A Night of Desperation

Chapter 124: Imprint (2)

Returning to the First Floor

With a flick of the switch, the room lit up.

A bright white glow spread evenly across the main hall.

Yu Hong pulled up a chair and sat down, his heart nearly overflowing with satisfaction.

From the moment he first arrived here, through countless dangers and hardships, to this very moment—

He had finally done it.

Through his own efforts, he had built a primitive yet stable safehouse.

A power source that could last at least twenty years.

A self-sustaining water system connected to underground rivers.

Now, all that was left was to perfect it—bit by bit.

“If not for the need to complete so many details, the Black Mark probably wouldn’t have taken this long. Next, I still need to gather some supplies for showering, dig out a separate bathing area, and even set up a hot water supply system—using nuclear heat dissipation to increase the temperature of the entire safehouse. Water filtration and purification also need to be prioritized.”

As Yu Hong settled down, ideas for improving the safehouse kept popping into his mind one after another.

Washing machines, dryers, kitchen appliances, external surveillance systems—there were so many things he wanted to set up now that he had energy.

“I need to find time to go out and scavenge the abandoned Hope City. I might get quite a few useful things.”

Once he confirmed his plan, his emotions finally settled.

“And then… it’s time for the real highlight.”

The Second Imprint.

With the newly activated second imprint, an additional binding slot was available. If used wisely, it could provide far better defensive capabilities than the Luminous Stone Grass.

And for this new binding, Yu Hong already had an idea.

“Compared to binding trees and vines, which are too inflexible, if I could bind and control movable creatures, they could serve as the frontline against the Blood Tide. That way, I wouldn’t have to put myself at risk, and I could use these creatures to drive off or probe low-level dangers.”

Yu Hong took out paper and pen, pondering for a moment.

“The only living creatures I have access to are two types. As for others—I don’t know why, but I haven’t seen a single one. Cats, dogs… all gone. I’ll investigate this later. For now, I can only choose between the two I can actually reach.”

He wrote on the paper:

Cockroaches, Lizards.

“Cockroaches reproduce rapidly and easily form swarm effects. Their diet is broad, and their survivability is incredibly strong. Plus, they are resistant to many viruses and bacteria—lots of advantages. But the downside is that they’re too small, too weak. Against ordinary Ghostly Shadows, they’d be fine after some synthetic enhancement, but against stronger Ghostly Shadows, their radiation impact wouldn’t be significant.”

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

“Lizards… Their reproduction rate is average. Old Li raises Northern Red Lizards—an oviparous species that can grow fairly large.”

He recalled a past conversation with Old Li.

“The biggest ones supposedly reach the size of a cat or dog, with an upper limit of over ten pounds. But generally, for meat harvesting, they’re slaughtered once they reach around a pound.”

“If enhanced, they might grow even larger and could patrol the area as guard creatures. Their defensive power would far surpass cockroaches. But their diet is more restricted, and their reproduction rate is far lower. If they die in large numbers, it’ll be hard to replenish them quickly.”

Although imprint-bound creatures could be restored and strengthened using inner energy, Yu Hong knew exactly what he needed.

“I need a creature that can resist the Blood Tide to some extent, patrol the area to maintain a secure zone, and reproduce quickly for replenishment. Its diet should be broad, its survival ability strong, and its concealment high. Otherwise, if armed enemies with guns and explosives show up, killing them instantly, it would all be meaningless.”

“A mobile creature could also accompany me outside as an assistant, helping to scout dangerous areas.”

Yu Hong spun his pen between his fingers, deep in thought.

“The ideal creature’s food source should be widely available—easy to solve. Otherwise, scaling up their numbers later would be difficult.”

“So, what’s something that exists everywhere outside?” Yu Hong’s eyes narrowed, and then suddenly, a thought struck him.

“Wait…”

He straightened up.

“If Luminous Stone Grass can absorb and convert substances into a radiation that counteracts Red Value, and if my technique can synthesize and enhance creatures with Red Value absorption effects—then why can’t I create a creature that not only absorbs Red Value but actively preys on Blood Tide insects?”

Excited by this idea, Yu Hong immediately got up, changed into his gear, and started restoring the Silver Rune Board.

To create a new lifeform, he needed to go to the Post Office Stone House, where the cockroaches and lizards were still alive. That meant venturing outside.

And going outside meant facing the pressing issue of insufficient Rune Boards. With the Black Mark currently vacant, he needed to quickly restore the Rune Boards and craft additional Vortex Rune Boards to ensure he was well-prepared before setting out for the post office stone house.

‘Not sure how Old Li is doing now that he’s back.’

Yu Hong worried for a few seconds but quickly dismissed the thought. He wasn’t the man’s caretaker—at most, he’d lend a hand in a critical moment.

After swiftly assigning the Black Mark the task of restoring two silver Rune Boards, each taking an hour and a half, he used the downtime to head to the washbasin and start cleaning himself.

The water supply system included a basic filtration component, making the water unsuitable for drinking but perfectly fine for washing and bathing.

Otherwise, Hope City wouldn’t have installed such a system.

Yu Hong checked the water’s radiation levels and, confirming they were within an acceptable range, grabbed a towel and vigorously wiped himself down, washing his hair as well before drying off by the fireplace.

Next, he cleaned and scrubbed his gear and clothing.

Having gone so long without proper hygiene, he practically went on a cleaning spree now that he had an ample water supply—wanting to wash everything in sight.

Fortunately, he had just recently reinforced the shelter, leaving all the walls and floors spotless. This significantly eased his obsessive urge to clean.

Three hours passed in a flash, and by the time he checked the clock, it was already ten o’clock. Although he didn’t have much hope, he still turned on the communicator and waited for any response from the post office.

Now that electricity was restored and the energy supply could last for decades, he no longer had to worry about conserving power.

Then, Yu Hong pulled out a piece of paper where he had previously recorded strategies for dealing with the mysterious “The Behind Person” (Intermittent Man) entity.

It contained detailed intelligence gathered through the combined efforts of the three of them.

As he waited for the two silver Rune Boards to be fully restored, Yu Hong placed his hand on the paper on the table.

‘Enhance the methods for dealing with the Behind-the-Scenes entity.’

He silently chanted in his mind.

To counter this newly emerged high-risk Shadow Entity, he needed to gather as much information as possible.

And enhancing it through the Black Mark was one of the most efficient ways.

Yu Hong deliberately refrained from thinking about any specific enhancement direction, fearing that it might cause incomplete information to surface, leading to failure.

The Black Mark’s enhancement followed the principle of structural completeness.

This meant that if the foundational information was present and structured, the enhancement could make it even better and stronger. However, if the base information was lacking or incomplete, then failure was guaranteed.

Soon, a red countdown timer of 2 hours and 14 minutes slowly appeared on the paper’s surface.

Yu Hong released his hand, hearing the Black Mark’s confirmation prompt. He responded affirmatively and then stood up once more, walking to the entrance. Pulling open the barricade, he gazed out at the softly glowing Luminous Stone grass in the courtyard, feeling a sense of anticipation.

For the first time since arriving in this place, he felt a genuine sense of expectation.

*

*

*

Post Office

Underground Shelter

Li Runshan carefully cradled Aisena in his arms, gently placing her onto the small bed. As he gazed at her peaceful, sleeping face, the fear, confusion, and panic that had been weighing on him were replaced by unwavering determination.

‘I will protect you. No matter what!’

He made a firm resolution in his heart.

After returning, he had embraced Lin Haini and Aisena, cherishing the warmth of their reunion for a long time.

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

No one was allowed to go near it.

Now that food and water were secured and his daughter was sound asleep, he finally had the chance to sit down with Lin Haini and ask about everything that had happened.

The two of them left the bedroom and stepped into the adjacent room, switching on the solar-powered lamp.

“At this rate, we won’t be able to use light bulbs for much longer,” Lin Haini sighed.

“The daylight is getting shorter, but we’ll figure something out. Yu Hong managed to get his hands on a nuclear generator. If worst comes to worst, we can stock up on batteries, charge them at his place, and bring them back,” Li Runshan said. He paused, then looked at her.

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

Song Wei had been missing for too long. In such a dangerous environment, it wasn’t hard to guess her fate.

Lin Haini leaned against the wall, her gaze filled with sorrow as she spoke softly.

“She was always restless. At first, fear kept her in check, and she was able to endure staying underground. But as time passed, she just couldn’t control herself anymore. Every day, she would go upstairs to listen to music. You know how it is—so many people have died. Some radio stations play instrumental music to mourn them, to honor those who sacrificed themselves to save others. So…”

“She went up to listen to music… and then she was just gone?” Li Runshan asked.

“We… found her Luminous Stone blanket on the bed upstairs. The Luminous Stones embedded in it were completely depleted.” Lin Haini lowered her head, her eyes reddening.

After all, she and Song Wei had fled here together, relying on each other for survival. They had raised their children side by side, and at times, their bond had been closer than that of real sisters.

But now, she was alone.

If Li Runshan hadn’t returned in time, she might not have lasted much longer either.

Crack.

Just as they were speaking, a faint noise suddenly echoed from the corridor outside.

Li Runshan was about to say something but instantly froze, his expression turning serious.

His eyes met Lin Haini’s.

“When you came in, did you make sure the entrance was shut tight?” he asked.

A Rune Board had been placed at the entrance. If its energy was depleted, it would fall to the ground, making a noise.

But that sound just now—it had come from inside the corridor, not from the entrance.

A chill ran down Lin Haini’s spine as she frantically nodded. “I checked it twice and even braced it with a steel pipe!”

Li Runshan’s face turned pale. He was down to his last two basic Rune Boards—everything else had been used up.

The only reason he had felt somewhat secure here was that these two rooms had been converted into Luminous Stone sanctuaries back when they still had more survivors.

Otherwise, he never would have risked returning to the post office.

“Don’t worry, these two rooms are Luminous Stone sanctuaries. They should be saf—”

Tap.

A faint sound suddenly came from behind Lin Haini.

It was very close.

Lin Haini heard it.

Li Runshan heard it too.

Both of them went rigid. Slowly, Li Runshan lifted his gaze to the Rune Boards plastered on the walls.

That was when he realized—with a jolt of terror—that one-third of the Rune Boards in this room had already turned pale and lost their effectiveness.

“Shan-ge… save me…” Lin Haini trembled violently, reaching out toward him.

(End of Chapter)

(Tl Note :- 哥 (Gē) in Shan-ge  – meaning “older brother” or a respectful term for a male)