As time flowed on, Yu Hong began to feel a warm sensation spreading through his body, and a light sheen of sweat emerged on his skin.
He diligently swung his arms, trying to combine movement with his entire body.
Images of a particular exercise technique filled his mind.
Unbeknownst to him, fatigue slowly crept in, and he felt increasingly worn out.
This sensation lasted only a few minutes, when suddenly! A faint, cool breeze brushed against the soles of his feet.
It felt as if countless tiny particles within his body were converging to create this refreshing air.
Yu Hong could distinctly sense numerous prickly sensations gathering around his feet, eventually coalescing into strands of cool air.
As he continued to run, this cool stream began to flow upward from the soles of his feet, naturally traveling into his hips, waist, chest, and finally reaching his head.
Two streams of cool air swirled together at the top of his head before cascading down the back of his neck and returning to the soles of his feet, forming two circular loops.
Strangely enough, when these two air currents completed their first full circle, an instant chill enveloped him, and his earlier weariness significantly lessened.
Before long, he paused to add wood to the fireplace, all the while savoring the sensations from the advanced exercise method.
This night lacked any terrifying threats, only an overwhelming swarm of black insects that flowed in endlessly.
Unconsciously, the sky began to brighten.
Yu Hong ceased his activity, glanced over the bed that was undergoing reinforcement, and started to clean up the ashes, eat, drink, and relieve himself.
After waiting a while longer and listening to the radio, the time for reinforcement finally arrived.
Standing by the edge of the quilt, Yu Hong quietly gazed as the countdown slowly reached zero.
Whoosh!
In an instant, everything twisted before him.
The shabby quilt became a blur and then, in the blink of an eye, came into focus once more.
What lay before Yu Hong was no longer just a simple quilt but rather a large sleeping bag of a grayish-white color with a zipper and hood! The material had transformed from cloth into an unknown lightweight substance, which Yu Hong eagerly squeezed with his hand.
It felt soft and gentle, carrying with it a slight fragrant essence—likely meant to repel insects.
“Now, all I need is a large amount of water for a bath,” Yu Hong mused as he looked around the cave, feeling it much more comfortable than when he first arrived. “How do I secure a significant water source?” This was a troubling question.
Simple essentials for survival were sufficient, but for substantial amounts of water, he might have to rely on wells and streams.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, ‘What if wells can be reinforced too?!’ He buried this thought deep in his heart, took a sip of water, and got up to fetch a small bag of jerky.
With little else to do, it was most efficient to reinforce the jerky.
A bag of ten pieces only required eight hours to reinforce, and the resulting protein bars could last him ten days.
Compared to before, when he could only make do for two or three days, it was quite an improvement.
For the next few days, Yu Hong remained inside, focusing on strengthening his body.
He combined the protein bars with mushrooms and wild vegetables for daily meals.
Boiling a pot of soup saved him the time of heating water.
In the blink of an eye, six days of heightened activity finally came to a close.
On the last day, two more fierce creatures slammed against the reinforced door, but the sturdy door held firm, thwarting their assault.
It was a close call.
By now, this little safe haven had truly achieved its aim of ensuring safety.
After the heightened period, Yu Hong calculated his remaining food supplies: all the jerky was transformed into protein bars, totaling twenty-six pieces, along with some dried mushrooms and wild vegetables.
He had also used the black imprint to reinforce them into similar nutritional bars.
Following the guidance, consuming one a day could ensure full replenishment of trace elements and dietary fiber.
Wild vegetables were plentiful in the woods, with the main scarcity being jerky and water.
After the heightened period, Yu Hong wandered through the forest during the day, searching for streams, and practiced his advanced physical drills at night, resting by the fireplace afterward.
Life became simple and rhythmic.
Occasionally, when shadows drifted nearby, they were repelled by the large shining stones he had reinforced.
Interestingly, he found himself preferring to call it the "Bright Stone," which was how the townspeople referred to it, and so he decided to keep that name.
Thus, day after day passed quietly.
Before he knew it, twenty days flew by.
The food in the safe house was running low; only six protein bars remained, and replenishment became a necessity.
Thud.
Yu Hong closed the door, gripping a black metallic wolf-tooth club, and glanced around, sweeping his gaze over the surroundings.
After exercising for over half a month, his physique had gained a slight bit of meat, not as thin as before.
Moreover, the sharpness in his eyes appeared noticeably better.
The most crucial improvement was in the steel spike club he wielded, which had been reinforced to be lighter and harder.
It now contained secret compartments filled with an unknown type of stone.
This wolf-tooth club also had anti-slip straps, which could be fastened to his arm to prevent it from slipping away.
Three large shining stones were hidden in three concealed compartments along the middle of the club, undetectable unless one activated the switches.
Apart from that, he wore a dark green anti-stab suit, strengthened from the sweatshirt Jenni sold him.
Although it took some time, it was worth the effort.
This anti-stab suit had two hard wooden boards sewn into the front and back, thus providing some bulletproof functionality.
As long as the shots weren't fired from close range, it significantly reduced damage.
Not to mention, it was effective against stabbing.
The rest of his time had gone into reinforcing the large shining stones.
Along with one from earlier, he now held five in total.
Exhaling deeply, Yu Hong saw his breath create a puff of white mist, indicating the temperature had dropped again.
He pulled up the hood of his anti-stab sweatshirt, which also offered protection from rain and cold.
“What I still need are anti-stab gloves and a bulletproof helmet. I could ask about exchanging jerky. Additionally, my salt is almost gone; I wonder if the mailman has returned. If I can get my solar equipment, then electricity won’t be an issue.”
With this in mind, Yu Hong lowered his head, hopped down the stone steps, and headed toward the post office.
He had to hurry; recently, he had noticed the days growing shorter and the nights longer.
"Perhaps autumn and winter are approaching," he reassured himself.
With reinforced boots on his feet, he traversed the forest, ever alert to his surroundings.
The strength he had gained from twenty days of training was substantial.
The cool air generated by the advanced physical training method didn’t usually benefit him much.
It would only manifest when he was nearly exhausted, providing him with a much-needed recovery boost.
Essentially, it was a supply pack.
Aside from that, this training technique didn’t differ much from regular jogging.
While this left Yu Hong feeling somewhat disappointed, he wasn’t in a rush.
He knew that with continued practice, he could compile new training methods based on his existing experience.
If possible, he even hoped to learn from a professional.
Crack, crack.
As the sound of his footsteps mixed with the crunch of leaves beneath him, Yu Hong soon reached the entrance of the stone post office.
To his surprise, a considerable crowd had gathered before the stone building, numbering about seven or eight individuals.
Among them, he immediately spotted Jenni.
This middle-aged woman, whom he had previously traded with, stood out, though not because of herself, but due to a beautiful girl beside her who was strikingly eye-catching.
With a perfectly proportioned figure, she wore tight white washed jeans that accentuated her long legs, a full bust, and her meticulously done-up face shimmered in the sunlight.
Her flowing golden hair fell elegantly over her shoulders.
In the forest, surrounded by a dirty crowd, this girl appeared exceptionally unique.
She didn’t seem to belong in this environment at all.
Yu Hong’s arrival caused a wave of tension among the others, and numerous gazes quickly focused on him.
“It’s Yu Hong?” Jenni was the first to step forward. “What did we trade last time?”
“The water filter and steel spikes,” Yu Hong swiftly replied, taking a few steps back and forth to show his agility, making it clear he wasn’t a shadow.
“That’s the kid saved by Yi Yi!” A familiar voice echoed from the crowd.
A middle-aged woman in a tattered white lab coat stepped out, glasses perched on her nose.
It was Doctor Xu, whom he hadn’t seen in quite some time.
“Doctor Xu, you’ve returned?” Yu Hong asked, surprised.
“Why wouldn’t I? With the state of things in town, if I’m caught, I’d end up doing hard labor without being paid for my medical services. Those soldiers are a bunch of bullies, and they’ll beat you if you speak up!” Doctor Xu replied sharply.
Her words were often harsh, but somehow, at this moment, they lightened Yu Hong’s mood a bit.
At least he was glad to see a familiar face, especially one that had helped him during a tough time, even if it was by relying on Yi Yi’s connections.
“It’s good that you returned safely,” Yu Hong nodded, his tone softening.
Seeing they weren’t shadows but familiar figures, the rest of the crowd turned their attention back to the stone post office.
Yu Hong moved closer, giving a nod to Jenni before standing beside Doctor Xu.
He felt he knew Doctor Xu better than Jenni since their interaction had been limited to just one trade.
Despite her sharp tongue, she was loyal and held gratitude.
When the large creatures had attacked them earlier, her timely actions had saved Little Stutter, allowing him to escape.
Otherwise, he might not have survived.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen so many people since I got here,” Yu Hong murmured.
“If you go to town, you’ll see even more. Just because there are many people doesn’t mean it’s a good thing,” Doctor Xu replied coldly.
As Yu Hong got closer, he noticed one of her glasses lenses was cracked, and there was a bruise at the corner of her mouth, clearly indicating she had been hurt.
“What’s everyone gathered here for? Has the mailman returned?” Yu Hong asked.
“He’s back; he just went out for a bit and brought back news. The town plans to evacuate people to a larger hope city, leaving the day after tomorrow. Those who wish to accompany must possess certain skills and can go to town for an assessment. If they pass, they’ll be allowed to leave with us,” Doctor Xu explained unenthusiastically.
“And the ordinary folks? What about all those regular people?” Yu Hong’s brow furrowed.
He wasn’t a bleeding heart, but such a policy would surely lead to chaos, especially considering the sheer number of ordinary people far outweighed trained individuals.
“I don’t know. There was a murder in town a few days ago; more than twenty people died. It wasn’t due to shadows or bloodworm bugs, and no one can figure out why. I suspect it might be from a newly appearing evil shadow,” Doctor Xu replied.
“What about you? Will you be going with them?” Yu Hong inquired.
“I’m not going. I won’t be alive much longer anyway, and I can’t be bothered to stir things up in this dog-eat-dog world. I’d rather stay here and wait to die,” Doctor Xu said coldly.
With her family gone, she felt like there was no point in living day by day alone.
When asked whether she would join the evacuation, Doctor Xu suddenly turned her gaze to Yu Hong.
“What about you? Are you going?”
“I’m not going,” Yu Hong answered calmly.
“A peculiar one,” Doctor Xu remarked, finally noticing the detailed craftsmanship of the equipment he wore.
“You’ve got some impressive gear there. Where did you get it?” Since the previous incident with the creatures, her perception of Yu Hong had changed significantly, and her attitude toward him had softened considerably.
(End of Chapter)