The radio was a device to receive signals from the outside world.
If it could also amplify those signals, it might yield unexpected gains.
Looking at the numbers displayed, "Five hours, just enough time to complete this before dawn. It's worth a try."
Up until now, Yu Hong had not found any side effects from enhancing with the Black Mark.
The only consumption seemed to be a drain on his spirit and energy.
At this moment, he guessed that the axe's enhancement had likely finished, and his mind automatically responded to the enhancement queries ringing in his ears.
In an instant, the radio he held blurred for a moment before swiftly clearing up again, showing the time: 5:11 AM.
Seeing that the countdown had begun, Yu Hong set the radio aside and sat alone on the bed, holding a candle.
He exhaled slowly, feeling increasingly lonely and fearful.
This fear stemmed not only from the bizarre shadows and monsters that could emerge at any moment around him but also from the strange corpse lying out in the wild.
He sat there motionless, his thoughts churning.
When dawn finally broke, he felt a slight easing of the tension.
After drinking a bit of water, Yu Hong exited the room.
Outside, the sunlight was weak, and dark clouds filled the sky, indicating rain was approaching.
The air was damp and chilly, and as he walked, a cold breeze swept around his ankles.
Suddently pausing, he turned to glance at a nearby building.
In the darkness, a white shadow flickered vaguely.
He took a deep breath and quickened his steps, clutching the radio tightly as he hurried toward the cave's safe house.
After more than ten minutes, he finally arrived at the safe house.
With a bang, he shut the reinforced wooden door and locked it.
Only then did he allow himself to relax a little, plopping down next to the bedding.
He examined the radio he had, only to find that the numbers on it had disappeared completely.
The device had become eerily new, as if all the previous damage had been mended.
"Could it be that my enhancement ability not only improves items but also repairs broken things?" Yu Hong thought, a glimmer of realization sparking in his mind.
Flipping the radio over, he opened the battery compartment and discovered two blue-covered batteries inside.
Suppressing his surprise, he reattached the battery lid and flipped the switch on.
With a crackle, a sound burst forth from the radio.
Hiss hiss.
The familiar hissing followed, affirming its functionality.
"It really works!?" he exclaimed in astonishment.
He held the device, inspecting it closely again.
Once certain it was functioning fine, he brought it to his ear.
The sound was clear without any static, heightening his satisfaction.
"Let me see which station I can tune into here."
Since arriving at Baiqiu Village, he had been running around, busy adapting to the environment and facing dangers.
Now, the cave safe house began to take shape in his mind.
At least here, he could isolate himself from the bizarre shadows and monstrous insects, easing his heart considerably.
With a lighter heart, Yu Hong turned the large knob on the front of the radio, adjusting the frequency.
As he turned the knob slowly, waves of hissing sounds fluctuated in volume.
Soon, he heard a brief flash of very quiet static.
Quickly returning to the previous position, he made another minor adjustment, and a mournful piece of music wafted from the radio.
The tune was slow and somber, evoking an involuntary heaviness in his heart.
Before Yu Hong could speculate about the program, a voice broke through the music.
"This is a reminder to everyone. Due to a shortage of batteries, please remember to turn on your radios at this time every day, adjust the frequency, and after listening, please remove the batteries to save power."
A magnetic male voice spoke from the radio.
"This is the National Special Disaster Management Bureau. I will provide daily updates on specific disaster situations and present actual changes regarding the dangers in the land affected by the black calamity, along with some predictions from the Silver Tower on the black disaster. I hope everyone takes this very seriously."
Hearing this, Yu Hong's expression stiffened; he knew he had found the right station.
He put the radio on the ground and listened intently.
He had been active around Baiqiu Village, and because of his physical limitations, it was impossible to venture further into larger areas.
And even if he could reach those larger places, he wouldn’t be able to access the latest research results from the country.
So the information broadcasted by this radio held immense value for him.
At that moment, the broadcast continued.
"According to the National Security Department, there are currently seven hundred fifty-nine regions in our country affected by the spreading black calamity. Each area is primarily filled with blood ticks, occasionally intertwined with strange shadows."
"Research from the Silver Tower has revealed that the overall intensity of the black disaster is rising over time. The strength of the shadows is also slowly increasing. We hope that every urban area formulates a response plan."
"The peak period is approaching. During this time, all black disasters show a significant increase in harm. The blood ticks are becoming increasingly resistant to light, which raises their energy consumption requirements for lighting tools."
Yu Hong listened carefully, noting that much of what the broadcaster mentioned was beyond his understanding.
Particularly alarming was the statement about the overall rising intensity of the black disaster, reigniting a sense of crisis within him.
He had little enhancing ore left.
Most of it was either embedded in various items or hidden in dark corners of the cave, serving as a safeguard for his shelter.
If he encountered shadows during this peak period, even one or two would be too much for him to handle.
Hearing all this, he immediately decided to enhance some ore.
Just as he picked up a piece to start, a rumbling thunderclap sounded from outside.
The wind howled fiercely, and the sound was like a wailing cry.
The first few raindrops scattered against the wooden door, followed quickly by heavier, more frequent rainfall.
With a roar, the downpour began rapidly, drenching everything outside and echoing sharply against the door.
Yu Hong quickly remembered the wooden bucket he had just made and darted into the corner to retrieve it.
Opening the door, he set the bucket at the edge to collect rainwater.
Rainwater was at least cleaner than the foul water he had.
Shutting the door again, he listened to the thunder rumbling and the downpour outside.
Then he looked back at the cave, noting how dry and quiet it remained, feeling a sense of calmness wash over him.
Returning to the filthy, smelly bedding, he dropped onto it, exhaling a long breath.
Although it stank, it was safe.
In conditions like these, he couldn't afford to wash himself.
He dared not even think about bathing, as that required a considerable amount of water.
Suddenly, Yu Hong felt a flicker of thought—to go out and use the rainwater for a bath.
However, he worried about getting sick with a cold or a fever.
Without medicine during this time, catching pneumonia would be a dire risk.
He quickly silenced that thought, sitting quietly in the cave, gazing through the viewing window at the dreary, gray sky outside.
The radio continued playing.
"Due to the explosive increase in the number of shadows in various locations, the Management Bureau will dispatch inspection teams starting today to conduct routine inspections and collect detailed data on the shadows."
Before the broadcaster could say much more, his voice abruptly cut off, becoming increasingly rapid.
"Emergency news: A severe shadow incident has occurred in Wuliang Mountain Hope City No. 43, resulting in hundreds of casualties. Due to the extreme contagiousness of these shadows, all external contact with the hope city is suspended, and normal transport in and out is immediately cut off."
"Please note, the dangerous shadow incident is located at Wuliang Mountain Hope City No. 43." The broadcaster repeated the address solemnly.
Yu Hong felt dazed as he listened.
"Is that it? No rescue measures? Just an isolation? Not even letting supplies through?" He was filled with confusion.
However long he waited, the broadcaster didn’t mention the incident again.
Instead, he continued discussing the latest research results from the officials, reports from an organization called the Silver Tower, and so forth—never returning to the endangered hope city.
He crouched by the radio for over ten minutes, still hearing nothing.
Finally, it dawned on him.
Perhaps the officials only planned to close off and wait for the danger to pass, with no other options available.
Standing up, he sighed and walked to the door, peering outside.
With a pull, he opened the viewing window, creating a spacious square opening on the door.
A strong pane of glass separated him from the deluge of rain outside.
Through the rain, the surrounding mountains and forest appeared distorted and hazy.
Boom.
Another clap of thunder rumbled, jolting Yu Hong to a thought about Xiao Jiebai.
He wondered how she was doing now.
She must have gotten soaked on the way back.
He hoped she was alright.
In such weather, it would be reckless for him to venture out to find her.
Besides, Xiao Jiebai was in much better physical condition than he was; even if he found her, he would only prove to be a burden.
With this thought, he sank down to the ground, allowing himself to relax.
In the rare moment of safety and peace, he switched off the radio and took the enhancing ore to continue his work.
Currently, the most troublesome matters were his candle supply, which might not last, and the insufficient amount of enhancing ore.
Tomorrow marked the final day before the peak arrived, a last chance for them to venture outside and gather more candles.
As for the ore, he could only enhance it while asking Xiao Jiebai to speed up her work on the drawings.
"If what the radio said is true, and the black disaster is increasingly powerful, how will ordinary people survive when the resources in the wild become so scant?" A thread of fear began to surface in Yu Hong’s mind.
He was a person easily gripped by fear—timid and trouble-averse—but it also meant he often overcomplicated and exaggerated problems in his mind.
It was an extremely unhealthy way of thinking.
Nevertheless, in such an environment, this trait seemed to serve him well.
"If everyone is gone, even with my Black Mark enhancement, I won’t survive without food. I need to find a way to solve the food issue myself. Build a self-sufficient situation."
Now that safety was somewhat guaranteed, Yu Hong shifted his focus to the matter of food.
"And I need a water filtration setup too. These aren’t things I can make on my own. I need to think this through carefully."
*
*
*
Roar.
The heavy rain poured in the forest, the dense downpour almost morphing into mist, shrouding the trees and limiting visibility.
It should have been bright in the morning, but at that moment, the dense rain had rendered everything gray and dark.
The expansive forest appeared like a loaf of bread covered in green mold.
In the outskirts, two figures moved quickly toward Baiqiu Village, darting like two little sesame seeds.
They were clad in black raincoats and holding hiking sticks, running swiftly with familiarity.
"Hurry! It's getting dark, and those creepy things will be out soon!" the figure behind urged, panting heavily.
"I know, almost there," replied the petite figure ahead, stuttering as she spoke.
It was Xiao Jiebai, just returning from outside.
Soon, the two arrived at the downward slope of Baiqiu Village, pounding down the gravel path at full speed.
Bang.
Reaching the door of a house, Xiao Jiebai pulled out her key, readying the enhancing ore in her other hand, prepared to sprinkle it at any moment.
Thankfully, everything went smoothly.
They made it inside without incident.
Just as they stepped through the door, a flash of lightning illuminated the gravel path outside in a ghastly white glow.
In that bright moment, blurred figures stood on the gravel path.
Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the lightning faded, and the figures vanished like a mirage.
(End of Chapter)