Gradually, Yu Hong began to feel his body heating up, with a slight sweat forming all over. He made an effort to swing his arms and engage his whole body in movement.
In his mind, he visualized the diagram of the Training Method.
Involuntarily, his body grew increasingly fatigued and exhausted.
This sensation only lasted for a few minutes, then suddenly!
A faint, almost imperceptible coolness appeared on the soles of his feet.
This coolness seemed to form from countless tiny particles in his body coalescing together.
Yu Hong could clearly feel countless tiny itchy points gathering around the soles of his feet, eventually forming that trace of coolness.
As he continued to run, cool streams of air began to flow upwards from the soles of his feet.
The stream of air flowed upwards slowly, moving through his hips, waist, chest, and finally reaching his head as he ran.
The two streams of cool air gathered at the top of his head, then flowed down the back, quickly returning to the soles of his feet, forming two loops.
Strangely, when the two streams completed the first large loop, Yu Hong suddenly felt a chill all over, his previous fatigue lightened significantly.
After a short while, he stopped to add wood to the fireplace while carefully experiencing the feel of the Advanced Training Method.
That night, there was no Big Skin to bang on the door, only a massive influx of black bugs, seemingly endless.
In an unnoticeable manner, the sky gradually brightened.
Yu Hong halted his actions, glanced at the bed in the process of being enhanced, started cleaning ashes, eating, drinking water, and so on.
After waiting for a while and listening to the radio, the enhancement time finally arrived.
Standing by the blanket, Yu Hong quietly watched, observing the countdown slowly ticking to zero.
Shua!!
In an instant, everything twisted momentarily.
The entire filthy blanket fuzzed out, then quickly became clear.
Before Yu Hong's eyes, it was no longer just a blanket.
Instead, it was a large, gray-white sleeping bag with a zipper hood!
The material had changed from cotton to a lightweight, unknown material. Yu Hong reached out to pinch it.
It was soft and gentle, carrying a scent similar to a fresh fragrance. It should be meant to repel insects.
"All that's missing is a large amount of water for a bath...." Yu Hong surveyed the current cave, finding it much more comfortable compared to the beginning.
*"How can I obtain a large water source?"* This was a troublesome problem.
Simple subsistence water sources were enough, but a large amount of water probably could only be solved by relying on wells and streams.
'Right, if anything can be enhanced, then what about wells? Can wells also be enhanced!?' Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.
Suppressing this thought in his mind, he drank a cup of water, got up to take out a small bag of dried meat. Idling around, enhancing dried meat offered the best cost-effectiveness.
A bag of ten pieces only required 8 hours a day; enhanced protein bars could last ten days. Compared to the pre-enhanced state, which only lasted two or three days, it was much stronger.
For the following two consecutive days, Yu Hong did not leave again but focused on training his body inside the cave.
The protein bars, along with mushrooms and wild vegetables, formed his daily meals.
Adding water to cook a pot of soup saved the time of boiling water too.
In the blink of an eye, six days of the peak period finally passed.
On the last day, two more Big Skins attacked the gate, but the door, now repaired and reinforced, kept them out.
It was a thrill without danger.
Only then did the small safe house truly fulfill its purpose of ensuring safety.
After the peak period, Yu Hong calculated the remaining food. All the dried meat had been enhanced into protein bars—a total of twenty-six bars, along with dry mushrooms and wild vegetables.
Yu Hong also enhanced the Black Mark into a similar nutrition bar. According to the description, one piece a day could ensure the supplementation of all trace elements, as well as dietary fiber.
The wild vegetables in the forest were everywhere and not in short supply. The main concerns were dried meat and water.
After the peak period, Yu Hong wandered in the forest during the day to search for streams, training his body and practicing the Advanced Physical Training Method at night, then resting by the fireplace.
The life became simple and rhythmic.
Occasionally, shadows would come to visit, but they were blocked by the Large Pyroxene Stone.
As for the name "enhanced pyroxene," Yu Hong was more satisfied with the name "Large Pyroxene Stone" given by the town's allied army, so he decided to name it the Large Pyroxene Stone.
Thus, the days passed peacefully, one by one.
In the blink of an eye, twenty days had passed.
There wasn't much food left in the safe house; only six protein bars remained, and they needed to be replenished.
Bang.
Yu Hong closed the door, holding a black metal Wolf Fang Club, scanning his surroundings.
The half-month of training had put a little more muscle on him. He no longer looked as slim as before.
And the spirit in his eyes also improved greatly, appearing somewhat sharp.
Most importantly, he hadn't been idle all these days. First, the steel-nail pyroxene club in his hand had been enhanced into a new weapon, with a material that was harder, lighter, and featured hidden compartments for loading pyroxene.
This Wolf Fang Club also had a non-slip strap, which could be tied to the arm to prevent dropping.
Three Large Pyroxene Stones were secretly hidden in three concealed compartments in the club's midsection. Without activating the switch, they couldn't be discovered.
Additionally, the dark green stab-proof vest Yu Hong was wearing was enhanced from the sweatshirt Jenny had sold him.
Although it took some time, the results were worth it.
This stab-proof vest, having included two hardwood boards in front and back before enhancement, also had a certain amount of bulletproof capability.
As long as it wasn't a point-blank shot, it could significantly reduce damage, not to mention knife stabs.
The remaining time was spent enhancing the Large Pyroxene Stones. Adding to the previous one, he now had a total of five in his possession.
*Phew...*
Yu Hong exhaled, noticing his breath turning into white mist, immediately realizing the temperature had dropped again.
He reached up to pull on the hood of his stab-proof jacket, which also had rainproof and heat-retaining functions.
"Still lacking stab-proof gloves, a bulletproof helmet, changing for dried meat could be something to ask about. Plus, the salt is running low.... I wonder if the courier has returned, If the solar equipment can be obtained.... then electricity wouldn't be a problem...."
Yu Hong lowered his head, jumped off the stone steps, and walked towards the postal area.
He needed to move quickly, as he had noticed that daylight was becoming noticeably shorter, and the darkness of night longer recently.
"Maybe it's because autumn and winter are coming...." Yu Hong comforted himself.
His feet wore enhanced boots, moving step by step through the forest, his mind constantly vigilant of the surroundings.
Twenty days of training had significantly improved his physical fitness.
The coolness generated by the Advanced Physical Training Method usually didn't help him much.
Only when he was near exhaustion did the coolness appear, restoring his fatigued body.
This was akin to a backup supply.
Aside from that, this training method was not much different from regular jogging.
*Although this disappointed Yu Hong somewhat, he wasn't anxious. As long as he continued practicing, he could revise and enhance the training method anew with his current experience and insights.*
*If possible, he even wished to learn from professionals.*
Crack, crack.
With his footsteps mingling with the sound of broken twigs, Yu Hong soon reached the stone house at the post office's entrance.
Unexpectedly, there were quite a few people in front of the stone house.
Among the seven or eight people, he immediately spotted Jenny.
This middle-aged woman, with whom he had previously traded, was noticeable. Of course, it was not she who stood out, but rather, the exceptionally striking girl beside her.
With a slender, shapely figure clad in tight, water-washed white jeans, a full bosom, a delicately made-up face, and smooth, shoulder-length golden hair, the girl stood out amidst the surrounding group of grubby people in this woodland area.
She appeared so clean that she did not seem to belong to this environment.
Yu Hong's arrival made everyone tense.
Eyes swiftly gathered upon him.
"Is it Yu Hong?" Jenny stood out first. "What did we trade last time?"
"A water filter and nails," Yu Hong quickly responded, moving a few steps back and forth to show his flexibility, proving he wasn't a shadow.
"The boy Yiyi saved!" A familiar voice came from the crowd.
A middle-aged woman stepped forward, wearing an old white lab coat, her face framed by black-rimmed glasses.
It was Doctor Xu, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
"Doctor Xu is back too?" Yu Hong expressed surprise.
"Why not? In town, you get caught doing hard labor daily, and they don't even pay for medical treatment. Each soldier's tone is domineering, and if you raise your voice, you get beaten!" Doctor Xu snapped.
She always spoke harshly, but at this moment, Yu Hong felt his mood lift a little.
*At least seeing familiar faces unharmed was good, especially since she was someone who had helped him. Even if it was out of a favor to Yiyi.*
"I'm glad you returned safely." Yu Hong nodded, his tone softer.
Seeing it wasn't a shadow but someone they knew, the rest resumed peering at the stone house of the postal office.
Yu Hong approached, nodded to Jenny, and stood by Doctor Xu.
Compared to the one-time trader Jenny, he naturally felt more familiar with Doctor Xu.
*Despite her sharp tongue, she was loyal and grateful, with proper principles. If she hadn't taken Stammering Yiyi with her during the Big Skin attack, Yiyi's body might have grown cold by now.*
"This is the first time I've seen so many people here since I arrived." Yu Hong whispered.
"If you go to town, you'll see more. A large crowd isn't necessarily a good thing." Doctor Xu remarked coldly.
As Yu Hong drew near, he finally noticed this woman's eyeglasses had a cracked lens.
There was also a bruise on the corner of the left side of her mouth, evidently from being hit.
"Why's everyone gathered here? Has the courier returned?" Yu Hong asked.
"Yes, just came back. Brought news that the town plans to evacuate people to the larger Hope City in two days. Those wanting to go along need certain skills and can go to town for an assessment. If they pass, they can go along with it," Doctor Xu explained coldly.
"What about ordinary people? What will happen to so many ordinary folks?" Yu Hong asked with a frown.
*He wasn't a sucker for others' problems, but such policies were bound to cause chaos.*
*After all, there were far more ordinary folk than skilled professionals.*
"I don't know, but a few days ago, there was a murder in town with more than twenty people dead. It wasn't the shadow, nor was it the Blood Tide bugs. They couldn't figure out the cause. I suspect it's a newly emerged Evil Shadow," Doctor Xu replied.
"What about you? Are you going with them?" Yu Hong asked.
"I'm not going. Anyway, I don't have long to live, so I'm too lazy to mess around. This damn world.... I'll just wait to die here," Doctor Xu replied coldly.
With her family gone, living alone was merely getting by each day.
Doctor Xu suddenly turned to Yu Hong when asking him if he planned on going.
"What about you? Are you going?"
"No." Yu Hong answered calmly.
"Strange one." Doctor Xu finally noticed the finely crafted equipment Yu Hong was wearing.
"This outfit of yours.... Impressive.... Where did it come from?" Since the Big Skin rescue incident, her opinion of Yu Hong had significantly improved, making her attitude much friendlier.