Night of Despair

Chapter 134: The Second Seal Part Two
 

“How far is Shoudong City from here?”

“Over eight hundred kilometers. It’s not far by car, but the main issue is that we are uncertain about what we’ll encounter along the way.” Li Rushan replied. “However, if you equip me with enough of those Radiation Hand Grenades of yours, I’m confident I can make the trip.”

“…How many do you need?” Yu Hong asked after a moment of silence.

The allure of new runes was significant. Of the seven runes he had copied last time, only the Vortex Rune worked when drawn with Inner Strength. If what Li saw were other useless symbols, it would be a wasted trip.

“Wait, are you sure it’s not a rune from a relic nearby?” he asked again.

“I’m certain, because I’ve seen the promotional material before. Each relic has a door painted with symbols; while many overlap, each relic has two core symbols that are completely different. There wasn’t much written by the experts, but I remember that.”

“Each relic has different core symbols?”

“Yeah, that’s what the expert wrote.” Li Rushan nodded.

“I’ve heard a bit about this as well,” Zhou Xueguang, who was on the side, couldn’t help but chip in, drawing the attention of the two men.

“Our front-line researchers often go to collect various materials, and over time, some of the grassroots material collectors have become familiar with us survivors. After all, everyone wants to avoid danger, so consulting with us has become common.” He paused. “We often gather for bragging sessions, and I’ve heard that aside from the Pyroxene Symbol, the so-called enhancement symbol that all relics have, many relics also have their own unique special symbols. However, research has shown that the only effective one discovered by Silver Tower is the Pyroxene Symbol.”

He exhaled and continued, “Some experts are not satisfied with this finding, attempting to uncover effects from other symbols and runes, but to no avail.”

After he finished, he looked at Yu Hong with a measure of respect in his eyes.

When you think about it, if so many top experts at Silver Tower couldn’t find any use for the symbols, yet they had developed a second symbol under Yu Hong, that was something.

“I stumbled upon it by accident,” Yu Hong shook his head. He was well aware that the Vortex Rune would probably only be effective when combined with Inner Qi.

Or rather, Inner Qi was an essential component for the Vortex Rune to produce an effect.

It was like someone wanting a cup of saltwater, but having only salt and no water; he could never obtain saltwater in such a case.

The Vortex Rune was the same.

“This… is worth a gamble… but it’s quite risky. I think it’s better if I go myself,” Yu Hong considered before speaking out loud.

“Boss, we came to you to be useful, didn’t we?” Li Rushan put a hand on Yu Hong’s shoulder, earnestly saying, “I’ll go. There won’t be any problems this time. An old postman like me is just getting back to his roots.”

He grinned, showing off his yellow teeth that hadn’t been brushed in who knows how long.

Yu Hong looked at him and paused for a few seconds.

“Fine. I’ll trust you once more. I’ll prepare ten Radiation Hand Grenades for you. Since they need time to absorb radiation and I need to optimize the structure, they’ll be ready the day after tomorrow. You can set off then, okay?”

“Okay!” Old Li clearly had already thought about his role. His recent request to go out and collect materials was obviously not a spur-of-the-moment thought.

After confirming the arrangements, the cabin was sorted out too.

The three of them then quickly started to build a wooden bed and chairs, and afterward, Yu Hong connected a water pipe out from the cave.

Splash.

The water flowed continuously and washed the walls of the courtyard.

“Holy sh*t!!! Running water??”

Li Rushan, who had just placed a wooden table inside and come out, saw a water pipe spraying water!

He was stunned, his eyes revealing a dream-like expression.

Standing amid the spray’s mist, his eyes bulged like spheres, intently watching the transparent flexible hose in Yu Hong’s hand.

It wasn’t just him; Zhou Xueguang, who was squatting and clearing sawdust, opened his mouth in amazement at the scene.

“Boss… you’ve sorted out the water supply!?” He inhaled sharply, standing up to ask loudly.

Li Rushan then remembered Yu Hong had bought him a set of underground water supply system components before.

Added to that were the nuclear-powered generators for energy; with Yu Hong’s skills, it was indeed possible to set up an underground water supply system.

“Wow! We’ve got water! We can shower now!!” Aisena, still a child, was the first to cheer excitedly.

She ran out from the cabin, happily spinning around in the mist.

“So, I guess it’s time we built a communal shower,” Yu Hong said, holding onto the water hose, looking around at everyone in the courtyard, unable to suppress a smile.

In this extremely dangerous environment, being able to avoid going out for water and having a constant supply was a massive surprise for anyone.

Suddenly, whether it was Li Rushan or Zhou Xueguang, everyone moved closer to the mist, reaching out to touch it.

All faces revealed a sense of relaxation and joy from within.

“Also, I’ve solved the energy issue. If you have any devices that need charging, come to me. After all, the days are getting shorter. I’ll also install a light bulb outside for communal lighting,” Yu Hong added.

“Long live the boss!!” Aisena was the first to raise her hands high and cheer.

Li Rushan and Zhou Xueguang also showed surprised smiles and raised their hands.

“Long live!!”

They too joined in the cheer, watching Nana bounce and spin in place.

Having water and electricity, these were the fundamental guarantees for a small base!

If before it was simply about surviving, now, the assurance of energy and water sources gave everyone the true expectation of living better.

No sooner said than done, Yu Hong quickly brought out an electrical wire from the cave, hung up a light bulb, and provided around-the-clock illumination for the outside yard through the vent above the door.

“The light has a resisting effect on the Black Disaster in the wild, but even if we’re using nuclear power, we shouldn’t waste energy unnecessarily. So I suggest we add a cover to the light bulb, paint the inside of a cone-shaped cover with reflective material, which can further narrow the illumination range and at the same time increase the brightness within this range,” proposed Zhou Xueguang.

It was clear that after mixing it up on the front lines for so many years, he had many practical tricks up his sleeve.

“That makes sense,” Yu Hong quickly adopted the idea, and along with Li Rushan, made a trip to the post office. They found tinfoil and glue from the miscellaneous items there, then used wood to make a lampshade. In less than half an hour, they had constructed both the lampshade and its supporting base.

The communal electric light hung on a five-meter-high wooden pole in the center of the yard.

The wooden pole was as thick as a watermelon. To call it a pole was an understatement; it was more like a small tree that Yu Hong had dragged over from outside.

As evening approached, the communal shower cubicle was also set up and painted with a waterproof coating on the surface.

This made the yard a lot livelier.

Three wooden houses of varying sizes were distributed in a triangular formation, with an electric light pole standing in the middle of the open space.

The bright light, gradually dimming in the evening, gave everyone an inexplicable sense of security.

Bursts of cold wind blew through, and the luminous grass in the yard rustled with the wind.

Yu Hong stood in front of the gate, looking at the scene before him, and felt an inexplicable sense of achievement in his heart.

“It looks a bit like a small village,” he smiled and said.

“Yeah… an ordinary village is far behind us in terms of conditions!” Li Rushan stood beside him, remarking with a sigh. “We’re just lacking one thing, and then we won’t have to go outside for a long time.”

“You mean heating?” Yu Hong understood.

“Yes, the weather is getting colder and colder. The seasons now have completely lost their meaning. The temperature seems to be linked to something else,” Li Rushan nodded. “Since we have a nuclear power source, we can completely utilize the cooling water pipes to construct a waste heat system.”

“The essence of nuclear power generation requires a large amount of water for cooling, and this cooling water is heated to a very high degree. Indeed, it can be used for heating,” Yu Hong, though a pseudo-researcher, still knew some basic knowledge. It was just a bit unfamiliar to him.

Hearing Li Rushan mention it now gave him a sense of urgency about his own knowledge reserves.

After all, he was portraying the image of a profound researcher. If he didn’t even know some basic knowledge, people would definitely suspect how he managed to create those things.

“We still need to refine our defenses outside,” Li Rushan sighed.

“Right, I’ll think of a way,” Yu Hong nodded.

“Then boss, since everything is so ripe now, if I encounter very suitable survivors outside, can I bring them to join us?” Li Rushan turned his head to look at him.

“Not for now, our defensive range is limited,” Yu Hong considered for a moment and declined.

The area pushed back by the luminous grass was only so large. Whether they can expand the safe zone further would depend on how the newly synthesized marked creatures turned out.

After discussing the future development with Old Li, the two went back to rest.

Soon after, rustling sounds of numerous crawling creatures passed by the outside of the yard wall.

Countless black bugs, like a tide, passed by one wave after another.

They naturally skirted this area, forcefully driven away by the luminous grass, creating a perfect safe zone.

Over in the night sky, unpleasant cries of Multi-eyed Birds drifted from afar, one after another, clearly more than one.

This made Yu Hong’s heart unconsciously clench.

But after observing for a while at the door, he noticed that these Multi-eyed Birds didn’t approach. They flew further and further away, until they were completely inaudible.

Once he confirmed there was no danger, Li Rushan and the others inside their houses also witnessed this scene through the cracks in the window.

Hearing that the Multi-eyed Birds had completely left and were no longer attacking, a strong sense of security welled up in everyone’s hearts.

Whoosh.

Yu Hong pulled the shutter closed and returned to the lizards and cockroaches undergoing enhancement.

The box before him had several cockroaches missing, one lizard gone, and the Large Pyroxene Stone traceless.

The countdown outside the box had ended. In its place was a bizarre lizard with black and red all over its body.

This lizard was smaller than the previous red lizard, with an extra pair of black insect wings on its back, and they were hidden just like those of a cockroach, nearly invisible when not spread.

The wings were smooth and glossy like ceramic, with faint white patterns barely perceptible.

Yu Hong thought for a moment, opened the plastic box, and reached out to touch the lizard.

It was very smooth.

The lizard was only as long as a palm and slender in build. If you didn’t look closely, it was hard to tell it was a living creature and not just a reddish-black wooden stick.

‘It’s camouflage isn’t bad either.’

Yu Hong looked at the motionless lizard and suddenly noticed a piece of white paper placed in the lower right outside the plastic box.

He picked up the paper, and it surprisingly contained detailed instructions.

‘Black Lizard: Also known as Plague Insect Lizard, it has an insect’s incredible adaptability, can regenerate quickly after losing certain limbs, is immune to most pathogens, and its body fluids contain potent toxins. In an agitated state, it secretes large quantities of venom to attack enemies through spraying. It reproduces oviparously with a single female. Its diet primarily consists of Red Value radiation, supplemented by some decaying vegetation and insects.’