Time slipped by quickly, and eleven minutes came to an end.
Under Yu Hong's eager gaze, the thick wooden beams holding up the door shimmered and soon transformed into a black metallic rod, just like an oversized chocolate bar.
Both ends had non-slip grips to increase friction, and the material looked like iron but was much darker.
Yu Hong picked up the rod and examined it carefully.
"Although it's still a simple structure, the material has been reinforced. It's definitely sturdier than before. Impressive!" he exclaimed, filled with admiration.
Following that, he reinforced the second thick wooden beam as well.
After a short while, two black metal pillars stood against the back of the door, one on the left and one on the right, perfectly symmetrical.
"This is way stronger than the three of us using our shoulders before," Yu Hong nodded in satisfaction.
"But there is still one last troublesome issue."
Candles.
He hesitated to return to Baiqiu Village, but the candles, water filter, pots, and cups were all there.
"I only have one candle here, which is definitely not enough unless I start a fire. Wait!" Suddenly, Yu Hong's eyes narrowed as he looked toward the stove by the stone wall.
This small stove had been salvaged by the stuttering girl, still connected to its chimney, and he had yet to use it properly.
'What if I reinforce this?'
The thought sparked a surge of excitement within him.
He suddenly remembered the axe he had reinforced earlier, and went to search for it in the corner.
The axe had changed since last time.
What was once a simple wooden axe with many nicks from chopping wood had now transformed into a larger metal-handled axe.
The black handle was adorned with anti-slip grooves, while the silver axe head was noticeably thicker, its edge gleaming with a cold light.
It could be said that this ordinary old axe had suddenly become a fine logging axe.
He set down the axe and walked over to the stove.
The stove was square, made of metal, and painted black, resembling a low table.
Yu Hong reached out and pressed the edge of the stove.
The cold sensation jolted him awake.
'Should I reinforce the fire or the lighting and heating system?'
In a flash, an idea crossed his mind, and he swiftly renamed the stove in his thoughts.
With a soft sound, the black mark on the back of his hand released a line of black energy that crept into the stove’s surface.
Soon, a number appeared on the stove's surface: 12:07.
'Would you like to reinforce the lighting and heating system?' the black mark prompted.
'Yes!' Yu Hong replied firmly.
Instantly, the number on the stove's surface changed, shifting from a static display to a countdown.
'I hope this works.' Yu Hong felt a glimmer of hope rise in his heart.
There was still some time before dark, and with a candle on hand, he was sure he could last until dawn.
But if the stove he had reinforced failed to meet his expectations, he would have to take a risk and venture into Baiqiu Village to bring back the candle and supplies left by the stuttering girl.
Watching the countdown on the stove, Yu Hong found a dry spot to sit down, fatigue overwhelming him.
The events of the day had caught him off guard, and after reinforcing two support beams, he was exhausted.
He pulled out the candle, holding it beside him, and leaned back against the steel rod, slowly drifting into sleep.
"Hey, Yu?"
"Hey, Yu??"
A soft voice roused him from his slumber.
Yu Hong opened his eyes to see a familiar playful face hovering before him, smiling brightly.
It was his colleague, Chen Huiru.
"You're awake! You scared me; I thought we were in serious trouble. It's good you're just startled," Chen Huiru said, turning to chat with others around.
"I told you Yu isn’t that weak."
"This is quite the prank; we're all from the same unit. This is too much!"
"Yu always boasts about his bravery. Look at him scared out of his wits; I have enough material for a year!" Laughter erupted around him.
Yu Hong rubbed his eyes and realized he was sitting on the grass outside their office building, surrounded by colleagues, all smiles and chatter.
"Isn't this realistic?" someone joked.
"The bug earlier was a model I rented from a nearby film crew. Including you, we've scared four people! Luckily, you’re fine, but Yuan Zhou nearly wet his pants; we even recorded it!"
"You did it! It's all your bad idea!" More laughter filled the air as his colleagues circled around him.
"Look, Yu still hasn't collected himself."
"Too funny!"
"Don't be mad, later Gao will treat us, let's go eat hotpot!"
"Say cheese for the photo!"
The joyful voices rang in Yu Hong’s ears like a warm embrace.
Still dazed, he watched his colleagues spin around him; their smiles felt so warm and genuine.
'So, everything was just a prank.' Yu Hong opened his mouth, his tension finally easing away.
He stood up, reaching out to grab the hand of one of his closest colleagues.
Suddenly, everything went silent.
The laughter ceased, and all sound disappeared.
An eerie stillness enveloped him as Yu Hong's vision blurred for an instant.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened his eyes.
The cold, hard stone ground was real, as was the pain in his lower back.
He was still sitting there, leaning against the smelly blanket, with the countdown stove in front of him, completely still and hugging his knees.
The cave was silent, with dim light streaming in from the door's opening.
"It was a dream..." he sighed.
Time was running short before darkness fell.
His gaze shifted to the window.
"!!!"
Through the small view window, a vague face stared back at him through the wire mesh, peering intently at him!
It was watching his dazed self waking up!
"Who!?" Yu Hong sprang to his feet, gripping the steel rod, wanting to confront whatever it was.
But after sitting for so long, his legs felt numb, and he nearly stumbled.
Once he steadied himself against the stove and looked back, the face was gone.
"Whooo..."
Yu Hong's face turned pale as he realized it could have been a ghastly shadow.
The absence of footfalls made it even more eerie, especially when the figure moved in sudden bursts, crossing distances without continuity—this was the signature of a ghastly shadow.
He had opened the viewing window earlier to let some fresh air pour in, taking a risk he hadn't thought would lead to someone discovering him so soon.
“It’s still twilight; it shouldn't be dark yet, and those things are already stirring.”
Standing cautiously, he reached out and pulled the window cover shut.
With a swift motion, darkness enveloped the cave again.
Yu Hong chose another air vent to breathe, albeit slower, though somehow calmer.
Who knows how long that ghastly shadow had watched him while he was asleep?
After securing the cover, he used the faint light trickling through to check the reinforced precious stone behind the door.
The precious stone had already lost half its volume, changing from a jade-like quality to pale, chalky grey.
Yu Hong felt a jolt of anxiety.
'Thank goodness for the reinforced precious stone; otherwise, I wouldn't even know how I might die if I fell asleep alone.'
He sighed and noticed a faint dampness in the cave, knowing that if he didn’t dry it out, it would mold soon.
His only hope now lay in what the reinforced stove could do.
At this moment, the countdown on the stove still had over ten minutes remaining.
Yu Hong decided to sit right there, taking out a piece of dried mushroom to nibble on as he kept his eyes glued to the stove.
Ten minutes passed swiftly.
The number on the stove was nearing its end.
Yu Hong felt a twinge of nervousness; this reinforcement was crucial for his future plans.
With a soft hiss, the numbers vanished, and the entire stove, along with its chimney, turned blurry.
The blurriness lasted a second before everything snapped back into sharp focus.
Before Yu Hong stood an entirely new stove.
"!!? What is this?" The moment he recognized the new stove, his eyes widened in astonishment.
Where this stove stood had merged perfectly with the cave's rocky wall.
The stove appeared to be fully integrated, its body and chimney embedded deep into the stone.
But the most remarkable thing was this: the stove’s outer material was completely transparent!
It was made of a transparent, crystal-like synthetic material!
Yu Hong stepped forward, reaching out to lightly tap the edge of the stove.
Bang! Bang!
Two muffled sounds echoed, firm and solid.
‘Incredible.
It truly serves both heating and lighting purposes.’ Yu Hong was left speechless.
The stove already served as a source of warmth; making it transparent also ensured lighting.
Such an upgrade was nothing short of genius!
He circled the new stove, observing it carefully until the outside light faded completely.
Faint rustling noises began to seep in.
Hurrying, he took out a match and lit the candle.
The upgraded candle now had windproof features and could gather the smoke on its own—quite impressive.
Once he placed the candle on a small stool, he quickly began to stuff firewood and kindling into the stove.
The kindling was made of the ultrathin wood shavings he had left before—very fluffy and easy to ignite.
He paired it with some sun-dried hay leaves.
Crackle!
Soon, a dark red flame flickered to life within the stove.
The flame grew larger over time, sending out gray-white smoke that funneled through the chimney, escaping outside without a trace lingering in the cave.
As the flame became brighter and larger, the glow inside the transparent stove outshone the candle.
After another ten minutes, once the stove stabilized, Yu Hong added in thicker logs and blew out the candle.
‘Finally, it’s done!’
He plopped down on the wooden stool, contentedly gazing at the burning stove.
The warm currents radiated from the crystal-clear walls of the stove.
This material also had excellent thermal conductivity.
As the warmth enveloped him, the chill of the cave gradually dissipated, replaced by relaxation and comfort.
In no time, the entire cave felt like springtime—bright and safe.
(End of Chapter)