A Night of Desperation

[Tl Note :- Good news to all , the other sites have stopped stealing my translations so iam going back to my regular Schedule of  5 ch / week ( mon- fri ) ]

Chapter 129: Wish (3)

Materials? Sunlight materials??

Yu Hong’s expression immediately lit up. He had thought that, in an environment like this, materials could no longer be delivered.

After all, with the dangers outside, who would risk their life to bring supplies here?

“Are you serious?? You’re not dreaming, are you??”

Yu Hong quickly suited up, grabbed his Rune Board, and stepped outside.

“According to the coded message, that guy can only wait for half an hour. We need to hurry!” Li Runshan wasted no words and spoke swiftly.

“Let’s go!”

Yu Hong didn’t hesitate either.

Before leaving, the two entrusted Zhou Xueguang with watching over Nana, then set off together.

Outside the courtyard in daylight, the mist in the forest had thinned significantly. The long-lost sunlight pierced through the fog, casting layers of golden light onto the ground.

Both men wore bulletproof gear. Li Runshan led the way toward the highway.

After about ten minutes, a curved road gradually came into view ahead.

A black armored vehicle, bristling like a porcupine, was parked on the road.

The vehicle was covered with large, frog-eye-like headlights on all sides, and a heavy machine gun hung on top, its belt of ammunition draped ominously. Dark red bloodstains streaked the side of the vehicle—clear evidence that the dangers it faced along the way were not just from the Black Disaster.

“How did you know the vehicle was coming?” Yu Hong asked in a low voice as they approached.

“Signal flares. Our post office has special signal flares that can hover in the air for over an hour and carry encoded messages.” Old Li responded quickly, his mood visibly lifted.

“Smart method.” Yu Hong praised.

The two reached the armored vehicle. Li Runshan stepped forward, called out loudly, and recited a set of special numbers.

Soon, a hatch on top of the vehicle opened, and a thin, middle-aged man climbed out.

He wore dark camouflage gear and had something resembling a communication headset around his neck.

Oddly enough, he wasn’t wearing a helmet. His lips were tinged with purple, and his gaze was unfocused, drifting erratically.

“Li Runshan, my good buddy… I brought you something.” His voice was halting, sometimes repeating words. “The sunlight materials you wanted… twelve pounds of coating… I brought it all. They wanted to leave, no one else would deliver it, but… but I still remembered… remembered.”

Li Runshan and Yu Hong immediately tensed.

“Tang Haitao, what happened to you??” Li Runshan’s face changed as he recognized the man.

“Sunlight materials… materials.” Tang Haitao muttered as he disappeared back into the vehicle. Moments later, he emerged, staggering with a red paint bucket in hand, before jumping down onto the ground.

He handed the red bucket to Li Runshan.

“Here… yours.”

“Haitao…” Li Runshan accepted the bucket but studied his old friend carefully.

“I… I have to go now. Go… you, take care.”

Tang Haitao wobbled as he turned around and climbed back into the armored vehicle.

Li Runshan was about to call after him, but as he caught sight of the man’s back, he froze.

Near Haitao’s lower back, close to his kidneys, there was a gaping wound as long as a forearm. The flesh inside was blackened and dry—no blood seeped from it, as if it had been desiccated for a long time.

Li Runshan found himself unable to speak.

He watched as his old friend climbed into the vehicle, his throat tightening as if something was stuck inside.

“Li Runshan… what you did for me before… I’ve repaid it now!” From the vehicle, Tang Haitao turned back and waved.

Yu Hong, watching from the side, finally noticed that Haitao’s skin—his hands, arms, and exposed areas—was beginning to crack, dry out, and age at an accelerated rate.

In mere seconds, the once-sturdy soldier’s skin became covered in deep wrinkles.

Bang.

Tang Haitao disappeared into the armored vehicle. The vehicle slowly pulled away, driving into the mist.

Within moments, it vanished.

“Haitao!!”

Li Runshan suddenly lunged forward in an attempt to chase after him.

But strangely, though the armored vehicle hadn’t seemed to be moving fast, as soon as he passed through the mist, the road ahead was… empty.

Nothing was there.

Behind him, Yu Hong crouched down and ran his fingers over the ground.

“No tread marks…” His pupils contracted slightly.

Standing up, he walked over to Li Runshan, also gazing at the direction the vehicle had disappeared. Neither of them spoke for a long time.

By the time they returned to the mountain cave safehouse, more than half an hour had passed.

Still shaken by his friend’s departure, Li Runshan remained silent.

Zhou Xueguang, still recovering from his injuries, took it upon himself to explain the use of sunlight coating to Yu Hong.

“This should be Sunlight No. 1 Coating—the weakest type, but also the easiest to acquire. Old Li must have spent a fortune. How much did he charge you?” Zhou Xueguang asked, inspecting the red bucket.

“He didn’t take any money.” Yu Hong shook his head.

“Generous.” Zhou Xueguang sighed. “You wouldn’t believe it, but back in Hope City, this little bucket could be exchanged for an entire warehouse of supplies, a year’s worth of different women, or almost anything you could want.”

“Looks like I got the better deal.” Yu Hong shook his head, his mind still lingering on Tang Haitao’s condition.

It took him a while to refocus. The most important use of the sunlight material was to enhance his abilities using the Black Mark.

But right now, the Black Mark was still fusing and strengthening his second special imprint, so no matter what, he’d have to wait a few days before using it.

Carrying the red bucket, he returned to the cave. Seeing Li Runshan, who had regained his composure, begin digging the foundation in the courtyard with his daughter, he finally relaxed.

After taking a shower, he wiped himself down with a freshly washed and dried towel, then sat down at the wooden table, opened the communicator, and quietly waited while focusing on practicing his meditation technique.

About half an hour later, the communicator made a sound again.

“Good morning,” greeted Guan Cao, whom he had just met.

Six seconds later.

Yu Hong also greeted him. Thinking about Tang Haitao’s situation, he suddenly felt the urge to ask someone about it.

*

*

*

Outside the Cave.

“You didn’t leave with them?” Zhou Xueguang looked at Li Runshan, who had started working, with a hint of surprise.

“Leave? Go where?” Li Runshan exhaled, his eyes still carrying the image of his departing comrade.

He and Tang Haitao had been through life-and-death situations together, but now…

“To Hope City, of course. The Black Disaster is getting worse. Who knows how long we can survive if we stay here?” Zhou Xueguang said calmly.

“I’m staying, just like Yu Hong,” Li Runshan replied in the same tone.

“How many people like the boss have you met?” Zhou Xueguang recalled the previous scene.

Yu Hong had single-handedly grabbed a rampaging Evil Shadow and smashed it into submission. That moment had filled him with an overwhelming sense of security.

That was the main reason he had decided to follow Yu Hong.

After all, when you’re terrified of something, only to see another person grab it and beat it down without effort—that kind of impact was unforgettable. Even now, Zhou Xueguang still felt a slight tingling on his scalp when he thought about it.

“I’ve met plenty.” Li Runshan responded, “I’ve worked as a middleman. I’ve seen lots of enhanced individuals.”

He paused his digging, straightened up, and smiled at his daughter, who was sitting nearby eating a nutrient paste.

“But… even though I’ve met a lot of them, the one who grabbed an Evil Shadow and saved me three times—there’s only been one.” His voice was low. “What about you? Have you ever seen anyone like him on the frontlines?”

“…” Zhou Xueguang fell silent.

For a moment, both men stood up straight, instinctively glancing at the scattered Luminous Stone Grass around them.

It was clear that they had reached the same conclusion—sticking with Yu Hong was obviously safer than heading into the city.

*

*

*

Inside the Cave.

“You need to name your base, you know?” Guan Cao reminded him over the communicator. “Honestly, when I tried to mark your location just now, I didn’t even know what to call it. Am I supposed to just write ‘Cave Safehouse’?”

Unlike most people, Guan Cao spoke in a noticeably more relaxed tone.

“You’re right. I should settle this,” Yu Hong stroked his chin, thinking.

After two seconds, he spoke.

“Let’s call it Black Wind Base.”

Originally, he had considered simply naming it Black Mark, but that might attract unnecessary trouble. So, he altered one character, going with Black Wind instead.

As for “wind”? It was inspired by one of the techniques in his leg martial arts, which emphasized “moving like the wind.”

“Black Wind? Alright, but it kinda sounds like something from Black Wind Cave—like that Black Bear Demon,” Guan Cao chuckled.

“Think whatever you want. That’s the name.” Yu Hong said. “By the way, didn’t you say you’d introduce me to some other people? What about the other two?”

“They need the right timing. Not everyone is online all the time. Besides, with the frontlines collapsing and the Black Disaster running rampant, things are getting more chaotic. Those two are barely holding things together on their end.” Guan Cao responded casually.

“Aren’t you worried?” Yu Hong asked. Given the current situation, his relaxed tone felt somewhat out of place.

“I’m hundreds of meters underground. What the hell do I have to be afraid of? All the exits are sealed, no one can get in, and I can’t get out. The supplies here will last me over a hundred years. Oxygen, water—it’s all self-sustaining. Why should I be scared?” Guan Cao laughed.

“You’re alone?” Yu Hong asked.

“Yep.”

“…Lucky you.” Yu Hong was speechless. “Or rather, you’ve got one hell of a signal down there.”

“I think so too,” Guan Cao laughed even harder. “Yu, have you ever wondered—where exactly did the Black Disaster come from? Everyone was living normally, and then, suddenly, everything fell apart. So fast. So completely.”

“You know something?” Yu Hong raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve been bored, so I’ve been looking into a lot of records. The origin of the Black Disaster traces back to ancient ruins scattered around the world. Some of these ruins are particularly significant. A long time ago, the authorities sent people to investigate, but they found nothing. But then, when the Black Disaster started—it emerged from those ruins.” Guan Cao explained. “And I found a specific name tied to it.”

“What name?” Yu Hong’s interest was piqued.

“Mesa.” Guan Cao smirked. “The earliest Black Disaster outbreaks were linked to certain key sites, and for years, there were all sorts of strange rumors surrounding them. Now it seems those rumors weren’t baseless.”

“Mesa…” Yu Hong thought about the corpse he had found earlier. “Have you heard of the Mesa family?”

“Of course. My father mentioned them to me over twenty years ago. They were one of the oldest families in Flica, at least according to legend. But in reality, their true rise to power only happened within the past century. And before the Black Disaster broke out, they had already collapsed completely.” Guan Cao explained.

“I live near one of the ruins. Not long ago, I found a corpse—a member of the Mesa family,” Yu Hong frowned. “Someone named Lours Mesa, dead right at the edge of the ruins.”

“Not a big deal. That family was always mysterious, always doing strange things. Many of their members had a habit of exploring ruins.” Guan Cao dismissed it.

“Maybe,” Yu Hong said thoughtfully.

“That reminds me—compared to Donghe, Flica collapsed even faster,” Guan Cao shifted the topic, talking about Flica, the strongest country in the Human United Army.

Yu Hong wasn’t particularly interested, but he listened quietly while practicing his Basic Survival Leg Techniques.

(End of Chapter)