A Night of Desperation

Chapter 15: Trouble (1)

The purpose of a radio is to receive external signals, but if it could also be enhanced, it might yield unexpected results.

Looking at the numbers on the radio,

“Five hours, just enough time to finish by dawn, I can give it a try.”

Up until now, Yu Hong hadn’t noticed any side effects from enhancing the black marks, and the only cost seemed to be the consumption of mental energy.

At this point, the axe had likely finished its enhancement, and he could hear the corresponding prompt for enhancement in his ear.

In an instant, the radio in his hand blurred for a moment before quickly becoming clear again, with the display showing the numbers: 5:11.

Seeing the countdown begin, Yu Hong placed the radio aside, sat alone on the bed, holding a candle, letting out a long breath, feeling an increasing sense of loneliness and fear in his heart.

This fear came not only from the ghostly shadows and monsters that could appear at any moment but also from the unfamiliar corpses lying in the wilderness.

He sat there, motionless, his mind racing.

By dawn, his anxiety had somewhat eased.

After drinking some water, Yu Hong left the room. The sunlight outside was weak, and the sky was covered with thick clouds, signaling an impending rainstorm.

The air felt damp, and cold gusts of wind swept across his ankles as he walked on the ground.

As he walked, he suddenly paused and turned to look at a nearby building.

In the darkness, there were faint white figures flickering in and out of view.

He took a deep breath, picked up the radio, and quickened his pace, heading toward the cave shelter.

After about ten minutes, he reached the safety house.

Bang.

The reinforced wooden door slammed shut, and the lock was secured.

Yu Hong finally relaxed a bit and sat down heavily on the floor next to the bed.

Picking up the radio, he inspected it carefully, only to find that the numbers had disappeared.

The entire device had quietly transformed, now looking completely new.

The parts that had been broken before were now repaired.

“Could it be that my enhancement ability can not only enhance objects but also repair damaged items?” Yu Hong thought to himself.

He turned the radio over and opened the battery compartment, only to find two blue AA batteries inside.

Suppressing his surprise, he put the battery cover back on and switched it on.

Click.

A sudden sound came from the radio.

Hiss…

Then, the familiar static hiss filled the air.

“It really works!?” Yu Hong was astonished.

He examined the device again, making sure there was no issue, and then held it to his ear.

The sound was clear, without any static, and he was quite pleased.

“Let me try tuning into a station here.”

Since arriving in Baiqiu Village, he had been preoccupied with survival, constantly adapting to the environment and dealing with dangers.

Now, with the cave shelter offering some safety, he could finally relax a little.

Feeling more at ease, Yu Hong turned the large circular knob on the front of the radio to adjust the frequency.

As he turned the knob slowly, the static hiss fluctuated, varying in intensity.

Soon, with a sudden whoosh, a quiet frequency flashed by.

Yu Hong quickly returned to the previous position, and after fine-tuning, a sad melody began playing from the radio.

The music sounded like a dirge—slow, long, and melancholic, its low tones evoking a sense of heaviness.

Before Yu Hong could guess what program it was, a voice came through the radio.

“This is a reminder for everyone: Due to a shortage of batteries, please make sure to turn on your radios at this time every day, adjust the frequency, and remove the batteries after listening to save energy.”

A deep, magnetic male voice came through the radio.

“This is the National Special Disaster Response Management Bureau. I will provide daily updates on disaster conditions and the actual changes in various types of dangers during the Black Disaster, along with some research and predictions made by the Silver Tower. Please take this seriously.”

Hearing this, Yu Hong’s expression stiffened. He knew he had found the right station, so he set the radio aside and listened quietly.

He had been operating near Baiqiu Village for a while now. Due to his physical limitations, he couldn’t venture farther into larger areas.

Even if he could, he wouldn’t be able to access the latest national research results.

Therefore, the content he was hearing from this radio station was invaluable to him.

The broadcast continued.

“According to statistics from the National Security Department, there are currently 759 locations in our country still affected and expanding due to the Black Disaster. Each of these areas is dominated by blood ticks, with occasional appearances of ghostly shadows.”

“Research by the Silver Tower has shown that the overall intensity of the Black Disaster is on the rise over time. The strength of the ghostly shadows is also gradually increasing. It is advised that cities prepare accordingly.”

“The peak period is approaching, and during this time, all Black Disasters will show a significant increase in damage. The blood ticks’ resistance to light is also slowly improving, which will require more energy for lighting tools.”

Yu Hong listened carefully. Much of the information the announcer was sharing was new to him.

Particularly the fact that the overall intensity of the Black Disaster was rising, which once again filled him with a sense of urgency.

He only had a small amount of enhanced glowstones left. The rest were either embedded in items or hidden in various dark corners of the cave, serving as a safety net.

If the peak period arrived and he encountered ghostly shadows, even one or two a day would be too much for him to handle.

At that moment, he decided to enhance more glowstones. He had just picked one up to start the process when a loud thunderclap was heard from outside.

The wind howled, and the rain began to fall, first as scattered droplets against the wooden door, then quickly intensifying into a downpour.

The sound of the rain hitting the door grew louder and more rapid.

Yu Hong quickly reacted, retrieving a wooden barrel from the corner. He opened the door and placed it outside to collect rainwater.

Rainwater was far cleaner than stagnant water.

Closing the door, he listened to the roaring thunder and the heavy rain outside.

Inside the cave, it was dry and quiet.

A sense of calmness settled over him.

Sitting back down on the musty, smelly bed, he let out a sigh.

Although it smelled bad, it was safe.

Under such conditions, even the water for drinking was in short supply—there was no way to take a bath.

Suddenly, Yu Hong had a thought. He considered going outside to collect rainwater to wash himself but quickly dismissed the idea, fearing he might catch a cold or pneumonia. With no medicine available, he couldn’t risk it.

He decided to stay in the cave, staring out at the gray sky through the observation window.

The radio continued to play.

“Due to the rapid increase in ghostly shadows in various regions, the Disaster Response Management Bureau will dispatch patrol teams to collect detailed data on the ghostly shadows.”

A few sentences later, the announcer’s voice cut off, replaced by rapid breathing.

“Emergency broadcast: A serious ghostly shadow incident has occurred at Hope City 43 in Wu Liang Mountain, resulting in hundreds of casualties. These types of shadows have extremely strong spreading abilities, and all communications with this location have been cut off.”

“Please note: The incident occurred at Hope City 43 in Wu Liang Mountain.”

The announcer repeated the location several times, his tone tense and serious.

Yu Hong sat there, confused.

“Is that it?” he wondered, baffled. “No rescue measures? Just isolation? No supplies either?”

But no matter how long he waited, the announcer never mentioned the incident again. Instead, the broadcast continued with updates on research from an organization called the Silver Tower.

The Hope City incident was no longer mentioned.

Yu Hong stayed by the radio for over ten minutes, still hearing no further news.

Finally, he seemed to understand.

Perhaps the authorities had no other way to deal with the ghostly shadows and the Black Disaster except to isolate the affected areas and wait for the intensity to pass.

He stood up, sighed, and walked to the door, gazing outside.

The rain continued to pour, and the once clear view of the mountains was now obscured by the downpour.

A loud thunderclap sounded in the distance.

Yu Hong suddenly thought of the little stutterer. He wondered how she was doing. She must have been caught in the rain on the way.

He hoped she was alright.

In such weather, he couldn’t afford to go out looking for her. Moreover, she was much stronger than he was, so if he did find her, he would only be a burden.

With that in mind, Yu Hong sat down again, feeling the moment of safety and quiet.

He turned off the radio and resumed enhancing the glowstones.

His biggest problems now were the lack of candles and insufficient glowstones.

Tomorrow was the last day before the peak period arrived, and it was their final chance to go out and get more candles.

As for the glowstones, he could only continue enhancing them while hoping the little stutterer could hurry up and finish her drawings.

“If the Black Disaster is truly getting stronger, how will ordinary people in the wilderness survive?” Yu Hong felt a slight fear rising in his heart.

He was a naturally fearful person, easily scared and prone to imagining things in a complicated and dangerous way.

This extreme mindset wasn’t normal.

But in this environment, that trait seemed to be of great use.

“If everyone else is gone, even with my black mark enhancement, I can’t survive without food.”

He knew he had to solve the food problem on his own. He had to be self-sufficient.

With safety mostly secured for now, Yu Hong turned his attention to food.

“And I need to make a water filtration device too. These things aren’t something I can make myself. I need to plan carefully.”

*

*

*

Boom.

The mountain forest outside was drenched in heavy rain, and the dense droplets almost formed mist, covering the forest and obscuring the view.

It should have been bright in the morning, but now the rain had made everything appear dim and gray.

The vast forest looked like a piece of bread covered in green mold.

At the edge of the area, two figures moved like sesame seeds, quickly heading toward Baiqiu Village.

Both were wearing black raincoats and carrying trekking poles, running swiftly with practiced steps.

“Hurry, hurry! It’s getting dark, and those things are going to come out soon!” the figure behind gasped, urging the one ahead.

“I know. Almost there,” came the stuttered response of the small figure ahead. It was the little stutterer, Yi Yi, returning from outside.

The two quickly reached the lower part of the village and rushed along the gravel path.

Bang.

They reached the door, and the little stutterer pulled out a key to unlock it, one hand ready with a glowstone, prepared to release it at any moment.

Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened.

They made it inside without incident.

Just as the door closed behind them, a flash of lightning lit up the gravel path outside, revealing several blurred figures standing there.

The light disappeared in an instant, and the figures vanished, like mirages.

(End of Chapter)