous area, his strength was clearly not just what he had shown so far.


    ¡°What I¡¯m using is the military¡¯s commonly practiced Milshig combat technique. This martial art originated from a small country as a method to fend off foreign invaders. It focuses on rapidly moving into the opponent¡¯s blind spots and delivering powerful blows to vital points. It¡¯s vicious, often crippling, and was later introduced to our country for improvement,¡± Li Runshan briefly explained. ???????¦Â§¦?


    ¡°You can experience it yourself.¡±


    This time, he wasn¡¯t holding back. He had to show off in front of his daughter to maintain his fatherly image.


    With a swift step, he quickly circled around the opponent¡¯s side and struck a sharp elbow to their waist.


    ¡°Once.¡±


    He immediately circled again, slashing his hand down to the opponent¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Twice.¡±


    Once more, he circled, avoiding the opponent¡¯s wild punches, and slapped the opponent¡¯s left chest with his palm.


    ¡°Three times!¡±


    Then he quickly retreated, standing still and catching his breath.


    ¡°Do you feel that? If this was combined with a high-powered short knife, you¡¯d be dead three times over. If it was a gun with armor-piercing bullets, this suit wouldn¡¯t be much protection. You¡¯d be a sitting duck.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go again!¡± The opponent, Yu Hong, wasn¡¯t wasting words. He was here to train, after all, and that¡¯s exactly why he was paying for it!


    The training session lasted for over three hours, until the sun began to set and the temperature dropped.


    Yu Hong kept adapting to Li Runshan¡¯s rapid, vital-point targeting style. With the enhanced White Bear suit, heavy strikes weren¡¯t a problem anymore; the key was balance¡ªhe couldn¡¯t afford to fall. If he did, his opponent would use the environment to finish him off.


    Every day, Yu Hong came to train under Li Runshan¡¯s guidance.


    He worked on strengthening his leg power and practiced with Li Runshan, constantly coming up with new strategies. When he couldn¡¯t figure it out, he would ask Li Runshan for advice. After all, he had paid for the training.


    As the days passed, Yu Hong¡¯s reactions became quicker, and he started to keep up with Li Runshan¡¯s movements.


    The enhanced leg power made his kicks stronger and stronger. The White Bear suit didn¡¯t feel as heavy anymore. In fact, the more he trained, the easier it became to handle the weight while kicking. His leg speed increased, and his strikes became increasingly powerful¡ªwhen they hit, they felt devastating.


    Eventually, even Li Runshan started avoiding head-on collisions with his kicks, opting for other ways to deal with them.


    Days passed, and Yu Hong¡¯s intense leg training started to spread warmth throughout his body.


    The transparent, thickening layers on his legs became harder, and his leg strength grew heavier. Meanwhile, his sixth internal energy point naturally developed, gathering in his lower abdomen.


    Soon, after two cycles of intense growth, Yu Hong¡¯s physique had expanded significantly. Compared to his initial weak self, he was beginning to resemble the attacker, Bai Mang (White Python) Guo Xudong.


    His weight also exceeded 160 pounds, as recorded by the weighing scale at Li Runshan¡¯s place.


    One morning, in the stone courtyard of the post office.


    Li Runshan and Yu Hong sat opposite each other, both wearing thick bulletproof suits to avoid outside attacks.


    ¡°From the details you¡¯ve described, I¡¯m guessing the person who attacked you is also a former postal worker,¡± Li Runshan said, crossing his legs and leaning back in his chair as he analyzed lazily.


    ¡°His fighting style is well-balanced¡ªheavy on power, moderate on speed, and using military combat techniques, Milshig to be exact. It looks like he adapted his attack method slightly. Initially, he didn¡¯t aim for your vital points and didn¡¯t seem to want to kill you. This suggests his main goal was to capture you.¡±


    ¡°He later targeted my vital points¡ªmy head, chin, and so on,¡± Yu Hong countered.


    ¡°That¡¯s because he realized your protection was too thick. Without targeting your vitals, he couldn¡¯t land a hit. He had no choice but to change tactics,¡± Li Runshan chuckled. ¡°And you should know, he definitely had a gun. With a postal worker¡¯s shooting skills, if he aimed for the gaps in your bulletproof suit and hit the same spot twice, you¡¯d be dead for sure.¡±


    Yu Hong had no reply to that.


    ¡°Are you planning to take revenge?¡± Li Runshan asked.


    ¡°I do have that intention,¡± Yu Hong admitted openly. ¡°Got any advice?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just have one question for you. If you¡¯re going out to take revenge on your own, it¡¯ll take a long time, right? How are you going to handle food, lodging, and supplies?¡± Li Runshan asked with a grin.


    ¡°Carry portable luggage and prepare supplies for a while, then return once I run out,¡± Yu Hong answered.


    ¡°Do you know who sent them? Do you know where they are now? How many of them are there? Do they have heavy weapons?¡± Li Runshan asked again.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± Yu Hong shook his head. ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s why I¡¯m here, right?¡± He looked at Li Runshan.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Li Runshan widened his eyes. ¡°You want me to help you gather intel? And use that intel to commit a crime!?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it gonna be? Are you in or out?¡± Yu Hong asked, his expression unchanged.


    ¡°You¡¯re forcing me to make a mistake!!¡± Li Runshan shot up from his seat.


    ¡°Twenty rune arrays,¡± Yu Hong said calmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just one person, and I¡¯ve got a kid. You have to understand my difficulties!¡± Li Runshan shouted.


    ¡°Add twenty pieces of anti-inflammatory medicine,¡± Yu Hong added.


    ¡°Deal!¡± Li Runshan agreed quickly. He had already tested the anti-inflammatory medicine that Yu Hong offered and found it highly effective. When traded with the supply team, it was very popular. In a time when medicine was scarce, it had become a valuable commodity.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send a message to my colleagues at other post offices. From what you¡¯ve described, that guy is probably from Baihe City. Other distant places like Hope City are too far to walk from. Based on the items you brought, it¡¯s clear he used to be a postal worker but was dismissed and became a mercenary. His skill level and physique make him easy to track down. People like him aren¡¯t nobodies,¡± Li Runshan said quickly.


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll leave it to you,¡± Yu Hong said seriously.


    ¡°No problem. To be honest, your skills are starting to attract a lot of attention. Have you thought about paying a price to protect yourself?¡± Li Runshan smiled under his helmet.


    ¡°You mean¡­¡± Yu Hong began to understand.


    ¡°In this world, you can¡¯t do everything alone. You need a group of bodyguards to keep you safe,¡± Li Runshan laughed. ¡°You know, our post office is huge and has many skilled individuals, but some quit for various reasons. With your skills and financial resources, I¡¯d recommend hiring some people to protect you. Once you¡¯re safe, you can even hire people to handle food production and so on, working together to create a small outdoor village base.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Yu Hong hesitated, as Li Runshan¡¯s words made sense.


    ¡°Think about it. Right now, you¡¯re one person. If you go out for revenge, your hard-built safe house could be taken over. How long can a door lock hold up? But if you have people watching over you, or if you hire someone else to take revenge while you stay in a secure cave, eat, drink, and sleep¡ªdoesn¡¯t that sound much better than what you¡¯re doing now?¡± Li Runshan whispered, tempting him.


    ¡°And what about you?¡± Yu Hong pondered for a moment before asking. ¡°Aren¡¯t you interested? If you could get the technique for refining Luminous Stone from me, wouldn¡¯t you want it?¡±


    ¡°The post office has rules against our involvement in these things. If I¡¯m caught, I¡¯ll lose my job and might even get hunted down. Even though this is a chaotic time, the higher-ups are still trying to maintain some kind of order,¡± Li Runshan answered.


    ¡°Besides, I feel you¡¯ve got a lot of potential. The Luminous Stone refining technique is already available in Aurora City; they just use large machinery to extract it. The cost is not much higher than yours. The only reason it hasn¡¯t affected you is because your output is too low, and the demand for Luminous Stone is huge. The distance involved makes it unfeasible. But to risk everything for this technique? I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    He smiled.


    ¡°What we really need to deal with right now isn¡¯t making money, but other things. Black disasters keep getting worse every year, and the specters are increasing. No matter how much money you make, if you¡¯re dead, you won¡¯t be able to spend it.¡±


    Yu Hong began to understand Li Runshan¡¯s mindset.


    ¡°Are you trying to invest in me?¡±


    (End Of Chapter)

 Chapter 63: The Journey (1)

    ¡°Of course, someone like you, a research-type talent, is rare. It¡¯s impressive that you were able to create so many things on your own. The Great Luminous Stone, advanced new rune patterns, rune array boards, and the improvement of Dr. Xu¡¯s herbal medicine into more effective anti-inflammatory tablets. These are things that not just anyone could make. I¡¯ve thought about it, and if given time, maybe you could develop even better ways to combat the Black Disaster.¡± Li Runshan said with a smile, ¡°So, do you think I should take action against you just because of one piece of Great Luminous Stone technology?¡±


    Yu Hong was left speechless.


    He also felt that Li Runshan had a very valid point. If he were in Li Runshan¡¯s position, he would probably make the same choice.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m so valuable, doesn¡¯t the organization behind you, the post office, want to recruit me?¡± He asked another question.


    ¡°Of course, but the problem is that I haven¡¯t reported you.¡± Li Runshan smiled. ¡°After confirming that you didn¡¯t want to leave here, I didn¡¯t report anything about you. Otherwise, if you left, I¡¯d be the only one left, and I¡¯d get nothing. And do you know how I ended up here? With a kid in tow, too?¡±


    ¡°Did you offend someone?¡± Yu Hong immediately understood.


    ¡°Yeah, one of the big shots at the post office. Luckily, another big shot, my former superior, supported me. After some negotiations, the result was me coming here for the relic investigation task.¡± Li Runshan said casually.


    He then looked at Yu Hong. ¡°So, do you want me to help you hire a team? For protection? The price is negotiable.¡±


    Yu Hong thought for a moment. Long-term employment wasn¡¯t an option for him. His secret was too many, and once the Black Seal enhanced, his appearance would drastically change. If someone was around, they¡¯d definitely notice the difference.


    Hiring temporarily, though, wasn¡¯t a bad idea. Just like this time, he could temporarily hire a team to help him with intelligence gathering or revenge. In exchange, he could give them some rewards or unique enhancement items or weapons¡ªthings they couldn¡¯t get anywhere else, fitting his researcher identity.


    ¡°I can accept temporary employment for completing a task. How will the payment work?¡± Yu Hong asked, genuinely intrigued.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact someone. This place is too remote, so I need to first confirm the location of the closest person.¡± Li Runshan smiled. ¡°As for payment, there¡¯s no fixed price, as long as you offer them a price they can¡¯t refuse, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you think I should offer?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    He wasn¡¯t unaware of the potential to be swindled, but sometimes talking about money helped build trust. Plus, this was Li Runshan¡¯s exclusive business.


    ¡°That depends on the level of people you want to hire. Regulars, stronger ones, elites, or someone like the person who attacked you. The price varies for each. Also, because of the location, you¡¯ll need to provide travel expenses upfront,¡± Li Runshan said with a smile.


    ¡°How much for a retired postman?¡± Yu Hong asked directly.


    ¡°Travel expenses are five silver coins, and the cost of their help depends on the opponent. We¡¯ll discuss it once the intel is confirmed,¡± Li Runshan replied.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for your news.¡± Yu Hong stood up to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the items to you soon.¡±


    Twenty normal rune arrays weren¡¯t much for him, and the short duration of the anti-inflammatory enhancement was still worth it. As for how much Li Runshan made, Yu Hong didn¡¯t care. As long as the goal was achieved, everything else was secondary. ??¦­?£Â§¦?


    *


    *


    *


    In Baihe City.


    In an abandoned factory underground, among the winding underground pipes.


    In a large underground chamber that had been modified, complete with a TV, fridge, washing machine, and other amenities, a large fan by the ventilation shaft flickered with bright light from outside.


    Zhao Zhenghong sat on the sofa, fiddling with a sharp folding knife.


    Next to him sat a voluptuous woman in a purple low-cut dress with big red waves of hair.


    In other corners of the room, team members were mingling with beautiful women, their hands wandering.


    ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve been in Baihe City for a while now. What¡¯s the deal with Director Xiao? We¡¯ve already given the token of allegiance, but there¡¯s no reply?¡± Xu Yang frowned, slowly taking a drag from his cigarette.


    ¡°The big shots above us are different. Their situations, thoughts, and goals are different,¡± Zhao Zhenghong replied calmly. ¡°We¡¯re outsiders, suddenly inserting ourselves into Baihe City. They¡¯ll need to consider what position to give us before they take us in.¡±


    ¡°True, but it¡¯s been so long,¡± Xu Yang replied helplessly.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a few months,¡± Zhao Zhenghong said.


    ¡°Resources are running low. We don¡¯t have enough ways to make money. If Bai Mang replied, things could improve,¡± Xu Yang sighed.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush, we still have time. Also, I¡¯ve got the price list from Black Stone Institute. You should send someone to take care of it,¡± Zhao Zhenghong said in a low voice.


    ¡°Black Stone? Their prices aren¡¯t very stable, and this so-called partial enhancement technology¡­ It sounds unreliable,¡± one of the team members voiced.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The problem is, we¡¯re not important enough to Director Xiao. He has too many talented people under him and doesn¡¯t care about us outsiders. So, we need to up our stakes and increase our value,¡± Zhao Zhenghong said with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. ¡°With just our people, we don¡¯t have enough money or manpower. Our only option now is to gamble with Black Stone.¡±


    *


    *


    *


    Two days later.


    At the Stone House of the Post Office, Li Runshan handed Yu Hong a handwritten report.


    ¡°This is detailed information about the people behind the attack on you.¡±


    Yu Hong took it and quickly skimmed through it.


    ¡®Bai Mang Guo Xudong, former post office delivery man, active in Baihe City¡¯s black market after retiring, accepting various hired tasks. The employer behind this attack is suspected to be Zhao Zhenghong, the former captain of the Third Brigade of the White Stone Town United Army.¡¯


    ¡®Zhao Zhenghong: 31 years old, former member of the United Army, unmarried, leads a team of 23 members, with Xu Yang as his deputy. According to thorough investigation, Zhao Zhenghong has sent people to Baiqiu Village several times, trying to find something.¡¯


    ¡°How is it? Real information, right?¡± Li Runshan smiled proudly.


    (End of Chapter) S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 64: The Journey (2)

    ¡°Just this much?¡± Yu Hong shook the papers in his hand, clearly unsatisfied.


    ¡°I found the person for you¡ªname, identity, age¡ªwhat more do you want?¡± Li Runshan widened his eyes.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s talk about hiring someone for revenge.¡± Yu Hong couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue further.


    ¡°This is interesting. Did you see where Zhao Zhenghong came from?¡± Li Runshan grinned.


    ¡°What about it?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°Do you know about the People¡¯s Army?¡± Li Runshan¡¯s smile faded slightly. ¡°If we, the Post Office, are all-around talent elites, then the People¡¯s Army is a true killing machine¡ªan elite force dedicated to executing high-difficulty and troublesome missions.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying this Zhao Zhenghong is strong? Stronger than Bai Mang?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s frown deepened.


    ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡± Li Runshan nodded. ¡°The People¡¯s Army is composed of the top experts meticulously selected by the country. A few years ago, they underwent a special military enhancement project, filtering out those who failed to meet moral and ideological standards. This guy was likely one of the ones removed at that time.¡±


    He paused for a moment.


    ¡°Everyone knows that the United Army is the main force fighting against the Black Disaster, but few realize that the People¡¯s Army is often deployed to handle the highest-risk missions. These are people with terrifying mental fortitude, exceptional skills, top-tier equipment, and outstanding teamwork. They fear nothing. You could call them a bunch of extreme, terrifying monsters.¡±


    ¡°That much trouble?¡± Yu Hong was skeptical. ¡°Just tell me how much it¡¯ll cost to take him out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exaggerating,¡± Li Runshan patted his chest. ¡°Zhao Zhenghong is still a member of the United Army. While each region¡¯s United Army operates semi-independently like warlord factions, making them less of a concern, this guy is personally strong and has over twenty subordinates backing him. The price for this job won¡¯t be cheap.¡±


    ¡°Is anyone willing to take it?¡± Yu Hong didn¡¯t waste words.


    ¡°Sure, there are takers, but can you afford it?¡± Li Runshan countered. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect this guy to be from the People¡¯s Army when I started looking into him.¡±


    Yu Hong thought for a moment. ¡°Alright, I can offer a customized enhancement upgrade for bulletproof armor or other protective gear as payment.¡±


    ¡°You mean the kind of protective suit you¡¯re wearing now?¡± Li Runshan¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Yes, but they¡¯ll have to provide the materials. I can custom-design and upgrade it. If they supply enough materials, the enhancement effect can be substantial¡ªyou¡¯ve seen what it can do.¡± Yu Hong flexed his hand, the protective suit subtly shifting in response, proving his point.


    ¡°In that case, come check out this list.¡± Li Runshan wasted no time. He pulled out a document from somewhere on his body and handed it to Yu Hong.


    Yu Hong scanned it.


    It was a roster of elite mercenaries available for hire¡ªnames, backgrounds, skills, even some with entire teams under their command.


    ¡°I put this list together myself. These are reliable teams with proven track records. Any of them can handle this job, but I should warn you, some of the top-ranked individuals are extremely skilled but also¡­ difficult personalities,¡± Li Runshan cautioned. ??????¨¯???


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Talented people tend to have quirks. I understand.¡± Yu Hong wasn¡¯t concerned.


    Then he noticed a red number beside each name.


    Pointing at it, he asked, ¡°What do these red numbers at the end mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s their kill count,¡± Li Runshan replied with a casual smile.


    Yu Hong froze.


    He glanced at the top names on the list.


    All of them had four-digit numbers.


    Looking back at Li Runshan, he found only an easygoing smile in his eyes.


    Was this a mercenary roster¡­ or a list of mass murderers?!


    He felt a chill crawl up his spine.


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± After a long silence, he couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Survivors from the frontlines of Aurora City, people who made it through both the Black Disaster and backstabbing teammates. You should understand the value of that experience. And these are just the closest ones,¡± Li Runshan explained.


    ¡°They were partially infected with the Luminous Stone Disease, which messed with their personalities. They couldn¡¯t stay in the United Army, so they had to find other ways to survive. Some were treated like disposable weapons, and, well, a few of them went off the rails¡ªkilling a lot of people under the excuse of fighting the Black Disaster.


    ¡°Guns are efficient, you know. Right place, right angle, right crowd¡­ a sweep of bullets, and there¡¯s your four-digit body count.¡±


    Yu Hong was speechless.


    For the first time, he felt that, compared to the terrifying Black Disaster, perhaps people were the real monsters.


    He swiped his finger across the list, stopping at one particular name.


    ¡°Him. Contact them and negotiate the price. I need them to move out as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°All of these teams are highly mobile. They have their own transportation¡ªnone of them are walking on foot. But are you sure you can actually enhance their armor? If they arrive and you can¡¯t deliver, things will get ugly,¡± Li Runshan warned seriously.


    ¡°We¡¯ll negotiate first. I can enhance 90% of the protective suits on the market. The technical details would be lost on you.¡± Yu Hong spoke with a blank expression. Even through his helmet¡¯s visor, the dismissive superiority of a technician looking down on a layman was unmistakable.


    ¡°Haha, well, as long as you¡¯re confident. I knew it¡ªyour research abilities are far beyond something as trivial as Luminous Stone mutations!¡± Li Runshan chuckled dryly before pulling up the detailed profile of the team Yu Hong had chosen. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Blood Butcher Xu Fan¡ªtwo support teammates, 35 years old, expert in brute-force charges, partially infected with Luminous Stone Disease, extremely violent, immense strength.


    Skill tags: Sharpshooter, Yonghe Boxing Master, Kaishan Fist Master, proficient in 17 international martial arts styles.


    Weight: 172 kg | Height: 233 cm.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure¡­ you want this guy?¡± Li Runshan looked at him strangely.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure,¡± Yu Hong replied firmly. ¡°Start the negotiations.¡±


    ¡°I already know his terms. That guy¡¯s been wanting to upgrade his Blue Whale armor for ages but couldn¡¯t find anyone to do it. The big companies charge way too much and only serve their own people. No matter how strong he is, he can¡¯t access top-tier upgrades.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try. If I can do it, it¡¯ll depend on whether he¡¯s interested.¡± Yu Hong was calm.


    He had already positioned himself purely as a researcher.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Runshan nodded.


    After ironing out the details, Yu Hong returned to his hideout and retrieved a confiscated handgun.


    ¡°Relying solely on others isn¡¯t safe. Who knows¡ªif Zhao Zhenghong is gone, maybe another Xu Fan will come after me.


    ¡°I need my own means of protection, so I can safely hire mercenaries when necessary. And I need to strictly control how much I enhance their gear¡ªmaking it too strong would be dangerous.¡±


    With that in mind, he placed his hand on the gun.


    His goal: enhance it to assist with aiming and locking onto targets while boosting firepower, then hide it as a trump card for emergencies.


    *


    *


    *


    Two Days Later


    On an abandoned highway near Baiqiu Village, a massive, dark green armored vehicle slowly came to a stop.


    The vehicle¡¯s exterior was covered in jagged metal spikes protruding outward, and its front headlights cast a harsh, blinding glare.


    This armored vehicle was larger than most, with six oversized wheels wrapped in thick, puncture-resistant, non-slip layers.


    Click.


    The door opened from the inside, and a massive, bald man with a face painted in camouflage patterns stepped out.


    Bending down as he exited the vehicle, he placed his feet firmly on the ground and straightened his towering frame.


    He was an enormous man, his bear-like build making everything around him seem smaller in comparison. His skin was a deep brown, his eyes sunken, and within his black pupils, a restrained aggression flickered.


    He wore a dark blue bulletproof suit with a black X-shaped alloy plate exposed on his chest. Additional alloy plates protected his arms and knees, and the gloves on his fists were embedded with rows of sharp spikes, designed to maximize damage.


    ¡°Anna.¡± The bald man scanned the surroundings. ¡°This is the mission site? Where¡¯s the client?¡±


    A petite, short-haired brown-haired girl leaped down from the vehicle behind him.


    ¡°The client is an old friend¡ªBlack Panther.¡± A relaxed smile played on the girl¡¯s face. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to land such a high-value job. We got lucky this time. If we can upgrade and repair your Blue Whale armor, your survival rate will increase significantly.¡±


    ¡°Black Panther¡¯s reputation is solid. Shady, but highly trustworthy.¡± The bald man¡¯s voice was low and steady.


    ¡°We need to eliminate twenty-four people. Did the client specify whether they want proof?¡± He crouched down, sifting through the gravel on the ground as if inspecting something.


    ¡°No need. The client wants all weapons, equipment, and personal belongings collected. The traces left behind will be enough to confirm the kill count.¡± Anna replied.


    ¡°That makes things tricky,¡± the bald man muttered.


    ¡°Then try not to tear them apart too much,¡± Anna teased.


    She drew a silver handgun from her waist, spun it swiftly in her palm, then caught it with a sharp snap.


    ¡°Infrared radar is set. According to intel, they¡¯re already en route from Baihe City. We¡¯ll intercept them halfway¡ªit¡¯ll save time.¡± She adjusted her gun, ran a hand over the row of poison-tipped throwing darts strapped to her thigh, and, after ensuring her gear was in order, stepped back into the armored vehicle.


    The bald man exhaled, then turned and climbed back inside as well.


    The vehicle turned around and began driving away from Baiqiu Village.


    Meanwhile, at the outskirts of the abandoned Baihe City, a convoy of military-green jeeps was also advancing toward Baiqiu Village.


    Inside the jeeps sat Zhao Zhenghong and his twenty-four men, fully equipped and ready to move out.


    This was their final attempt to determine if there was still any hope left in this mission.


    If their target was already dead and the culprit was some unknown force, they would withdraw completely.


    But if the target was still alive, that would be ideal¡ªit meant they could use sheer manpower to overpower him and accomplish their goal.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 65: The Journey (3)

    At the forefront, in the leading jeep¡ª


    Zhao Zhenghong inspected his custom-made handgun with one hand. This weapon had been heavily modified, rendering it completely different from standard models. Its internal magazine was capable of loading multiple types of bullets to handle various situations.


    For instance, Luminous bullets, tranquilizer rounds, explosive ammunition, and armor-piercing shells.


    He had brought a mix of all these types for this mission. Custom bullets were costly, but they were essential when facing the unknown.


    ¡°White Python was skilled. His experience as a former courier made him adept at handling wilderness threats. Yet he still failed. That means we must be extra cautious,¡± Zhao Zhenghong muttered as he ejected the magazine, checking that it was fully loaded.


    ¡°Based on the latest intel, the post office near Baiqiu Village is still operational. That means people are still alive there. The Evil Shadow hasn¡¯t completely wiped out the area,¡± Xu Yang, who sat beside him, said in a low voice.


    ¡°So it¡¯s not the Evil Shadow¡­ but human intervention?¡± Zhao Zhenghong¡¯s sharp eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses.


    ¡°Most likely. Either someone powerful is protecting that person, or they have their own plans for him. But something doesn¡¯t add up¡ªif an expert was involved, they wouldn¡¯t just leave the target in place. They should have taken him away by now to avoid risks,¡± Xu Yang speculated.


    ¡°We¡¯ll know soon enough.¡± Zhao Zhenghong swapped to another magazine, loading it with armor-piercing and explosive rounds.


    ¡°If this was man-made, we need to be even more careful. Even White Python didn¡¯t make it,¡± Xu Yang started to say but was interrupted.


    ¡°How many men would you need to surround and kill White Python?¡± Zhao Zhenghong asked.


    ¡°Seven, maybe eight, at the minimum.¡± Xu Yang thought for a moment, then frowned.


    ¡°But we have twenty-four,¡± Zhao Zhenghong chuckled. ¡°And I¡¯m here. Couriers are formidable¡ªI¡¯ve fought them before. But White Python? A rejected, former courier? He¡¯s long past his prime.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to get involved personally. But we¡¯ve lost too many men, and there¡¯s been no progress. If I don¡¯t see for myself, I won¡¯t be satisfied.¡±


    ¡°The captain is, of course, stronger. As soon as we sense anything wrong, we¡¯ll withdraw immediately,¡± Xu Yang nodded.


    Their convoy of four jeeps pressed forward along the main road toward Baiqiu Village.


    By midday, they had reached the dense forest surrounding the village.


    The road twisted and turned, flanked by towering trees whose thick canopies blocked most of the sunlight.


    Xu Yang held a red-spectrum detector, carefully scanning the surroundings.


    ¡°We should be close. A vehicle moves much faster than someone on foot¡ªit¡¯s only taken us a few hours to get here.¡± He surveyed the area, his voice grave.


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this place.¡±


    Suddenly, Zhao Zhenghong straightened up, ignoring the moving jeep as he stood and peered down at the ground.


    On the old, cracked road, a set of fresh black tire tracks ran straight down the center.


    They were distinct¡ªmatching those of military-grade, anti-puncture tires.


    ¡°There¡¯s a military vehicle ahead,¡± Zhao Zhenghong said swiftly.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Yang was stunned. ¡°Why would a military vehicle be here now? Could the target have been exposed?¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. If we found him, others could too. But¡­¡± Zhao Zhenghong studied the tracks carefully. ¡°These anti-puncture layers are an outdated model. This isn¡¯t a vehicle from Baihe City¡¯s current forces.¡± ??????¨®????§¦?


    He pondered for a moment.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the plan¡ªwe split up. Xu Yang, you take half the team and go after the target. I¡¯ll take the rest and check out this military vehicle.¡±


    Something still didn¡¯t sit right with him. If White Python¡¯s disappearance was connected to this military vehicle, they needed to know.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°If anything seems off, don¡¯t waste time fighting¡ªgrab the target and get out. Be quick.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The convoy split.


    Two jeeps turned down a side road, while Xu Yang led eleven men straight toward the mountain cave safe house where Yu Hong was hiding.


    This time, they had brought portable explosives, tranquilizer guns, and armor-piercing rounds. They were prepared for a direct assault.


    Last time, that cave left a strong impression. If it truly belonged to the Great luminous stone craftsman, blasting it open might yield something valuable.


    *


    *


    *


    Inside the mountain cave safe house.


    Yu Hong lifted a steaming pot of thick soup and downed it in one gulp.


    Satisfied, he set the pot down, stretched, and stood up.


    The seventh strand of internal energy had now solidified within him. His Heavy Leg Technique was proving far more effective than his previous training methods¡ªit strengthened his legs, boosted his internal energy, and enhanced his overall strength through weighted exercises.


    He could clearly feel the difference.


    The most obvious sign was his ability to chop wood outside.


    With firewood running low, he often searched for large, nearly dead trees, chopped them down, and dragged them back.


    Before, he had to split a tree into over ten pieces to transport it.


    Yesterday, however, he found he could move a tree in just five pieces.


    He glanced at his handgun, still undergoing enhancement.


    He had requested modifications: enhanced aiming, concealed installation in his bulletproof suit¡¯s sleeve, and silencing capabilities to reduce noise.


    He had also wanted to increase the ammo capacity, but the Black Mark system had given an ¡°insufficient integrity¡± warning, allowing only refinements to existing features.


    So he had opted to strengthen the bullet impact and explosion force, as well as infuse them with Luminous stones¡ªmaking them effective against both heavily armored enemies and shadow creatures.


    Since he had added multiple upgrades, the enhancement process had been extended to over two days.


    ¡°Still two more hours. Seems like enhancing a handgun isn¡¯t very cost-effective. Next time, I should focus on something else¡ªthis thing is more of an emergency-use item.¡±


    Yu Hong picked up the half-finished gun and inspected it.


    He had realized that as long as he didn¡¯t break or scatter an item too far apart, it wouldn¡¯t disrupt the enhancement process.


    Just as he was fiddling with the weapon, a distant jingling sound echoed from outside.


    His expression changed.


    He grabbed the gun and walked to the entrance, pulling back a wooden cover to peer outside.


    Bright sunlight bathed the forest in a serene glow. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The trees stood silent, their withered leaves rustling slightly in the wind.


    To the right, near an empty patch of ground, were the remnants of his firewood pile.


    But beyond that¡ªnothing.


    ¡°Was it just the wind? Or did a branch fall on the bell?¡± Yu Hong watched for a while but saw no movement.


    Frowning, he stepped back inside and donned his newly reinforced White Bear Suit.


    Its defensive capabilities were exceptional, and it gave him a strong sense of security.


    He sat down inside the cave, waiting for the handgun enhancement to finish.


    Meanwhile¡ª


    Just a hundred meters away, on a sloped forest path, Xu Yang¡¯s team had regrouped.


    A scout returned, reporting swiftly:


    ¡°No abnormalities. The cave shows signs of habitation. The target is still inside.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Xu Yang nodded.


    ¡°Ah Hong, take two men and place R7 charges near the entrance. We¡¯ll blow the door off.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re using explosives? What if we injure the target?¡± a teammate questioned, frowning.


    ¡°Just control the blast radius. Our priority is to secure the target¡ªnow hurry up, Monkey, calculate the detonation points.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Check your equipment. Count down.¡±


    Three fingers raised.


    Three.


    Two.


    One.


    Move!


    Crack.


    A sudden crunching sound interrupted the group¡¯s action signal.


    Xu Yang¡¯s heart lurched. His eyes instantly locked onto the direction of the noise. He quietly disengaged the safety on his pistol, raising the muzzle and aiming at the source.


    From the top of the slope, the sound of footsteps crushing fallen branches continued, heavy and powerful, carrying an inexplicable rhythm.


    Before long, a towering, muscular humanoid figure¡ªover two meters tall¡ªslowly emerged from the depths of the forest.


    The figure was entirely clad in black, resembling a walking mountain, its sheer size equivalent to two or three men combined.


    It wore a thick, reinforced bulletproof suit. The helmet was equally heavy and grotesque, adorned with rows of sharp spikes.


    But none of that was the most striking feature.


    The hands.


    Those massive hands were coated in dark red, congealed blood. The thick alloy gloves bore traces of a viscous, brain-like substance wedged between the joints.


    As the breeze swept past, an overwhelming stench of blood filled the air. At the same time, an immense, suffocating pressure radiated from the figure, striking terror into all who stood before it.


    ¡°Successfully intercepted.¡± A deep, resonant voice echoed from beneath the spiked helmet. ¡°What a lucky day.¡±


    At first, the team was on guard, but soon, recognition dawned upon some of them¡ªespecially Xu Yang.


    His initial reaction was mere confusion and tension, but as more details of the figure aligned with a name buried in his mind, his expression began to change.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re the Butcher!!!¡± Xu Yang¡¯s face twisted in horror, and his voice trembled. ¡°¡­The Butcher, Xu Fan!!!¡±


    Cold sweat poured down his body. He was surrounded by over a dozen teammates, yet in this moment, he felt utterly isolated. A chill climbed up his spine, paralyzing him with fear.


    The Butcher, Xu Fan.


    A top-tier black market mercenary, whose danger level ranked two full tiers above the White Python. A monster who had slaughtered over a thousand men¡ªhis kill count beyond four digits.


    To killers like him, taking a life was easier than eating or drinking. These were pure, unrelenting death machines. Without an equal adversary or an entire army to take them down, ordinary fighters had no chance of stopping them.


    How could such a monster be here, in this place?! How was this even possible?!


    Xu Yang¡¯s mind was in chaos. His pulse pounded furiously, every nerve screaming in alarm.


    He wanted to believe this was a deception¡ªa fraud impersonating the infamous killer.


    But the sheer weight of terror¡ªthe tangible, suffocating presence¡ªmade it painfully clear.


    That man.


    That man¡­ was real.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 66: The Journey (4)

    ¡°Do you recognize me?¡± Xu Fan moved his gloved hands with some surprise. ¡°Looks like you had a friend who escaped from me¡­ interesting.¡±


    The man inside the helmet grinned wickedly.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Xu Yang trembled all over, even the hand holding the gun shaking violently. He had no idea why, having only come to capture a somewhat skilled cash cow, they had provoked such a formidable opponent.


    If he had known they¡¯d run into someone like the Butcher, he¡¯d never have followed Captain Zhao here.


    His panic visibly rattled the team, everyone on edge, sweating buckets, guns trained on Xu Fan with tense grips.


    Some had heard of the Butcher¡¯s reputation; others just sensed the danger from their leader¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I thought this mission would be tough, but it¡¯s just a bunch of kids¡­¡± Xu Fan scanned the group, sounding almost disappointed.


    ¡°Ten seconds,¡± he mouthed.


    Bang!!!


    In a flash, his body lunged forward, a black shadow charging at them.


    Like an unstoppable rhino, he smashed into the center of their formation.


    Before they could react, two black chains shot from his arms, whipping out like dark wings, sweeping several meters on both sides.


    Pupupupu!


    In an instant, four team members¡¯ throats were slit, tracheas exposed, blood spraying.


    Shock frozen on their faces, they didn¡¯t even see what hit them before collapsing, strength gone.


    The shadow pulled the chains back, dodged as Xu Yang fired wildly, and shrank¡ªhis over two-meter frame curling into a one-meter black ball, then leaping into the air, crashing between two men.


    Woosh!


    Unfurling, his arms snatched their heads and slammed them forward.


    Bang!!!


    A sickening crash.


    Two skulls smashed against trees, bursting open¡ªdead on impact.


    The shadow jumped again, evading a hail of bullets, pouncing on the rest.


    Pupupupu¡­


    Like a rhino, his right shoulder plowed through each one.


    In under ten seconds.


    Only Xu Yang and a man clutching explosives¡ªMonkey¡ªremained on the slope.


    Both shook, pale, drenched in sweat, too scared to move, staring at the now-still shadow.


    ¡°You¡­ what the¡­!!?¡± Xu Yang stammered, gun aimed but useless, offering no comfort.


    Over ten men¡ªhalf a military squad, all pros, not street thugs¡ªwiped out so fast¡­


    But Xu Fan ignored him, turning as a voice crackled through his earpiece.


    ¡°Right, two more left,¡± he said gravely. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡±


    He glanced at Xu Yang and Monkey, who looked ready to speak.


    Too late.


    A flash sparked from Xu Fan¡¯s right hand¡ªa hidden gun fired, striking Monkey¡¯s explosives.


    Boom!!!


    Flames erupted, ballooning outward for meters.


    An orange fireball swallowed Xu Yang and Monkey, erasing them.


    The blaze caught nearby trees and leaves. When it faded, only charred remains lingered.


    Xu Fan was gone, just the faint snap of twigs echoing from the woods.


    ---


    Yu Hong heard the shouts, blasts, and crackling flames outside.


    He waited until it quieted, then slid the shutter open a crack to peek out.


    Flickering flames painted everything red. Hot gusts carried ash through the air.


    ¡®A fire?¡¯


    Heat crept toward his garden.


    ¡®Wait, my Luminous Stone grass¡ªwill it get torched?¡¯


    He considered checking, but the recent explosion stopped him.


    ¡®What if there¡¯s a fight out there and I stumble into it?¡¯ He remembered today was when his hired expert, tipped off by Li Rushan, was due to arrive.


    ¡®That blast¡ªprobably my guy clashing with the attackers¡¯ backup. They used bombs?!¡¯ A chill hit him. His polar bear suit couldn¡¯t shrug off explosives¡ªgood thing he hadn¡¯t gotten cocky. ???O?£Â?????


    ¡®Thank fuck I hired a pro instead of playing hero. Safety first.¡¯


    He decided to stay put.


    If those attackers caught him now, weakened as he was, he might not hold up.


    Settling in, Yu Hong dragged a stool to the door, sitting and occasionally glancing out.


    Suddenly, his face tightened. He snapped the shutter shut, peering through a slit.


    A group in dark green camo crept through the woods, moving fast.


    Their leader wore a dark brown, high-tech bulletproof vest, far sleeker than the others¡¯.


    Seeing him, Yu Hong¡¯s mind flashed to Zhao Zhenghong and Xu Yang¡ªfaces he¡¯d seen before.


    ¡®It¡¯s one of them¡­ they¡¯re behind this!¡¯ Cold dread sank in. He vowed to stay silent.


    The group neared his yard, vaulting in. The front few held small silver boxes marked with black-and-white stripes and ¡°DANGER¡± in bold.


    ¡°What the hell¡¯s that?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s gut twisted. Lockpicks? No¡ªtoo many carried them.


    Unease grew as they closed in.


    Zhao Zhenghong, frowning, held a bomb, inching toward the wooden gate.


    Silence hung heavy. After splitting from Xu Yang, he¡¯d tracked the tire marks, but an explosion midway pulled him here.


    Nothing¡ªjust a raging fire scorching the forest red. Too hot to approach.


    Left with no choice, he led his team to the cave, planning to blast it open, grab anything valuable, and take the target.


    But things had spiraled. Xu Yang likely hit the enemy, even used bombs.


    He had to act fast¡ªcrack the door, check inside, then find Xu Yang.


    With that, Zhao Zhenghong hustled, slapping the bomb onto the gate.


    A black shadow flickered in the bomb¡¯s silver reflection.


    A familiar, gut-punching threat loomed from his left.


    His face twisted. He hurled himself back.


    Bang bang!


    Two shots whizzed past where he¡¯d stood.


    Dropping the bomb, he flipped backward like a monkey, tumbling over ten meters, then braced against a tree.


    Bang bang bang bang!!


    His team caught on, firing toward the shots¡¯ source.


    Ammo spent, they roared, drawing knives, swords, and rods, surrounding the spot.


    The first to charge froze mid-step, hoisted up as a huge hand grabbed his head and flung him skyward.


    Whoosh!


    He spun two meters up, then crashed down.


    Thud!


    Giant hands stabbed his gut like blades, ripping outward.


    A wet crunch¡ªhe was torn in half, no scream, just blood.


    Gore sprayed, staining trees, grass, and mud red amid the flames.


    ¡°Fucking hell!!!¡± Zhao Zhenghong, steadying himself, saw it¡ªhis eyes blazed.


    He yanked a short knife from his arm and sprang, moving like a black ape, crossing ten meters to tackle the shadow that ripped his man apart.


    Clang!!


    Midair, an alloy glove snatched his knife hand.


    Before him loomed a bear of a man¡ªover two meters, arms thick as thighs.


    Clad in armor, his spiked helmet smeared with blood, wild eyes glinted under red goggles.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some fight,¡± the man growled, mocking and cruel.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!!


    Six teammates charged, roaring, swinging blades and rods at the giant.


    With Zhao Zhenghong at the front, seven total boxed him in.


    But¡ª


    ¡°Retreat!!¡± Zhao Zhenghong¡¯s face warped as he rolled back, dodging a sweeping black hand.


    The others weren¡¯t as quick.


    Boom!


    The hand lashed out, smashing a man¡¯s head to pulp.


    Two tried to flee; the giant grabbed their arms, hurling them into two others.


    Four crumpled, down for good.


    The last two gained distance, but the giant snatched a grindstone-sized rock and chucked it.


    Boom! Boom!


    Two thuds¡ªchests caved, bodies mashed against a tree.


    ¡°Use the bombs!¡± Zhao Zhenghong screamed, veins bulging.


    Half his team gone in seconds. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The survivors scattered, tossing portable bombs.


    But before they landed, the giant vanished.


    Zhao Zhenghong spun¡ªthree meters away, a massive shadow loomed.


    Arms spread, it hopped, striking a crane-like pose.


    A name flashed in his mind.


    ¡®Iron Wing Splitting Sky? Crane Fist?!!¡¯

 Chapter 67: Conclusion (1)

    Hiss!!


    A massive tree trunk bore six deep claw marks, nearly severing it in half. Losing balance, the tree tilted sideways and collapsed.


    Boom!


    The tree fell.


    On either side of the fallen trunk stood two figures.


    On the left was a towering figure clad in black¡ªa heavily armored man in an undamaged bulletproof suit. He was none other than the Butcher, Xu Fan, who had just completed his ambush. Standing still, he clenched his alloy gloves, shook off the blood from the spiked knuckles, and let out a satisfied chuckle.


    On the right, Zhao Zhenghong was kneeling on one knee.


    One of his arms hung limply at his side, completely immobilized. Three deep, bloody gashes ran across his cheek and mouth.


    Blood dripped steadily from his chin.


    That wasn¡¯t all¡ªbeside him, on the ground, lay the dismembered corpses of two of his squad members, their bodies sliced into several pieces. Pools of blood spread around them, staining the forest floor red.


    Boom!


    A thrown explosive detonated with a deafening roar, igniting an even larger forest fire.


    ¡°Butcher¡­ If I surrender now, will you let me go?¡± Zhao Zhenghong slowly stood up, blinking blood out of his eyes as he stared at his opponent.


    ¡°That depends on what my employer says.¡± Xu Fan rubbed his chin and turned his gaze toward a nearby cave.


    In that instant, Zhao Zhenghong¡¯s hand moved like lightning, producing a pistol and firing a shot.


    Bang!


    The gunshot rang out. A fiery explosion erupted from Xu Fan¡¯s chest, causing him to stagger slightly as flames momentarily obscured his vision.


    Bang!


    A second shot followed.


    Xu Fan instinctively raised his arms to shield himself but underestimated the bullet¡¯s power.


    The second round was an armor-piercing bullet!


    It tore through the outer metal layer of his gloves, striking the alloy plate in his chest and denting it inward.


    But that was all.


    Lowering his hands, Xu Fan scanned ahead. Zhao Zhenghong had already vanished from sight.


    ¡°Anna!¡± He frowned, his deep voice calling through his earpiece.


    ¡°Ten o¡¯clock direction,¡± a soft female voice responded.


    Xu Fan was about to give chase when¡ª


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t bother.¡± Anna¡¯s voice came again.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Someone else has intercepted him.¡±


    *


    *


    * *


    At the edge of the wildfire, flames flickered, and thick smoke billowed into the sky.


    Zhao Zhenghong staggered forward, fleeing as fast as he could. His facial wounds had stopped bleeding for now, but his fractured right arm and dislocated shoulder severely hampered him. ?????¦­¨®?§¦?


    The brief window created by his sneak attack on Xu Fan had finally given him a chance to escape.


    As he ran, flashes of his fallen subordinates¡¯ mangled corpses played in his mind, fueling his rage to a boiling point.


    ¡°Xu Fan¡­ I will kill you!! I will tear you apart!!!¡±


    ¡°Aaaaargh!!!¡± His bloodshot eyes burned with madness as he sprinted forward, using every ounce of strength left in his battered body.


    Swish!


    His foot suddenly halted, dodging left with a rolling motion to absorb the impact before springing back up.


    Ahead, a massive shadow loomed among the trees.


    The figure wore a full-body, jet-black armored suit resembling a battle-ready knight. His legs were as thick as tree trunks, and his frame, though slightly smaller than Xu Fan¡¯s, appeared just as imposing due to the bulky armor.


    ¡°You look badly injured,¡± the man said. ¡°You¡¯ve lost a lot of blood. You must be getting weak.¡±


    ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Zhao Zhenghong gritted his teeth, fighting the pain and growing fatigue. His sharp gaze locked onto the stranger.


    ¡°I am a poet,¡± the man answered casually. ¡°I happened to pass by and saw you were hurt. Thought you might need some help.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhao Zhenghong shut his mouth, realizing he was dealing with a lunatic.


    Yet, something about the man¡¯s voice and build felt oddly familiar. His sharp memory worked quickly¡ªthen, it clicked.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The armored man, Yu Hong, hadn¡¯t expected to be recognized. He was about to speak when¡ª


    A blur.


    In a flash, Zhao Zhenghong dashed forward, closing several meters in the blink of an eye.


    Swish!


    A silver blade stabbed fiercely at Yu Hong¡¯s abdomen. But the knife¡¯s tip skidded off the inner alloy plating, deflecting left. The miscalculated angle twisted Zhao Zhenghong¡¯s wrist, throwing him off balance. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, Yu Hong swung a spiked mace from his back, smashing downward.


    His strike missed as Zhao Zhenghong swiftly dodged, rolling away. Yu Hong wasn¡¯t surprised¡ªhe expected that much from a skilled fighter.


    But he immediately changed his attack from a downward smash to a sweeping strike.


    Whoosh!


    The air howled as the spiked mace carved a wide arc through the space ahead.


    Zhao Zhenghong hunched low, curling his body into a tight ball.


    The mace whooshed past him, slicing through branches instead.


    Using his arms for support, Zhao Zhenghong flipped into a handstand, kicking both legs toward Yu Hong¡¯s head.


    It was an acrobatic move, but with his steel-reinforced boot heels and the raw power of a leg strike, a direct hit could easily shatter bones.


    Whoosh.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t dodge. He stood still.


    The boot connected¡ª


    At the same time, Yu Hong¡¯s leg lashed out like a whip.


    A low sweeping kick.


    Boom!!!


    Both strikes landed simultaneously.


    Zhao Zhenghong was sent flying backward, crashing into a tree before tumbling to the ground, spitting blood.


    Yu Hong, having taken a direct kick to the head, merely shook his head to steady himself. His visor had gained two cracks, but otherwise, he was unharmed.


    Bang!


    A gunshot erupted at close range.


    Yu Hong flinched as flames burst from his chest¡ªan explosive round!


    Then, another shot followed.


    Bang.


    An armor-piercing round struck Yu Hong¡¯s helmet¡ªbut against his 25mm-thick alloy visor, it only left a dent.


    Yu Hong was startled but quickly realized he was unscathed. His shock turned to fury.


    He charged forward.


    This time, he didn¡¯t hold back.


    Boom!!


    His kick landed on Zhao Zhenghong¡¯s gun-wielding arm.


    Crack!


    The arm snapped like a twig, blood splattering against the tree trunk.


    Zhao Zhenghong, now drained of strength and bleeding out, had nothing left.


    ¡°If I weren¡¯t injured¡ª¡± he gasped weakly, his fury still burning.


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t injured, do you think you¡¯d even get to see me?¡± Yu Hong interrupted smugly, landing another brutal kick¡ªthis time on Zhao Zhenghong¡¯s already broken arm.


    Defenseless and near unconsciousness, Zhao Zhenghong slumped against the tree, unable to move.


    But Yu Hong wasn¡¯t done.


    He kicked him again. And again.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    A merciless beating followed, hammering every exposed part of Zhao Zhenghong¡¯s battered body.


    All the pent-up frustration¡ªevery ambush, every trap, every near-miss¡ªYu Hong finally let it all out.


    After a savage pummeling¡ª


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. If you kill him, we won¡¯t get any answers.¡±


    A voice came from the trees¡ªLi Runshan.


    Yu Hong exhaled, stepping back to admire his handiwork: Zhao Zhenghong, now a motionless, bloody mess.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take a break.¡±


    Li Runshan was speechless. He had been called in as insurance for this kid, to back him up while he fought the fleeing target. He hadn¡¯t expected the fight to be over so quickly¡ªjust a few exchanges, and the opponent was already defeated.


    Putting away his slingshot, Li Runshan glanced at Yu Hong¡¯s gear.


    ¡°Alright, the guy¡¯s dealt with. I¡¯ll interrogate him and see if there are any loose ends.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Yu Hong crouched down, grabbed Zhao Zhenghong¡¯s head, and shook it a little. Confirming that the man was barely hanging on, he tossed him aside and stepped back to let Li Runshan do his work.


    Compared to him, Old Li had far more effective methods.


    Yu Hong moved to the side, checking himself for injuries before leaning against a tree and waiting.


    Not long after, Li Runshan clapped his hands and walked over.


    ¡°Done. Got everything out of him.¡± He grinned. ¡°This guy is Zhao Zhenghong. He¡¯s been trying to capture you for your Great Luminous Stone technology. The last three attacks were all his doing. He used to be a joint military captain from a nearby town and had a squad under his command.¡±


    ¡°So, this is all settled?¡± Yu Hong blinked.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s dead¡ªproblem solved. It was a simple case of a small-time leader eyeing your tech and trying to kidnap you. That¡¯s why none of his men went for the kill.¡± Li Runshan explained. ¡°If you think about it, it makes sense. The big factions can get a decent quota of Luminous Stone products from Aurora City, but smaller groups, like us, have to scramble for whatever we can get.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Does that mean I¡¯ll keep running into trouble like this?¡± Yu Hong asked. He knew he couldn¡¯t avoid revealing some of his technology in exchange for resources. But once he did, if he didn¡¯t demonstrate enough strength and backing, attacks were inevitable.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you need some allies,¡± Li Runshan chuckled. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk payment. You promised to cover my travel expenses and upgrade my Blue Whale gear.¡±


    ¡°Just give me the materials first. I¡¯ll check them and then coordinate with my contacts on the upgrade.¡± Yu Hong exhaled, relieved that the ordeal was over.


    Now it was time for cleanup.


    Half an hour later¡ª


    Li Runshan, Yu Hong, and the Butcher Xu Fan gathered in front of the post office stone house.


    ¡°This is the client?¡± Xu Fan scrutinized the bulky figure before him.


    On closer inspection, the man wasn¡¯t actually that big¡ªhis armor was just exceptionally thick. With the heavy helmet and layers of plating, he only appeared massive.


    Xu Fan also noticed the bullet marks and scorch marks on the helmet and chest, but despite that, the suit had barely any real damage.


    This armor¡­ The defense is insane.


    Xu Fan now had a better grasp of the situation.


    The fact that this guy knew he was wearing Blue Whale armor and still dared to hire him meant he clearly had some serious skills. More importantly, his unknown gear looked no worse than a brand-new Blue Whale suit.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 68: Conclusion (2)

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who issued the task. You can call me Yu Hong,¡± Yu Hong said, nodding politely to Xu Fan.


    ¡°What about the task reward?¡± Xu Fan asked directly.


    ¡°I need to do an inspection, confirm your needs, finalize the required materials, and then proceed with the repairs. That¡¯s the standard process. No issues, right?¡± Yu Hong responded.


    With the Black Mark Seal, he wasn¡¯t worried about whether he could fix it¡ªjust how long it would take.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Xu Fan nodded. ¡°But I can only stay here for half a month. Will it be done by then?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s inspect it first,¡± Yu Hong emphasized.


    Xu Fan glanced at Li Runshan, who gave him a nod. He chose to trust Old Li¡¯s reputation.


    Old Li may have a shady side, but his credibility was unquestionable.


    Without hesitation, Xu Fan began removing his armor piece by piece.


    In no time, a burly, two-meter-tall bald giant appeared before them. His face was painted with oil, and a fresh gash marred his nose¡ªa recent injury.


    ¡°The main issue is the damage to the faceplate of the helmet. If possible, I¡¯d like to enhance its strength. There¡¯s also damage to the lower back from armor-piercing rounds and a dent on the left knee from fighting a troublesome opponent.¡±


    ¡°Chris the Bronze Statue?¡± Li Runshan asked casually.


    ¡°Yeah. That guy¡¯s strength was comparable to mine, and he was fully equipped. We fought for over three hours before I managed to kill him,¡± Xu Fan nodded.


    ¡°Understood. I need specialized tools for evaluation. I¡¯ll take the suit back with me for inspection and give you a definitive answer in about an hour. Any issues?¡± Yu Hong gathered the armor parts and stacked them neatly.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Xu Fan nodded. His calm demeanor gave no hint of a violent temper¡ªperhaps his rumored aggression only surfaced under specific conditions.


    ¡°You know where I live. Come by in an hour,¡± Yu Hong said simply.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Yu Hong soon parted ways with the group, carrying the equipment back to his cave safehouse.


    On the way, he silently asked the Black Mark Seal how long it would take to enhance the armor.


    The Black Mark Seal couldn¡¯t repair items it hadn¡¯t originally fused, but Yu Hong had a trick: a minor enhancement infusion that would activate the seal¡¯s auto-repair feature.


    This way, future repairs could be handled directly by the Black Mark Seal.


    In his plan, this repair ability was crucial for establishing his foothold in this world.


    With the ability to repair high-level equipment, he could easily trade for various resources and information.


    Now, his only remaining need was protection¡ªjust as Li Runshan had mentioned.


    Back at the cave, Yu Hong placed the Blue Whale armor on the ground and headed outside to sift through his pile of loot. He found a forearm-length metal machete to use as enhancement material. ????????¦¥s?


    Returning indoors, Yu Hong set the machete beside the Blue Whale suit, planning to fuse its materials into the armor.


    He had already tested it on the way back¡ªthe repair would take just over an hour with a minimal enhancement to the faceplate.


    This time, with additional material, the enhancement would strengthen the faceplate as Xu Fan requested.


    He placed his hand on the Blue Whale armor again.


    ¡°Enhance Blue Whale armor. Direction: minimal enhancement of faceplate strength.¡±


    A black line flashed, followed by a system prompt.


    ¡°Do you want to enhance the Blue Whale armor?¡±


    A countdown appeared on the armor¡¯s surface: 2 hours and 12 minutes.


    Yu Hong nodded. It was an acceptable duration.


    ¡°The time¡¯s short, but I can¡¯t let Xu Fan and the others think it was easy. I need to make it seem like a complex, exhausting process with impressive results. That way, it¡¯ll feel worth the price.¡±


    He knew that if the outcome appeared too effortless, people would instinctively distrust it and feel cheated.


    ¡°Why are you charging me so much if it was so easy for you? Are you ripping me off!?¡±


    Yu Hong wanted to avoid Xu Fan and his crew thinking this way.


    Reasonable. Logical.


    This was Yu Hong¡¯s key approach.


    One hour later.


    Xu Fan and Anna arrived at the stone courtyard outside the cave safehouse.


    In the distance, a large fire continued to burn, showing no signs of stopping.


    The two stood outside the yard, eyeing the strange, lush grass within. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Something¡¯s off,¡± Anna whispered. ¡°The red energy readings resemble a Luminous stone mine.¡±


    Her eyes scanned every corner of the yard, filled with suspicion.


    But no matter how closely she looked, nothing unusual stood out. Just grass¡ªlots of it.


    Xu Fan felt it too. Having been exposed to high doses of Luminous stone radiation before, he had developed a sensitivity to red energy fluctuations.


    Standing outside the yard, his skin tingled with a cool, hair-raising sensation.


    ¡°It must be lined with Luminous stone patterns, like the outer walls of Hope City,¡± he speculated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any patterns,¡± Anna shook her head. ¡°This task giver knows his stuff. This setup would effectively ward off Ghostly shadows and ensure a stable living environment.¡±


    ¡°Yu Hong¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of him before. If he can fix this armor, we may be working with him long-term,¡± Xu Fan noted. High-level armor repair was no easy feat.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Anna nodded.


    After a few minutes, the wooden door of the cave opened.


    A burly figure stepped out, wearing the same heavy armor as before. However, the dents and bullet marks were completely gone.


    Noticing this, Xu Fan felt reassured¡ªYu Hong could really fix the Blue Whale armor.


    The three met outside the courtyard. The red energy level inside had surpassed 100, with Luminous grass growing everywhere, making it unsuitable for conversation.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait. The repairs will take about a week. I have some materials here¡ªnot the original, but close enough. Can you accept that?¡± Yu Hong asked seriously.


    ¡°A week!?¡± Xu Fan was surprised, glancing at Anna, who was equally stunned.


    ¡°Really? Just a week?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Yes. I guarantee it¡¯ll be done in a week,¡± Yu Hong said confidently.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s functional, I¡¯m good!¡± Xu Fan agreed. He still found it hard to believe.


    Most armories he had consulted needed at least three months, except for Aurora City and Silver Tower, which required two weeks.


    If not for the faceplate¡¯s damage affecting combat, he would¡¯ve made do.


    ¡°It¡¯s quick because I don¡¯t waste time on formalities. I¡¯ll be fully focused on repairing it,¡± Yu Hong explained, realizing he had understated the timeline.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Anna replied. ¡°We¡¯ll pick it up in a week. Perfect timing for a short break after this mission.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Yu Hong nodded. ¡°By the way, have you considered settling down somewhere?¡±


    He was impressed by their strength and wanted to test the waters.


    Li Runshan had mentioned they were nomadic mercenaries, moving from place to place.


    ¡°We¡¯ve thought about it, but larger communities attract more Blood Tide shadows, which brings more trouble,¡± Anna sighed. She gave Yu Hong a sly smile.


    ¡°If you want to hire long-term bodyguards, you¡¯ll need to provide stable water, food, and shelter. With those basics, people will come.¡±


    She had clearly picked up on Yu Hong¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°Good advice,¡± Yu Hong acknowledged.


    Indeed, without stable water, why would anyone leave a well-supplied place like Hope City to live with him in the wilderness?


    They agreed on a pickup time and location. Yu Hong gave them a Luminous stone leaf as a token¡ªunique to his yard, it would lose its energy after being plucked.


    Xu Fan and Anna soon left.


    Yu Hong then met with Li Runshan again.


    ¡°Thanks for helping out this time,¡± Yu Hong said as they sat on new wooden benches in the courtyard.


    ¡°No problem. Keep jobs like this coming¡ªI don¡¯t mind,¡± Li Runshan replied with his usual smile.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your payment.¡± Yu Hong handed over some silver coins and a stack of sigil arrays from his loot.


    Li Runshan quickly stashed everything inside.


    ¡°Much appreciated,¡± he said, his smile softening.


    Yu Hong went to meet Li Runshan again.


    ¡°Thanks for your help this time.¡± The two sat down on a new wooden bench in the courtyard.


    ¡°You¡¯re paying me, so feel free to call me anytime for more of these jobs. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Li Runshan still had that smiling expression.


    ¡°Alright, I brought the payment.¡± Yu Hong handed over some silver coins he had scavenged from his loot, along with a stack of rune arrays he had made.


    Though Li Runshan was just a middleman, Yu Hong knew that if he didn¡¯t offer some benefits, there wouldn¡¯t be a next time. He highly valued Li Runshan¡¯s access to mercenary channels and postal supplies.


    ¡°No need to be so polite,¡± Li Runshan quickly accepted the items and stashed them in the house. When he came back out, his expression was noticeably softer.


    ¡°The task is done, but to avoid similar incidents in the future, I¡¯m considering hiring some skilled hands for long-term protection,¡± Yu Hong said plainly. ¡°However, given the conditions around here, you know we first need to solve the issues of water, electricity, and food. Only then can we attract people to settle here. Otherwise, everyone will choose the better conditions in Hope City. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Li Runshan nodded. In his view, Yu Hong, once a clueless rookie, had now started to gain some sense.


    ¡°So, I want to ask if there¡¯s any way through the post office to solve the water supply issue. I tried digging a well, but once I got deep enough, it was full of black insects,¡± Yu Hong said with a sigh.


    ¡°Groundwater won¡¯t work.¡± Li Runshan shook his head with a smile, stretched his hand back, and a small hand quickly passed him a cigarette and lit it for him.


    Only after taking a contented puff did he continue.


    ¡°Many parts of Hope City were built near rivers and oceans. Your only option is to relocate closer to a river for easier water access. But remember, rivers and streams aren¡¯t necessarily safe either. If the land has blood tide black insects, the water has equally dangerous or even more deadly creatures.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Yu Hong nodded silently.


    Rainwater was toxic and required multiple rounds of filtration and boiling to be drinkable, but even that wasn¡¯t stable.


    Now it seemed that rivers and streams were the only hope. Yet giving up the heavily fortified cave safehouse he had worked so hard to strengthen was something he couldn¡¯t accept.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 69: Convoy (1)

    ¡°Aside from water, there¡¯s also the constant disturbance from ghostly shadows. You¡¯ll need to create an environment isolated by luminous stones. And for food, mushrooms, cockroaches, and lizards need to be produced steadily. In Hope City, there are even people farming and raising livestock¡ªthe difference in conditions is too vast,¡± Li Runshan shook his head.


    ¡°The difference is too vast,¡± echoed his daughter Aisena, who had appeared behind him at some point. She nodded along.


    ¡°So.¡± Yu Hong glanced at the girl before shifting his gaze back to Li Runshan.


    ¡°So you can only rely on those people who can¡¯t stay in Hope City,¡± Li Runshan advised with a grin. ¡°Start with them to build a small base. Once you secure water and food, then you can think about attracting skilled individuals to settle permanently.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Yu Hong sighed.


    ¡°In a few days, there will be a group of refugees passing by nearby. They are using solar-powered vehicles that rely solely on solar charging, so they move slowly. Along the way, there will definitely be people who run out of food. This group is headed towards Tianyue, making stops along the way to trade for food. When they pass by, you can see if you can take in a few people.¡±


    Yu Hong nodded but thought about the condition of his safe house. He shook his head internally. His safe house wasn¡¯t equipped to house others¡ªwhere would they stay? Would they share the cave with him? He had too many private things there to feel at ease.


    For now, there was no way. The time wasn¡¯t right yet. He had to move step by step. He hadn¡¯t even achieved self-sufficiency¡ªit was too early for that.


    After talking with Li Runshan, Yu Hong left and visited Dr. Xu on his way back, only to find her underground shelter empty and silent.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    He stood in front of the shelter door and knocked.


    No response.


    Lowering his hand, he sighed softly and turned to look around.


    The area was silent, with only thick smoke rising from the still-burning distant fire.


    The once-quiet forest was now bathed in red light. Even though it was nearing dusk, it looked as bright as noon.


    Just as he was about to leave for his safe house¡ª


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Suddenly, a knock came from inside Dr. Xu¡¯s shelter.


    ¡°Who¡¯s knocking?¡± A cautious, careful voice came from within¡ªit was Dr. Xu.


    Yu Hong glanced at the red value detector on his collar. The red value had spiked to over eighty.


    He sighed internally and ignored the voice from inside. Turning, he walked away.


    After a few steps, he returned, bent down, picked up a stone, and carved a line on the ground in front of the wooden door:


    ¡°The owner is gone. There¡¯s something strange inside.¡±


    With that done, he stood up again.


    From the half-drawn white curtain over the shelter¡¯s window, a woman in white stood silently.


    The woman stared blankly at him through the window. Her eyes were vacant, and she stood still.


    Her face was an exact replica of Dr. Xu¡¯s, but her skin was unnaturally pale with a hint of decay, like peeling white walls.


    Yu Hong gave her one last glance before quickly walking away.


    *


    *


    *


    Baihe City.


    Inside an abandoned auditorium.


    Rows of dark red seats with knitted covers filled the space.


    Some seats had collapsed, others remained intact but were coated in dust.


    The red seats fanned out in a semicircle around a rectangular stage at the front.


    More than twenty people stood scattered across the auditorium¡ªall soldiers of the United Army dressed in camouflage uniforms with helmets and tactical vests. ????¨¢????O?????§¦?


    In front of them stood three sergeants in similar camouflage uniforms, distinguished by silver crescent pins on their shoulders.


    The three sergeants¡ªtwo men and one woman¡ªheld paper and pens, calling out names.


    ¡°Xu Zhengqiu.¡±


    ¡°Wang Xuan.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Jiawei.¡±


    ¡°Liu Yu.¡±


    One by one, names were called, and the soldiers approached the respective sergeants, joining assigned squads.


    As the names were called, the three squads gradually took shape, with more people joining each team.


    The number of unassigned soldiers dwindled.


    After about ten minutes¡ª


    ¡°Ma Randong.¡±


    ¡°Xu Dawei.¡±


    As time passed, the names were called more slowly.


    Finally¡ª


    ¡°Ding Chao.¡±


    With that last name, the sergeants stopped calling.


    But three soldiers¡ªtwo women and one man¡ªremained unassigned.


    ¡°Is it over? Why are three people left unassigned?¡± Xu Fei, one of the sergeants, frowned at his two peers. ¡°I¡¯m full on my end.¡±


    ¡°Same here,¡± another sergeant replied coldly.


    The only female sergeant, Xue Ningning, sighed at the other two.


    She understood the need for elite squads, but if the remaining three weren¡¯t selected, they would have to form their own team.


    A team without a leader entering the mission zone would be at significant risk if they encountered unfamiliar ghostly shadows or blood tide creatures.


    Typically, leaders would try to distribute all soldiers to minimize these risks.


    However¡ª


    Xue Ningning glanced at the profiles of the remaining three: Ou Li, Chen Qiaosheng, and Lin Yiyi.


    Each had significant flaws despite being local elites in their own right.


    ¡°Captain Liu, what about the remaining three?¡± Xue Ningning asked the largest male sergeant.


    ¡°Let them form their own team,¡± he said without even looking at the three, leading his team out of the auditorium.


    ¡°Ou Yang,¡± Xue Ningning turned to the other sergeant.


    ¡°Ningning, don¡¯t look at me. I¡¯m responsible for my team¡¯s safety. The new mutated shadow type will spread here in a few days, and blood tide levels are rising. More people doesn¡¯t always mean safer, and you know that.¡± The sergeant shrugged and led his team away.


    As they left, many soldiers cast knowing glances at the three unassigned individuals, making it clear they were seen as the weakest links.


    Xue Ningning hesitated, her face troubled.


    She raised her hand to signal her team to prepare to leave.


    Halfway through giving the order, she saw the three¡¯s anxious, hopeful expressions and softened.


    ¡°Forget it. You three, join my team,¡± she called.


    The three stood at attention, voices loud and clear: ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡±


    Lin Yiyi, standing beside Ou Li, beamed. She had been nervous after being left out but now grabbed Ou Li¡¯s hand excitedly. ¡°We made it!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I got it. Let go of me,¡± Ou Li said impatiently. She didn¡¯t care which team she joined¡ªshe just wanted food and planned to run at the first sign of danger.


    The third person, Chen Qiaosheng, looked pale but breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the order.


    Seeing their varied reactions, Xue Ningning shook her head.


    One was selfish, one lacked intelligence and technical skills, and one was physically weak.


    Each had strengths, but their weaknesses were glaring. She wasn¡¯t sure if bringing them along was the right choice.


    *


    *


    *


    ¡°How do I solve the water issue?¡±


    The forest fire had subsided, and evening approached.


    Yu Hong sat on a wooden bench in his safe house, deep in thought as he scribbled on a wooden board with charcoal.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already adapted to this environment. If I move to a stream, I¡¯ll have to start over, and I can¡¯t move everything from here. It¡¯ll take too long¡­¡±


    He took a sip from his cup and set it down.


    Staring at the water droplets clinging to the cup¡¯s inner wall, he suddenly had an idea.


    ¡°What if I condense water from the air?¡±


    The air was filled with moisture from evaporation.


    ¡°High humidity leads to mold and microbial growth. If I can extract water from the air, I can secure water and improve living conditions.¡±


    The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.


    ¡°But how do I get a dehumidifier?¡±


    He decided to ask Li Runshan¡¯s supply team. They could procure almost anything for a price¡ªplus Li¡¯s cut.


    Fortunately, Yu Hong had plenty of loot: protective gear, knives, silver coins, and other supplies.


    He remembered the car keys he found.


    ¡°Their cars should be mine too!¡± Excited, he planned to inspect the vehicles and order a dehumidifier the next day.


    ¡°Speaking of dehumidifiers, I¡¯ll need more power¡­¡±


    Without enough solar power, he needed a solution.


    ¡°Maybe I can turn a car into a mobile safe house,¡± Yu Hong thought. ¡°That would solve the water issue and expand my exploration range.¡±


    Strengthening a luminous stone, he began his daily training.


    The next morning.


    Yu Hong woke up early. Just as dawn broke, he put on his gear and went out to search for the car driven by Zhao Zhenghong¡¯s group.


    Amid the crunching sound of his footsteps, he moved at a steady pace through the freshly extinguished, charred woodland. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The temperature around him remained high. Despite it being the coldest time of morning, he still felt as if he were in the height of summer, his whole body burning hot.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 71: Night Rain (1)

    ~~~


    Tl note :- Thank Thyme for the bonus chapter that are about to come .. first i will unlock all the chapters that are locked then i will start with the 20 bonus chapters!!!


    And thank you Thyme for supporting and reading my translations :3 Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ( i don¡¯t think i will be able to upload all bonus chapters today cuz i didn¡¯t actually had chapters stocked lol )


    ~~~~


    Inside the mountain cave safe house.


    Through a closed door, Yu Hong listened intently to the information being shared about the ¡°Whisperers.¡±


    ¡°My name is Zhou Xiaoling, and this is my sister, Zhou Xiaoyin. We¡¯ve only encountered a Whisperer once,¡± said the girl with a full figure, instinctively clutching at the fabric on her chest. She bit her lip, eyes reflecting lingering fear from the past.


    ¡°We used to work in a customer service company, taking calls all day long. After the Black Disaster, we were reassigned as emergency caregivers after receiving brief medical training to care for the wounded. Then, just recently¡­¡±


    ¡°How recently?¡± Yu Hong interrupted without warning.


    ¡°About two weeks ago,¡± Zhou Xiaoling thought for a moment before answering.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Yu Hong nodded, locking in that timeline.


    ¡°Two weeks ago, our clinic admitted a special patient,¡± Zhou Xiaoling said, fear creeping into her delicate face.


    Her body tensed, and she swallowed repeatedly, unconsciously leaning toward Yu Hong as if seeking security.


    ¡°That patient constantly talked to themselves, even when no one was around. It seemed like they were having natural, one-sided conversations.¡±


    ¡°Was there something invisible to the human eye?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°No, no,¡± Zhou Xiaoling shook her head vigorously. ¡°We initially thought the same thing. But no matter how we tested, the red values were normal. No abnormalities. Then the situation worsened¡ªshe¡¯d start laughing out loud, suddenly, in dead silence, as if something made her very happy.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes during the day. Eventually, no matter what we said to her, she grew impatient and ignored us.¡±


    Zhou Xiaoling paused, her face turning pale with beads of sweat dotting her forehead.


    ¡°Until¡­ one day.¡± Her body shuddered at a memory. Her sister, Zhou Xiaoyin, turned pale too, clutching Zhou Xiaoling¡¯s hand as they hugged tightly for comfort.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Yu Hong glanced at the silver protective rune array behind the door to confirm it was still intact before turning his attention back to them.


    ¡°That day¡­¡± Zhou Xiaoling trembled more violently. She lowered her head and bit her lip as if consumed by fear. Her words were barely audible.


    ¡°What?¡± Yu Hong leaned forward, trying to catch her words.


    ¡°That day¡­ she¡­¡± Zhou Xiaoling¡¯s face turned white as she shrank into herself, trembling uncontrollably. Her words were fragmented, quivering with terror. ?????????????


    ¡°Can you speak up? I can¡¯t hear you,¡± Yu Hong urged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Zhou Xiaoling nodded quickly, ready to continue.


    But at that moment, her body froze, her expression vacant.


    She was as rigid as a wax statue, her wide eyes filled with terror¡ªfixed not on Yu Hong, but on something behind him.


    Yu Hong instantly felt something was wrong. Grabbing his spiked club, he swung it behind him.


    Whoosh!


    The spiked club whooshed through empty air.


    Seeing no threat, Yu Hong quickly leaned against the door and turned back to Zhou Xiaoling.


    ¡°What did you see?¡±


    Silence.


    Yu Hong blinked in surprise.


    The Zhou sisters had vanished!


    ¡°Did they hide?¡± he wondered.


    If they crouched in a blind spot of the viewing window, they could avoid his line of sight.


    He knelt down and knocked on the door.


    Knock, knock.


    ¡°Zhou Xiaoling? Are you there?¡± he called.


    No response. Just an eerie, empty silence.


    Yu Hong called out several more times, but still received no answer.


    Thinking carefully, he donned his white bear bulletproof suit, armed himself with the spiked club, and grabbed the silver rune array. His hand hesitated on the doorknob.


    ¡°Wait. What if I run into that Whisperer? Or what if the Zhou sisters were bait for an ambush?¡± He loosened his grip on the doorknob.


    ¡°Better to wait. If they¡¯re hiding, they¡¯ll make some noise eventually. Whether they¡¯re genuine or a trap, panicking now won¡¯t help.¡±


    Yu Hong sat cross-legged by the door, patiently waiting.


    Time ticked by.


    Ten minutes.


    Half an hour.


    An hour.


    Two hours.


    Thunder rumbled. It looked like rain was coming. But there was still no sound outside, and the red value detector remained calm.


    Night was falling.


    Yu Hong exhaled deeply and drank a cup of water.


    Then he returned to the door.


    Gripping the doorknob again, this time with greater resolve, he thought, ¡°There¡¯s been no movement for hours. The Zhou sisters must be in trouble. I need to check¡ªwhatever happened, it¡¯s in front of my door. I have to see.¡±


    Click.


    The door handle turned, and the door creaked open.


    Yu Hong stepped outside, spiked club in hand.


    No one was there.


    The courtyard was empty, just as it had been earlier. The Luminous grass plants were lush and vibrant again.


    But¡­


    Crouching down, Yu Hong examined the ground.


    The ground was covered with white luminous stone powder¡ªa byproduct of his stone excavation.


    His own large footprints were clearly visible.


    But something was wrong.


    There were no other footprints.


    The Zhou sisters had stood here for a long time. So where were their footprints?


    Yu Hong¡¯s eyes darkened as he searched the courtyard.


    He found nothing but his own tracks. No sign of anyone else.


    ¡°If only my footprints are here, where did those two go? Were they even human?¡± A thread of doubt surfaced in Yu Hong¡¯s mind.


    Glancing around, he felt a growing sense of foreboding.


    Returning inside, he locked the door, armed himself with his pistol and knife, and stuffed two silver rune plates into his chest pocket.


    He hurried out of the cave and headed to the post office to find Li Runshan. As a mailman, Li might know something.


    Puff.


    Puff.


    Puff.


    Yu Hong walked quickly. With the sky darkening, he had to move swiftly and return promptly.


    In just ten minutes, he arrived at the post office.


    The stone post office was shrouded in darkness and silence.


    The windows were covered with thick black curtains, the door was tightly shut, and thorny, poisonous brambles surrounded the courtyard.


    Li Runshan, who usually enjoyed playing games with his daughter in the courtyard, was strangely silent.


    Yu Hong frowned and knocked on the wooden gate of the courtyard.


    Thud, thud, thud.


    No response.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He squinted and knocked again.


    Still no movement.


    This wasn¡¯t normal. Even if Li Runshan thought it was a Ghostly shadow approaching, he should have exchanged passcodes with him.


    But there wasn¡¯t a single response.


    Yu Hong knocked again, this time much faster.


    Thud, thud, thud.


    Still no answer.


    After some thought, he left the post office and quickly headed back.


    He had planned to look for Old Zhou for some answers, but time didn¡¯t allow it.


    Glancing up at the sky, he saw thick clouds covering it. The darkness had descended much earlier than usual.


    Boom!


    A clap of thunder.


    Fine raindrops started to fall, hitting the grass with a faint sizzling sound.


    ¡°There¡¯s probably half an hour before it¡¯s completely dark,¡± Yu Hong estimated, quickening his pace.


    Living in such an environment had taught him to judge the night¡¯s approach by observing the sky.


    The journey back was uneventful, and he smoothly arrived at the courtyard. At the entrance to the mountain cave safe house, he took out his key to open the door.


    As soon as he stepped inside, the raindrops outside intensified in an instant.


    Rumble.


    Thunder rolled as heavy rain poured down, beating the luminous grass into trembling submission.


    Yu Hong switched on the electric lamp, and the bright white light immediately made him feel much safer.


    After removing his suit, he returned to the door and looked outside through the viewing window¡¯s glass pane.


    ¡°Could the Zhou Xiaoling sisters be Ghostly shadow? But Ghostly shadow don¡¯t usually act so naturally. It¡¯s impossible for them to have spoken for so long and with such ease. But if they weren¡¯t Ghostly shadows, why didn¡¯t they leave any footprints outside?¡±


    Yu Hong couldn¡¯t make sense of it.


    He had originally intended to ask Li Runshan for information on the Whisperers, but the attempt had been fruitless.


    His instincts told him that this Whisperer was probably more troublesome and dangerous than the withered maiden he had encountered before.


    Watching the pouring rain outside, he quietly sat inside the safe cave. After resting for a while, he got up and resumed training in heavy leg techniques.


    The eighth strand of internal energy was gradually forming again.


    According to the heavy leg technique¡¯s manual, completing nine strands of internal energy would almost fully enhance his body. Once the enhancement succeeded, he could move to the second level¡ªtraining the second move, the side-body grab and kick.


    The technique had three levels in total. It was simple, easy to learn, and well-suited to him.


    Feeling on the verge of a breakthrough, Yu Hong relaxed, clearing his mind of recent events to focus entirely on training.


    After over an hour of training, he started a fire and cooked some food.


    Late at night, after confirming there were no black insects outside, Yu Hong finally lay down and crawled into his sleeping bag to rest.


    ¡°Yu Hong?¡±


    ¡°Yu Hong?¡±


    In the dead of night.


    Half-asleep, Yu Hong frowned as he was gradually awakened by a clear voice calling his name.


    Groggily, he squinted at the glowing white rune patterns on the cave ceiling.


    The grayish-white stone walls, the luminous rune patterns, and the rough rocky texture all looked the same as before.


    The air was filled with a mixture of mushroom, jerky, protein bar soup, and moldy scents.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 72: Night Rain (2)

    ¡°Yu Hong, why are you still asleep?¡±


    A familiar voice suddenly sounded by Yu Hong¡¯s ear.


    Under the lamp¡¯s glow, he was startled and quickly looked around. He found himself still alone in the cave. There were no living people or ominous figures outside the door.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± He leaped out of his sleeping bag and grabbed a silver rune array, scanning his surroundings warily.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for so long! You said we¡¯d have a team-building activity, but everyone found you asleep at home and couldn¡¯t wake you up. So, they sent you to the hospital. You¡¯ve been lying here for two days. Luckily, you¡¯re starting to respond. Otherwise, they would¡¯ve brought in specialists for a rare case consultation.¡± The voice continued.


    Yu Hong meticulously inspected every corner of the cave to determine the source of the voice.


    But to his disappointment, there was nothing around.


    The voice grew fainter and more distant, like a radio signal fading.


    ¡°Chen Huiru? Is that you?¡± He suddenly recognized the voice as belonging to his closest female colleague at work.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. How could you forget me after only two days? Can you see me? Can you see my hand waving?¡± Chen Huiru asked.


    Yu Hong stayed silent.


    ¡°It seems your illness is affecting your vision,¡± Chen Huiru said, her voice tinged with concern.


    Another male colleague¡¯s voice followed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The company is covering 80% of Yu¡¯s medical expenses. The hospital specialists are paying close attention and have a treatment plan in place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about his eyesight¡ªit¡¯s not improving. This could be tricky.¡± Another voice came from nearby.


    ¡°Put the gifts by the bed. Visiting hours are over soon,¡± a nurse¡¯s impatient voice instructed.


    ¡°Nurse, could you tell us how Yu Hong is doing?¡± Chen Huiru asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s okay, but he sees things in his dreams. He¡¯s even attacked doctors while sleepwalking. Be careful,¡± the nurse warned impatiently. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yu Hong stood in his safe house, emotionless as he listened to the voices around him.


    He poured a glass of water, downed it in one go, and waited to see what the voices would do next.


    ¡°The patient¡¯s trapped in his dream world. You visiting helps bring him back to reality,¡± the nurse explained.


    ¡°We understand,¡± Chen Huiru replied.


    ¡°We¡¯ll come when we can,¡± another colleague added.


    The group¡¯s footsteps and the sound of the door closing followed.


    Yu Hong walked to the door and looked at the pouring rain outside. His thoughts grew chaotic.


    ¡°Was that the Whisperer?¡± he pondered. ¡°Or am I really dreaming? Is all of this just my imagination?¡±


    He touched the rough, cold door, feeling the world¡¯s reality.


    Then, he built a fire and started cooking.


    The flames leapt, radiating warmth throughout the cave.


    As he added more wood, his hand suddenly felt empty¡ªthere was no more firewood.


    ¡°We¡¯re out of firewood,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± Chen Huiru¡¯s voice echoed.


    Yu Hong froze and looked around again. Still, nothing. He was alone.


    ¡°He¡¯s talking in his sleep again,¡± said another nurse. ¡°Only breaking free from the dream will wake him.¡±


    ¡°How can he break free? Sometimes it¡¯s funny, but mostly it¡¯s just sad,¡± Chen Huiru¡¯s voice added.


    ¡°He¡¯s getting brain surgery soon. A brain tumor¡¯s been causing his coma. Once removed, he should recover,¡± the nurse explained.


    Yu Hong sat by the fireplace, expressionless.


    The voices faded, replaced by the sound of something being sawed.


    It was a sharp, grating noise, accompanied by Chen Huiru¡¯s soft humming.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see you again. Here¡¯s some fruit. Your surgery is soon. You¡¯ll recover if you cooperate with the doctors,¡± Chen Huiru¡¯s voice continued.


    Yu Hong ate in silence and picked up a red-level detector¡ªone of his spoils of war.


    The readings were steady and normal.


    He put down the detector, walked to the door, and opened the observation window.


    Rain poured down, creating a misty, obscured view.


    He stood at the door, unmoving, watching the rain.


    *


    *


    * *


    At the post office¡¯s underground room, Li Runshan read a book with his daughter Aisena.


    ¡°Dad, I think I heard Uncle Yu knocking earlier,¡± Aisena said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not our concern. You misheard,¡± Li Runshan smiled.


    ¡°But I really heard it!¡± she insisted.


    ¡°Even if you did, we can¡¯t respond. Whisperer have invaded, and any response spreads infection,¡± Li sighed. ¡°They¡¯re invisible to red-level detectors. They lure victims with their deepest desires, making them believe reality is fake.¡± ?¨¢??????¨º?


    ¡°That¡¯s terrifying,¡± Aisena shivered.


    ¡°I wanted to leave a note for Yu, but¡­¡± Li recalled the scene and narrowed his eyes.


    Ten minutes ago.


    Hearing knocking, Li went to the surface and threw a paper ball out the window.


    The paper hit Yu, but he stood motionless, mechanically knocking on the door and repeating, ¡°Is anyone there? Open the door.¡±


    He was straight-backed and weaponless.


    Alarmed, Li remembered the Whisperer¡¯s profile and shut the window.


    Yu left shortly after, ignoring the paper ball.


    ¡°How can we fight a language shadow?¡± Aisena asked.


    ¡°Once infected, danger grows until full outbreak at 12 hours. The only solution is enough luminous stones,¡± Li explained.


    ¡°How many?¡± Aisena asked.


    ¡°20 to 30 Great stones,¡± Li answered.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine¡ªhe has plenty,¡± Aisena said.


    Li said nothing but felt uneasy.


    He couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene when he saw Yu Hong earlier.


    ¡®Judging by the timing, if I saw him just as he got infected, then now, the critical moment should be approaching.¡¯


    At this thought, a trace of worry flashed across his face. He had invested so much in Yu Hong¡ªif the kid died, it would be a huge loss.


    *


    *


    *


    Inside the cave shelter.


    Yu Hong looked at the heavy rain outside and let out a long sigh before turning to rest.


    Bang.


    Suddenly, a gunshot rang out in the pouring rain.


    ¡°Run!!¡± A very familiar female voice shouted immediately after the gunshot.


    This was followed by hurried footsteps and labored breathing.


    Yu Hong¡¯s whole body trembled. He rushed back to the viewing window to look outside.


    But the rain was too heavy¡ªhe couldn¡¯t see anything.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two more gunshots quickly followed.


    ¡°Yi Yi!¡± Another familiar female voice called out. ¡°Run! I¡¯ll draw him away!¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± A stuttering voice responded.


    Hearing this, Yu Hong could no longer hold back. He quickly changed into a lighter reinforced gray lizard suit, grabbed his wolf-tooth club, and rushed out the door.


    Crack.


    Lightning split the sky, illuminating everything in a pale white light.


    Yu Hong sprinted in the direction of the voices, crossing the yard and plunging into the rain.


    His heavy footsteps left clear imprints on the ground as he ran.


    However, just as he left the yard, he suddenly stopped and quickly looked ahead.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡±


    In front of him, all he could see was rain and trees swaying in the wind.


    The dark morning forest was empty¡ªthere was no one but him.


    ¡®Yi Yi should be far away in Hope City. How could she suddenly appear here?¡¯


    Realizing something was wrong, his inner energy surged, and he spun around, sprinting back to the yard.


    The yard was covered with lumious grass, which gave him a strong sense of security.


    Once back in the yard, he decided not to go out again and headed straight back to the cave.


    But just as he opened the door and stepped inside, a heavy sound came from behind.


    Boom!!


    ¡°Yi Yi!¡± Dr. Xu¡¯s cry sounded again.


    ¡°Your leg! What happened to your leg?!¡± she cried out.


    Crack.


    Hearing the voice, Yu Hong¡¯s grip on the club tightened until it made a cracking sound.


    He forced himself to resist the urge to run out and investigate, leaning against the wall and taking deep breaths.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 73: Night Rain (3)

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me. Don¡¯t try to fool me,¡± Yu Hong muttered under his breath. He closed his eyes, shutting out the world, and focused only on the sound of his own voice.


    The mountain cave¡¯s safe house now had the full effect of a luminous stone chamber. Because of the rune Arrays used, the radiation levels were lower and safer than the original version.


    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t go out, you can¡¯t harm me. As long as I don¡¯t go out,¡± he repeated.


    Now, as he thought back, he was increasingly certain that everything strange started when the Zhou Xiaoling sisters arrived.


    Before they came, his surroundings had been normal, with no sudden noises. But after their arrival, everything changed.


    Yu Hong remained motionless, leaning against the wall like a statue.


    The outside noises persisted for more than ten minutes, then gradually faded, leaving only the sound of rain.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t move and continued to lean against the wall, waiting for time to pass.


    After another half hour, when he was certain there were no more sounds, he finally relaxed and stood up.


    He poured a glass of water and drank it down in one gulp before checking the runic arrays in the safe house. Everything was intact, which eased his mind.


    He now had three silver Runic arrays stored, over twenty standard Runic arrays, and more than ten Great luminous stones.


    The Great luminous stones had a red value of around 80, the standard runes were around 100, and each silver rune was worth 500.


    This level of protection didn¡¯t even account for the fifty Runic arrays of various sizes engraved all over the cave¡¯s walls to create the luminous stone chamber.


    With these safeguards, Yu Hong wasn¡¯t afraid of any ghostly or Evil Shadows invading.


    But the voices¡­


    ¡®If they weren¡¯t Evil Shadows, could it be¡­ me?¡¯


    Yu Hong repeatedly checked his red-value detector. The readings were all normal, and there were no negative signs on his body from ghostly presences.


    He exhaled deeply, took off his bulletproof gear, and sat down by the fireplace to rest.


    ¡°Move him to the operating room. Everything¡¯s ready over there.¡±


    Suddenly, a steady male voice sounded in his ear.


    Yu Hong¡¯s entire body tensed, and he quickly heightened his vigilance, looking around.


    But there was nothing, just like before.


    He stood up.


    Soon, he heard the sound of wheels rolling.


    Then, the sound of a door opening and the ding of an elevator.


    Yu Hong began to feel uneasy. Before long, a faint buzzing sound reached him.


    ¡°The anesthetic has been administered. It¡¯s a little light, so he may have some awareness, but it¡¯s not a big issue,¡± the male voice said again.


    ¡°Increase the speed. Be mindful of the angle when performing the craniotomy. I¡¯ll try to make the incision as small as possible.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Doctor.¡±


    The piercing buzzing sound¡ªlike a cutting saw¡ªgrew louder and clearer.


    Yu Hong felt the hairs on his head stand on end. He could hear the saw¡¯s sound coming from the very center of the cave.


    He took a few steps, pinpointing the saw¡¯s location. Instinctively, he backed away.


    ¡°Prepare yourselves,¡± the doctor¡¯s voice said again. ¡°I¡¯m starting now.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The nurse¡¯s voice responded.


    The sharp buzzing sound moved closer to Yu Hong.


    Closer and closer.


    It felt like an invisible saw, suspended in midair, was inching toward his head.


    ¡°Still trying to trick me?!¡± Yu Hong clenched his wolf-toothed club and swung.


    But the club sliced through the air with no resistance¡ªthere wasn¡¯t even the usual whoosh sound.


    It was as if the world had become a silent film. Yu Hong couldn¡¯t hear anything except the approaching buzz of the saw.


    Sweat began to bead on his forehead, and his heart pounded faster.


    The entire safe house transformed into an operating room in his ears.


    ¡°Restrain the patient. Don¡¯t let him struggle or break free,¡± the doctor¡¯s calm voice ordered.


    ¡°Got it,¡± two nurses replied. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The buzzing saw moved even closer.


    Yu Hong¡¯s sweat poured down, and his muscles tensed more and more.


    He checked the red-value detector repeatedly, dropping the club and grabbing a silver rune formation.


    But it was no use.


    The detector showed normal readings, and the silver rune formation remained unspent.


    The buzz was now so close it seemed to brush his forehead, just barely touching his hair.


    Almost there.


    Almost ready to cut.


    ¡°Hold him down. He¡¯s still struggling because of the light anesthetic,¡± the doctor¡¯s voice commanded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll count to three, then apply pressure together.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Got it.¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s tension skyrocketed. He didn¡¯t know which side to trust.


    If he trusted the voices, he should flee immediately.


    If he trusted reality, he needed to stay in the safe house and remain still.


    Thunk!


    Suddenly, he rolled away from his spot.


    But it didn¡¯t help. All he could hear were the doctor, the nurses, and the saw.


    Any other sounds he made¡ªthe rustling of objects he bumped into¡ªvanished. Everything became a soundless pantomime.


    ¡°Three.¡±


    The doctor began counting down. The saw hovered at his forehead.


    ¡°Two.¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s eyes widened. He brandished the silver rune, trying to ward off the voices, but nothing worked.


    His body tensed until it hurt.


    A bone-chilling sensation spread from his forehead, as though a sharp object was getting closer and closer.


    ¡°One!¡± the doctor¡¯s voice shouted again. It felt like an echo.


    ¡°Aaaaahhh!!!¡± Yu Hong roared, unleashing a frenzied scream!


    Gripping the silver rune in one hand and the wolf-toothed club in the other, his inner energy erupted, enveloping his body. A faint, transparent layer of hardened skin appeared beneath his flesh. ?§Ñ£Î§à??S?


    ¡°Go to hell!!!¡±


    He charged forward, slamming his head into the corner piled with rune boards.


    ¡°Two!¡±


    Yu Hong curled up in the corner, frantically pressing runes and luminous stones against himself. He chose to trust what he could see!


    ¡°Three!!!¡±


    Buzz!!!


    A loud buzzing exploded in his ears.


    The cave lights flickered wildly, oscillating between bright and dark.


    Transparent, water-like gel oozed from Yu Hong¡¯s body, seeping through his clothes. The runes around his head emitted a powerful force that evaporated the gel as soon as it touched the air.


    The runes across the cave glowed faintly, seemingly warding off an unseen threat.


    All the luminous stones began to shine, especially the three silver Runic arrays, which radiated intense silver light.


    They unleashed invisible energy, merging with the other Runic arrays to create a force field that suppressed the gel flowing from Yu Hong¡¯s body.


    The red-value detector¡¯s numbers plummeted¡ªfrom 3500 at the start to 2000, then lower.


    Ten seconds.


    Twenty seconds.


    Thirty seconds.


    The detector hit zero and beeped an alarm.


    Whoosh!


    The gel stopped oozing. The last bit evaporated, leaving Yu Hong surrounded by spent rune boards turned gray and lifeless.


    The three silver runes were also depleted, drained of their power.


    Over half of the wall¡¯s Runic arrays dimmed, leaving only a third barely operational.


    One minute later, silence returned.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Yu Hong slowly stood up, shaking his head.


    His eyes landed on the pile of spent rune boards.


    His face darkened as he grabbed one to inspect it.


    ¡°All used up¡­¡±


    He checked the silver runes. They too were drained.


    ¡°So I wasn¡¯t wrong. The voices were trying to force me out of the cave, away from the protective runes!¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s mind cleared.


    Thinking back, he understood. The voices¡ªthose of coworkers, surgery staff, Little Stutterer, and Doctor Xu¡ªwere all traps meant to lure him away from the safe house.


    But he held firm. Even at the last moment, he didn¡¯t give in to their deception.


    ¡°What were they? Could it be¡­ the Whisperer?!¡±


    Panting, Yu Hong grabbed the silver rune and began restoring it with the black seal.


    When the countdown started, he put the rune board down and stood up.


    Only then did he realize he was soaked with sweat.


    Recalling the earlier events sent chills down his spine.


    The voice of Little Stutterer, in particular, had almost convinced him to leave. Thankfully, he noticed the danger and rushed back just in time.


    ¡°It seems safe now,¡± Yu Hong muttered as he checked the cave once more. After ensuring there were no more sounds, he spent half an hour tidying up before relaxing.


    While waiting for the silver rune¡¯s restoration, he walked to the door, opened the viewing window, and peered outside.


    ¡°!!¡±


    The once-vibrant luminous grass in the courtyard had withered, turning black and lifeless, as if struck by a deadly frost.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression darkened. He shut the window and stopped looking.


    After scanning the cave, he sat cross-legged by the spent luminous stones. Covering himself with a luminous stone blanket, he closed his eyes to rest.


    This time, there were no sounds.


    He slept peacefully until dawn.


    When he awoke, bright sunlight streamed through the window slits.


    He threw off the luminous blanket and stood. The silver rune had finished restoring, so he swapped it with the one behind the door.


    Grabbing another depleted silver rune, he began its restoration.


    Dressed in reinforced white bear gear and wielding his wolf-toothed club, Yu Hong resumed his daily heavy-leg training.


    His inner energy had fully replenished. Now, he was ready to push toward the eighth layer. Once achieved, he¡¯d only be one step away from the ninth layer, which would bring a full-body enhancement and unlock the second move of heavy-leg training.


    Although he wanted to visit the post office and question Li Runshan, yesterday¡¯s events still haunted him. His nerves hadn¡¯t fully recovered.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 74: Night Rain (4)

    After enduring over an hour of heavy leg training, Yu Hong¡¯s mood completely stabilized. He then ate a protein bar and drank a full cup of water.


    Only then did he put on the red value detector and the second restored silver symbol array, and opened the door.


    Thud.


    He jumped down the stone steps and looked at a patch of withered and blackened Luminous grass, his mood heavy.


    The attack that happened yesterday really exceeded expectations. He couldn¡¯t imagine how anyone other than him survived an attack of such power and intensity.


    ¡®Perhaps they have other methods to avoid direct confrontation, just like the Luminous stone mats,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    Walking out of the yard, suddenly, the value on the red value detector changed.


    It dropped from a positive single digit to a negative single digit.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression shifted, and he quickly moved the detector to pinpoint which direction¡¯s radiation was affecting the value.


    Soon, he held the detector up and found a small patch of luminous stone grass growing outside the yard on the right side.


    The luminous stone grass here seemed to have survived because it was farther from the cave and had not participated in yesterday¡¯s major confrontation.


    Yu Hong¡¯s mood brightened, and the heavy feeling seemed to ease a bit. He quickly dug up the grass and transplanted it into the yard in front of the cave.


    After doing all this, he spent more than ten minutes and then walked briskly toward the post office.


    *


    *


    *


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Outside the post office stone house.


    Yu Hong knocked on the fence with force.


    This time, it didn¡¯t take long. The stone house was soon opened, and a tall, muscular man, carefully carrying a little girl on his back, walked out.


    It was Li Runshan.


    Slap.


    Li Runshan threw a crumpled piece of paper towards him.


    Yu Hong caught it and unfolded it.


    ¡°Did you hear any invisible sounds around you? If you did, don¡¯t speak. We¡¯ll communicate by writing.¡±


    Yu Hong quickly thought of yesterday¡¯s experience and the strange behavior of the Zhou Xiaoling sisters. He nodded solemnly.


    Soon, the two of them communicated by writing on the ground with stones, across the fence.


    ¡°When you came here yesterday, I also gave you a paper ball, but you didn¡¯t even look at it. You just knocked and shouted, and your expression was strange.¡± Li Runshan wrote seriously. ?£Á¦­??¨ºs?


    ¡°I did come yesterday,¡± Yu Hong furrowed his brows. ¡°But I only knocked on the door, I didn¡¯t shout anything!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t shout? Impossible. I came out and still heard you calling me, and even calling my daughter¡¯s name,¡± Li Runshan wrote.


    Yu Hong paused for a moment and carefully recalled. After practicing his martial arts, his energy had greatly increased, and he could remember things clearly, especially something that happened only yesterday.


    He wrote with certainty: ¡°I¡¯m sure. I only knocked on the door. I didn¡¯t shout your names. I was waiting for you to respond with a signal after I knocked, but you didn¡¯t make any sound.¡±


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s the influence of the ¡®Whisperer¡¯,¡± Li Runshan¡¯s expression turned grim.


    He quickly shared the report on the Whisperer with Yu Hong. Yu Hong also recounted everything he had experienced yesterday.


    After their exchange, Li Runshan¡¯s eyes were more serious than ever.


    ¡°I¡¯ve received information that a convoy heading this way was coming from Yuhe City, where the Whisperer outbreak occurred. So, this convoy most likely brought the Whisperers here.¡± He quickly wrote. After Yu Hong read it, Li Runshan wiped it off and wrote again.


    ¡°The Zhou Xiaoling sisters you met yesterday are probably one form of infection from the Whisperers. Fortunately, your place has a lot of talismans and Luminous stones, which resisted the sound¡¯s trickery. You didn¡¯t leave the cave, or the consequences would have been unimaginable!¡±


    ¡°So, what should we do now?¡± Yu Hong felt the situation was quite tricky.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not speak for now. Let¡¯s communicate by writing for the time being,¡± Li Runshan said. ¡°You¡¯ve already survived one outbreak of the Whisperer infection last night, so you should be safe for now. I plan to check out the convoy. If possible, we¡¯ll completely eliminate them, to avoid them being a constant threat.¡±


    ¡°How do we eliminate them?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s eyes turned sharp as he quickly wrote.


    ¡°According to the wireless communication feedback, the current solution for dealing with the Whisperers is to clear all infected beings. As long as there are no infected beings within one kilometer, they¡¯ll naturally dissipate over time and vanish,¡± Li Runshan replied.


    ¡°Good!¡± Yu Hong quickly nodded. Yesterday, he nearly died. If he had rushed out of the cave without the arrays protecting him, he would have certainly been done for.


    Such a dangerous evil must not be allowed to linger nearby!


    ¡°By the way, go check on Old Zhou and ask him to join us,¡± Yu Hong added.


    Li Runshan nodded.


    The two quickly packed up their things, took paper and pens with them¡ªYu Hong didn¡¯t have paper, so he borrowed some from Li Runshan.


    After making sure Aisena was settled and warned her not to respond to any outside sounds, they quickly left the post office and headed toward Old Zhou¡¯s house.


    The post office and Old Zhou¡¯s house were only a few hundred meters apart, just across a small hill.


    They soon arrived at Old Zhou¡¯s hole. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Li Runshan stepped forward and knocked on the door with a wooden stick.


    No response.


    His face slightly changed, and he knocked again, rhythmically.


    Knock, knock. Knock. Knock, knock, knock.


    They waited after knocking.


    Still no response.


    Li Runshan and Yu Hong exchanged glances. One went to the door, the other to the window.


    ¡°Who?¡± Suddenly, Old Zhou¡¯s voice came from behind the door. ¡°Who¡¯s out there!?¡±


    His voice was filled with vigilance, fear, and terror, as if he had just been startled.


    Li Runshan pressed his lips tight and knocked again with the wooden stick.


    Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock.


    ¡°Who¡¯s knocking!? Go away!¡± Old Zhou¡¯s voice rang out again, this time mixed with fear and anger.


    Li Runshan frowned, tore off a piece of paper, wrote something on it, and slid it into the door¡¯s ventilation hole.


    He pushed it hard.


    The paper rolled into a strip and was squeezed through.


    But after only two seconds.


    Snap.


    The sound of the paper falling to the ground came from inside.


    ¡°Who¡¯s out there!? Respond!¡± Old Zhou¡¯s voice came again, ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡±


    Click.


    The sound of a gun¡¯s safety being unlocked came from inside the door.


    Yu Hong remained unfazed and stepped forward, blocking Li Runshan. His reinforced white bear suit had already been tested and could withstand close-range gunfire.


    ¡°Respond!!¡± Old Zhou shouted from inside.


    Suddenly, a piece of paper was pushed to Yu Hong¡¯s side: Open the door.


    Yu Hong¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he drew his gun, shooting at the door lock.


    Bang!!


    A large hole appeared in the door lock.


    The power of the reinforced handgun was fully demonstrated, even startling Yu Hong himself, not to mention Li Runshan behind him.


    Both of them shuddered, looking at the broken door lock and the still-smoking barrel of the gun.


    Bang.


    Yu Hong was the first to react, kicking the door open.


    The door swung wide.


    Everything was silent.


    The two stood outside, motionless.


    They simply looked inside the door, at the lifeless body of Old Zhou on the ground, his eyes wide open, his mouth agape, but with a smile on his face, a strange, delighted smile.


    It seemed that before he died, he wasn¡¯t frightened, but rather had welcomed death, getting everything he wanted.


    ¡°This is the Whisperer.¡± Li Runshan wrote a line for Yu Hong.


    Then he stepped forward to deal with Old Zhou¡¯s body.


    Soon, a fire started, consuming Old Zhou along with everything around him.


    Thick smoke billowed, and Li Runshan and Yu Hong didn¡¯t have time to adjust their emotions before they quickly headed back, first checking on Aisena to ensure she was safe. Only then did they start moving toward the highway.


    According to Li Runshan¡¯s information, the convoy was coming from the highway, using the main road.


    The two walked cautiously, stopping occasionally, always on alert for anything that might happen.


    No one dared speak, afraid that something might sneak into their conversation, into their voices.


    In this eerie silence, they soon found the bus convoy parked by the roadside.


    Five buses, all gray-white, with thick white metal plating on the lower halves of the vehicles, and many thick wooden planks nailed up inside the windows as shields.


    The two were about to approach the buses when suddenly, Li Runshan gestured for Yu Hong to stop.


    He picked up a rock the size of an egg and threw it forcefully toward the buses.


    In the sunlight, the stone flew out of the forest, passed through the air in a perfect arc, and struck the roof of the second-to-last bus.


    Clang.


    The rock shattered on impact, rolling down the front-right side.


    A complete silence.


    None of the five buses made a sound. No one responded.


    Seeing this, Li Runshan¡¯s expression grew even more serious. He took out a magnesium stick and exchanged a glance with Yu Hong.


    The two split up and moved toward the convoy from opposite sides.


    A few minutes later.


    The two reached the last bus, one on the left and one on the right.


    Yu Hong, wearing his reinforced white bear suit and holding a wolf tooth club, with all his defensive points maxed, extended his club to hook the bus door handle.


    He pulled it outward.


    Creek.


    The metal door opened with ease.


    It wasn¡¯t even locked!


    The gray-white bus door, which wasn¡¯t even properly latched, was effortlessly pulled open by Yu Hong.


    The inside was pitch dark, so dark that even the bright sunlight outside could only light up a small area around the door.


    Yu Hong looked at Li Runshan, who had circled around. Li Runshan signaled him to go inside.


    He nodded and, using his wolf tooth club to clear the way, pulled out the silver talismans hidden in his outer pocket.


    With one foot on the door step, he used it to jump and entered the bus.


    Poof.


    Suddenly, his body swayed, and he retreated again.


    Standing at the bus door, he acted as if he had sprained his ankle.


    Li Runshan gestured to him, but Yu Hong repeatedly shook his head, pointing at his ankle to indicate that he couldn¡¯t continue, his foot hurting badly, and that it was up to Li Runshan now.


    Yu Hong cupped his hands in apology, stepping back.


    Li Runshan: ¡°.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he saw Yu Hong moving smoothly as he stepped back, and knowing that Yu Hong had specifically trained his legs, and if his IQ wasn¡¯t still relatively normal, he might have actually believed the act.


    At a loss for words, Li Runshan shook his head and pointed to himself, signaling that it was his turn.


    Armed with a machete and a stack of talismans he bought from Yu Hong, he moved toward the bus door.


    Poof.


    Suddenly, his body hunched over, clutching his stomach in a painful manner, and he began retreating again.


    As he backed up, he also pointed at Yu Hong, making hand gestures to show that his stomach was hurting unbearably, that he couldn¡¯t handle it, and couldn¡¯t straighten his back.


    The daunting task of exploring the bus interior had to fall to Yu Hong now.


    Yu Hong was speechless.


    Watching this guy try to outdo him in acting, neither of them wanted to take the first step into the unknown.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 75: Unexpected Developments (1)

    ¡°I really have a stomachache!¡± Li Runshan wrote quickly, his expression a mix of shame and annoyance.


    ¡°I really twisted my leg!¡± Yu Hong was unwilling to back down, hastily writing his response while patting his own thigh.


    The two men stood in a standoff, neither willing to concede.


    After more than half a minute, Li Runshan, ultimately concerned about his daughter, decided not to waste any more time. His expression hardened, and he took the initiative.


    However, instead of entering the vehicle directly, he moved to the side of the bus and smashed the window with a heavy blow.


    Bang!


    The glass shattered instantly, but the inside was blocked by nailed wooden boards, preventing any view of the interior.


    Without hesitation, Li Runshan pulled out a magnesium rod, ignited a rag he had found from somewhere, and stuffed it into the crack of the broken window.


    The moment it was in, he turned and ran, signaling to Yu Hong as he did.


    Yu Hong immediately followed suit, both men sprinting forty to fifty meters away before turning back to observe the bus.


    Inside, flames had already started to spread, faint red light flickering through the cracks.


    ¡°What kind of fabric burns that well?¡± Yu Hong wrote curiously.


    ¡°Special oil cloth. As long as it works, that¡¯s all that matters,¡± Li Runshan responded casually, his eyes fixed on the burning vehicle.


    Time passed as they watched the fire grow stronger, flames squeezing out through doors and windows. Li Runshan gave a small nod of satisfaction.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move to the second vehicle and do the same,¡± he wrote.


    Yu Hong was speechless. If we were going to do this, why bother pretending to check the buses first?


    Shaking his head, he followed Li Runshan, torching one bus after another. Clearly, Li had been prepared¡ªeach time, he stuffed a strip of that special oil cloth into the smashed windows, igniting the wooden panels inside. The fire quickly engulfed the interiors.


    One by one, five buses turned into blazing torches, illuminating the surrounding forest in an eerie glow.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Li Runshan wrote. ¡°As long as the bodies carrying the language entities are completely burned, we¡¯ll be safe. The biggest danger with language entities is how easily they infect people through speech, especially when you don¡¯t know what they are.¡±


    Yu Hong nodded in complete agreement.


    That was how it had happened to him¡ªwithout knowledge of the shadow entities, avoiding infection was nearly impossible.


    No wonder the people who escaped from Yuhe City had all died on the way out.


    The two men stood near the fire, waiting until the flames fully consumed the vehicles and all the corpses within.


    There was no choice¡ªthe language entities were too dangerous, too covert. Before their influence was obvious, their victims often thought they were simply losing their minds. Worse yet, red-value detectors couldn¡¯t pick up their voices, making them nearly impossible to detect. ????¨¤????§°????§¦S?


    Maybe I should upgrade the red-value detector. If it could recognize problematic speech patterns, these entities wouldn¡¯t be as much of a threat. The thought flashed through Yu Hong¡¯s mind.


    As he stared at the burning buses, he suddenly felt a pang of worry for Little Stutterer.


    If she encounters a Whisperer¡­ Given her intelligence, she would likely fall victim to it immediately, just as he had.


    The detector upgrade is essential. At the same time, his silver array was struggling against the increasing power of the Ghostly shadow. Are they getting stronger, or were always more dangerous than the ?


    He turned to Li Runshan with the question.


    Li Runshan shook his head.


    ¡°Evil Shadows naturally grow stronger by killing. They evolve continuously, increasing their danger level until they reach war-grade, nightmare-grade, or even despair-grade. We even suspect that what we call Evil Shadows may very well have evolved from Ghostly Shadows.¡± ¡±


    He wrote a rather long passage, but the paper wasn¡¯t enough and ran out.


    So, he could only shrug helplessly at Yu Hong and stop.


    The two of them waited for over an hour, ensuring that all five buses were completely burned down before turning around and heading back the way they came.


    ¡°Oh, right. I have a suspicion about the Whisperers.¡± Li Runshan suddenly recalled the scene when he first saw Yu Hong¡ªYu Hong stood in front of the stone house, completely unresponsive to the paper ball he threw, as if he couldn¡¯t see it at all.


    He thought he should bring this up.


    ¡°That is, about earlier¡ª¡± Li Runshan had just started writing when¡ª


    Boom!


    A massive explosion suddenly erupted behind them.


    The two instinctively dove forward, turning their faces to look back.


    In the direction of the five buses, an even brighter fireball was blazing fiercely¡ªit was clear that one of the buses had exploded.


    ¡°This time, they¡¯re definitely done for.¡± Yu Hong picked up a rock and casually wrote on the ground.


    ¡°.Mm.¡± Li Runshan nodded. Looking at the bright flames, he suddenly wondered if bringing his daughter from the safety of Hope City to this place was really the right decision.


    ¡°Oh right, what were you trying to say just now?¡± Yu Hong wrote on the ground.


    ¡°Mm, about earlier.¡± Li Runshan responded, also writing with a stone.


    He told Yu Hong in detail what he had seen before. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°From the moment the Zhou sisters arrived, I should have already been affected visually.¡± Yu Hong replied.


    Old Li¡¯s reminder made him snap back to full awareness, realizing just how dangerous things had been for him before.


    Thinking back now, when he was in the cave, swinging the wolf-tooth club with no reaction¡ªit was very likely that he wasn¡¯t even holding it at all.


    The Whisperer¡¯s ability was growing increasingly terrifying the more he thought about it.


    The two got up shortly after and headed back the way they came.


    They first arrived at Yu Hong¡¯s stone house.


    ¡°After destroying the vessel, how long until I can speak normally again?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°About three days. Bear with it.¡± Li Runshan replied. ¡°When you¡¯re alone in the safehouse, you can talk freely, just don¡¯t respond to anything from outside.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    ¡°Alright then, see you later.¡± Old Li waved and hurried back toward the post office¡ªhe was clearly anxious to check on his daughter.


    Yu Hong stood in the courtyard, watching his figure disappear into the forest before turning around and heading up the steps into the house.


    In the next couple of days, he needed to quickly repair the rune arrays in the safehouse and complete the sealed chamber of luminous stone. Only then could he finally sleep well.


    Standing at the entrance, he glanced at the withered, blackened luminous stone grass outside and sighed.


    Bang.


    The door shut completely.


    The next morning, bright and early, Li Runshan came looking for Yu Hong. The two of them went back to the convoy site to check once again, confirming that the vehicles were completely burned to ashes. However, something strange stood out¡ªthere were no bodies inside.


    If there were no bodies, then how had these vehicles driven here in the first place?


    Neither of them could make sense of it.


    Still, knowing there were no bodies inside gave them a sense of relief.


    They searched the surrounding area again, making sure nothing was amiss and that no bodies had been overlooked. Only then did they feel reassured enough to return, just as dusk approached.


    On the third day, they repeated the process.


    Yu Hong was gradually beginning to feel at ease. Of course, this wasn¡¯t just because the Whisperer had been completely wiped out¡ªit was also thanks to the repairs he had made to the rune arrays on every wall of his safe house.


    He had successfully restored the integrity of the luminous stone chamber, once again activating its protective effects.


    At the same time, with the aid of internal energy stimulation, fresh luminous stone grass sprouted rapidly in the courtyard outside, covering the ground in a new layer of greenery.


    Although the young grass emitted only a weak radiation, it gave Yu Hong a deeper sense of security.


    After all, luminous stone grass could repel black insects and prevent ordinary eerie entities from disturbing his rest.


    On the fourth day, both men remained silent, still shaken by their encounter with the Whisperer. Neither stepped outside.


    They endured three more days like this.


    Then, on the day before the supply team¡¯s arrival¡ª


    Early in the morning, Li Runshan appeared outside Yu Hong¡¯s courtyard, carrying a large backpack.


    ¡°Xiao Yu?¡± He knocked on the door in a prearranged rhythm and called out softly.


    ¡°Are you there?¡± he asked in a hushed voice.


    Click.


    Yu Hong opened the door, fully dressed in his complete gear, standing in the doorway to block the view of the inside.


    ¡°We can finally speak again?¡± he exhaled, writing his words on a board.


    ¡°We still have to be careful. I just got word¡ªthis time, Yuhe City was hit hard. A sudden outbreak of Whisperer manifestations killed at least 200,000 people. The entire prefecture-level Hope City fell into ruin within days!¡± Old Li sighed.


    ¡°Two hundred thousand people¡­¡±


    Hearing that number, Yu Hong couldn¡¯t even fathom what it truly meant. But he knew¡ªwhen casualties were counted in the hundreds of thousands, it was an overwhelming disaster.


    If you lined up just over ten thousand people on a plain, it would already stretch beyond the horizon.


    And two hundred thousand¡­


    ¡°If unprepared, the killing power of a Whisperer is indeed unstoppable,¡± he sighed, responding.


    ¡°Now, the entire Yuhe City is gone. Even the three nearby Hope Cities have been affected, with an unknown number of casualties. The United Army headquarters is still in the midst of emergency relief operations,¡± Li Runshan said grimly. ¡°The People¡¯s Army has also been deployed. Even they suffered heavy losses just to establish a large quarantine zone to contain the spread of the Whisperer.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yu Hong had no words.


    And this was just an ¡°Evil Shadow¡± level threat¡ªone of the stronger ones in its category. There were three higher tiers beyond this. Who knew how terrifying they could be?


    In times like these¡­ how much longer could people even survive?


    ¡°You came looking for me¡ªdo you need my help with something?¡± Yu Hong asked. He knew that Li Runshan never showed up without a reason. Usually, it was Yu Hong seeking him out. If Li Runshan was coming to him this time, there had to be something. He wouldn¡¯t have come just to relay the news.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the situation. Given the massive casualties and the need to curb the rapid spread of the Evil Shadows, the higher-ups have increased production at the Silver Tower, setting up more manufacturing lines to mass-produce luminous stones and high-level rune arrays. So from now on, I won¡¯t be buying the luminous stones and rune arrays you make,¡± Li Runshan said seriously.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yu Hong was taken aback. That was possible?


    ¡°Of course, I still need them for personal use, but the purchase price will have to drop. Too many customers for rune arrays and luminous stones have died in this disaster. Plus, now that the farther Hope Cities are receiving direct supplies from the higher-ups, there¡¯s no way I can keep paying the old prices.


    Before, the supply team bought luminous stones and rune arrays from me to resell them at a higher price. But now, with demand plummeting, even the profit margin isn¡¯t enough to cover travel costs. So¡­ you get it,¡± Li Runshan raised an eyebrow at Yu Hong.


    ¡°¡­In that case, I can still repair high-level equipment, weapons, and some small machines,¡± Yu Hong thought for a moment and replied.


    ¡°That works too,¡± Li Runshan chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m setting up a large underground temperature-controlled farm. I need a sterilizing air circulation unit for it. I¡¯ve preordered a broken one from the supply team¡ªwhen it arrives, can you check it out and see if you can fix it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yu Hong was speechless.


    Was this guy deliberately buying broken ones just so he could have him fix them?

 Chapter 76: Unexpected Developments (2)

    After finalizing the plan to check on the repairs later, Yu Hong saw off Li Runshan and returned to his safe house to begin training in Heavy Leg Technique.


    Perhaps it was the good news today, or maybe it was the relief of finally being able to speak freely after days of silence, but as Yu Hong trained, he felt a newfound ease. The flow of internal energy in his body was smoother and faster than before.


    Barely ten minutes into his training¡ª


    A new internal energy thread quietly condensed and merged into his lower abdomen.


    The eighth internal energy thread had been successfully acquired. Now, only the ninth remained. Once fully condensed, as per the description of the Heavy Leg Technique, he would be able to use all nine threads to enhance his entire body, qualifying him to advance to the second level.


    Yu Hong was eager.


    So far, the Heavy Leg Technique had only boosted his low sweeping kick strength, but other vulnerabilities remained. Without protective gear, he doubted he could defeat a well-armed soldier.


    Of course, he had a gun now too, so in an actual fight, it would just come down to who was faster and more accurate¡ªmaking the Heavy Leg Technique somewhat pointless.


    After gulping down a large glass of water, Yu Hong set the cup aside and relished the growing strength in his body, his mood considerably improved.


    Over the past few days, he had poured all his time and energy into fortifying Great luminous Stones and rune arrays to guard against the Whisperers. Even silver rune arrays¡ªwhich were far more advanced¡ªhad been strengthened.


    Now that those reinforcements were complete and everything had returned to normal, he finally had the mental space to experiment with a long-standing idea.


    Enhancing the Detection Device


    Seated near the door, Yu Hong picked up a Red Value Detector and placed one hand on its surface.


    ¡°Enhance the Red Value Detector. Focus: Greater detection strength, improved sensitivity, higher durability.¡±


    If he only optimized it for Whisperer detection, it wouldn¡¯t be worth the effort. Other threats with high concealment abilities were bound to emerge in the future. A generalized upgrade would be the best approach.


    This was his thought process.


    Shortly after, black lines emerged, and a countdown timer flashed on the device¡¯s screen:


    ¡°5 hours, 12 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Yu Hong nodded in satisfaction.


    Just as he was about to confirm the enhancement, a sudden thought flashed through his mind.


    He paused.


    Retracting his hand, he stood up, grabbed a sheet of white paper, and a charcoal pencil. This was part of a bulk supply of paper he had purchased from Li Runshan¡¯s supply team¡ªa full thousand sheets, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t run out anytime soon.


    Holding the paper, Yu Hong quickly scrawled a title:


    ¡°Countermeasures Against Whisperer Attacks¡±


    Then, he meticulously wrote down every piece of information he had gathered from Li Runshan:


    Final Stage Outbreaks:


    When a Whisperer reaches its final stage, it will fully erupt.


    To counter this, a large quantity of Greater Luminous Stones is needed.


    Attack Mechanism:


    The primary mode of attack is sound-based communication.


    The infection process follows this sequence:


    Hearing a Whisperer¡¯s voice


    Responding


    The Whisperer successfully takes residence within the responder.


    Corpse as a Vessel:


    Whisperers require a corpse as a host.


    From the corpse¡¯s location, it selects targets within a set range.


    After ensuring he had written everything down clearly and comprehensively, Yu Hong set the charcoal pencil aside and reviewed his work.


    Then, he placed his hand on the paper.


    ¡°Enhance the Whisperer Countermeasures. Focus: Completing the information to perfection.¡±


    A surge of anticipation welled up within him. If this enhancement succeeded, it would mean any future threat could be addressed using the same method¡ªanalyzing data, integrating information, and refining strategies through Black Mark enhancements. ?????????S?


    However¡ª


    A black flash.


    ¡°Insufficient completeness.¡±The Black Mark¡¯s feedback echoed in his ears.


    Yu Hong¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Incomplete?¡±


    He recalled the experience of enhancing the Heavy Leg Technique and decided to try again¡ªthis time without specifying a detailed enhancement direction.


    Placing his hand back on the paper, he simply thought:


    ¡°Enhance the Whisperer Countermeasures.¡±


    No specifics, just a general command.


    A moment later¡ª


    A black line flowed from the Black Mark on his hand, seeping into the paper.


    ¡°Enhancement available. Confirm?¡±


    Success!


    Yu Hong couldn¡¯t suppress a smile.


    His eyes locked onto the newly appeared countdown timer on the paper:


    ¡°3 hours, 56 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Only four hours!¡±


    Without hesitation, he confirmed the enhancement.


    A hissing sound.


    The countdown on the paper began to tick, with the numbers decreasing by one minute, marking the official start of the timer.


    Yu Hong let out a breath of relief, carefully picked up the paper, and placed it away from the fireplace. He pressed it down with two rune array wooden boards to keep it safe.


    Then, he quickly put on his outfit and went outside to gather firewood and dig for wild vegetables.


    Four hours wasn¡¯t a long time. By the time Yu Hong returned and sorted the firewood and wild vegetables into separate piles, the countdown was almost over.


    With anticipation, he took out the paper and laid it flat on the wooden table, waiting in silence. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The final minute of the countdown remained frozen on the paper.


    Any moment now.


    Soon, he would finally be able to confirm whether this method could truly yield the desired results.


    Yu Hong was filled with expectation.


    Because if this method worked, it would mean he could fully utilize the Black Mark to gather and integrate various pieces of information, ultimately finding a more complete and effective way to resolve the Black Disaster!


    *


    *


    *


    Stone House at the Post Office


    Li Runshan had gone out to gather vegetables and had yet to return.


    Left alone in the stone house, Aisena sat at the wooden table, bored, absentmindedly playing with a small wooden figurine.


    She twisted the figurine¡¯s arms back and forth, as if making it spin.


    Creak.


    One spin.


    Creak, creak.


    Two spins.


    Creak, creak, creak.


    Three¡ª


    Suddenly, Aisena¡¯s hands froze.


    She stared blankly at the figurine.


    Just now, she hadn¡¯t moved its arms at all.


    Then¡­ where had that sound come from?


    Her small face lifted as she looked toward the window.


    There was nothing outside.


    Without hesitation, Aisena jumped off the chair, ran to the bed, and wrapped herself tightly in the Luminous Stone Blanket. Clutching the wooden figurine, she curled up on the bed, hiding.


    She pulled the blanket over her head completely, staying silent, her face calm, waiting for time to pass.


    Ten minutes later.


    Still, nothing unusual happened outside.


    Aisena didn¡¯t remove the blanket and continued hiding.


    But just then, she heard footsteps¡ªcoming from outside the house.


    The sound grew closer.


    Under the Luminous Stone Blanket¡¯s protection, she couldn¡¯t hear the eerie voices of the Whisperers, so she knew the footsteps weren¡¯t from them.


    Still, she didn¡¯t move. She remained hidden, perfectly still.


    Tap, tap, tap.


    The footsteps approached, stopping at the door.


    Then, the sound of a key sliding into the lock.


    A faint click.


    The door opened.


    Then¡ªbang!


    It shut again, locked from the inside.


    ¡°Aisena, I¡¯m back!¡±


    Her father, Li Runshan¡¯s voice, rang out with a warm laugh.


    ¡°Daddy!!¡±


    Aisena threw off the Luminous Stone Blanket, her face lighting up with joy, and leaped off the bed, calling out.


    Silence.


    But the sight before her made the smile on her face slowly fade.


    The stone house was empty.


    No father.


    No voice.


    Only beams of light filtered through the cracks in the window, illuminating floating dust particles in the air.


    The room was completely silent.


    ¡°¡­Daddy?¡± Aisena called out cautiously.


    (Tl Note :- Noooooooooooo , curse u Whisperer, foul Whisperer¡­)


    *


    *


    *


    Under the Lamplight


    Yu Hong stared intently at the fading paper before him.


    The text on the white paper blurred momentarily¡ªthen sharpened again.


    New lines of writing emerged. Smaller. Denser. More precise.


    The title remained unchanged:


    ¡°Countermeasures Against Whisperer Attacks.¡±


    Below, the details expanded, still based on what he had originally written.


    But now, new information had been added.


    For example:


    The exact Red Value range of a Whisperer outbreak: Upper limit: 10,000. Lower limit: 3,000.The range of the Whisperer¡¯s host¡ªit could actually spread within a three-kilometer radius, not just one kilometer as Li Runshan had previously stated.The infection process wasn¡¯t just about asking and responding¡ªit was more severe.If anyone made any sound within five seconds after hearing a Whisperer¡¯s voice, they would be considered infected.


    Yu Hong read on, his expression growing heavier.


    And then¡ª


    At the bottom of the paper, a warning appeared in blood-red text:


    ¡°Warning: Once a Whisperer has killed over 10,000 medium to large lifeforms, it will undergo an evolutionary transformation and enter its Second Form. This transformation will trigger when all existing hosts within its range are destroyed. Its manifestation is¡ª¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s mind flashed back to what Li Runshan had told him:


    ¡°This time, Yuhe City suffered terribly. The sudden outbreak of Whisperer apparitions killed at least 200,000 people. The entire Hope City fell into ruin within days¡ªcompletely abandoned.¡±


    200,000 people?!


    ¡°Wait¡ª200,000 deaths should have triggered the Second Form! But when we burned the bus, why didn¡¯t we see it?!¡±


    A shiver ran down Yu Hong¡¯s spine.


    Then, realization struck him like lightning.


    ¡°The Second Form only appears when all hosts in its range have been wiped out. But we didn¡¯t see it back then, which means¡ª¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t burn all the hosts!!!¡±


    Disaster!


    Yu Hong shot to his feet, grabbed a wooden board to pin down the paper, and snatched up a Silver Rune Array, preparing to rush out and warn Li Runshan.


    If Li Runshan died, Yu Hong would be completely alone.


    No supply chains.


    No communication with the outside world.


    Nothing.


    And Aisena¡­


    Despite all the horrors he had witnessed, he refused to let that bright, cheerful girl die because of a single oversight.


    Bang!


    Yu Hong slammed the wooden door shut behind him.


    Equipping every rune array he had, gripping his wolf-tooth club, he rushed toward the post office.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 77: Handling the Situation (1)

    Afternoon, 15:00 ¨C 17:00


    Deep within the dense forest, between the scorched black trees and the normal ones, a tall and sturdy figure was sprinting at full speed toward the post office.


    At some point, the sky had become overcast with thick clouds.


    The howling wind tore through the surrounding branches and leaves, making them rustle violently.


    Yu Hong carried only a single silver rune array, which was far from enough to deal with the Whisperers. But his goal wasn¡¯t to confront them directly¡ªit was to give an early warning.


    By relying on his enhanced methods of dealing with Whisperers, he was able to confirm that they hadn¡¯t been eradicated. However, Li Runshan and his daughter didn¡¯t know that.


    As he sprinted through the forest, he used his inner energy twice in succession, ensuring that he maintained his top speed.


    A journey that would take an ordinary person half an hour on foot was shortened to just seven minutes.


    Finally, he reached the stone house of the post office.


    Under the dark clouds, the grayish-white stone house stood encircled by a sturdy wooden fence, appearing both primitive and tranquil.


    Through the narrow gaps in the windows, there was no sound or light coming from within.


    Yu Hong took a deep breath, quickly stabilizing his body and trying to calm his racing heart.


    Standing outside the fence, he knocked forcefully on the door.


    Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock. Knock, knock.


    He knocked in a coded rhythm three times, then waited.


    But after several minutes, there was still no response from inside.


    Yu Hong started to feel uneasy.


    He scanned the surroundings, concluding that Old Li was likely not home. But even if Li Runshan wasn¡¯t there, it was impossible for the house to be completely empty¡ªAisena had to still be inside.


    ¡°Aisena!¡± he suddenly called out. ¡°Nana! It¡¯s Uncle Yu, open the door.¡±


    (Tl Note:- In this context, ¡°Nana¡± is likely a nickname or a term of endearment for °¬É­ÄÈ (Aisena). It could be a shortened or affectionate way of addressing her, similar to how some names are abbreviated or softened in familiar or familial relationships. It does not necessarily carry a specific meaning beyond being a personal nickname in this case.) ?????????????


    No response.


    Yu Hong wanted to enter but hesitated, wary of any possible traps in the yard.


    He knocked again, calling out louder.


    Still, silence.


    As he waited, the sky darkened further, and heavy rain seemed imminent.


    Finally, unable to wait any longer, Yu Hong grew increasingly suspicious that something was wrong inside.


    After glancing around to confirm his position, he placed a hand on the fence and swiftly vaulted over it, landing lightly on the ground within the yard.


    Treading cautiously on the dirt, he advanced toward the stone house while gripping his red-value detector, his eyes scanning for danger.


    The trees swayed, the wind howled, and the air carried the acrid scent of something burnt.


    The green grass beneath his feet rippled under the force of the wind, resembling waves on water.


    The wind was getting stronger, and the noise grew louder.


    ¡°Aisena!¡± Yu Hong shouted. ¡°If you can hear me, don¡¯t reply¡ªjust listen.¡±


    He approached the house cautiously, tapping the ground ahead with his spiked club, testing for any hidden dangers.


    ¡°The Whisperers we fought before weren¡¯t completely wiped out. They¡¯re still here!¡±


    He paused briefly before continuing.


    ¡°If you hear anything unusual, do not reply. Instead, write it down! No matter what¡ªdo not speak! Do not make a sound!!¡±


    He shouted over the wind, hoping that whoever was inside could hear him.


    After yelling, he suddenly thought of a way to warn Old Li.


    Crouching down, he quickly wrote in the dirt with his spiked club.


    Soon, a message appeared on the ground:


    ¡®The Whisperers are still here. Stay silent!¡¯


    ¡°Uncle!¡± Suddenly, Aisena¡¯s voice came from inside the house.


    Yu Hong¡¯s head snapped up. Instinctively, he almost responded¡ªbut he caught himself just in time, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.


    Right in front of him, at the house¡¯s window, Aisena stood in the darkness.


    She wore a delicate white lace dress, her long black hair draping over her shoulders. Her dark, shining eyes stared silently at him.


    Yu Hong counted six seconds.


    Only after the contagion period had passed did he finally speak.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound. Write it down instead.¡±


    As he spoke, he edged closer to the house.


    ¡°Where is your father? Is he not home? I¡¯m coming in slowly¡ªyou don¡¯t need to open the door for me. Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll stay right here with you for now.¡±


    Aisena didn¡¯t respond. She simply stood at the window, watching him, unmoving.


    Suddenly, she raised her right hand¡ªholding a pair of black scissors¡ªand slowly pressed the sharp tip against her throat.


    ¡°No!!¡± Yu Hong shouted, charging forward in a flash.


    He crossed the yard in a few strides, raising his spiked club and smashing it against the window frame, trying to break through to stop her.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Small craters exploded in the ground at his feet.


    ¡°Stop right there!! What the hell are you doing?!¡± Li Runshan¡¯s furious voice rang out from the side of the forest.


    Old Li was holding a rifle¡ªsome kind of long-range firearm¡ªaiming directly at Yu Hong, his face contorted with rage.


    ¡°Step back!¡± he roared.


    Yu Hong turned toward him, seething with anger.


    ¡°Your daughter is in danger!!¡± He almost blurted it out but swallowed the words, worried that Li Runshan might already be infected by the Whisperers.


    But there was no time to wait the required five seconds for safety.


    Aisena had already touched the scissors to her neck¡ªthere was no time left. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without hesitation, Yu Hong charged toward the window where Aisena stood.


    One step.


    Two steps.


    Three¡ªhe leaped forward, crashing into the window.


    Crash!


    Glass shattered, along with the wooden reinforcements.


    Yu Hong flipped inside, tackling Aisena to the ground.


    Thud.


    They both hit the floor as he wrenched the scissors from her grasp.


    As they landed, he shielded her head and back with his arm, preventing serious injury.


    Shards of glass and splinters of wood scattered across the floor.


    ¡°Let me go!!¡± Aisena screamed, struggling wildly.


    ¡°I want to find my dad! Stop dreaming! No!!¡±


    She paid no attention to the shattered glass on the ground, desperately flailing her hands and feet, hitting the floor and Yu Hong. In the process, she ended up with multiple bleeding cuts on herself.


    Yu Hong held her tightly, climbed to his feet, and waited six seconds before speaking.


    ¡°Your father is right outside. Don¡¯t make a sound! He¡¯s coming back any second!!¡±


    But it was useless. Aisena continued to struggle violently, even reaching for a shard of broken glass, trying to stab it into her own neck.


    Yu Hong swiftly snatched the glass away and lifted her high into the air.


    Bang!


    At that moment, the wooden door slammed open. Li Runshan burst in, eyes red with rage. The moment he saw Yu Hong, he raised his gun and took aim.


    ¡°Put my daughter down!! Now!!¡± he roared, his voice hoarse from shouting too loud.


    Yu Hong wanted to explain, but he forcibly swallowed the urge. He had to wait five seconds.


    He considered setting Aisena down so she could write something, but she was still struggling wildly. If he let go now, she might do something terrible!


    So instead, he raised a hand and made a calming gesture, trying to communicate with Old Li.


    ¡°Put. My. Daughter. Down!!¡± Li Runshan was already beyond furious. He shouted again, his finger pressing harder against the trigger, his fingertip turning white from the pressure.


    Yu Hong was also starting to lose his patience. He wanted to speak, but the contagious nature of the Whisperers¡¯ influence made him hesitate. With Old Li pointing a gun at him, despite the fact that he was trying to save someone, all Li had to do was calm down and verify the situation to understand.


    But the usually calm, smiling Old Li was now like a different person¡ªirrational and out of control.


    Seeing how completely out of control Li was, Yu Hong felt a surge of frustration.


    Whoosh!


    He abruptly dropped Aisena and lunged forward, sending a powerful kick straight at Li Runshan¡¯s chest.


    But the kick missed¡ªLi had dodged to the side.


    Undeterred, Yu Hong charged sideways, slamming into him with his full weight.


    He didn¡¯t use any special techniques¡ªjust brute force.


    Wearing his reinforced White Bear suit, the sheer weight of his armored plating alone was enough to injure an average person.


    A full-power collision from his over 200-pound frame would be enough to seriously hurt anyone who wasn¡¯t invulnerable.


    The impact sent Li Runshan stumbling off course, forcing him to the ground.


    With that, Yu Hong got back up and finally spoke.


    ¡°The Whisperers are still here, you idiot!¡± he roared. ¡°Don¡¯t answer me!¡±


    Li Runshan froze for a split second.


    Yu Hong took the opportunity to turn toward Aisena¡ªonly to see her off the bed, gripping a shard of glass, about to slash her own throat.


    Yu Hong immediately dashed forward, smacking the glass away and grabbing her to keep her still.


    ¡°Hurry up! She might be infected by the Whisperers!¡±


    Li Runshan¡¯s rage turned to alarm. Realizing his mistake, he rushed over, moving quickly and precisely. In a flash, he yanked a small towel from somewhere and pressed it over his daughter¡¯s nose and mouth.


    A few seconds later, he let go.


    Aisena¡¯s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.


    Clatter.


    The glass shard fell to the ground.


    Yu Hong let out a long breath. Once he confirmed that Aisena had truly passed out, he carefully handed her over to Li Runshan.


    ¡°You owe me for this one,¡± he said irritably.


    He had risked his life to save her, only to be mistaken for a threat and nearly shot. If he hadn¡¯t stood his ground, Aisena would already be dead.


    ¡°My Nana¡­ My little Nana!¡± Li Runshan¡¯s eyes filled with tears. He clutched his daughter tightly, all of his usual composure gone.


    Piecing everything together, he finally understood. Yu Hong must have come looking for him and stumbled upon Aisena at the window, already under the Whisperers¡¯ influence. In an attempt to calm her, Yu Hong had approached¡ªonly for Li to walk in at the worst possible moment. Then Aisena¡¯s condition escalated, leading to their near-fight.


    ¡°I owe you one!¡± Li Runshan suddenly swung his gun around.


    Bang!


    The gunshot rang out. His own finger was blown apart, flesh and bone scattering.


    Dropping the gun, he pulled out a knife, slicing off the remaining shredded tissue and immediately binding the wound with bandages.


    ¡°This is my apology! I nearly got my own daughter killed! And I wrongly accused you!¡±


    His face contorted in agony, but in his eyes, there was nothing but deep fear and grim determination.


    Clearly, the physical pain was nothing compared to the guilt and terror gnawing at him.


    Yu Hong was momentarily stunned.


    He had been furious just moments ago, ready to beat Li Runshan senseless. But he had never expected this.


    Staring at Li¡¯s now-missing finger, Yu Hong suddenly saw another side of him.


    This man wasn¡¯t just a sly businessman with a constant smile.


    ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s deal with Aisena first. I confirmed through other methods that the Whisperers infection hasn¡¯t been completely eradicated! That¡¯s why I came to warn you. And when I arrived, I saw your daughter at the window, holding scissors, about to kill herself.


    ¡°I panicked and rushed to stop her, knocking the scissors away. But that¡¯s when you walked in¡ªand everything escalated from there.¡±


    Yu Hong finished his explanation and quickly raised a hand, signaling Li not to speak.


    Then, he swiftly relayed the new critical details he had discovered.


    Especially the rule¡ªthey could only speak after five seconds had passed.


    (End of chapter.)

 Chapter 78: Handling the Situation (2)

    Li Runshan also noticed his daughter¡¯s strange behavior just now, his face turning pale instantly.


    He painfully placed his daughter on the bed and waited five seconds before speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go find a vessel first! I don¡¯t have enough Great Luminous Stones here, so I¡¯ll be counting on you! Consider this as me owing you twice!¡±


    Without speaking, Yu Hong gave a heavy nod.


    The risk of the Whisperers was too high¡ªthey had to deal with it as soon as possible. With Li Runshan being more experienced, it was obviously better for him to go out searching for a corpse.


    After confirming the plan, the two split up. Li Runshan quickly headed out to search, while Yu Hong carried Aisena, grabbed some food from the stone house, and hurried back to his mountain cave safe house.


    Rushing all the way¡ª


    Yu Hong reached the cave just before the rainstorm arrived, set Aisena down, and tied her up tightly with rope. To prevent her from biting her tongue, he stuffed a clean cloth into her mouth.


    Then, he quickly placed several rune formations around her, including a silver rune formation.


    After finishing these preparations, he immediately resumed restoring the third silver rune formation.


    Restoring the charge alone didn¡¯t take much time¡ªjust two hours.


    ¡®How long from infection to outbreak again?¡¯ Yu Hong glanced at a piece of paper. ¡®Twelve hours!¡¯


    He quickly disinfected Aisena¡¯s wounds, then used the free time while the Black Mark was idle to reinforce new rune formations.


    Strengthening a silver rune formation would take two days, which was clearly too long, but ordinary rune formations were much faster.


    Yu Hong immediately buried himself in creating more formations.


    Each ordinary rune formation only took 45 minutes to complete¡ªright now, this was the best way to strengthen defenses, since even Luminous Stones required three days to refine just one.


    After ensuring the reinforcement process had started, Yu Hong let out a deep breath and sat down to plan his next steps.


    ¡®Even silver rune formations are running low. I need to find a stronger countermeasure.¡¯


    The outbreak intensity of a Whisperers was enormous, potentially reaching tens of thousands¡ªit was an absurd level. If he hadn¡¯t developed countermeasures in advance, the next time he encountered a similar situation, he¡¯d suffer a great loss.


    ¡®First, I need to strengthen the Red Value Detector. The current one is insufficient and can¡¯t detect traces of a Whisperers.


    ¡®Second, I must develop something superior to silver rune formations.¡¯


    That was easier said than done. A single silver rune formation took two days to craft, and relying solely on manually refining them with the Black Mark would take too long. If the Ghostly Shadows attacked one by one, it might be manageable, but what if they all came at once?


    He sat cross-legged, racking his brain.


    ¡®If only there were a rune formation that could recharge itself without consuming the Black Mark, then I could mass-produce them nonstop.¡¯


    A spark of inspiration flashed through his mind.


    Luminous Stone Grass worked in a similar way. After being depleted in defense, the grass would wither and die but later regrow, naturally replenishing its energy. ??????????§£¨§?


    Wasn¡¯t that exactly the kind of mechanism he needed?


    ¡®Then there¡¯s the issue of Inner Energy. Strengthening my Heavy Leg Technique improves my combat ability against humans, but it doesn¡¯t enhance my ability to deal with Shadow Nightmares or the Blood Tide. I need a method to strengthen myself so that I can feel secure when facing greater dangers in the future.¡¯


    He continued organizing his thoughts, developing a clear plan for action once he got through this crisis.


    He had originally thought his preparations were sufficient, but the sudden surge in the Whisperers¡¯ strength had nearly capsized him. The deception of the Evil Shadow was far too treacherous.


    Time passed little by little.


    Outside, the rain finally began to fall, thunder rumbling as the storm turned the world into a misty downpour.


    Yu Hong worked tirelessly, reinforcing rune formations. By the time he was on the third, Aisena woke up.


    He got up, dampened a towel Li Runshan had given him, and placed it over her forehead, quickly pressing her back down before she could fully regain consciousness.


    By the time he was nearly finished with the sixth rune formation, night had almost fallen.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    There was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t reply, just listen. Aisena is in your hands now¡ªI don¡¯t have enough Luminous Stones. I¡¯ll be back in the morning,¡± Li Runshan¡¯s voice came from outside.


    Knock. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yu Hong tapped the door in response.


    After six seconds, he asked, ¡°Did you find a corpse vessel? Knock once if yes, twice if no.¡±


    Knock, knock.


    The sound came from outside.


    Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get through the outbreak first. See you tomorrow! Aisena is safe with me. I have enough Luminous Stones and rune formations,¡± he assured.


    Knock.


    A single knock in response.


    After five more seconds, Li Runshan spoke again, ¡°I¡¯m counting on you!¡±


    He stood outside for a long time, only leaving when the sky had nearly gone completely dark.


    His footsteps mixed with the sound of the rain and quickly faded away.


    Yu Hong sighed, picked up his tools, and resumed mixing Luminous Stone ink powder¡ªhis stock of rune ink was running low, and he needed to replenish it as soon as possible.


    This Whisperers attack had drained him both mentally and physically, reinforcing his belief that he needed to develop a technique like the Heavy Leg Technique¡ªone that could both enhance himself and counter Ghostly Shadows.


    Otherwise, relying solely on rune formations lacked scalability. If he encountered a more severe danger in the future, he wouldn¡¯t be able to react in time.


    Boom!


    A thunderclap exploded across the sky, and night completely took over.


    Yu Hong lit the fireplace, its firelight and the electric lamp forming a protective glow, keeping the rustling black insects outside at bay.


    Beyond the perimeter, the Luminous Stone Grass emitted a faint fluorescence, repelling the Blood Tide¡¯s black insects as they tried to approach.


    Everything was the same as before¡ªno changes. That put Yu Hong at ease.


    He pulled open the observation window and checked outside. Seeing no issues, he closed it and prepared to pull an all-nighter making rune boards.


    But the moment he shut the window, a strange buzzing noise filled the air.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression shifted, and he quickly opened the observation window again.


    Outside, in the torrential downpour of the night sky, a massive swarm of moth-like, red-eyed flying insects surged forward like a cloud of glowing red sand, rushing rapidly in this direction.


    Their eyes glowed with a sinister red light in the rainy darkness, and each one was twice the size of the black insects.


    As they flew, their moth-like gray wings flapped rapidly, producing a faint buzzing sound.


    ¡°Devourers!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s expression darkened. He had heard about these creatures from the radio¡ªthey were one of the few Blood Tide insects with detailed records.


    These flying insects could consume everything except Luminous Stones, whether metal, wood, flesh, or soil.


    Without a strong enough defense, encountering Devourers was practically a death sentence.


    ¡®But Devourers usually only appear in areas with large gatherings of people. Why are they here? There are only three people in this place¡ªit should be far less attractive to them than Hope City.¡¯ Yu Hong was puzzled.


    With a swift motion, he pulled the wooden shutter closed and pressed his hands against the door.


    If things got out of control, he planned to try synchronizing the door¡¯s restoration while under attack.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Boom!!!


    Suddenly, the wooden door trembled violently, as if something massive had slammed into it.


    Yu Hong braced against the door with both hands, startled by the force.


    Immediately after, the sound of countless tiny mandibles gnawing at the wooden door filled the air from outside.


    His expression grew serious as he waited in silence.


    As time passed, the sounds of gnawing became louder and closer¡ªsome parts of the door were about to be chewed through.


    He focused his thoughts and activated reinforcement.


    ¡®Restore?¡¯ The Black Mark prompted him.


    Yu Hong exhaled deeply.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯ he confirmed.


    At that moment, a countdown appeared on the door: 3 hours and 12 minutes.


    But this time, something was off¡ªthe timer was increasing as the insects continued their relentless chewing.


    In just a short moment, Yu Hong noticed that instead of decreasing, the countdown had increased by over ten minutes.


    ¡®Does this mean the repair time corresponds to the severity of the damage?¡¯ He was speechless. Without hesitation, he pulled open the observation window, letting the indoor light spill outside.


    The moment the light touched the darkness, a swarm of moth-like Devourers surged forward¡ªonly to crash into the illumination.


    Instantly, the densely packed creatures disintegrated, evaporating into black smoke.


    However, at the same time, the electric lamps and fire inside the cave dimmed slightly¡ªthe electricity consumption spiked, and the firewood burned much faster.


    Throughout the night, Yu Hong gritted his teeth and endured in this tense atmosphere.


    By dawn, when the Blood Tide finally receded and the Devourers disappeared, he let out a long sigh of relief.


    But the attack had delayed his progress in crafting rune formations.


    At that moment, the restoration timer for the door had been extended to over 3 hours.


    Exhausted, Yu Hong collapsed onto his bed to rest.


    He had barely shut his eyes when a sudden scream jolted him awake.


    ¡°Ah!!!¡±


    Aisena¡¯s shriek pierced through the air as her entire body convulsed violently. From her mouth, nose, and eyes, a large amount of transparent, gelatinous liquid gushed out.


    The moment the strange substance appeared, the surrounding rune formations flared up, resisting its spread.


    An invisible force radiated outward, suppressing the mysterious gelatinous mass within Aisena.


    At the same time, every rune formation inside the cave¡¯s walls lit up with a fluorescent glow, reinforcing the containment.


    Standing in the corner, Yu Hong watched intently, tension gripping his entire body.


    He had gone through this ordeal once before, but witnessing it again from an outsider¡¯s perspective felt even more unsettling.


    Then¡ªsomething unexpected happened.


    Aisena¡¯s body suddenly twisted unnaturally, releasing an inhuman burst of strength.


    Snap!!


    The ropes binding her snapped apart, the severed strands flying toward the walls.


    A massive glob of transparent gelatin spewed from her mouth, rapidly morphing into the upper half of a grotesque humanoid figure.


    It looked as if an invisible entity was trying to crawl out of the young girl¡¯s body.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression darkened. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, grabbing a silver rune board and slamming it onto the emerging figure.


    Buzz!!


    The silver rune board erupted with radiant energy, smashing against the humanoid figure¡¯s head¡ªbut to his shock, it raised its translucent arms and blocked the attack.


    Yu Hong could feel the sheer strength radiating from the creature.


    He never imagined that a small girl like Aisena could unleash power comparable to that of a giant white python.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!!!¡±


    Aisena¡¯s mouth gaped open in a bone-chilling scream, her eyes rolling white as if completely overtaken by another presence.


    But Yu Hong had had enough.


    The last time he was ambushed, he had barely survived. Now, this thing dared to challenge him head-on?


    The memory of being tricked into nearly leaving the safe house resurfaced, and an overwhelming fury surged through him.


    Fueled by pure rage, he bellowed back at the creature with equal intensity.


    ¡°Get the hell out, you bastard!!!¡±


    Roaring, he grabbed a second silver rune board and smashed it repeatedly into the figure.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!!


    Each impact sent chunks of gelatin flying off the humanoid shape.


    The silver light clashed with the gelatinous mass, instantly neutralizing it into nothingness.


    The transparent figure struggled, trying to resist, but the cave walls lit up once more, the rune formations generating an invisible force field that locked it in place.


    It writhed like a giant blob of jelly, each strike from the silver rune board making it smaller and thinner, sending ripples through its form.


    Within minutes, the battle was over.


    Aisena¡¯s body stiffened, her blank eyes rolling back as she collapsed into unconsciousness.


    The last remnants of the gelatinous substance oozed out of her, lost its form, and evaporated into nothing.


    All of it had been completely neutralized.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 79: Handling the Situation (3)

    Huff. Huff.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Yu Hong was panting heavily, his entire body flushed as he stared at the completely grayed-out rune array. One-third of the rune patterns inside the cave had also lost their effectiveness. He finally dropped the now completely depleted silver rune array and quickly supported Aisena.


    Now, it was time to deal with the final trouble¡ª


    The second form of the Whisperer.


    He untied Aisena¡¯s ropes, fed her some water, and let her lie flat to rest. Then, he sat down himself to recover.


    The recent battle had drained him significantly. He had to explosively release two full strands of inner energy just to forcefully disperse the transparent humanoid entity.


    He had an ominous feeling¡ªif that entity had fully materialized, Aisena would have been in extreme danger.


    And that gelatinous substance¡­ it seemed even stronger than when he was infected last time.


    As he rested, he didn¡¯t have to wait long before a knock came from outside.


    ¡°Yu Hong, it¡¯s me.¡± Li Runshan¡¯s voice carried through. ¡°Aisena¡­ my daughter¡­ is she okay?¡±


    His voice was filled with cautiousness, worry, anxiety, and fear¡ªso many emotions mixed together, making it hard to associate with the usual him.


    Yu Hong waited six seconds, exhaled, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. We made it through safely. Did you find a vessel?¡±


    Hearing this, a long sigh of relief came from outside.


    Six seconds later, Li Runshan responded.


    ¡°I found two more corpses. I burned them both.¡±


    Yu Hong waited a moment before his brow furrowed again. ¡°You didn¡¯t notice anything else unusual?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Li Runshan answered. ¡°But near the bodies, I found footprints of a third person¡­ I suspect someone else has been infected and has taken the Evil Shadow elsewhere.¡±


    His voice was low and heavy.


    ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no time to worry about anything else. You should report this immediately through your channels and alert the nearest Hope City to be on guard,¡± Yu Hong said seriously.


    To be honest, if he had to face the Whisperer¡¯s second form, he wasn¡¯t in great shape right now¡ªit would be extremely dangerous. The first form had already depleted most of his resources, so the second form would definitely be even stronger. If that happened¡­


    Oddly enough, hearing that the infected had left, Yu Hong actually felt a small sense of relief.


    Grabbing his spiked club, he confirmed that the red-value detector showed no movement. Only then did he open the door and quickly hand over the unconscious Aisena.


    ¡°Remember, you owe me twice now,¡± Yu Hong said seriously.


    Li Runshan carefully held his daughter, his exhausted face easing only after confirming she was unharmed. He gave Yu Hong a firm nod before turning and quickly disappearing into the forest.


    Huff.


    Yu Hong exhaled deeply and turned to look at the door.


    The once ten-centimeter-thick door had now been gnawed down to just a few centimeters, with some areas almost chewed through.


    Sighing, he closed the door and began waiting for the rune arrays to recover.


    The Whisperer¡¯s danger might have left¡ªfor now. But it could still return. The threat was far from over, and he had to be fully prepared.


    ¡®Additionally, I must develop a self-repairing weapon to resist the Evil Shadow¡­ and upgrade the detector. Getting my hands on an anti-Shadow martial technique is also a priority.¡¯ ???????B??


    ¡®There¡¯s too much to do. I have to act fast. If the Whisperer returns, I¡¯ll be dead for sure in my current state!¡¯


    With that thought, the exhaustion from the recent battle suddenly hit him all at once.


    He slumped against the wall, shoved a protein bar into his mouth, and forced himself to rest and recover.


    This recent attack by the Whisperers inflicted significant losses on both Li Runshan and Yu Hong.


    The sudden surge in the Evil Shadow¡¯s Threat left them both shaken. For several days afterward, they shut themselves indoors, relying on their stockpiles to get by.


    Once the latest surge had finally subsided¡ª


    Yu Hong fully restored all his warding formations, and the entrance was repaired to its original state. Outside, the Luminous Grass flourished once more, teeming with vitality.


    It seemed as if everything had returned to the peaceful state before the Whisperers¡¯ attack.


    But this time, Yu Hong was no longer complacent. He understood that this was just a fragile illusion.


    As soon as he had recovered, the first thing he did was seek out Old Li to cash in on a favor.


    Inside the Post Office Stone House


    Under the dim candlelight, Li Runshan picked up the radio and slumped into the seat across from Yu Hong, casually switching on the station.


    ¡°You sure you want to cash it all in?¡± His face was unshaven, clearly exhausted from tending to his daughter¡¯s health these past few days.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. If I don¡¯t turn these favors into tangible help now, I might never get the chance later,¡± Yu Hong said seriously.


    Li Runshan studied him for a long moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll give you everything at cost this time. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°A de-humidifier. Can you get one?¡± Yu Hong asked. ¡°Also, the Sunlight series coatings.¡±


    ¡°The dehumidifier isn¡¯t an issue. The Sunlight series is trickier¡ªit¡¯s a special supply material in high demand everywhere. It repels Blood Tide and Shadows, making it universally useful,¡± Li Runshan admitted.


    He had already guessed that Yu Hong wanted to solve his water supply problem, so he pondered for a moment.


    ¡°You saved Nana¡¯s life. No matter what, I have to help you with this. You¡¯re trying to secure a water source, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yu Hong nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°This kind of problem can only be solved with large-scale engineering. But for you, I¡¯ll pull some strings and get you a broken underground water supply system. It¡¯s made of metal pipes infused with a small amount of Sunlight material, drawing water from deep underground.¡±


    Li Runshan paused before continuing.


    ¡°Many organizations are after these systems¡ªthey¡¯re top-tier, highly sought-after goods. I can¡¯t get you a fully functional one, not with my limited connections as a mere courier. But if you¡¯re fine with a damaged one, I can pull some strings.¡±


    ¡°Will it be vulnerable to Black Insects?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°No. Sunlight materials have a strong repelling effect on Black Insects. Unless they¡¯re Blood Tide mutants, there shouldn¡¯t be any issues. Many Hope Cities rely on these for their water supply,¡± Li Runshan explained.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention this before when I asked?¡±


    ¡°Back then, you weren¡¯t exactly a VIP customer,¡± Li Runshan said matter-of-factly. ¡°Honestly, even if I got one for you, if you couldn¡¯t repair it, it would be completely useless. So, if you really want it, think it through carefully.¡±


    ¡°Bring it over. I should be able to fix it,¡± Yu Hong replied solemnly. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was certain that the underground water resources beneath his residence were abundant. After all, the surrounding area was full of mountains and forests yet lacked streams¡ªthere had to be a significant underground water supply.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Runshan nodded. ¡°Wait for my news. It should arrive in about two weeks.¡±


    ¡°The price?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°On me.¡± For once, Old Li was uncharacteristically generous, closing his eyes as he spoke. ¡°Now, tell me about the second favor.¡±


    ¡°Help me find a completely secure delivery channel. I need to send something to someone,¡± Yu Hong said seriously.


    After encountering the Whisperers, he became increasingly worried about Little Stutterer¡¯s situation. The sheer deceptive nature of these sinister entities made him uneasy.


    ¡°Sending something¡­ I can give you access to our internal courier network, but you¡¯ll have to cover the cost yourself. I can guarantee security, though,¡± Li Runshan mused.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be intercepted mid-route, will it?¡± Yu Hong asked warily.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s an unspoken rule within our postal system¡ªcouriers don¡¯t open or tamper with each other¡¯s packages,¡± Li Runshan reassured him.


    He glanced at Yu Hong and continued, ¡°But this service only allows shipments once every two months, and you¡¯ll still have to pay for postage. It¡¯s just slightly cheaper than regular courier services. You can use both in combination.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Yu Hong nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you from now on.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Honestly, helping you is also helping myself at this point,¡± Li Runshan admitted.


    Adversity reveals true character. After the Whisperers¡¯ attack, he was convinced that Yu Hong was someone he could trust.


    In this era of despair and terror, encountering someone with a fundamentally good nature was already a rare stroke of luck. And Yu Hong wasn¡¯t just a decent person¡ªhe was also highly capable.


    After all, not just anyone could survive alone in the wilderness for so long.


    A static-filled hiss crackled from the radio speaker.


    ¡°This is a nationwide broadcast on August 18, 2022, at 14:32. We will now rebroadcast the latest compiled reports on the Black Disaster.¡±


    A female anchor¡¯s voice, smooth yet heavy with emotion, resonated through the room.


    ¡°According to intelligence from the United Military, since early July, five city-level Hope Cities have fallen to the Black Disaster, displacing over a million civilians. Casualty numbers remain uncountable.¡±


    ¡°Silver Tower researchers have confirmed the emergence of three new Blood Tide variants¡ªTidal Crawler, Devourers, and Broodmother. All three evolved from low-grade Blood Tick larvae. Due to their enhanced capabilities, their threat level has been escalated to War-Class.¡±


    ¡°In addition, the mass death event in Rongjing City has been identified as the work of a new War-Class Shadow: The Withered Black Maiden. Silver Tower has dispatched a team to investigate countermeasures against her.¡±


    ¡°Meanwhile, Aurora City reports that the United Military encountered a Nightmare-Class Shadow. The Third and Fifth Armies are now trapped in the mist, unable to withdraw.¡±


    The radio continued to relay the latest updates, reporting the grim progress of ongoing battles.


    Most of the news was bleak¡ªdeath, destruction, losses. Only a handful of Hope Cities had successfully defended against the recent onslaughts.


    Even the Blood Massacre incident in Yuhe City was being reported.


    ¡°According to field investigators, the recent Whisperer outbreak in Yuhe City was of medium scale, rated Level Four in danger. Initially, the surrounding Ghostly Shadows were only Levels One to Three, but the sudden appearance of a Level Four entity strongly suggests contamination from an external source.¡±


    Inside the stone house, the two men listened to the broadcast in silence.


    Only when it began repeating did Li Runshan reach over and switch it off.


    ¡°The threat levels range from One to Nine. Whisperers are only Level Four¡ªnow you understand why so many people are flocking to Hope Cities, right?¡± Li Runshan sighed.


    ¡°If people could reliably detect Whisperer infections early on, they¡¯d be manageable. The real danger is that there¡¯s no way to identify them before they start killing¡ªthat¡¯s the worst part,¡± Yu Hong said, frowning.


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s what doomed Yuhe City. Hundreds of outbreaks in just a few days. The United Military¡¯s entire defensive line was wiped out, and the city¡¯s leadership was nearly annihilated,¡± Li Runshan added.


    ¡°A Level Four entity is already this strong¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine how terrifying War-Class or Nightmare-Class threats must be,¡± Yu Hong murmured.


    ¡°The One to Nine scale doesn¡¯t measure raw power¡ªit measures how difficult an entity is to handle. Lower levels have obvious weaknesses and are easier to counter. Higher levels are nearly impossible to deal with,¡± Li Runshan explained. ¡°And they move. So, if you ask me, you should really head for a major Hope City. Staying alone in the wild¡ªif you ever run into a higher-level threat, you¡¯re as good as dead.¡±


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 80: Handling the Situation (4)

    ¡°Certain death? And what about the defeated residents of Hope City? Weren¡¯t they just as doomed?¡± Yu Hong said calmly. ¡°Rather than pinning my fate on the United Army or relying on someone else¡¯s protection, I¡¯d rather depend on myself. At least that way, even if I die, I won¡¯t live in constant fear.¡±


    ¡°Straightforward!¡± Li Runshan slapped his thigh in approval.


    After confirming his subsequent orders and arranging for delivery, Yu Hong stepped out of the stone house. It was already past four in the afternoon.


    The sky was beginning to darken once again.


    Frowning slightly, Yu Hong quickened his pace toward the cave.


    A few minutes later, he entered his courtyard, immediately feeling reassured by the radiant energy field emitted by the Luminous Grass surrounding him.


    Looking up at the sky, he chose not to enter the house this time but instead stood outside, observing the luminous stone grass in the yard.


    ¡®If the luminous stone grass can recharge itself, can I use it to create a large rune array? That way, the Array could benefit from the grass¡¯s regenerative abilities while also amplifying its radiation field.¡¯


    With this thought, Yu Hong quickly entered the cave and fetched a large piece of Luminous stone graphite. He began burying Luminous stone powder around the cave entrance.


    Soon, a massive and intricate rune array was complete. The cost? Yu Hong had completely depleted his stockpile of Great luminous stones. In some places, where lines were incomplete, he even dismantled his old wooden rune boards and buried the luminous stone ink into the soil.


    By the time everything dried completely, another half-hour had passed, and darkness was about to fully set in.


    Wiping the sweat off his brow, Yu Hong stood in the center of the courtyard¡¯s grand Rune Array, hands on his hips.


    Then, he extended his hand and pressed it onto the core of the Array¡¯s Runes.


    ¡®Reinforce the large Rune Array. Focus on integrating the luminous stone grass¡¯s self-recharging radiation properties.¡¯


    A black streak flashed across the back of his hand and flowed into the ground.


    ¡®Reinforce the large Rune Array?¡¯


    The black mark¡¯s inquiry echoed in his ears.


    It worked!


    Yu Hong¡¯s eyes locked onto the massive countdown that appeared on the ground.


    ¡¯19 days, 21 hours, and 30 minutes.¡¯


    ¡®Nineteen days¡ªjust as expected. But if the enhancement truly succeeds, the safe house¡¯s resistance against Ghostly Shadow will reach another level!¡¯


    Every encounter with a Ghostly Shadow forced him to spend a significant amount of black mark time restoring the Rune Array, causing him endless trouble. ??£Î??????s


    If he could save time on this, he could allocate the black mark¡¯s power elsewhere instead of being stuck in a constant cycle of Rune repairs.


    ¡®Begin reinforcement.¡¯


    With firm resolve, Yu Hong responded to the black mark, feeling a sense of anticipation as he entered the cave to start a fire and prepare soup.


    For the time being, he planned to keep a low profile¡ªno reckless actions, no unnecessary risks. With no way to replenish silver Rune Arrays or Great luminous stones, he had to conserve his resources as much as possible.


    Fortunately, the other luminous stone grass in the courtyard helped reduce the Rune Array¡¯s luminous stone consumption, preventing the daily drain from the Ghostly Shadows.


    Time passed as Yu Hong diligently practiced his heavy leg technique every day.


    After condensing his eighth strand of internal energy, an attack from the Whisperers ignited a deep sense of crisis in him.


    So, based on the nature of the heavy leg technique, he started adding weight to his body until he reached his limit. Once he adapted, he regularly sparred with Old Li.


    In the blink of an eye, two weeks passed.


    Outside the stone house of the postal station, in the courtyard¡­


    Cold sunlight fell on the grass, casting the shadows of two figures facing each other.


    The man on the left was tall and robust, clad in a full-body camouflage protective suit. He appeared agile, powerful, and well-proportioned.


    The man on the right had a solid build but was far from as lean as the other. His protective suit was comically bulky¡ªat least twice as thick as his opponent¡¯s. His lower body, in particular, looked like tree stumps planted firmly in the ground, utterly immovable.


    More striking than his attire, however, was the massive wooden shield he carried.


    Over a meter tall and more than ten centimeters thick, the triangular shield was firmly planted in the ground with its pointed end. It looked incredibly stable.


    The wood was a pale yellow and emitted a fresh, woody scent. Its edges were lined with splinters, and its rough, uneven surface suggested that its creator hadn¡¯t even bothered to polish it¡ªit was just chopped into shape and put to use.


    ¡°Xiao Yu¡­ Did you make that shield yourself?¡± the man on the left asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.


    ¡°Yeah, I finished it a while ago but was getting used to it indoors. Now I¡¯m bringing it out for sparring,¡± replied Yu Hong¡ªthe same man who had trained relentlessly for the past two weeks, his body now noticeably sturdier.


    He had spent a long time pondering how to increase his load and improve the efficiency of his heavy leg technique. The final solution? Making weapons and shields.


    The shield was done, but the weapon was still in the works, both crafted from an exceptionally heavy material¡ªIronwood.


    Ironwood was a particularly dense tree species found in nearby forests. Its wood was pale yellow with straight, orderly grain and a camphor-like scent.


    ¡°How much does that shield weigh?¡± The man on the left, Li Runshan, was one of the only three nearby residents.


    He wore a high-grade Wildcat combat suit and eyed the massive wooden shield, which covered most of Yu Hong¡¯s body, with gritted teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it feels about the same as that white boulder outside your house,¡± Yu Hong answered honestly. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡± Li Runshan¡¯s teeth-gritting turned into a full-blown toothache. He knew exactly how much that white boulder weighed¡ªabout ninety pounds. If that wooden shield was just as heavy¡­


    Did this guy¡¯s strength increase way too fast?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you exhausted?¡± He wondered if they should call off the sparring session to prevent any accidents.


    ¡°Not really. I¡¯m fine for a short time,¡± Yu Hong replied.


    Currently, he was carrying a spiked club and a massive wooden shield. With his reinforced Polar Bear armor, his total load exceeded 160 pounds.


    At this level, his stamina drained rapidly. Based on previous tests, every minute of combat at this weight cost him one strand of internal energy.


    But it didn¡¯t matter¡ªthis was for training.


    Ever since increasing his load, Yu Hong found that condensing internal energy had become much faster than before.


    Clearly, the heavy leg technique¡¯s claim that ¡°greater weight yields higher efficiency¡± wasn¡¯t just for show.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, Old Li !¡± Yu Hong was eager to test his shield in battle for the first time.


    Originally, he had planned to ask Butcher Xu Fan for a sparring session when he came to pick up his Blue Whale armor. But Xu Fan, possibly affected by the Whisperer attack, still hadn¡¯t come.


    ¡°Fine, but be careful¡­¡± Li Runshan, conscious of his image as a father, had to maintain his dignity.


    He drew the short blade strapped to his thigh but, after a glance at the thick armor covering Yu Hong, silently sheathed it again¡­


    ¡°You carry so much weight that most people wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything against you in a direct confrontation. But the price you pay is a significant drop in agility. So, defeating you is actually quite simple.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he shot forward like an arrow. With a push from his left leg, his body surged ahead, combining waist and leg strength to deliver a powerful side kick.


    This kick concentrated his entire body¡¯s force into a single point, using the momentum of his charge. The speed was astonishing as it smashed toward the upper half of Yu Hong¡¯s shield.


    Just as Li Runshan had said, Yu Hong¡¯s heavy load greatly reduced his reaction speed. He barely had time to lift his spiked club before the shield took the direct impact.


    Boom!!


    A deep, muffled thud echoed as Yu Hong¡¯s entire body trembled. Even with the shield¡¯s massive 300-pound weight, he was nearly knocked off balance by the force of the kick.


    His back leg tensed as he planted himself firmly, merely shaking in place before swinging his club toward the outer edge of the shield.


    His speed was indeed slower, but what did it matter if the opponent was fast? Speed alone wasn¡¯t enough to break through his defense.


    Whoosh!


    His attack missed.


    The spiked club crashed into the ground, carving out a deep pit in the black mud.


    Yu Hong¡¯s vision blurred for a moment. Before he could recover, Li Runshan had already disappeared from sight. Then, from his right, he heard the faint sound of something slicing through the air.


    Bang!


    Yu Hong raised his shield, shifting it slightly to the right to fully cover himself.


    A heavy whip kick slammed into the shield with full force.


    Unfortunately, it was useless.


    The 90-pound giant wooden shield, combined with Yu Hong¡¯s thick armor, didn¡¯t even take a scratch.


    Yu Hong continued moving the massive shield, blocking attacks from various directions.


    Standing motionless like a fortress, he let Li Runshan launch rapid strikes from every angle.


    His heavily reinforced armor, deeply rooted stance, and absurdly thick giant wooden shield made him completely unshaken by Li Runshan¡¯s relentless barrage.


    Two minutes later¡­


    Huff, huff, huff¡­!


    Li Runshan stood with his hands on his knees, drenched in sweat, his face flushed red. He was too exhausted to speak and could only stare helplessly at Yu Hong.


    What the hell kind of turtle shell is this?!


    He had been circling Yu Hong, using his strongest leg techniques for a full two minutes.


    And yet, this guy had merely wobbled a few times¡ªno injuries, no movement, nothing.


    ¡°This won¡¯t work.¡± After catching his breath, Li Runshan finally spoke. ¡°Your defense is indeed strong¡ªclose-range fighters won¡¯t be able to hurt you. But what about firearms? You can¡¯t keep up with my speed, and if I throw a grenade at you, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to dodge. You¡¯d be dead for sure.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s firearms, I can just use weapons to compensate. I¡¯ll take down the enemy from a distance before they can do anything.¡± Yu Hong¡¯s voice came muffled from within his thick helmet.


    Right now, he was feeling better than ever. During the fight with Li Runshan, the ninth strand of internal energy in his abdomen had almost fully condensed¡ªjust a little more, and it would be complete.


    ¡°And what about heavy armor-piercing rounds? How do you dodge those? No matter how thick your armor is, it¡¯s not as strong as a tank.¡± Li Runshan countered. ¡°Your strategy turns you into a walking target. Sacrificing agility like this just isn¡¯t worth it.¡±


    ¡°You have a point,Old Li, but even if I had high agility, wouldn¡¯t I still be unable to dodge a high-speed armor-piercing round? No human can outrun a bullet.¡± Yu Hong replied indifferently. He wasn¡¯t too concerned¡ªhis strategy was purely for the sake of training his heavy leg technique. The more weight he carried, the faster his progress. But he wasn¡¯t about to explain that.


    ¡°If your leg technique is fully mastered, you won¡¯t be faster than a bullet, but you might be faster than the person pulling the trigger.¡± Li Runshan grinned.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I doubt I¡¯d ever be targeted by an armor-piercing round anyway. I¡¯m just a regular civilian¡ªI don¡¯t steal, I don¡¯t rob, I have a clean record. Who would hate me enough to use something like that on me?¡± Yu Hong dismissed the concern.


    To him, training like this gave him an immense sense of security.


    ¡°Alright, as long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Li Runshan sighed. ¡°But you need to change your weapons. The spiked club is useless against distant enemies. You need long-range attacks and a way to extend your attack range.¡±


    ¡°Any recommendations?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d suggest a meteor hammer with a long chain. Also, mount some firearm launchers on your armor. Since your suit is thick enough, you have plenty of space for attachments. Adding a grenade launcher, poison gas sprayer, or other ranged weapons would make you much more versatile.¡± Li Runshan chuckled and immediately offered his valuable advice.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 81: Gloom (1)

    ~~~


    TL Note:- All locked chapters have been unlocked , thank Thyme for the next 20 bonus chapters


    ~~~~


    ¡°That¡¯s actually a good idea.¡± Yu Hong nodded in agreement.


    ¡°By the way, have you received any intelligence updates recently?¡± he suddenly asked, thinking of the long-silent Whisperer. Two weeks had passed, and in just a few more days, his self-recovery Rune Array would be fully strengthened. If Whisperer returned during this time, it would be dangerous.


    ¡°As we predicted, that ghostly thing has moved elsewhere. One of the smaller strongholds was affected, and hundreds of people died.¡± Li Runshan sighed. ¡°Now the higher-ups have started planning stronghold mergers because they¡¯ve realized that as the nights grow longer and the days shorter, the scale and danger of the Black Disaster are also steadily increasing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that too. The days are getting shorter¡ªI thought it was just a seasonal change.¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°Of course not. The change is far more drastic than normal seasonal variations.¡± Li Runshan sighed again. ¡°By the way, have you given any thought to my previous suggestion? About establishing a ring of strongholds centered around you?¡±


    ¡°At this rate, let¡¯s just focus on keeping ourselves alive first. Why bring that up now?¡± Yu Hong was surprised.


    ¡°I went out yesterday and ran into a few solo scavengers digging for Luminous Stones. They were all quite capable. You know, anyone still roaming outside alone at this point isn¡¯t an ordinary person. I also encountered a strong survivor leading a group of refugees. They were running out of food, so I suggested they take shelter in Baiqiu Village.¡± Li Runshan explained.


    ¡°So?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d be interested in taking them in. I¡¯ve stockpiled plenty of food from the supply team. Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for Whisperer, we¡¯d have no problem handling regular threats.¡± Li Runshan said.


    Yu Hong nodded. That was true. If it weren¡¯t for Whisperer¡¯s absurd strength, he wouldn¡¯t have been so desperate to strengthen his Rune Arrays.


    ¡°Think about it. After this wave of disasters, a lot of people have started living in isolation with their own small groups. Larger settlements tend to attract more attention and risk dangerous attacks.¡± Li Runshan continued. ¡°Also, I can¡¯t keep up with making dried meat and mushrooms by myself¡ªthe production is too low. We need more hands. If the nights keep getting longer, it might lead to a lack of sunlight. At that point, solar power will be useless, and we¡¯ll have to rely on bioenergy. We also need to continue making candles.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s no sunlight, the trees won¡¯t survive either. What are you going to use for candle-making?¡± Yu Hong was skeptical.


    ¡°Good point¡­ Maybe I should set up some human-powered generators or find a way to use biogas for emergency lighting.¡± Li Runshan sighed. ¡°Anyway, figure something out. We can¡¯t keep relying on the supply team. Their trips are getting harder, and the intervals between deliveries are getting longer. If we run out of food before they arrive, we¡¯re in big trouble.¡±


    ¡°That is a serious problem.¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today. Your water system should arrive in a few days¡ªI¡¯ll let you know when it does. Also, I managed to get some beehive-style synchronous communicators, so we won¡¯t have to run around just to talk. I spent all my savings on this, but I¡¯m determined to fortify our home! I even got something from the Sunlight series¡­ never mind, I¡¯m out of here.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you couldn¡¯t afford the Sunlight series?¡± Yu Hong immediately questioned.


    ¡°You misheard me, definitely misheard.¡± Li Runshan deflected. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re done for today. Nana, say goodbye to Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Uncle.¡±


    Bang.


    Old Li dragged his daughter into the stone house and shut the door, making a quick escape.


    Yu Hong was left standing outside, speechless.


    ¡°This guy¡­¡± He muttered, tapping his staff against the messy grass before heading out of the courtyard.


    Clearly, Li Runshan had managed to get only a limited amount of Sunlight-series gear, probably due to purchasing restrictions. No matter how much money he had, he couldn¡¯t buy it freely. That¡¯s why he was being so secretive about it. ???£Ï????¦¥?


    After leaving the post station, Yu Hong returned to his cave.


    As usual, he checked the countdown on his Rune Array to ensure everything was on track before continuing to dig out his stone chamber.


    His underground shelter was actually part of a small mountain, with the cave entrance slightly above ground level. Digging additional chambers wouldn¡¯t be an issue, as they would only extend slightly below the surface, avoiding the Black Insect Layer beneath.


    Yes, Yu Hong had named the area between the surface and the Black Insect Layer the Surface Layer for easier reference. Anything deeper than that was the Black Insect Layer.


    Thud.


    A large basket of crushed stone was carried out and dumped in a corner of the courtyard.


    After checking the sky, Yu Hong turned back to dig again.


    Before long, another full basket of stone was brought out.


    Covered in sweat, he stretched his arms before using the stones to reinforce the courtyard walls.


    By now, the walls were already half a meter high, built entirely from the stones he had excavated over the past few days.


    With this much stone removed, the chamber was also nearly complete.


    After organizing the stones, Yu Hong re-entered the cave and descended through a stairway into the depths.


    He soon reached a roughly rectangular underground chamber.


    The stone room was dark and cold, lit only by a dim atomic cold-light lamp in the corner, casting a faint green glow.


    Yu Hong clapped the dust from his hands and paced around the chamber, estimating its size by counting his steps.


    ¡°It feels much bigger than the upper cave¡ªat least twice as large. This should be good enough for a storage or activity room. I¡¯ll dig separate rooms later.¡±


    He then started carving Rune Arrays into the walls to prevent any ghostly shadows from entering.


    Since this chamber was deep inside the mountain with no other exits, it was unlikely that the wraiths had discovered it.


    However, ventilation was still necessary, so he needed to create a connection to the outside.


    ¡®Once the water system arrives, I can set it up here. But without electricity, none of the utilities will function. That¡¯s a serious issue. If the nights keep growing longer, we¡¯ll face an even greater energy shortage¡­` Yu Hong thought grimly.


    The emergence of new Devourers during the Blood Tide had already been a headache. Now, the issue of solar energy failing was adding to his worries. This wasn¡¯t just his problem¡ªall of the Hope Cities would face the same issue.


    Some Hope Cities could rely on hydropower, geothermal energy, nuclear power, wind power, or fossil fuels. But he was just one person, with no foundational knowledge of these fields, no facilities, and a severe lack of engineering materials. The surrounding environment wasn¡¯t suitable for utilizing these energy sources either.


    If only I could get my hands on a nuclear reactor¡­ He had talked to Old Li about it before and heard that some Hope Cities used micro nuclear generators, about the size of a pressure cooker, capable of sustaining a small city block¡¯s power needs.


    Sighing, Yu Hong continued carving Rune Arrays into the walls. Soon, the entire surface was covered with densely packed glowing white symbols.


    Clang, clang.


    The wooden bucket holding his ink powder was completely empty.


    Yu Hong stomped on the bucket, then scraped it with a spoon and tapped it a few times, managing to extract barely half a scoop¡ªnowhere near enough to complete another Rune Array.


    Time to head to the mines again¡­ All the Great Luminous Stones are gone, and even the small ones have run out. I need to gather more so that once the outer array is strengthened, I can work on refining larger stones.


    He had stopped directly refining Great Luminous Stones¡ªit took too much time. Instead, he had discovered a more efficient method: grinding small Luminous Stones into powder before refining them. This process was both faster and simpler.


    Since Great Luminous Stones would be ground into powder anyway, there was no need to engrave runes on their surface. As long as their material composition was enhanced, they would serve their purpose.


    If I have to grind them down anyway, I might as well do it manually first. That way, I can cut down on the refinement time.


    After multiple tests, Yu Hong confirmed that this method worked. He successfully reduced the time required to refine Luminous Stone ink powder from three days to just over two.


    Exhaling, he climbed the stone steps back to the cave, lit a fire, and cooked a pot of thick soup, savoring every sip.


    Outside, the sky had turned completely dark.


    Lying down on his soft sleeping bag, he quickly drifted into slumber, exhaustion overpowering even the bright white light in the room.


    In the haze of sleep, he seemed to hear voices echoing around him¡ªfamiliar ones, like Chen Huiru and Li Runshan, as well as others, both known and unknown, happy and sorrowful.


    The voices grew louder, more chaotic, until¡ª


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Yu Hong¡¯s eyes snapped open at the loud pounding on the door.


    He turned his gaze toward the entrance. Through the narrow viewing slit, a bright white ray of daylight streamed in¡ªit had been morning for a while.


    ¡°Mr. Yu, are you in there?¡± A deep, muffled voice boomed from outside.


    Yu Hong exhaled, slowly sitting up and stretching his limbs.


    Inside the cave, the fireplace had long since burned out. The lights were still on, but the temperature had dropped, making it uncomfortably cold.


    The temperature is getting lower¡­ I need to figure out a way to stay warm. If I catch a cold or fever now, it¡¯ll be a serious problem. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He rubbed his hands together, warming them slightly, before heading to the door.


    Swish.


    The viewing slit slid open, revealing the broad, bald head of Butcher Xu Fan.


    The grease paint on his face had been washed off, exposing two round, slightly brownish eyes that resembled a tiger¡¯s. His nose was slightly flattened, likely from an old injury, and a stitched scar ran across the corner of his mouth¡ªaltogether giving him the perfect look of a horror movie butcher.


    No wonder they call him Butcher.


    Yu Hong was speechless for a moment, waiting five seconds before speaking.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here. I¡¯ve been waiting a long time. You¡¯re way past the agreed time.¡±


    ¡°Ran into some trouble¡­ Long story.¡± Xu Fan looked a bit helpless.


    ¡°You step back first and wait for me outside the courtyard. Remember not to stay inside for too long¡ªit¡¯s dangerous.¡± Yu Hong strictly followed the five-second response rule and gave a warning.


    Xu Fan acknowledged the warning and hopped down the stone steps, retreating beyond the courtyard.


    Only after confirming that Xu Fan had moved a safe distance away did Yu Hong put on his reinforced White Bear armor, pick up his repaired Blue Whale suit, and step outside.


    He had considered simply staying inside to avoid potential danger. That worked against Ghostly Shadows and the Blood Tide, but against humans¡ªespecially a battle-hardened Butcher¡ªhiding in the cave was a death sentence.


    It would be far too easy for the enemy to trap him inside.


    A single gas grenade could put him in trouble. His armor had a gas mask, but all his stored food¡ªmeat, mushrooms, and wild vegetables¡ªwould undoubtedly be contaminated.


    Against human opponents, it was actually safer to face them in open space. A wider battlefield gave him more room to maneuver.


    Of course, stepping outside didn¡¯t mean letting his guard down¡ªhe carried his reinforced handgun and kept pen and paper handy for quick notes.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 82: Gloomy (2)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    The two walked outside the courtyard. Yu Hong placed the Blue Whale suit on the ground, took a step back, and watched as Xu Fan stepped forward to try it on.


    Before long, the test was complete. Xu Fan was satisfied, patting the alloy gloves and touching the reinforced helmet visor.


    ¡°Not bad at all! The helmet is reinforced, and all the damaged parts have been fixed. Mr. Yu, your skills are incredible! Not inferior to those research institutes at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. As agreed, this concludes our contract.¡± Yu Hong wrote.


    ¡°If you ever need anything, remember to find me, Old Xu. Prices are always negotiable.¡± Xu Fan smiled.


    He stretched his arms and subtly stepped forward.


    Noticing the decreasing distance between them, Yu Hong took a step back.


    He knew very well that his strength was vastly inferior to the man before him. Even with the suit¡¯s protection, he doubted he could handle the Butcher¡ªsomeone who had previously slaughtered a twenty-man joint military squad single-handedly.


    From Old Li, he had learned that Bai Mang only died at his hands because he had attempted to capture him alive.


    If it had been a true life-or-death battle, Bai Mang could have simply kept his distance and shot him. Two consecutive rounds would have pierced through his reinforced Grey Lizard suit.


    Yu Hong had estimated that if he were to fight Bai Mang now, he might be able to hold his own, but the outcome was uncertain.


    But the Butcher and Bai Mang weren¡¯t even in the same league. If this guy decided to make a move now¡­


    Yu Hong¡¯s heart tensed, ready to draw his enhanced handgun at any moment.


    He had witnessed the Butcher¡¯s killings¡ªtremendous strength, incredible speed. His only advantage was his thick skin, relying on the reinforced White Bear suit to endure the damage, exhausting his opponent¡¯s stamina with inner energy, and then ambushing with his enhanced handgun. Based on previous tests, the enhanced handgun should have no problem piercing the Blue Whale suit.


    ¡°If I need anything in the future, I¡¯ll definitely consider you first.¡± Yu Hong nodded, pretending not to notice Xu Fan¡¯s movements and continued writing. ¡°By the way, did you hear anything about the Whisperer?¡±


    ¡°The Whisperer? No, we haven¡¯t encountered him. But I heard he¡¯s a very dangerous Evil shadow.¡± Xu Fan¡¯s tone grew serious. He took another step forward.


    ¡°I have detailed information on the Whisperer. Do you want it?¡± Yu Hong wrote, simultaneously retreating to the edge of the courtyard.


    ¡°I was just about to ask¡ªMr. Yu, why do you keep writing instead of speaking? Do you have a throat problem?¡± Xu Fan frowned. ¡°Speaking of which, lately, new dangers have been appearing more frequently. Mr. Yu, staying here alone might not be safe. You really need a few reliable helpers.¡±


    ¡°We can discuss that later. I can¡¯t leave the lab¡ªmany machines can¡¯t be moved. As for the writing, it¡¯s related to the Whisperer. You might want to reconsider whether you need this information. Old Li and I had a run-in with him and barely made it out alive.¡±


    Hearing that the machines couldn¡¯t be moved, Xu Fan fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.


    He had initially planned to abduct Yu Hong, forcing him to provide logistics and equipment upgrades for his team. But upon hearing about the immovable machines, he hesitated. Though slightly skeptical, he dismissed the idea. ?£Á?§°????¦¥?


    Indeed, no matter how skilled an expert was, without high-precision machines, they would be powerless. And machines required power, water, and material supplies¡ªall fixed necessities that couldn¡¯t simply be relocated.


    This confirmed that Yu Hong was backed by a mysterious lab or organization supporting his research.


    After a dozen seconds, Xu Fan completely abandoned his kidnapping plan and spoke again.


    ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Three small things,¡± Yu Hong wrote quickly. ¡°First, dig up enough Luminous Stones for me. Second, get me a discarded nuclear generator. Third¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute! A nuclear generator is not a small thing!¡± Xu Fan interrupted immediately. ¡°Even if it¡¯s broken, the reactor core would¡¯ve been removed, making it useless. Those things are prized possessions of every major faction. Where the hell am I supposed to get one for you?¡±


    ¡°A detailed report on the Whisperer could save your life.¡± Yu Hong pulled out a piece of paper and wrote.


    ¡°The problem is that your request is too high.¡± Xu Fan sighed. ¡°However, if your intel is really valuable, you could directly trade it with those organizations, or even the United Army¡¯s Hope City, to get a nuclear generator.¡±


    Yu Hong remained silent.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if that would work, but it was worth a try. He could reach out to Li Runshan and use the Post Office to make contact.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about the other requests, but digging up some Luminous Stones is easy. I¡¯ll get it done for you soon!¡± Xu Fan promised heartily, patting his chest.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a copy of the Whisperer¡¯s intel.¡± Yu Hong quickly wrote a summarized version and handed it over. It was information Old Li already knew¡ªnothing valuable.


    He planned to trade the more detailed intel with the Post Office.


    Xu Fan took the paper, skimmed through it, and his expression immediately changed under his helmet.


    Now he understood why Yu Hong insisted on writing instead of speaking.


    The two soon parted ways, and Xu Fan hurried off to inform his teammates, who were waiting in a nearby vehicle.


    Yu Hong watched them leave before turning toward Baiqiu Village. In the distance, he noticed unfamiliar people moving about the houses.


    They wore ragged clothes, looked filthy and dispirited. They seemed to be cooking something in the middle of the village, with smoke rising visibly into the sky.


    Yu Hong thought for a moment. The Post Office¡¯s stone house had plenty of basement rooms¡ªenough for over ten people.


    If Old Li could recruit useful talents from these refugees, it might help alleviate their manpower shortage.


    But that was Old Li¡¯s concern.


    His current priority was still training, striving to reach the ninth level of inner energy as soon as possible.


    The threat of the Butcher had only reinforced his need for greater strength.


    Be it humans, Evil shadows, or the Blood Tide¡ªhe needed more power and more ways to counter them.


    He had planned to use the Black Mark to develop techniques against Ghostly Shadows and Evil Shadows, but for now, the Black Mark wasn¡¯t free to use. Moreover, he hadn¡¯t forgotten that when enhancing things with the Black Mark, his inner energy allowed him to rapidly recover and replenish his stamina.


    Like during the extreme symbol formation test¡ªwithout inner energy, a single enhancement would have left him lying unconscious for seven or eight hours.


    Or when synthesizing Luminous Stone Grass, which had completely drained his inner energy in one go. Looking back, he suspected that without his inner energy as a backup, he might not have been able to synthesize the Luminous Stone Grass at all.


    Many times, the Black Mark seemed to calculate his inner energy limit before providing feedback on whether an enhancement was possible. He had noticed this pattern multiple times.


    Back in his cave, after handling bodily necessities, Yu Hong resumed training.


    Before long, noon passed, and by mid-afternoon, around three or four o¡¯clock, he was about to finish his session and head out to chop firewood.


    Suddenly, a muffled thud echoed from within his body.


    His heart clenched, and standing inside the cave, sweat immediately poured from his body, soaking his clothes within minutes. The heat radiating from his body turned the reinforced White Bear suit hot and unbearable, the humidity making it suffocating.


    Thick steam billowed out from the suit¡¯s ventilation holes at the shoulders, resembling white smoke.


    This state lasted a full five minutes before it slowly subsided.


    Finally.


    Yu Hong stood in place, his body trembling slightly. Then, he reached up, removed his helmet, and revealed a beaming smile.


    ¡°I finally did it! The ninth strand of inner energy!¡±


    Reaching the ninth strand meant he could begin a full-body enhancement, which would allow him to enter the second¡ª


    Boom!!


    Just as Yu Hong was carefully sensing the ninth strand of inner energy in his abdomen, the nine strands suddenly compressed into a single mass before violently exploding.


    From contraction to detonation, the entire process took less than a second.


    The violent explosion instantly sent shockwaves through every drop of blood in Yu Hong¡¯s body. It even seemed to generate a strange force field that spread throughout his entire being.


    His focus had been centered on his abdomen, and when the explosion struck, he was momentarily stunned.


    His mind went completely blank¡ªhe couldn¡¯t feel anything, couldn¡¯t hear anything.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    Soon, inside the cave, Yu Hong¡¯s body began to tremble and distort slightly. He remained standing, but his muscles expanded in waves, swelling as if being inflated. Then, they rapidly contracted, tightening against his bones, only to swell again.


    This repeated nine times.


    At last, Yu Hong¡¯s physique stabilized.


    Originally, he had been just over 170 centimeters tall, but after the transformation, he now stood at 180 centimeters.


    Shhh.


    Yu Hong snapped back to awareness, quickly removed his suit and clothing, and looked down at himself.


    On the skin of his abdomen, there was now a black vortex-like mark, about the size of an egg.


    ¡®So this is full-body enhancement?¡¯


    He carefully examined the changes in his body.


    Shhh.


    He threw a quick jab forward. A sensation of lightness and fluidity surged through him, reaching deep into his core.


    After training with Li Runshan for so long, he had picked up the basics of boxing techniques.


    Previously, when throwing a jab, he always felt somewhat sluggish and awkward. But now, his speed was significantly faster, and his movements were much smoother.


    Raising his fist, Yu Hong noticed that the previously thin transparent keratin layer on his skin had thickened and become noticeably tougher.


    He reached out and touched it¡ªit felt like a layer of thick leather.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, he crouched and punched the cave floor.


    No pain.


    Only a slight sensation of impact and compression transmitted back through his fist.


    Lifting his hand, Yu Hong froze in shock.


    Beneath his fist, the stone floor had formed a deep, fractured imprint.


    It wasn¡¯t just a fist mark¡ªit was an indentation filled with shattered stone and fine dust.


    ¡®Breaking stone bare-handed? That¡¯s insane!¡¯


    Yu Hong had speculated about what the first layer breakthrough would bring, but now that the transformation had happened, he was still in disbelief. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡®Too bad there¡¯s nothing around to properly test my strength.¡¯


    Standing up straight, he put on the reinforced White Bear suit again, grabbed his massive wooden shield and spiked club, and moved around freely.


    Something strange happened.


    An hour ago, these heavy weapons had felt burdensome. But now, they felt as light as a feather¡ªno longer a strain at all.


    Boom. Boom.


    Yu Hong walked a few steps inside the cave, swinging his club experimentally. It wasn¡¯t an illusion¡ªhis speed had indeed increased dramatically.


    ¡®I need a benchmark.¡¯


    He opened the door, stepped outside, and scanned his surroundings. Before long, he found a large boulder, half-buried in the ground.


    The rock¡¯s surface was rough, covered in layers of brownish patterns.


    Approaching it, Yu Hong took a deep breath, then suddenly threw a full-force punch.


    Boom!


    His gloved fist struck the rock, causing it to violently tremble in the soil.


    His fist sank halfway into the stone, and from the point of impact, black cracks spread outward like a spiderweb.


    Crash!


    The massive millstone-sized rock instantly shattered into pieces, crumbling to the ground.


    ¡®What the¡ª?! This is insane!!¡¯


    Yu Hong stared at the scene before him, utterly dumbfounded.


    Just how much had his strength increased?! To cause this level of destruction with a single punch?!


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 83: Gloomy (3)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    Startled, Yu Hong picked up a few more of the large rocks he had found earlier and smashed them into fragments with his fists. Only after confirming that his strength was indeed real and undiminished did he fully grasp the exaggerated effects of the Heavy Leg Art¡¯s full-body enhancement.


    Strength, explosiveness, stamina, and endurance¡ªall had improved across the board after some simple tests. The most significant increases were in strength and explosiveness, while the others saw only slight improvements.


    Even so, this put him in a great mood.


    As dusk approached, he returned from the forest to the cave. Before he even got close, he noticed a large, rough, milky-white stone stacked in one corner of the courtyard.


    He paused for a moment, then quickened his pace into the courtyard and approached the stone.


    The stone was nearly as tall as he was, with a diameter of over a meter, and had been placed upright in the corner near the entrance steps of the safe house. Footprints left in the dirt from its transport were still clearly visible.


    Yu Hong reached out and pulled a piece of paper from between the stone and the mountain wall. The note contained a brief message:


    ¡°The promised Luminous Stone has been delivered¡ªXu.¡±


    ¡°Xu Fan?¡± Yu Hong immediately realized who it was.


    That guy sure was efficient. He had just mentioned mining luminous stones, and now a massive piece had already been delivered. This one chunk would last him a long time.


    Given the negative red value concentration of the luminous stone grass in the yard, he wasn¡¯t worried about passing Wraiths draining this raw luminous stone anytime soon.


    After confirming the sender, Yu Hong ascended the steps and entered the house.


    With only a few days left until the luminous stone grass formation¡¯s reinforcement was complete, he didn¡¯t want any changes disrupting the process. He decided to stay put in the safe house and guard the formation for the remaining days.


    And that was exactly what he did.


    For the next few days, Yu Hong stayed inside obediently. He didn¡¯t even visit the Post Office, focusing solely on adapting to his newly enhanced physical capabilities.


    Finally, the last day of the formation¡¯s reinforcement arrived.


    He stationed himself at the entrance early in the morning, watching the countdown numbers on the ground and waiting quietly.


    To pass the time, he occasionally glanced toward Baiqiu Village in the distance.


    ¡°What happened to the newcomers in Baiqiu Village?¡± Yu Hong was curious about how they had survived these past days.


    Recently, the night had become even more dangerous, with flying Devourers appearing on occasion, far more threatening than before.


    In Baiqiu Village, he could faintly see people moving in and out, seemingly transporting goods.


    The village perimeter had been enclosed by a raised stone wall, blocking parts of the inner buildings from view.


    ¡°Are they fortifying the village? Planning to turn it into a fortress?¡± Yu Hong speculated.


    As he alternated between practicing and resting, he observed both the formation and the village.


    The second level of the Heavy Leg Technique required him to accumulate new inner energy¡ªagain, nine segments in total. But now that he had grasped the key technique, increasing his body weight and training intensity allowed him to accumulate energy much faster. ?????¦­???????


    At his current pace, he estimated he could condense the first inner energy segment of the second level within a week.


    ¡°The second level¡¯s inner energy condensation is clearly more difficult than the first. It requires much more energy. But that should also mean the inner energy burst will be far stronger, making it an excellent power source for reinforcing the Black Mark. This should allow me to enhance even more things.¡± Yu Hong was filled with anticipation.


    The outside world was too dangerous. His greatest wish now was to complete the safe house¡¯s self-sufficiency as soon as possible.


    To achieve self-sufficiency, safety came first. Only then could he secure energy, water, and food. The reinforcement of the formation was his first major step toward this goal.


    As he was deep in thought, a faint sound of footsteps came from the nearby forest.


    The crunching of shoes stepping on dry leaves was particularly sharp in this season, standing out even against the wind.


    Snapping out of his thoughts, Yu Hong looked toward the source of the sound.


    He was already standing outside the yard, avoiding the radiation field. From this position, his view was unobstructed by the yard walls. Soon, he caught sight of the approaching figures. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A short man in a dark gray hoodie was leading a group of three¡ªone man and two women¡ªtoward him.


    The short man had dark skin and a resolute expression, but his eyes carried a deep worry. He seemed to be in his thirties, walking with steady, cautious steps, as if measuring every move.


    The three following him were different. They all looked under thirty and had a strong student-like aura.


    One young man had a fair, handsome face. Though his face was smudged with dirt and soot, it couldn¡¯t hide his delicate, almost submissive demeanor.


    Among the two women, one wore a red short-sleeved shirt and denim shorts. Her high ponytail swayed as she walked. She had a cold demeanor and an average face, but her tall legs, perky hips, and slim waist made her a classic ¡°back-view killer.¡±


    The other girl was adorable, with baby-fat cheeks and two dimples. She had black hair styled into twin tails, a petite figure, and a flat chest, giving her a distinct anime-like appearance. However, her eyes were red and puffy¡ªclearly, she had been crying recently.


    As Yu Hong spotted them, the four also noticed him. Their eyes immediately lit up, as if they had found their savior. They quickened their pace toward him.


    Soon, they stopped ten meters away, standing without any apparent wariness¡ªcompletely unguarded against Yu Hong, who was clad in full-body ballistic armor.


    This particular sense of ease reminded Yu Hong of students who had just stepped into society.


    ¡°Hello, are you Mr. Yu Hong? We are the Wu Shan Sports Academy convoy that recently settled here. We escaped from Yuhe. I¡¯m Song Mingshi, a faculty leader. Postal worker Li Runshan told us that we could trade for some Great luminous stone rune arrays here. Is that true?¡±


    The short, stocky man took a step forward, speaking politely with a low posture.


    Song Mingshi?


    Yu Hong examined him and noticed a large slingshot and a forearm-length dagger at his waist. He then observed the other three¡ªthey only had wooden sticks.


    Clearly, this faculty leader Song Mingshi was the ¡°muscle¡± of the group.


    Judging by his movement and posture, however, he wasn¡¯t much stronger than an ordinary person. His steps lacked the instinctive control of body strength that Old Li displayed.


    A dangerous group.


    That was Yu Hong¡¯s evaluation. Not that they were a threat to him, but that they were at high risk of running into danger.


    Having survived multiple crises, Yu Hong could tell just how inexperienced and weak they were.


    ¡°I¡¯m Yu Hong. Sorry, but I¡¯m currently having issues with the Great luminous stone rune array and won¡¯t be selling them for now. It will take some time.¡± He replied calmly.


    ¡°Not selling?¡± Song Mingshi was stunned, and the three students behind him visibly reacted, their expressions shifting.


    ¡°Mr. Yu, we originally set out with the supply convoy, but something happened along the way, and we were forced to scatter. My group¡ªtwo teachers and thirteen students¡ªhasn¡¯t had a proper meal in two days. With Ghostly Shadows constantly appearing nearby, we desperately need some large luminous stones to help set up a barrier. Would you be able to spare us some?¡± Song Mingshi pleaded earnestly.


    ¡°The supply convoy ran into trouble?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s heart tightened, his expression turning serious beneath his helmet. ¡°Was it the convoy heading this way?¡± he asked quickly.


    ¡°Yes. We encountered something unknown along the way, and more than half of the convoy members vanished in an instant. Without the guards and leaders, everyone grabbed what supplies they could and fled separately. No one dared to stay with the convoy,¡± Song Mingshi said helplessly.


    ¡°When did this happen?¡± Yu Hong asked again, his face darkening. Without the supply convoy, he and Old Li wouldn¡¯t be able to replenish their food stores and would have to rely entirely on self-sufficiency. That meant he¡¯d need more hands for labor.


    ¡°About five days ago,¡± Song Mingshi replied.


    ¡°This is bad news.¡± Yu Hong let out a breath. The recent crisis had just passed, and things were only starting to settle down¡ªnow, the supply convoy had met disaster.


    ¡°What did Li Runshan tell you? Why did he send you to find me?¡± After a brief pause, Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Mr. Li took some silver coins from us and gave us your location. If possible, we¡¯d also like to exchange silver coins for some food and medicine,¡± Song Mingshi admitted, finally revealing their true intent. These people had been able to travel with the supply convoy and even persuade Li Runshan¡ªclearly, they had money.


    No wonder they had managed to stay in Baiqiu Village without running into trouble. They must have ample resources.


    ¡°Forget the money¡ªwho knows how long it will still hold value in this world? What do you have to trade? Tell me,¡± Yu Hong said casually. If they had something useful, he wouldn¡¯t mind making an exchange. After all, today was the day the large sigil formation would be fully reinforced.


    ¡°We have a newly developed lightless mushroom strain from Yinta called ¡®pig-leg mushrooms.¡¯ We also have the latest water purifiers, repair tools, hand-crank generators, and blankets,¡± Song Mingshi answered quickly.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°Uh¡­ you don¡¯t need these?¡± Song Mingshi asked, looking a little helpless.


    ¡°Not really. Also, how long do you plan to stay here? There¡¯s no way I can provide food for so many people,¡± Yu Hong said.


    ¡°After we recover, we plan to head toward Baihe City. We¡¯ve heard that a lot of refugees have gathered there,¡± Song Mingshi explained. He was starting to grow anxious¡ªYu Hong didn¡¯t seem interested in anything they had to offer. ¡°How about this¡ªif large luminous stones aren¡¯t available, we can go to the mines and dig for ordinary luminous stones ourselves. But what about antibiotics? Some of our people have had persistent high fevers. Mr. Yu, could you spare us some medicine?¡±


    ¡°I can give you some. A one-day dose per person will cost five silver coins. Is that acceptable?¡± Yu Hong said in a steady voice. He wasn¡¯t a charity¡ªif he gave things away for free, people would only take advantage of him and keep coming back for more.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ way too expensive!¡± Song Mingshi¡¯s expression changed slightly. At that price, they had no way of knowing how effective the medicine was or how long a full course of treatment would take.


    What if the effect was weak, and they needed to take it for a long time?


    ¡°Besides, I only have three doses right now. I need to keep some for myself, and I don¡¯t have time to make more at the moment,¡± Yu Hong said bluntly. ¡°Take it or leave it.¡±


    He realized that these people had no real grasp of their situation. In this kind of environment, antibiotics were far more valuable than silver coins. In fact, with the supply convoy unable to reach them, silver coins were completely worthless.


    In this isolated world, a single dose of antibiotics could mean the difference between life and death. The fact that Yu Hong was even willing to trade them was already an act of generosity.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 84: Gloomy (4)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ll swap them all,¡± Song Mingshi sighed.


    Behind him, three students stood, with only the baby-faced twin-tailed girl remaining neutral. The other two looked displeased, feeling this trade was unfair.


    ¡°In the city, the market price is only one silver coin for a day¡¯s supply,¡± the male student muttered under his breath. The purchasing power of Silver Tower coins remained strong, enough to exchange for a decent amount of food. But here, with Yu Hong, the price had been multiplied by five!


    It was outright profiteering.


    Soon, Yu Hong retrieved three portions of anti-inflammatory medicine from the cave and completed the exchange with the four.


    The group quickly carried the medicine back to the village, while Yu Hong returned to his courtyard, waiting for the grand array to fully activate.


    The countdown ticked away:


    ¡¯03 minutes.¡¯


    ¡¯02 minutes.¡¯


    ¡¯01 minute.¡¯


    With Yu Hong watching intently, the lush, Luminous stone grass within the rocky courtyard glowed with a faint white light the moment the countdown reached zero.


    At the same time, in complete silence, an enormous Rune Array surfaced from the ground, covering the entire courtyard.


    The Array was entirely white, and the moment it appeared, it stirred the air into subtle currents, forming a gentle breeze.


    Standing outside the courtyard, Yu Hong held a red-value detector in hand and clearly saw the numbers on the device rapidly increasing.


    Previously, the courtyard¡¯s negative value averaged around -120 to -130, but now, as the Array emerged, the number skyrocketed.


    Yu Hong watched in astonishment as the value surged past 130, climbed to 160, then 250, 300, 500, 800¡ª1,000!


    After exceeding 1,000, it gained another seventy or eighty points before finally slowing down and stabilizing.


    Then, the Array¡¯s white glow quickly dimmed and disappeared, and the red value started to drop from over 1,000, swiftly returning to around -100.


    ¡°Just like the Arrays, the radiation is now condensing instead of leaking. That¡¯s a good sign!¡± Yu Hong nodded to himself.


    The Arrays he crafted worked exactly like this¡ªnormally, their radiation levels were much lower than those of Great Luminous stones. But when facing ghostly threats, they would rapidly activate, surpassing even the stones in intensity.


    This was one of the reasons why Rune Arrays were so popular¡ªthey significantly reduced the risk of contracting Great Luminous Stone Disease.


    ¡°Over a thousand in negative value¡­!¡± Yu Hong exhaled deeply as he watched the massive Rune Array fade into the ground.


    ¡°And this is a self-replenishing array. Normal Ghostly Shadows won¡¯t even be able to approach, and even something like a Withered Woman might not dare to get close.¡± ??N???? S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The grand array¡¯s completion gave him a strong sense of security. A three-thousand-value array had completely neutralized the Whisperer, and the Withered Maiden had weakened considerably under a silver array with a mere -500 value.


    As these thoughts passed through his mind, Yu Hong remembered the news brought by the academy students earlier. Without wasting time, he headed toward Old Li¡¯s place.


    He needed to check if his water supply system had arrived.


    Ten Minutes Later


    Yu Hong reached the stone post office but was surprised to see two young women inside, tidying up the yard and maintaining the fence.


    Both wore completely out-of-place gray, low-cut yoga outfits that accentuated their curvy figures. Their faces had light makeup, the kind popular in peacetime. As they worked, their every movement seemed oddly out of sync with the current world.


    Meanwhile, little Aisena stood by the door with her arms crossed and lips pouting¡ªclearly displeased with the newcomers.


    It was obvious she didn¡¯t welcome them.


    ¡°Yu Hong! You¡¯re here. Come, come!¡± Li Runshan, who was busy inside, noticed Yu Hong and cheerfully stepped out, spreading his arms for a hug.


    ¡°What the hell are you up to?¡± Yu Hong obliged with a brief hug before asking in a low voice.


    ¡°I found some helpers! The heavens show mercy, and since I was going to take in people anyway, why not pick some good-looking ones?¡± Li Runshan replied matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Can you handle them?¡± Yu Hong questioned.


    ¡°One¡¯s helping me grow mushrooms, the other¡¯s taking care of the lizards. This frees up my time so I can spend more of it with Nana,¡± Li Runshan said naturally.


    ¡°Hah¡­ just don¡¯t cause trouble,¡± Yu Hong smirked, knowing this guy was simply indulging his lust.


    ¡°There are plenty of people in the village. If you need talent, you can go pick someone. Most of these people are desperate for food and water¡ªthey won¡¯t last much longer.¡± Li Runshan lowered his voice.


    ¡°You hoard food, don¡¯t you? Why not share it to help them?¡± Yu Hong sneered. ¡°What, only the pretty ones count as people?¡±


    ¡°Come on, that¡¯s not fair. I¡¯m just trying to find someone to take care of Nana. She¡¯s growing up, and as her father, I can¡¯t be the one giving her baths forever,¡± Li Runshan argued.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t bother debating further. He wasn¡¯t the type to let just anyone into his home. He could make exceptions for Little Stutterer, maybe even Dr. Xu, but that was it.


    ¡°Alright, alright, where¡¯s my water system?¡±


    ¡°I was just getting to that. It¡¯s inside¡ªcome see which parts are damaged,¡± Old Li said, leading Yu Hong inside.


    In the living room, the water supply system lay in pieces, dismantled into various components.


    It was a simple setup¡ªjust a series of pipes, a high-powered silent water pump, and control valves.


    The key, however, was that it was made with a bit of Sunlight-series material, making it resistant to Blood Tide bugs.


    Yu Hong quickly assessed the damage¡ªthe core water pump was broken. But that didn¡¯t matter to him. With his Black Seal, nothing was beyond repair.


    He grabbed a pile of parts and headed back.


    On his way out, he noticed Li Runshan sneaking off with one of the girls, supposedly to gather firewood, but really just groping around behind the house.


    He was speechless. While he knew Old Li had ¡°needs,¡± this level of casual behavior was ridiculous.


    Returning to his safehouse, Yu Hong stashed the water system components in the newly carved underground stone chamber.


    Then, he picked up the red-value detector, preparing to enhance it¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to be caught off guard like with the Whisperer.


    Placing his hand on the detector, he focused on the modifications: increased sensitivity, expanded detection range, extended battery life, and integration into his reinforced White Bear Suit.


    As dark lines seeped from the Black Seal, a countdown appeared:


    ¡®6 hours 17 minutes.¡¯


    Once he confirmed the enhancement process had begun, Yu Hong sat by the fireplace, gazing through the reinforced glass window.


    He pondered what to send to Little Stutterer.


    After some thought, he decided to wait until the detector was upgraded. If the results were promising, he¡¯d send one her way.


    Unlike arrays, which were single-use, a fully charged detector could last a long time, and there were charging stations in the city. In terms of safety, it was far superior.


    As he lay down, waiting for the enhancement to finish, Yu Hong unknowingly drifted into sleep.


    This was his routine¡ªafter morning training, he always took a midday nap to ensure he had enough energy for the afternoon.


    Normally, he¡¯d sleep for about an hour and a half.


    But this time, something unexpected happened.


    Knock, knock, knock, knock.


    A series of cautious knocks woke Yu Hong.


    He slowly opened his eyes and saw someone standing outside the window¡ªit was the baby-faced girl from earlier that morning.


    The girl¡¯s eyes were even redder, slightly swollen. She had changed into a rather cute white lace princess dress. From this side of the glass, Yu Hong could clearly see the thick, pure-white stockings under her skirt, accentuating the graceful curves of her legs.


    Although she was short, her proportions, highlighted by this outfit, looked rather decent.


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± Yu Hong stood up, walked behind the stone wall, and asked through the door.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­ could you possibly spare one more portion of anti-inflammatory medicine? Please!¡± The girl bowed deeply, only to bang her forehead against the door with a loud thud, immediately crying out in pain.


    ¡°I already told you, I don¡¯t have any more. I¡¯ve given away all I could spare,¡± Yu Hong replied expressionlessly.


    ¡°But¡­ but the medicine really isn¡¯t enough!¡± The girl¡¯s voice trembled as she tried to suppress her sobs. ¡°The medicine from this morning¡­ my mother didn¡¯t get any at all! The others took it all before she could¡­ please, I beg you!¡±


    Yu Hong fell silent.


    He did still have some medicine. After selling three portions, he had kept a small reserve for himself, and even if he ran out, he could always gather more ingredients to make more.


    But making medicine took time. And besides, he had always believed in the principle of fair exchange. No one could take something from him without offering something of equal value.


    After experiencing people taking advantage of his generosity time and time again, he had become even firmer in this belief.


    ¡°I can spare you one last portion. But this time, it¡¯ll cost six silver coins,¡± Yu Hong replied calmly.


    He needed her to pay a higher price¡ªonly then would people stop having unrealistic expectations of him.


    ¡°One portion¡­ might not be enough¡­ could you spare one more? My father works in Aurora City. Once we get there, we¡¯ll definitely repay you!¡± the girl pleaded, her voice filled with desperation.


    ¡°Aurora City?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s heart stirred.


    Now he understood¡ªthis group was clearly made up of privileged second-generation elites. Not a single one of them was an ordinary person. After all, what kind of commoner could casually take out so many silver coins and evacuate with the supply convoy?


    ¡°Can you get your hands on Sunlight-series materials?¡± Yu Hong suddenly asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡­ My father works at the Energy Research Institute¡­ he specializes in nuclear energy miniaturization research,¡± the girl hesitated before answering.


    Nuclear energy miniaturization?!


    Yu Hong¡¯s heart trembled.


    Right now, his most ideal power source was nuclear energy. If he could obtain a nuclear battery¡ªeven an incomplete version¡ªhe could enhance it with the Black Seal and create a fully functional one.


    That would be a game-changer. A complete transformation. A one-time upgrade that would take his capabilities to an entirely new level!


    ¡°How can you prove that?¡± He suppressed his excitement and asked in a deep voice.


    ¡°My mother and I joined the supply convoy because my father arranged it through the postal system. If you want to verify, you can check through the postal network,¡± the girl answered smoothly, as if she had repeated this explanation multiple times before.


    Yu Hong¡¯s thoughts shifted.


    He knew for a fact that Li Runshan had real-time communication equipment at the post office.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head to the post office right now to verify your story. If everything checks out, then we can have a serious discussion.¡±


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Wei Shanshan. My father¡¯s name is Wei Hongye. He¡¯s the deputy director of the research institute,¡± the girl replied softly.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s head to the post office now to confirm your identity. No objections, right?¡± Yu Hong said decisively.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 85: The Situation (1)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    Yu Hong led Wei Shanshan toward the post office. Though it was only a ten-minute walk, the girl was panting heavily, her face flushed red, and she had to bend over to rest frequently.


    It took them a full half-hour of slow trudging before they finally arrived at the stone post office.


    Old Li was in the courtyard, chatting with two tall young men.


    Seeing Yu Hong approach, he immediately waved enthusiastically.


    ¡°Xiao Yu, what brings you here at this hour?¡±


    Yu Hong glanced at the two men and noticed their brows furrow slightly upon seeing Wei Shanshan, as if they recognized her. That was enough to clue him in.


    He pulled Old Li aside and quietly explained the situation.


    ¡°This is a small matter. I was just about to report the supply team¡¯s situation to the higher-ups. This incident has caused quite a stir, and they¡¯ve promised to send reinforcements, but it will take a few days,¡± Li Runshan lowered his voice.


    He glanced at Wei Shanshan and the two men.


    ¡°Most of these people are either rich or powerful, with special identities. If something really happens to them, the impact will be huge. So, I have to lend a hand where I can. If you have any spare Rune Array, sell them to them. Don¡¯t worry, charge as much as you want¡ªthese people have money.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Yu Hong grinned, but his smile quickly faded. ¡°What about those flying bugs, the Devourers? Can you handle them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. As long as we hide underground, we¡¯re safe,¡± Li Runshan nodded. ¡°But I¡¯ve received intel that the Black Disaster is accelerating. The outside world is getting more dangerous¡ªespecially the wilderness. In the future, only heavily armed supply convoys with elite combat strength will be able to connect cities. This could be a real problem. Small places like ours might be completely cut off when they shorten the supply routes.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the higher-ups¡¯ response?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s heart sank. If the supply convoys couldn¡¯t come, or if their arrival frequency was reduced, both he and Old Li would be in big trouble. No wonder the guy had started taking in people¡ªit was a survival strategy.


    ¡°There¡¯s no response. The Black DIsaster has been steadily worsening since it first appeared, but now its growth rate is increasing. Why do you think I¡¯m taking in people? It¡¯s all about planning ahead,¡± Li Runshan chuckled. ¡°I need to expand the lizard pens, dig up humus soil¡ªit¡¯s impossible to do everything alone. Not to mention mining radiant stone, maintaining buildings, and taking care of Nana. There¡¯s too much work for just me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you¡¯ve got such noble reasons,¡± Yu Hong scoffed, unconvinced.


    ¡°Forget about me¡ªyou should start recruiting people too. I¡¯ll give you a breeding box for free. You need to start growing mushrooms. If even we get cut off from supplies, that would be the real disaster,¡± Li Runshan¡¯s tone became serious.


    As he spoke, he suddenly smacked his forehead as if remembering something.


    ¡°Wait here.¡±


    He dashed into the stone house and soon returned with a black, box-like device.


    He shoved it into Yu Hong¡¯s hands and whispered,


    ¡°This is an instant communicator. It works within a one-kilometer radius. We can use this to stay in touch.¡±


    Yu Hong took the box and gave it a shake. The contents clattered lightly, indicating there were quite a few components inside.


    ¡°Good stuff! And we both have solar chargers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. By the way, I checked¡ªWei Shanshan¡¯s name is indeed on the list I received. Her father, Wei Hongye, is a top expert in nuclear energy research,¡± Li Runshan shifted the conversation. ¡°Are you planning to get something from her? Just a heads-up, this girl is part of the specialized aid team. She¡¯s probably used her identity to get help all the way here. I doubt you¡¯re the first person she¡¯s promised something to.¡± ????????¨¨s


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. As long as it¡¯s valuable, that¡¯s all that counts. It also depends on whether her father is willing,¡± Yu Hong said indifferently. ¡°Can you contact her father?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Li Runshan nodded.


    He gave a few instructions to the three people outside before heading back into the stone house. Yu Hong and the others waited quietly.


    About ten minutes later, Old Li came back out and waved Yu Hong over.


    Yu Hong¡¯s heart stirred, and he stepped inside.


    Wei Shanshan was also called in right after him.


    They sat down at a wooden table in the living room, facing a silver, speaker-like device.


    A worried, slightly high-pitched male voice came through the speaker.


    ¡°This is Wei Hongye. Is Shanshan there?¡±


    ¡°Dad! I¡¯m here! I¡¯m right here!!¡±


    The moment she heard her father¡¯s voice, Wei Shanshan¡¯s eyes turned red, and large tears rolled down her face.


    ¡°Mom¡­ Mom isn¡¯t going to make it! We have no medicine left! I¡¯m so scared of the infections¡­ And the monsters are everywhere outside! We just found a place to rest, but in a few days, several people have already died¡ª¡±


    She collapsed against the communicator, sobbing uncontrollably as she recounted their journey.


    Yu Hong listened silently.


    After the supply team was attacked, this group had fled with some resources, constantly chased by unseen horrors. Many had died along the way, but those who survived had gradually adapted.


    Just as they got used to the Ghostly Shadow, another nightmare appeared at night¡ªthe Devourers. Within moments, several more people were lost.


    At that point, the teachers and bodyguards among them began to break down. They started prioritizing only their most important charges, leaving the rest to fend for themselves.


    ¡°Right now, the team is split into three groups: high-ranking United Army officials¡¯ children, local government officials¡¯ children, and us¡ªrelatives of researchers. We have the least protection! Any aid that arrives, they take first. The very first night here, we already lost two people,¡± Wei Shanshan choked out.


    ¡°What about Yan Xudong? Didn¡¯t that kid promise to protect you?!¡± Wei Hongye¡¯s voice was sharp with fury.


    ¡°Brother Dong¡­ he¡­ He went out to fetch water on the second day and never came back,¡± Wei Shanshan cried.


    There was silence on the other end of the line, followed by a long sigh.


    ¡°The postman assisting this call is¡­?¡±


    ¡°This humble one is Li Runshan. No need for formalities, just call me Old Li,¡± Li Runshan quickly replied.


    ¡°You heard my daughter¡¯s situation. Can you¡­?¡± Wei Hongye asked.


    ¡°Providing shelter is no issue. The problem is the lack of antibiotics. I¡¯ve run out¡ªI only had a few doses, and Yu Hong is the only one nearby who still has some. The key now is to negotiate a trade with him,¡± Li Runshan explained.


    ¡°Is Mr. Yu Hong there?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right here.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Mr. Yu, could you please help my wife and daughter? Whatever compensation you require, I will make sure you receive it,¡± Wei Hongye said sincerely.


    Yu Hong had been waiting for this moment.


    ¡°Fine. I need a micro nuclear battery. Can you get me one?¡±


    ¡°Nuclear batteries¡­ The technology for micro nuclear batteries is still far from completion,¡± Wei Hongye replied, slightly exasperated.


    ¡°I need a long-term, stable indoor power source. I don¡¯t know much about this field, but if you can solve this problem for me, I¡¯ll protect your wife and daughter,¡± Yu Hong responded swiftly.


    There was a brief silence.


    ¡°I understand. However, nuclear materials are heavily restricted¡ªI don¡¯t have the authority to allocate them privately. But¡­¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°But what?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°But near your location, there¡¯s an abandoned town that contains what you need. I can give you the exact coordinates.¡± Wei Hongye didn¡¯t state it explicitly, but his meaning was clear. As a high-ranking official in the nuclear research institute, he couldn¡¯t openly admit to misusing official resources to provide someone with nuclear energy equipment through postal communications.


    However, by offering a crucial piece of intelligence and letting Yu Hong retrieve it himself, it became an entirely different matter. The only question was¡ªhow many people had he sold this information to?


    Legitimate, compliant, and reasonable.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Yu Hong immediately understood the implication. Although there was a risk of being deceived, he had no other choice in this situation.


    If he could truly obtain a nuclear energy system, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about power issues for decades. A short-term reactor could last thirty years, while a long-term one could even run for sixty.


    With energy secured, the water supply system could also function, ensuring a stable source of water.


    ¡°My condition is that you and Mr. Li must protect Shanshan and her mother until the new rescue team arrives. The item you requested will be delivered along with them. Do we have a deal?¡± Wei Hongye said solemnly.


    ¡°Deal!¡± Yu Hong agreed without hesitation.


    It was essentially a gamble¡ªif it paid off, the benefits would be immense. If it didn¡¯t, he¡¯d have only wasted a few days, which wasn¡¯t a big loss.


    ¡°But how can I be sure your information is reliable?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee it,¡± Wei Hongye admitted after a brief pause. ¡°But I can give you another critical piece of information.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Yu Hong prompted.


    ¡°Aurora City and Silver Tower are on the verge of collapse. Casualties at the front lines have been catastrophic¡ªno one can withstand the nightmare-level Black Disaster. It ignores most of our weapons, and only sunlight materials can repel or defend against it. But the production of sunlight materials is far too low. Ever since the last elite suicide squad went missing last month, the situation has spiraled out of control.¡± Wei Hongye sighed.


    ¡°Out of control? What do you mean?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s expression turned serious. Beside him, Li Runshan also looked grim¡ªclearly, this was news to him as well.


    ¡°Exactly what it sounds like. The front lines can¡¯t hold anymore. The real danger is coming. The Evil Shadow are just minor problems compared to what¡¯s ahead¡ªWar-class, Nightmare-class, and even the newly emerging Despair gates.¡±


    ¡°The United Army?¡± Li Runshan asked.


    ¡°Let me tell you a fact,¡± Wei Hongye said. ¡°The United Army¡¯s weapons are ineffective against many Evil shadow Calamities, including Luminous Stone weapons. These creatures can¡¯t be completely exterminated or truly killed. Even Ghostly Shadows, once dispersed by Luminous Stone weapons, will regenerate and reappear shortly after. So, if the defense line collapses, those rapidly recovering monsters will break through as well.¡±


    ¡°What about nuclear bombs? Why not use them?¡± Li Runshan couldn¡¯t help but interrupt.


    ¡°Who says they haven¡¯t?¡± Wei Hongye countered.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 86: The Situation (2)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    Silence.


    No one present knew what to say.


    Yu Hong had known things were bad, but he hadn¡¯t expected them to be this dire.


    ¡°This is the situation, Mr. Yu. The rescue team should arrive in about ten days. It might take longer, or it could arrive earlier. What about your side?¡±


    ¡°I have no problem.¡± Yu Hong calculated his protein bar reserves. His best source of sustenance was the dried lizard meat he had bought from Old Li¡ªa bag of ten pieces. A normal person could only last two days on that, but he could stretch it to ten. That was a fivefold difference.


    Right now, he had over two hundred protein bars stored in his cave shelter. That was from the last supply shipment, along with what Old Li had managed to raise himself.


    Previously, Old Yu alone had been able to supply food for an entire group. Now, although Li Runshan wasn¡¯t as efficient as Old Yu, providing for just three people was still more than manageable.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± Wei Hongye said in a deep voice. ¡°The frontline pressure is immense. They¡¯ve begun to let gaps open up to ease the losses. As things stand, in a month¡¯s time, Despair Gates will continuously spawn Black Disasters. The dangers in your area will rise drastically as you face the first wave of impact. If possible, try to move closer to a major city.¡±


    The communication ended.


    Wei Shanshan was crying uncontrollably, her eyes swollen like peaches.


    ¡°How do you plan to take care of Wei Shanshan and her mother?¡± Li Runshan asked, looking at Yu Hong.


    ¡°Can they stay at your place?¡± Yu Hong considered his options. It was inconvenient for him to let them into his current safe house.


    The only viable choice was the post office basement.


    ¡°They can, but I can¡¯t provide food or medicine.¡± Li Runshan spread his hands. ¡°I¡¯m already supporting four people by myself. It¡¯s a heavy burden.¡±


    ¡°¡­So?¡± Yu Hong asked. ¡°Do you have any extra mushroom cultivation boxes?¡± He realized he needed to start producing his own food.


    It was inevitable, but Wei Shanshan¡¯s situation had forced him to accelerate his plans.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. The problem is the mushroom spores. The group over in the village has them, so you¡¯ll have to trade for some. You have a manual, right? From the records we found in Old Yu¡¯s notes?¡± Li Runshan asked. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Yu Hong nodded, then turned to the tear-streaked Wei Shanshan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to bring your mother over first.¡± Since they had already made the deal, they needed to act fast and settle things quickly.


    Wei Shanshan trembled, quickly nodding.


    She opened her mouth to say something but remained silent, lowering her head and standing behind Yu Hong.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, Old Li, now that the supply team is gone, does that mean mail delivery¡ª¡± Yu Hong suddenly thought of this issue.


    ¡°There are still some routes, but deliveries will become much more difficult. I¡¯ll let you know once I get more details.¡± Li Runshan sighed.


    Without further discussion, Yu Hong took Wei Shanshan and left the stone house, carrying his local network communicator as they returned to his mountain cave safe house. ?§Ñ?o??§§?


    He didn¡¯t let Wei Shanshan inside. Instead, he handed her a Rune Array and told her to wait outside.


    Then, he put away his things, grabbed his tools, and quickly started looking for a suitable spot along the courtyard wall.


    After pinpointing the location, he dragged wooden logs from the nearby forest and began constructing a simple wooden house.


    Afternoon


    Wei Shanshan stood outside the courtyard wall in a daze, watching as Yu Hong worked at an incredible speed, hauling logs from the forest.


    He carried one log in each arm, bringing them in two at a time. In mere moments, he had dragged in at least several hundred kilograms of timber.


    Then, he took out an axe and a saw, working with tireless strength. Within thirty minutes, he had split the logs into neat wooden planks.


    Using those planks, he constructed a small wooden hut¡ªlaying down a wooden floor, erecting four walls, building a sloped roof, and coating it with leftover waterproof paint. Finally, he layered the roof with random leaves and branches.


    The result was a two-meter-wide, three-meter-long wooden hut, just large enough to fit a bed.


    It stood over two meters tall, entirely light brown in color. It looked like an oversized doghouse. However, since it was right against the courtyard wall and had a proper wooden floor, it appeared surprisingly decent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s getting dark. We need to get your mother.¡± Yu Hong clapped his hands and glanced at his enhanced Red Value Detector¡ªit had finished upgrading.


    The upgraded detector had shrunk slightly, now resembling a small smartphone. Its surface was smoother, but aside from that, it remained black with an LCD screen.


    Yu Hong pressed the single circular power button.


    Beep.


    A short tone sounded, and numbers appeared on the screen.


    Current Red Value: -79.348.


    Impressive!


    Yu Hong silently praised it.


    Previously, the detector could only measure whole numbers up to 79. Now, it displayed values down to three decimal places.


    He examined the top-right corner of the LCD screen, where a battery indicator was displayed. Below it, small text read: Remaining Time ¨C 56 hours 07 minutes.


    ¡°So, while powered on, it can last fifty-six hours? It¡¯ll last even longer when turned off!¡± Yu Hong sighed in relief.


    Before, the Red Value Detector could only run for a few hours, meaning he had to keep it off most of the time and only activate it when something seemed wrong.


    Now, with this upgrade, he could leave it on indefinitely to continuously monitor the surroundings.


    ¡°A few hours of enhancement was totally worth it!¡± Yu Hong returned to his cave, grabbed another Red Value Detector, and started a second round of enhancement. He planned to make one for Little Stutterer.


    Once he finished, he called Wei Shanshan and set off toward Baiqiu Village.


    The two quickened their pace, following the familiar gravel road to the village entrance.


    By now, some people had stacked furniture and debris to form barricades, leaving only a small gap as an entrance.


    Two young men guarded the entrance, one holding a machete and the other gripping a handgun.


    They were chatting idly in a heavily accented dialect.


    Yu Hong couldn¡¯t understand them, so he gestured for Wei Shanshan to handle the conversation.


    His goal was to retrieve someone. If possible, he wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    Wei Shanshan nodded, stepped forward, and knocked on the barricade.


    Knock, knock.


    ¡°I¡¯m Wei Shanshan from Squad Three. Please let me in. Thank you.¡±


    The two men glanced outside.


    But their first sight wasn¡¯t Wei Shanshan¡ªit was the massive, imposing shadow behind her.


    A towering figure, nearly 1.9 meters tall, clad head to toe in heavy black bulletproof gear. A helmet on his head, legs as thick as tree trunks, and a large black pistol strapped to his waist.


    They hadn¡¯t noticed him approaching earlier, but now, seeing him up close, they realized¡ªif this guy made a move, things could get ugly.


    ¡°Shanshan, weren¡¯t you out looking for medicine?¡± one of them asked warily. ¡°Who¡¯s this guy?¡±


    ¡°I found a doctor. Let me in¡ªI need to check on my mom,¡± Wei Shanshan said again.


    ¡°You can come in, but if he wants to enter, he¡¯ll need to take off the gun and all that gear,¡± the other man hesitated before replying.


    ¡°Mr. Yu is the doctor I brought!¡± Wei Shanshan protested loudly.


    ¡°What kind of doctor wears gear like that?! Cut the crap! Are you coming in or not? If not, get lost!¡± The man was growing impatient.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go inside and bring your mother out. I¡¯ll wait here,¡± Yu Hong instructed.


    If it wasn¡¯t necessary, he had no intention of causing unnecessary conflict with these people.


    Besides, he knew his appearance alone was intimidating.


    Wei Shanshan gratefully bowed to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. Please wait a moment.¡± She quickly squeezed through the obstacles, whispered a few words to the two men, then hurried into the alleyway between the houses.


    In less than five minutes, she returned, supporting a woman in her thirties along the narrow path.


    The woman¡¯s face was pale, and she coughed incessantly. Her lips were cracked, as if she hadn¡¯t had water in a long time.


    Even though she looked older, her sharp and refined features bore a strong resemblance to Wei Shanshan. However, unlike Wei Shanshan¡¯s delicate and cute appearance, she exuded the aura of a strong, career-driven woman.


    She had a fuller figure and wore a dirty gray tracksuit and black sneakers, covered in mud stains. Her long black hair was tied back with a hairband, revealing a pale neck that matched her complexion.


    This woman doesn¡¯t look easy to deal with.


    Yu Hong observed from a distance and instinctively came to a conclusion.


    It was clear that someone as timid as Wei Shanshan likely became that way due to growing up under a dominant figure who made all her decisions for her.


    And judging by the situation, that person was most likely her mother.


    As the mother and daughter approached, passing the two guards, the men instinctively stepped back as if avoiding the plague, terrified of catching whatever Wei Shanshan¡¯s mother had.


    Yu Hong also felt uneasy, worried about the possibility of infection.


    Luckily, he was wearing a respiratory filter, and he had already prepared a separate shelter for the two of them.


    Fortunately, he was wearing a respiratory filter and had even built a small shelter in advance for the two of them to stay in.


    ¡°You must be Mr. Yu? I really appreciate your help this time. I¡¯m Qiu Yanxi, Shanshan¡¯s mother,¡± the woman said as she examined him.


    ¡°It¡¯s just business. Can we speed this up? We need to get back to the safehouse before dark,¡± Yu Hong asked in a deep voice.


    But when he saw the hesitation in her expression, he knew things wouldn¡¯t be quick.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you. Do you mind?¡±


    Qiu Yanxi turned back toward the village. Seeing only two women watching from a distance, her eyes dimmed slightly before she turned forward again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Sorry to trouble you,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Yu Hong rolled his shoulders, then suddenly reached out¡ªgrabbing the back of Wei Shanshan¡¯s clothes with one hand and Qiu Yanxi¡¯s with the other.


    Then he lifted them both into the air.


    ¡°AHHHH!!!¡± x2.


    Amidst their terrified screams, the two women were suspended like coats on a hanger, limbs flailing as Yu Hong sprinted downhill at full speed.


    The power he gained after his breakthrough was overwhelming. Lifting one person in each hand felt no different from picking up cardboard¡ªlight and effortless.


    The combined weight of both women was barely heavier than his giant wooden shield and spiked club.


    Maybe 170-180 kilograms at most.


    Even before his breakthrough, he could swing his massive shield and club with full force for several minutes without tiring.


    Now, with his newfound strength, it was even easier.


    Within minutes, they arrived at the safehouse.


    Yu Hong dumped the two into the small wooden shelter in the yard, then went into the bunker to fetch a blanket, tossing it inside.


    That was that.


    Next came the medicine. The enhanced antibiotics would only be effective for a little over two hours, so he planned to boost them before administering.


    After all, he had promised to take care of them, so he had to put in some effort.


    But now that it was dark, time was running short. And to ensure those two survived, they needed some extra provisions.


    Yu Hong rummaged through his supplies, pulling out a long-forgotten candle.


    Then he poured a cup of hot water, grabbed two protein bars, and delivered them to the women.


    With a bang, he shut the door.


    And that was that.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 87: The Situation (3)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    Inside the slightly drafty new wooden hut.


    Wei Shanshan and her mother, Qiu Yanxi, stood in the cramped space, taking in their surroundings. The tiny room was barely enough to turn around in.


    Creak. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wei Shanshan noticed that Yu Hong had actually made them a door. She pulled it shut and slid the attached latch down to lock it.


    It wasn¡¯t much, but at least it offered some degree of privacy.


    ¡°Shanshan¡­ you¡¯ve suffered.¡±


    As soon as Wei Shanshan closed the door, her mother gently embraced her. Hearing the exhaustion in her mother¡¯s voice, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sting in her nose as her eyes welled up.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ I¡¯m not afraid. We¡¯ve survived so many times before. Besides, Mr.Song has been looking after me,¡± she choked out.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should never have agreed to flee with them,¡± Qiu Yanxi held her daughter tightly, her face full of guilt.


    She had known what her daughter intended when she saw her leave the house in a pretty dress and white stockings.


    But at the time, she had been too weak to stop her. Later, when the dizziness finally faded and she regained some strength, she had nearly¡ª


    Thinking back to what had happened before, waking up to see Song Mingshi¡¯s guilty expression, and the dull pain in certain sensitive areas of her upper body, her heart was filled with rage, frustration, and sorrow.


    But she couldn¡¯t tell her daughter the truth. She couldn¡¯t explain why Song Mingshi had been so ¡°kind¡± to them. She could only accept it in silence. In her weakened state, the only person she could rely on to keep her daughter safe was Song Mingshi¡ªher former suitor.


    Many of their former colleagues at the academy, once friendly, were now completely unreliable.


    ¡°Never again¡­ You have to promise me, never do that again! Mom is still here¡ªI¡¯m not dead yet!¡± Qiu Yanxi clung to her daughter, her eyes turning red.


    They remained silent for a while, listening to the howling wind outside. Finally, Wei Shanshan pulled away and fetched some food and hot water.


    ¡°Mr. Yu gave us this. Let¡¯s eat something to keep our strength up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat first. If anything feels off, you run¡ªback to the others. There¡¯s still hope; they won¡¯t completely lose control,¡± Qiu Yanxi instructed cautiously. ??¦­?B??


    ¡°Okay!¡± Wei Shanshan nodded quickly.


    ¡°Also¡­ This hut won¡¯t hold off the blood tide at night. But that Mr. Yu wouldn¡¯t have gone to such lengths just to bring us here to die. So, go ask him what the plan is,¡± Qiu Yanxi whispered a few words into her daughter¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ***


    Yu Hong rummaged through a corner, finding a previously enhanced anti-inflammatory pill. He used a knife to cut it in half before heading to the wooden door. Pulling back the cover, he peered outside at the mother and daughter in the courtyard.


    These two were crucial to securing future energy sources, so he needed to take good care of them.


    To be honest, Wei Shanshan was indeed cute¡ªso much so that it made him want to bully her. If this were peacetime, he might have entertained thoughts typical of any man.


    But in times like these, with danger looming ever closer, anyone who dared to slow him down would be swiftly kicked aside.


    He glanced at the sky¡ªit was nearly dark.


    Holding the medicine, he strode into the courtyard and knocked on the hut¡¯s door.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    ¡°Who is it?!¡± Qiu Yanxi¡¯s wary voice came from inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. You¡¯re safe here¡ªI¡¯ve set up defenses around the courtyard, so don¡¯t worry about insects getting close. Also, I left medicine outside your door. Instructions are written on the packaging. And one more thing,¡± Yu Hong paused. ¡°Don¡¯t wander around the courtyard at night. To repel the insects, the red-value negativity here is quite high. Only inside your hut is safe.¡±


    He had removed the Luminous stone grass in this spot to eliminate radiation, and now that the grand formation was complete, its energy was contained rather than dispersed. This small area remained free of harmful radiation levels.


    ¡°Understood. Thank you,¡± Qiu Yanxi replied softly.


    ¡°Alright then. If you need anything, find me during the day. One protein bar per person per day is enough. Don¡¯t overeat. I¡¯ll leave fresh water outside your door every day, along with candles and medicine,¡± Yu Hong stated quickly before turning to leave, avoiding prolonged exposure.


    Night was falling¡ªit was time for his training.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Qiu Yanxi suddenly called out. ¡°Are we not allowed to leave the hut at all?¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s brief, you can walk around the courtyard. But do not leave it. The outside is getting more dangerous by the day.¡± Yu Hong hesitated for five seconds before answering.


    Ever since the incident with the Whisperer, he had developed the habit of pausing before responding, just to be sure.


    ¡°Thank you for your arrangements. But¡­ where can we relieve ourselves?¡± Qiu Yanxi asked hesitantly.


    Yu Hong was momentarily stunned. He had completely overlooked that issue.


    Looking around the courtyard, he walked over to a bare patch of dirt beside the hut¡ªone without glowing stone grass¡ªand started digging with his hands.


    Within minutes, he had created a pit, about half a meter wide and deep.


    ¡°There¡¯s a pit next to your hut. Use that.¡± Satisfied with his work, he informed them before heading back.


    ¡°O-Okay,¡± Qiu Yanxi replied.


    Seeing that they were settled, Yu Hong returned to his safe house and quickly lit the fireplace.


    As night fell, the sky turned pitch black, not a single star or moon in sight.


    From the forest came the faint rustling of crawling insects. At first, the sounds were sparse, but they soon converged into a growing, unsettling chorus.


    Inside the wooden hut, Qiu Yanxi and her daughter huddled together, terrified that insects might squeeze in through the cracks.


    But time passed, and nothing happened. No insects attacked the hut.


    This made them start to believe Yu Hong¡¯s words a little more.


    Once they were sure the insects weren¡¯t coming, their fear gradually subsided. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and they drifted off to sleep.


    At some unknown hour, Wei Shanshan stirred awake. Seeing a faint white glow seeping through the door cracks, she assumed dawn had arrived.


    She glanced at her sleeping mother before walking to the door and peering through the gap.


    ¡°¡­!?¡±


    Outside, the tiny grass in the courtyard was emitting a soft white glow, like a luminous carpet.


    Beyond the courtyard walls, an endless tide of black insects surged past, flowing like a dark river.


    They did not cross into the courtyard, as if it were an absolute forbidden zone.


    Wei Shanshan was stunned. The only time she had seen something similar was in the city, where walls coated with expensive Sunlight Series repellents kept the insects at bay.


    ¡°Mr. Yu¡­ Who exactly is he?¡±


    For the first time, an intense curiosity bloomed in her heart.


    ***


    ¡°This can¡¯t go on.¡±


    Unlike Wei Shanshan, Yu Hong was also keeping an eye on the situation outside from within his safe house.


    His elevated position allowed him to see farther than most.


    Beyond the courtyard walls, in the darkness, several massive figures¡ªeach about the size of a rhinoceros¡ªwere slowly making their way past.


    These were Great Skins, a type of large Blood Tick, but they alone weren¡¯t enough to make Yu Hong wary. What truly caught his attention was something further in the distance¡ªan elephant-sized Blood Tick moving silently through the forest.


    What made this creature particularly eerie was its semi-ethereal form, as if it were made of smoke. Sometimes, when it encountered a tree, it wouldn¡¯t bother going around; instead, it would pass straight through, as though neither it nor the tree truly existed in the same space.


    As it neared Yu Hong¡¯s courtyard, unlike the others, it slowed down and hesitated, even inching closer.


    ¡°Sss¡­¡±


    A faint hissing sound escaped from the massive creature.


    It approached the courtyard wall, its ghostly body phasing through the structure, only to jerk back the moment it crossed the boundary¡ªas if shocked by an invisible force.


    It tried again. And again.


    On the third attempt, the enormous elephant-sized Blood Tick finally gave up. Without rushing, it slowly turned away and headed elsewhere.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression darkened as he recognized where it was going¡ªBaiqiu Village!


    ¡°Good thing I completed the Grand Array in time. Otherwise, my defenses might not have held up.¡±


    The Grand Array, with its overwhelmingly negative red value, had clearly repelled the Blood Tick, forcing it to leave.


    Had the negative red value only been in the hundreds instead of the current thousands, the formation might not have been strong enough to drive away such a powerful entity.


    Yu Hong couldn¡¯t help but feel a deep sense of relief at his decision. Without the Grand Array, he might have burned through his reserves of Rune Array just to hold back tonight¡¯s wave of insects.


    He watched as the elephant-sized Blood Tick faded into the distance, then took out his enhanced red-value detector and switched it on.


    A soft beep sounded, and numbers appeared on the LCD screen:


    -0.124.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m outside the Grand Array¡¯s main coverage zone, yet the negative red value still registers here. That means the array¡¯s reserves haven¡¯t been drained completely and will continue recovering over time.¡±


    Yu Hong let out a breath of relief and observed the surroundings for a while longer. Seeing no second elephant-class Blood Tick, he finally felt at ease and returned to his sleeping bag.


    The night passed uneventfully.


    The Next Morning


    At dawn, Yu Hong woke up on time and began his daily training routine.


    As his physical strength had increased significantly, training inside the cave was no longer an option¡ªany misstep could cause unnecessary destruction.


    Instead, he moved to a newly excavated underground chamber.


    A dim greenish glow illuminated the training area.


    Yu Hong donned his heaviest reinforced White Bear Suit, then grabbed his Giant Wooden Shield and Spiked Wolf Club before starting the second level of his combat drills.


    This level focused on a single technique¡ªthe Side Grab Kick.


    It was a close-quarters move meant for grappling an opponent¡¯s arm, stepping sideways, and delivering a powerful kick.


    Since he had no sparring partner, Yu Hong could only practice solo.


    Burdened by immense weight, he carefully set down the Spiked Wolf Club, reached forward, and snapped his hands closed as if grasping an opponent¡¯s arm.


    Then¡ªpull!


    And finally¡ªkick!


    The entire sequence consisted of three precise steps: Grab, Pull, Kick.


    With mental visualization techniques, he gradually refined his movements, increasing speed and fluidity over time.


    As he repeated the drill, something strange happened¡ªmysterious energy currents began to seep into his body out of nowhere, condensing into countless tiny particles that flowed toward his dantian.


    Yu Hong could feel it¡ªhis body was heating up, growing stronger bit by bit.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his imagination, but the sensation of getting stronger was undeniable and exhilarating.


    After over an hour, his muscles burned with exhaustion, his strength completely drained. Finally, he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.


    While resting, he began contemplating his next goal:


    How could he develop a martial art specifically to counter those Ghostly Shadow creatures¡­?


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 88: The Situation (4)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    ¡®The foundation of Heavy Leg Technique comes from the basic leg techniques taught by Old Li, primarily used to strengthen the body. Only with this complete foundation can I gain the recognition of the Black Seal and enhance myself.¡¯


    ¡®If I want to obtain techniques specifically targeting Ghostly Shadows and Evil Shadows, I must first establish the same complete foundation¡ªone that allows me to train myself and develop fundamental methods to resist Ghostly Shadows.¡¯ S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡®As long as this method is complete, even if it is rudimentary, it can be strengthened. The problem now is: where do I find such a method?¡¯


    Yu Hong sat in the basement, deep in thought.


    ¡®The main things that counteract Ghostly Shadows are Luminous Stones, Great Luminous Stones, and the rune formations inscribed on them. If I were to draw a rune formation on myself, would that count as training?¡¯ he pondered.


    He acted on his thoughts immediately. After recovering some stamina, he removed his suit, went up to the cave above, fetched some water to wipe down his skin, then retrieved the freshly ground Great Luminous Stone powder. Mixing it with water, he skillfully drew a small rune on his left forearm.


    By now, he was extremely proficient in drawing these runes. After all, he had lost count of how many he had inscribed throughout the entire safe house.


    Once finished, he pressed his hand onto the rune formation and silently invoked enhancement.


    ¡®Incomplete execution.¡¯


    The Black Seal didn¡¯t even emit a single black thread¡ªit simply provided instant feedback.


    Yu Hong frowned, wiped off the rune, and paced around the cave before suddenly having another idea.


    ¡®What if I could manipulate my inner energy to draw a rune within my body? Would that work?¡¯


    However, he couldn¡¯t conduct this experiment just yet. After his breakthrough, all his inner energy had vanished¡ªthere wasn¡¯t even a trace left, as if he had completely exhausted his reserves.


    ¡®Looks like I still need to keep fortifying the safe house to ensure absolute safety. At the same time, I need to work on making it self-sufficient so I can slowly study the martial techniques.¡¯


    Having set his objective, he cooked some food to fill his stomach, then put on his unbearably stinky Enhanced White Bear Suit again and pulled open the door.


    Click.


    Outside, the sunlight was cold, and the wind howled.


    Yu Hong froze in place, stopping at the doorway.


    The reason was simple: in the courtyard, Wei Shanshan¡¯s mother, Qiu Yanxi, was squatting beside the small wooden cabin, pants down, straining hard.


    Although she was positioned sideways, partially obscured by the cave and the Luminous Stone grass, making it impossible to see anything clearly, the stark white of her skin was still visible.


    At that moment, Yu Hong saw her.


    Qiu Yanxi also heard the noise and turned to see him.


    Their eyes met.


    Both of them froze instantly.


    Qiu Yanxi¡¯s face flushed red, her skin visibly turning crimson.


    She quickly grabbed some leaves, wiped herself, pulled up her pants, and dashed into the cabin.


    She didn¡¯t even dare to make a sound, fearing she might wake her sleeping daughter.


    Soon, there was a soft thud as the wooden door shut. Everything fell silent again.


    Yu Hong, speechless, grabbed his spiked club and strapped on his massive wooden shield, preparing to check out the situation at the post office.


    He had always been curious¡ªwhere did the rune Array on the initial Luminous Stones come from?


    Perhaps Old Li, who had seen and experienced much, could answer his doubts.


    Just as he stepped into the courtyard with his weapon in hand, he suddenly recalled the short-range communication device he had acquired yesterday.


    He turned back, reentered the cave, closed the door, and dug out the device.


    Opening the black box, he found a simple handheld radio inside. It was black, with numerous honeycomb-shaped holes at its center, and three dark green buttons below: Connect, Hang Up, and Switch Channels (1, 2, 3). £Ò??O?????¨¨?


    ¡®1, 2, and 3 represent the ability to connect with three different people at the same time,¡¯ Yu Hong noted as he examined the manual.


    ¡®Once fully charged, pressing Connect will allow the device to automatically search for other active devices in range.¡¯


    ¡®So, it only works if the other side has turned theirs on as well,¡¯ he mused, shaking his head slightly. Then, he pressed the Connect button.


    Static.


    A sound like radio interference came from the device, but there was no response.


    ¡®They probably haven¡¯t turned it on yet,¡¯ Yu Hong speculated.


    After a moment of thought, he reached out and placed his hand on the device.


    ¡®Enhance short-range communicator, direction¡ª¡¯


    In his mind, he envisioned a central device capable of connecting more than five target devices, merging all users onto a single channel for communication. Additionally, he added enhancements such as reduced energy consumption, increased search range, and improved signal resistance to interference.


    Since the Black Seal¡¯s primary focus was on strengthening Great Luminous Stones and rune formations, he figured he might as well allocate some effort to enhancing the communicator. Strengthening it would bridge the gap between them, serving as a contingency plan in case he couldn¡¯t freely visit the post office in the future.


    Zzt.


    A black thread flickered briefly.


    ¡®Enhance short-range communicator?¡¯ The Black Seal¡¯s feedback appeared.


    Yu Hong watched as a countdown timer surfaced on the communicator¡¯s display: 11 hours, 19 minutes.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯


    The enhancement process would take quite some time.


    He confirmed the enhancement, then put the device aside and grabbed the second Enhanced Red Value Detector he had created earlier. Once again, he opened the door and stepped out into the courtyard.


    The small wooden cabin in the right corner of the courtyard remained silent¡ªthe mother and daughter seemed intent on avoiding him to spare themselves the awkwardness.


    Yu Hong had no interest in engaging with them either. As long as they stayed inside the safe house and he provided them with food and water, they just needed to survive until the rescue team arrived.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading out to the post office. Stay inside and don¡¯t go out under any circumstances, no matter what happens. Got it?¡± he instructed.


    As long as they remained within the courtyard, their safety was ensured.


    Of course, if a Speaker or a Withered Maiden launched a sudden attack, that would be a different story. But given how much time had passed, the Whisperer had yet to reappear¡ªit was likely gone for good.


    With that, he checked the Enhanced Red Value Detector in his hand. The display read -87.621¡ªthe red value inside the courtyard.


    Without waiting for a response from the wooden cabin, he walked out of the courtyard gate and checked the detector again.


    9.711.


    Yu Hong stopped in his tracks.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on? How is there a positive red value outside in broad daylight?¡¯


    The face beneath his helmet twisted into an unpleasant expression.


    ¡°Could it be that Ghostly Shadows are nearby? The only ones able to move during the day are the Ghostly Shadows and Evil Shadows.¡±


    Without hesitation, he grabbed the enhanced detector and advanced toward the post office.


    After walking more than a hundred meters, he checked the display again: 8.113.


    Still positive!


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. This isn¡¯t right! The minimum value for Ghostly Shadows is above twenty. A single-digit red value like this only appears when residual traces are left after a Ghostly Shadow has departed. But now, over such a large area, everywhere outside is showing red values.¡±


    The more Yu Hong thought about it, the more he felt something was amiss. This wasn¡¯t a surge period. If red value radiation was appearing everywhere outside, it meant the external environment had become even less suitable for humans¡ªand far more suitable for Ghostly Shadows.


    Realizing this, he instinctively quickened his pace toward the post office.


    A Few Minutes Later


    As he approached the stone post office, he saw a crowd pressing against the courtyard gate, knocking desperately. Cries, shouts, and pleas blended into a chaotic uproar, making it impossible to discern what was happening.


    Most of these people bore bloodstains on their bodies, their faces pale and filled with terror, as if they had been scared out of their wits.


    They were mostly young¡ªunder twenty years old. Their youthful features made their age apparent at a glance.


    However, not everyone in the group was so young. A few adults stood at the edge of the courtyard.


    These individuals wore tight-fitting blue-black stab-resistant suits, with firearms and daggers strapped to their waists. There were both men and women among them, their expressions ranging from indifferent to grim.


    Yu Hong swept his gaze across them and quickly spotted Song Mingshi among them¡ªthe only adult attempting to calm the younger ones.


    As Yu Hong approached, the crowd soon noticed him.


    Numerous eyes turned toward him, and the crying and shouting gradually subsided.


    They were clearly wary, unsure of his identity or purpose.


    Song Mingshi was the first to recognize Yu Hong, as did a few team members who had seen him before.


    They murmured among themselves, quickly passing along what little they knew from the previous day¡¯s events.


    Yu Hong, however, paid them no mind. He simply quickened his pace toward the courtyard.


    ¡°Old Li.¡± He called out while pulling open the gate with one hand and stepping inside.


    People in his path instinctively shrank back, making way without daring to obstruct him.


    Soon, Yu Hong reached the stone building. The moment he arrived, someone inside immediately unlocked the door and ushered him in.


    Bang.


    The door shut and locked behind him.


    Inside


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yu Hong asked, looking at Li Runshan¡¯s haggard face.


    ¡°There¡¯s trouble!¡± Li Runshan¡¯s expression was grim. He glanced around cautiously before leaning in and speaking in a low voice.


    ¡°Last night, during the Blood Tide, a Rank 3 Elephant Tick appeared! If we hadn¡¯t hidden underground, we wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance!¡±


    ¡°Elephant Tick¡­ I saw one. It¡¯s like a giant tick, much larger than a hound, right?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°Yes. Those people outside are refugees from Baiqiu Village. The Elephant Tick broke in and devoured several of them last night. If someone hadn¡¯t reacted quickly and set a house on fire to drive it away, none of them would¡¯ve survived!¡± Li Runshan said gravely.


    ¡°They came here seeking shelter from you?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Yeah. They all want to get into my underground bunker, but I can¡¯t take in so many people.¡± Li Runshan sighed. ¡°These people are from different backgrounds. If I kick them out, it could cause trouble. Brother Yu, I need your help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help, but first, answer a question.¡± Yu Hong¡¯s tone was firm.


    ¡°Anything I know, I won¡¯t hide from you.¡± Li Runshan nodded seriously.


    ¡°The rune engravings on Luminous Stones¡ªwhere did they originally come from?¡± Yu Hong asked in a low voice.


    ¡°I already told you, from the ruins. Why? Are you interested in them?¡± Li Runshan was taken aback.


    ¡°There¡¯s a ruin near us, right?¡± Yu Hong continued.


    ¡°Yes. Ruins are usually accompanied by Luminous Stone mines, which is why I came here in the first place. Those people outside also came for that reason. Although Luminous Stones emit radiation, they can ward off Ghostly Shadows and Evil Shadows. Between two dangers, they chose the lesser one¡ªgetting sick is better than dying immediately.¡± Li Runshan nodded.


    ¡°Have you been inside the ruins?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Yes, but they were already thoroughly looted. There¡¯s nothing left.¡± Li Runshan confirmed.


    ¡°Do you have a map?¡±


    ¡°I do. I¡¯ll get it for you later. Anything else?¡± Li Runshan asked.


    ¡°One more thing. On my way here, I detected an abnormal red value.¡± Yu Hong said.


    ¡°What kind of abnormality?¡± Li Runshan was puzzled.


    Red values in the wild were usually zero. What could be abnormal about that?


    ¡°On my way here, the red value consistently stayed between 8 and 9. I suspect¡­ something major has changed outside.¡± Yu Hong¡¯s expression darkened.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 89: Testing (1)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t see it wrong!?¡± Li Runshan¡¯s expression changed instantly. He even set aside what he was about to ask Yu Hong for help with and stared at him intently, repeating the question.


    ¡°You have a detector yourself. Test it and see,¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Li Runshan wasted no time. He pulled out a detector, rushed out the door without acknowledging the people in the courtyard, and sprinted into the forest. Without hesitation, he pressed the button.


    Soon, his face darkened. He quickly returned to the courtyard, ignored everyone else, re-entered the stone house, and shut the door.


    ¡°A big one is coming. This is a damn sign of a full-scale Blood Tide outbreak! Yu Hong, you need to leave now. Help the people outside as much as you can¡ªtake as many as possible. Otherwise, none of them will survive the night!¡±


    ¡°I already agreed to help. I won¡¯t go back on my word,¡± Yu Hong nodded. He had some ideas about how to settle these people.


    ¡°If worst comes to worst, we can throw them into the mining zone,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°That¡¯s useless. The mining zone is safe, but the radiation will turn them into idiots, which is pointless,¡± Li Runshan sighed.


    ¡°But on my end, I can only take in four or five more people at most,¡± Yu Hong calculated. If he built two more wooden huts in the yard, three people could stay in each. That should be manageable. The Luminous stone Grass could be transplanted a little further out.


    However, he had no reason to take on too much responsibility. Protecting too many people wouldn¡¯t benefit him.


    Wait¡­ benefits.


    Yu Hong narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about compensation. I charged Wei Shanshan and her mother for helping them. If the others want in, they can¡¯t expect it for free.¡±


    ¡°What do you need? What can they offer? You can negotiate with them yourself,¡± Old Li sighed. ¡°These people have a lot of resources, but the problem now is the deteriorating environment. I¡¯m worried about the reception team¡­¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression also shifted slightly.


    ¡°If the reception team doesn¡¯t make it, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have no choice but to¡ª¡± Li Runshan gritted his teeth but didn¡¯t finish his sentence. With limited resources, he couldn¡¯t risk his and his daughter¡¯s lives to protect a group of strangers.


    ¡°Uncle¡­ will we die?¡± Aisena, who had been standing quietly on the side, suddenly spoke. Her big eyes looked at Yu Hong calmly.


    ¡°¡­No, you won¡¯t,¡± Yu Hong looked at her round, fair little face, reached out to pinch her cheek gently, and forced a smile. ¡°Your dad is really strong. He¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    ¡°Nana,¡± Li Runshan gently picked her up and handed her to a beautiful woman nearby. ¡°Go rest with Aunt Lin. Daddy has something to take care of and will check on you later.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Aisena nodded obediently and nestled into the woman¡¯s arms without another word.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m heading back. Give me the ruin¡¯s map,¡± Yu Hong said. His main purpose here was to investigate the origins of the rune patterns and gather more information on how to counter the Specters.


    ¡°You don¡¯t actually need a map. The place is simple¡ªjust go straight in. The structure is shaped like an ¡®L.¡¯ You¡¯ll understand once you¡¯re inside. But be careful¡ªthe ruin is near the mine, so the radiation is high. And things might have changed inside. I haven¡¯t been there in a long time,¡± Li Runshan warned.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°And about taking people¡­¡±


    ¡°You took that job, so deal with it yourself,¡± Yu Hong refused to get involved.


    Li Runshan had no choice but to go out and loudly ask if anyone was willing to follow Yu Hong to another safehouse.


    However, no one was willing. The crowd, previously noisy and panicked, suddenly became eerily silent. Though fearful and anxious, no one wanted to leave the underground shelter of the post office for a completely unknown ¡°safehouse.¡± ????????¦­??¨¨?


    Creak.


    Yu Hong pushed open the door, whispered a fixed communication schedule to Old Li, then glanced at the men and women in the courtyard.


    No one paid him any attention.


    Clearly, they trusted the reputation of the post office couriers more.


    Two military officers, who appeared to be in charge, approached Old Li to negotiate for warm supplies and arrange for their key personnel to enter the underground facility first.


    As Old Li talked with them, he also jotted down notes on paper.


    Seeing no one willing to follow him, Yu Hong shrugged at Old Li¡ªmeaning it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to help; rather, they simply refused his help.


    Without delay, he turned and headed back to his residence.


    After a brief preparation, Yu Hong packed his gear, weapons, protein bars, and a water pouch before setting off for the mining zone.


    The sky was still bright, but he had no idea how large the ruin was inside. He needed to allocate enough time to explore and prepare accordingly.


    Following a forest trail, he crossed scorched woodlands and small hills. After half an hour, he arrived at a massive gray-white stone wall, over ten stories high.


    At its center was a narrow crack, just over two meters tall.


    The fissure was pitch black and deep, resembling a jagged bolt of lightning in a painting. A thin stream of water trickled from it.


    Standing at the entrance, Yu Hong examined the water¡¯s flow. It didn¡¯t travel far before disappearing into the cracks between the stones.


    Lush green vines and grass surrounded the area, thriving despite the cooling temperatures.


    He crouched down, pinched a blade of grass, and held it up to confirm¡ªit was indeed fresh.


    Then, he dipped his hand into the stream to test its temperature.


    Warm¡ªsignificantly warmer than the outside air.


    After a pause, Yu Hong took out a glowstick, held it high for illumination, and strode into the fissure.


    The shifting environment made him even more curious about the ruin. With no progress in his search for techniques, he hoped this place¡ªwhere the first rune patterns were discovered¡ªmight hold some valuable clues.


    He had a feeling that if he didn¡¯t explore now, the worsening conditions might make it too dangerous to venture out later. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Search quickly and return immediately,¡± he set a goal for himself before entering the fissure.


    Rustle.


    As he moved deeper, the passage widened, but the temperature dropped.


    Yu Hong¡¯s black combat suit blended perfectly with the surroundings, though his occasional breath produced faint white mist.


    Inside, the floor bore many footprints and drag marks from heavy objects¡ªclear signs of frequent activity. The walls had recessed alcoves, once used for storage but now empty.


    ¡°Looks like everything¡¯s been taken,¡± Yu Hong muttered, activating his enhanced detector.


    Beep.


    The LCD screen displayed the surrounding red value: 37.122.


    ¡°It¡¯s already over thirty,¡± Yu Hong¡¯s heart sank as he tightened his grip on the spiked club.


    He continued inward. The passage gradually widened until it stabilized at around five meters.


    At this point, the cave¡¯s height was also about five meters, forming a semi-cylindrical shape that stretched further into the mountain.


    As he ventured deeper, strange symbols and writings began to appear on the stone walls on both sides.


    These markings, drawn in black ink, resembled claw marks left by some kind of monster under the eerie green glow.


    Apart from these, small scattered stones started to appear along the sides of the stream on the ground.


    Most of these stones had incomplete carvings on their surfaces.


    They were similar to pebbles found along a riverbank¡ªgrayish-white and evenly distributed.


    Crack.


    Yu Hong bent down, wedged the atomic light stick under his armpit, and picked up a stone about the size of an egg.


    The black markings on the stone¡¯s surface looked oddly familiar.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this the Luminous Stone Rune? The earliest form of rune Array!¡¯


    He suddenly recognized the markings.


    Placing the stone back, he picked up another one and found the same runes, though incomplete due to the stone¡¯s broken edges.


    Yu Hong systematically examined one stone after another and discovered that they all bore the same runes.


    Standing up, he exhaled, releasing a faint cloud of white mist into the air.


    He then turned the light toward the murals on both sides of the cave. The walls were covered in black inscriptions of an entirely unknown language.


    Both sides bore the same script.


    After staring at it for a while without making any sense of it, he decided to continue deeper into the cave.


    Before long, he reached the end of the passage.


    A towering black stone wall completely blocked his path.


    The walls on either side of this stone barrier were filled with countless small holes, from which thin streams of water silently trickled down.


    These streams pooled on the ground and merged into a small creek that meandered out of the cave.


    Standing before the black stone wall, Yu Hong raised his atomic light and illuminated the massive five-meter-high rock.


    Carved into the stone was a large, gray-inked archway.


    The drawn gate was densely inscribed with numerous unfamiliar symbols and writings.


    Among these, Yu Hong quickly identified several symbols used in the Luminous Stone Rune.


    His spirits lifted instantly. Setting down his club, he retrieved paper and pen from his pocket and carefully copied all the symbols from the archway.


    Including the ones from the murals he had seen earlier, he recorded a total of seven distinct symbols after eliminating duplicates.


    However, upon closer examination, Yu Hong noticed that these seven symbols not only formed the Luminous Stone Rune but also came together on the archway to create an even more complex and intricate symbol.


    This larger symbol appeared frequently at the top of the mural gate. Its sharp, striking strokes exuded an imposing aura, though its function remained unclear.


    Even after transcribing everything, Yu Hong felt something was off about this large symbol.


    At first glance, it seemed like a swirling vortex, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was merely an optical illusion.


    ¡®Why did the previous explorers only study the Luminous Stone Rune and ignore this symbol?¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t understand.


    After finishing his notes, he searched every corner of the cave for more clues. However, it was evident that anything of value had long since been taken, leaving him with no further discoveries.


    Reluctantly, he exited the ruins.


    The way in had been slow, but the way out was much faster¡ªwithin minutes, Yu Hong was back at the cave entrance.


    ¡®The markings on the Luminous Stone should be called the Amplification Rune. As for this newly discovered symbol¡­ I¡¯ll call it the Vortex Rune for now. Hopefully, it¡¯ll lead to some new findings.¡¯


    Feeling a tinge of disappointment, he turned back to glance at the cave ruins.


    ¡®Did the original Black Disaster really seep out from places like this?¡¯


    He recalled the archway mural at the cave¡¯s end, covered in inscriptions¡ªaside from the vast, unreadable text, it prominently featured the Luminous Stone¡¯s Amplification Rune and the newly found Vortex Rune.


    Yet on the stone walls, the symbols had been distorted¡ªsome stretched long and thin, others shrunk, some shaped into squares, and some flattened like dough.


    With unanswered questions in his mind, Yu Hong quickly returned to his residence.


    He planned to use the Black Seal to decipher the function of the Vortex Rune as soon as possible.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 90: Testing (2)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    (TL note :- will upload the rest of bonus chapters tomorrow)


    ~~


    At the cave safehouse.


    Wei Shanshan carefully pulled up her pants, glanced around, and shyly used her foot to push some dirt over the pit, covering up the waste.


    With a sigh, she returned to the wooden hut and looked at her resting mother. Compared to before, she felt much more at ease.


    ¡°Mom¡­ that protein bar was amazing. Just one, and I don¡¯t feel hungry at all¡­¡±


    Qiu Yanxi turned her face to the side and gave her daughter a strange look. Lying on the filthy blanket, she gazed up at Wei Shanshan from below, and the angle, combined with her expression, suddenly felt unfamiliar to her daughter.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Shanshan asked softly.


    ¡°Shanshan¡­ tell me honestly, did you sleep with that guy, Yu?¡± Qiu Yanxi¡¯s eyes flickered with a trace of pain, but she kept her voice as calm as possible.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. If you did, you did. Given the current situation, it¡¯s our fault¡ªyour father and I protected you too well before. Something like this¡­ it¡¯s really not that big of a deal. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    She recalled what she had seen before¡ªwhen they were fleeing from the academy, they had encountered a wealthy family. The daughter, once a pampered young lady, had traded her body for food to help her father. But instead of gratitude, she had been beaten, cursed, and shamed. In the end, she had jumped from a height, ending her life on the spot. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qiu Yanxi didn¡¯t want her daughter to suffer the same fate.


    As long as she was alive, there was still hope.


    ¡°No!¡± Wei Shanshan¡¯s face flushed red. She lowered her head. ¡°He¡­ wasn¡¯t interested in me at all. But when he heard about my dad¡¯s position, he¡­¡±


    She thought her mother would be relieved by this answer. But to her surprise, Qiu Yanxi¡¯s expression grew even more serious.


    ¡°In a situation like this, when there¡¯s no law or restraint, yet he can suppress his desires and remain disciplined¡­ this man, this Mr. Yu, must be incredibly self-controlled¡ªmaybe even terrifyingly so.¡± Qiu Yanxi said in a low voice.


    ¡°Mom, what are you worried about? Isn¡¯t that a good thing? The more powerful Mr. Yu is, the safer we are.¡± Wei Shanshan didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°If your father¡¯s offer is enough to satisfy him, then fine. But if it¡¯s not¡­ we hold no value to him at all,¡± Qiu Yanxi shook her head. ¡°Honestly, if he had shown some interest in you, I might have felt a little more at ease.¡±


    ¡°Mom! What are you even saying?!¡± Wei Shanshan was completely bewildered.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Qiu Yanxi changed the subject. ¡°Tell me, last night, did you see those glowing plants in the yard? They acted like sunlight, keeping the blood tide from coming in. And we¡¯ve been here for a while now¡ªhave you noticed any sounds from the Ghostly Shadows? Not even a whisper, right?¡±


    Wei Shanshan nodded hesitantly.


    ¡°What does that mean? Do you understand?¡± Qiu Yanxi looked at her daughter with an intense gaze.


    ¡°Mm¡­ If Dad could get samples of those plants, he might be able to study them and figure something out.¡± Wei Shanshan understood their value.


    ¡°Mr. Yu is no ordinary man. He¡¯s been surviving in this wilderness, yet he has no shortage of food or safety. He must have some hidden trump card. And those glowing plants that repel the blood tide¡­ that must be his secret weapon.¡± Qiu Yanxi said in a serious tone. R???£Â¨§?


    ¡°But what does that have to do with us?¡± Wei Shanshan asked, confused. ¡°We just need to wait for the rescue team to come, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°My silly daughter, do you really think that once we reach your father, we¡¯ll be completely safe?¡± Qiu Yanxi laughed bitterly and rubbed her daughter¡¯s cheek. ¡°Your father is just a deputy director at a city research institute¡ªone of three, at that. His position and authority don¡¯t compare to the actual director, let alone those even higher up. But if we could get Mr. Yu¡¯s secret for avoiding the blood tide and hand it over to your father for research¡­¡±


    ¡°We could trade with Mr. Yu and see if he¡¯s willing to exchange it,¡± Wei Shanshan¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°And what do we have that he would want?¡± Qiu Yanxi shook her head. ¡°Your father¡¯s just a deputy director, but he has no real resources or power. The intelligence he provided before¡ªthat was all the support he could offer remotely.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡± Wei Shanshan was frustrated. Seeing a glimmer of hope, only to realize they had no way of obtaining it, was incredibly frustrating.


    ¡°We¡¯ll observe for now. No need to rush¡ªI¡¯ll think of a way.¡± A sharp glint flickered in Qiu Yanxi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start by asking him directly. If that doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll find another way.¡±


    Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps crunching over dry leaves echoed from outside.


    The steps were firm and steady¡ªunmistakably Yu Hong¡¯s way of walking.


    Creak.


    The wooden gate swung open, and Yu Hong walked in, gripping his club. As he passed by the wooden hut, he glanced at the door and saw through the gap that the mother and daughter were still inside. Satisfied, he continued toward the cave entrance, about to open the door.


    ¡°Mr. Yu, please wait¡ªI¡¯d like to discuss something with you.¡±


    Qiu Yanxi¡¯s voice came from behind him.


    Her tone was sincere. As the wooden door creaked open, she leaned on her daughter for support, standing at the doorway and gazing at him.


    Yu Hong turned around and examined her once more.


    This woman, nearing forty, was remarkably well-maintained. Now that she had freshened up a bit, she looked more like she was in her late twenties. Standing next to her daughter, they had the appearance of a pair of sisters.


    Her figure was even more striking than her daughter¡¯s¡ªher curves were impossible to hide, even beneath her athletic clothing.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Yu Hong asked calmly, retracting his gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the glowing plants in your yard. How do they repel the blood tide? Would you be willing to trade that knowledge with us?¡± Qiu Yanxi asked sincerely. ¡°The situation outside is worsening. Sunlight-based materials are in short supply. If we had a second way to protect ourselves, who knows how many lives we could save? Your generosity could change countless fates.¡±


    ¡°What do you have to offer in exchange?¡± Yu Hong asked directly. ¡°I can share the method¡ªbut what¡¯s the price?¡±


    The luminous stone grass was indeed something he could share, but he personally didn¡¯t think it was all that useful. It was too fragile. Without inner energy to accelerate its growth, it would be wiped out in an instant.


    Previously, An Evil shadow arrived and destroyed 90% of the Luminous grass, leaving only a few outer seedlings, which barely managed to recover.


    This meant that the Luminous stone grass had a limit¡ªonce it was exceeded, it could not regenerate and would be instantly destroyed, making it highly fragile.


    ¡°We can compensate you with supplies. Once the rescue team arrives, we will be able to make the payment. Additionally, you could come with us to Hope City. Once inside, we can arrange a well-paying position for you,¡± Qiu Yanxi said sincerely.


    ¡°Supplies?¡± Yu Hong remained indifferent. ¡°We¡¯ll see. The real problem isn¡¯t the shortage of sunlight materials, but the fact that the Black Disaster cannot be completely eradicated. Even if dispersed, it quickly regathers. In this situation, no amount of alternative sunlight materials will make a real difference.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Yu, you might find it worthwhile to talk with my husband. He is also involved in scientific research in this field, and you might have much in common. If you join the research institute, the benefits will be far better than struggling alone in this wilderness,¡± Qiu Yanxi persuaded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait until the rescue team arrives. Right now, you can¡¯t offer me any concrete guarantees,¡± Yu Hong cut her off bluntly and turned to open the door.


    Qiu Yanxi watched helplessly as the heavy wooden door closed. She patted her daughter¡¯s arm.


    ¡°This man is definitely someone extraordinary. His outfit resembles the Gray Lizard Suit sold on the market, but it¡¯s much thicker and more advanced. On top of that, he has high-grade anti-inflammatory medicine and protein bars. If he can escort us back safely, we¡¯ll be in good hands.¡±


    ¡°Then, Mom, what should we do next?¡± Wei Shanshan asked in confusion.


    ¡°No rush. We still have time. Let¡¯s think about it first,¡± Qiu Yanxi shook her head.


    Bang.


    The wooden door was locked.


    Yu Hong quickly took off his gear, inhaled the fresh air, then sat down on the wooden bench and took out the new rune he had copied earlier.


    The vortex rune was originally the size of an egg, but his copied version was much larger, about the size of a grapefruit.


    Yu Hong cleared the table, laid the copied rune flat, and transcribed a second copy using charcoal.


    Afterward, he glanced at the communicator, which was still in the process of enhancement. Deciding to rest, he lay down for a nap to recharge.


    By the time he woke up, the sky had darkened, and the communicator¡¯s enhancement was complete.


    Yu Hong sat up, took the second copy of the rune, placed his hand on it, and silently commanded:


    ¡°Enhance the rune formation. Direction: Dispel Ghostly Shadows.¡±


    Black ink-like lines flowed out from his brand imprint and into the rune.


    ¡°Incomplete.¡±


    As expected.


    A smile appeared on Yu Hong¡¯s face.


    This was precisely his goal¡ªusing the brand imprint as a way to determine the rune¡¯s actual function.


    ¡°The fundamental requirement for brand imprint enhancement is that the object must have at least the basic properties of the intended enhancement. If I randomly pick up a stone and try to enhance it into a powerful luminous stone, it won¡¯t work because an ordinary stone has no ability to repel Ghostly Shadows.¡±


    ¡°The brand imprint enhances, evolves, upgrades, and synthesizes¡ªbut it cannot create something from nothing.¡±


    Having used the brand imprint for so long, Yu Hong had gained a deep understanding of its workings.


    ¡°In other words, I just need to keep testing different enhancement functions. If an attempt is rejected, it means that¡¯s not the rune¡¯s purpose. I¡¯ll keep changing directions until the brand imprint accepts one.¡±


    ¡°The final enhancement that succeeds must be the true function of this vortex rune!¡±


    Gazing at the unfamiliar rune, he continued testing.


    ¡°Enhance the rune. Direction: Positioning, Sensing.¡±


    Black lines emerged.


    ¡°Incomplete.¡±


    ¡°Enhance the rune. Direction: Attack, Damage.¡±


    ¡°Incomplete.¡±


    He tried again and again, receiving the same result each time.


    Yu Hong was extremely patient, methodically going through every possibility.


    Time passed slowly. Eventually, he had tested nearly every function he could think of.


    And yet, the results were all the same¡ª¡±Incomplete.¡±


    His brows gradually furrowed.


    ¡°Could this rune really be useless?¡± he wondered.


    ¡°No worries, there¡¯s another way.¡±


    Besides enhancement, the brand imprint had another feature¡ªsynthesis.


    Yu Hong picked up a blank sheet of paper, placed it over a regular luminous stone with runes, and pressed his hand on it.


    He silently commanded the brand imprint to merge the unknown rune with the luminous stone.


    By comparing the synthesized result to the original, he could determine the rune¡¯s general function.


    Though this process was slower and might not yield a complete answer, it was still worth trying.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 91: Rune Pattern (1)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    The new research method required consuming the enhancement time of the Black Seal. Fortunately, after Yu Hong synthesized the Vortex Rune with a luminous stone, the countdown was only a few minutes.


    After waiting briefly, he obtained a small luminous stone with an entirely new rune pattern.


    Picking up the stone, he examined the rune on its surface.


    ¡®The new rune isn¡¯t just a simple combination of the Enhancement Rune and the Vortex Rune. The internal symbols have shifted positions and order. However, the material of the luminous stone remains unchanged¡ªstill an ordinary luminous stone.¡¯


    He took out the Red-Value Detector and pressed it against the stone.


    Beep.


    A numerical value appeared on the LCD screen: -7.221.¡°No difference from before the test.¡±


    Yu Hong frowned slightly. He had already measured this stone before, and the results had fluctuated around this number.


    The red value of ordinary luminous stones was generally small and mainly determined by their size. Typically, after being mined, luminous stones would gradually break into pieces of roughly uniform size over time.


    ¡®Maybe the Vortex Rune doesn¡¯t take immediate effect¡ªperhaps it needs time to ferment.¡¯


    Yu Hong took out a pen and paper and recorded his findings. The white paper was already filled with numerous past experiments. Using the Black Seal, he had ruled out many potential directions.


    ¡®What if I try drawing the Vortex Rune separately?¡¯


    He quickly grabbed a small luminous stone and used a charcoal pen to draw a vortex rune on it.


    Then, he tested it again with the Red-Value Detector and recorded the data.


    No change.


    Still useless.


    Unfazed, Yu Hong tried applying the Vortex Rune to different materials.


    He continued his meticulous trial-and-error approach.


    The sky gradually darkened.


    ¡°Huh? Why did it get dark so fast?¡±


    Snapping out of his experiments, Yu Hong looked toward the door¡¯s viewing window.


    He took out his enhanced communicator, now a square plastic box with four speakers on its sides. The top featured a row of buttons and dials, each labeled with functions and numbers.


    After inspecting it briefly, he found the switch on the lower side and flipped it on.


    Ssshh¡ª


    A burst of static crackled from the speakers.


    Soon, the noise faded, replaced by faint voices.


    ¡°¡­Four days, at most four days before we face¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Too many people, and supplies are still¡­ Reduce numbers, drive them out¡­¡±


    ¡°I disagree. We all survived the worst together, and now we¡¯re¡­¡±


    A dispute seemed to be taking place on the other end, and Yu Hong recognized Old Li¡¯s voice among them.


    Old Li sounded calm as he reported the longest duration their supplies could sustain them, but the rest of the conversation was unclear.


    Yu Hong slapped the communicator, causing a loud crackling noise.


    It immediately caught the attention of those on the other side.


    ¡°Old Li? Can you hear me?¡± he asked in a deep voice.


    ¡°Yes, loud and clear. Your signal is that strong over there?¡± Li Runshan sounded surprised¡ªclearly unaware of the quality of Black Seal enhancements.


    ¡°It¡¯s decent. Let¡¯s keep it short. I have something to ask you.¡±


    Although they had agreed to communicate at a fixed time daily, power consumption was a concern. If there was nothing urgent, they would shut it off to save energy and wait until the next day. ???????????¨§?


    This setup was inconvenient and outdated. Yu Hong wanted to complain¡ªwhy couldn¡¯t it function like a regular phone, with a ringtone or vibration for notifications? Why did both devices have to be on at the same time to connect?


    ¡°Go ahead. What is it?¡±


    Li Runshan was also satisfied with the call quality.


    ¡°I explored a ruin cave and found another rune similar to the luminous stone Rune. But it seems useless. Do you have any research on this?¡±


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t hesitate to ask directly.


    He didn¡¯t believe other ruin explorers would ignore studying the Vortex Rune. If he could gather clues through the post office¡¯s channels, it would save him a lot of time and effort.


    ¡°Oh, that one? Yeah, we¡¯ve looked into it.¡±


    Li Runshan replied promptly.


    ¡°Actually, the ruins contain more than just these two runes. There are several others you haven¡¯t seen before, ones that have never appeared on the market. But the only one that has been proven useful is the Enhancement Rune we currently use.¡±


    Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°If it¡¯s useless, why was it drawn on the ruin walls?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe the ruin scholars would have some insights. But when I tried contacting the higher-ups earlier, even our previous anti-interference communication was heavily disrupted. The signal is extremely unstable now. I suspect the changing external environment is affecting communications.¡±


    Concern tinged Li Runshan¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Regardless, we should prepare for a long-term battle.¡± Yu Hong said.


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t waste more power. It¡¯s almost nightfall¡ªlet¡¯s hope there¡¯s no Blood Tide tonight.¡±


    With that, they ended the call.


    Yu Hong exhaled deeply.


    ¡®Even the post office¡¯s communication is affected¡­ If contact with the higher-ups is lost¡­¡¯


    A hint of worry flickered in his eyes.


    Without communication, supply teams might stop coming. If the wilderness continued growing more dangerous, future supply missions could become impossible.


    ¡®If the luminous grass outside can¡¯t repel the Blood Tide, I¡¯ll have to rely on my cave door to hold them off. But the current door might not be strong enough.¡¯


    Assessing potential risks, Yu Hong decided¡ªhe needed to reinforce the door.


    The mother and daughter in the courtyard would eventually leave; they were not his concern. But if supply teams stopped arriving, they would have to rely entirely on themselves¡ªcomplete self-sufficiency.


    ¡®Reinforcing the door isn¡¯t enough. I need to expand the safety bunker, create storage and farming areas, and separate washing and waste areas to prevent moisture buildup. A training space, an experiment lab¡­ I should plan for as many rooms as possible for future expansion.¡¯


    With his future plans in mind, Yu Hong sketched a rough blueprint of an underground chamber layout. He initially planned five rooms, with one being significantly larger for indoor training and experimentation.


    Once the layout was set, he glanced outside.


    The sky was completely dark, but tonight, there was no Blood Tide¡ªonly silent darkness.


    The moon was hidden behind clouds, and only occasional glimpses of starlight peeked through.


    Outside the cave, the luminous grass swayed gently in the wind, emitting a soft, luminous white glow.


    Yu Hong had taken a nap during the day, and now he was full of energy. He decided to cook some protein soup, ate a meal, and began training.


    For three hours straight, he concentrated on his training, exhausting his stamina as much as possible. Just as he was about to finish and prepare for rest, at the very last moment of stopping¡ª


    Hiss.


    A faint sound emerged from deep within his abdomen.


    At that moment, countless unknown and strange particles from the outside world passed through his fair skin, penetrated the red muscle layer, and continuously poured into his dantian.


    These particles were far finer than dust. They appeared solid, yet they could easily pass through physical matter, as if they were illusions.


    This strange phenomenon lasted for more than ten seconds before gradually fading away.


    ¡°This is¡­!?¡±


    Yu Hong gently touched his abdomen and found that his skin there had turned slightly cold, as if he had just touched an ice block¡ªbone-chilling.


    Inside his body, he could clearly feel it¡ªa new, cold stream of inner energy had begun forming in his dantian.


    ¡°The first inner energy of the second level is finally here!¡±


    Comparing this sensation to the descriptions in Heavy Leg Technique, Yu Hong finally exhaled in relief.


    Without inner energy, even though his physique had greatly strengthened, he still didn¡¯t feel completely secure.


    Now that he had finally accumulated inner energy, he felt an immense sense of security.


    ¡°With inner energy in place, I can start expanding the underground shelter tomorrow!¡±


    Feeling reassured, Yu Hong finalized his plan.


    Inner energy wasn¡¯t just a powerful endurance booster¡ªit could also accelerate the recovery of luminous grass and provide more energy for Black Seal enhancements. Its applications were extensive.


    With tomorrow¡¯s plan settled in his mind, Yu Hong finished his training and prepared to head upstairs to rest.


    But just then, a sudden thought flashed through his mind, making him stop in his tracks.


    ¡°Wait! If the outer wall can be strengthened as a whole, and formations can be strengthened as a whole, then why not the entire safehouse?¡±


    Standing under the faint green light, the gleam in Yu Hong¡¯s eyes grew brighter.


    He remained still for a moment before suddenly crouching down and pressing one hand against the ground.


    ¡°Enhance the entire safehouse. Parameters: increase the number of compartments by five, improve wall hardness and moisture resistance.¡±


    With a deep sense of anticipation, he waited for the Black Seal¡¯s response.


    Hiss.


    A black line emerged from the Black Seal, merging into the ground.


    Then, he waited.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Five seconds.


    Finally, a cold mechanical voice echoed in his ears.


    ¡°Enhance the entire safehouse?¡±


    At the same time, a large black countdown timer appeared on the ground beneath him.


    ¡°24 days, 11 hours, 7 minutes.¡±


    ¡°It really works!!¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s eyes widened in excitement.


    He knew exactly what this meant¡ªgoing forward, he wouldn¡¯t need to learn construction techniques or seek help for expanding and modifying the safehouse. As long as he kept synthesizing and enhancing with the Black Seal, everything could be done automatically!


    ¡°If I can enhance the entire safehouse, then I should be able to enhance individual compartments separately!¡±


    Excitement surged through him as he realized the possibilities.


    Without hesitation, he stepped to the wall, placed his hand on it, and whispered his next command.


    ¡°Enhance this compartment. Parameter: add one connecting compartment.¡±


    This time, he didn¡¯t increase five compartments at once. Instead, he only added one, without requesting any other upgrades. His goal was to determine how long a single compartment enhancement would take.


    Soon, the black lines spread out, and a countdown timer appeared on the wall.


    ¡°4 days, 11 hours, 2 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Only four days! That¡¯s way faster than digging it myself!¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s heart trembled with excitement, and a smile spread across his face.


    Although his strength had greatly increased and his physique had improved, digging through rock was still far more difficult than digging through soil. Even with his current strength, it would have been impossible for him to carve out a proper compartment in just four days.


    ¡°The best part is, once the Black Seal enhances it, everything will likely be perfected¡ªsmooth walls, complete structural integrity, and even aesthetics¡ªall far better than if I did it manually.¡±


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 92: Rune Pattern (2)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    Excited by his discovery, Yu Hong decided not to continue reinforcing rune arrays that evening. Normally, he would enhance the rune arrays at night, calculating reinforcement times and bundling multiple arrays together so that by the next morning, he would have several improved ones ready.


    But this time, he planned to test the Black Seal¡¯s ability to strengthen a chamber.


    Placing one hand on the stone wall, Yu Hong silently gave his command:


    ¡°Reinforce the entire safe house. Direction: Add a new room of the same size as this chamber, extending further into the mountain. Keep the exterior unchanged, enhance the strength of the main door, integrate it seamlessly with the stone walls, and increase impact resistance.¡±


    A black line flickered, and a countdown appeared: 6 days, 9 hours, 42 minutes.


    ¡°Do you want to reinforce this chamber?¡± the Black Seal inquired.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Hong responded eagerly.


    Immediately, the underground chamber flickered slightly before returning to normal. The countdown on the wall began ticking down.


    Satisfied, Yu Hong withdrew his hand.


    ¡°Six days¡­ Although the Black Seal will be unavailable for now, once this is completed, I can continue expanding this way!¡±


    ¡°By the time the reinforcement is done, the rescue team should have arrived. Once I get the intel, I¡¯ll retrieve the nuclear generator. If I solve the energy issue, water supply should be easily taken care of as well.¡±


    Using the Black Seal¡¯s reinforcement and synthesis abilities, Yu Hong figured he could seamlessly integrate the water supply system and nuclear generator into the safe house¡¯s infrastructure.


    This would save him from extensive planning and modifications. If it weren¡¯t for the Black Seal, he wouldn¡¯t even know where to start when it came to installation and integration. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the countdown in motion, Yu Hong returned to the upper cave, lay down, and fell asleep. His mood was light, and he slept soundly until nearly noon the next day.


    He could have continued sleeping, but loud noises from outside disturbed his rest.


    ***


    Outside the Safe House ¨C Walled Courtyard


    Wei Shanshan and Qiu Yanxi stood close to their wooden hut, confronting a group of over ten people outside the stone wall.


    It was nearly noon, and the sun was shining brightly.


    The group consisted of both men and women, wielding machetes, wooden clubs, daggers, and even firearms. Some wore academy uniforms similar to Wei Shanshan¡¯s, others were in camouflage gear, and one girl, absurdly dressed, wore a tight-fitting mini dress that exposed her pale thighs. ???????????¨º?


    Despite their differing appearances, they all shared the same expression¡ªfear. Some were even trembling.


    ¡°Rune arrays! Great Luminous Stones! We need more of them!¡±


    ¡°Hand them over!! Give us the rune arrays!!¡±


    At the forefront was a young woman, likely in her early twenties. Her figure was better than Wei Shanshan¡¯s but not as impressive as Qiu Yanxi¡¯s. Her face was unremarkable, marred by stress-induced red sores at the corners of her mouth.


    She gripped a compact submachine gun, pointing it directly at the mother and daughter within the walls.


    ¡°So many people died last night! You had those rune arrays and Luminous Stones, yet you refused to share them with us!? Why!?¡± The woman¡¯s voice trembled with rage and fear, her hands shaking as she clutched her weapon.


    ¡°Li Jingyuan!¡± Qiu Yanxi forced herself to stay calm despite the gun pointed at her. Her body trembled, but she spoke loudly, ¡°Weren¡¯t you all taking shelter at the post office? What happened? What¡¯s going on? Take a deep breath! It¡¯s broad daylight¡ªthe safest time! There¡¯s no need to panic right now!¡±


    As a teacher, her authority still held some sway over her former students.


    ¡°Ghostly Shadows¡­ Too many Ghostly Shadows!! We couldn¡¯t hold them back! The post office refused to let us stay! They ran out of rune arrays and Luminous Stones too! We lost eight people last night alone!!¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice was hoarse as she screamed, ¡°There are too many Ghostly Shadows outside! We can¡¯t stop them! Without Luminous Stones and rune arrays, we¡¯re all going to die¡ªtonight!!¡±


    Her bloodshot eyes widened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!! I need Luminous Stones! Give me Luminous Stones!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a mine nearby¡ªyou could go there and dig for some¡ª¡±


    Before Qiu Yanxi could finish, two gunshots rang out.


    Bang! Bang!


    The bullets struck the ground near her feet, sending dirt flying. Some of it sprayed onto her legs, leaving tiny red welts.


    ¡°Go to the mines? Do I look like a fool to you!?¡± Li Jingyuan screamed. ¡°Going there is as good as dying! Normal Luminous Stones are useless! I need Great ones! Give me Great Luminous Stones!!¡±


    ¡°I can call Mr. Yu out and arrange a fair trade¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fair trade? My ass! We have guns and numbers! Why the hell should we trade!? He should share everything with us!!¡±


    ¡°Share it all!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Share it!!¡±


    ¡°If he won¡¯t share, we¡¯ll kill him!!¡±


    ¡°Either way, we¡¯re dead!! Let¡¯s go for it!!¡±


    The group¡¯s mental state had clearly collapsed. They were on the edge, driven mad by desperation.


    ¡°There are Great Luminous Stones over there!! I see them!!¡±


    Someone pointed to a massive chunk of stone in the courtyard.


    ¡°Damn it! Grab it!!¡±


    With a wave of her hand, Li Jingyuan sent several young men charging towards the Luminous Stone.


    ¡°There are rune arrays too! And food! Drag that bastard out! This place belongs to us now!!¡±


    One of the taller men yelled and sprinted toward the entrance of the safe house.


    These people had been exiled from the post office shelter¡ªdiscarded by those with more power and influence.


    When the rune arrays and Luminous Stones ran out, they found themselves defenseless. Many had died in a single night.


    That brutal reality shattered their last hopes. They tried attacking the United Army¡¯s survivor camp but were driven off, leaving behind more bodies.


    Desperate and with nowhere to turn, they thought of Yu Hong¡¯s safe house.


    Starving and desperate, they rushed here, clinging to this last chance of survival.


    ¡°Charge!! Get inside!! Those two are fine¡ªthere must be enough Luminous Stones here for all of us!!¡±


    ¡°Why should just a few people hoard all this!?¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to die anyway¡ªscrew it!!¡±


    Li Jingyuan joined the charge, completely ignoring the mother and daughter at the wooden hut.


    Over a dozen people swarmed into the courtyard, trampling over the luminous grass as they charged toward the wooden door.


    The leading young man raised his gun, aiming at the door¡¯s lock, ready to fire a burst.


    Whoosh¡ª


    The wooden door suddenly swung open. A dark shadow lunged out, striking the young man square in the chest.


    Boom!!


    The gunman was sent flying backward, his chest caving in with a sickening crack as his sternum shattered. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he slammed into the stone wall, then collapsed to the ground, motionless. A pool of blood quickly spread beneath him.


    The sudden turn of events froze the charging group in place.


    All movement stopped as every gaze snapped toward the now-open door.


    Inside.


    Yu Hong, towering at nearly 1.9 meters in full armor, stepped out.


    He was clad in a complete set of reinforced White Bear ballistic gear, resembling a walking tank. In one hand, he held a massive wooden shield; in the other, a spiked mace. Weighing over 300 pounds, he took a single step forward and lightly hopped down onto the courtyard grass.


    Thud.


    His boots sank deep into the ground.


    As his body landed, a faint shockwave rippled outward, dispersing across the courtyard.


    The air stirred, sweeping through the luminous grass, bending it outward in waves centered around Yu Hong.


    Whoosh¡ª


    A stream of condensed white vapor hissed from the breathing valve of his helmet, curling into twin trails along its sides.


    ¡°I gave you fairness.¡± He raised his head, looking at the group before him.


    ¡°And this is how you repay me?¡±


    His deep voice jolted the nearest few back to their senses.


    ¡°Fairness!?¡± someone screamed. ¡°You hoarded all the large Luminous Stones and rune arrays while watching us die! That¡¯s your so-called fairness!?¡±


    ¡°Kill him!!¡±


    ¡°Shoot!!¡±


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Li Jingyuan was the first to raise her submachine gun and unleash a barrage at Yu Hong.


    Gunfire rang out as bullets struck his heavy ballistic armor, sparking on impact.


    More gunfire erupted as two others also opened fire, their bullets hammering against his armor and wooden shield, sending splinters flying.


    ¡°Fools.¡± Yu Hong raised his shield, hunched his shoulders, and charged.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    With three thunderous strides, he barreled forward like a raging rhinoceros, slamming into the first three attackers.


    They had no time to dodge. The massive wooden shield smashed into them head-on, sending them flying like bowling pins, rolling across the ground.


    Without pausing, Yu Hong stormed toward the courtyard wall, lifting his shield with one arm and swinging it down.


    Boom!


    The shield struck Li Jingyuan directly.


    The sheer force sent her hurtling sideways. She didn¡¯t even have time to scream before she crashed into the outer wall, leaving a streak of blood midair before slumping lifelessly to the ground.


    Yu Hong spun around, sweeping his spiked mace in a wide arc, swatting two more assailants like ragdolls.


    Then, tossing aside his shield, he grabbed another attacker by the collar and hurled him sideways.


    Crack!!


    The sickening crunch of breaking bones echoed as the man¡¯s body collided with two others, sending another shower of blood across the courtyard.


    Finally, Yu Hong flung his spiked mace.


    It spun through the air, howling, before slamming into two fleeing men.


    Their upper bodies crumpled inward on impact, and they collapsed to the ground, dead on the spot.


    The mace rolled across the courtyard until Yu Hong casually walked over and picked it up again.


    ¡°A pack of weak fools.¡±


    He sighed.


    Straightening up, he surveyed the blood-soaked courtyard filled with corpses, shaking his head before stepping toward a young man still struggling to crawl.


    His lower body had been completely crushed beneath the shield.


    ¡°You¡­!!¡± The young man gasped, his pain-ridden eyes glaring at Yu Hong as if trying to say something.


    Thud.


    The spiked mace came down, shattering his neck.


    Life faded instantly.


    Yu Hong silently withdrew his weapon.


    He wasn¡¯t someone who enjoyed killing.


    But sometimes, a man had to do what had to be done.


    With the deed finished, he turned his gaze toward Qiu Yanxi and her mother.


    The two stood frozen before their wooden hut, blood splattered across their clothes. Their expressions were blank, as if paralyzed by fear.


    ¡°Go inside and rest.¡± Yu Hong sighed. ¡°Killers will always be killed in return. I didn¡¯t want this either¡ªit was their fault.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Qiu Yanxi¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    A bizarre sense of absurdity surged within her.


    She watched Yu Hong shake his head and sigh, as if filled with regret, before turning and stepping back into the cave¡ªleaving behind a courtyard littered with mangled corpses.


    Clutching her daughter¡¯s head tightly, Qiu Yanxi suddenly recalled a madman they had encountered on the road.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not my fault¡­ They forced me to eat them! They forced me!!¡±


    His voice sounded eerily identical to Yu Hong¡¯s.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 93: Change (1)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    ¡°What? Li Jingyuan and the others went to the cave?¡±


    Inside the stone post office.


    Li Runshan abruptly stood up from his seat, visibly shocked.


    ¡°I saw them heading there when I came back to collect firewood. There were more than ten of them, and they had guns. I think your friend might be in danger.¡±


    The one speaking was Ge Shenghao, the temporary leader of Team One¡ªthe strongest group among the refugees.


    Ge Shenghao was a man of great physical strength, with a square face, resolute eyes, and dark skin. His appearance gave off an impression of integrity at first glance.


    He led his team with discipline, but his main flaw was that he only cared about Team One. The survival of the other two teams was of no concern to him.


    ¡°Yu Hong also has a gun. As long as he doesn¡¯t step outside and get ambushed, he should be fine.¡± Li Runshan pondered for a moment before sitting back down.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s discuss tonight¡¯s arrangements. We used up most of our Rune Arrays and Luminous Stones last night to save people. What¡¯s left isn¡¯t enough.¡± Ge Shenghao spoke in a serious tone. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the others, but all fourteen members of my team must survive.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Runshan frowned.


    Team One was composed of two types of people: high-ranking United Army officials¡¯ family members and their bodyguards.


    The former were easier to deal with, but the latter were highly capable fighters. A quick glance told Li Runshan that six of them were family members, making up three households, while the remaining eight were bodyguards.


    Among these eight, at least three were his former colleagues¡ªelite operatives who had worked within the postal system.


    In this world, post office couriers were second only to the United Army¡¯s top-tier special forces. If Team One had three such experts, it spoke volumes about the troublesome status of the family members they were protecting.


    Yes, troublesome.


    That was exactly what Li Runshan was thinking at this moment.


    Their supplies came from the logistics team, and their equipment was no worse than his¡ªpossibly even better. Their firearms and armor were all top-tier.


    This meant he couldn¡¯t simply use force to drive them away.


    ¡°The remaining Rune Arrays and Luminous Stones can barely secure one basement room into a sealed chamber. We can all squeeze in, but what about Teams Two and Three? They¡¯re not stupid. Everyone saw how we drove those people away before.¡± Li Runshan said gravely.


    ¡°Send them to the mining area. Or see if your friend has a solution. This has nothing to do with us¡ªI¡¯m only responsible for Team One.¡± Ge Shenghao replied coldly, completely indifferent.


    With that, he turned and left the stone house, heading into the basement.


    Li Runshan let out a sigh and walked to the window, peeking through the cracks to look outside.


    In the courtyard, members of Teams Two and Three were gathered around fires, cooking food. Their faces still carried the terror from the previous night, their expressions dull and numb.


    Meanwhile, the bodyguards from the two teams were huddled together, seemingly in discussion.


    Seeing this, Li Runshan¡¯s heart sank. If this continued, conflict between the three teams would explode before nightfall.


    And he wasn¡¯t sure if Team One alone could withstand the pressure.


    Just then, several figures came sprinting toward the courtyard from the distant woods.


    They stumbled forward in terror, as if something horrific was chasing them.


    ¡°Stop! Stay where you are!¡±


    One of the guards in the courtyard raised his gun and shouted.


    With the threat of lurking Ghostly Shadows and the possibility of an attack from Li Jingyuan¡¯s expelled group, their vigilance was at an all-time high. ????£Á¦­¨¯§£¦¥????


    But the fleeing people seemed either too terrified to listen or simply didn¡¯t hear them. They kept running forward, desperate.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Gunshots rang out.


    The fleeing individuals collapsed instantly.


    The guards lowered their weapons and resumed their activities as if nothing had happened¡ªcontinuing to cook, chat, and rest.


    No one paid any attention to the dead bodies outside.


    Just like no one cared about the eight people who had been dragged away by Ghostly Shadows the previous night.


    They had seen too much death.


    What they failed to notice, however, was that beyond the courtyard, among the trees and undergrowth, faint white mist was beginning to rise.


    The strands of mist wove like silk, rendering the once-clear forest hazy and mysterious.


    Shh!


    Deep within the woods, a gray-white shadow flickered past in an instant.


    *


    *


    *


    Inside the cave.


    Yu Hong no longer experimented with the vortex Rune pattern. The Black Seal had already begun reinforcing the entire safehouse¡ªstrengthening the door and merging it with the cave walls, significantly enhancing its defenses.


    Yu Hong recalled that during his encounter with the Big Skin, the first issue had been at the door¡¯s edges¡ªwhere it connected to the walls.


    The door itself was strong enough, but he needed to prevent outsiders from digging through the weaker stone walls to break in.


    Right now, the cave walls weren¡¯t as strong as the reinforced door. To counter this, he needed to seamlessly integrate the door with the weaker sections of the stone wall.


    ¡®After this reinforcement, the cave safehouse should be much safer. Later, I¡¯ll use the synthesis function to further strengthen and refine it.¡¯


    He changed into his reinforced White Bear Suit and resumed practicing the second level of Heavy Leg Technique. Dealing with troublemakers was nothing more than a way to refine his combat skills¡ªit wasn¡¯t a challenge.


    Bullets couldn¡¯t penetrate his defense, and those people were physically weak¡ªutterly powerless against him.


    Meanwhile, outside in the courtyard, Qiu Yanxi and Wei Shanshan stood in silence for a while before silently gathering the corpses and dumping them outside.


    After working for some time, they stopped to catch their breath, staring at the blood-stained ground.


    ¡°Mom¡­ if the rescue team doesn¡¯t come¡­¡±


    ¡°They will come.¡± Qiu Yanxi shook her head. ¡°They have to. There are too many important people here¡ªthey won¡¯t be abandoned.¡±


    She seemed to be convincing both her daughter and herself.


    Crack!


    Suddenly, the door swung open.


    Yu Hong stepped out, clad in a gray lizard suit, and tossed out a set of tools.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re just sitting around doing nothing, help me chisel this Luminous stone. Just break it up a little¡ªit will naturally split apart on its own,¡± he instructed.


    There were still many days ahead. He had no intention of supporting these two for free; they needed to contribute to daily necessities as well.


    ¡°Also, collect more firewood when you have time.¡± He threw out a Rune board. ¡°Take turns carrying this when you go outside.¡±


    With that, bang, he shut the door again and went back to rest.


    Qiu Yanxi and her daughter exchanged looks.


    After a brief hesitation, Qiu Yanxi stepped forward, picked up the tools and the Rune board, examined them carefully, and then softly instructed her daughter not to go outside while she herself went out to collect firewood.


    Since Yu Hong had no interest in their bodies, they had to prove their value in other ways. Otherwise, if the rescue team never arrived¡­


    She couldn¡¯t help but recall the horrific cases she had seen before¡ªcorpses stripped down to bare bones after being devoured.


    That night, the Blood Tide appeared once again. As usual, the black insects passed outside the courtyard walls but never set foot inside.


    This finally allowed Qiu Yanxi and her daughter, who had been on edge, to breathe a sigh of relief. They now understood that this courtyard truly possessed some special property that kept the creatures at bay.


    Meanwhile, Yu Hong enjoyed a more comfortable and convenient life inside the cave.


    There was now someone gathering firewood for him, and food was temporarily not an issue. He had originally needed to go out to fetch water, but two days later, light rain began to fall.


    He collected four large barrels of rainwater, enough to filter and boil for drinking over the next week.


    His daily routine consisted of eating, drinking, and training. Occasionally, he would step out to check on Qiu Yanxi and her daughter, ensuring they were still healthy, before returning to his cave and waiting for the countdown to end.


    This was his first large-scale reinforcement of the entire cave safehouse. He speculated that this upgrade might fully integrate the entire structure.


    Some hidden structural weaknesses might finally be resolved, following the pattern of the Black Seal¡¯s previous enhancements.


    He was looking forward to it.


    Time passed day by day.


    In the blink of an eye, five days had gone by.


    Boom!


    On the fifth morning, Yu Hong was jolted awake by a deafening explosion.


    He flipped out of bed, rushed to the entrance, pulled open the barricade, and looked outside.


    Thick black smoke billowed into the sky from the direction of the post office.


    ¡°What the hell is going on!?¡±


    His expression darkened. He wasn¡¯t yet capable of complete self-sufficiency. If something happened to Li Runshan¡¯s group¡­


    But at this distance, if he left and his safehouse was attacked in his absence, the loss would be irreversible.


    Qiu Yanxi and her daughter were powerless. If they died, his energy source would be gone.


    After a brief moment of thought, Yu Hong quickly turned and activated his reinforced communicator.


    Static¡ª


    After a burst of harsh electrical noise, a voice finally came through.


    *¡±Finally connected!! Old Yu, be careful over there! Something serious happened here in broad daylight! Some troublesome bastard showed up¡ªpeople died in an instant, we didn¡¯t even have time to react¡ª¡±


    A bloodcurdling scream cut off Li Runshan¡¯s words, followed by furious cursing, gunfire, and the sound of blades hacking into wood.


    A few seconds later, Li Runshan¡¯s breathless voice returned.


    ¡°Damn it! This is still daytime! These Blood Tide monsters are appearing in broad daylight now! Listen up! It¡¯s not a Ghostly Shadow! Not a Ghostly Shadow!! It¡¯s something new¡ªfast as hell, and it can fly! You need to¡ª¡±


    Boom!


    The signal cut off. All that remained was the sound of chaotic static.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression turned grim. He didn¡¯t turn off the communicator but kept it charging with solar power, hoping for more updates.


    ¡°What the hell is happening¡­? Something attacking in broad daylight already? How has the environment deteriorated this much in such a short time¡­?¡±


    *


    *


    *


    Outskirts of Baihe City


    On the sandy shore near the sea¡ª


    Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!


    A dense barrage of machine gun fire tore through the air, forming invisible bullet chains that raked across the sky above the water.


    Weaving between the hail of bullets were three multi-eyed monstrous birds, deftly dodging as they dived toward the beach below.


    Even when struck, they barely reacted. Aside from a few bursts of blood, their speed hardly slowed as they continued their assault.


    On the beach below, squads of camouflaged soldiers fired upwards at intervals, trying to hold the creatures back.


    The squad leader, an expert marksman, managed to land precise shots on the creatures each time he fired.


    But soon, two belts of ammunition ran dry, signaling an urgent reload. The monsters seized the opportunity and dived.


    Slash!


    Two soldiers beside the squad leader were instantly sliced apart as if by razor-sharp blades. Their upper bodies vanished in a flash, while their remaining halves were snatched up and swallowed whole by the creatures, their necks stretching like snakes as they devoured their prey.


    ¡°Fall back! Fall back!!¡± the squad leader roared, ordering his men to retreat.


    Just as they tried to resist, fresh ammo belts were finally loaded, and a renewed stream of machine gun fire shredded one of the monstrous birds. Its neck snapped midair, spilling out the half-digested remains of its victims.


    ¡°Get out of here! We¡¯re out of ammo!!¡±


    The squad leader turned and ran, his vision blurring with adrenaline as he sprinted toward the military fortress.


    His remaining team members followed, charging desperately toward the safety of the stronghold.


    Seeing this, the monstrous birds finally gave up, flapping their wings and retreating into the dense white mist above the sea.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 94: Change (2)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    ¡°Shit!¡± The captain slammed his fist against the outer wall of the fortress, bending over and gasping for breath.


    ¡°The front line collapsed. At least a hundred Grade-4 multi-eyed birds got in. You¡¯re lucky to have made it back alive.¡±


    A helpless female voice came from behind the squad.


    The few remaining team members, their eyes red with grief and rage, turned to look.


    The speaker was a black-haired woman in a white research coat.


    She was smoking, gazing calmly at the sea where the monstrous birds had disappeared. Her features were ordinary, her figure slightly plump, with noticeable dark circles under her eyes. She looked exhausted, around forty years old, with deep crow¡¯s feet at the corners of her eyes.


    If not for her lab coat, anyone would have mistaken her for an average housewife.


    ¡°Director Yan! Why didn¡¯t anyone warn us? Why the hell didn¡¯t we get notified that the multi-eyed birds broke through!?¡± The captain charged forward, grabbed her collar, and lifted her off the ground.


    ¡°Because we couldn¡¯t reach you. The signal interference got worse,¡± the woman replied calmly.


    ¡°I¡¯d advise you to take it easy¡ªI¡¯ve been pulling three all-nighters to upgrade the communication system.¡±


    The captain¡¯s furious expression stiffened. Though his anger still boiled over the loss of his team, his grip unconsciously loosened as he set her down.


    ¡°Why!¡±


    He punched the fortress wall.


    ¡°Why did this happen!? Four squads¡ªfour! And we¡¯re the only ones left!¡±


    ¡°When the Blood Tide reaches Level 2, ordinary humans can no longer handle it. Even elite operatives like you, enhanced with localized Luminous Stone exposure, still need firearms and defensive positions to stand a chance,¡± Director Yan said evenly.


    ¡°From the very beginning, Blackstone¡¯s assumption that its enhancements could counter the Blood Tide was a fundamental mistake.¡±


    ¡°And at Level 4, small-caliber firearms and standard explosives barely faze these creatures. They might get wounded, but they¡¯ll regenerate quickly and come back stronger.¡±


    ¡°What about full-body Luminoius Stone enhancement!?¡± The captain clenched his teeth. ¡°They should be able to handle it!¡±


    ¡°According to our latest data, a fully enhanced individual in underground trials managed to severely wound and kill a Grade-3 Blood Tide creature¡ªbut at the cost of a 3-to-1 casualty ratio,¡± Director Yan replied. ¡°And it was meaningless, because Blood Tide creatures regenerate. The trials showed that at Grade-3, these entities already surpass the limits of human strength and endurance. It¡¯s a fundamental biological limitation¡ªour skeletal structure, our cellular resilience¡ªthis is where we max out.¡±


    ¡°So Grade-3 is our absolute limit!?¡± The captain asked, suppressing his rage.


    ¡°Stop throwing lives away. Blackstone¡¯s tests are nothing but a waste of resources and personnel. Silver Tower figured this out long ago¡ªat a very steep cost.¡± With that, Director Yan turned and walked away without looking back.


    Grade-3 is the limit of human physical enhancement. Beyond that, no amount of augmentation will help.


    *


    *


    *


    Afternoon.


    The enhanced red-value detector displayed on the standby LCD screen: 15:03.


    Inside the cave, Yu Hong put down the communicator, his heart heavy. After thinking for a moment and determining the next course of action, he stood up, walked to the wooden door, and peered outside through the observation window. R?¨¢??????§§?


    Beyond the door, in the dense forest, wisps of white mist flickered in and out of view. Compared to before, the atmosphere seemed even more dangerous and mysterious.


    ¡°It seems the red-value outside¡­ has likely increased.¡±


    A grave expression crossed Yu Hong¡¯s face. What was once a safe time of day¡ªdaylight¡ªwas now turning extremely perilous. Remembering Old Li¡¯s previous warnings, he suddenly felt relieved that he had already taken steps to reinforce the safe house. The fortification would soon be complete.


    If not, dealing with future threats would have been a nightmare.


    He had no idea what was happening at the Post Office, but it was no longer safe to venture out to check.


    He had to¡ª


    Whoosh!!


    Suddenly, just as he was looking outside, something in the forest seemed to have noticed him through the observation window.


    A gray blur burst from the mist, an arrow of death streaking toward the wooden door¡¯s peephole.


    Its speed was so fast that the sharp whistle of air being split pierced his eardrums with pain.


    Yu Hong¡¯s pupils contracted. He immediately retreated, slammed the cover shut, and dashed toward the White Bear Suit in the corner.


    Boom!!


    The instant he left the door, a deafening impact exploded against it.


    The heavy, reinforced wooden door¡ªstrengthened multiple times¡ªwas punched through in an instant.


    A gray-white spike, as thick as an adult¡¯s forearm, pierced straight through the wooden observation window.


    The tip of the spike glowed with a faint, eerie blue light, effortlessly tearing through the steel wire mesh, piercing through the wooden cover, and stabbing half a meter into the cave interior.


    After confirming it had struck empty air, the spike swiftly retracted, generating a rush of wind before vanishing back into the foggy forest.


    Yu Hong, now clad in the White Bear Suit, felt his heart go cold.


    If he had stayed put, that single strike could have impaled his chest, killing him on the spot.


    ¡°This¡­ this is the thing that broke through the front lines!?¡±


    ¡°The Joint Army is fighting against these monsters!?¡±


    A shudder ran through him.


    The Blood Tide monsters he had encountered before suddenly seemed harmless in comparison.


    If Ghostly Shadows and Evil Shadows were the embodiment of terror and dread, then this gray unknown creature was overwhelming power and despair given form.


    ¡°It¡¯s too fast¡­ and it can fly!!¡±


    His thoughts barely had time to form before his face changed drastically.


    He raised his massive wooden shield just as¡ª


    Boom!!


    Another tremendous impact rocked the wooden door.


    This time, the peephole was completely obliterated.


    A gray-white spike shot through¡ªthis time stabbing a full meter into the interior.


    Then, as if sensing another miss, the spike swiftly withdrew, returning to the creature outside.


    ¡°This can¡¯t continue! The door will be completely destroyed! Hiding is useless!¡±


    Yu Hong gritted his teeth. He had to act now!


    With a decisive movement, he rushed forward, wrenched the door open, and charged out.


    Shield raised.


    ¡°DIE!!¡±


    With a furious roar, he sprinted at full speed and leaped forward¡ªa black armored juggernaut, barreling straight toward the unknown gray monster outside the door.


    If this was a Blood Tide creature or some sort of mutant beast, then it should still adhere to basic biological instincts.


    Against wild animals, one must dominate with sheer force¡ªmake it understand that a fight would only result in pain, forcing it to retreat.


    As soon as he stepped outside, Yu Hong got a full view of the gray monster¡ª


    It was a hairless, grotesque bird with two rows of red, beady eyes.


    Its entire body was gray-white. Despite having no feathers, it had still moved at that terrifying speed.


    Under its translucent skin, countless writhing lumps pulsed and shifted¡ªsomething was moving rapidly inside its flesh.


    The moment it spotted Yu Hong rushing out, it let out a deep, toad-like roar, then smashed a wing downward¡ªstraight toward Yu Hong¡¯s massive wooden shield.


    The creature stood over a meter tall, with an elongated body and a four-meter wingspan. As its wing sliced through the air, it emitted a shrill whistle¡ªas if a razor-sharp blade was cutting through the atmosphere.


    Yu Hong¡¯s muscles bulged, veins popped across his face, and with a furious bellow, he charged forward.


    ¡°AAAHHHHHH!!¡±


    Boom!!


    The wooden shield buckled inward.


    The bird¡¯s wing and Yu Hong¡¯s alloy-reinforced White Bear Suit collided head-on¡ªneither yielding an inch.


    ¡°FUCK YOU!!¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s other hand swung his spiked club with all his might.


    The black, iron-studded club, backed by his superhuman strength, howled through the air and smashed into the monster¡¯s neck. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the same time, the creature¡¯s other wing slashed at Yu Hong¡¯s left shoulder.


    Both sides had the same idea¡ªa simultaneous surprise attack.


    Boom! Boom!


    Two dull impacts rang out at the same time.


    Both Yu Hong and the monster were sent flying from the force of their strikes.


    Yu Hong rolled several meters, crashing into a stone wall before coming to a stop.


    The monster¡¯s neck twisted at an unnatural angle as it tumbled past the wall, landing in the grass and rolling a few times.


    Both struggled to get back up.


    ¡°DIE!!!¡±


    Yu Hong hurled his spiked club at the monster with all his strength.


    At the same time, he drew his reinforced handgun from his back and fired a barrage of bullets.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Each shot exploded from the barrel, leaving behind tiny rings of white smoke.


    The high-powered bullets, moving at twice the speed of sound, ripped through the air.


    Four shots¡ªtwo hit their mark, exploding into gray-white blood splatters the size of fists.


    ¡°SKREEEE!!¡±


    The monster shrieked in pain, flapped its wings, and fled into the foggy forest.


    Its blood, dripping as it escaped, corroded the grass beneath, leaving behind blackened holes.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Yu Hong panted heavily, standing his ground, calming his overexerted body.


    He had gone all out¡ªeven burning his internal energy in that fight.


    And even then, he had only barely overpowered the creature.


    His brief sense of confidence after his recent breakthrough was utterly shattered.


    ¡°Too weak!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯M TOO FUCKING WEAK!!¡±


    He punched the stone wall beside him in frustration¡ªdust scattering, a shallow dent left behind.


    ¡°If just one of those things gave me this much trouble¡­ what if there were two!? Would I be torn apart!?¡±


    As frustration burned in his chest, a distant explosion from the Post Office caught his attention.


    Old Li¡­?!


    If he had the strength, he¡¯d rush over to help¡ªbut his body was aching, and his energy drained.


    Gritting his teeth, he glanced at Qiu Yanxi and her daughter, confirming their safety before retreating back into the damaged cave to check his injuries.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 95: Countermeasures (1)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    Bang.


    Yu Hong took off his reinforced suit and threw it to the ground. The alloy plate on the arm section was severely deformed.


    The deformation had also left a bruise on his forearm.


    ¡°Strong enough!¡± Yu Hong cursed under his breath. This was the first time he had encountered such a ferocious monster¡ªone that wasn¡¯t even afraid of light and attacked during the day.


    Compared to the insects of the Blood Tide, which feared sunlight, this strange bird¡¯s lethality and threat level were on an entirely different scale.


    He quickly applied some iodine to his wounds, then half-leaned against the wall, exhaling deeply.


    Looking at the wooden door, which now had a gaping hole in it, he could only feel helpless.


    ¡°I hope nothing happens tonight¡­ wait, what about the Luminous Stone Grass!?¡±


    He suddenly remembered. If anything had happened to the Luminous Stone Grass in the yard, Wei Shanshan and her mother would be in danger. They were his only hope for an energy source¡ªuntil the rescue team arrived, he had to ensure their safety.


    Yu Hong got up, walked to the doorway, and peeked through the hole.


    The door of the wooden hut outside was half open. Qiu Yanxi stood there, staring blankly at the mess in the yard, while her daughter, Wei Shanshan, was gathering dry firewood in a corner of the yard. It was unclear if she was planning to light a fire for warmth.


    Although one was still, and the other was moving, their faces were equally pale and lifeless. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, Qiu Yanxi turned her head and saw Yu Hong watching them.


    A flicker of light appeared in her dull eyes, and she forced a stiff smile in his direction.


    ¡°What a hassle.¡± Yu Hong sighed as he examined the state of the Luminous Stone Grass in the yard.


    Much of the central area had been trampled and crushed during his fight with the strange bird. In some spots, even the black soil beneath had been overturned, leaving the place in ruins.


    Yu Hong took note of the damage, then went back inside, retrieved a few Rune arrays, and grabbed a Luminous Stone Mat before stepping outside.


    The moment he walked out, the mother and daughter instinctively huddled closer together, standing stiffly without daring to move, waiting for him to speak.


    Yu Hong dropped the runes and the Luminous Stone Mat onto the ground beside the wooden hut.


    ¡°Be careful at night. Keep these as backup.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Qiu Yanxi quickly responded nervously.


    She had initially planned to bargain for the secret method Yu Hong used to repel the Blood Tide insects, but after witnessing the battle just now¡­


    Yu Hong said nothing more and turned back inside. Soon, the wooden door closed, and he hammered a wooden plank over the hole to temporarily cover it.


    Silence returned.


    Qiu Yanxi remained standing for a moment. Only after confirming that Yu Hong had no further actions did she let out a deep breath.


    ¡°Shanshan, come here.¡± She called her daughter.


    The two of them entered the wooden hut, picking up the items Yu Hong had left behind. Having these supplies gave them a stronger sense of security¡ªcertainly more than they would have gotten at the post office. ??????????B§§?


    ¡°That man¡­ that Mr. Yu¡­ he must be a Luminous Stone-enhanced human!¡± Qiu Yanxi lowered her voice and warned her daughter. ¡°When you talk to him, be careful and go along with whatever he says. Enhanced humans have unpredictable tempers, and they¡¯re mentally unstable. You can never guess what they¡¯re thinking. Just do what he says and don¡¯t ask questions!¡±


    ¡°W-What do you mean by ¡®just do what he says¡¯?¡± Wei Shanshan was already terrified. The battle earlier had left her legs weak, and now, her mother¡¯s warning made her even more anxious. Her face turned pale, and cold sweat broke out on her back.


    ¡°It means if he tells us to do something, we do it. No questions, no opinions. We just hold out until the rescue team arrives.¡± Qiu Yanxi spoke in a low voice, her expression heavy.


    ¡°The monsters outside are getting stronger. Now they even attack in broad daylight. If something happens to the rescue team, we might have no choice but to rely on Mr. Yu to survive. Pay attention to what he needs. If we can help, we should¡ªlike gathering firewood or repairing the walls.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Wei Shanshan nodded quickly.


    Qiu Yanxi exhaled slowly.


    ¡°Still, even though things are getting more dangerous, if we stay close to Mr. Yu, we¡¯ll be far safer than most people¡­ That explosion earlier¡ªI wonder what happened at the post office.¡±


    Her heart pounded at the thought of the post office. The people there, especially Song Mingshi, who had once taken advantage of them, might be in trouble. If so, she felt a twisted sense of relief and even a bit of satisfaction.


    Thinking back to Yu Hong¡¯s battle with the strange bird, she compared it to previous fights she had seen among enhanced humans. Even among them, she had never seen anyone fight at that level.


    ¡°This Mr. Yu¡­ he must be one of the strongest among the enhanced humans. No wonder he dares to live alone in the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­ do you think we¡¯ll make it back alive?¡± Wei Shanshan asked softly.


    ¡°We will. We have to.¡± Determination flashed in Qiu Yanxi¡¯s eyes.


    *


    *


    *


    After the strange bird attack, there was no Blood Tide that night, and the Ghostly shadows that usually lurked around seemed to have lessened.


    Yu Hong kept his communicator on all night, but the post office remained silent.


    He barely got any sleep, constantly worrying that the hole in the door might let something slip in or that something might happen to the mother and daughter outside. The damage to the Luminous Stone Grass also weighed on his mind.


    But nothing happened.


    The next morning, Yu Hong kept his eyes on the countdown timer in the basement.


    As the numbers ticked down, anticipation filled his heart.


    He suddenly remembered¡ªalthough he had requested for the structure¡¯s appearance to remain unchanged, the large hole in the door still needed to be covered to avoid suspicion.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, he grabbed some tools and wooden boards and went outside to work on the door, hammering away.


    While working, he noticed Qiu Yanxi and Wei Shanshan in the yard, picking up stones from the damaged wall and stacking them back in place.


    They had somehow found sand and water to mix into a grayish cement-like paste, using it to seal the gaps in the wall.


    They had also gathered a large pile of firewood, enough to last a long time.


    Yu Hong nodded in approval at their efforts.


    ¡°Mr. Yu, is there any news from the post office¡¯s support team?¡± Qiu Yanxi cautiously stepped forward to ask, seeing that he was in a relatively good mood.


    ¡°No contact yet.¡± Yu Hong shook his head. ¡°Something seems to have happened over there. The situation outside the yard is also bad¡ªRed Value is high, meaning danger could appear at any moment. Without knowing what¡¯s going on, I don¡¯t dare to check it out recklessly.¡±


    ¡°When we went out to collect firewood, we didn¡¯t dare go too far. It felt like something was watching us the entire time.¡± Qiu Yanxi, who had regained some color in her face, spoke more carefully now. She had learned to keep unnecessary thoughts to herself.


    ¡°You have enough firewood now. Go out less from now on.¡± Yu Hong thought for a moment, then turned back inside. After a short while, he came back out and handed them a solar-powered light set, including a connected bulb.


    ¡°This charges during the day and provides light at night. It can handle normal Blood Tide insects. Use it carefully.¡± He instructed.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Yu!¡± Qiu Yanxi was overjoyed and repeatedly expressed her gratitude. ¡°If there¡¯s anything we can do, just let us know¡ªlike cleaning, crafting small tools, sewing¡ªanything! We¡¯ll do our best!¡±


    ¡°Water is limited, so just manage for now.¡± Yu Hong was satisfied with their attitude. In desperate situations, people who truly wanted to survive would contribute however they could.


    He returned to the cave and shut the door.


    Quickly, he descended into the basement. Only two minutes remained on the countdown.


    For the last two minutes, Yu Hong simply sat cross-legged on the ground, waiting silently.


    Time ticked away.


    Finally¡ª


    The countdown hit zero.


    Hiss!!


    In an instant, the entire cave and stone walls flickered slightly, as if reality had momentarily blurred.


    Less than a second later, everything returned to clarity.


    Silence.


    But Yu Hong immediately noticed the difference.


    He reached out and touched the ground.


    The rough stone texture was gone, replaced by a smooth, polished surface.


    Although no additional materials had been applied, the floor was now far more even. Its density seemed to have increased, making it slightly harder than before¡ªan indication of minor structural reinforcement.


    Standing up with a rustle, Yu Hong ran his hand along the walls.


    The walls had been uniformly smoothed and hardened.


    ¡°This should be a basic reinforcement against impacts.¡± He felt satisfied, slowly circling the basement. But he didn¡¯t see the additional chamber he had requested during the reinforcement process.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not here, then it must be on the other side.¡±


    He followed the steps back up to the cave.


    Sure enough, in a symmetrical position across the cave, a new entrance to another underground chamber had appeared.


    With the same gray-white stone steps, he quickly descended.


    Below was a space identical in size to the first basement. Its inner walls had also been reinforced, but apart from that, the space was completely empty.


    Even so, Yu Hong was quite pleased.


    With his hands behind his back, he carefully inspected the new chamber, ensuring there were no issues before returning to the cave¡¯s first level. Finally, he turned his attention to the reinforced main entrance.


    The door, previously damaged and full of holes, had been completely restored.


    Its appearance remained unchanged, but the material¡¯s density had visibly increased.


    Yu Hong placed his hand on it.


    A cool, metallic sensation met his fingertips.


    He pulled back the repaired cover panel. It was no longer wooden¡ªit had been replaced with a silver-black metal plate.


    Clang.


    Behind the panel was the observation window.


    Previously, it had been covered with a wire mesh. But now, what greeted him was a thick, transparent layer of glass.


    Yu Hong knocked on it.


    Thud, thud.


    Solid. Dull.


    He nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°The strength is much higher than before. Not bad!¡±


    Then, he closed the window and inspected where the door connected to the stone wall.


    Previously, the door had been reinforced with numerous nails and fasteners. Now, all of them had disappeared¡ªreplaced by a seamless transition, as if the door and stone had fused together like cement.


    Yu Hong lightly struck the door with his elbow.


    Not even the slightest tremor. It was incredibly sturdy.


    ¡°This is great. The strength has increased by a whole level!¡±


    Looking at the brand-new, high-strength door, an overwhelming sense of security washed over him.


    The nightmare of being pierced by that strange bird was now much less likely to repeat itself.


    After confirming that the entire safehouse¡¯s reinforcement had exceeded his expectations, Yu Hong sat down, feeling content.


    Now, he could start planning the next upgrade.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 96: Countermeasures (2)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    Under the illumination of the electric light, Yu Hong surveyed his surroundings.


    A transparent fireplace, still radiating residual warmth, stood in the corner with various items piled next to it.


    Against the wall, there was a set of wooden tables and stools, with a sleeping bag tucked underneath the table.


    Not far from the sleeping bag, two sets of reinforced suits lay on the ground. To the right, a small wooden crate held several handguns.


    Further right, a spiked club leaned against the wall, next to a partially unfolded solar panel that connected to a communicator, a light bulb, and a red-value detector.


    Beyond that, barrels of water and plastic bags filled with protein bars, rune Arrays, large Luminous stones, and small Luminous stones were stacked neatly.


    u Hong scanned the items one by one, and soon his gaze landed on the previously enhanced Luminous stone, which had fused with a vortex rune.


    After days of study, he had repeatedly analyzed the object and could now skillfully draw the rune with ease, succeeding in a single attempt.


    However, no matter how much he researched, observed, or compared, the rune¡¯s fusion with the Luminous stone¡¯s original patterns seemed to have no apparent effect.


    Seeing it again, Yu Hong swiftly grabbed the enhanced red value detector, switched it on, and conducted an inspection.


    Beep.


    The LCD screen displayed a red value of -9.622.


    ¡°Still the same¡­ Not much change in the data.¡± Yu Hong sighed with slight disappointment and recorded the new detection results on his notepad.


    After jotting down the values, he set aside the charcoal pencil and began contemplating his next enhancement target.


    After all, his initial goal was to develop an enhanced technique capable of countering Dark Shadows.


    At that moment, a sudden thought flashed through his mind.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Now that I have regained my Internal energy, what if I draw these rune patterns using my Internal energy? What effect would that have?¡±


    He had considered this before, and now that he had restored his Internal energy, the idea became even more irresistible. Theoretically, since his Internal energy was derived from Internal force, it could be infused into external objects.


    Without hesitation, Yu Hong picked up a wooden board, dipped a charcoal pencil into Great Luminous stone ink, and steadied himself.


    Focusing his mind and regulating his breath, he took a dozen deep breaths before gently pressing the pencil onto the board.


    A thin stream of inner energy flowed from his abdomen through his arm and fingers, into the charcoal pencil, and into the rune strokes he was drawing.


    Yu Hong was extremely careful, wary of using too much inner energy and accidentally breaking the pencil.


    Before long, he had expended a minuscule portion of his inner energy and completed a new enhancement rune.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± He lifted the wooden board and examined it, finding no visible anomalies.


    Then, he grabbed the enhanced red value detector and switched it on to check.


    Beep.


    ¡°-138.116.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? That¡¯s significantly higher!¡± Yu Hong was taken aback. Typically, ordinary Rune Arrays recorded red values ranging from 120 to 130, with the upper limit being 130. It was rare to create a rune board that reached the upper limit. ?§Ñ???????????


    Achieving such values required precise coordination between the ink, wooden board, and strokes.


    Yet this time, he had drawn the rune casually, with rough and uneven lines, and still exceeded 130!


    ¡°Infusing inner energy really does work!¡± Yu Hong calculated his energy expenditure, which was at most one-thirtieth of his total. More importantly, inner energy replenished itself continuously, making the cost negligible.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try again.¡±


    One sample wasn¡¯t enough. He proceeded to test more rune boards.


    Before long, several new Rune Arrays were completed.


    Checking the values, most exceeded 130, with one even soaring to 150!


    This was unprecedented.


    Yu Hong was thrilled and immediately dipped his pencil in ink, grabbed a new wooden board, and began drawing the newly discovered vortex rune.


    This time, he infused a greater amount of inner energy, focusing solely on drawing the vortex rune.


    Half a minute later, a palm-sized vortex rune board was successfully completed.


    After allowing it to dry slightly, Yu Hong picked it up for testing.


    ¡°-1.025.¡±


    ¡°¡­No effect at all?¡±


    Yu Hong frowned. This red value was essentially the base number from the Great Luminous stone ink itself.


    He retested with the detector.


    Beep.


    ¡°-0.992.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s decreasing!?¡± Yu Hong was puzzled.


    Unwilling to accept it, he waited a moment and tested again, ensuring the same position, proximity, and equipment.


    Beep.


    ¡°-0.904.¡±


    ¡°It really is decreasing!¡± Yu Hong became intrigued.


    After all this time, he had tried countless methods to study the vortex rune, but none had shown any effect.


    Now, after infusing inner energy into the rune, there was a noticeable change.


    Immediately, he monitored the rune board, using the detector every five minutes to record red values.


    Half an hour later, Yu Hong stared at a column of recorded data in astonishment.


    ¡°-0.889.¡±


    ¡°-0.861.¡±


    ¡°-0.793.¡±


    ¡°The red value is steadily decreasing, by nearly one-fifth from the initial reading.¡±


    Yu Hong rubbed his chin in thought.


    ¡°Why is it decreasing? Red values don¡¯t just vanish into thin air. Where is this missing radiation going? Where is it being transferred?¡±


    He closely examined the vortex rune board from every angle.


    Then, he noticed a subtle change.


    The rune lines appeared slightly brighter than when first drawn.


    ¡°Is it just the lighting?¡± Yu Hong wondered and quickly compared it with other rune boards.


    Ordinary Rune Arrays had grayish-white lines with a faint fluorescence.


    The vortex rune board, however, had noticeably whiter lines with a stronger fluorescent reflection. Additionally, the lines contained tiny silver sand-like particles. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, at the vortex rune¡¯s center, a triangular pattern had developed a film-like iridescent sheen.


    He pondered for a moment, then brought the enhanced detector close to test it.


    Beep.


    The reading was zero!


    ¡°Could this rune be¡­¡± Yu Hong¡¯s heart pounded as a bold hypothesis formed in his mind.


    He grabbed the rune board and clenched it tightly.


    Crack!


    The rune board shattered into several pieces.


    At the same moment, the detector blared an alarm as red values skyrocketed.


    ¡°-234.772.¡±


    ¡°-391.640.¡±


    ¡°-518.121.¡±


    ¡°-722.913.¡±


    The red value instantly surged past 700, maintained for two seconds, then rapidly declined before reaching zero within seconds.


    Yu Hong stared at the wild fluctuations in shock.


    He suddenly snapped back to his senses, realizing that his guess was correct¡ªthe vortex Rune Array was very likely¡­


    *


    *


    *


    The post office stone house.


    A courtyard with crumbling walls, scattered severed limbs, and bloodied remains.


    The gray-white stone house with its doors and windows completely shattered, standing empty with not a single figure inside.


    Click.


    In the living room of the stone house, a concealed stone slab silently rose from the ground.


    The slab was the same gray color as the floor, with seams crafted so meticulously that it was nearly impossible to detect.


    As the slab was lifted, a tall, sturdy man wearing an advanced gray lizard suit emerged from below.


    After stepping out, he moved aside as two more men in similar suits followed.


    The three of them closed the slab, scanning their surroundings. What was once an intact post office was now in complete ruins, utterly devastated.


    ¡°The second and third teams outside¡­ they¡¯re probably done for,¡± said the first man who emerged, his deep voice carrying through the helmet¡ªLi Runshan.


    ¡°That monster was too fast. The fact that we managed to survive is already fortunate,¡± the second man replied coolly. ¡°This was their fate.¡±


    ¡°You take the lead next,¡± the third man said, looking at Li Runshan with a serious expression.


    ¡°Alright, stay close. That monster could still be lurking outside,¡± Li Runshan nodded.


    ¡°That thing had half its body blown apart. It won¡¯t recover so quickly. We need to take this time to gather enough Rune Arrays, or the upcoming Ghostly Shadows and even Evil Shadows will be far deadlier,¡± the third man said swiftly.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that monster, our Luminous Stone chamber setup wouldn¡¯t have been compromised,¡± the second man muttered in frustration.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    Li Runshan led the way out of the stone house, quickly determining the direction before heading toward Yu Hong¡¯s safe house.


    The other two followed closely behind.


    Their pace was swift¡ªnearly a full sprint. While maintaining as much silence as possible, they maximized their speed.


    In less than ten minutes, they reached the outer walls of the mountain cave safe house.


    Outside the walls, the grass was littered with scattered clothes, shoes, and pants from many people.


    Large claw marks covered the ground, tearing up the black soil beneath.


    Li Runshan stepped forward, nudging the clothing with his foot.


    ¡°It¡¯s from Li Jingyuan¡¯s group¡ªthe ones we expelled earlier.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all gone?¡± the second man asked grimly.


    ¡°The number of clothes matches up. Most of them are here, which means they¡¯re likely all dead.¡± The third man responded. He lifted his head and exchanged a silent glance with the second man.


    Their internal assessment of the Rune Array trader¡¯s danger level quietly increased once again.


    Without speaking further, they moved to the wall and peered inside.


    The sight made them freeze.


    Within the courtyard, lush green grass swayed gently as Qiu Yanxi and her daughter diligently repaired the damaged ground.


    Their clothes were unchanged, their bodies completely unharmed, and their expressions even carried a strange sense of reassurance.


    ¡°No attacks from the Many-Eyed Birds here?¡± the third man whispered.


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± the second man retorted.


    The two exchanged glances again and fell silent.


    From the traces on the ground and surroundings, this place had clearly been attacked. But strangely enough, that mother and daughter remained unscathed.


    There had to be something here¡ªsomething that repelled the Many-Eyed Birds!


    The realization struck them at the same time.


    There must be a method to ward off the Many-Eyed Birds!


    With only three people and far inferior weapons and equipment, how could they have resisted the creatures?


    There had to be a hidden secret.


    And if they could obtain that secret, most of their first team¡¯s safety concerns would be resolved!


    After all, the most troublesome threat at the moment was the Rank 4 Many-Eyed Birds.


    ¡°Yu Hong! Are you here?¡±


    Qiu Yanxi and her daughter noticed the three men and quickly retreated into their wooden house.


    They weren¡¯t about to interact with these people rashly. Their current relationship with Yu Hong was stable, and as long as nothing unexpected happened, they only needed to wait for the rescue team to arrive to ensure their safety.


    Since these people weren¡¯t looking for them, Qiu Yanxi tactfully stepped aside to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    Li Runshan didn¡¯t care about the two women.


    Even among Li Jingyuan¡¯s expelled group, there were people with backgrounds similar to theirs, and they had still been abandoned without hesitation.


    In this situation, no one had any real control over their fate.


    Seeing no response, he called out again¡ªtwice.


    Finally, the door to the cave opened.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 97: Power (1)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    As the wooden door opened, Yu Hong stepped out, clad in a thick, reinforced White Bear Suit.


    ¡°Old Li, what couldn¡¯t be said over the communicator that made you come all the way here?¡± He frowned, glancing at the two men behind Li Runshan.


    ¡°I need more Rune Arrays to set up a secure chamber. Can you spare some? The reward is negotiable!¡± Li Runshan quickly stated.


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°At least thirty.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get that many in a short time. You¡¯ll have to wait four days,¡± Yu Hong shook his head. ¡°Besides what I need for myself, I can only give you twenty-two. Regular Luminous Stones can also be used for a secure chamber¡ªwhy not go to the mining area?¡±


    ¡°A small team went there¡­ and never came back,¡± the second man behind Li Runshan said. ¡°By the way, Mr. Yu, do you happen to have anything that can repel the Many-Eyed Birds? If so, we¡¯re willing to pay a high price for it!¡±


    ¡°Something special? Against the Many-Eyed Birds?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s face, partially concealed under his helmet, showed a brief hint of surprise.


    ¡°You must understand, Mr. Yu¡ªthe people we¡¯re protecting are all high-ranking United Army officials¡¯ family members. If we can lend a hand at a critical moment, the benefits we gain in return will far outweigh what we¡¯re offering now,¡± the man continued. ¡°Weapons, equipment, supplies¡ªjust a minor request within the United Army, and we can get anything we need.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a tempting offer,¡± Yu Hong admitted. If he really had something like that, he would certainly be willing to trade.


    ¡°But unfortunately¡­ I don¡¯t have anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Do you not believe us, Mr. Yu?¡± the second man pressed on. ¡°At this point, the VIPs in the first team are our last lifeline. If something happens to them, the higher-ups will be furious. Not only will the rescue team be called off, but we¡¯ll also be remotely wiped out along with the monsters. Mr. Yu, you might not understand the current mindset of the United Army generals¡ªhuman lives are just numbers to them. If we fail to protect those key individuals, then everyone here¡­ will die.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Yu Hong scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not part of your first team. Even if they¡¯re furious, they won¡¯t come after me.¡±


    ¡°The higher-ups don¡¯t have time to investigate such details. Our lives alone aren¡¯t worth the risk for a rescue team to come all this way. And if you refuse to help, you¡¯ll naturally be implicated as well. The reality is, we¡¯re all stuck in this mess together,¡± the second man said in a low voice.


    ¡°Heh, what¡¯s your name?¡± Yu Hong smirked at the blatant coercion.


    ¡°Ge Shenghao. Mr. Yu, do you think I¡¯m lying?¡± Ge Shenghao asked calmly. ¡°I won¡¯t deny it¡ªwe want to survive. Now that we know you have a way to avoid the Many-Eyed Birds, what do you think we¡¯ll do? Stay put and wait for death? Or¡­ make another choice?¡±


    Yu Hong fell silent.


    That was an implicit threat.


    He looked at Li Runshan, who gave him a subtle shake of the head¡ªsignaling that cooperation was the best course of action.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t want to break ties with the rescue team either. If they did arrive, he had plenty of things he could trade with them. But if he completely severed relations with the authorities, there would be no way to acquire resources from the post office in the future. ????¨¤¦­??§§?


    ¡°I¡¯d love to cooperate, but unfortunately¡­ I really don¡¯t have a way to avoid the Many-Eyed Birds,¡± Yu Hong said again.


    Ge Shenghao and his companion frowned¡ªthey hadn¡¯t expected that response.


    The third man¡¯s face darkened, and he instinctively reached for his gun, but Ge Shenghao stopped him with one hand.


    ¡°Well, since we¡¯ve gotten this far, it seems Mr. Yu truly has nothing. In that case, let¡¯s drop the subject. But surely, you can provide us with more Rune Arrays or Luminous Stones?¡±


    ¡°What do you have to trade?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°We have plenty of clothing, equipment, bedding, diesel, gasoline, medicine, and more. What do you need?¡± Ge Shenghao countered.


    Yu Hong thought for a moment. These people had a rich supply of goods¡ªno surprise, considering they had escaped from the supply team.


    ¡°Do you have an oxygen generator?¡± he asked quickly.


    ¡°Oxygen generators are a must in underground safehouses these days,¡± Ge Shenghao explained, ¡°but the key issue isn¡¯t the machine¡ªit¡¯s the constant supply of oxygen-producing materials. The most common type uses electrolysis, which requires a steady supply of electrolytes, as well as a high-performance water filtration system. The water used for oxygen production should ideally be purified to avoid damaging the machine.¡±


    ¡°So, an oxygen generator needs water, electricity, and electrolytes?¡± Yu Hong asked with a frown.


    ¡°Not just that. Safety is a major concern. The hydrogen gas produced during electrolysis is highly flammable, so even if you get an oxygen generator, you need to be very careful about potential hazards,¡± Ge Shenghao warned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take one. What¡¯s the trade?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°We used to have several, but we lost most of them on the way. We still have three left¡ªwe can give you one, along with ten pounds of electrolytes, which should last a long time. In exchange, we need thirty Rune Arrays. Deal?¡± Ge Shenghao offered.


    ¡°Twenty. I don¡¯t have any more than that,¡± Yu Hong shook his head.


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Ge Shenghao didn¡¯t argue. The Many-Eyed Birds could attack again at any moment¡ªthey had to complete the trade quickly and return to the post office basement.


    ¡°Bring the machine first. I have the Rune Arrays ready anytime,¡± Yu Hong said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get it!¡± The third man wasted no time, turning and disappearing into the mist.


    Taking advantage of the wait, Yu Hong asked a question that had been on his mind.


    ¡°How did you manage to drive away the Many-Eyed Birds just now?¡±


    ¡°We fired five single-soldier automatic-tracking micro-missiles,¡± Ge Shenghao sighed.


    ¡°And still lost three men¡­ The second and third teams were completely wiped out,¡± Li Runshan added from the side. Too many people had died these past few days.


    ¡°If they had died fighting like warriors, I wouldn¡¯t feel this way. But to be helplessly slaughtered like that¡­¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°As far as I know, the Many-Eyed Birds are strong, but missiles should still be able to kill them, right?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°They can, but the fog obscures visibility. By the time we spot the Many-Eyed Birds, they¡¯re already too close. The missiles don¡¯t have time to lock on properly. At such short range, they can¡¯t even adjust their trajectory¡ªthey just fly straight,¡± Ge Shenghao explained. ¡°And if we fire them too close, we¡¯re not killing the Many-Eyed Birds¡ªwe¡¯re blowing ourselves up.¡±


    Yu Hong imagined the predicament and fell silent. After a brief pause, he started asking about the group¡¯s situation and status, engaging in casual conversation with them.


    Before long, the person who had gone to retrieve the oxygen generator returned with two others, each carrying something in their hands.


    It was a rectangular machine with a gray-white exterior, a black power cord trailing from the back, and a plastic attachment resembling a breathing valve on one side, presumably for oxygen intake.


    In addition to the machine, there was also a large bag of granular material resembling salt, packed in a plastic bag.


    Without much discussion, Yu Hong quickly went back and retrieved twenty rune arrays, placing them on the ground outside the courtyard.


    The other party did the same, leaving their items on the ground, and both sides proceeded with the exchange.


    After securing the rune arrays, Ge Shenghao and his companion wasted no time, picking up their supplies and leaving immediately.


    Li Runshan gave Yu Hong a few extra glances, made a subtle gesture, and then followed after them.


    Soon, the three figures disappeared into the thick fog.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t quite understand what Li Runshan¡¯s signal meant, but he didn¡¯t dwell on it. He simply picked up the oxygen generator and returned to the cave.


    Just as he was about to close the door¡ª


    Qiu Yanxi¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind.


    ¡°Mr. Yu, could you help us find another place to hide? That monster bird¡­ If it even brushes against the house, we¡¯ll all be¡ª¡±


    The woman stood in the courtyard with her daughter, her face full of tears, looking pitiful.


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Yu Hong thought for a moment. Leaving them directly in the courtyard was indeed a problem.


    He stepped back inside the safehouse and inspected the two underground rooms, one on the left and one on the right. The newly constructed underground room was closer to the outer wall.


    ¡®Temporarily converting one of the underground spaces into a guest room could work. The problem is the door¡ªthere¡¯s no way to reinforce two doors at once without severely slowing down my Black Mark progress.¡¯


    Qiu Yanxi and her daughter were still important, as they were connected to the energy supply issue.


    After some thought, an idea suddenly struck Yu Hong.


    ¡®I could just dig a small stone cave outside. It doesn¡¯t need to be big, just large enough for the two of them to hide and sleep in. No need to hold it to my own standards.¡¯


    With that in mind, he quickly grabbed his tools, opened the door, and stepped outside.


    Boom!!


    He had only taken two steps, just reaching the doorway¡ª


    A violent explosion erupted in the direction of the post office.


    Blazing flames shot into the sky from that direction.


    Yu Hong frowned deeply. He was worried about Li Runshan and Aisena, but the distance was too great, and with the monster bird possibly lurking around, he didn¡¯t dare to rush over recklessly.


    Standing at the cave entrance, he gazed at the distant flames for a while before turning away, promptly beginning to carve out the cave he needed into an empty rock wall.


    Since the two only needed a place to sleep, Yu Hong dug out a rectangular cave about two meters deep, one meter wide, and one meter high. He placed a stone slab at the entrance as a door, leaving a small gap for ventilation.


    With his current strength and endurance, the entire process took just over ten minutes.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to sleep in the wooden house, you can sleep in here,¡± Yu Hong instructed, pointing at the cave.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Qiu Yanxi and her daughter stared at the hole in stunned silence. Wrapped in a Luminous Stone blanket, they could barely squeeze inside together.


    They hadn¡¯t expected Yu Hong to come up with something like this.


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t care about their thoughts. After solving the issue, he returned to the safehouse, picked up his previously reinforced handgun, and checked it. After the Black Mark reinforcement, his handgun¡¯s ammunition had been replenished over time.


    The gun had proven extremely useful to him. In contrast, his longtime weapon¡ªthe spiked club¡ªwas starting to feel inadequate.


    Inside the room, Yu Hong listened to the continuous explosions coming from the post office while holding the spiked club in one hand, recalling the suggestion Li Runshan had given him earlier.


    ¡®I really do need to upgrade my weapon¡­ A meteor hammer, perhaps?¡¯ A thoughtful look crossed his face.


    ¡®A simple meteor hammer isn¡¯t very practical. I¡¯m not skilled with it, and against the Many-Eyed Bird, it¡¯s best to have a weapon that latches onto the target upon impact, allowing for follow-up attacks.¡¯


    ¡®What kind of weapon could accomplish that?¡¯


    Soon, an image of a uniquely structured weapon formed in Yu Hong¡¯s mind.


    After glancing at the recently discovered secrets of the Vortex Rune, he decided to prioritize weapon enhancement first. The Many-Eyed Bird could appear at any moment, and there were certainly more than just one lurking outside. If he didn¡¯t increase his combat power soon, no matter how useful the Vortex Rune was, he wouldn¡¯t even get the chance to use it.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 98: Power (2)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    At once, Yu Hong placed the spiked club on the ground and rummaged through a pile of weapons he had previously looted from his kills.


    The majority of the weapons consisted of steel pipes, machetes, and daggers, along with a few small alloy shields.


    He piled all the metal items together with the spiked club, then picked up a confiscated submachine gun. After thinking for a moment, he put it back down. In close combat, this thing was far less effective than a club.


    Placing a hand on the pile of metal, he silently muttered:


    ¡°Enhance weapon. Direction.¡±


    In his mind, he envisioned the form of the weapon he desired.


    Soon, black threads began to flow, merging into the spiked club.


    ¡°Enhance?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    A countdown appeared: 3 hours and 9 minutes.


    *


    *


    *


    Post Office


    Two multi-eyed birds staggered as they flew away from the stone house, retreating into the distance.


    Their bodies were covered in burns from explosions. One of them had even lost its head, but the flesh at its neck was rapidly wriggling and regenerating, forming a new head.


    Inside the stone house¡ª


    A team of five, including Ge Shenghao, was left bloodied and exhausted. Two had lost an arm each, another had his shoulder crushed and was barely breathing, while one more lay on the ground, screaming in agony with both legs broken.


    Ge Shenghao pushed himself off the ground. Blood seeped from his back, but it was a minor wound¡ªan impact injury from being slammed into a rock by the bird¡¯s immense force.


    ¡°We¡¯re out of grenades. If that thing comes back, we¡¯re dead!¡±


    ¡°Send A-Dong off.¡± The bearded man with a severed arm spoke in a low voice.


    A-Dong was the one whose legs had been crushed. In this environment, a man without arms could still run, but one without legs¡­


    Thud.


    Someone stepped forward and knocked A-Dong unconscious¡ªnot to kill him, but to leave his wounds untreated. They gently laid him flat.


    ¡°How long until the support team arrives?¡± Ge Shenghao asked grimly while tending to the wounded.


    ¡°They said today,¡± the bearded man replied, biting a cigarette and lighting it with a lighter. He closed his eyes, unwilling to look at their doomed comrade. ??????¦Ï§£??


    ¡°We can¡¯t hold out. We have nothing left that can threaten the multi-eyed birds.¡± Ge Shenghao continued wrapping his arm.


    ¡°Running is pointless. We¡¯d be killed before we made it far.¡± The bearded man¡¯s tone was indifferent.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more way!¡±


    Ge Shenghao hesitated, then described what he had seen on Yu Hong¡¯s side.


    ¡°There were no explosion sounds over there, and that man protected those two women alone. He must have a secret. He must have a way to drive off the multi-eyed birds!¡±


    Hope flickered in the others¡¯ eyes as they listened.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± The bearded man looked at Ge Shenghao. He was no stranger to life and death, but surviving was always preferable.


    ¡°We fight for our lives!¡± Ge Shenghao turned his head toward Li Runshan, who had just crawled out of the basement unscathed, holding some medicine and clean water.


    This man wore a guilty expression¡ªclearly, during the battle, he had slipped away and hidden in the basement.


    *


    *


    *


    Evening fell, and darkness was setting in.


    In the courtyard, Qiu Yanxi and her daughter were chiseling the Luminous Stone into small pieces. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, neither of them noticed the two large, hazy gray-white figures lurking in the thick fog beyond the courtyard wall, silently observing them and the cave safe house.


    Inside the basement of the safe house, Yu Hong held a vortex rune plate, which he had just discovered some secrets about.


    ¡°The vortex rune must be inscribed with internal energy for it to take effect. Once successful, the negative Red Value will no longer radiate outward but will instead concentrate and condense within the rune, especially at its very center¡ªwhere the Red Value is most concentrated.¡±


    Yu Hong concluded.


    ¡°The moment the vortex rune is crushed, the accumulated negative Red Value will erupt instantly, creating a temporary high-concentration radiation effect in a small area. This could potentially be used as a negative Red Value grenade.¡±


    ¡°Looking at it this way, the primary function of the vortex rune should be to store radiation energy.¡±


    Storage.


    At this thought, Yu Hong suddenly realized something¡ªif the vortex rune was merely storing energy, then why did the eruption result in such a massive increase in Red Value?


    ¡°Could it be that the Great Luminous Stone powder itself already contains such a high level of negative Red Value radiation?¡±


    Yu Hong shook his head.


    That was a possibility. After all, Luminous Stone continuously emitted radiation, and if all the radiation was concentrated into a single point and released at once, it would naturally result in a powerful effect.


    ¡°But going from just over a hundred negative Red Value to seven or eight hundred¡ªthat¡¯s way too exaggerated.¡±


    He clearly remembered that a piece of Great Luminous Stone would completely deplete after being used by a Wraith three times, turning into powder.


    This meant that the radiation energy of a Great Luminous Stone couldn¡¯t possibly reach seven or eight hundred negative Red Value.


    ¡°Then why¡­¡±


    His brows furrowed as a major suspicion slowly surfaced in his mind.


    ¡°The only possibility is that this vortex rune¡­ isn¡¯t just storing radiation energy.¡±


    He picked up the rune plate, carefully tracing the fine patterns on its surface.


    ¡°It¡¯s more likely absorbing external radiation energy and storing it!¡±


    ¡°If it truly absorbs energy, then by varying the time the vortex rune is left alone, I should be able to test the differences in negative Red Value when it erupts.¡±


    After creating the rune, the longer it was left untouched, the greater the negative Red Value eruption would likely be upon being crushed.


    At this thought, Yu Hong propped the freshly made rune plate against the wall and left it alone for the time being.


    Then, he moved to the center of the basement and resumed training.


    Over the past few days, as he progressed through the second layer of Heavy Leg Technique, his physical strength had stopped increasing. Instead, his skin¡¯s keratin layer had thickened, and his body felt increasingly light.


    Clearly, the second layer primarily enhanced defense and agility.


    Through his persistent daily training, Yu Hong could faintly sense that his second internal energy stream was on the verge of forming.


    Standing in the middle of the basement, he steadied his mind and began practicing Heavy Leg Technique over and over while visualizing the corresponding patterns.


    Time passed bit by bit.


    Suddenly, a sharp scream echoed from outside the safe house.


    Shua!


    Yu Hong, who had been deep in visualization, abruptly opened his eyes. He quickly donned his White Bear suit and rushed upstairs.


    As he passed by the spiked mace, he noticed it had finished its reinforcement process. He grabbed it without hesitation and strode toward the door.


    Pulling open the barrier, he looked through the reinforced glass window. The sky was now completely dark.


    The moonlight was bright, like a misty veil blending into the thin fog, making it difficult to distinguish the two.


    Two enormous multi-eyed birds, identical to the one from before, were circling above the forest outside the cave, emitting eerie croaking sounds similar to toads.


    Flapping their wings, they swooped in wide arcs, their two rows of small red eyes glowing faintly in the night, resembling laser sights from sniper rifles.


    Yu Hong observed closely and noticed that one of the multi-eyed birds had a large scar on one side of its body¡ªa wound from being struck by the spiked mace.


    ¡°That one from earlier today¡­¡±


    He took a deep breath.


    One of these creatures had already pushed him to the brink of injury earlier. Now, there were two at once.


    To make matters worse, his giant wooden shield had been destroyed and was still unrepaired.


    ¡°Troublesome¡­¡±


    Sweeping his gaze across the courtyard, he noticed that Qiu Yanxi and her daughter had already disappeared, likely hiding in either the wooden house or the newly dug stone cave.


    Ang!!


    At that moment, the two multi-eyed birds spotted Yu Hong. With a synchronized movement, they spiraled downward in a dive attack, like arrows streaking toward the cave entrance.


    Their ghostly screeches pierced the night, sharp and grating.


    Sensing danger, Yu Hong quickly retreated, gripping his firearm in one hand and the mace in the other, widening the distance.


    He didn¡¯t charge forward immediately; instead, he wanted to see how well the reinforced door would hold up.


    One second.


    Boom!!! Boom!!!


    Two consecutive loud crashes echoed.


    The entire cave safe house trembled violently. The thick wooden door at the entrance now had two massive dents¡ªbut that was all.


    ¡°It held!¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s spirits lifted. The door, which previously couldn¡¯t withstand a single attack from a multi-eyed bird, had now endured consecutive strikes from both of them.


    This test was enough.


    Relying solely on the door for defense was unrealistic¡ªunless it could repair itself. Otherwise, he would have to go outside and deal with the enemies sooner or later.


    Now that he confirmed the door¡¯s improved durability, Yu Hong felt slightly relieved. He remained in place, not stepping forward to open it. Instead, he raised his spiked mace with one hand and waited quietly.


    Boom!!


    Boom!!!


    Boom!!!


    Crash!!


    The door finally shattered, and a white-feathered bird head thrust through the opening, lunging toward Yu Hong with its built-up momentum.


    ¡°Die!!!¡±


    In an instant, Yu Hong stepped forward with a roar. His body blurred like an afterimage as he stomped the ground, swinging his mace with full force.


    The spiked mace tore through the air with a sharp whistle, carrying all of Yu Hong¡¯s stored-up power, smashing directly into the bird¡¯s head.


    Boom!!


    Caught off guard, the multi-eyed bird¡¯s skull and most of its neck exploded instantly, turning into a rain of gray-white blood.


    Even its body, unable to resist the massive impact, was sent flying diagonally out of the cave, crashing into the distant forest.


    Ang!!


    Seizing the opportunity, the second multi-eyed bird raised its beak like a war hammer and slammed it downward.


    Its talons gripped the door frame tightly, wings flapping wildly for leverage. The razor-sharp beak, screeching through the air, stabbed fiercely toward Yu Hong¡ªright at the moment he was off balance from his last swing.


    The multi-eyed bird was already extremely fast, and now it struck at the perfect moment, making it impossible to dodge.


    Puff!!


    The beak crashed into Yu Hong¡¯s raised arm, bending the alloy plate inward.


    Yu Hong¡¯s face twisted from the impact.


    However, despite the heavy strike, his thickened transparent keratin layer absorbed the damage, preventing any real injury¡ªonly causing pain.


    That sudden pain, instead of hindering him, triggered an uncontrollable rage.


    His blood surged violently, flooding his entire body.


    As soon as he was struck, he stepped back two paces and raised his gun¡ªno need to aim.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Five consecutive shots rang out, blasting five bloody holes into the second multi-eyed bird, nearly shattering its entire upper body.


    Seizing the moment, Yu Hong let out a furious roar, lifted his spiked mace, and swung it down with all his might.


    The reinforced Wolf Fang Club was now significantly heavier than before. The club alone weighed over a hundred pounds, and its surface was covered with numerous barbed spikes. Once embedded in flesh, it would be extremely difficult to pull out.


    At this moment, Yu Hong lifted it and smashed it down with full force. The tip of the Wolf Fang Club barely struck the neck of the second Multi-Eyed Bird, hooking onto it in an instant. With a fierce tug, he pulled it back.


    Yu Hong¡¯s immense strength clashed against the Multi-Eyed Bird¡¯s powerful resistance¡ªone pulling back, the other struggling to break free.


    With a sickening tear, a large portion of the Multi-Eyed Bird¡¯s neck was ripped apart, its mangled flesh hanging onto the Wolf Fang Club, unable to be shaken off.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 99: Rescue (1)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    ~~


    Roar!!!


    Just as Yu Hong was grappling with the second Multi-Eyed Bird, the first Multi-Eyed Bird suddenly burst out from the darkness, letting out a shrill cry as it shot toward him like a cannonball.


    Its injuries had recovered significantly, barely affecting its mobility, and it erupted with astonishing speed.


    All of its explosive force was concentrated on its sharp, spiked beak. This sudden attack caught Yu Hong off guard, striking him squarely. The beak pierced into his back shoulder, bending the alloy plate with its tremendous impact, and smashed into his shoulder bone.


    Boom!!


    Yu Hong was sent flying backward, rolling back into the cave with the bird. Along the way, they crashed into two solar-powered generators and a wooden crate storing firearms.


    Fragments of solar panels and wood splintered into the air, scattering across the ground.


    They were heading straight for the rune array. These arrays couldn¡¯t withstand heavy pressure¡ªany significant force would completely destroy them. Among them were even two silver rune arrays.


    Yu Hong had had enough.


    ¡°Get the hell off me!!!¡±


    His veins bulged as he roared in rage, gripping the bird¡¯s beak with his bare hands. His legs carved deep trenches in the ground as he mustered all his strength, his internal energy surging, and charged forward.


    Boom, boom, boom, boom!!!


    Like a rampaging heavy rhino, he lowered his head, wrapped his arms around the monstrous bird, and burst out of the cave with a powerful leap.


    Then, he slammed it down.


    Boom!!!


    The ground exploded into a crater, dirt flying in all directions. The massive impact crushed the bird¡¯s chest cavity, pinning it beneath the Wolf Fang Club.


    But it still struggled, its wounded flesh rapidly regenerating under the moonlight.


    ¡°Like hell, you¡¯re surviving this!¡± Yu Hong, burning with rage, grabbed the bird¡¯s neck, lifted it, and smashed it into the mountainside.


    Boom!


    The rocks shattered, leaving a deep dent in the cliff face.


    But he wasn¡¯t done. Yu Hong continued his frenzied assault, repeatedly slamming the monster against the mountain.


    Amidst the relentless explosions of impact, the creature kept healing. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, the second Multi-Eyed Bird let out a shriek in the distance. Despite its own injuries, it recklessly flew toward Yu Hong, crashing into his back. ??¦­??¨§?


    Yet Yu Hong ignored it completely. He let the other bird attack him as he continued his brutal rampage against the first one.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!!


    He had no idea how many times he smashed it. By the time his hands could no longer hold onto a single intact piece of flesh or feather, he finally stopped, panting heavily.


    Turning around, he reached for the second charging bird. But this time, the creature let out a strange cry, abruptly veered upward, flapped its wings, and fled into the distance without looking back.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Yu Hong raised his gun and fired relentlessly, emptying the magazine.


    By sheer luck, one of the bullets struck the bird¡¯s wing, causing it to tilt and crash into the nearby forest.


    ¡°Trying to run?!¡± Yu Hong snarled, charging after it. Within moments, he had stormed into the forest, grabbed the bird by its body, and lifted it high above his head.


    Rip!!! S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With sheer brute force, he tore the creature in half from its abdomen, sending a rain of blood and feathers scattering through the air.


    ¡°Aaaahhh!!!¡±


    Yu Hong let out a furious roar, his blood boiling. The long-suppressed fear and pressure erupted into pure rage, pushing him toward the brink of berserk madness.


    He grabbed what was left of the bird and slammed it into the ground over and over. He had no idea how long he continued until the remains were nothing but a mangled mess, with only two chunks of meat left in his hands.


    Finally, silence fell.


    Yu Hong gasped for breath, his entire body drenched in sweat. His body burned with heat, his heartbeat pounding like a war drum.


    Under the moonlight, he tossed aside the scraps of meat in his hands and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    He turned back toward the courtyard. From a distance, he saw the area was in disarray, but fortunately, the Luminous Stone Grass remained unharmed. During the fight, he and the Multi-Eyed Birds had stormed out of the courtyard, so the damage was minimal compared to before.


    During the fight, both he and the Multi-Eyed Birds had rushed out of the courtyard. The battle had covered a larger area than before, but the destruction remained relatively minor.


    The courtyard was empty¡ªno one in sight. Clearly, the mother and daughter had wisely hidden in the small cave beforehand, not daring to come out.


    That gave Yu Hong some comfort. At least they had good survival instincts, meaning he didn¡¯t have to constantly worry about them.


    Now that both Multi-Eyed Birds were dead, the pain in his body hit him all at once.


    His back had taken the full force of the second bird¡¯s attack. Earlier, adrenaline had numbed him, but now that he was calm, the pain surged, becoming much more pronounced.


    ¡°My back is definitely bleeding¡­ Not sure if my bones are fractured. Left wrist feels sprained¡ªprobably from gripping the bird¡¯s neck too hard while smashing it¡­¡±


    Hurting himself by overexertion¡ªthis was a sign of losing control due to excessive emotion. That realization made Yu Hong reflect on his actions.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep fighting like this. Losing control in battle is dangerous.¡±


    He checked himself for other injuries. No major external wounds, but his inner energy was completely drained. His upper body muscles also felt strained.


    The worst part was his Enhanced White Bear Suit.


    Back inside the cave, slumped against the battered door, Yu Hong finally noticed how damaged his armor was. The suit had been smashed all over, with massive tears and gaping holes. It was barely usable.


    ¡°If those birds had lasted any longer, the suit would¡¯ve been destroyed¡­ and I¡¯d be the one in real danger.¡±


    He felt a wave of relief.


    Seeing how tattered the armor was, he knew it had saved him from countless fatal injuries.


    He quickly stripped off the White Bear Suit, treated his wounds, disinfected them, and took anti-inflammatory medicine.


    Then, he switched into his Enhanced Gray Lizard Suit for now.


    This suit could only block handgun bullets. Against rifles, snipers, or the sheer brute force of a Multi-Eyed Bird, its defense was almost useless.


    Compared to the White Bear Suit, it was a significant downgrade.


    But having something was still better than nothing.


    After suiting up, he placed his hand on the broken door, activating its self-repair.


    The countdown showed three hours.


    Only then did Yu Hong finally lean against the fireplace, ready to rest until dawn.


    This battle had cost him dearly. But at least now, he understood just how deadly the Multi-Eyed Birds were. Even when going all out, he had barely managed to kill two.


    That realization filled him with renewed anxiety about the future.


    The monsters outside were endless¡ªthere was no way to kill them all. If he wanted to live a safe and stable life, he had to find a way to hide and conceal his presence, preventing monsters from detecting him. Otherwise, if he kept fighting head-on, he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the relentless attacks.


    A thought flashed through Yu Hong¡¯s mind as he considered how to conceal his presence.


    His mind raced through everything he knew.


    ¡°Wait¡­ If I want to hide, I first need to understand how the Blood Tide creatures and Ghostly Shadows detect me. What exactly are their scouting methods?¡±


    Recalling his past encounters, he realized that while the Ghostly Shadows¡¯ method of spreading was clear, the detection mechanisms of the Ghostly Shadows and Blood Tide creatures remained a mystery.


    ¡°Experimenting on my own would take too long. The best option is to find research materials or someone who has studied this field. Getting their experimental data would save me a lot of time.¡±


    This thought lingered in Yu Hong¡¯s mind.


    As he pondered, drowsiness crept in. His exhaustion and pain overtook him, and he leaned quietly against the fireplace to rest.


    Right now, his enhanced handgun was empty, the White Bear Suit was broken, and the main gate was completely exposed.


    His upper body was weak, his stamina depleted, and his inner energy had been exhausted, waiting to recover. His wrist was sprained, his back throbbed with sharp pain¡ªpossibly even fractured.


    This was the worst he had ever been injured.


    Sitting on the ground to catch his breath, Yu Hong exhaled deeply and grabbed the metal basin used for boiling water. He opened his helmet and took a sip.


    A flash of silver gleamed along the edge of the metal basin.


    Clack.


    Suddenly, a black, stone-like object was tossed into the cave through the broken entrance.


    The object bounced and rolled a few times before hitting the shattered wooden frame and coming to a stop.


    Yu Hong¡¯s eyes flickered¡ªsomething felt wrong. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, grabbed the object, and hurled it outside.


    Boom!


    Just as it left his hand, the object exploded in midair, releasing a blinding white light that instantly illuminated the entire courtyard as if it were broad daylight.


    A flashbang!


    Yu Hong reacted in time, shutting his eyes, turning his head, and dropping to the ground.


    He had never encountered this kind of weapon before. Fearing it was a grenade, he instinctively mimicked what he had seen in movies¡ªdiving down, covering his head, and lying flat.


    As soon as the sound dissipated, he flipped over and stood up.


    That was when he saw three black-clad figures vaulting over the courtyard wall with swift, coordinated movements, rushing toward him.


    Bang!!


    A gunshot rang out. Muzzle fire erupted near Yu Hong¡¯s right knee.


    His knee buckled from the impact, forcing him to stumble backward.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a handgun! Where did these people come from?!¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s heart sank. This was the worst possible moment to be attacked.


    One of his hands was injured, limiting his strength. His back was in pain, his body exhausted, stamina drained, and his inner energy had been spent.


    Being ambushed now¡ªespecially by skilled riflemen¡ªput him in a dire situation.


    A single thought flashed through his mind: I can¡¯t stay still.


    The enemy had a sharpshooter. If he remained stationary, he would be an easy target. But it was nighttime¡ªif he moved fast enough, he doubted they could land precise shots.


    His eyes locked onto the three approaching figures.


    They were all tall and well-built, around 1.89 meters in height, their movements steady and powerful, showing a subtle rhythm of teamwork.


    Yu Hong immediately dropped his wolf-fang club to reduce weight and, with a sudden burst of speed, rolled to the side.


    Whoosh!


    He leaped out of the cave and landed on the grassy right side of the courtyard, slipping into the shadows under the faint moonlight.


    From the moment of the attack to Yu Hong¡¯s reaction¡ªescaping the safehouse¡ªit had only taken a single second.


    He hadn¡¯t given the hidden gunman a second chance to fire.


    Now engulfed in darkness, with only the dim glow of the moon, Yu Hong sprang to his feet, charging toward the three pursuers.


    The first attacker wasted no time.


    Lifting his leg, he delivered a powerful front kick aimed directly at Yu Hong¡¯s chest.


    Yu Hong had just gotten up and had no time to react. The kick landed squarely against his torso.


    Boom.


    The man¡¯s right leg struck Yu Hong¡¯s chest with brutal force, his momentum transferring seamlessly from his core into the impact.


    Dust exploded beneath them, scattering in a faint cloud, illuminated by the moonlight like a pale-white halo.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡±


    At such close range, Yu Hong finally saw the attacker¡¯s face under the dim glow.


    It was Ge Shenghao¡ªsomeone he had encountered before!


    The leader of the other squad.


    This guy had once been an elite postman at the former postal bureau. His strength rivaled even that of Li Runshan.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 100: Rescue (2)

    ~~~


    Thank Thyme for the bonus chapters


    (Tl Note :- Phew finally done with the bonus chapters )


    ~~


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Ge Shenghao¡¯s eyes reflected the moonlight, shining like twin stars.


    His luck wasn¡¯t great¡ªthey arrived only after everything was over and missed the intense battle between Yu Hong and the Many-Eyed Bird.


    At this moment, Ge Shenghao kicked forward, forcing Yu Hong to stagger three steps back.


    Without hesitation, he lunged again, his right leg striking like a venomous snake, whipping at Yu Hong¡¯s side.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    His kicks came at lightning speed¡ªwithin seconds, he had landed over a dozen strikes, all aimed at Yu Hong¡¯s blocking left arm.


    Not only that, but two more attackers closed in¡ªone wielding a staff, the other a hammer¡ªraining blows upon Yu Hong. Despite his defenses, he was repeatedly struck.


    However, the three attackers soon realized something was off. No matter how fiercely they struck, they simply couldn¡¯t knock Yu Hong down.


    Though they forced him to retreat step by step, a strange shadow of unease crept into their hearts.


    Suddenly, one of them lost patience. Gripping his staff tightly, he seized an opening and swung with all his might, smashing it against Yu Hong¡¯s left shoulder from behind.


    Crack!


    The thick wooden staff snapped on impact. Yu Hong didn¡¯t move an inch. From beneath his helmet, his gaze locked onto the three men.


    ¡°Are you done playing?¡±


    His voice was calm, as if the fight hadn¡¯t even served as a warm-up.


    Boom!


    Ge Shenghao suddenly raised his leg high and brought it down fiercely against Yu Hong¡¯s left neck.


    A heavy impact struck the outer layer of Yu Hong¡¯s suit, sending a faint spray of white dust into the air, clearly visible under the moonlight.


    But to their horror, Yu Hong remained standing. His helmet merely wobbled slightly before coming to a stop.


    He hadn¡¯t even bothered to block. He simply stood there, unmoving.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± he asked.


    ¡°¡­!!?¡±


    A cold sweat broke out on Ge Shenghao¡¯s forehead. His pupils shrank as a realization hit him, and he instinctively tried to retract his leg.


    But at that moment, Yu Hong suddenly lifted his own leg and struck at Ge Shenghao¡¯s supporting leg.


    Low sweep!


    This was a heavy leg technique Yu Hong had trained in for days. By now, it was second nature to him, executed with seamless speed¡ªpractically a reflex. ?¨¤??????¨¨????


    However, Ge Shenghao reacted unexpectedly. He leaped into the air, dodging the sweep, then used the momentum to kick at Yu Hong¡¯s chest before flipping backward and landing safely.


    Yu Hong stepped forward to chase him down, but a hammer suddenly swung in from the right, slamming into his shoulder.


    Boom!


    With a dull thud, Yu Hong didn¡¯t even glance at his attacker. He simply reached out, grabbed the hammer¡¯s handle, and yanked.


    The wielder was pulled forward by sheer force. Before he could regain balance, Yu Hong wrapped both arms around him¡ªalmost like an affectionate embrace.


    One arm locked around the man¡¯s back, the other around his waist.


    ¡°Ahh!!¡±


    A sickening crack echoed through the night, followed by a bloodcurdling scream. No one knew how many bones had just shattered.


    Even with his bulletproof suit, there was no defense against this kind of crushing force¡ªarmor designed for bullets was useless against joint-breaking pressure.


    Blood instantly spewed from the man¡¯s mouth and nose.


    Yu Hong let him go, striding toward Ge Shenghao once more.


    Bang!


    Another gunshot rang out. A bullet struck Yu Hong¡¯s right knee, piercing through the alloy plating and causing a faint sting.


    Taking advantage of the moment, Ge Shenghao charged forward again¡ªhe was still daring enough to attack.


    His right leg was now clad in a silver-white alloy shin guard, and he swung it directly at Yu Hong¡¯s wounded knee.


    Had this attack landed, it could have shattered the armor¡¯s protection in an instant.


    But Yu Hong had the same idea. Without hesitation, he raised his own leg and delivered a low sweep, mirroring Ge Shenghao¡¯s movement exactly.


    Both were using military-style Miersch close combat techniques. Their angles and timing were identical, leading to a direct clash. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Boom!


    Legs collided, sending a fine layer of dust scattering.


    Ge Shenghao lacked the raw power and was sent staggering backward. But rather than retreating, his fighting spirit flared.


    ¡°I¡¯LL BREAK YOU!!¡±


    With a furious roar, he launched another flurry of kicks at Yu Hong.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The two continued exchanging brutal leg strikes, neither backing down. Over ten consecutive kicks clashed in a matter of seconds.


    Then¡ªCrack!


    A sharp sound rang out. Ge Shenghao suddenly recoiled, clutching his leg, his face twisted in agony. Sweat poured down his body as veins bulged across his forehead.


    He glared at Yu Hong, his teeth clenched. He couldn¡¯t believe that his years of combat training had been utterly useless in just a few exchanges.


    ¡°Sixth! Run! Don¡¯t look back!!¡± Ge Shenghao suddenly shouted.


    Staring at Yu Hong¡ªwho appeared completely unchanged from the start¡ªrealization dawned on him.


    Now he understood. He finally grasped why Yu Hong had survived the Many-Eyed Bird¡¯s attacks while also protecting two defenseless women.


    But it was too late.


    ¡°I never expected¡­ in a place like this¡­¡± His words trailed off as he turned and fled.


    Yet before he could get far, Yu Hong seized his suit and lifted him effortlessly into the air.


    Just as he was about to be crushed in another bone-breaking hold, a figure lunged from behind.


    A sneak attack. A hammer smashed into the back of Yu Hong¡¯s helmet.


    Boom!


    The impact created cracks in the helmet, denting its surface inward. However, the helmet¡¯s inner padding absorbed most of the force.


    A normal person might have suffered a concussion from the remaining shockwave.


    But Yu Hong barely felt it. His enhanced bones and thickened outer skin made it feel like a mere paper-thin slap.


    With furrowed brows, he turned and grabbed the attacker¡¯s arm.


    And then¡ªlow sweep!


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!


    In a matter of seconds, he unleashed over ten consecutive kicks.


    At first, the attacker withstood them. But soon, his screams turned to gurgles as his lower body turned into a mangled mess.


    By the time Yu Hong let go, the man¡¯s legs were nothing but shredded flesh and twisted armor. Blood and metal scraps littered the ground.


    Noticing that the man had gone silent, Yu Hong dropped him carelessly.


    Even with just one hand, his strength was overwhelming. There had never been a contest.


    Regaining focus, he turned back to Ge Shenghao.


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    By now, Ge Shenghao had completely broken down. His face was frozen in a grimace of fear, his body convulsing uncontrollably. He couldn¡¯t even speak.


    He had watched, helplessly, as his teammates were torn apart like rag dolls.


    The difference between them was simply too vast.


    His opponent¡ªno, this monster¡ªmust have undergone a full-body enhancement with Luminous Stone!


    Yes. Only a creature like that could achieve such an overwhelming victory.


    A monster, combined with that obviously modified and reinforced Gray Lizard combat suit¡­


    They had lost. Completely.


    This gamble was over.


    Their choices had been limited from the very start¡ªeither die in the beaks of the multi-eyed birds, or die in battle against this monster.


    What Ge Shenghao hadn¡¯t expected was that Yu Hong had not survived through evasion or clever tactics.


    He had simply endured everything with sheer strength.


    Yu Hong shook him, noticing that he no longer had any will to resist. He lost interest in further questioning.


    Instead, he abruptly tightened his grip.


    Crack, crack, crack!


    The sound of snapping bones echoed as Ge Shenghao¡¯s limbs were all crushed.


    Only then did Yu Hong carry him back to the courtyard.


    There had been four attackers in total, with one hidden sniper. That shooter had likely already fled.


    As for the one in his hands¡­


    He thought for a moment and stood at the courtyard entrance.


    Since the secret was already out, there was no point in eliminating all witnesses. Keeping one alive might even provide useful intelligence.


    So, instead of killing Ge Shenghao, he threw him into the yard.


    He hammered a wooden stake into the ground, tied him to it, and placed some Luminous Stones around him to block his vision¡ªforming a corner against the courtyard wall and mountain rock.


    With that done, Yu Hong returned to the cave.


    At last, he could rest.


    But he didn¡¯t dare to fully relax. Until the gate was repaired, he wouldn¡¯t allow himself to fall into a deep sleep.


    He used wooden boards to block the hole in the gate and covered it tightly with fabric.


    Fortunately, nothing else disturbed him that night.


    In the depths of the night, the gate shimmered faintly before restoring itself to its original state.


    Ge Shenghao, hidden behind the Luminous Stones, saw nothing.


    The mother and daughter, Qiu Yanxi and her child, remained huddled in the stone cave, too terrified to move.


    Only after confirming everything was safe did Yu Hong finally allow himself to collapse into sleep.


    He was utterly exhausted.


    Time passed.


    Half-asleep, Yu Hong vaguely heard sounds coming from his communicator.


    It seemed like Li Runshan was talking.


    He had left it on the whole time, worried about missing any critical updates.


    But right now, he was simply too tired. His internal energy was completely drained. Any non-urgent noises were simply filtered out of his exhausted mind.


    *


    *


    *


    Post Office Stone House.


    In the open space outside the courtyard, a strange dark green vehicle, resembling a small train with three connected carriages, stood silently.


    The morning light was bright yet cold, casting a pale glow on three masked officers standing beside the vehicle.


    All three were clad in thick tactical bulletproof suits. From their body contours, it was possible to discern that the leading officer was a woman, while the other two were men.


    Inside the post office, the trembling family members of high-ranking United Army officials emerged from the underground shelter, their faces filled with gratitude. Under the protection of the guards, they hurried toward the strange vehicle and quickly boarded.


    Li Runshan let out a breath of relief and approached the female officer leading the group.


    ¡°You came in person?¡± he asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Manpower is too tight, and this area is too important. I had no choice but to come myself,¡± the masked woman replied.


    She scanned the people present, quickly noticing that the number of guards and reported personnel did not match.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ge Shenghao?¡±


    ¡°¡­No idea. His men said he went out last night, but no one knows why.¡± Li Runshan shook his head.


    ¡°Our intel shows that there are over a dozen Many-Eyed Birds wandering around this area, and the environmental red zone level is still rising. The longer we stay, the more dangerous it becomes,¡± the woman said gravely.


    Li Runshan fell silent. After a moment, he smiled faintly, unconcerned. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll always find a way to survive.¡±


    He chatted with the woman for a bit longer. By now, most of the people from the underground shelter had boarded, but there was still no news from Yu Hong. He excused himself and returned inside to reconnect the communicator.


    ¡°Yu Hong! You there!? The evacuation team has loaded everyone up. If you don¡¯t come now, we¡¯re leaving without you!¡± he called loudly.


    This was his third time trying to contact him.


    Finally, a response came through.


    There was a long stretch, followed by a yawn.


    ¡°¡­Were you sleeping?¡± Li Runshan¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°Too exhausted. Last night¡­ cut me some slack,¡± Yu Hong sighed.


    ¡°Take care of yourself. Wasn¡¯t it just one against two? Pushing yourself too hard?¡± Li Runshan muttered.


    ¡°One against two? It was one against four!¡± Yu Hong corrected. ¡°Never mind, you wouldn¡¯t understand anyway. The extraction team¡¯s here, right? I¡¯ll bring them over now.¡±


    As long as he could hand over Qiu Yanxi and her daughter to the evacuation team, his deal with Wei Shanshan¡¯s father, Wei Hongye, would be complete.


    ¡°Yeah, hurry up. Director Wei brought something for you, but you need to come in person to get it,¡± Li Runshan urged.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Thinking about the potential solution to his energy problem, Yu Hong felt a flicker of anticipation.


    (End of chapter)


    ~~~


    Tl Note :- Man we are already in chapter 100!! Happy 100 chapters to y¡¯all and wish y¡¯all luck so you can escape the ghostly shadows in the desperate nights !! byeeee :3


    ~~~~

 Chapter 102: Cultivation Technique (2)

    Yu Hong looked at the red value detector again and found that the values inside the safe house had returned to single digits, approaching zero.


    ¡®It seems that the rune array inside the safe house may have had some effect.¡¯


    He let out a sigh of relief, turned on the light, pulled down the shutter,


    but did not take off his suit. In such a situation, the ever-present threat of the multi-eyed bird forced him to remain constantly vigilant.


    Picking up the vortex rune array board, he sat down to think carefully.


    ¡®If I apply the storage function of the vortex rune array to the safe house, could I create a stable battery that converts and stores Luminous Stone radiation energy?¡¯


    ¡®Besides making grenades, what else could a Luminous Stone radiation battery be used for?¡¯


    He returned to his initial idea¡ªcreating a technique that would allow him to handle Ghostly shadows.


    ¡®If¡­ if I could use my body to generate Luminous Stone radiation explosions similar to the vortex rune array, wouldn¡¯t that make dealing with Ghostly Shadows much easier?¡¯


    Following this line of thought¡ª


    ¡®Anti-Ghostly Shadow Technique.¡¯


    ¡®Using inner energy as a pen, construct a vortex rune array inside the body to create an internal Luminous Stone radiation battery that can absorb external radiation.¡¯


    ¡®Such an internal structure must remain extremely stable under normal conditions. Only when I perform certain specific actions or enter a particular state will the battery structure temporarily break, causing a massive burst of radiation from within, forming a Luminous Stone radiation attack to counteract external Ghostly Shadows or Evil shadows.¡¯


    ¡®When I exit the special state or action, the rune array restores itself and resumes absorption and storage automatically.¡¯


    ¡®Side effects: Luminous Stone radiation can cause harm and mutations to the human body. This issue might be countered by my continuously strengthening physical constitution.¡¯


    After writing these words, Yu Hong carefully checked for typos and major logical flaws. Confirming that there were none, he placed the paper on the wooden table.


    ¡®The enhancement of the Black Mark must be based on a feasible foundation. Now, let¡¯s see¡ªif this foundational technique works, then the Black Mark might refine and perfect it into an even better technique.¡¯


    Looking at his technique hypothesis, Yu Hong extended his hand and pressed it against the paper.


    ¡®Enhance Anti-Ghostly Shadow Technique. Direction: Integrate with Heavy Leg Technique.¡¯


    Soon, a black line flashed, and the feedback sound quickly rang out.


    ¡®Enhance technique?¡¯


    It was feasible!


    Yu Hong was overjoyed. He hadn¡¯t expected it to succeed on the first try.


    He glanced at the countdown appearing on the paper: 1 hour and 4 minutes.


    Such a short time¡ªthis meant the difficulty wasn¡¯t high. Thinking this, he pressed his hand down again.


    ¡®Enhance Anti-Ghostly Shadow Technique. Direction: Integrate with Heavy Leg Technique, strengthen control, reduce side effects, increase power, and optimize the vortex rune array to enhance the total storage of radiation energy.¡¯ ???????§£§¦?


    Yu Hong added everything he wanted in one go.


    Then, as the feedback sound played, he quickly checked the countdown that appeared.


    ¡®1 day, 23 hours, 11 minutes.¡¯


    ¡®Almost there¡ªany longer and the risk would be too high.¡¯ He sighed.


    He confirmed the enhancement process.


    This time, acquiring the vortex rune array had been an immense help to him.


    This thing instantly increased his means of dealing with malevolent shadows by more than double.


    Placing a wooden block over the enhancing paper to keep it in place, Yu Hong stood up and went to Basement One¡ªthe very first one he had dug.


    Inside the basement, he picked up the vortex rune array board he had previously made. This board, inscribed with inner energy, had now completely turned silver.


    It looked very similar to the enhanced silver rune array he had seen before.


    But the patterns of the two were completely different.


    Yu Hong brought the detector close and measured it. The red value was only a negative single digit. Clearly, this rune array had a strong absorption and storage capability.


    After some thought, he decided to take the board outside for a test.


    Just as the Black Mark was enhancing the new fusion technique¡ªonce the fusion was complete, he could train his Heavy Leg Technique while gaining a similar ability to counter Ghostly Shadows.


    For now, the most important thing was ensuring the safety of the safe house. Acquiring an energy core was difficult under current conditions. Once things stabilized and his technique was refined further, he would consider it again.


    Yu Hong made up his mind.


    Taking the board with him, he returned to the first floor and activated his communicator.


    ¡°Old Li, are you there?¡±


    After some static noise, a somewhat surprised male voice came through.


    ¡°So clear? How did the signal suddenly get better again?¡± Li Runshan asked in astonishment.


    Yu Hong guessed it was probably due to his enhancement of the communicator. The effect likely only worked when he communicated with Old Li. However, he didn¡¯t say anything and quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°I have a question. Is there a way to avoid the multi-eyed birds? How did you evade their attacks before?¡±


    ¡°¡­Vision, smell, hearing¡ªthese strange birds track targets just like humans do, relying on their sensory organs. But their sense of smell is exceptionally sharp.¡± Li Runshan replied, ¡°Before, we weren¡¯t careful about scent. Later, when the rescue team arrived, they gave us some deodorizing sand, and the multi-eyed birds stopped approaching. I still have twenty pounds of deodorizing sand.¡±


    ¡°Any other methods?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°There¡¯s also the sunlight series materials. Multi-eyed birds are well-known monsters in the frontline Aurora City, and they are one of the creatures that sunlight series materials specifically counter,¡± Li Runshan replied.


    He paused before continuing.


    ¡°If you need them, I can try to get you some. They should arrive next month. Hold on until then.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± Yu Hong was a little surprised. The stingy guy was finally willing to offer something.


    ¡°I have a set of communicators here. Can you take a look at them for me? Except for my connection with you, all other communications are terrible¡ªI can barely hear anything and rely entirely on Morse code,¡± Li Runshan said casually.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yu Hong agreed. ¡°By the way, can you still send mail internally? To Baihe City?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but the cost is higher. Baihe City is currently under attack by the Whisperer ¡ªyou know how they¡¯re completely undetectable until they strike. Plus, there are too many multi-eyed birds outside. Without a sunlight series Luminous Stone blanket, people don¡¯t even dare to go out, and travel costs are skyrocketing. What do you want to send?¡± Li Runshan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it to you later. Just a small item.¡± Yu Hong replied. The enhanced red value detector needed to be delivered to Little Stutterer in time to deal with the Whisperer.


    ¡°Alright, tomorrow an expert from the postal service will be passing by. I can ask them to take a detour. Also, one more thing¡ªbe more careful in the future. The item you left behind, I threw it into the scorched woods beside you. Go pick it up.¡± Li Runshan said before hanging up.


    What is it? What item?


    Yu Hong narrowed his eyes slightly, quickly put on his gear, and stepped outside.


    Before long, he spotted a male corpse in camouflage uniform lying among the scorched woods to the right of the courtyard wall. The body¡¯s eyes remained open in death.


    In the corpse¡¯s hands was a black rifle, over a meter long, equipped with a scope. Yu Hong had no idea what model it was¡ªhe didn¡¯t recognize it at all.


    He reached out and forcefully pulled the rifle free, then searched the body.


    Everything else was gone¡ªcompletely stripped clean. The only thing left was the rifle, which made Yu Hong suspect that this man was likely the only companion of Ge Shenghao who had managed to escape.


    ¡°Why bother running back then? Dying by my hand would¡¯ve at least been quicker.¡±


    Yu Hong carried the rifle, guessing that Li Runshan had probably left it there intentionally as proof. Otherwise, this weapon would have been gone long ago.


    Aang!


    Suddenly, from deep within the forest behind him, came the eerie screech of a multi-eyed bird once again.


    Yu Hong immediately quickened his pace, dashing back into the cave. He shut the door behind him and hid in silence.


    He had had enough of these monstrous birds.


    *


    *


    *


    Three Days Later


    Baihe City


    At the mouth of a massive, pitch-black underground tunnel on the outskirts, squads of personnel assigned to clear hidden dangers were gathering.


    There were more than ten teams in total, many of which had new recruits among their ranks.


    Each team was marked by a wooden sign, numbered from 1 to 16, held up by a designated member.


    Behind the number 3 sign, eight young soldiers stood in a loose formation. Some looked fatigued, others had hollow expressions.


    Among them, three individuals stood out¡ªOu Li, Chen Qiaosheng, and the sullen Lin Yiyi, nicknamed Stutterer.


    ¡°Alright, quiet down.¡±


    A tall, crew-cut man emerged from the tunnel entrance, clapping his hands loudly to get everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Each team, prepare yourselves. Once this exploration mission is over, head to the system registry to calculate your contribution points based on your performance.¡±


    After giving these instructions, the man turned away without looking at anyone and left.


    The remaining team leaders returned to their squads.


    Xue Ningning, one arm wrapped in bandages and held in a sling across her chest, stepped in front of the number 3 sign.


    She studied her team members, shaking her head helplessly.


    Even though they had taken a relatively safe route, their cleanup mission had still encountered several dangerous situations.


    At critical moments, the team¡¯s coordination fell apart, forcing Xue Ningning to personally intervene. Using her Luminous Stone weapon, she had to fend off several attacking creatures, which left her injured. Two of her teammates had also been severely wounded and were now recovering, unable to continue.


    They had almost failed the mission entirely. In the end, Xue Ningning had to push the entire squad forward at high speed just to barely complete it.


    Now, reviewing the experience, she found herself deeply disappointed in Ou Li, Chen Qiaosheng, and Lin Yiyi.


    They had contributed almost nothing.


    She considered replacing them. But if she did, they would likely be expelled from the team altogether¡ªand given their current situation, no other squad would accept them.


    ¡°Ningning, the news about your team has already spread. Are you planning to swap out members?¡± a female squad leader nearby asked quietly.


    Ou Li was at least average, but Chen Qiaosheng was physically weak and practically useless beyond tagging along at the back. Lin Yiyi, on the other hand, was reckless¡ªalways charging forward without thinking. While she wasn¡¯t afraid of pain or death, her impulsiveness had repeatedly disrupted Xue Ningning¡¯s plans.


    If she replaced them, Lin Yiyi and Chen Qiaosheng would be reassigned to much more dangerous squads.


    Her squad, Team 3, was relatively safe thanks to her leadership. If those two were moved, their survival rate would plummet. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xue Ningning sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just recruit more members. I won¡¯t replace them.¡±


    At least keeping them here was better than sending them to their deaths elsewhere.


    With their weaknesses, only Ou Li stood a chance of surviving in another team. The other two¡­ wouldn¡¯t last long.


    As for Ou Li, Xue Ningning had already figured him out¡ªselfish on the surface, but that was just a protective shell.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 103: Departure (1)

    ¡°You can¡¯t keep doing this. Even if Team Three¡¯s missions are all safe, over time, your teammates won¡¯t improve, and eventually, they¡¯ll drag you down, lowering your evaluation score.¡±


    One of the captains, Xu Fei, frowned as he tried to persuade her. In his view, useless teammates should be replaced immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. My family is gone, and I only have a younger sister left. She¡¯s far more capable than I am, so I¡¯ll leave the improving to her.¡± Xue Ningning smiled indifferently. She had no ambition¡ªjust wanted to get by.


    ¡°If your evaluation drops, your logistics support will be affected, and even your equipment and supplies might be cut,¡± Xu Fei continued, as he had some interest in Xue Ningning.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡± She wasn¡¯t concerned. In truth, she also wanted to replace her teammates. But if she left the safest Team Three, those three would undoubtedly get into trouble. It had happened before, so she had long stopped casually dismissing members. In any case, she only took on the safest missions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take time to train them in private. They¡¯re good kids¡ªI believe they¡¯ll catch up soon.¡± She spoke earnestly.


    ¡°You¡¯re still so na?ve.¡± Not far away, Captain Yao Chenling of Team Nine remarked coldly.


    Yao Chenling, another female captain, was tall, muscular, and powerful. She had always disdained Xue Ningning, who had risen through connections with her younger sister. And now, when everyone else was striving to improve their teams, Xue Ningning was still dragging along dead weight, attempting to move forward with them.


    Sure, a capable person could do that, but the cost would be stagnation or even regression.


    In such harsh conditions where resources were scarce and competition was fierce, falling behind meant fewer resources¡ªessentially digging one¡¯s own grave.


    Xue Ningning didn¡¯t respond¡ªshe just smiled. Worst case scenario, she wouldn¡¯t take on missions at all. As long as she stayed in Hope City, things wouldn¡¯t be too bad.


    After the teams gathered, they quickly dispersed. Each member returned to their dormitories. Ouli and the others parted ways, and since she shared a room with Xiaojieba, they returned together.


    As they reached their dormitory door, a voice called out to them.


    ¡°Lin Yiyi.¡±


    The dormitory manager, an elderly woman, waved a small package in her hand. ¡°You have a parcel delivery.¡±


    ¡°A package?¡± Xiaojieba blinked in confusion.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s from Baiqiu Village,¡± the manager replied casually.


    ¡°Baiqiu Village!?¡± Little Stutterer¡¯s eyes lit up in delight as a name flashed through her mind.


    *


    *


    *


    Baiqiu Village, Mountain Cave Safehouse


    Yu Hong stood alone in the basement, holding his breath, motionless.


    Time ticked away, second by second. Still, he remained the same¡ªcompletely still, like a sculpture.


    About fifteen minutes later¡ª


    Pfft.


    Suddenly, his face turned red, and he coughed up a small mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Failed again¡­¡±


    He raised his hand, watching as the red vortex rune on his palm slowly faded and disappeared. He shook his head inwardly.


    Ever since he had completed his new cultivation technique yesterday, he had been trying to train according to its methods.


    The new technique had successfully merged multiple functions into his Heavy Leg Technique and even integrated the newly acquired vortex rune.


    The small cultivation manual he had obtained through enhancement described impressive effects, but¡­ the difficulty of training it was far greater than before. ?¨¤??£Â¨¨?


    Yu Hong slowly relaxed his body, walked to the side, picked up a red booklet from the ground, and flipped through it.


    ¡°Basic Survival Leg Technique.¡±


    That was the name he had given this new cultivation technique¡ªan extremely fitting name. After all, survival was the very reason he had fused and created it. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The thin booklet still contained the three original moves of the Heavy Leg Technique, but now it had three additional levels beyond them, making it six in total.


    Each level also incorporated some static exercises, seamlessly integrating them into the cultivation and training process.


    Just now, Yu Hong had been practicing the static exercise portion of the first-level Low Sweep Kick, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this difficult.


    After flipping through the booklet for a while, he confirmed that he had been practicing correctly¡ªit was just that his body needed time to adapt. Rushing it would only backfire. He could only endure and take it slow.


    The Basic Survival Leg Technique required not only a proper daily diet but also one crucial element for training¡ªradiation. However, it wasn¡¯t ordinary luminous stone radiation but red-value radiation.


    At first, Yu Hong found this requirement a bit odd, but he soon understood the reasoning behind it.


    If he could absorb and adapt to increasingly higher levels of external red-value radiation, his survival rate would naturally improve significantly.


    This technique perfectly fulfilled the purpose he had intended.


    After reading for a while, Yu Hong set the booklet aside and headed upstairs.


    The room was brightly lit, and the area outside the door was silent. The entire safehouse felt peaceful and tranquil.


    If he could remove the dangers of this world, this kind of life wouldn¡¯t be so bad¡ªexcept for the loneliness.


    Yu Hong walked to the entrance and pulled back the barrier to glance outside.


    In the courtyard, luminous white-glowing Luminous Stone Grass swayed gently in the wind, releasing invisible radiation.


    Further beyond, outside the gray-white courtyard walls, a faint mist loomed in the darkness. Occasionally, strange, fragmented noises flickered past.


    Yu Hong retracted his gaze and closed the barrier.


    Since yesterday, after obtaining some odor-removal sand from Li Runshan and covering the outer gate with a generous amount of crushed stone powder to blend it with the mountain wall, the Multi-Eyed Birds had surprisingly stopped bothering him.


    Glancing at the enhanced red-value detector, the time read 21:42 (9:42 PM).


    Yu Hong turned on his communicator, listening to the faint static, waiting for Li Runshan to contact him.


    They had agreed to communicate once a night, around 10 PM.


    A few minutes later, the communicator crackled to life.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. I just got Nana to sleep¡ªI had to tell her several stories. Kids these days are a real handful.¡± Li Runshan¡¯s exhausted voice came through.


    ¡°That¡¯s how kids are,¡± Yu Hong chuckled. ¡°By the way, thanks for the odor-removal sand and disguise method. The Multi-Eyed Birds haven¡¯t attacked again¡ªit seems to be working.¡±


    Since it worked, he had to express his gratitude. After all, for once, Old Li, the notorious tightwad, had provided free support. Even though Yu Hong still had to help fix some equipment, when he checked, the ¡°broken communication device¡± was actually beyond repair. Instead, the repair job had been swapped to a simple little fan. Li had agreed to the change, likely just needing an excuse to help him.


    ¡°¡­Wait, it actually worked?¡± Li Runshan blurted out in surprise.


    ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s smile vanished instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were using me as a test subject?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! I use odor-removal sand myself. Why would I experiment on you?¡± Old Li laughed nervously.


    ¡°Did you coat yours with sunlight coating?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°¡­Uh, yeah, but you know, the quality of that stuff varies. Regular-grade sunlight coating won¡¯t hold up against a Danger Level 4 creature.¡± Li Runshan tried to deflect.


    ¡°Forget it, no point in arguing. How¡¯s the map I asked you to check? I¡¯m planning to leave tomorrow,¡± Yu Hong changed the topic.


    ¡°No problem, it¡¯s ready. But are you sure about leaving now? The Multi-Eyed Birds are still out there, and the red-value environment is getting worse¡­¡± Li Runshan frowned.


    ¡°Exactly because the red-value is rising. The longer I wait, the worse it¡¯ll get. Better to act fast and finish this quickly.¡± Yu Hong sighed. He had originally planned to make some progress in cultivating his new technique before setting out. But the environment outside was deteriorating too rapidly. Earlier today, when he checked, the external red-value had already reached 30.


    If this continued, he might not be able to leave at all.


    ¡°You should expand your breeding operations. Otherwise, I worry food supplies might become a problem in the future,¡± Yu Hong warned.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve already prepared the breeding boxes. You wanted to start farming on your own, right? Just come pick them up,¡± Li Runshan replied. ¡°The situation is getting worse, but the one good news is that Nana¡¯s condition has stabilized a lot. At least my time in this forsaken place hasn¡¯t been wasted. Ah¡ªnot to say this place is bad or anything.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± Yu Hong chuckled.


    ¡°Sigh, by the way, how exactly did you get into a conflict with Ge Shenghao?¡± Li Runshan suddenly changed the topic.


    ¡°How would I know? They suddenly attacked me. Luckily, I dodged in time, and then I saw them get taken down one by one by the Multi-Eyed Birds. I was so scared I hid in my house, not daring to make a sound, afraid the monsters would notice me. Fortunately, those Multi-Eyed Birds left after killing them.¡± Yu Hong¡¯s response was watertight.


    ¡°They were insane¡ªpicking fights at a time like this. Besides, given the situation, the retrieval team couldn¡¯t wait around for them indefinitely. They wouldn¡¯t risk spreading their forces searching for people. If they weren¡¯t there on time, nobody would care about a few bodyguards,¡± Li Runshan said, as if explaining, but it sounded more like he was setting the tone for what had happened.


    Yu Hong¡¯s thoughts stirred, and he played along.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing they wanted to get a method from me to avoid Multi-Eyed Birds, but they didn¡¯t realize¡­ I was just lucky. I stayed low-profile, so the creatures ignored me.¡±


    Both men sighed through the communicator, feigning sincerity.


    After a moment, Li Runshan wrapped up the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared everything for you. Be careful on the road. I hope you find the nuclear power generator¡ªdaylight hours are getting shorter, and nights are getting longer. I checked¡ªyesterday, daylight only lasted eight hours, three hours shorter than before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m worried about insufficient sunlight¡ªit¡¯ll be a huge problem later,¡± Yu Hong sighed.


    The nuclear power generator was crucial to his logistics.


    Water supply systems, solar energy replacements, oxygen generators¡ªthey all needed power. His communicator, lights, red-value detector¡ªwithout power, survival would become significantly harder.


    ¡°Too bad I have to take care of Nana. Otherwise, I¡¯d go with you,¡± Old Li said, pretending to regret it.


    ¡°Baiqiu Village still has some supplies. Since you can¡¯t go with me, why don¡¯t you go retrieve some materials instead?¡± Yu Hong suggested.


    ¡°Uh¡­ The environment¡¯s bad right now, and I¡¯m a bit tied up. Let¡¯s talk about it later,¡± Li Runshan laughed it off.


    The communication ended.


    Yu Hong began preparing for his departure the next day.


    He packed all three silver rune array, along with twenty regular rune array. Then came water, protein bars, dried mushrooms, and dried wild vegetables.


    For his bulletproof gear, he chose the enhanced Gray Lizard Set¡ªfar more flexible than the White Bear Set, making it much more suitable for travel.


    Finally, the most crucial item¡ªthe Luminous Stone Blanket. He had made a few small modifications to it.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 104: Departure (2)

    Early the next morning.


    Yu Hong carried a large backpack as he left the cave and made a quick stop at the post office. He took the supplies Li Runshan had prepared for him¡ªmost importantly, a map¡ªand then set off toward Lu long County.


    ¡°Safe travels.¡±


    As he walked away, he heard Old Li¡¯s farewell from behind. Turning back, he saw Li Runshan standing at the doorway, waving.


    But soon, a thin gray-white mist rolled in, slowly engulfing Old Li, Aisena, and the entire run-down white stone post office.


    Yu Hong exhaled, turned his head forward, and continued along the narrow footpath toward the main road.


    Following the highway on the map would prevent him from losing his way.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    His boots crushed dry twigs and leaves beneath them, making sharp, conspicuous noises.


    Even through his breathing valve, Yu Hong could detect a faint burnt smell lingering in the air.


    He walked through the gray fog, his visibility limited to about three meters. Beyond that, everything was a hazy blur.


    Moving forward along the path, after about fifteen minutes, the forest finally parted ahead, revealing a 30-meter-wide, gray-white highway.


    The road had some cracks and signs of subsidence but was largely intact. Several gray trees had fallen, blocking a good portion of the way.


    Whoosh.


    Yu Hong exhaled again, adjusted the straps of his heavy backpack, and carefully slid down the slope, landing on the slightly lower road surface.


    Glancing around, he noted that the fog here was slightly thinner, improving visibility to about five or six meters.


    Reaching into his coat, he took out a rune array and held it tightly in his hand before continuing left along the highway.


    After walking for a few minutes, he spotted a large dark shadow ahead.


    He did not stop but instead walked past it on the right side.


    As he got closer, the mist thinned, revealing the dark shadow¡¯s true form¡ªa burnt-out, wrecked bus.


    The bus was completely charred, its structure twisted and partially melted. The wheels had collapsed, making one side lower than the other, leaving behind only a hollow frame.


    Yu Hong slowed down slightly to examine it, but then¡ª


    Beep. Beep.


    A faint alarm sounded.


    His expression darkened as he glanced at the reinforced Red Value Detector embedded in his collar.


    The LCD screen displayed an alarming spike: 92.331.


    Something¡¯s inside the bus!


    Yu Hong¡¯s heart tensed. Staying alert, he quickened his pace, minimizing noise as he distanced himself.


    Only after putting more than ten meters between himself and the bus did the detector¡¯s red value rapidly drop, returning to a normal range of twenty to thirty. ?¦¡????????


    He exhaled softly, staying vigilant as he pressed on.


    Continuing along the highway for about five more minutes, he finally spotted two intact, dark green military jeeps.


    They sat silently by the roadside, showing signs of previous dismantling.


    Why are there only two left?


    Yu Hong frowned slightly, cautiously approaching the vehicles.


    It was only when he got closer that he noticed the leading jeep had somehow flipped off the highway slope. Through the mist, he could vaguely make out signs of impact¡ªits body was twisted and caved in, as if it had been crushed under an elephant¡¯s foot.


    His heart tensed. Ignoring the wrecked jeep, he focused on checking the two remaining ones.


    After a quick assessment, he chose the foremost vehicle as his mode of transport.


    Taking out the key, he unlocked the door and inspected the interior.


    The jeep had three rows of seats, eight in total, with a rear compartment that could fit two or three more people.


    Yu Hong examined the layout and determined the amount of space he would need. Satisfied, he reached for the middle row of seats.


    Gripping them tightly, he gave them a forceful tug.


    Snap.


    With sheer strength, he tore the entire row of leather seats out.


    Tossing them aside, he instantly gained much more space in the vehicle. Pleased, he climbed in, set his backpack down, and retrieved a solar-powered generator he had previously removed from this very jeep.


    Holding the solar panel, he inspected it from all angles¡ªonly to realize¡­


    He had no idea how to reinstall it.


    After a moment of contemplation, he decided to leave the panel inside the car. Taking his pack, he stepped out, standing beside the vehicle.


    Placing a hand on the jeep¡¯s body, he muttered:


    ¡°Enhance vehicle. Direction:¡±


    Yu Hong dared not request too many modifications¡ªthe longer the enhancement took, the more it would delay his departure.


    He envisioned a simple, sealed vehicle with the solar generator installed and all gaps and openings completely closed.


    No reinforced structure, no strengthened armor¡ªjust a fully enclosed space. This way, he could use his Luminous Stone Ink inside to draw rune patterns, creating a camouflaging effect similar to a Luminous Stone Blanket.


    With his requirements set, the black markings on the back of his hand flickered and flowed into the vehicle.


    Moments later, a system prompt sounded:


    ¡°Enhance vehicle?¡±


    At the same time, a large red countdown timer appeared on the side of the jeep, facing Yu Hong.


    Time: 32 minutes.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yu Hong glanced at the time and quickly responded.


    Then, he sat back inside the vehicle, lying sideways on the rear seat, quietly waiting.


    The rear seat was a bit firm and uncomfortable to lie on. It was also narrow, forcing him to barely manage a sideways position.


    With his back pressed against the leather seat, Yu Hong gazed through the front windshield at the gray fog outside. For some reason, a faint sense of security crept over him.


    Even though the car¡¯s protection was far inferior to that of a safe house¡ªor even the reinforced Gray Lizard gear he was wearing¡ªbeing in this dense fog where nothing could be seen or heard, surrounded by lurking dangers and eerie presences, having a place to hide, no matter how flimsy, was reassuring. It could at least block his figure from view and prevent certain threats from detecting him.


    This feeling brought a bit of peace to Yu Hong¡¯s heart.


    Lying on the seat, he stared out the front windshield. Just five meters ahead, the gray mist churned and rolled, like thick smoke from a fire, growing denser and denser.


    A few minutes later, on the left side of the vehicle, near the center of the road, faint footsteps could be heard passing by.


    A subtle sound, like a whisper near his ear, began to emerge around Yu Hong.


    The sound was soft, like sleep-talking, but he couldn¡¯t make out the words.


    Yu Hong remained completely still inside the car, like a corpse, even slowing his breathing as much as possible.


    From his vantage point, he could see through the left window¡ªsilhouettes of ragged figures slowly walking past the vehicle, moving along the road ahead.


    They emitted unintelligible noises, speaking in an incomprehensible murmur. They didn¡¯t seem to notice Yu Hong¡¯s presence; they just walked straight ahead, step by step, gradually vanishing into the dense gray fog.


    Yu Hong couldn¡¯t see their faces. He could only make out their vague clothing, their skin¡ªso indistinct that he couldn¡¯t even tell if they were male or female. All he could discern was that they varied in height, some tall, some short, some old, some young.


    ¡®What are these? Ghostly shadows?¡¯ He watched them quietly as they disappeared into the fog.


    ¡®If they are Ghostly shadows, why aren¡¯t they speaking deceptive words meant to confuse me?¡¯


    ¡®Could it be that a true Ghostly shadow¡¯s voice is always like this? Only when targeting a specific person does it shift into deceptive whispers?¡¯


    He didn¡¯t know. There was no way to test it. At most, his thoughts were just speculation.


    He had no idea how much time had passed¡ªmaybe ten minutes, maybe twenty.


    Outside the car, the murmurs gradually faded, receding into the distance before disappearing completely.


    Yu Hong still didn¡¯t move. Dressed in his full set of reinforced Gray Lizard gear, he lay motionless on the leather seat, appearing no different from an unused suit of armor left in place.


    The car windows were one-way; he could only see out from the inside.


    Holding a charm slate in his hand, Yu Hong stared into the gray mist outside, quietly waiting for the black seal enhancement to finish.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Suddenly, a finger rapped against the window.


    ¡°Is anyone there?¡±


    A somewhat familiar voice called out.


    ¡°No one? Then we¡¯ll just take this car and move it.¡± The voice continued.


    ¡°Pretty lucky¡ªfinding two Jeeps here.¡± Another voice spoke from a bit farther away.


    ¡°Yeah, with a car, our journey will be much faster.¡±


    ¡°Does the door open?¡±


    This was followed by the sound of hands slapping against the car door.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a wire. Try it.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Then came the sound of metal scraping inside the lock.


    Click.


    The lock opened.


    Yu Hong still didn¡¯t move, remaining motionless on the leather seat.


    He stared out the window¡ªthe gray fog still thick outside, not a single figure in sight.


    The car¡¯s lock had been opened, but there was no sign of the door being pulled. The voices from just moments ago had also vanished completely.


    Everything fell into complete silence.


    After waiting for another two minutes, Yu Hong slowly sat up.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± he muttered, as if speaking to himself.


    Hiss!


    In an instant, the entire interior of the vehicle blurred for a second, then returned to clarity.


    Inside the Jeep, all the surfaces were now coated with a layer of transparent, hardened film.


    It was as if someone had spread glue over everything¡ªevery gap and crack was completely sealed.


    At the same time, the solar panels that had been on the floor of the car had disappeared. In the driver¡¯s seat area, a control switch for deploying and retracting the solar panels had appeared.


    Additionally, the torn seat from earlier was no longer damaged, replaced by a smooth and sturdy floor.


    Yu Hong let out a breath of relief, quickly taking out a container of Great Luminous stone ink from his bag. Then, using a homemade branch pen, he began drawing a series of rune formations of varying sizes throughout the car¡¯s interior.


    After spending over an hour, he had covered every part of the vehicle with the protective range of these rune formations.


    The entire car was now a temporary hidden space, similar to a Luminous Stone Mat.


    Only after finishing this did Yu Hong move to the driver¡¯s seat, peering through the rune-covered window ahead.


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    He opened the solar panels and pressed the ignition switch.


    Buzz.


    A faint motor sound started up¡ªmuch quieter than a gasoline engine.


    Confirming that the vehicle was functioning properly, he quickly turned it off, pulled out a map, and placed his hand on it.


    This was a hand-drawn map by Li Runshan. Since he had been to Lulong County before, he had sketched out this route map from memory.


    But the map was too rough, so Yu Hong decided to refine it himself.


    ¡®Enhance the map¡ªobjective: refinement and three-dimensional detailing.¡¯


    Black lines flowed from the back of his hand, merging into the map paper.


    A feedback sound chimed, and a countdown timer appeared: 8 minutes.


    Confirming that the enhancement had started, Yu Hong pressed the ignition switch again, stepped on the accelerator, turned the vehicle around, and slowly drove onto the highway.


    Although the map was still enhancing, he had already memorized the general direction. The main route wouldn¡¯t be wrong.


    Buzz.


    The olive-green Jeep moved slowly along the highway, passing through the mist.


    The sound of its tires rolling over the pavement echoed faintly through the silent forested hills, a lonely whisper amidst the stillness.


    It was as if this sound was the only one reverberating in the entire mountain forest.


    ¡®86 kilometers. If all goes well, I should arrive in four hours.¡¯


    Yu Hong calculated in his mind. He didn¡¯t dare to drive fast¡ªhe had to be ready for any road hazards or sudden attacks.


    Though, in theory, daytime was the primary activity period for Ghostly shadows, after experiencing the attack of the Multi-Eyed Bird, he understood¡ª


    in an environment like this, encountering trouble at any time was hardly surprising.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 105: Departure (3)

    ¡°In the quiet village, snow drifts down.¡±


    ¡°Under the overcast sky, pigeons take flight~~~¡±


    ¡°The birch tree, carved with those two names.¡±


    ¡°Hmm~~~ hmm~~~¡±


    Amidst the gray fog, deep in the mountains and forests, a long stretch of gray-white highway extended into the distance.


    A dark green jeep sped forward along the road, resembling a tiny green insect crawling slowly yet steadily along a strip of gray paper.


    Layers of mist were torn apart at the front of the vehicle, swirling and twisting as they parted to create a narrow passage.


    Yu Hong rested his hand on the steering wheel, softly humming a tune under his breath.


    The only sound in the vehicle was the whirring of the electric motor.


    For over two hours, that monotonous hum was the only thing accompanying him.


    He was alone.


    After hearing the motor for so long, he could even make out the subtle rhythms of his own breathing and heartbeat. In such solitude, his senses became unnaturally sharp.


    Yet, instead of comfort, this heightened awareness only made the loneliness more unbearable.


    Driving alone.


    Noise alone.


    A long road ahead, alone.


    Unable to endure the silence any longer, he started humming his favorite song from his past life.


    He had forgotten some of the lyrics, only recalling fragments, but it didn¡¯t matter¡ªhe still remembered the melody. Whenever he couldn¡¯t recall a word, he simply hummed.


    The jeep rolled forward quietly. Occasionally, Yu Hong picked up his map to glance at it.


    The enhanced map had transformed into a three-dimensional projection, displaying different areas in shades of gray, black, and white, with varying concentrations of red values.


    By checking the red intensity, Yu Hong could avoid high-risk zones to prevent encounters with more creatures or Ghostly Shadows.


    The hum of the vehicle continued, and he must have hummed his song dozens of times. Taking a sip from his water pouch, he moistened his lips, keeping one hand lightly on the steering wheel while allowing the vehicle to move forward in a straight line.


    The road ahead was completely straight, so he could afford to relax just a little.


    After drinking, Yu Hong retrieved a protein bar and took a bite. As he began to chew, he noticed a change in the landscape.


    To his right, the thick forest gradually gave way to towering, steep gray rock formations.


    The rocky cliffs stretched upward into the mist, their true height unknown¡ªlike an immense, gray wall.


    The rough, jagged stone surface was covered with dark, vine-like growths.


    From a distance, these vines looked like clumps of gelatin clinging to the rock face. Their surface was glossy and wet, resembling peach resin or amber.


    Yu Hong drove past, watching as the strange substance clung to the mountainside for hundreds of meters.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡±


    His red-value detector, attached to his collar, began flashing urgently, the readings spiking past sixty.


    Without stopping, Yu Hong slightly accelerated and quickly left the cliffside, once again entering a section of road surrounded by forest.


    But this time, things were different. The rock wall on the right side was gone, and the newly emerging forest was covered in a thick, gelatinous substance resembling peach resin.


    The dark, sticky substance clung to tree trunks, stretched into viscous strands connecting to the ground, and even draped over entire tree canopies, as if digesting them.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression grew solemn as he continued forward.


    At this point, the mist gradually thinned, and visibility improved significantly.


    The car hummed forward, soon exiting the forest and entering a large curved section of road.


    As he turned, one side was a mountain cliff, the other a dense forest.


    From the cliffside, a distant view of the landscape unfolded.


    In the misty gray expanse, a hazy, abandoned city stood silently in a basin-like depression.


    A pitch-black river, like a ribbon, wound through the city.


    Towering buildings stood eerily still¡ªno lights, no signs of life.


    Skyscrapers, hotels, office buildings, landmark structures, and even a television station¡ªeverything was silent, deserted, and dark.


    Strangely, most of the buildings were covered in a thin layer of black, viscous substance¡ªthe same gelatinous material he had just seen along the road.


    ¡°What the hell is this stuff?¡±


    A heavy feeling settled in Yu Hong¡¯s heart. He sensed that passing through this area could bring trouble.


    He glanced at the black mark on the back of his hand. Ever since leaving the safe house, the mark had been warning him that the bound Luminous Stone Grass would wither and be eroded by the Red Value once he moved a kilometer away. To maintain it, he needed to use internal energy to stimulate growth again.


    ¡°So this is how the binding works? Troublesome, but it does serve as a portable temporary base.¡±


    Yu Hong calculated in his mind and withdrew his gaze. As he rounded another bend, he glanced at the city once more.


    Suddenly, his body tensed, and his heart pounded.


    ¡°What the hell!?¡±


    The massive black gelatin covering one of the tallest buildings in the city had just moved.


    That lifeless, tar-like substance had actually shifted!


    Yu Hong stared in shock as a black, tentacle-like appendage slowly extended from the gelatin coating the upper portion of a skyscraper, reaching toward another building that was not yet covered.


    ¡°That thing¡­ it¡¯s alive!?¡±


    A chilling sensation surged through his body, spreading like an icy tide.


    Without hesitation, he pressed the accelerator, speeding away from the city.


    For over half an hour, he drove at full speed until the eerie city was swallowed by the mist behind him.


    Only then did he exhale slightly in relief.


    He pulled out a map.


    ¡°Hu¨¤nf¨¥ng City.¡± That was the name of the strange city he had just passed.


    ¡°I better never go near that place again. There¡¯s definitely something seriously wrong in there.¡±


    He muttered to himself. In such an utterly desolate environment, he instinctively used his voice to keep his ears engaged¡ªensuring they didn¡¯t fall into an unnatural silence.


    In extreme monotony, the human brain can either adapt by perceiving silence where there is none or, worse, start hallucinating sounds.


    As night fell, Yu Hong decided not to continue forward. Instead, he pulled over in a relatively open area. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After parking, he took out an energy-free atomic lamp, casting a faint greenish glow inside the vehicle.


    He quickly handled personal hygiene, tying up the waste in plastic bags to prevent any odor from spreading.


    Then, he used black cloth to cover the car windows, ensuring no light escaped.


    Click.


    Yu Hong opened the car door and stepped out, carrying the plastic bag.


    The surroundings were an open field of overgrown weeds¡ªonce farmland, now long abandoned.


    The shortest grass reached his knees, while the tallest stood over a meter high, obscuring much of the view.


    Exhaling, his breath formed thin white mist in the cold night air.


    He walked to the roadside, dug a small hole, and buried the bag.


    Then, he turned back toward the car.


    Click.


    Suddenly, from behind him, a faint rustling came from the grass.


    Yu Hong froze, then swiftly turned to look.


    The grass swayed in the wind¡ªempty. Nothing was there.


    He scanned his surroundings carefully, but after confirming there was no threat, he continued toward the car.


    Once inside, he blocked out the atomic lamp¡¯s glow and lay in the back seat, listening intently.


    In the sealed space, he had to periodically replace the air supply.


    This required maintaining a constant state of awareness.


    Not long after, a faint, eerie sound drifted in from outside¡ªlike singing.


    Immediately following it came a wet, sticky noise, as if something gelatinous was repeatedly pulling apart and sticking together.


    Yu Hong narrowed his eyes, moved closer to the car window, and lifted a corner of the black cloth to peek outside.


    A massive, two-meter-tall humanoid figure was walking slowly along the road.


    Its entire body was pitch black, composed of the same viscous, gelatinous substance he had seen before.


    With every step, clumps of black sludge peeled off its body and splattered onto the ground.


    The creature didn¡¯t seem to notice Yu Hong at all¡ªit simply trudged forward, disappearing into the gray fog.


    Yu Hong let out a quiet sigh of relief. He had no intention of engaging an unknown entity. The capabilities of these creatures and the Ghostly Shadows were a mystery, and their danger levels were only an estimate of their threat, not their strength.


    Fortunately, after the humanoid figure passed, the night remained quiet.


    With the Red Value detector set to alert him of any changes, he managed to rest a little.


    The night passed uneventfully.


    By morning, he restarted the car and continued along the highway.


    Humming a tune, he continued driving for over an hour. Finally, buildings began to appear on both sides of the road¡ªrural houses scattered across the farmland.


    These houses were all old and abandoned, covered in dust, with some showing obvious signs of damage.


    Between the houses, the farmland was filled with black, viscous sludge. No weeds grew there, and the air was thick with the stench of decaying flesh.


    Yu Hong estimated his battery power. After driving for so long, he had at most a third of his charge left¡ªhe¡¯d need to find a way to recharge before heading back.


    Buzz.


    The car passed through the blackened fields, and the number of buildings increased. The rural houses gave way to an abandoned town with single-story houses and low-rise buildings.


    It seemed like he had entered the county¡¯s outskirts.


    Unconsciously, Yu Hong slowed down, carefully observing his surroundings.


    The streets were littered with abandoned electric scooters, tricycles, and a few cars with shattered windows and twisted frames, as if they had been crushed by something massive.


    ¡°Help¡­ help me¡­¡±


    A faint voice suddenly came from the right.


    The voice belonged to a young girl¡ªsoft, weak, and filled with pain.


    Yu Hong frowned and turned his head.


    At the entrance of a gray, two-story building, a little girl with long, unkempt hair was crouching. She was completely naked.


    She hugged herself tightly, shivering, and lifted her head to look at his car with tearful, pitiful eyes. Her pale skin was smeared with dirt.


    ¡°Please help me!¡± she cried out desperately.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 106: Departure (4)

    Yu Hong remained expressionless as he continued driving past without any intention of stopping.


    The car sped past the girl, kicking up a gust of cold wind.


    The girl¡¯s expression changed. She stood up, no longer caring about her exposed body. The pitiful look from before instantly darkened.


    From the corridor behind her, two more figures emerged¡ªboth female, each wielding a weapon, either a firearm or a blade.


    The three of them cursed angrily at the car before turning back into the building, disappearing from sight.


    Hearing human voices¡ªespecially those with a local accent¡ªYu Hong instead slowed down, brought the car to a stop, secured the protective rune on his body, and stepped out. He turned and walked toward the corridor entrance.


    Bang.


    Just as he made it halfway there, a hard stone was suddenly flung out from somewhere and struck his helmet hard.


    A white smudge was left on the dark green helmet.


    Yu Hong paused and looked up.


    At the second-floor window, a woman with a ponytail stood, holding a slingshot. She looked stunned, seemingly unable to believe that her powerful shot had failed to have any effect.


    After all, when she ambushed people before, this thing had always been a one-shot kill.


    ¡°Hello there.¡± Yu Hong grinned at her.


    In a flash, he lunged forward like an arrow, closing the distance to the corridor entrance within seconds. In just two steps, he had climbed the stairs to the second floor.


    At the entrance of the security door, the three girls had just turned to enter when they heard the sudden commotion behind them.


    As they turned around, they saw Yu Hong, clad in his reinforced gray lizard suit, charging up the narrow stairwell.


    Standing at over 1.9 meters tall with a broad, muscular build, Yu Hong was like a rampaging black rhino, storming up the stairs straight toward them.


    Boom!


    One of the women raised a shotgun and fired.


    The blast of pellets slammed into Yu Hong¡¯s chest, but only caused him to pause slightly.


    Without even glancing at them, he rammed directly into the security door with his full weight.


    In the process, the edges of his armor slammed into two of the women, pinning their arms against the door.


    Crack.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Two agonizing screams rang out as the sheer force of the impact slammed the two women into the door.


    The door caved inward, and the women were thrown inside. Their arms, now a bloody mess of mangled flesh, were clearly crippled.


    Yu Hong grabbed the remaining naked girl by the hair and dragged her into the house.


    ¡°Let go of me! You¡ª¡± The naked woman struggled violently, cursing at him. But before she could finish, Yu Hong smashed her head into the wall.


    Bang!


    Her eyes instantly turned blank, her head spinning, and she fell silent.


    The house was a two-bedroom, one-living-room layout.


    As Yu Hong entered the living room, the first thing he saw were several corpses hanging in midair, dried up by the wind.


    All the bodies were completely naked, their flesh carved away in places, leaving only wounds.


    Two of the corpses had already been eaten down to just their upper bodies¡ªtheir lower halves reduced to bare bones.


    ¡°Put my daughter down!¡±


    From the balcony, the ponytailed woman, now wielding a black, pipe-like firearm, aimed at Yu Hong and roared in fury.


    ¡°Put her down!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just here to ask for directions.¡± Yu Hong looked at her calmly. ¡°Do you know where Anxi Bridge is?¡±


    The map had a detailed route to Lulong County, but Old Li hadn¡¯t marked the specifics of the county itself. The reinforcement had only provided additional details based on existing knowledge. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I told you to f***ing let her go!!¡± The woman screamed, gripping her gun tightly. ¡°Let my daughter go!!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    He turned, pressed the unconscious girl against the wall, and drew his long dagger.


    With a vicious thrust, the blade pierced through the girl¡¯s shoulder, stabbing through to the other side and pinning her to the wall.


    Shhhhk!


    The excruciating pain jolted the girl awake. She let out a bloodcurdling scream, wailing in agony. She reached out to grasp the dagger but hesitated, too afraid to touch it.


    ¡°Meeting such friendly survivors in a place like this¡­ looks like today¡¯s my lucky day.¡± Yu Hong smiled.


    ¡°F*** you!!¡± The woman was enraged, but she didn¡¯t dare pull the trigger¡ªYu Hong was too close to her daughter. If she fired, the ricocheting bullets would kill her as well.


    ¡°You answer my questions,¡± Yu Hong said again.


    ¡°Fine! I Will Speak!¡± The woman gritted her teeth.


    Yu Hong repeated his question and soon got his answer.


    ¡°Anxi Bridge is close. Just follow this road ahead, take a right at the fork, and go through a farmer¡¯s market. You¡¯ll see it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Thanks.¡±


    Yu Hong yanked the dagger out of the wall and, without hesitation, flung it forward.


    Whoosh!


    The dagger spun through the air with a piercing whistling sound and struck the woman squarely in the face.


    Blood splattered, and a gunshot rang out.


    Yu Hong paid no mind to the gunfire. He strode forward, grabbed the woman¡¯s head, and slammed it against the wall.


    Bang.


    The wall trembled violently, and a grotesque smear of red and white was left on its surface.


    Yu Hong retrieved his dagger, checked the gun the woman had been holding, and sneered.


    ¡°Tch, broke-ass scavengers.¡±


    Annoyed, he turned toward the remaining two injured women, who were still groaning in pain.


    With one swift kick each, he struck their heads. A sickening crack echoed, and both fell silent.


    Only the unconscious, naked girl remained.


    She looked no older than sixteen or seventeen.


    Yu Hong stepped up to her.


    ¡°Be a good person in your next life,¡± he murmured.


    Shunk.


    He drove the dagger straight into her forehead, then pulled it out and flicked the blood off the blade. Without another glance, he turned and left.


    Downstairs, he exited the corridor, got back into his car, and continued down the street.


    *


    *


    *


    As Hong rushed toward Anxi Bridge,


    In the underground security facilities of Lulong County, another team of heavily armed individuals was cautiously making their way toward the energy supply room.


    This team consisted of four members, all carrying firearms¡ªeach equipped with a submachine gun. Their gear was standard ¡°Wild Dog¡± bulletproof suits, the most basic model available on the market. Though the name was crude, the suit offered a great balance of cost and performance. Its defense was comparable to the ¡°Gray Lizard¡± model, but it lacked flexibility and did not come with a built-in breathing valve. Even so, the Wild Dog suit was highly sought after by civilian players due to its affordability and effectiveness.


    These four relied on their gear¡ªand a bit of luck¡ªto earn a place in a small outpost nearby.


    After surviving numerous dangerous encounters, their teamwork became increasingly seamless, turning them into a fairly elite squad.


    ¡°The energy supply room that Wei Hongye mentioned is just ahead. Stay alert. We¡¯ve made it this far, so don¡¯t get careless and end up injured. None of us want to spend weeks recovering,¡± the team leader, Zhao Huaijun, reminded them in a low voice.


    ¡°Relax, there¡¯s no way anyone else is here. Wei Hongye owes us a big favor for this¡ªno one else even knows why we¡¯re here,¡± one of the squad members chuckled.


    ¡°Once we get our hands on the nuclear generator, we¡¯ll finally have a stable power source back at the base! No more worrying about water shortages, we can keep the lights on as long as we want, and dealing with blood tides won¡¯t be such a struggle anymore,¡± another teammate added, his tone lighthearted.


    ¡°Yeah, we got lucky this time. No trouble at all on the way he¡ª¡±


    BANG!!


    A sudden gunshot.


    The man who had been speaking was walking at the side. His head snapped back as a bullet struck his forehead, his helmet caving in with a sickening crack. Blood seeped through the cracks, pooling inside his helmet. He collapsed instantly, motionless.


    The remaining three froze for a second before reacting.


    ¡°Old Ma!! F***!! Who the hell is shooting?!¡± Zhao Huaijun roared in fury, whipping out his gun and firing wildly down the right-hand corridor.


    But before he could process what was happening, a dark shadow burst from the tunnel, charging at him head-on despite the barrage of bullets.


    A massive hand came crashing down.


    Whoosh!


    The wind howled with the force of the strike.


    Zhao Huaijun let out a furious yell, dropped his gun, and drew his blade, stabbing with all his might at the approaching palm.


    He wasn¡¯t just some ordinary scavenger. He dared to lead this mission because he had undergone Luminous Stone radiation mutations. His arms were far stronger than a normal person¡¯s¡ªwhen it came to raw strength, he feared no one!


    He had led hunts against Blood Tide Tier 2 Behemoths before. He might hesitate against monsters, but against another human? And a knife-to-hand fight at that?


    THUD!


    A muffled explosion of impact.


    Zhao Huaijun¡¯s knife plunged into the enemy¡¯s palm¡ªbut barely drew blood. The blade was stuck. His opponent clenched his fist, trapping the weapon in his grip.


    ¡°Another squad? This bait works wonders, hahaha!¡± The attacker laughed as he wrenched the knife from Zhao Huaijun¡¯s grasp with brute strength. With his other hand, he struck forward.


    BAM.


    Fist met fist.


    A shockwave of force rocked through Zhao Huaijun¡¯s body, making his limbs go numb. His knees almost buckled under the sheer impact.


    ¡®A fully-enhanced mutant!¡¯


    A cold chill ran down Zhao Huaijun¡¯s spine as he realized the identity of his opponent.


    Suddenly, he recalled rumors from refugees at the outpost¡ªtalk of numerous Luminous Stone(Radiation)-enhanced mercenaries banding together due to the worsening environment. These people had once thrived on hired jobs but now needed to form gangs to secure resources and weapons.


    Their leader was a bald brute known as ¡°Black Crow,¡± who had gathered seven or eight equally formidable enhanced individuals and mercenaries.


    In this wasteland, only the strong survived. The weak had long since perished.


    Before Zhao Huaijun could react further, his remaining teammates were taken down by two more dark figures.


    ¡°The fourth squad today! Not bad, not bad, hahaha! This is what I call waiting for prey to walk into a trap. Boss sure is smart!¡± A hulking figure chuckled, lifting a fallen squad member like a butcher inspecting livestock.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m smart, it¡¯s that they¡¯re just dumb,¡± the bald leader sneered. He grabbed Zhao Huaijun by the throat, lifting him off the ground with terrifying ease.


    Zhao Huaijun thrashed wildly, but his struggles were meaningless against such monstrous strength.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this! The Coalition Army will hunt you down!¡± he spat, voice strained.


    ¡°The Coalition Army? Buddy, the front lines have already collapsed,¡± Black Crow smirked, pulling Zhao Huaijun closer before slamming his forehead into his captive¡¯s skull. The impact left Zhao Huaijun dazed and weak-limbed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lured three squads here already, killed at least twenty people, and not a single Coalition soldier has come knocking,¡± Black Crow sneered.


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    ¡°If you keep this up, sooner or later, someone stronger than you will come for you!¡± One of Zhao Huaijun¡¯s remaining teammates growled. ¡°And when they do, I hope you die a miserable death!¡±


    ¡°Stronger? Who? Bloodbird? Killshot Cannon? The Butcher? Ice Blade? Which one of them is stronger than me?¡± Black Crow¡¯s grin widened, full of mockery. ¡°Threatening me? All the real powerhouses have already gone to Hope City. The only ones left in the wild are trash¡ªoutcasts and weaklings. You call yourselves strong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right¡ªyour outpost does have that guy Lang Feng. He¡¯s decent. If he actually comes after me, that might be a bit of a hassle,¡± Black Crow mused, stroking his chin.


    ¡°Good reminder, actually. After this haul, it¡¯s about time to move on anyway.¡± He waved a hand. ¡°Grab the nuclear generator. We¡¯re relocating!¡±


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 107: The Generator (1)

    A jeep slowly crossed an ancient gray stone bridge and came to a stop on the right side.


    Beneath the bridge, the black river water was nearly dried up, with tall, dense weeds reaching up to a person¡¯s height on both banks.


    A gentle breeze rustled through the grass, making a soft swishing sound.


    Click.


    The car door opened, and Yu Hong stepped out, gripping a club. He slung it over his back and surveyed his surroundings.


    Squawk!


    Just as he got out of the vehicle, a familiar cry echoed from the mist not far away.


    Hiss.


    A slight static noise of annoyance came from inside Yu Hong¡¯s helmet.


    ¡°Another multi-eyed bird.¡±


    He pulled out his club and turned his gaze to the sky where the sound came from.


    He waited quietly for a few seconds. Soon, from within the gray mist above, a massive white figure suddenly shot out.


    It moved at an incredible speed, diving straight at Yu Hong like an arrow.


    Just as it was about to reach him, a black spiked club swung out abruptly, striking it squarely in the forehead.


    Like a baseball, the multi-eyed bird had no time to react before the massive force smashed into its skull.


    Its huge head burst open on the spot, and its body was sent flying sideways, crashing into a nearby concrete building near the bridge.


    Whoosh.


    Yu Hong reattached his club. After dealing with so many of these birds, he had grown accustomed to them. Besides, this one was slightly smaller than the ones he had faced before, and its strength was noticeably weaker.


    He watched as the bird crashed to the ground, its wings flapping wildly in a futile struggle. Even though its head had been destroyed, its body continued to move instinctively, trying to stand back up.


    Yu Hong took a few steps forward, standing before the multi-eyed bird. He observed as its exploded head rapidly regenerated, growing a brand-new one.


    Squawk!


    The bird lunged at Yu Hong again, its sharp beak aiming for his face.


    But at such close range, without the momentum of a dive, its peck was far from fast enough. Yu Hong easily caught the bird¡¯s beak with one hand.


    He grabbed the bird¡¯s beak, lifted it, and slammed it onto the ground.


    Boom!


    The multi-eyed bird trembled violently as a splash of gray blood splattered.


    It struggled frantically, its talons desperately clawing at Yu Hong¡¯s body.


    But such struggles were futile against him now.


    Having familiarized himself with the bird¡¯s attack patterns and strength, Yu Hong gripped its beak, flipped it, and smashed it down again.


    This time, the bird completely lost its balance and leverage, crashing onto the ground with a brutal impact. The sound of bones cracking rang out chaotically¡ªwho knew how many had snapped?


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t stop. He grabbed the beak and repeatedly slammed the bird against the ground. Again and again.


    After a while, the once-fierce multi-eyed bird was reduced to a pile of mangled flesh, as limp as an empty husk, hanging lifelessly from his hand.


    Only then did he stop and casually tossed the carcass off the stone bridge.


    Plop.


    Black water splashed. The bird¡¯s body sank and vanished.


    Yu Hong exhaled.


    ¡°Damn thing really does have infinite regeneration.¡±


    In just a few minutes, he had killed this bird at least a dozen times, but each time, it recovered effortlessly, showing no signs of permanent death.


    If he weren¡¯t busy right now, he would have tested how many times it could resurrect.


    After discarding the bird, he checked his direction and followed the route he had just asked for, heading toward the small forest shrouded in gray mist.


    This forest was dense with trees, their leaves an unusual red-purple¡ªnot maple, but some unknown species.


    The ground was covered with thick layers of purple, withered leaves. As he stepped on them, brittle crunching sounds echoed underfoot.


    Hissss¡ª


    Yu Hong sniffed the air. Even through his breathing valve, he could catch a faint scent of decaying protein.


    Passing through the forest, he reached a barbed wire fence with a warning sign.


    A yellow board with red characters read: ¡°Restricted Area Ahead. Do Not Enter.¡±


    ¡°This should be the place.¡±


    Yu Hong pulled out the identification chip, checked the markings on the back, and confirmed he was on the right path.


    ¡°Luckily, it¡¯s still relatively safe here during the day. But if that multi-eyed bird appeared just now, how did that girl at the building entrance dare to lure people in public? Wasn¡¯t she afraid of being attacked?¡±


    He continued forward, smashing a hole through the wire fence with a swing of his staff before stepping inside.


    ¡°Maybe they have a special way to avoid the multi-eyed birds, or maybe the ones here aren¡¯t as strong as the ones where I came from.¡±


    He had already tested it¡ªthese smaller multi-eyed birds were about two-thirds as strong as their counterparts at the safehouse, and much slower.


    Stepping through the broken fence, he entered the restricted forest.


    Not far ahead, nestled within the trees, stood a two-story, conical gray building.


    Its door was slightly open, facing sideways toward Yu Hong. A sign on the door read: ¡°Civil Defense.¡±


    *


    *


    *


    Inside the Underground Civil Defense Passage.


    ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry!¡±


    Black Crow touched his bald head, readjusted his helmet, and urged his subordinates to quickly load the necessary equipment onto the trailers, preparing to transport everything out of the shelter and onto trucks waiting outside. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were over ten of them, gathered near another exit of the underground passage. The exit was a sloped ramp, inclined at about thirty degrees and more than ten meters wide, allowing vehicles to pass through.


    Among the ten or so people, at least four had undergone localized enhancement through Luminous Stone radiation exposure, making them significantly stronger than ordinary people.


    It wasn¡¯t just a matter of raw strength¡ªthe difference in power allowed them to wear superior armor and carry heavier weapons, further amplifying their combat capabilities.


    ¡°Brother Crow, someone¡¯s coming through Entrance One. The sensors picked up movement.¡±


    A thin man with glasses approached while they were still moving supplies, speaking in a low voice. He was the scout of Black Crow¡¯s team, nicknamed ¡°Black Eye¡± to match their naming style. Skilled in electronic devices, he was an expert in surveillance and detection.


    ¡°How many?¡± Black Crow frowned, glancing at the nuclear generator being carefully lifted onto a trailer by four men.


    The generator was about the size of a refrigerator, jet black, covered in multiple ports and pipelines. Though compact, it was incredibly heavy.


    ¡°Just one person. Looks like some scavenger who accidentally wandered in looking for supplies.¡± Black Eye adjusted his glasses.


    ¡°One?¡± Black Crow turned to a man leaning against the wall in the corner. ¡°Wild Chicken, go take care of it. Make it quick, then come back so we can move out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡± The man acknowledged the order in a dull voice, then strode off into the depths of the underground passage.


    As soon as Wild Chicken was out of sight, Black Crow clapped his hands.


    ¡°Alright, move faster!¡±


    ¡°Boss, are we really waiting for Wild Chicken?¡± someone asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Wait my ass. We¡¯re leaving now.¡± Black Crow sneered. That guy had been discontent for a long time¡ªthis was just an excuse to get rid of him.


    The group chuckled knowingly. Without hesitation, the burly men pulled the trailers up the slope towards the exit.


    Before long, a strange, multi-voiced bird cry echoed from outside. Then, a loud explosion followed by silence¡ªclearly, the creature had been temporarily taken down with firearms.


    ¡°Move it! Don¡¯t let those damn birds latch onto us! You can¡¯t kill them permanently!¡± Black Crow urged.


    He was the only one in the group who had undergone near-complete body enhancement. Except for his head, his entire body had been fortified through guided Luminoua Stone radiation, drastically improving his speed and strength.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The group responded in unison.


    One by one, the trailers were pulled up to the surface. The nuclear generator was loaded into a small truck hidden in the nearby forest, along with various other supplies.


    A total of five solar-powered cargo trucks were packed and ready. Engines roared to life as the last few men climbed aboard.


    Black Crow glanced back at the underground shelter, chuckling. ¡°Shame we have to leave. If those damn birds weren¡¯t increasing in numbers, we could¡¯ve stayed longer and lured in more fools. Would¡¯ve gotten even more supplies out of it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, boss. If only¡ª¡±


    BANG!


    A gunshot rang out.


    The bullet tore through the truck¡¯s window, cutting through the air with a faint ripple, and struck Black Crow¡¯s helmet dead center on the forehead.


    His head snapped back as the metal helmet caved inward from the impact, leaving a deep dent. Fortunately, the helmet had an internal alloy plate that completely absorbed the bullet¡¯s force.


    ¡°AHHHH!!¡± He finally reacted, letting out an enraged, pained howl.


    He flipped out of the truck, raised his weapon, and fired wildly toward the source of the shot.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The rest of the team also scrambled out, guns blazing.


    Their targets? Silhouettes in camouflaged gear emerging from the forest ahead.


    The gunfire ceased quickly. Ammunition was limited, and no one had time to reload.


    The five figures in camo closed in at incredible speed, engaging Black Crow¡¯s men in brutal melee combat.


    Each of the five was highly skilled, wielding short blades and dispatching several of Black Crow¡¯s men in mere moments.


    Leading them was a towering man, nearly two meters tall, wielding a blade in one hand and an iron shield in the other. He charged straight at Black Crow.


    ¡°Xiaofeng!¡± he shouted.


    A smaller figure darted out beside him, aiming a hammer strike at Black Crow¡¯s lower body.


    The two worked seamlessly together, quickly forcing Black Crow into close combat.


    ¡°Lang Feng? You really dared to leave your base to die?!¡± Black Crow recognized his opponent and grinned viciously. He drew his alloy staff from his back and charged forward without hesitation.


    ¡°You thought I wouldn¡¯t notice how many people you¡¯ve lured in and killed?!¡± Lang Feng snapped coldly.


    The three clashed violently, weapons colliding in a flurry of sparks.


    They fought at breakneck speed, each strike carrying immense force. However, Black Crow¡¯s enhanced physique gave him a clear advantage over Lang Feng and his companion.


    Their weapons occasionally struck his body, but thanks to his custom-made armored suit, he barely needed to defend¡ªhe focused entirely on attacking, quickly gaining the upper hand.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go out of my way to kill your people. What the hell does this have to do with you?!¡± Black Crow growled.


    ¡°Where is Zhao Huaijun?!¡± Lang Feng suddenly roared. His stance shifted, becoming erratic and fierce. In a burst of speed, he rolled to Black Crow¡¯s side and slashed his knife toward a seam in the armored suit¡ª


    *


    *


    *


    Inside the Underground Civil Defense Shelter


    The pitch-black corridor stretched into the distance, with atomic lamps affixed to the walls at intervals, emitting an eerie green glow.


    The passage was long and silent, lined with metal doors¡ªsome tightly shut, others slightly ajar.


    Scattered across the dark floor were remnants of daily necessities¡ªdiscarded packaging, tattered clothing, and mismatched socks. In the corners, dried yellow stains of urine gave off a putrid stench.


    Yu Hong frowned and quickened his pace, scanning his surroundings as he searched for the so-called power supply room.


    If Wei Hongye¡¯s intel was correct, all he needed to do was locate the power supply room, insert the chip panel he carried, and extract the miniature nuclear generator inside.


    This place is too big¡­ Too many rooms. If only I had a layout map¡­


    With that thought, he began carefully inspecting the walls. Typically, facilities like this had layout maps posted near entrances.


    His methodical search soon paid off¡ªat a junction, on the right-side wall, he spotted a faded plastic layout map.


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    Studying the map closely, he first identified the red marker indicating his current location. Then, he found the power supply room and traced the optimal path to reach it.


    Just as he was about to move¡ª


    THUD!


    A wood-handled maintenance hammer suddenly struck the back of his head with force.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 108: The Generator (2)

    The sound of a massive helmet shattering echoed through the corridor, reverberating loudly.


    Behind him, the burly Wild Chicken gripped his hammer with both hands, grinning viciously as he pulled it out.


    ¡°You idiot, you didn¡¯t even notice me getting this close. How the hell have you survived this long?¡±


    But his grin quickly disappeared.


    Because Yu Hong was still standing there¡ªno screams of pain, no staggering, no collapsing.


    He merely turned his head and looked at Wild Chicken. Through his goggles, there wasn¡¯t even the slightest trace of surprise on his face.


    ¡°What was that sound just now? It was so loud,¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°¡­¡± Cold sweat immediately broke out on Wild Chicken¡¯s back. ¡°You!? You bastard¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the power supply room. Can you take me there?¡± Yu Hong said calmly.


    ¡°¡­Power supply room?¡± Wild Chicken¡¯s sweating intensified. He immediately realized that this guy was just like the others who had been lured here¡ªhe was looking for the nuclear Generator.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here to collect the nuclear Generator that was given to me,¡± Yu Hong replied, his eyes locked onto Wild Chicken through his goggles.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to stop me from taking what¡¯s mine, are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Wild Chicken¡¯s eyes became bloodshot, his whole body tingling as if he were being stared down by a terrifying beast. Goosebumps erupted all over his skin. His blood was pumping faster, his heart pounded in fear, and even his breathing felt unsteady.


    He was a partially enhanced human. Even when facing Black Crow, their leader, he had never felt such overwhelming pressure.


    As the second strongest in Black Crow¡¯s team, he wasn¡¯t that much weaker than Black Crow. Their only differences were combat experience and attack speed. In the right circumstances, he might even be able to defeat Black Crow.


    That was precisely why he had never truly submitted to Black Crow and had repeatedly attempted to take his place.


    But now¡­


    Now¡­


    The enhanced physique and combat instincts he had always been so proud of were crumbling under the sheer weight of this man¡¯s presence.


    Absolute suppression!


    It was the same kind of fear he had felt when he once faced a fourth-tier multi-eyed bird alone.


    *


    *


    *


    Outside Exit No. 2.


    Gunfire, battle cries, and the clash of weapons created complete chaos.


    Lang Feng and Xiao Feng fought together against the strongest opponent, Black Crow, while the other three clashed with the enhanced fighters from Black Crow¡¯s squad.


    Bullets were useless against their bulletproof gear. Without armor-piercing rounds, only heavy weapons could pose a real threat at this level.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a dull thud rang out¡ªXiao Feng was kicked away, tumbling across the ground. He dug his hand into the dirt to slow himself down, but blood kept spilling from his nose and mouth beneath his helmet.


    At the same time, Lang Feng took a direct hit to the shoulder from a staff. Even with the buffer layer and thin alloy plate in his bulletproof suit, the impact sent sharp pain through his shoulder, and he could feel a fracture forming.


    Lang Feng quickly backed away, creating distance. He clutched his shoulder and moved it slightly.


    ¡°Master Fohl¡¯s staff technique?¡±


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯ve got sharp eyes.¡± Black Crow twirled his long staff, spinning it into a circular blur.


    Without revealing anything, he subtly moved his right knee¡ªthe spot Xiao Feng had repeatedly struck earlier.


    ¡°Enhanced physiques are just the foundation. What truly determines our strength is our combat technique.¡±


    Although his physique was indeed stronger than Lang Feng and Xiao Feng¡¯s, the difference wasn¡¯t insurmountable. Among enhanced humans, there was a vast gap between partial and full-body enhancements. However, Black Crow wasn¡¯t fully enhanced¡ªhis head remained unmodified.


    This meant he couldn¡¯t wrestle cars or lift two-ton boulders barehanded. But on the other hand, he didn¡¯t have to worry about radiation damage turning him into a lunatic or an idiot.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Lang Feng spat out a mouthful of blood and swallowed the rest. ¡°I¡¯ve killed two fully enhanced freaks before. I¡¯m a half-body enhancement myself. Today, I¡¯d love to see just how good your so-called combat technique really is.¡±


    He raised his shield with one hand, positioning it to cover his face, and took on an unusual fighting stance.


    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s all about the nuclear Generator. A bunch of hypocrites.¡± Black Crow sneered.


    Before his words even finished, he charged at Lang Feng.


    A rapid burst of muffled impacts exploded between them. The long staff spun like a whirling disc, striking Lang Feng¡¯s shield from every angle at incredible speed.


    Lang Feng¡¯s shield and blade acted like a turtle shell¡ªmostly defensive, with the occasional sudden counterattack. But when he did strike, the force behind it made Black Crow extremely uncomfortable. Even with his bulletproof suit, he couldn¡¯t fully absorb the damage. He had to dodge carefully to avoid being cut.


    Both sides fought fiercely, all for the nuclear Generator.


    Ultimately, the Black Crow group had the advantage in numbers and gradually injured several members of Lang Feng¡¯s team.


    A few minutes later, a member of Black Crow swung his staff in a sweeping motion. Suddenly, the staff¡¯s shadow expanded sharply¡ªit unexpectedly extended, with more than ten centimeters of hidden segments shooting out from the end.


    This sudden change caught Lang Feng¡¯s team off guard.


    Bang!


    Xiao Feng was struck directly in the neck by the staff and was sent flying sideways, unable to get up.


    Lang Feng managed to block with his shield, but the extended staff slammed diagonally into his helmet. The helmet caved in and shattered on impact, leaving him dazed and stumbling backward.


    Black Crow laughed, retracted his staff, and charged at Lang Feng¡¯s remaining subordinates as if preparing to attack.


    After forcing them back, he quickly jumped into a vehicle.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    The Black Crow team members got into their vehicles, leaving a few to cover their retreat. Once the vehicles picked up speed, the remaining members grabbed onto the ropes thrown down by their companions and effortlessly climbed aboard.


    With Lang Feng and Xiao Feng incapacitated, the others didn¡¯t dare to pursue. They could only watch helplessly as the convoy sped into the distance.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Xiao Feng punched the ground angrily. ¡°We were so close!¡±


    ¡°If Huaijun¡¯s group had acted with us, this wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡± Lang Feng gritted his teeth, clutching his injured shoulder as he glared at the departing convoy.


    ¡°That bastard Black Crow is so arrogant, openly luring people to their deaths! Is there no one who can stop him?!¡± Xiao Feng raged.


    ¡°The United Army can barely protect the major cities¡ªthey don¡¯t have the resources to worry about survivor outposts like ours,¡± Lang Feng replied.


    ¡°Feng, should we shoot out their tires?¡± a woman in a red outfit asked in a low voice.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stop them. Black Crow is stronger than expected. If he wasn¡¯t worried about attracting the United Army¡¯s elite forces, we wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against him in a direct fight.¡± Lang Feng shook his head.


    He glanced at the bodies on the ground. His team had lost one elite fighter, while the Black Crow group had lost four¡ªbut their casualties were just low-ranking grunts.


    ¡°So we¡¯re just going to let them take the nuclear Generator?!¡± Xiao Feng protested.


    ¡°Where is the motor?¡± A sudden voice spoke from behind them.


    ¡°It¡¯s on the truck!¡± Xiao Feng snapped impatiently. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? The third truck!¡±


    Whoosh!


    A black shadow suddenly shot past them, moving like the wind toward the fleeing convoy.


    Lang Feng, Xiao Feng, and the others were startled. When they came to their senses, they saw a brawny figure in what looked like a Gray Lizard combat suit sprinting toward the three cargo trucks.


    That man was unbelievably fast¡ªjust slightly faster than the trucks.


    Someone was outrunning a vehicle?!


    ¡°What the hell?!¡±


    Lang Feng and the others were dumbfounded.


    The Black Crow members in the third truck also noticed the disturbance. They leaned out to check and were shocked to see someone chasing them¡ªand actually gaining on their truck.


    ¡°A super-enhanced human? You¡¯re looking for death!¡± Black Crow laughed and pulled out a gun, firing at the pursuer.


    Bang!


    The bullet struck the man¡¯s suit, only sparking slightly.


    ¡°. . . !!¡± Black Crow¡¯s grin froze. ¡°The hell? Isn¡¯t that a Gray Lizard suit? How is it this tough?!¡±


    He had no time to waste. Normally, he might have enjoyed a fight, but with Lang Feng¡¯s group behind them, he couldn¡¯t afford to be delayed. If stronger reinforcements arrived, he might not escape.


    ¡°Speed up!¡± Black Crow ordered. ¡°Lose him!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± the driver responded.


    Black Crow turned back, took aim, and fired several more shots¡ªbang! bang! bang! bang!


    His bullets were spent, but they had only left minor dents on the pursuer¡¯s armor.


    ¡°You got lucky, you idiot. If this were any other time, that suit of yours would be mine!¡± Black Crow scoffed, tossing his gun aside. As the truck accelerated, he felt relieved, confident that the distance was growing.


    ¡°See you next time¡ªhope your luck holds out!¡± He waved mockingly.


    ¡°Give me back my motor!¡±


    A furious roar erupted.


    Black Crow¡¯s vision blurred as the pursuer suddenly surged forward¡ªhis speed skyrocketing. In a single bound, he caught up to the truck, grabbed onto the edge, and lifted his leg.


    ¡°Give it back!!!¡±


    Boom!!!


    He delivered a low sweeping kick¡ªstraight into the rapidly spinning rear wheel.


    The tire instantly deformed, compressed like a balloon crushed by immense force, and exploded with a thunderous blast.


    Boom!!


    The truck lost control and flipped on the spot. The Black Crow members inside tumbled violently, utterly shocked. Their mouths hung open, unable to comprehend what had just happened.


    The overturned truck skidded forward, crashing into two massive trees with a heavy impact.


    Bang!!


    The sheer force of the collision killed two of the four people inside. Black Crow and another subordinate, Black Eye, were dazed and trapped under the mangled metal.


    ¡°Shit! What the hell?! A Blood Tide monster?!¡±


    Black Crow shoved away the metal crushing his chest, gasping for air. He grabbed Black Eye and crawled out of the wreck.


    His body was incredibly tough, so he had only suffered minor injuries¡ªbut mentally, he was shaken beyond measure.


    That was a two-ton cargo truck! A man had shattered its tire with a single kick while it was moving at high speed?!


    Even fully enhanced mutants wouldn¡¯t dare attempt such a reckless feat! How did that lunatic¡¯s leg not get torn apart?!


    As he staggered out, he saw that same man standing at the truck¡¯s rear.


    The pursuer gripped the cargo door with both hands¡ªand ripped it off with brute force.


    Clang!


    The reinforced door was torn away and tossed aside like scrap metal. The man began inspecting the nuclear Generator inside.


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    Black Crow¡¯s heart pounded. He didn¡¯t need a fight to know¡ªhis strength was far inferior to this monster¡¯s.


    He exhaled slowly, lowered his stance, and dragged the pale-faced Black Eye toward the cover of the dense forest. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no doubt in his mind now¡ªthis guy was a fully enhanced human, and probably mentally unstable.


    Only a monster like that could pull off something so absurd.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 109: The Harvest (1)

    Just as Black Crow and Black Eye were quietly leaving toward a concealed vantage point¡ª


    Boom.


    A dull thud echoed behind them. The nuclear Generator, resembling a giant freezer, was lifted off the truck and set down.


    Hearing the sound, Black Crow immediately quickened his pace, dragging Black Eye along as they sprinted away.


    Bang!


    Before they could get far, gunshots rang out behind them. The trunk of a tree beside them exploded, leaving a fist-sized hole in its bark.


    Splinters flew, making both men shudder in terror.


    Black Crow no longer cared about his subordinate. With a swift roll, he evaded his previous spot and took cover behind another large tree. He peeked back to assess the situation.


    If the enemy possessed high-powered firearms, running blindly like before would be suicide.


    Pressing against the tree trunk, he scanned ahead, hoping to spot any of the four trucks his subordinates had taken. But none had returned.


    Those so-called subordinates were nothing more than opportunists. At the first sign of danger, they had scattered like rats.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Black Crow¡¯s eyes turned icy cold. He swore to deal with those cowards once he got away.


    He quietly pulled out his alloy staff from his back. With a sharp tug, it extended and locked into place.


    ¡°That guy has a high-powered firearm. I can¡¯t engage from a distance¡ªI need to get in close!¡±


    Though his opponent seemed incredibly strong, raw strength alone didn¡¯t determine the outcome of a fight.


    This was a battle to the death.


    A ruthless glint flashed in Black Crow¡¯s eyes. He took a deep breath, held it, and suddenly pivoted into a sprint.


    He moved like a black python slithering through the underbrush, racing toward Yu Hong, who was checking the generator.


    ¡°First, use my staff techniques to probe the weak spots in his armored suit. Use his own strength against him to throw him off balance.¡±


    A sharp plan formed in Black Crow¡¯s mind as he fixated on the black-clad figure ahead.


    He had a feeling¡ªthis fight would be the toughest of his career.


    ¡°If other combat specialists faced such a naturally powerful opponent, they¡¯d be helpless. But my staff technique excels in leveraging an opponent¡¯s force. Judging by his footwork, he¡¯s not trained in close-quarters combat¡ªmy chances of winning are high!¡±


    In the brief seconds of his charge, confidence surged through Black Crow. From subtle clues, he had deduced that Yu Hong¡¯s fighting skills were inferior to his own.


    So¡ª S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Black Crow suddenly leaped from the grass, his staff turning into a black crescent moon, smashing down toward Yu Hong¡¯s face.


    ¡°Master Fu¡¯s Staff Technique: Secret Art¡ªPhantom Strike!¡±


    This move was designed to bait the opponent into exerting force in a particular direction, setting up a counterattack.


    It was the first step in Black Crow¡¯s carefully planned assault.


    The seemingly deadly black crescent was actually a feint. As long as Yu Hong reacted¡ªwhether by attacking or blocking¡ªhe would¡ª


    Thud!


    The black crescent struck Yu Hong¡¯s helmet and shoulder with a dull thud.


    Yu Hong hadn¡¯t even attempted to block. He simply stood there, letting the staff hit him.


    Just as Black Crow expected, his attack felt as weak as a gentle breeze. The force dispersed upon impact, nullified by the buffering layers of Yu Hong¡¯s reinforced Gray Lizard suit.


    He felt nothing.


    ¡°I have a question,¡± Yu Hong said casually.


    Before Black Crow could react, more staff shadows filled his vision, this time delivering solid, killing blows. Each strike was aimed at a vital point.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    In mere seconds, over a dozen strikes landed across Yu Hong¡¯s body, creating a blur of black staff shadows.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Yu Hong suddenly reached out. Ignoring the attacks, his arm shot forward and clamped onto Black Crow¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Struggling won¡¯t solve anything. Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Black Crow¡¯s face twisted in panic. He struggled with all his might, but the strength gap was insurmountable. No matter how hard he fought, he couldn¡¯t break free from Yu Hong¡¯s grip.


    Crack.


    As he struggled, Yu Hong increased his grip. The bulletproof suit¡¯s internal ceramic plating groaned under the pressure, on the verge of shattering.


    ¡°You bastard!!¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡±


    Smack!


    Yu Hong slapped Black Crow across the face.


    The impact shattered one side of his helmet, sending cracks spreading like a web. Black Crow¡¯s massive, two-meter-tall frame was sent reeling. His mind blanked out from the sheer force of the hit.


    Had it not been for the reinforced neck support in his suit, his spine might have snapped on the spot.


    In front of so many people, including Lang Feng, he¡ªBlack Crow¡ªthe top-tier staff master among enhanced humans, second only to those freakish lunatics!


    Since the outbreak of the Black Disaster, he had led his team rampaging across the surrounding areas, unstoppable! And now, he had actually been slapped into a daze by some unknown nobody who came out of nowhere!?


    In an instant, as Black Crow snapped back to reality, a surge of indescribable shame and fury erupted in his heart.


    ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU!!!!¡± He roared in rage.


    Shh! A sharp blade protruded from the edge of his staff.


    At the same time, ignoring the grip on his shoulder, he exploded with his full strength, swinging his staff ferociously at his opponent¡¯s chest.


    Pfft!!


    The blade on the staff slashed viciously into Yu Hong¡¯s suit, but it was forcibly stopped by the ultra-thick alloy plating inside.


    If it were a standard Gray Lizard suit, the attack would have easily pierced through.


    But¡­


    This last desperate strike still failed to break through.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to cooperate, forget it.¡± Yu Hong remained unfazed. Though Black Crow¡¯s frenzied resistance looked fierce, every attack was completely absorbed by his suit.


    ¡°Remember to be a good person in your next life.¡± He calmly drew a metal spiked club from his back.


    Seeing the club, which was as thick as a human thigh, Black Crow¡¯s eyes widened in terror. He frantically struggled to escape, but¡ª


    Suddenly, his body became weightless as he was effortlessly thrown into the air.


    BOOM!!!


    A black blur shot forward like a cannonball, slamming into his chest with a deafening impact.


    The terrifying force crushed his alloy chest plate, bending it inward, snapping his spine, and instantly flattening his entire ribcage into a bloody pulp.


    ¡°AH¡ª!!!¡±


    Black Crow¡¯s scream was cut short as his body flew like a ragdoll, slamming into the trunk of a large tree before sliding to the ground, lifeless.


    Yu Hong turned around, looking at Black Eye, who was scared stiff on the ground, and Lang Feng¡¯s group, frozen in place not far away.


    ¡°Hey, can you guys help me out? The generator¡¯s too big¡ªI don¡¯t think it¡¯ll fit in my car.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Lang Feng swallowed hard, his scalp tingling. Staring at the crushed and lifeless Black Crow, he suddenly felt that his earlier struggle against him alongside his friend had been nothing but a dream.


    That arrogant bastard¡­ had been as helpless as a child before this man.


    Hearing Yu Hong¡¯s request, Lang Feng instinctively nodded, realizing what needed to be done.


    Moments later¡ª


    By the stone bridge, next to Yu Hong¡¯s Jeep, the group worked together to place the nuclear generator on the roof, securing it with ropes, wrapping it with tape, and adding friction pads between the generator and the car¡¯s roof.


    ¡°All set. This should be fine now.¡± Lang Feng clapped his hands and politely turned to Yu Hong.


    ¡°Thanks a lot, this really helped.¡± Yu Hong nodded in satisfaction. ¡°When traveling, mutual aid is the only way to survive. The world is getting more dangerous, and fewer people are living outside the cities. If we don¡¯t help each other, it¡¯ll only get harder to survive.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Yu. You helped us take care of that thug¡ªhelping you with this is the least we can do,¡± Lang Feng said seriously.


    ¡°Well said, Captain Lang. Though honestly, I didn¡¯t expect Black Crow to be such a ruthless and violent guy. I originally wanted to talk things out with him, but his reaction was just too abnormal.¡± Yu Hong sighed. ¡°I heard he had companions?¡±


    ¡°No need to worry about that. These days, people only look out for themselves, and criminals are even more selfish,¡± a young man named Xiao Feng chimed in.


    Xiao Feng was extremely curious about Yu Hong. Seeing that he was about to leave and noticing his friendly demeanor, he finally couldn¡¯t resist speaking up.


    ¡°I have a question. You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Yu Hong smiled. This group had not only helped him transport the generator but also given him extra food and supplies. They were friendly and just, and after talking for half an hour, he could tell they were genuinely kind people.


    ¡°Are you a fully enhanced human?¡± Xiao Feng asked in a low voice.


    ¡°¡­Enhanced human? I¡¯m not sure.¡± Yu Hong shook his head. ¡°But I have had a lot of contact with Luminous Stone. I¡¯ve never had a professional examination.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Xiao Feng didn¡¯t seem disappointed, as if he had already guessed the answer. ¡°Since you came from Baiqiu Village, you¡¯ll have to pass through Huanfeng City. That place is a huge problem right now, so please be very careful. Did you run into any trouble on your way here?¡±


    ¡°It was fine, nothing too serious. Though I did encounter a strange creature I¡¯ve never seen before. The radio never mentioned it.¡± Yu Hong described the humanoid monster made entirely of black gelatinous material that he had encountered.


    ¡°Thanks for the intel. We¡¯ll be on guard.¡± Lang Feng cupped his hands in gratitude. ¡°The situation in Huanfeng City has deteriorated badly. The infection is spreading to the surrounding areas. The Joint Army has already sent elite forces three times, but none have returned. I received word that they might be sending their strongest unit¡ªthe Blood Lead Division.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in contact with the Joint Army?¡± Yu Hong asked in surprise.


    ¡°Sometimes we get cooperation requests. Not just us¡ªevery stronghold in this area does, whether friend or foe. Everyone has to assist the investigation teams they send. Helping them is helping ourselves,¡± Lang Feng explained.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful in Huanfeng City,¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    ¡°We call those gelatinous creatures ¡®Black Oil Men.¡¯ They¡¯re highly toxic. Don¡¯t touch them lightly, and even being near them too long can cause lung problems. The best way to deal with them is fire¡ªthey¡¯re very afraid of it.¡± Lang Feng warned.


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    ¡°Got it.¡± Yu Hong nodded.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡ªnear Huanfeng City, there¡¯s an idiot enhanced human named Du Chengtao. He¡¯s a fully enhanced type and extremely strong. Be careful if you run into him,¡± Lang Feng added.


    ¡°Du Chengtao, huh¡­ Got it.¡± Yu Hong nodded. ¡°Speaking of which, they say full-body enhancements are the strongest. Just how powerful can they get? What¡¯s their limit? Is it just about strength?¡±


    He had no understanding of this field. Since he had met someone knowledgeable, he figured it was a good chance to ask.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 110: The Harvest (2)

    ¡°Aurora City previously issued an announcement categorizing enhanced individuals by danger level. Those with localized limb enhancements, after training, can easily surpass ordinary people, reaching the same Level 1 danger classification as a common Blood Tide black insect,¡± Lang Feng explained with a sigh.


    ¡°Among those with localized enhancements, the difference between the strongest and weakest is vast. Some can even reach Level 2 danger levels, capable of directly confronting Blood Tide monsters like the Big Skins. However¡­¡±


    He paused briefly.


    ¡°But reaching Level 3¡ªonly fully enhanced individuals can attain that. Their strength, speed, explosiveness, and endurance far exceed ours. They are also resistant to low concentrations of Red Value radiation, have strong immunity against the hallucinations of Ghostly Shadows, and possess superior survivability. Even if they consume some toxic, spoiled food, it doesn¡¯t affect them.¡±


    Glancing at Yu Hong, who was listening intently, he added,


    ¡°Of course, many are fully enhanced, but the truly formidable ones are those who have mastered various skills. If they were just ordinary people before, they¡¯re merely a little stronger than wild Blood Tide creatures.¡±


    ¡°I heard that powerful fully enhanced individuals can fight Level 3 monsters?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°There is such a claim, but those monsters can infinitely regenerate. ¡®Fighting¡¯ them only means temporary resistance, not ongoing combat,¡± Lang Feng replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s already incredible.¡± Yu Hong understood the concept and difficulty of facing a Level 3 monster.


    Not to mention, the elephant beetle from before was at that level. Being able to face off against such massive creatures was already an incredible feat for fragile humans.


    ¡°Blood Tide creatures can still be countered using weapons and explosives. However, the dangers posed by the Ghostly Shadows faction are far trickier. Our only reliance is on various Luminous Stone series tools and sunlight-based materials,¡± Lang Feng sighed. ¡°This time, the higher-ups sent the Blood Lure Squad partly to deal with the Whisperer.¡±


    ¡°The Whisperer is Level Four, right?¡± Yu Hong frowned. ¡°Indeed, compared to the multi-eyed bird at the same level, they¡¯re even harder to deal with.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the higher-ups had no choice but to deploy Blood Lure,¡± Lang Feng said.


    ¡°Blood Lure¡­ is this squad more elite than the others?¡± This was Yu Hong¡¯s first time hearing this name, and he was curious.


    ¡°Blood Lure¡­ actually,¡± Lang Feng shook his head. ¡°The name itself already reveals its purpose. From the beginning, they weren¡¯t created to defeat or resist creatures and dark entities. They are sacrificial warriors who use their own blood to lure monsters and Ghostly Shadows to uninhabited desolate lands¡­¡±


    Yu Hong fell silent.


    He found it hard to imagine what kind of people would willingly make such a self-sacrificing decision to protect others.


    As he watched the supplies being loaded into the vehicle, he checked the time. It was about time to leave. The journey back would take around four hours, and if he calculated correctly, he would return to the safehouse before nightfall.


    ¡°If you ever find it impossible to stay here, you can come to my place. I won¡¯t say much, but I can create Luminous Stones, and there¡¯s a Luminous Stone mine nearby, making it more convenient than here,¡± Yu Hong offered.


    ¡°Alright! If it comes to that, we¡¯ll consider it,¡± Lang Feng nodded seriously.


    Yu Hong closed the car door and started the vehicle. The solar charge had recovered to 60%, so he rolled down the window and looked at Lang Feng and his group.


    ¡°By the way, is there any other way to identify fully enhanced individuals?¡±


    Lang Feng thought for a moment before replying, ¡°Our enhanced body parts can be detected with a Red Value scanner, showing negative values. According to published data, the higher the negative value, the greater the enhancement and amplification.


    Fully enhanced individuals have values far exceeding ours. We typically range from -5 to -9, while they are usually above -12, with some even reaching -19. The test must be conducted when they are at rest, using direct skin contact with the scanner.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Yu Hong waved and rolled up the window.


    This trip had been a great success. Not only did he acquire the nuclear Generator but he also made some generous and kind-hearted friends who even gifted him a supply of dried meat, mushrooms, biscuits, and canned food.


    This put him in a great mood.


    As he drove away, watching Lang Feng and his group gradually disappear into the mist through the rearview mirror, Yu Hong exhaled, feeling a slight sense of loss.


    If not for the Black Mark, he would have preferred to stay with more people. That way, he wouldn¡¯t be lonely, wouldn¡¯t lack conversation partners, and wouldn¡¯t have to do everything alone.


    But unfortunately¡­


    As he drove through the parted gray mist, along the empty streets, he thought about how the nuclear generator would provide power to the safehouse for decades, solving his energy and water problems. Life was going to get better.


    His loneliness was quickly overshadowed by anticipation.


    ¡®Wait, if enhanced individuals can be detected with a Red Value scanner, and the higher the value, the greater the enhancement¡­ What about me? Do I have a value?¡¯


    The thought suddenly flashed through his mind.


    ¡®Let¡¯s test it.¡¯


    He had plenty of scanners anyway. Controlling the steering wheel with one hand, he grabbed a scanner with the other, removed his right-hand glove, and pressed the scanner against his skin.


    Then, he relaxed.


    ¡®0.121.¡¯


    The scanner beeped, displaying the result.


    ¡°Looks like I have nothing in common with enhanced individuals after all¡­¡± Yu Hong shook his head slightly, removing the scanner. The moment it detected the air¡¯s Red Value, the number quickly rose above twenty.


    Soon, accompanied by the hum of the engine, the vehicle drove out of the county town, heading back in the direction it came from.


    The journey was uneventful, and within a few dozen minutes, he had reached the mountain road near Ringpeak City.


    However, this time, he didn¡¯t encounter the black humanoid creature from before and was able to leave the area without incident.


    After driving along the highway for another half an hour, suddenly, by the roadside ahead, a bald man, about 1.8 meters tall, appeared.


    He was dressed in a dull gray, high-collared work uniform, holding a bundle of dry firewood in one hand and carrying an unconscious middle-aged man in the other.


    This bald man had a stocky build. Despite his height, from a distance, he gave off a short and stout impression.


    Hearing the approaching vehicle, the bald man turned around. When he saw Yu Hong¡¯s jeep, a hint of happiness appeared on his slightly crooked face.


    ¡°Car, car, car! Meat! Here!¡± He put down the firewood and the unconscious man, patted his chest, then walked directly to the middle of the road, spreading his arms wide as if to block the vehicle. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now that he was facing him directly, Yu Hong finally had a chance to observe him closely.


    The bald man¡¯s face was covered in thick flesh, his mouth was crooked, one eye was larger than the other, and his gaze was vacant. But aside from these flaws, the exposed skin and muscles where his work uniform was torn had an eerie gray-black color, resembling a sculpture of steel, as if coated with a layer of black gel.


    ¡®Hmm!? Gel??¡¯ Yu Hong narrowed his eyes, realizing something was off.


    Suddenly, he recalled the two-meter-tall black gel-like humanoid he had encountered before.


    The car gradually slowed down. Yu Hong turned off the engine and parked the vehicle near the mountain wall to avoid the risk of falling off the cliff on the other side.


    Then, he opened the door and stepped out.


    ¡°Do you need something? What¡¯s the meaning of blocking the road?¡± He walked forward, glancing around to confirm that the bald man was alone.


    ¡°Meat¡­ Hehe¡­ Lots of meat.¡± The bald man grinned foolishly, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth onto the ground.


    His gaze toward Yu Hong was like that of a man staring at a large, juicy piece of roasted meat.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Just as Yu Hong was about to ask more questions, the unconscious middle-aged man suddenly woke up and struggled to shout.


    ¡°Get in the car!! Run!! This guy¡­ He¡¯s Du Chengtao! A Fully Augmented Human!!¡±


    ¡°Du Chengtao?¡± Yu Hong hadn¡¯t expected to hear this name, let alone encounter him on his way back.


    A Fully Augmented Human, classified as a maximum Level 3 threat¡ªan exceptionally dangerous mutant.


    That was the evaluation given by Aurora City and Silver Tower.


    ¡°Run!!¡± The middle-aged man saw Yu Hong standing still and immediately gritted his teeth, grabbing a wooden stick to support himself as he stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Joint Army officer who escaped from the front lines! That guy has completely lost his mind! He¡¯s capturing people to take them back and cure them into jerky!!¡± He mustered his remaining strength and shouted.


    ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re saying he eats¡ª¡± Yu Hong¡¯s expression darkened as he looked at the officer.


    Bang!!


    Just then, a fist-sized rock whistled through the air and struck him directly on the helmet.


    The rock shattered into several pieces upon impact, sending a small cloud of white dust flying.


    A blow like that¡ªif it had hit an ordinary person, even with a bulletproof helmet, they¡¯d be left dazed at best, or suffer a broken neck and die on the spot.


    The dull thud of the impact made the middle-aged officer shudder. Then, in pain, he realized what had just happened.


    ¡°I told you to run¡­ Why¡­¡± He knew¡ªyet another innocent person had fallen victim.


    On the way here, he had already witnessed at least three people being knocked unconscious by Du Chengtao and dragged away to be turned into jerky.


    If not for the fact that he still had some use to Du Chengtao, he would have been skinned and strung up long ago.


    And now¡­ Another victim had been added.


    However, things didn¡¯t seem to be unfolding as he had expected¡­


    On the road, Yu Hong¡¯s words had been interrupted. A large crack had appeared on the visor of his helmet, obstructing his vision.


    ¡°I hate it the most¡­ When people interrupt me.¡±


    He slowly turned his head to look at his opponent.


    Du Chengtao was rubbing his bald head in confusion, seemingly puzzled as to why his rock had no effect.


    Before long, he looked down, picked up a grinding disc-sized boulder from the roadside, grinned foolishly, and hurled it at Yu Hong with all his might.


    Whoosh!!


    The rock howled through the air, tearing through the wind as it hurtled toward Yu Hong¡¯s head.


    Boom!!!


    In an instant, the boulder shattered into countless fragments, exploding mid-air.


    Yu Hong burst through the cloud of dust and debris, gripping his spiked club tightly as he stomped forward. Each step left behind a crisp, deeply imprinted footprint on the ground.


    One second.


    A ten-meter gap vanished in a flash.


    Yu Hong gripped the club with both hands and swung it horizontally with immense force toward Du Chengtao.


    Clang!!


    Instead of the sound of flesh and bone breaking, the impact produced a metallic clashing noise.


    Without even making a sound, Du Chengtao was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into the mountain wall on the left.


    ¡°Trash that survives by eating humans¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re living a life worse than death anyway, so let me put you out of your misery!!¡±


    Yu Hong hoisted his spiked club and, not giving Du Chengtao a chance to recover, charged forward and struck again.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!


    He lifted his weapon and slammed it repeatedly against the mountain wall.


    The rock face crumbled, debris rolled down, and stone dust filled the air. For a moment, the entire road was filled with nothing but the deafening sounds of shattering stone.


    Meanwhile, the military officer standing at the roadside was completely dumbfounded.


    ¡°Am I¡­ dreaming??¡±


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 111: The Harvest (3)

    ¡°Ah!!!¡±


    After being smashed more than ten times in a row, a painful and furious roar finally erupted from within the mountain wall¡ªDu Chengtao¡¯s voice.


    Pa!


    He suddenly reached out and grabbed the Spiked Club, mustering all his strength as he charged out from the rock wall, ramming his head straight into Yu Hong¡¯s.


    Their heads clashed violently on the spot.


    Boom!!


    Du Chengtao¡¯s vision blurred instantly. It felt like he had crashed into a steel wall. The impact force rebounded, sending him hurtling back into the dented section of the mountain wall.


    Yu Hong took a step back and shook his head.


    His visor became even more distorted, making it impossible to see clearly.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± He was finally enraged, reaching out to grab Du Chengtao by the neck. His right leg exploded with power and vanished from the spot.


    A low-tier sweeping kick from Basic Survival Leg Techniques¡ªexecuted with his current strength and condition¡ªwas devastating.


    At this point, his Spiked Club alone was already sufficient to handle most opponents.


    There were very few occasions where he needed to use his leg techniques. However, right now, Du Chengtao was proving to be more resilient than any opponent he had faced before, finally giving him a chance to utilize his leg techniques once again.


    Boom!!!


    In an instant, Yu Hong¡¯s leg lashed out, striking Du Chengtao¡¯s abdomen.


    The immense force instantly shattered the muscles in Du Chengtao¡¯s abdomen. Not only that, but the impact also completely pierced through his torso, taking his spine along with it and reducing it to a mist of flesh and blood that splattered against the mountain wall.


    ¡°Argh!!¡± Du Chengtao still managed to scream. His arms flailed wildly in front of him, struggling in resistance.


    His strength was almost on par with Yu Hong¡¯s. His frantic resistance was actually causing considerable disruption to Yu Hong¡¯s movements.


    Aside from his sheer strength, Du Chengtao¡¯s physical endurance was outright monstrous, even surpassing Yu Hong¡¯s post-training physique.


    If he had been wearing a bulletproof suit, he wouldn¡¯t have been so easily injured.


    However, now that his abdomen had been punctured and his body had suffered multiple fractures from the attacks, Du Chengtao could no longer move. He could only slump against the mountain wall, relying on his still-functional arms to flail and block attacks blindly.


    Yu Hong pulled out the Spiked Club that had shattered his opponent¡¯s shoulder and observed this so-called Tier 3 Fully Enhanced Human.


    In just this short exchange, he noticed that the gaping wound in Du Chengtao¡¯s abdomen was already beginning to clot and heal.


    ¡°His physical endurance is outrageous, stronger than mine, but his strength is inferior to mine.¡± Evaluating the situation, Yu Hong determined that while his raw power surpassed Du Chengtao¡¯s, his opponent¡¯s resilience and recovery speed were beyond his own.


    ¡°What a pitiful guy. Instead of living like a deranged beast in this world, he might as well just die. In a place like this, death might be more peaceful than struggling to survive.¡±


    Yu Hong gazed at Du Chengtao, who was wailing miserably, and suddenly lost interest.


    At this rate, it was clear¡ªhe had surpassed Fully Enhanced Humans in terms of physical capabilities, reaching the pinnacle of human potential.


    While this didn¡¯t mean much in a world dominated by powerful weaponry¡ªwhere a single bomb could still obliterate him¡ªit was an undeniable advantage in wilderness survival.


    At the very least, as long as his opponents were human and lacked firearms, they stood little chance against him.


    ¡°Argh!!¡± Du Chengtao continued screeching, his voice shrill and grating, like that of a crow.


    Boom!


    A Spiked Club slammed down viciously, striking his forehead directly.


    The immense force granted the weapon an unparalleled impact, instantly shattering his skull and caving it inwards.


    Du Chengtao¡¯s body trembled violently before finally ceasing all movement. Embedded in the mountain wall, he remained motionless.


    His arms went limp and dropped to his sides. His breathing stopped soon after, and his skin rapidly darkened as though being tainted by ink.


    Yu Hong was about to step forward and scavenge for anything useful when he saw this and furrowed his brows, retreating a couple of steps to maintain distance.


    Just as he stepped back, he witnessed Du Chengtao¡¯s body quickly being engulfed by a layer of black gelatinous substance. Within moments, he transformed into the same black gelatinous humanoid he had encountered before.


    Yu Hong glanced at the red-value detector on his suit collar, which had spiked to over one hundred.


    ¡°Time to go.¡± He swiftly withdrew, supporting the middle-aged military officer who had warned him earlier, and the two of them quickly got into the vehicle. They sped away down the highway.


    Behind them, Du Chengtao¡¯s body rapidly softened. After a few dozen seconds, he extracted himself from the mountain wall, now fully transformed into a humanoid figure composed entirely of black gelatinous material. Step by step, he began making his way toward Huafeng City.


    He didn¡¯t even glance at the departing solar-powered jeep, as though he were responding to some unseen summons, striding briskly toward the black-gelatin-covered Huafeng City.


    Yu Hong, seated in the vehicle, observed this scene through the rearview mirror, his expression darkening.


    He had already removed his visor. The shattered and blurred lens had become more of a hindrance than a help.


    The middle-aged officer sat in the passenger seat, breathing heavily, clearly still injured.


    He stared at Yu Hong, his expression conflicted, his eyes still reflecting the shock he had just experienced.


    ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Yu Hong asked casually.


    ¡°Brother¡­ you¡¯re an Enhanced Human too, aren¡¯t you?¡± The officer asked in a deep voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just an ordinary person,¡± Yu Hong replied. He had just confirmed it himself¡ªhe didn¡¯t belong to the Enhanced Human system. His path was entirely different.


    ¡°¡­ My name is Zhou Xueguang, a deserter who just escaped from the front lines,¡± the man finally said after a moment of silence.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask how I managed to kill Du Chengtao?¡± Yu Hong asked, a bit surprised.


    ¡°Everyone has their secrets, just like how I wouldn¡¯t want you asking why I became a deserter,¡± Zhou Xueguang replied.


    ¡°Fair enough. I was just about to ask that,¡± Yu Hong raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s your plan now?¡±


    ¡°No plan. Find a place to settle down and survive. Heal my wounds first¡ªonly then will I have the luxury to think about anything else,¡± Zhou Xueguang sighed.


    ¡°Come with me. There are plenty of abandoned safe houses nearby where you can rest. The post office also has basic food supplies. I¡¯ll ensure you have access to Great luminous Stones and Rune Arrays,¡± Yu Hong offered.


    ¡°You trust me that easily?¡± Zhou Xueguang wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve, looking skeptical.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be living together¡ªjust neighbors. You warned me earlier, and you don¡¯t seem like a bad person,¡± Yu Hong replied.


    ¡°Being too trusting isn¡¯t good,¡± Zhou Xueguang remarked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve met far more good people than bad ones,¡± Yu Hong chuckled.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re just lucky.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re strong enough, bad people turn good in front of you,¡± Yu Hong laughed.


    Zhou Xueguang was momentarily speechless. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a solid point.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the injury?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too bad. Two broken ribs, a dislocated wrist, and a cut on my shoulder. Once we settle down somewhere, I¡¯ll cauterize the wound with fire and take some antibiotics. Speaking of which, do you have any antibiotics?¡± Zhou Xueguang asked helplessly. ¡°Consider it a loan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some soon,¡± Yu Hong said casually. His attitude gave Zhou Xueguang some confidence¡ªat least medicine didn¡¯t seem to be in short supply.


    The two of them chatted idly as they drove. After more than an hour, they finally returned to the spot where the other Jeep was parked.


    Click.


    Yu Hong opened the door and stepped out. Looking at the fully loaded vehicle, he suddenly found himself in a dilemma.


    ¡°How am I supposed to carry all this back?¡± he asked.


    Zhou Xueguang limped out of the car, looked around at the gray mist that surrounded them, and noted that it was already nearing dusk.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. I suggest not staying here to slowly haul everything back and forth. If the distance isn¡¯t too far, we can come back tomorrow,¡± he replied.


    ¡°No worries, let¡¯s take the most important stuff first,¡± Yu Hong thought for a moment before reaching out to unfasten the nuclear generator from the car roof.


    Luckily, the thing was only the size of a freezer.


    ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯ S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He suddenly recalled something, climbed back into the car, and rummaged around until he found the chip Wei Hongye had given him. Then, he walked around the nuclear generator, searching carefully. Soon, he found a long, narrow slot that was just the right size.


    Holding the chip, he slid it into the slot.


    Click.


    It fit perfectly.


    ¡°And now?¡± Yu Hong looked at the large ¡°freezer,¡± waiting to see what would happen next.


    Buzz.


    Suddenly, the black surface of the ¡°freezer¡± where the slot was located slowly split open, revealing a small door¡ªjust like a real refrigerator. When the door swung open, it exposed a narrow space about the size of a watermelon.


    Inside sat a black, box-like metal device, about the size of a car battery.


    The box was surrounded by countless unknown slots and holes, with rows of tiny green lights blinking on and off. It looked a lot like a power adapter.


    After carefully inspecting the interior walls of the ¡°freezer,¡± Yu Hong confirmed that this little box was the actual nuclear generator.


    The outer shell was just a protective casing¡ªthe real generator was only the size of a watermelon.


    When Yu Hong lifted it out, he found it was much heavier than expected.


    He then manually detached the solar panels from the vehicle before carrying the generator. With Zhou Xueguang walking beside him, both of them left the road, climbed into the forested hills, and disappeared into the mist, making their way toward the safehouse.


    The journey was slow and full of stops, taking over half an hour before they finally reached the cave safehouse.


    Standing outside the courtyard wall, Yu Hong quickly placed their supplies inside the cave before leading Zhou Xueguang toward the post office.


    Most of the primary safehouses¡ªunderground shelters abandoned by former residents¡ªwere located near the post office.


    Before long, Yu Hong settled Zhou Xueguang in the basement of the post office, briefly explained the rescue to Old Li, and then hurried back to the cave safehouse.


    He was eager to integrate the nuclear generator into his hideout.


    Bang.


    The wooden door of the cave shut behind him as Yu Hong sat down on the ground. Looking at the nuclear generator in front of him, his eyes gleamed with hope.


    ¡°How long has it been since I last took a bath?¡±


    ¡°So long that I can¡¯t even remember,¡± he sighed.


    The stench on his body had become so ingrained that his nose had completely adapted¡ªhe could no longer smell it. Only particularly strong odors could still trigger his dulled sense of smell.


    Quickly, he boiled water, prepared soup, and threw in mushrooms and wild vegetables before setting the fire to its lowest heat. After glancing outside at the darkening sky, he rushed out again.


    He spent ten more minutes hauling another load of supplies from the car, stacking them in the second basement.


    This would be his future storage and breeding room.


    Since there was still some daylight left, Yu Hong sped up his pace, making two more trips. Finally, he had transported all the supplies generously gifted by Lang Feng and his group.


    After a rough estimate, the canned food and other rations would last him more than ten days. Combined with his protein bars, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food for a long time.


    ¡®Better get everything in order and fortify my food supply before I start integrating the nuclear generator.¡¯


    Outside, the sky had completely darkened. Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance, hinting at an approaching storm.


    Yu Hong secured the barricades, then sat at the wooden table, placing his hand over the black mark on the back of his hand and closing his eyes.


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    At that moment, a glowing white dot, like a living firefly, slowly appeared in the darkness of his mind and drifted about.


    ¡®Current Imprint: 1.¡¯


    A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.


    ¡®First Imprint: Luminous Stone Grass. Would you like to activate Luminous Stone Grass?¡¯


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 112: Harvest (4)

    ¡®Activate!¡¯ Yu Hong confirmed in his mind.


    Immediately, he felt the trace of internal energy in his abdomen surge upwards, flowing into the black mark on his hand before disappearing completely.


    One second later.


    The glowing dot in his vision suddenly brightened and then burst apart with a soft pop, vanishing completely.


    ¡®Activation successful. Luminous Stone Grass has entered accelerated growth mode. Duration: twelve hours. Growth location: previous growth site.¡¯


    Releasing his hand, Yu Hong felt relieved.


    With the Luminous Stone Grass taken care of, he stood up and went down to the basement, making his way toward the newly transported food supplies.


    All the food had been piled up in the second basement.


    In the dimly lit basement, the atomic lamp cast a hazy green glow.


    On the ground, there was a box of canned beef, a box of canned fish, two boxes of scallion crackers, and a box of mushroom chicken-flavored instant noodles.


    In addition, there were four dried salted fish of varying lengths¡ªsome as long as an arm, others only the size of a book. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Truly kind-hearted people,¡± Yu Hong sighed. He had long grown tired of eating protein bars and jerky. Now, finally, he had a chance to change things up.


    ¡®First, enhance them to extend shelf life.¡¯ He reached out and gently placed his hand on one of the cardboard boxes.


    ¡®Enhance food. Parameters: Extend shelf life, increase calories and nutrition, reduce side effects.¡¯


    A black line flashed, flowing from the black mark into the cardboard box.


    Soon.


    A black countdown appeared on the box: 3 days 15 hours 32 minutes.


    ¡®Enhance food?¡¯ The black mark¡¯s mechanical voice prompted.


    Yu Hong did a quick calculation.


    ¡®When I enhanced lizard jerky before, a single piece took three hours to turn into a protein bar. A bag of ten pieces took over a day. Now, enhancing all this food to a higher quality only takes a little over three days.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t just that. He had also noticed recently that the time required to enhance various items had shortened slightly.


    At first, these small reductions in time weren¡¯t noticeable, but when applied to a large quantity of food at once, the cumulative effect became significant.


    After confirming the enhancement process, Yu Hong settled in patiently, returning to the first floor to enjoy his freshly prepared protein soup.


    Three days¡ªhe could wait.


    After his meal, he rested for half an hour before starting his training.


    His new martial arts technique, which had integrated Heavy Leg Technique, had added a lot of stillness-based exercises. His goal was to develop a technique capable of dealing damage to Ghostly.


    Because of this, Yu Hong held high expectations for it.


    Standing in the first basement, he resumed practicing the first level of the technique¡¯s stillness exercises.


    Following the method described in the manual, he sat cross-legged in a Taoist-style meditation posture.


    As he meditated, his depleted internal energy began slowly absorbing an unknown type of particle from the surroundings, gradually forming new strands of internal energy.


    With his eyes closed, he focused his mind on the visualization diagram of the first level, feeling as though he was soaring through the strange illustration.


    Time seemed to lose meaning. He didn¡¯t know how long had passed or where he even was.


    When he finally regained awareness, a second strand of internal energy had begun forming in his abdomen.


    Comparing it to the first strand, he estimated that two more progressions like this would allow him to fully condense the second strand of internal energy. That would mean he had completely mastered the first level¡¯s stillness exercises and could move on to the second level.


    Splash.


    The sound of rain faintly reached the basement.


    Raindrops struck the wooden door with dull, rhythmic pattering.


    Yu Hong slowly opened his eyes from his meditation, standing up with satisfaction.


    ¡°Almost there¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that just one trip outside would allow me to complete the first level¡¯s stillness exercises.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure why this was happening, but as long as his progress was good, that was enough.


    Glancing at the red-value detector, he saw that only three hours had passed since he started training.


    Ignoring the food still undergoing enhancement, Yu Hong climbed up to the first floor, walked to the door, and pulled open the wooden shutter.


    Beyond the reinforced glass, a torrential downpour blanketed the night.


    No black insects. No moonlight. No stars. Outside was an abyss of ink-like darkness, where nothing could be seen.


    The whooshing rain was the only sign of life.


    Not only that, but the temperature had dropped considerably, and the moisture in the air made the front door emit a constant chill.


    Yu Hong stoked the fireplace, feeding the flames to provide more warmth and dispel the creeping dampness.


    Then, he switched on the radio, tuning it to the only nationwide channel: AM500, National Security Broadcast.


    After rummaging through his supplies, he found a bottle of Luminous Stone Ink and a stack of thin wooden boards. As he listened to the radio, he carefully began drawing new talisman boards.


    There was no news on the broadcast¡ªonly soft, melancholic music. It was a blend of piano, bamboo flute, and drums, carrying an air of longing, solemn and low.


    As time passed, Yu Hong methodically created one array board after another, setting them aside for later enhancement.


    On his last outing, he hadn¡¯t needed the Vortex array Boards, but that didn¡¯t stop him from contemplating their potential applications.


    Judging by how the fusion of Vortex array with his Survival Leg Technique had noticeably increased his internal energy absorption rate, the talismans likely had an effect that enhanced energy intake.


    After completing a stack of array boards, Yu Hong drank some water, lay down in his sleeping bag, and closed his eyes, quickly drifting into restful sleep.


    That night passed in quiet stillness.


    *


    *


    *


    At the entrance of a comprehensive research park in Baihe City¡ª


    Squads of heavily armed United Army soldiers stood guard, protecting the black solar-powered sedans parked at the gate.


    Before long, the car doors opened one by one, and men, women, young, and old stepped out. Their appearances were disheveled, some even wounded, but at this moment, their faces all shared a common expression¡ªjoy.


    Joy mixed with relief.


    The soldiers organized them into two lines, systematically checking, registering, and guiding them into the park.


    Among them were Wei Shanshan and her mother. The two stood in the middle of the queue, surrounded by other key family members of major research institutions.


    Some had been rescued just like them, while others had rushed here from different cities, all for one reason¡ªto make it in time for the complete relocation of Baihe City¡¯s research facilities.


    Once registration was completed, Wei Shanshan and her mother were led by an assigned personnel to a five-story building within the park.


    A group of people was already waiting in front of the building. Leading them was a middle-aged man with short hair, black-rimmed glasses, and a weary expression.


    His facial features resembled Wei Shanshan¡¯s, but were more defined, hinting at a trace of foreign ancestry.


    The moment he saw Wei Shanshan and Qiu Yanxi, his lips trembled involuntarily. Taking a few steps forward, he spread his arms wide.


    Thud.


    Father and daughter embraced tightly, holding each other as they sobbed.


    It was an incredibly touching scene, yet Qiu Yanxi remained calm on the side.


    ¡°This time, it¡¯s all thanks to you. Consider this a favor I owe you.¡± She spoke softly.


    ¡°Xixi, are you still angry with me?¡± Wei Hongye held his daughter and turned to his wife, gripping her hand.


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s just¡­¡± Qiu Yanxi sighed. After experiencing life-and-death hardships, she seemed to have lost the sharpness and severity of her past demeanor.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about this now. This time, we brought something back for you. Although it turned into powder halfway, perhaps you can still study it as a sample.¡±


    She carefully took out a plastic bag containing the powdered remains of Luminous grass and handed it to Wei Hongye. The moment she noticed the herb had turned to powder, she realized its significance and immediately sealed it in a bag.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll conduct a thorough analysis. Tell me more about where it came from.¡± Wei Hongye nodded, his expression serious. ¡°Also, that wild man who helped you, the one named Yu Hong¡­ Did he¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but a strange weight settled in his gaze behind the glasses.


    ¡°¡­No!¡± Qiu Yanxi¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°Neither I nor your daughter were harmed! You can rest assured on that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Wei Hongye let out a breath¡ªwhether out of genuine relief or not was unclear. ¡°In exchange, I gave him the token for the nuclear-powered motor. Only with that token can he locate and activate the real micro nuclear reactor. It was a fair trade.¡±


    ¡°Was it really fair?¡± Qiu Yanxi stared at her husband. She knew his nature all too well.


    ¡°I told him the location and gave him the key. Whether he gets the motor or not is no longer my concern. My reach ends there¡ªI can¡¯t interfere beyond that.¡± Wei Hongye remained composed.


    As for whether he knew that the nuclear motor¡¯s location was under surveillance by the Black Crow team, or that he had sold the information to multiple buyers¡ªonly he himself knew.


    Holding the powdered Luminous grass, he spoke again.


    ¡°Alright, come inside and rest. Then tell me everything you encountered and what this powder is.¡± He smiled, visibly more relaxed.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qiu Yanxi nodded.


    ¡°Our time here is running out. We must leave for New Aurora City as soon as possible.¡± Wei Hongye stated.


    ¡°What happened? Another incident?¡± Qiu Yanxi frowned.


    ¡°Yes. The defense lines keep falling back, the red zone contamination levels are rising, and Shadow entities are appearing more frequently. Even previously low-threat creatures and Shadows are becoming increasingly difficult to handle. The Luminous Ore deposits are also shrinking. This place won¡¯t be safe much longer.¡± Wei Hongye sighed.


    ¡°¡­Even Aurora City and Silver Tower are struggling?¡± Qiu Yanxi¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Silver Tower¡¯s wireless communications have been down for half a month¡­ The situation is likely dire.¡± Wei Hongye exhaled heavily. ¡°The rising red zone contamination has triggered unpredictable and dangerous environmental changes. The Aurora City Council, in agreement with the United Army leadership, has signed a new treaty. From now on, all Black Disaster ranked Level 4 or above will be dealt with through isolation and containment¡ªno longer through combat and rescue missions.¡±


    ¡°How could this be!?¡± Both Qiu Yanxi and Wei Shanshan were stunned.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I was so desperate to bring you back. This might be the last retrieval mission. From now on, there won¡¯t be any more rescue operations from the United Army. Those left outside¡­ will have to fend for themselves.¡± Wei Hongye sighed.


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    He lifted his gaze toward the dark and eerie night sky.


    ¡°We have one month to leave. According to reliable intel, a wave of high-risk Black Calamities from the frontline breach will arrive in a month and a half. Aside from the troublesome Whisperers, the Many-Eyed Birds, and the Withering Maidens, this wave also includes a Level 6 threat¡ªthe Intermittent Man.¡±


    He closed his eyes, and for the first time, a flicker of fear crossed his face.


    ¡°With the current conditions in Baihe City, if it encounters this wave¡­ the city will be wiped out. We must leave before word spreads.¡±


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 113: Prevention (1)

    Yu Hong took some anti-inflammatory medicine and headed to the post office.


    It was not yet ten in the morning when he saw Old Li standing by the stone house, talking quietly with Zhou Xueguang.


    This made his brows furrow slightly.


    ¡°Old Li,¡± he called softly.


    Li Runshan looked up and waved at him. ¡°You came at the right time. I just took Old Zhou to pick out a burrow. Now we¡¯re talking about the troubles at the front lines. Since you¡¯re here, let¡¯s all listen together.¡± His expression was more serious than usual, lacking his usual playful demeanor.


    ¡°What about the Multi-eyed bird? Why are you standing outside?¡± Yu Hong walked over and entered the courtyard.


    ¡°The Multi-eyed bird¡¯s attacks usually last for one to three waves. If it keeps failing, it will quickly switch targets. Based on what Old Li told me about the previous attack patterns, the Multi-eyed bird likely won¡¯t be coming back here,¡± Zhou Xueguang said. After a night of rest, he seemed much better, and his wounds had been well treated, covered in white bandages.


    ¡°Then why do you both look so grim?¡± Yu Hong frowned.


    ¡°In the Black Disaster, the real danger isn¡¯t the Blood Tide creatures but the Shadow entities. Whether it¡¯s ordinary Shadows or various Evil Shadows, they¡¯re like assassins¡ªimpossible to guard against,¡± Zhou Xueguang sighed.


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about the front lines. That¡¯s where the greatest dangers are. Old Zhou is sharing his experiences so we can think of more ways to prepare,¡± Li Runshan explained.


    ¡°Sigh.¡± Zhou Xueguang sighed again. ¡°The biggest trouble with the Multi-eyed bird isn¡¯t its strength. The real reason it¡¯s classified as Level Four is its reproduction rate.¡±


    ¡°Reproduction? You don¡¯t mean what I think you mean, do you?¡± Li Runshan¡¯s expression froze, looking uneasy.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you think. In fact, the Multi-eyed birds that made it past the front lines were just two originally. All the others were bred in the time since,¡± Zhou Xueguang said helplessly.


    Yu Hong¡¯s expression stiffened. He had personally repelled many Multi-eyed bird attacks and knew how troublesome they were.


    ¡°But right now, the biggest threat isn¡¯t them. It¡¯s the high-risk Black Disasters from the front lines!¡± Zhou Xueguang stated.


    ¡°Come inside,¡± Li Runshan said, picking up a wooden bucket of collected rainwater and heading into the stone house.


    Though the house was in poor condition, with issues everywhere, at least the roof was intact, providing shelter from the sun and rain.


    The three entered the living room and sat around together.


    ¡°What high-risk Black Disasters from the front lines might come here? Old Zhou, don¡¯t scare us. Are you sure high-risk ones will show up?¡± Li Runshan asked anxiously. He still had a sick daughter to care for, and the thought made his heart sink.


    ¡°High-risk Black Disasters usually don¡¯t appear together. They seem to compete with each other for hunting grounds. In our direction, the two most dangerous ones are the Withered Black Maiden and the Intermittent Man,¡± Zhou Xueguang said in a low voice. ¡°The Withered Black Maiden is war-class. If you encounter her, you¡¯re almost certainly dead¡ªthere¡¯s no way to fight back. The Intermittent Man is a system of Evil Shadows with over ten variants. They attack and kill at lightning speed, just as hard to guard against as the Whisperer. The worst part is, if you let your guard down even a little, you¡¯ll disappear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Withered Black Maiden¡­ but an upgraded version of the Withered Maiden? I¡¯ve never seen the Intermittent Man. Tell me how to deal with them,¡± Yu Hong asked seriously.


    ¡°The method is simple¡ªthe Luminous Stone Chambers work. They can hide a person¡¯s presence. The Intermittent Man can¡¯t be repelled or physically interacted with, just like the Whispering Men. The only time you can truly make contact with them is in the moment they strike. To temporarily escape or defend against them, you need a high concentration of Luminous Stone Solution¡ªat least at the Luminous Stone Core level. And you need at least a full liter at once. If the concentration is diluted even slightly, it won¡¯t work,¡± Zhou Xueguang sighed. ¡°The Intermittent Man is the most common and most dangerous Black Disaster on the front lines. It kills the most people because it¡¯s impossible to guard against. The Whispering Men still need time to build up, but the Intermittent Man doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°High-concentration Luminous Stone Core Solution¡­¡± Yu Hong¡¯s face darkened. He didn¡¯t have Luminous Stone Core, only Great Luminous Stones. Based on the description, dealing with the Intermittent Man might require a Silver Rune Array.


    ¡°From the time I left the front lines, I estimate we have just over a month before a large-scale Black Disaster reaches this area. You two should start stockpiling¡ªfood, water, everything. The outside world is about to become several levels more dangerous,¡± Zhou Xueguang warned.


    ¡°Damn! How the hell are normal people supposed to survive this?!¡± Li Runshan¡¯s face darkened, and he slammed his fist onto his thigh.


    ¡°The environment should have worsened long ago. The only reason it hasn¡¯t is because the front lines have been holding back the most dangerous Black Disasters. But now¡­ they just can¡¯t hold them back anymore,¡± Zhou Xueguang said quietly.


    ¡°You said¡­ just over a month?!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s face turned even grimmer. The current dangers were already troublesome enough. If things got even worse¡­ he might not even dare to leave his home. As for other survivors, without Sunlight Materials for hiding, they¡¯d be dead the moment they stepped outside.


    ¡°This is just my estimate. Black Disasters don¡¯t move fast, but their direction is stable and predictable. They also don¡¯t overlap¡ªonly one high-risk Black Disaster will appear in a given area at a time. On the front lines, we often use this to our advantage, deliberately luring in the lesser-known but easier-to-handle Black Disasters to drive away the more dangerous ones,¡± Zhou Xueguang explained.


    ¡°So, in our area, the most likely threats are the Withered Black Maiden and the Intermittent Man?¡± Yu Hong confirmed.


    ¡°Yes. Our front-line defense mainly dealt with those types. Other creatures, like insects, are minor threats. As for the Blood Tide, the most dangerous ones are the Elephant Beetles, Eagle Bugs, and Phantom Jellyfish, but they can be temporarily repelled with laser sweeps and large-scale bombardments,¡± Zhou Xueguang nodded.


    Yu Hong and Li Runshan exchanged worried glances.


    ¡°If Old Zhou¡¯s information is accurate, then we¡¯ll have to drastically reduce how often we go outside from now on.¡± Li Runshan¡¯s expression was grim. ¡°I asked him how the front lines handle this situation. He said the best approach is to minimize outdoor activity. If you must go outside, the only option is to use underground Sunlight Passageways. But even those aren¡¯t completely safe. There are many types of Sunlight Materials, each designed to counter specific dangers. While they can prevent most threats from detecting us, there are still a few that can break through and launch surprise attacks.¡±


    ¡°So, at the front lines, the biggest issue is actually food supply,¡± Zhou Xueguang nodded. ¡°Every supply run costs lives. Rather than saying our fortresses are resisting the Black Disasters, it would be more accurate to say we are using ourselves as bait¡ªdrawing the Black Disasters toward us so they don¡¯t break through to attack the rear.¡±


    ¡°What about Silver Tower? What about Aurora City?¡± Yu Hong couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Is there really no solution? Not even nuclear weapons?¡±


    ¡°Silver Tower has lost contact.¡± Zhou Xueguang looked even more dejected. ¡°If that weren¡¯t the case, we wouldn¡¯t have lost all hope and fled the front lines. Without Silver Tower¡¯s intelligence reports and Sunlight Materials, staying there would just be waiting for death. But even if we still had their support, humanity¡¯s current arsenal can¡¯t kill a single Black Disaster¡ªwe can only repel them, over and over again.¡±


    ¡°If the front lines can¡¯t handle them, then what¡¯s the point of fleeing inland? Just to delay death a little longer?¡± Li Runshan asked bitterly.


    ¡°No!¡± Zhou Xueguang suddenly looked serious. ¡°It¡¯s true that we can¡¯t fight Black Disasters¡ªbut we can isolate them! As long as the distance is great enough and we give them enough space to remain undisturbed, they will stay in place indefinitely! That¡¯s why the government abandoned the old cities and built the new Hope Cities!¡±


    Yu Hong and Li Runshan fell silent, absorbing the weight of Zhou Xueguang¡¯s words.


    After a while, Yu Hong forced a bitter smile. ¡°Now I¡¯m really glad I ran into you on my way back. The information you brought came just in time. If the danger had arrived before we prepared¡­ it would¡¯ve been too late.¡±


    ¡°I tried contacting the higher-ups, but they haven¡¯t responded. Now it seems it¡¯s not that they don¡¯t have information¡ªthey¡¯re just keeping quiet to prevent panic,¡± Li Runshan said darkly.


    For a moment, the three men said nothing.


    Outside, even the United Army had collapsed. The United Nations¡¯ top research institution, Silver Tower, had gone dark. Humanity¡¯s ability to fight the Black Disasters seemed nonexistent. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Did humanity still have any hope?


    Minutes passed in heavy silence.


    Finally, Yu Hong exhaled and broke the quiet. ¡°If,¡± he said, ¡°and I mean if¡ªwe stop relying on supply teams and survive on our own, Old Li, can your farm sustain us?¡±


    ¡°No problem. I can supply basic food for seven or eight people at full capacity,¡± Li Runshan replied. ¡°But you have to consider¡ªif things get more dangerous out there, what about wild vegetables? Without trace minerals and dietary fiber, we¡¯ll still be doomed.¡±


    ¡°We have to find a way to move safely outside. I remember someone had a sealed chamber made of Sunlight Materials, right?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°You mean Jenny?¡± Li Runshan reacted immediately. They had talked about this before, but Jenny¡¯s chamber mainly relied on surface coatings of Sunlight Material, making it difficult to relocate.


    ¡°Also, the daylight hours are getting shorter and shorter. If¡ªjust if¡ªdaylight shrinks even more and wild plants stop growing, what do we do? Survive solely on mushrooms?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Silver Tower anticipated this possibility and developed Night Grass Mushrooms to counter it. But I don¡¯t have any spores,¡± Li Runshan admitted.


    ¡°Where can we find them?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a mushroom research institute in Yuanfeng City. They might have some.¡± Li Runshan hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out.¡±


    Yu Hong had brought back Zhou Xueguang and his critical intel. Now, it was time for him to contribute. If the supply teams really stopped coming, he would still have to feed three people. And when it came to Great Luminous Stones, he¡¯d need Yu Hong¡¯s help.


    ¡°What about Aisena?¡±


    ¡°She has her two sisters taking care of her. No problem,¡± Old Li said confidently. He clearly trusted the two beautiful women.


    ¡°As long as you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Yu Hong replied, not pressing further.


    ¡°I encountered the Intermittent Man and the Withered Black Maiden many times at the front lines. I¡¯ll write down what to watch out for,¡± Zhou Xueguang said. He was still injured but didn¡¯t want to waste time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll lend you my car. Just make sure to reinstall the solar panels when you¡¯re done,¡± Yu Hong said, tossing the keys to Li Runshan. A solar-powered car would save him a lot of time on the trip.


    ¡°Great! That makes things so much easier!¡± Li Runshan was overjoyed. ¡°Take care of Nana for me. My farm is in good hands¡ªmy two girlfriends are managing it, and I already taught them everything.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Yu Hong nodded. ¡°I need to install the nuclear generator. With it, even if there¡¯s no sunlight, we¡¯ll still have power.¡±


    ¡°If we run out of electricity, we¡¯ll come to you for a charge!¡± Li Runshan laughed. He hadn¡¯t expected Yu Hong¡¯s trip to bring back a fully functional nuclear generator.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 114: Prevention (2)

    ¡°By the way, Yu Hong, I heard from old Zhou that you ran into Du Chengtao on your way back?¡± Li Runshan asked. He had listened to Zhou Xueguang¡¯s account of being rescued but still found it hard to believe.


    After all, he knew exactly what Yu Hong was capable of¡ªhe was the one who sold him the basic leg techniques.


    Yu Hong being able to handle ordinary experts, especially with firearms and equipment, made sense. But taking down Du Chengtao directly? That seemed a bit too much.


    He knew firsthand how difficult Du Chengtao was to deal with.


    Yu Hong had dealt with many enemies before, but he had always relied on weapons and equipment. Du Chengtao, however, was a different kind of monster.


    As a fully enhanced individual, Du Chengtao could tear through standard bulletproof gear with ease. Unless Yu Hong had high-end custom armor¡ªlike the Blue Whale Suit¡ªthere was no way he could stand a chance against him. And even with that armor, it would only be useful for escaping.


    Facing a monster capable of exerting one or two tons of force with a single punch¡ªone strong enough to smash through walls¡ªhe seriously doubted Yu Hong¡¯s equipment could withstand such an attack.


    ¡°I was just lucky,¡± Yu Hong sighed. ¡°Du Chengtao underestimated me because I wasn¡¯t as big as him. I managed to catch him off guard with a specialized weapon. Plus, when I encountered him, he wasn¡¯t wearing any gear or carrying any weapons¡ªhe was completely unarmed.¡±


    Li Runshan immediately understood.


    ¡°That explains it.¡±


    Without equipment, even a fully enhanced individual was still just flesh and blood. They were stronger than ordinary people, but that didn¡¯t mean they could withstand bullets and explosives unprotected.


    Only when equipped with high-end gear and weaponry did they become war machines, unstoppable killing machines.


    Even the strongest enhanced individual would drop with a well-placed bullet if they weren¡¯t properly equipped.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on this. old Zhou¡¯s intel came just in time. We need to work together and prepare as quickly as possible,¡± Li Runshan said.


    The three quickly reached a consensus.


    The looming danger forced them to set aside any doubts and focus entirely on securing their survival.


    After finalizing their plans, Zhou Xueguang decided to stay in the underground shelter beneath the post office to recover from his injuries while also documenting key defensive measures.


    Yu Hong, meanwhile, swiftly returned to his safehouse.


    By the time he got back, new patches of luminous stone grass had already grown in the courtyard outside the cave.


    Seeing the fresh growth, he felt a faint sense of security.


    Upon entering his home, Yu Hong quickly grabbed the solar panels, set them up by his vehicle, and then returned to his safehouse to start digging a third underground chamber.


    He planned to spend the next month digging this new chamber, which would serve as an emergency backup room specifically for storing the nuclear generator and water system.


    Time passed quickly as he alternated between digging and training. In the blink of an eye, more than two days had passed.


    By now, Li Runshan had already set off for Yuanfeng City, a location even farther than Baihe City¡ªabout three hundred kilometers away. Without Yu Hong¡¯s solar-powered vehicle, the journey would have taken at least half a month.


    With the vehicle, however, he could make the trip in just two days¡ªassuming no unexpected incidents occurred.


    Boom. Boom. Boom.


    Inside the wooden house in the courtyard, Yu Hong crushed large chunks of luminous stone and ground them into powder using a metal drum. This would serve as material for the enhanced luminous stone ink he planned to use later.


    As he worked, he occasionally heard the distant cries of multi-eyed birds.


    Fortunately, these creatures had become increasingly rare. Even when they did call out, their voices grew fainter each time.


    In the past, he might have been relieved, thinking it meant the area had become safer. But after learning about the patterns of the Black disaster from Zhou Xueguang, he now understood what this truly signified: Level-4 multi-eyed birds were retreating to avoid an even greater, more dangerous Black disaster.


    An even bigger threat was approaching.


    ¡®At least today¡¯s food enhancement is almost complete,¡¯ Yu Hong thought.


    After grinding a bit more luminous stone powder, he checked the time, then stopped his work and picked up a bag of the powdered material. He quickly crossed the grassy area and returned to the cave entrance.


    Using a key, he unlocked the door, placed the bag inside, then shut the door behind him. Without delay, he rushed into the underground chamber.


    Inside, the piles of food cans and supplies from before had completely disappeared. In their place were three neatly packed white cardboard boxes.


    Black lettering was printed on the exterior of the boxes: Emergency Nutrition Paste.


    Curious, Yu Hong walked up to one of the boxes and used his fingernail to slice through the clear tape sealing it shut. He lifted the lid.


    Inside, neatly arranged green plastic packets held some kind of paste-like substance.


    Each packet was about the length of a palm and roughly as thick as two fingers placed together. Tiny printed text covered the green surface.


    Standard Balanced Nutrition Paste: ¡°For adults over 18. One packet per day provides all necessary micronutrients and sufficient daily caloric intake for basic activities.¡±


    Warning: ¡°Consume within the expiration date. Nutrition paste is not a substitute for fresh food. Long-term consumption may lead to appetite suppression.¡±


    Shelf Life: ¡°1095 days. Storage conditions: Keep in a cool, dry place away from light.¡±


    ¡°Not bad!¡± Yu Hong grinned as he examined the labels.


    Each box contained one hundred packets, meaning he now had three hundred packets in total.


    That was three hundred days¡¯ worth of food¡ªnearly ten months if it was just for him alone.


    ¡®Considering my increased appetite due to training, even if I eat double portions, this will last me five months! And the best part is, it contains all the essential nutrients I need. Even without mushrooms or wild vegetables, I should be fine.¡¯


    After opening and checking the other two boxes, he confirmed that all the nutrition paste was identical. Each packet even contained a small amount of water, and the airtight packaging ensured long-term preservation.


    Satisfied with his food supply, Yu Hong carefully moved the boxes into the corner. Then, he carried the nuclear generator to the newly dug third underground chamber.


    This third chamber was located directly behind the first and second underground rooms, running parallel to them and connected via passageways.


    Thanks to his greatly increased strength and endurance, Yu Hong had managed to carve out a 3¡Á3¡Á3 cubic space in just two days.


    This small space was just right for storing the nuclear generator and water supply system.


    Soon, after moving everything into place, Yu Hong exhaled, stood in front of the third underground chamber¡¯s entrance, and pressed his hand against the wall.


    ¡°Enhance safehouse: integrate nuclear generator, water supply system, improve piping, and reinforce the walls.¡±


    He quickly stated his requirements.


    This was essentially the same as when he had installed the fireplace¡ªsimply using the Black Mark to integrate the nuclear generator and water supply system into the safehouse.


    A black line shot out from the Black Mark, and soon a prompt appeared.


    ¡°Enhance safehouse?¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A countdown timer appeared on the wall in front of Yu Hong: 26 days, 15 hours, 07 minutes.


    ¡°26 days, huh?¡± Yu Hong sighed in relief. What he feared most was that the process would take too long, leaving him unprepared when an even greater Black disaster arrived. That would be a nightmare.


    Now that he had enough time, he confirmed without hesitation: ¡°Yes!¡±


    The countdown flickered and began ticking down.


    Yu Hong stood up, filled with anticipation.


    After this, he would have at least twenty years of stable energy and a reliable water supply.


    At that point, he could even set up a subterranean farm. No matter how dangerous things got outside, he could survive entirely within his safehouse, self-sufficient and free from all the chaotic threats.


    The luminous stone chamber would ensure that he remained hidden from most Black disasters, allowing him to completely disappear from their sight.


    *


    *


    *


    Baihe City.


    Third Underground Passage in the Suburbs.


    In the dimly lit, wide passage, a squad of heavily armed United Army soldiers, equipped with firearms and sigil plates, carefully advanced deeper into the tunnel. They carried powerful, dazzling searchlights, illuminating the path ahead.


    ¡°Linzi, how much farther?¡± the man leading the group asked in a low voice.


    ¡°We¡¯re still 220 meters from today¡¯s patrol checkpoint,¡± the soldier behind him quickly responded.


    ¡°Not bad, almost done. After this patrol, I¡¯m buying everyone a drink at the Rat Bar,¡± the squad leader sighed in relief, a faint smile appearing on his face inside his helmet.


    ¡°Thanks, Captain!¡±


    ¡°Long live the Captain!¡±


    The six-man team immediately perked up. In these times, alcohol was incredibly expensive, and their salaries weren¡¯t enough to casually afford a drink.


    But just as the group was enjoying the moment, the soldier at the very back of the formation remained silent. Sweat drenched his chubby face under his helmet, and his hair stuck to his forehead in damp strands.


    ¡°Old An, why are you so quiet? The Captain rarely treats us to drinks. If he weren¡¯t about to get a promotion and a pay raise, we wouldn¡¯t be getting this chance!¡± A female soldier with a red ponytail whispered beside him.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The chubby soldier, Old An, smiled weakly and looked up. His face inside the helmet carried an inexplicable blankness.


    ¡°Old An? What¡¯s wrong?¡± The red-haired soldier asked with concern.


    ¡°What¡­ did you just say?¡± Old An suddenly responded with an unrelated question.


    ¡°I asked what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± the female soldier repeated.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Old An lowered his head. ¡°I just¡­ want¡­ freedom!!¡±


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Suddenly, a sharp electronic beeping sound came from his body.


    The soldiers around him immediately realized something was wrong. Their faces changed, and they instinctively tried to scatter.


    But it was too late.


    Boom!!!


    In an instant, Old An¡¯s entire body was torn apart by a massive explosion of orange-yellow flames.


    The fire expanded rapidly, unleashing a shockwave that filled every corner of the tunnel.


    The entire United Army patrol squad, who had just been exploring moments ago, was completely consumed and vanished.


    ¡°What? Another case of sudden auditory hallucinations, mind corruption, and then self-detonation!?¡±


    In the United Army Command Center of Baihe City, located directly beneath the central district¡¯s underground defense shelter, a white-haired man, forehead covered in sweat, was gasping as he answered the phone.


    He wore a dark purple military officer¡¯s uniform, with two military insignias embroidered on his shoulders. The insignias featured a silver sunbird in a simple sketch style, surrounded by a fine star-dust patterned ribbon.


    Such insignias signified a major general rank¡ªonly the highest military commander in charge of an entire prefecture-level city¡¯s Hope Fortress was permitted to wear them.


    The man currently answering the call in this underground office, his face tense with anxiety, was Baihe City¡¯s highest-ranking United Army officer¡ªChen Xingzhao.


    ¡°Three patrol squads have been wiped out in just two days due to mind corruption. Have all the bodies been isolated? Did you ensure absolute silence from a distance? The Whispering Specter¡¯s principle is simple¡ªonce understood, it¡¯s actually easy to defend against. How did you let it get this bad?!¡±


    Chen Xingzhao was furious.


    The Whisperer, as long as it didn¡¯t infect people and was properly quarantined, wasn¡¯t actually that dangerous. That was why, despite the high death toll it caused, it was still only classified as a Level-4 threat.


    ¡°Sir, now is not the time to investigate how the Whisperer spread. We need to act immediately to prevent further outbreaks!¡± A middle-aged woman¡¯s voice came firmly from the other end of the line.


    ¡°Broadcast the emergency notice repeatedly. Deploy the Silence Operatives to start screening the area. The Lightlock model trackers from Aurora City should be able to detect the Whisperer¡¯s subtle fluctuations at close range,¡± Chen Xingzhao ordered through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Understood! But what about the areas where attacks have already occurred?¡± the middle-aged woman asked.


    ¡°Deploy the Enhanced Units. Move in as fast as possible and launch sound-absorbing foam. Completely seal off the affected zones,¡± Chen Xingzhao commanded.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 115: Intermittent (1)

    Puff.


    Puff.


    Puff.


    Barrel after barrel of rocks was carried out of the cave by Yu Hong and dumped into the courtyard.


    Then, carrying his stone-cutting tools, he returned to the cave to continue excavating a new chamber. This time, his fourth chamber was not being dug downward but extending into the mountain.


    This fourth chamber was meant to serve as a relaxation and entertainment space.


    For a long time, he had been placing his bed in the frontmost entrance room, which significantly affected his rest.


    So, he planned to create a separate rest and entertainment room, which could also store some of his most valuable belongings. If the entrance was ever compromised, this additional depth would provide a secondary line of defense.


    From 7 AM to noon, five full hours, he dedicated himself entirely to excavation.


    After lunch, he took a one-hour nap before getting up to train.


    His foundational survival leg technique, which had incorporated the Vortex Rune and Heavy Leg Technique, now greatly accelerated his internal energy cultivation. Based on the enhancement provided by the Black Mark, this technique should have the ability to resist the Ghostly Shadows.


    This made Yu Hong quite curious¡ªjust how would this technique counter the Ghostly Shadows?


    After three hours of training, he went out to the post office and finally retrieved the breeding boxes that Old Li had prepared for him. Along with them were fungus packs. He needed to start by cultivating mushroom bull¡¯s-leg fungi. Once he had enough, he could begin breeding cockroaches, and ultimately, he would use lizard hatchlings¡ªfeeding them with cockroaches to produce dried lizard meat.


    ¡°How do I start the cultivation?¡±


    By the communicator, Yu Hong carefully poured teams of decomposed soil into the breeding boxes, leveling it out, before picking up the fungus packs to check the manual left by Old Li.


    The instructions were detailed:


    ¡°First, sterilize the soil to ensure that only the fungal spores remain.¡±


    After some thought, he decided to pour out all the decomposed soil and boil it in a large pot with a bit of water.


    However, very quickly, the pot bottom started to burn¡ªsome unknown substances in the soil had charred.


    Hurriedly, he removed the soil, only to find that the bottom of the pot was nearly burnt through. If not for the Black Mark¡¯s ability to repair things, this one sterilization attempt would have cost him an entire afternoon.


    Eventually, he came up with a new method¡ªsteam sterilization. Separating the soil into small portions, he sterilized them bit by bit.


    By evening, he had finally finished preparing the soil, placing the fungus packs inside, spraying water, and covering it with a plastic sheet to maintain warmth. Now, it was a waiting game.


    ¡°Hopefully, this works.¡±


    After setting up the breeding boxes in the basement, he resumed his evening training.


    This routine continued for three days. Gradually, he watched as tiny white mushroom heads emerged from the black soil inside the breeding boxes.


    This finally put his anxious mind at ease.


    On the fourth morning, he headed to the post office to check on things.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    A series of crisp knocks rang out, and the stone house door quickly opened. The two women inside, who had already been informed via communicator of his visit, had been waiting.


    Aisena was also present, wrapped in a Luminous stone blanket, looking like she had just woken up.


    ¡°Uncle Yu!¡±


    Seeing Yu Hong, she immediately greeted him cheerfully.


    ¡°Nana, everything alright these past few days? Before your father returns, I¡¯ll look after you. Let me know if anything happens,¡± Yu Hong said as he entered, gently pinching her cheek.


    ¡°Mm, nothing happened,¡± Aisena shook her head, looking obedient and well-behaved.


    ¡°Mr. Yu, Nana is fine, but when we went out to fetch water yesterday, we found a corpse¡ªa body lying by the water,¡± one of Old Li¡¯s two women spoke. She had two braids, no makeup, and a naturally delicate appearance, looking no older than her early twenties.


    ¡°A corpse?¡± Yu Hong raised an eyebrow. ¡°A fresh one?¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s been dead for a long time,¡± the woman shook her head.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Yu Hong observed the woman¡ªher build was slightly petite, but her eyes were sharp and intelligent, unlike her companion, who seemed more like a typical beauty without much depth.


    ¡°Lin Haini,¡± she answered quickly. ¡°Right now, the wilderness is constantly covered with black tide. There shouldn¡¯t be any corpses left intact. So when I saw it, I found it strange.¡±


    ¡°Where did you find it?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Near Baiqiu Village. Brother Shan dug a small pond there to collect rainwater,¡± the other woman interjected, seemingly unwilling to be ignored. ¡°Mr. Yu, my name is Song Wei. I also saw the corpse. I can take you there.¡±


    Lin Haini glanced at her but remained silent, seemingly letting her take the lead.


    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s still time. Lead the way,¡± Yu Hong said, indifferent to who guided him. His goal was simply to see the body.


    If a corpse remained intact despite the swarms of black bugs, it must be hiding some kind of secret.


    Without delay, Song Wei grabbed an array board and, following a familiar route, led Yu Hong out of the stone house toward their usual water collection site.


    Before long, they passed the stone house and arrived at a shadowy rock face.


    This rock face was hidden behind shrubs and shielded by several large trees.


    At the base of the rock, a duckbill-shaped pond had been dug, with floating leaves scattered across its surface.


    The pond was filled with clear water, and on a patch of grass beside it lay a withered black corpse, face down, silent and still.


    The corpse wore a gray-black, multi-pocketed loose jacket, a wide-brimmed sun hat, and one outstretched hand clutched something tightly, as if it had been crawling forward in desperation to reach the water.


    ¡°When you fetched water before, was this body here?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°No, it must have appeared recently,¡± Song Wei quickly answered, feeling somewhat fearful of the burly man beside her.


    Yu Hong nodded and moved closer, pulling out a red-value detector.


    To his surprise, even when he was just a meter away from the corpse, the detector showed a stable reading of the environmental red value¡ªtwenty-something, with no fluctuations at all.


    Drawing out his spiked wolf club, he carefully flipped the corpse over.


    Puff.


    The body landed face-up. Its dark, hollow eye sockets were devoid of eyeballs, as if they had been dug out.


    It looked like the shriveled corpse of an old man, but from the size of its shoes, it was clear that this was no elderly person.


    After all, an old man wouldn¡¯t deliberately wear shoes far larger than his feet, especially in such a dangerous environment.


    Soon, Yu Hong noticed that the corpse¡¯s tightly clenched hand seemed to be holding something.


    Crouching down, he carefully pried open the stiff fingers one by one and extracted a crumpled, yellowed paper.


    Unfolding it, he found hurried, scribbled lines of writing:


    ¡°Dear Vasana, if you see this letter, I am no longer in this world¡­ The family¡¯s downfall was never my intention. That gamble¡ªhad I won, we would have risen to great heights. But since I lost, this is the price we pay¡­¡±


    Yu Hong frowned and scanned the surroundings for danger before continuing to read.


    ¡°Follow the map I left in the safe. Return to the place where our family first rose to power¡­ All of our secrets lie buried there.¡±


    ¡°What is this? A fallen noble on an adventure, searching for treasure?¡±


    Yu Hong finished reading the letter, then flipped it over and examined it again carefully.


    Aside from a name at the very bottom of the letter, there was nothing else of note.


    ¡°Lurs Mesa.¡±


    He read the name aloud. It was clearly not an Eastern River name¡ªmore like something from the Flica region.


    Yu Hong thought for a moment, then quickly searched the corpse¡¯s pockets.


    All he found were a few miscellaneous items¡ªa flashlight, a magnesium rod, a simple water filtration straw, and a hiking backpack stuffed with food wrappers.


    Other than that, this guy had nothing. Not even a single silver coin. A complete pauper.


    Yu Hong stood up, his brows furrowed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back first. We¡¯ll talk later.¡± He ordered.


    The surrounding fog was growing thicker. Staying outside too long could be dangerous.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Song Wei nodded quickly. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two of them hurried back to the post office, arriving just as Old Zhou was moving supplies.


    Zhou Xueguang was transporting goods from the post office to the underground safe house where Jenny and her daughter lived.


    Carrying a large sack on his back, he nodded at Yu Hong before preparing to leave.


    ¡°Old Zhou, I just happen to have something to ask you.¡± Yu Hong stepped forward and called out. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come in and sit for a bit?¡±


    Old Zhou hesitated for a few seconds before speaking.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    They entered the post office and sat down. Song Wei and Lin Haini, knowing what to do, took Nana to hide underground.


    Only Yu Hong and Zhou Xueguang remained, sitting across from each other.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhou Xueguang exhaled wearily.


    ¡°I found an unusual corpse. Have you seen anything like it on the frontlines?¡± Yu Hong described the blackened mummified body and handed the letter over.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a low-ranking officer. I know a lot about frontline intelligence and common knowledge, but I don¡¯t know much about the Flica region.¡± Zhou Xueguang shook his head.


    He lightly shook the letter in his hand.


    ¡°This is strange. In a place this dangerous, how did a Flica native manage to cross the sea, reach Eastern River, and end up near us?¡±


    ¡°Could he have been like you, a soldier discharged from the frontlines?¡± Yu Hong asked.


    ¡°Eastern River doesn¡¯t recruit mercenaries. The United Army might have some exchange officers, but why would he come all the way here?¡± Zhou Xueguang frowned.


    ¡°According to the letter, their family¡¯s great secret is hidden here.¡± Yu Hong said.


    ¡°Not necessarily. Maybe he died on the way before reaching his actual destination.¡± Zhou Xueguang countered.


    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Yu Hong nodded. ¡°Honestly, besides an old luminous stone mine, there isn¡¯t much of value around here.¡±


    Even so, Yu Hong couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was something unusual about the corpse.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about anything else for now. While the multi-eyed birds are avoiding this area, we need to finish all our preparations quickly.¡± Zhou Xueguang reminded him.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Yu Hong nodded firmly. The mushrooms in the cultivation box were sprouting¡ªsoon, self-sufficiency would become a reality.


    When that time came, he could stay hidden at home, never going outside again.


    (End of chapter)

 Chapter 116.5: Announcement

    It have come to my notice that people have been taking my translation of this novel and uploading them in sites i am not affiliated with , so here what imma do from now on the novel schedule will change to 3ch/week (mon,wed,fri) from 5ch/week, there will be no bonus chapters anymore for this novel and for those who want to read ahead they can do so on ko-fi where imma soon gonna start a monthly membership thing where u can read upto 12 chapters ahead. Sorry to everyone who love and enjoy this series ???? sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kofi :- http://ko-fi.com/ilikeramen/tiers


    The membership will be available by tomorrow i think lol

 Chapter 116: Intermittent (2)

    n the blink of an eye, two weeks¡ªfourteen days¡ªhad passed.


    At Baihe City Port, cargo ships slowly departed, heading toward the vast ocean.


    These ships were fully loaded with supplies and carried waves of migrants seeking refuge elsewhere.


    The population of Baihe City was rapidly dwindling as people left in large numbers.


    Everyone was trying to reach New Aurora City, a place far safer and more resource-abundant than here.


    To cover the city¡¯s evacuation, elite enhanced soldiers from the United Army were deployed. They assisted regular military squads in handling nearby threats.


    Outside the city¡ªa deserted industrial park.


    A fully armed squad, equipped with firearms, blades, and riot shields, stood silently at the entrance, checking their gear.


    ¡°This mission was assigned from above. Every enhanced squad has to participate¡ªwe can¡¯t opt out,¡± said Squad Leader Xue Ningning helplessly.


    Every squad had been given an area to cover. Even with her connections, she couldn¡¯t avoid this mission¡ªit was a direct order from the highest command.


    ¡°Ning Team has already done her best for us. This time, there¡¯s no way around it. I heard over a dozen regular squads have already gone missing. The Whisperer is spreading, and it¡¯s getting harder to contain them,¡± a middle-aged male team member sighed.


    ¡°We¡¯re just buying time for the main force to retreat,¡± another sneered. ¡°We¡¯re nothing but slightly more valuable pawns.¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s forcing you to stay,¡± someone responded.


    ¡°I never wanted to stay! Look at this squad¡ªwhat a joke. Ning Team, I told you before, stop being soft-hearted and bringing in useless people. Now look¡ªthis mission lands on us, and we barely have enough capable hands. What are we supposed to do?¡±


    A buzz-cut young man with a strong build spoke irritably.


    ¡°Tang Xing, you five come with me inside. The rest, stay outside,¡± Xue Ningning ordered, exasperated.


    With the risk of encountering Whisperers, she couldn¡¯t afford any weak links. One wrong move, and the entire team could be wiped out.


    The five she named looked dissatisfied but had no choice¡ªthey understood how dangerous Whisperers were.


    Among those left outside were Ou Li, Lin Yiyi, and Chen Qiaosheng.


    The three of them watched with different expressions as Xue Ningning led her team into the park.


    ¡°C-captain¡­ will it be dangerous?¡± Lin Yiyi asked worriedly.


    ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± Ou Li said coldly. ¡°Stop asking stupid questions.¡±


    ¡°Ning Team has looked after us for so long¡­ Can¡¯t we do something?¡± Chen Qiaosheng sighed.


    ¡°She¡¯s giving you a chance to slack off, and you¡¯re still complaining?¡± Ou Li raised an eyebrow.


    Although true, Chen Qiaosheng and Lin Yiyi didn¡¯t look relieved or happy.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Silent Squad? Shouldn¡¯t they be the ones dealing with Whisperer? We¡¯re just enhanced humans, but we¡¯re still basically regular people. We don¡¯t have the proper training for this,¡± Ou Li asked.


    No one responded.


    Truthfully, many shared the same thoughts.


    They waited in silence, listening for any movement from the industrial park.


    The fog thickened, making it impossible to see each other¡¯s faces from just four or five meters away.


    More than half an hour passed.


    Xue Ningning¡¯s team still hadn¡¯t returned.


    One of the team members, a girl with a ponytail, picked up her communicator and entered a code.


    This was their agreed-upon method for Whisperer-related emergencies.


    Tap tap tap¡ªshe sent the signal, but there was no response.


    The team¡¯s expressions shifted. Something was wrong.


    Bang.


    A sudden gunshot echoed from within the park.


    Before they could react, a bright red explosion erupted from one of the factory buildings inside.


    ¡°That¡¯s where Ning Team went!¡± Chen Qiaosheng whispered anxiously.


    Hiss¡­


    The communicator crackled with sound.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ talk¡­ Someone¡­ come get us¡­¡± Xue Ningning¡¯s voice came through¡ªweak, exhausted, pained.


    She was in trouble.


    The six remaining team members hesitated.


    If they went in, they might face the same danger.


    They had joined the third squad to find an easy, safer job¡ªto avoid situations like this.


    But now¡­


    The ponytailed girl clenched her teeth and slowly set the communicator on the ground, stepping back.


    No one picked it up.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    More gunshots rang out, followed by Xue Ningning¡¯s pained groan¡ªthen silence. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The connection was lost.


    The ponytailed girl glanced at the others, already thinking of an excuse to leave.


    ¡°Ou Li¡­ I washed your clothes¡­ for two months¡­ We¡¯re¡­ friends, right?¡± Lin Yiyi suddenly asked.


    ¡°I guess? What about it?¡± Ou Li muttered impatiently, also looking for an excuse to leave.


    ¡°If we¡¯re friends¡­ then follow me!¡±


    Smack.


    Lin Yiyi grabbed Ou Li¡¯s arm.


    Before Ou Li could react, Lin Yiyi dashed forward, snatching the communicator and dragging her unwilling friend through the park¡¯s iron gates.


    ¡°C-communicator¡­ I c-can¡¯t¡­ depend on you¡­¡±


    ¡°AAAAAHHHHHH!!¡±


    Lin Yiyi¡¯s quiet reminder and Ou Li¡¯s panicked screams echoed together as they disappeared into the thick fog of the industrial park.


    *


    *


    *


    Crash.


    A large bucket of stones was poured by Yu Hong onto the courtyard wall. He shook the dust off the bucket and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.


    Turning around, he looked at the large pile of Luminous Stones in the courtyard. Now, all of them had been ground into powder, waiting for the Black Mark reinforcement process before being converted into Great Luminous Stone powder.


    Knock knock.


    Just as he was about to go back inside, a light knocking sound came from beyond the wall.


    Yu Hong turned his head toward the sound.


    A set of car keys spun through the air, precisely clearing the wall and landing right in front of him.


    Picking up the keys, Yu Hong¡¯s expression relaxed slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re back? Old Li.¡±


    Sure enough, outside the wall stood a familiar figure.


    Dressed in black-green camouflage, carrying all sorts of mismatched gear¡ªguns, shields, blades¡ªand even two cloth bags from a food store labeled Xu¡¯s Lobster, Li Runshan was still the same as always.


    Pulling up his goggles, he looked at Yu Hong with a grin.


    ¡°Mission accomplished! Got the spores, plus a full cultivation guide!¡±


    But his smile quickly faded, replaced by a solemn and icy expression.


    ¡°But there¡¯s bad news too. On my way back, I heard from survivors that all the regional cities nearby are evacuating. From now on, the entire East River region will focus on building a single new city¡ªNew Aurora. Everyone is migrating there.¡±


    ¡°Migration? New Aurora?¡± Yu Hong¡¯s first thought was of Lin Yiyi. ¡°Then what about Hope City and the other regional cities? They¡¯re just going to abandon them?¡±


    ¡°Daylight has shortened by another two hours. Now, more than half of the time is just darkness, and even during the day, the fog blocks the sun. There isn¡¯t enough light anymore, and solar energy is no longer usable.¡± Li Runshan explained. ¡°Plus, the frontlines have collapsed. High-threat Black Disaster creatures are flooding in¡­ Hope City will probably be abandoned too.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what about supply teams?¡± Yu Hong fell silent for a moment before asking.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any. If even Hope City is being given up, we¡¯re not even worth mentioning. But not everyone can be evacuated¡ªat least a third of the population will be left behind, left to survive on their own. We can make contact with those people in the future,¡± Li Runshan replied.


    After delivering the news, he turned and walked toward the post office.


    ¡°From now on¡­ we¡¯re on our own.¡±


    He waved without looking back, gradually disappearing into the thick fog.


    Yu Hong clenched the keys, watching him leave.


    Turning back, he entered his safe house, went down to the basement, and looked at the countdown on the wall: 9 days, 11 hours, 24 minutes.


    ¡°Almost¡­ there.¡±


    He let out a breath, filled with anticipation. Just as he was about to head to the first floor to warm up by the fire and rest¡ª


    A strange feeling flickered through his mind.


    His thoughts replayed Li Runshan¡¯s expression, tone, and gaze from earlier. Something about the whole interaction¡­ felt off.


    Standing up straight, Yu Hong slowly returned to the first floor, grabbed a chair, and sat down, replaying the moment in his head over and over.


    At the same time, he pulled out a reinforced red-value detector to measure the surrounding levels¡ªincluding his own.


    0.124.


    The structure of the Luminous Stone-sealed safe house kept the red value close to zero. It was safe.


    ¡°¡­Was it just my imagination?¡±


    He frowned slightly.


    *


    *


    *


    In the Gray Fog


    Li Runshan carried the spore package into the courtyard and used his key to unlock the stone house¡¯s door.


    Despite the door having been broken down multiple times, his craftsmanship had allowed him to restore and repair it again.


    ¡°Hey, Nana, I¡¯m back,¡± he called out in a raised voice.


    Entering the house, he shut the wooden door behind him.


    Seeing the empty stone house, he knew they were all underground. He set down the spore package, removed his slightly cracked helmet, and turned toward the living room.


    That was where the entrance to the underground shelter was.


    But after only a few steps, his brow furrowed.


    His smile vanished.


    His footsteps slowed and lightened.


    Tap.


    He suddenly stopped and turned around.


    The stone house¡¯s corridor was empty, its grayish-white walls bare except for two colorful drawings by Aisena.


    Li Runshan carefully scanned the hallway, checking every inch and every corner.


    Nothing.


    But he trusted his instincts.


    Just now, he had felt it.


    Someone.


    Standing about five or six meters behind him.


    Watching him.


    A Whisperer?


    He carefully examined the charm plates on the walls¡ªdefensive Runes he had traded from Yu Hong. These Runes were evenly spread throughout the stone house¡¯s inner walls, covering most of the area. If a Whisperer had entered, they would have triggered the Runes.


    He checked every single one.


    No reaction.


    The Runes remained intact, still clinging to the walls.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    Something was wrong.


    He pulled out his red-value detector and switched it on. The readings showed 11¡ªnormal. The Runes had counteracted some of the red radiation from the outside air.


    That reassured him a little. He switched the device off.


    But then¡ª


    In the reflection of the detector¡¯s smooth surface¡­


    A figure.


    Standing not far behind him.


    A blurry, white silhouette.


    Neither male nor female, but faintly discernible.


    And smiling.


    A bright, gleeful smile.


    Smiling directly at Li Runshan.


    Laughing in the reflection of the detector.


    Whoosh.


    He whipped around.


    Nothing.


    But at that moment, he knew¡ªhe was in danger.


    I can¡¯t stay here. I can¡¯t drag Nana into this!


    His instincts screamed at him. Without hesitation, he grabbed his gear, threw open the door, and bolted out of the stone house, past the courtyard, and into the fog.


    Soon, he disappeared without a trace.


    (End of Chapter)

 Chapter 117: Intermittent (3)

    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Urgent knocking pounded against the door.


    Yu Hong was in the basement, organizing supplies, when the relentless knocking on the safehouse door startled him.


    He quickly ascended to the ground floor and peered through the peephole after sliding back the wooden cover.


    Outside, Li Runshan stood at the door, knocking impatiently.


    Yu Hong approached but didn¡¯t open the door immediately.


    Instead, he knocked back lightly in a predetermined pattern¡ªa reminder.


    Without hesitation, Li Runshan adjusted his knocking to the agreed-upon 1-3-1 rhythm.


    It was their newly established identity verification code.


    Confirming it was correct, Yu Hong let out a breath of relief.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Old Li?¡±


    He checked the silver rune array behind the door¡ªno reaction.


    Reassured, he opened the door and let Li Runshan inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m in trouble!¡± Li Runshan rushed in, his face grim.


    Strangely, the moment the cave safehouse door shut behind him, the chilling, indescribable weight pressing on his back abruptly vanished¡ªlike shedding a heavy burden.


    Huff¡­ Huff¡­


    Breathing heavily, Li Runshan wiped the sweat from his forehead. Running all the way from the post office stone house in a state of high alert had drenched him in sweat.


    ¡°Can I stay here for a while? I might have brought trouble with me. I don¡¯t want Nana to be affected.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried about Nana but not about me?¡± Yu Hong was speechless. But seeing the pleading look in his friend¡¯s eyes, he relented. Their relationship was decent, after all.


    ¡°You can stay, but this place is still under renovation. You¡¯ll have to stay in the outer wooden cabin. Don¡¯t worry, I have special protective measures¡ªit¡¯s safe even though it¡¯s just a wooden hut.¡±


    ¡°The one in the yard?¡± Li Runshan nodded, understanding. ¡°Fine. Also, give me more rune array. I have a really bad feeling.¡±


    ¡°What exactly did you run into?¡± Yu Hong narrowed his eyes and picked up a reinforced red-value detector, pressing the power button as he brought it close to Li Runshan.


    Beep. Beep.


    The detector stabilized at 52.221.


    Seeing the number, Yu Hong¡¯s expression grew serious.


    ¡°Looks like something really has locked onto you.¡±


    Li Runshan was taken aback. He had just tested himself earlier¡ªhis readings had been normal. Why was Yu Hong¡¯s detector showing something completely different?


    He glanced at Yu Hong¡¯s device. It seemed different from his own.


    ¡°Drink some water first, then tell me everything in detail.¡± Yu Hong poured him a cup, and the two sat down. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I feel like¡­ something is following me. No matter what I do, I can¡¯t shake it off.¡± Even sitting inside the cave safehouse, Li Runshan kept glancing over his shoulder, as if something was still clinging to him.


    ¡°Following you? Whisperer? A Evil Shadow? Or a Blood Tide creature? When did this start?¡± Yu Hong asked quickly.


    ¡°When I was heading back just now. Actually, when I went to pick up the spore package, I felt something behind me when passing through the main hall. But I thought it was just my imagination and ignored it.¡± Li Runshan raked his fingers through his hair, clearly shaken.


    ¡°Usually, as long as I enter a rune-protected area, the feeling disappears. But this time, even inside my stone house, I still felt uneasy. You know my situation¡ªif it were a regular Whisperer, I wouldn¡¯t be feeling like this. This thing¡­ it¡¯s definitely a Evil Shadow. And likely one we¡¯ve never encountered before.¡±


    Yu Hong picked up a pen and paper and started jotting down notes.


    1¡ªFollowed from behind but did not attack immediately.


    2¡ªEntity appears as a blurry white figure with a smiling face, unclear features.


    3¡ª¡­


    He paused, then handed the paper to Li Runshan.


    ¡°Anything to add?¡±


    ¡°The icy sensation on my back¡ªdoes that count?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You should stay put for now. I¡¯ll go find Zhou Xueguang for information and check out the post office.¡± Yu Hong swiftly recorded the detail, speaking with a serious expression.


    Li Runshan was one of the few local food producers. If he could help, he would.


    In the past, Yu Hong wouldn¡¯t have cared about getting involved. But after his recent outing, his fear and hesitation toward the Black Disaster had significantly diminished.


    He had also gained a clearer understanding of his own strength in this world.


    After all, he had managed to pummel an enhanced soldier, Little Du, to death.


    ¡°This trip made me realize something. We can¡¯t always be passive, waiting for these things to fully prepare before attacking us,¡± Yu Hong said firmly. ¡°We need to disrupt them first. Gather intel, weaken them however we can. That¡¯s our best chance at survival.¡±


    Li Runshan blinked, surprised¡ªas if seeing him in a new light.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ But how do we disrupt them when we don¡¯t even know what they are? If I were at the post office, I could use the comms to ask the higher-ups, but now I don¡¯t dare go back.¡±


    He exhaled heavily.


    ¡°This time, I have to rely on you. I think the thing following me might be just as dangerous as the Whisperer.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Anything else?¡± Yu Hong handed him the pen.


    ¡°One more thing¡ªwhenever that thing appears, my back turns cold. Not just mentally, but physically. My body temperature drops, and my movements slow down.¡± Li Runshan quickly wrote this down.


    ¡°That¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get you settled in the wooden cabin.¡± Yu Hong got up, grabbed a stack of rune arrays, then thought for a moment and added a silver rune array before handing them over.


    ¡°Take these.¡±


    Li Runshan examined the silver rune array¡ªit was the first time he had seen one.


    ¡°This an advanced version?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. One of these is worth ten regular ones.¡± Yu Hong exaggerated slightly, but it wasn¡¯t far from the truth.


    ¡°Damn, this is good stuff.¡± Li Runshan smirked, looking a little more at ease.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. There are too many secrets here¡ªI¡¯m not showing you.¡± Yu Hong was blunt.


    ¡°Man, you don¡¯t have to say it like that. That kinda hurts.¡± Li Runshan chuckled, finally relaxing a little.


    ¡°My greatest virtue is honesty.¡±


    Creak.


    The wooden door swung open.


    The two walked out, one after the other.


    Yu Hong led him to the wooden cabin, placed a reinforced red-value detector on the wooden bed, and said, ¡°This one¡¯s modified for high precision. If anything feels off, use it immediately.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thanks.¡± Li Runshan nodded, hesitated, then added, ¡°Your last batch of Sunlight Materials should be arriving through the postal channels soon. I¡¯ll give you a discount.¡±


    He knew how rare genuine help was in a place like this. He owed Yu Hong now¡ªtwice.


    ¡°No more postal shipments after this?¡± Yu Hong paused.


    ¡°Nope. From now on, we¡¯re on our own. I¡¯ll try to contact the remaining survivors in Baihe City, but don¡¯t get your hopes up¡ªtheir supplies are nowhere near what we used to have.¡± Li Runshan sighed.


    Yu Hong said no more. He locked the door, took his notes, grabbed two more silver rune arrays, a stack of regular ones, and put on his reinforced White Bear suit before heading toward the post office.


    He kept an eye on his detector along the way.


    31.224.


    31.532.


    The ambient red value had risen to 31 and completely stabilized.


    Hoo.


    As he walked, Yu Hong let out a breath and glanced around the surrounding forest.


    In the gray, misty air, the outlines of trees could only be faintly seen five or six meters away.


    Crunch.


    Crunch.


    Crunch.


    His boots crushed the fallen leaves on the ground, producing a rhythmic, crisp sound.


    As he traveled, Yu Hong occasionally picked up his detector to check the changing values.


    Crunch.


    Crunch.


    Pa.


    Suddenly, his steps came to a halt.


    Swish! He abruptly turned around and looked behind him.


    The gray, foggy forest behind him was eerily silent, shadowy, and cold.


    Just now¡­ something was following me. Yu Hong recalled the moment in his mind. Amidst his own footsteps, he had suddenly heard an extra sound of leaves being crushed.


    An ordinary person might not have noticed this, but with his heightened senses and constant vigilance, he picked up on it instantly.


    Confirming that there was nothing behind him and no one following, Yu Hong turned back and continued forward.


    This time, he quickened his pace, gripping the silver talisman board tightly in his hand, ready to act at any moment.


    Fortunately, the rest of his journey was uneventful, and he arrived safely at the post office.


    The stone house of the post office was completely empty, its door tightly shut.


    Yu Hong glanced around the courtyard, then stepped in and inspected the house¡¯s perimeter. After ensuring there were no issues, he finally walked up to the main door.


    He reached into his pocket, took out the key Li Runshan had given him, and carefully inserted it into the lock, turning it.


    Click.


    The door unlocked.


    But Yu Hong froze in place.


    Because at the very moment he made the unlocking sound, he heard an extremely faint footstep behind him.


    It was the sound of something akin to high heels clicking against the wooden steps in front of the stone house.


    Subtle and brief.


    Yu Hong maintained his posture, still holding the key as if about to open the door.


    From the corner of his eye, he cautiously glanced at one of the side windows of the stone house.


    The window was boarded up with thick planks, but some broken glass shards still remained on the outer frame.


    Through one of these triangular fragments of glass, he vaguely caught a reflection of the scene behind him.


    In that small piece of glass, a blurred white figure with long, disheveled black hair was standing just two meters behind him¡ªsmiling silently.


    Yu Hong¡¯s body stiffened.


    He didn¡¯t continue to open the door. Instead, he slowly withdrew the key and slipped it back into his pocket.


    Then¡ª


    ¡°SMILE AT YOUR MOM!!¡±


    Swish!


    In an instant, he spun around and lunged forward, pulling out a silver rune array and swinging it with force.


    At the same time, he also swung the red value detector along with it.


    Boom!!


    His arm tensed, and his thick forearm, like an iron hammer, smashed heavily into the wooden steps.


    Crack! A deep crack spread through the wood upon impact.


    (End of Chapter)