Soon, the little stutterer returned, bringing with him a small bag of dried vegetables, seemingly some kind of dried plant like bracken.
The two of them then used a wooden barrel in the house to filter some water, preparing for the upcoming high tide season.
The next morning, the little stutterer set off to gather firewood.
Today's task was heavy, and only two days remained before the high tide period began.
They had to make all the necessary preparations.
After the little stutterer left, Yu Hong went to the safe cave by himself to check on the surroundings.
Once he confirmed everything was fine, he picked up the bag of enhanced jerky that had been resting.
He and the little stutterer had divided it into many small packages, opening one at a time to prevent moisture.
Each bag contained ten small pieces.
The light from outside filled the cave brightly, thanks to a small mirror placed at the ventilation spot, which reflected sunlight into the otherwise dark cave.
Despite the blazing sun outside, the cave remained cool and dim.
However, the mirror's reflection made a huge difference in their living conditions.
Yu Hong took out the moisture-absorbing charcoal from the corner, spread it out in the sun to dry, then closed the door and picked up the bag of enhanced jerky.
The gray bag displayed the numbers: 0 days 0 hours 5 minutes.
“Almost there,” he thought with some excitement as he sat down to wait.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three minutes.
Suddenly, a faint rustling sound came from outside, like grass being brushed aside.
Yu Hong's expression changed, and he quickly got up to look out through the small observation window.
The observation window was roughly made, with only a narrow gap to see outside.
Yet, it was enough to satisfy his basic needs for observation.
The reinforced wooden door was now much sturdier than before, with many more reinforcements and a much harder material than it had originally.
Clearly, the little stutterer, with his limited intellect, had not noticed the door's improvements.
With no one else around, the changes had gone unnoticed.
Another soft rustling sound came from outside.
This time it was quieter, indicating that the other party was trying to be more discreet.
Yu Hong remained still, listening closely.
Just as he had hoped, he saw two men in camouflage clothing, their clothes ragged and stained, cautiously moving past the weeds and glancing around the forest path.
Recently, he and the little stutterer had trodden that very path many times, leaving a clear trail.
Noticing the two men pausing suddenly made Yu Hong's heart race—he knew they must have discovered that trail.
Quickly, the two of them began to look around, searching for something.
They followed the path to the open area in front of Yu Hong's cave.
Standing about ten meters from the entrance, the two men hesitated, choosing to wait quietly.
Yu Hong also remained silent and still, observing their every move to discern their intentions.
From his view at the window, he could see a 180-degree panorama outside.
On the dark green slope, the two men gazed up at the cave.
One of them looked thin and haggard, and had a sickly yellow complexion, while the other was sturdier, appearing to be in his thirties or forties, with a large machete hanging at his waist.
After a little while of waiting outside, they concluded that no one was around.
Perhaps they decided that it was impossible to open the door, as they turned slowly and left, their figures fading into the forest.
Yu Hong finally let out a sigh of relief.
In such a precarious environment filled with danger and material shortages, his first instinct upon encountering strangers was not to seek help but to remain vigilant.
“With the high tide season approaching, these two surely are not unaware. They’re not like me, without knowledge of this place, so they can't be completely clueless about things. Knowing that the high tide is just two days away, and while carrying weapons, what could they possibly want?”
Yu Hong stepped back inside the cave, where he noticed that the jerky he had been waiting for was now ready.
His eyes brightened as he picked up the bag.
To his surprise, the appearance of the bag had changed significantly.
Initially gray and white, with a faded cartoon rabbit printed on it, it had once been the packaging for his favorite animated character, the bandit rabbit.
After long use, the image had become worn, but now, following the enhancement, the bag appeared different.
He observed the new, neatly printed words on the bag: “High Energy Protein Bar.”
Below it, the description read: “One bar satisfies daily energy needs! Packed with essential trace elements for rapid energy replenishment. Contains carbs, fats, proteins, and dietary fiber.”
The information provided was comprehensive, with details about composition, manufacturing processes, and a one-year shelf life—all laid out, except for a manufacturer’s name.
Holding the jerky bag, Yu Hong pondered, “This enhancement seems to improve the original item using a standard template.”
He furrowed his brow, recalling the enhanced wooden door and the earlier enhancement of the mineral stone, connecting it with the jerky before him, feeling a subtle understanding forming in his mind.
With a swift motion, he tore open the bag.
The outer layer was still cloth, but it had an inner seal to keep the contents dry.
He reached into the bag and pulled out a strip of jerky.
Examining it closely, he noticed it was markedly different from before.
The previous jerky had been gray and somewhat blackened, irregularly cut—an obvious sign of handmade handiwork.
Now, the jerky appeared as a neat rectangular block with soft edges and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
It emanated a strong, savory aroma with a hint of sweetness.
Yu Hong broke off a piece and placed it in his mouth.
Instantly, he reacted, his face scrunching up.
Sweet!
It was incredibly sweet! No wonder one could last a full day on one piece, and the long shelf life made sense now.
“If this had been before, I would have turned my nose up at it, but now, this intense sweetness is a blessing,” he thought, his spirits lifting considerably.
A small bag of jerky previously would have barely lasted him and the little stutterer for two meals, but now, this one bag could last at least five days.
Food scarcity had been resolved! The enhanced jerky gifted him a huge surprise.
There was still a need to test its actual effects—whether one piece truly could sustain him for a day—but judging by this sweetness, he felt it wouldn't be a problem.
He shoved the protein bar into his mouth and chewed as he gulped down some water, quickly feeling full.
“The jerky enhancement has worked, now onto the other things,” Yu Hong's gaze landed on the water cup.
Drinking water had become his most troubling issue since arriving here.
The foul taste turned each sip into a trial.
“If only I could enhance the filtering device. Unfortunately, there’s only one. The little stutterer surely wouldn’t let me tamper with it.”
Holding the high-energy protein bar, he walked to the wooden door, pondering for a moment when a thought struck him.
“This place is filled with trees; they need water more than anything. So where does their water come from?”
The moment he had this idea, it lodged firmly in his mind, swirling around.
Coming to, he looked around the cave at the various objects.
His eyes landed on the water cup again.
Numbers floated above the wooden cup: “3 days.”
“Time’s running out. I need to switch,” Yu Hong scanned around and quickly set his sights on a candle.
The impending high tide was a test for every survivor, and candles were crucial since they determined how long one could fend off the blood tide insects during a dark disaster.
This thick candle had been given to him by the little stutterer, yellowish in color and about the length of a pencil; it had only been used a quarter of the way down.
Focusing on the candle, new enhancement numbers appeared: “1 hour 12 minutes.”
“Such a short time? Let’s try it.”
Yu Hong’s heart jumped as he picked up the candle.
“Would you like to enhance the tree oil candle?” The inquiry came once more.
“Yes,” Yu Hong agreed firmly.
This time, it was only a little more than an hour, and he wouldn’t have to wait long; it was nearing the end already.
Sitting inside the cave, Yu Hong held the candle, his eyes fixed on it.
The timer showed only one minute left.
He observed carefully, wanting to see how this enhancement unfolded.
Before long, with a puff, the candle became blurry, and then suddenly, it returned to clarity.
The originally yellow candle transformed into a brand new white candle with a brass shell.
“Does it come with a lamp?” Yu Hong was astonished.
The enhancement from the black seal provided him with a strong impression—this kind of enhancement did not adhere to the principle of material conservation; the items before and after the enhancement could be vastly different in content.
The original candle contained only wax and a wick, but after enhancement, he noted that...
He picked up the new candle, which was still arm-thick but now enveloped in a brass structure for wind protection.
At the top was a small bowl for collecting smoke, connected to the brass base.
Unfortunately, its size had not changed.
“Interesting. Can enhanced items be enhanced again?”
Yu Hong pondered, looking at the new brass-lamp candle and testing it once more.
However, to his disappointment, nothing happened.
He looked down at the black seal on the back of his hand, which remained inactive.
“It can only be enhanced once. Are there still conditions to be met?”
He set that question aside and glanced outside, noting that it was already noon, with the light blazing at its strongest.
His gaze shifted, falling onto the filthy quilt.
The thought of enhancement flickered, and soon the quilt displayed a large black numeral: “1 day 0 hours 56 minutes.”
After a moment, he looked at an axe resting by the wall, which had previously been his tool for chopping wood.
The axe showed the black number: “3 hours 12 minutes.”
“Looks like everything can be enhanced. Now...” Yu Hong lowered his gaze to himself.
“What about me? Can I be enhanced?”
His thoughts swirled as he focused intently on his body.
Ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Thirty seconds.
(End of Chapter)