A Night of Desperation

Chapter 116: Intermittent (2)

n the blink of an eye, two weeks—fourteen days—had passed.

At Baihe City Port, cargo ships slowly departed, heading toward the vast ocean.

These ships were fully loaded with supplies and carried waves of migrants seeking refuge elsewhere.

The population of Baihe City was rapidly dwindling as people left in large numbers.

Everyone was trying to reach New Aurora City, a place far safer and more resource-abundant than here.

To cover the city’s evacuation, elite enhanced soldiers from the United Army were deployed. They assisted regular military squads in handling nearby threats.

Outside the city—a deserted industrial park.

A fully armed squad, equipped with firearms, blades, and riot shields, stood silently at the entrance, checking their gear.

“This mission was assigned from above. Every enhanced squad has to participate—we can’t opt out,” said Squad Leader Xue Ningning helplessly.

Every squad had been given an area to cover. Even with her connections, she couldn’t avoid this mission—it was a direct order from the highest command.

“Ning Team has already done her best for us. This time, there’s no way around it. I heard over a dozen regular squads have already gone missing. The Whisperer is spreading, and it’s getting harder to contain them,” a middle-aged male team member sighed.

“We’re just buying time for the main force to retreat,” another sneered. “We’re nothing but slightly more valuable pawns.”

“No one’s forcing you to stay,” someone responded.

“I never wanted to stay! Look at this squad—what a joke. Ning Team, I told you before, stop being soft-hearted and bringing in useless people. Now look—this mission lands on us, and we barely have enough capable hands. What are we supposed to do?”

A buzz-cut young man with a strong build spoke irritably.

“Tang Xing, you five come with me inside. The rest, stay outside,” Xue Ningning ordered, exasperated.

With the risk of encountering Whisperers, she couldn’t afford any weak links. One wrong move, and the entire team could be wiped out.

The five she named looked dissatisfied but had no choice—they understood how dangerous Whisperers were.

Among those left outside were Ou Li, Lin Yiyi, and Chen Qiaosheng.

The three of them watched with different expressions as Xue Ningning led her team into the park.

“C-captain… will it be dangerous?” Lin Yiyi asked worriedly.

“Do you even need to ask?” Ou Li said coldly. “Stop asking stupid questions.”

“Ning Team has looked after us for so long… Can’t we do something?” Chen Qiaosheng sighed.

“She’s giving you a chance to slack off, and you’re still complaining?” Ou Li raised an eyebrow.

Although true, Chen Qiaosheng and Lin Yiyi didn’t look relieved or happy.

“Where’s the Silent Squad? Shouldn’t they be the ones dealing with Whisperer? We’re just enhanced humans, but we’re still basically regular people. We don’t have the proper training for this,” Ou Li asked.

No one responded.

Truthfully, many shared the same thoughts.

They waited in silence, listening for any movement from the industrial park.

The fog thickened, making it impossible to see each other’s faces from just four or five meters away.

More than half an hour passed.

Xue Ningning’s team still hadn’t returned.

One of the team members, a girl with a ponytail, picked up her communicator and entered a code.

This was their agreed-upon method for Whisperer-related emergencies.

Tap tap tap—she sent the signal, but there was no response.

The team’s expressions shifted. Something was wrong.

Bang.

A sudden gunshot echoed from within the park.

Before they could react, a bright red explosion erupted from one of the factory buildings inside.

“That’s where Ning Team went!” Chen Qiaosheng whispered anxiously.

Hiss…

The communicator crackled with sound.

“Don’t… talk… Someone… come get us…” Xue Ningning’s voice came through—weak, exhausted, pained.

She was in trouble.

The six remaining team members hesitated.

If they went in, they might face the same danger.

They had joined the third squad to find an easy, safer job—to avoid situations like this.

But now…

The ponytailed girl clenched her teeth and slowly set the communicator on the ground, stepping back.

No one picked it up.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

More gunshots rang out, followed by Xue Ningning’s pained groan—then silence.

The connection was lost.

The ponytailed girl glanced at the others, already thinking of an excuse to leave.

“Ou Li… I washed your clothes… for two months… We’re… friends, right?” Lin Yiyi suddenly asked.

“I guess? What about it?” Ou Li muttered impatiently, also looking for an excuse to leave.

“If we’re friends… then follow me!”

Smack.

Lin Yiyi grabbed Ou Li’s arm.

Before Ou Li could react, Lin Yiyi dashed forward, snatching the communicator and dragging her unwilling friend through the park’s iron gates.

“C-communicator… I c-can’t… depend on you…”

“AAAAAHHHHHH!!”

Lin Yiyi’s quiet reminder and Ou Li’s panicked screams echoed together as they disappeared into the thick fog of the industrial park.

*

*

*

Crash.

A large bucket of stones was poured by Yu Hong onto the courtyard wall. He shook the dust off the bucket and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Turning around, he looked at the large pile of Luminous Stones in the courtyard. Now, all of them had been ground into powder, waiting for the Black Mark reinforcement process before being converted into Great Luminous Stone powder.

Knock knock.

Just as he was about to go back inside, a light knocking sound came from beyond the wall.

Yu Hong turned his head toward the sound.

A set of car keys spun through the air, precisely clearing the wall and landing right in front of him.

Picking up the keys, Yu Hong’s expression relaxed slightly.

“You’re back? Old Li.”

Sure enough, outside the wall stood a familiar figure.

Dressed in black-green camouflage, carrying all sorts of mismatched gear—guns, shields, blades—and even two cloth bags from a food store labeled Xu’s Lobster, Li Runshan was still the same as always.

Pulling up his goggles, he looked at Yu Hong with a grin.

“Mission accomplished! Got the spores, plus a full cultivation guide!”

But his smile quickly faded, replaced by a solemn and icy expression.

“But there’s bad news too. On my way back, I heard from survivors that all the regional cities nearby are evacuating. From now on, the entire East River region will focus on building a single new city—New Aurora. Everyone is migrating there.”

“Migration? New Aurora?” Yu Hong’s first thought was of Lin Yiyi. “Then what about Hope City and the other regional cities? They’re just going to abandon them?”

“Daylight has shortened by another two hours. Now, more than half of the time is just darkness, and even during the day, the fog blocks the sun. There isn’t enough light anymore, and solar energy is no longer usable.” Li Runshan explained. “Plus, the frontlines have collapsed. High-threat Black Disaster creatures are flooding in… Hope City will probably be abandoned too.”

“…Then what about supply teams?” Yu Hong fell silent for a moment before asking.

“There won’t be any. If even Hope City is being given up, we’re not even worth mentioning. But not everyone can be evacuated—at least a third of the population will be left behind, left to survive on their own. We can make contact with those people in the future,” Li Runshan replied.

After delivering the news, he turned and walked toward the post office.

“From now on… we’re on our own.”

He waved without looking back, gradually disappearing into the thick fog.

Yu Hong clenched the keys, watching him leave.

Turning back, he entered his safe house, went down to the basement, and looked at the countdown on the wall: 9 days, 11 hours, 24 minutes.

“Almost… there.”

He let out a breath, filled with anticipation. Just as he was about to head to the first floor to warm up by the fire and rest—

A strange feeling flickered through his mind.

His thoughts replayed Li Runshan’s expression, tone, and gaze from earlier. Something about the whole interaction… felt off.

Standing up straight, Yu Hong slowly returned to the first floor, grabbed a chair, and sat down, replaying the moment in his head over and over.

At the same time, he pulled out a reinforced red-value detector to measure the surrounding levels—including his own.

0.124.

The structure of the Luminous Stone-sealed safe house kept the red value close to zero. It was safe.

“…Was it just my imagination?”

He frowned slightly.

*

*

*

In the Gray Fog

Li Runshan carried the spore package into the courtyard and used his key to unlock the stone house’s door.

Despite the door having been broken down multiple times, his craftsmanship had allowed him to restore and repair it again.

“Hey, Nana, I’m back,” he called out in a raised voice.

Entering the house, he shut the wooden door behind him.

Seeing the empty stone house, he knew they were all underground. He set down the spore package, removed his slightly cracked helmet, and turned toward the living room.

That was where the entrance to the underground shelter was.

But after only a few steps, his brow furrowed.

His smile vanished.

His footsteps slowed and lightened.

Tap.

He suddenly stopped and turned around.

The stone house’s corridor was empty, its grayish-white walls bare except for two colorful drawings by Aisena.

Li Runshan carefully scanned the hallway, checking every inch and every corner.

Nothing.

But he trusted his instincts.

Just now, he had felt it.

Someone.

Standing about five or six meters behind him.

Watching him.

A Whisperer?

He carefully examined the charm plates on the walls—defensive Runes he had traded from Yu Hong. These Runes were evenly spread throughout the stone house’s inner walls, covering most of the area. If a Whisperer had entered, they would have triggered the Runes.

He checked every single one.

No reaction.

The Runes remained intact, still clinging to the walls.

“Shit.”

Something was wrong.

He pulled out his red-value detector and switched it on. The readings showed 11—normal. The Runes had counteracted some of the red radiation from the outside air.

That reassured him a little. He switched the device off.

But then—

In the reflection of the detector’s smooth surface…

A figure.

Standing not far behind him.

A blurry, white silhouette.

Neither male nor female, but faintly discernible.

And smiling.

A bright, gleeful smile.

Smiling directly at Li Runshan.

Laughing in the reflection of the detector.

Whoosh.

He whipped around.

Nothing.

But at that moment, he knew—he was in danger.

I can’t stay here. I can’t drag Nana into this!

His instincts screamed at him. Without hesitation, he grabbed his gear, threw open the door, and bolted out of the stone house, past the courtyard, and into the fog.

Soon, he disappeared without a trace.

(End of Chapter)