A Night of Desperation

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—suddenly!—a 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—first 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—only 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—it 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—if 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.

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—26 in total—along 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—only six protein bars left—restocking became urgent.

Bang.

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—a 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—someone who had helped him, even if it was due to Yi Yi’s influence—was 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)