Night of Despair

Chapter 176: Strengthening
 

Generally, a shadow would have just tens of “Red Value,” and the Withered Woman Evil Shadow initially had only hundreds. Language People are stronger, initially in the thousands.

Approaching the current campsite array meant instant elimination.

The combination of black wind and black fire initially caused five thousand damage per second. Basically, entering meant death.

“Once the slowing array is enhanced and the slow effect becomes more pronounced, perhaps I won’t even need to lure the Insect Man myself.”

At this point, Yu Hong finally felt a bit of safety.

The high damage of the Wind and Fire Slaughter Spirit Array initially gave him the confidence to stabilize the camp.

Now, the problem was that continuing to strengthen the array would definitely take more time. Strengthening just the slowing effect, on the other hand, would take much less Black Mark time. Thus, the focus should just be on continuously enhancing the slowing effect.

At that moment inside the stone castle, Li Rushan and others, who had already sensed something, quietly opened the door and peeped out.

“Boss? Is it over?” Li Rushan asked cautiously.

“It’s fine now, but in the future, you all should come out less, and even if you do, try to bring a luminous stone blanket to reduce your own aura,” Yu Hong advised.

“Yes, definitely, definitely,” Old Li nodded repeatedly. Just now, he had seen an Insect Man through the gap in the window, and although he didn’t know how the boss had driven it away, the outcome was bearable.

“Boss, did the Insect Man enter the camp just now?” Dr. Xu squeezed out of the door and asked cautiously.

“Mm… It was too fast; the camp isn’t deep enough… But as long as we hide inside the stone castle, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Yu Hong reassured.

He had just led the Insect Man around in many circles; hiding the truth was impossible.

So he simply told the truth outright.

Regardless, hearing that the Insect Man had entered the camp, everyone’s faces slightly changed.

The atmosphere suddenly turned a bit gloomy.

“That’s all, don’t worry,” Yu Hong spoke loudly. “I’ve already started making enhancements in response to the recent situation.”

“We naturally trust the boss… but there’s another issue,” Li Rushan said with hesitation, then after pausing, he continued.

“It’s about Xu Ruoying, she needs a targeted check-up now. She’s noticed something wrong with her belly, probably needs some medication to stabilize the pregnancy… but we have no equipment here, nor do we understand obstetrics…”

“You mean…” Yu Hong had a premonition.

“I need to go to the city, find a doctor, find equipment; we’re lacking many things here,” Dr. Xu said helplessly.

As the fetus grew, her mental state had improved so much that she was no different from a normal person.

“Didn’t Ding Shao borrow a car? We could use it to go to a bigger base,” Li Rushan said gravely.

Yu Hong paused, then nodded in understanding.

“I have no objections. For the sake of the child, we need to go to a larger base where the conditions are much better.”

He couldn’t possibly spend Black Mark enhancement time on strengthening a bunch of equipment just for childbirth. Even if he could enhance them, who would operate them?

Have Dr. Xu deliver by herself?

If there was a difficult labor, would she perform a cesarean section on herself?

Thus, Yu Hong understood Xu Ruoying’s predicament and sympathized.

“So, you plan to go with her?” he looked towards Li Rushan.

“With her being pregnant and less mobile, someone must accompany her. I plan to go with Nana and her.”

“Where to?”

“First to Old Zhou’s mentioned Old Hope City in Mandy, which he has visited. That area isn’t a high-risk Black Disaster invasion zone. After the city was broken, it gathered many refugees, and they established a small refuge there, currently housing about a few hundred people,” Li Rushan explained earnestly.

“…” Yu Hong fell silent, then showed a smile. “Alright, be careful on the road.”

Li Rushan nodded and looked down, unable to meet the other’s gaze, until he heard Yu Hong’s footsteps fade away, followed by the heavy sound of the cave door closing.

He sighed quietly and turned to help Dr. Xu through the door.

His daughter Nana stood by the doorframe, watching him.

“Dad, didn’t you say that you would always be with Uncle Yu?” Nana asked bluntly.

“I… will send you and Dr. Xu to a safe place, then come back,” Li Rushan responded.

“Oh,” Aisena nodded.

But the upcoming Old Zhou was not so easily fooled; he exchanged a look with Li Rushan.

The two quickly settled Nana and Dr. Xu, then went alone to the breeding room and closed the door.

Old Zhou leaned against the door, staring at Li Rushan.

“You’re planning to leave?” he asked. Although phrased as a question, it carried a certain affirmation.

“The Black Disaster has reached the inner courtyard of the camp; the boss had to deal with an Insect Man personally; it’s not just one Insect Man out there, these creatures move in groups…” Li Rushan did not answer directly.

“It looks like you’re leaving,” Old Zhou exhaled lengthily. “It makes sense, we joined Black Wind Camp looking for safety. Now that safety is gone, it could collapse at any moment. You have a child; of course, you can’t risk your life with the boss.”

He paused.

“Even if the boss once saved your life.”

This seemed like a taunt.

With Li Rushan’s temperament, normally he would have retorted right away.

But now…

“I’m not alone,” he lowered his head and closed his eyes. “If it weren’t for Nana, I wouldn’t mind sacrificing my life for the boss; I, Li Rushan, am not afraid of death. But if I die… what will happen to Nana?”

He opened his eyes, guilt and resolution flashing through them.

“I promised Carine to protect Nana as she grows up.”

“Heh heh…” Zhou Xueguang laughed twice.

“What are you laughing about? You’re not planning to go?” Li Rushan asked in return.

“Go? Although the boss saved me too, I’m originally a deserter. Having escaped once, escaping a second time doesn’t weigh on me much,” Old Zhou said indifferently. “Honestly speaking, the boss has really been good to us. It’s a pity… in this world, perhaps good people really don’t last long…”

“That’s right… in any other camp, we would just be cannon fodder. Here, we have free access to food and medicine. If it weren’t for…” Li Rushan nodded and sighed again.

“You’re planning to go; another reason must be the exhausted luminous stone mine, right?” Zhou Xueguang asked again.

“…” Li Rushan did not utter a word, but his silence was consent.

“Hey, now we’re all gone. I wonder what expression the boss will have when he finds out,” Zhou Xueguang said with self-mockery. “He’s probably going to curse us out big time.”

“I’ve packed everything up. This time, I’m planning to head to Gray City, which Commander Zhang Kaijun mentioned. Where are you going?” Li Rushan spoke again.

“Is that little bit of stuff enough for your journey?” Zhou Xueguang noticed that Li Rushan had packed, but the quantity was quite small.

“It’s all the boss’s stuff. We’ve already betrayed his kindness; we shouldn’t go to extremes in everything,” Li Rushan said lightly. “At least I, Li Rushan, come from a mailman background; finding some supplies en route is something I can handle.”

“In that case, I suggest you don’t be shy. If not for yourself, think about Nana. This little bit of food means hardly anything to the boss. If you care, find a way to make it up to the boss later,” Zhou Xueguang suggested earnestly.

“Mmm…” Li Rushan nodded.

But making it up… also depends on whether the boss survives this insect man attack…

*

*

*

Deep into the night.

The sky was pitch-black, yet there was no Blood Tide, and there were still hours until dawn.

The solar car’s motor quietly started. Four people sat inside, taking supplies, and drove out along an unblocked mountain forest road.

Yu Hong stood in front of the stone castle window, watching the dark car leave, his face expressionless.

“Everyone’s gone, better this way… Now, I don’t have to keep hiding…”

He muttered softly, turning to look at the empty stone castle.

The stone castle, which used to have a fair amount of activity, now felt empty and chilly.

On the grayish-white stone wall to the left, there were graffiti scribbled by Aisena with a charcoal pencil.

The graffiti depicted two adults holding hands with a ponytailed little girl, each with a floral wreath above their heads. They were holding hands in a circle, with upturned mouth corners, all smiling.

“Go on, everyone, go,” Yu Hong sighed again.

Before leaving, he had actively stuffed Nana with plenty of nutritional paste and some Radiation Hand Grenades, fearing she might get hungry on the way.

After all, the journey was long, and in case of an emergency, even though the car had concealment runes and the additional concealment effect of the Pyroxene Secret Room, people still need to eat and drink.

When leaving, he could see Nana’s reluctance and Li Rushan’s guilt and helplessness.

He could understand why they made this decision, only… understanding is just understanding, but next time, he didn’t want to encounter such a situation again.

He didn’t want to at all.

‘I can’t change others, so I must change myself.’

He thought the camp rules he had were too simple before, letting just anyone come in and providing them with food and water.

Perhaps he should strictly adopt the system from Zhang Kaijun’s Gray City, establishing a perfect contribution point system. According to the contribution, exchange it for food, water, and a safe residence.

Fair exchange was the right way to operate in this era.

After all, even if his own food and water were easily obtained, what did that have to do with outsiders?

I got it easily, should I just give it away casually?

Bang.

Yu Hong forcefully closed the window, set the wooden latch, and left the stone castle.

The slowdown part of the Wind and Fire Slaughter Spirit Array was almost over.

Standing next to the inner courtyard wall, he looked down at the dark red countdown.

’03 minutes.’

With three minutes left, he simply sat down cross-legged, quietly cultivating his Inner Qi and waiting.

Before long.

A soft sound spread to his ears.

Yu Hong, with closed eyes, quickly checked the aerial view of the Array in his mind.

The entire camp originally displayed a large circle of grayish-white luminescence in the Array.

At this moment, parts of the red patterns inside the Array were distinctly marked. This was the independently enhanced slowdown function.

Yu Hong opened his eyes and saw a new instruction sheet appear on the ground.

He picked it up and read.

‘Black Wind Protection Array: also known as the modified Wind and Fire Slaughter Spirit Array, while maintaining the original lethality, enhances the air resistance slowdown effect. Each hostile individual entering the Array will continuously endure ordinary resistance, impeding their progress.’

The Array change had no other content except this resistance, changing from minor to ordinary.

Yu Hong thought about the previous reduction in the speed of the insect man, feeling slightly hopeful.

‘I wonder to what extent this slowdown can reach.’ he thought.

After enhancing the slowdown Array, he looked again at the Black Mark.

‘Now, it’s time to enhance the Black Lizard… A mere scout is no longer useful to me. I need a type of soldier with strong combat capabilities to address the issue of protecting substitution after the depletion of luminous stone. If I let the Black Lizard deal with the insect man and expand the safety zone around it regularly, safety will be higher.’