A Night of Desperation

Chapter 119: Information (1)

‘What is that?’

Yu Hong focused his attention carefully.

He discovered that it was a ring of blackened ashes from the Luminous Stone Grass.

This ring of ashes was located at the outermost edge of the Luminous Stone Grass, forming a black circular barrier around the courtyard of the grass.

‘Is the Evil Shadow corroding the Luminous Stone Grass?’ Yu Hong speculated in his heart.

‘If that’s the case, then the Luminous Stone Grass must also have a certain resistance to this thing.’

A sudden thought flashed through his mind.

‘That’s it. I may not be able to use the Black Seal right now, but the Luminous Stone Grass can be restored using internal energy. If I keep activating and stimulating the growth of the Luminous Stone Grass, I can indirectly utilize my internal energy to resist the Evil Shadow outside!’

This was a desperate measure, but given that he was currently unable to use the Black Seal, accelerating the growth of the Luminous Stone Grass could serve as a substitute for the rune board, allowing him to hold off the dangers outside for the time being.

With this realization, Yu Hong’s spirits lifted. He placed one hand on the surface of the Black Seal, and immediately, he could sense a faint connection with the Luminous Stone Grass.

He could clearly feel that he could transmit his internal energy through this connection.

‘Perfect. My internal energy technique has also improved and been refined. The internal energy I possess now is completely different from before. If I apply it to the Luminous Stone Grass, I wonder if there will be any changes.’

With this thought in mind, Yu Hong cautiously transmitted a small amount of internal energy.

At that moment, through his observation window, he saw the blackened Luminous Stone Grass beginning to regain its green hue before his very eyes.

In just over ten seconds, the area where the grass had turned black sprouted a new layer of tender, fresh Luminous Stone Grass.

‘The new internal energy activates growth this quickly??!’

Yu Hong’s eyes filled with astonishment.

Previously, even after activating his internal energy, it would take an entire night for the Luminous Stone Grass to recover.

But now, with this new internal energy, the effects were significantly enhanced, allowing for rapid regrowth of the grass.

Clearly, the refinement and optimization of his cultivation technique had strengthened the ability to stimulate the growth of the Luminous Stone Grass. However, he was still unsure if the newly grown grass differed in any way from before.

Yu Hong wanted to go outside and check, but he recalled the eerie sounds of footsteps behind him earlier. He suppressed his curiosity for now.

At first, encountering a single Specter would have terrified him. But after facing multiple Black Disaster, his nerves had been hardened significantly.

It wasn’t that he no longer felt fear—it was that he understood fear would only lead to a quicker death.

After observing the area outside the door for a while, Yu Hong narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

Moments later, he swiftly closed the barricade, retreated into the basement, ate some food, and began training.

Now that his internal energy was this effective, he had even more motivation to refine his cultivation technique.

If he could develop an additional reserve of internal energy, he would have another layer of security when using it to stimulate the Luminous Stone Grass.

With the unknown threat of the pursuer behind him, he needed to prepare for every possibility.

*

*

*

Baihe City

Inside the Abandoned Industrial Park.

Among the desolate and dilapidated buildings, Lin Yiyi and the pale-faced Ou Li carefully supported the weakened Xue Ningning as they moved forward cautiously and silently. Two other team members who had entered the park with them followed closely behind.

Not long after entering the industrial park, they found Xue Ningning, who was severely injured.

Apart from Xue Ningning, several other teammates who had entered were missing, while the remaining two were covered in wounds.

Xue Ningning herself had survived thanks to a special metallic pendant given to her by her younger sister.

At first, she thought she was doomed. The pendant, originally silver-gray, had slowly turned pale white after the attack, clearly being consumed as it protected her.

What she hadn’t expected…

Was that Lin Yiyi, whom she had initially thought of as a burden, and Ou Li had actually charged in together to save them.

Thinking of this, Xue Ningning felt a complex mix of emotions. Initially, she had regretted allowing the three newcomers to join the team, but now…

Watching Lin Yiyi scanning her surroundings vigilantly as she moved forward…

Watching the pale-faced but determined Ou Li still insist on supporting her…

Xue Ningning suddenly felt a hint of relief.

Perhaps… this was karma.

Unfortunately…

Their rescue attempt had been in vain.

“Leave me behind,” Xue Ningning whispered weakly. “You should escape while you still can. Staying here is just a death sentence. It’s already marked us—we can’t escape.”

Though she was deeply grateful for their sacrifice, she understood that some things couldn’t be changed just by sheer willpower.

They were up against a Yu Ren—and it was completely different from the ones described in official reports!

According to the records, Yu Ren primarily misled their victims through sound, manipulating their thoughts and perceptions before attacking.

But just now…

She hadn’t heard a single sound before being attacked.

No warning. No signs.

In an instant, three of their team members had been swallowed and disappeared.

The remaining survivors had used grenades and Luminous Stone explosives—but to no avail. They had no way of detecting when or where the Yu Ren would strike.

Their weapons had all been wasted on empty air.

“We’re already inside. Running now is pointless,” Ou Li said coldly. Though her face was pale, she was calmer than ever in this critical moment.

“I… will… help!” Lin Yiyi declared firmly, her gaze unwavering and determined.

“It’s useless. If I stay behind, I can act as bait to keep this mutated Yu Ren here and prevent it from spreading outside,” Xue Ningning said with a bitter smile. “If you two stay, all it means is more bodies left behind. Nothing else. You’ll just be throwing your lives away.”

Even though everyone on the team had undergone body reinforcement procedures, against the Evil Shadows, even enhanced humans were just slightly larger ants.

Human limitations meant they could never be on equal footing with these creatures.

“You two coming in here is just making things worse! What the hell were you thinking?!” One of the surviving female team members snapped in frustration. “The moment you realized we weren’t coming back, you should’ve called for backup! What good does it do to come in here?! Now you’re trapped just like us!”

“Enough, A-Jun,” Xue Ningning chided. “Focus on your role.”

The woman’s name was Fang Shijun, one of the main combatants who had initially opposed adding the newcomers to the team.

She and another team member, Chen Xinji, were the most skilled fighters in Team Three. With the others gone, they were now Xue Ningning’s last remaining support.

The two of them had worked together with Lin Yiyi and Ou Li to momentarily divert the Evil Shadow’s attention, barely managing to escape the Yu Ren’s pursuit.

At present, Fang Shijun and Chen Xinji were actively scanning the area, operating advanced detection equipment and calculating the best escape route.

Fang Shijun’s suit alone carried five different detection devices, analyzing the surrounding environment through five different dimensions, including electromagnetic fields, three types of radiation, and molecular composition in the air.

These high-tech devices required specialized training to operate. Unlike Lin Yiyi, who had great strength and endurance as a reinforced human, she couldn’t use these devices effectively.

This was precisely why no other teams wanted to take Lin Yiyi in.

Right now, Fang Shijun and Chen Xinji were holding their portable devices, rapidly analyzing data, and using a laptop for complex calculations to determine the optimal escape route.

“The industrial park has four unique force fields distorting our perception,” Fang Shijun muttered. “We were close to calculating the best escape route, but the arrival of these two triggered a shift in the force fields. I suspect we’ve already drawn additional attention—possibly from other Yu Ren. We need to recalculate. At this rate, none of us are getting out of here!”

“What does that have to do with us?!” Ou Li suddenly raised her voice, her tone sharp and unyielding. “How do you know we can’t escape if you haven’t even tried?!”

“And what can you do?! Do you even know how to operate a single piece of this equipment? Tell me—what use are you?!” Fang Shijun stopped in her tracks and stepped toward Ou Li.

“You think I wanted to come here?!” Ou Li’s face darkened. The truth was, she only knew how to operate one or two of the devices Fang Shijun was using.

“Then why did you come?!” Xue Ningning sighed, pulling Fang Shijun back to stop the argument.

“I would have never—” Ou Li was just about to explain when—

Smack!

Lin Yiyi suddenly gave her a “gentle” slap on the forehead.

Pfft.

“Ou Li… just… not good… at talking. But… her heart… is good.”

Lin Yiyi earnestly defended her friend.

“…!!!”

Ou Li was nearly knocked over by the sheer force, her head buzzing. The words she had planned to say completely vanished from her mind, and all she could do was let out a weak groan before falling silent.

“You’re all good kids,” Xue Ningning sighed. “But… I dragged you into this mess.”

“How… does Yu Ren… attack?” Lin Yiyi asked.

“We don’t know. None of our detection methods work. We have no idea when it gets close,” Xue Ningning said grimly. “Some of our team members were holding Luminous Stone grenades, but they were swallowed before they could even detonate them.”

“Yu Ren’s attacks don’t follow a buildup-and-strike pattern. It just… attacks, suddenly and unpredictably.” She looked at the two girls. “That’s the biggest problem—we don’t know when it will attack, where it will attack, or who it will attack.”

The group fell silent. This unpredictability was precisely what made the Yu Ren so terrifying.

“Let’s go,” Xue Ningning finally said, signaling for Fang Shijun to lead the way. They needed to keep moving.

The group quickly advanced, occasionally making sharp turns and retracing their steps based on their instruments’ calculations. The path they followed was carefully determined through specialized simulations.

As they moved, Fang Shijun and Xue Ningning occasionally exchanged technical terms and data that Lin Yiyi and Ou Li couldn’t understand.

All the two girls could do was follow silently.

Then, suddenly—

Fang Shijun’s face turned pale.

The path ahead was blocked by a towering wall.

Through the decorative openings in the wall, they could see that beyond it were not the expected park exits, but the same oppressive industrial buildings.

“This isn’t right! The calculations were wrong! This isn’t an exit!”

“Backtrack to the last node and recalculate!” Chen Xinji ordered gravely.

But as they turned around—

They found that the road behind them…

Had completely changed.

(End of Chapter)