Night of Despair-Chapter 126 - : Mark of the 124th

Chapter 126: Mark of the 124th

Back on the first floor.

Yu Hong flipped the switch with a snap, and the light bulb lit up, casting a uniform white light across the main hall.

He found a stool to sit on, feeling almost overwhelmed with satisfaction from his initial arrival here, through each dangerous and challenging experience, to the present.

He had finally,

finally through his own efforts, secured a primitive yet stable safe house.

It had a power supply that could last for over twenty years and a continuous water supply system linked to an underground river.

...

Next, he just needed to refine this place bit by bit.

‘If it weren’t for the many details, perhaps the Black Mark wouldn’t have taken so long. Next, I need to get some shower stuff, carve out a separate bathing space, and could even set up a hot water system using nuclear heat to raise the temperature inside the entire safe house. Water filtration and purification also need to be scheduled….’ Yu Hong settled down, and ideas for improving the safe house began flooding his mind.

Washing machines, dryers, kitchen utensils, external surveillance systems, and more…

With energy, the things he wanted to make multiplied.

‘I need to make a trip outside sometime, scavenge around the abandoned Hope City, maybe get a good haul.’

He confirmed his thoughts, and only then did his mood completely stabilize.

‘Then… it’s time for the new main event…’

Talisman-bound objects!

The newly opened second Black Mark offered additional binding slots, which if used wisely, could provide better defense effects than luminous grass.

And Yu Hong already had an idea for the new target.

‘Compared to binding trees and vines, they lack flexibility. If I could bind and control movable living creatures, perhaps I could use them as a frontline force against the Blood Tide. Then I wouldn’t need to risk myself personally, some lower-level dangers could also be addressed and tested using living creatures.’

Yu Hong took out some paper and a pen, and pondered.

‘The only living creatures I can contact are two types, the rest for some reason are nowhere to be seen, no cats or dogs… I’ll investigate this issue later. For now, I can only choose from the two easiest to access.’

He wrote on the paper.

‘Cockroaches, lizards.’

‘Cockroaches reproduce quickly, easily forming a collective effect, and have a broad diet, very strong survivability. They are also not afraid of many viruses and bacteria, many advantages, but the fault is… they are too small, too weak…. Against ordinary shadows, after synthesis and enhancement, definitely no problem, but with Evil Shadows, the radiation is not enough and it won’t have a big effect.’

Yu Hong shook his head slightly, then looked at the second option.

‘Lizards, average reproduction, the species Li was breeding are north forest red lizards. They are oviparous, and can grow quite large on average.’

He recalled a past casual chat with Li, who had mentioned this.

‘The largest, it is said, can reach the size of cats and dogs, the upper limit can be raised to more than ten pounds. But usually, for meat harvest, they start slaughtering as soon as they grow over a pound.’

‘If enhanced, maybe the size could be larger, used as guard creatures, placed roaming around, the defensive power definitely far surpasses that of cockroaches. It’s just that the diet is a bit narrow… reproduction is also not as good as cockroaches, if some die, it won’t be easy to replenish in a short time.’

Although talisman binding creatures could be recovered and strengthened with inner Qi, Yu Hong knew very clearly what he needed.

‘I need a creature that can withstand shadows and the Blood Tide to a certain extent, can also patrol around on its own, ensuring a safe area within a certain range. Also must be able to quickly reproduce and recover, needs a wide diet, strong survivability, and sufficient stealth, otherwise if it encounters people with guns and bombs, a few shots would kill them, making it utterly pointless.’

‘Movable living creatures can completely accompany me on outings, serving as assistants to test many dangerous areas.’

Yu Hong kept twirling his pen, continuously pondering.

‘This creature’s diet should be available everywhere, easy to solve. Otherwise, it’s not conducive to subsequent population expansion.’

‘So, what kind of thing is everywhere outside?’ Yu Hong’s eyes narrowed slightly, and suddenly a thought struck him.

‘Wait.’

He straightened up.

‘Since luminous grass can absorb other substances and convert them into special radiation against the Red Value, since my cultivation technique can synthesize enhanced effects to absorb Red Value, why can’t I synthesize and enhance a creature that can absorb Red Value, even prey on Blood Tide creatures?’

Thinking this, Yu Hong stood up quickly, switched into his suit, and began to strengthen and restore the Silver Talisman Plate.

To synthesise a new living creature, he had to head to the post office stone house, where live cockroaches and lizards were available, so he had to go out.

And going out meant facing the dilemma of not enough talisman plates, the Black Mark was now vacant, he needed to quickly restore talisman plates and make more vortex talisman plates, fully preparing before heading out to the post office stone house.

‘Just don’t know how Li is now after he’s gone back, how’s the situation.’

Yu Hong worried for a few seconds, then stopped thinking about it further, as he wasn’t the other person’s nanny, at most, he’d lend a hand at critical moments.

After quickly arranging the task for restoring the Silver Talisman Plate, one and a half hours per piece, totaling two pieces.

Using this time, he went to the washbasin and began washing himself.

The water supply system was equipped with some filtering components, even though the water that came out directly wasn’t drinkable, it was still fine for washing and bathing.

Otherwise, Hope City would not have installed such facilities.

Yu Hong tested the water’s radiation value, ensured it was roughly fine, then vigorously wiped his body with a towel, also rinsed his hair, then slowly dried himself by the fireplace.

Then he cleaned and wiped down the suit, clothes.

He hadn’t cleaned himself for too long, now with plenty of water, he felt almost mad, wanting to rinse everything he saw.

It was just after strengthening, all the walls and floors were as clean as new, which greatly relieved Yu Hong’s cleaning anxiety.

Soon, three hours passed, it was already ten o’clock outside, Yu Hong, although not hopeful, still turned on the communicator, waiting for a call from the post office.

Since there was electricity now and the energy could last for decades, there was no worry about wasting it.

Next, Yu Hong took out the paper he had previously recorded with the information for dealing with the people behind the scenes.

The paper recorded the detailed intelligence they three had come up with together.

Yu Hong waited for the two talisman arrays to both fully recover, then stretched out his hand, pressed it on the tabletop, holding down this piece of white paper.

“Strengthen the way to deal with the person behind,” he recited silently.

To handle this suddenly appearing, highly dangerous Evil Shadow, it was necessary to gather as much information about it as possible.

The Black Mark’s enhancement was a cost-effective way.

Yu Hong did not think in any particular direction in his mind, fearing that once a direction was set, it might lead to incomplete information and therefore failure.

The enhancement of the Black Mark followed the principle of completeness.

That is, if the basic information was present and the structure complete, it could be enhanced further and stronger. But without the basic information or a complete structure, failure was certain.

Soon, a red countdown number slowly appeared on the paper recording the characters: 2 hours 14 minutes.

Yu Hong released his grasp, and as the querying voice of the Black Mark echoed in his ears, he replied affirmatively, stood up again, went to the door, opened the barrier, and looked out at the yard of luminous stone grass, filled with anticipation.

Since arriving at this place, it was the first time his heart was filled with anticipation.

*

*

*

Post office.

Inside the underground air-raid shelter.

Li Rushan carefully held Aisena and gently placed her on the small bed, looking at her sleeping face, his original fear, bewilderment, and panic all turned into determination.

“I will definitely protect you… absolutely!”

He made a resolution in his heart.

After returning earlier, he and Lin Haini and Aisena had embraced for a long time.

Upon learning of Song Wei’s disappearance, Li Rushan immediately decided to block off the passage leading to the stone house.

No one was allowed near it.

Only after settling the issues of food and drink and putting his daughter to sleep did he get up and find the opportunity to ask Lin Haini about everything that had happened.

The two left the bedroom alone and entered the neighboring room, turning on the electric light connected to the solar battery.

“The days are getting shorter, but there must be a way. Yu Hong got a nuclear generator, if all else fails, we could get some storage batteries, charge them at his place, and bring them back for use,” Li Rushan said. He paused, looking at the other person.

“Tell me, what exactly happened to Song Wei?”

Song Wei had not appeared to this day, and in such a dangerous environment, there was no need to guess, she was surely dead.

Lin Haini leaned against the wall, her eyes sorrowful, and said softly, “She was restless. At first, due to the danger, she could still hold on underground, but as time passed, she really couldn’t control herself and went upstairs every day to listen to music. You know, because too many people died, some radio stations would often play pure music to mourn those who passed— to mourn those who sacrificed themselves to save most people. So…”

“She went up to listen to music, and then disappeared?” Li Rushan asked.

“We… found her luminous stone blanket on the bed in the room… all the luminous stones in the blanket had been depleted…” Lin Haini looked down, her eyes reddening a bit.

After all, she and Song Wei had originally sought refuge with Li Rushan together, relying on each other, raising children together, their relationship often closer than sisters, but now…

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She was the only one left.

If Li Rushan hadn’t returned in time, she might also have been unable to hold on much longer…

Click.

As the two were talking, suddenly a light sound came from the corridor outside.

Li Rushan was about to speak when he heard the sound and abruptly stopped, his expression grave.

He looked up at Lin Haini.

“Did you close the entrance properly when you came in?”

The entrance was closely sealed with a talisman plate. As soon as it was depleted, the talisman plate would fall to the ground, making a sound.

But the sound just now came from the corridor, not possibly from the falling talisman plate at the entrance.

Lin Haini’s body chilled, and she quickly nodded.

“I checked it twice and even propped it with a metal pipe!”

Li Rushan’s face paled, he now had only the last two ordinary talisman plates given by Yu Hong, all the others had been exhausted.

This meant these two rooms had been arranged as Pyroxene Secret Rooms, that’s why he was somewhat confident he could avoid trouble.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have immediately decided to return to the post office.

“Don’t worry, both these rooms are Pyroxene Secret Rooms, nothing will—” snap.

Suddenly a faint sound emanated from behind Lin Haini.

The sound was very close, too close.

Lin Haini heard it.

Li Rushan did as well.

Both froze in their movements. Li Rushan raised his head, looking at the talisman plates tightly fixed on the wall.

Only then did he shockingly discover that one-third of the talisman plates on this room’s walls had turned completely pale and lost their effect.

“Shan… save me…” Lin Haini trembled, stretching her hand out to Li Rushan.