Night of Despair
Chapter 121 - 121: The Information of One

'What is that?'

Yu Hong focused his attention.

He discovered that it was actually a circle of gray ashes of luminous stone grass that had turned black.

This circle of ashes was located at the outermost edge of the luminous stone grass, like a black ring surrounding the luminous stone grass courtyard.

'Is that shadow eroding the luminous stone grass?' Yu Hong vaguely speculated in his heart.

*'So, does this mean that the luminous stone grass also has some resistance to this thing...' Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.*

*'That's right, I can't utilize the Black Mark now, but the luminous stone grass can be restored with Inner Qi. As long as I keep activating and nourishing the luminous stone grass, I can indirectly use Inner Qi to resist the shadow outside!'*

*This was a desperate solution.*

But in the current situation where the Black Mark couldn't be used, using Inner Qi to nourish the luminous stone grass could completely act as a substitute for the rune board, resisting external threats in the short term.

With this in mind, Yu Hong felt invigorated, pressing one hand onto the Black Mark's surface, instantly sensing a subtle connection with the luminous stone grass.

He could clearly feel that he could transmit Inner Qi to it through this thin connection.

*'Just right, my Inner Qi Technique improved and was refined, and now the Inner Qi is completely different from before. I wonder if there will be changes when applied to the luminous stone grass.'*

With this thought in mind, Yu Hong slightly transmitted a bit of Inner Qi over.

Immediately, he saw through the viewing window that the circle of blackened luminous stone grass was beginning to turn green again visibly.

In just over ten seconds.

The area of blackened luminous stone grass once again sprouted a circle of new tender luminous stone grass.

*'The new Inner Qi activates so quickly?!' Yu Hong's eyes showed surprise.*

Before, even after activation, the Inner Qi required a whole night to recover.

But now, the effect of this new Inner Qi was evidently much better than before, quickly completing the replenishment of the luminous stone grass.

Clearly, after the cultivation technique was improved and optimized, the effect on growing the luminous stone grass was also enhanced. He just wondered what differences there might be in the new luminous stone grass compared to before.

Yu Hong really wanted to go out and check, but recalling the following sound behind him, he suppressed the thought for now.

If at first, encountering a shadow would make him unbearably frightened, by now, after successive encounters with multiple Black Disasters, his nerves had been tempered to be exceedingly resilient.

It's not that he wouldn't feel fear, but he knew that fear would only make him die faster.

After observing outside the door for a while, Yu Hong narrowed his eyes, showing a look of contemplation.

A moment later, he swiftly pulled up the shutter, went into the basement to eat something, and then began training.

Since the current Inner Qi effect was so good, it further motivated him to practice his cultivation technique.

If he could have one more level of Inner Qi, it would provide an additional layer of security in the process of stimulating the growth of the luminous stone grass.

Given the unclear pattern of the attacks from the person behind, he had to prepare as much as possible.

*

*

*

Baihe City.

In the abandoned park area.

Between the desolate and dilapidated buildings, Lin Yiyi and the pale-faced Ou Li carefully supported the weak Xue Ningning, quietly and cautiously proceeding on the road. Two other team members who had also entered the park area followed behind them.

Shortly after entering the area, they found the heavily injured Xue Ningning.

Besides Xue Ningning, several other team members went missing, and the two remaining were also covered in injuries.

As for Xue Ningning herself, she survived thanks to a special metallic ornament given to her by her younger sister.

She originally thought she was doomed; the ornament, which was originally silver-gray, started turning pale after the attack, clearly being consumed.

But what surprised her was...

What she thought were burdens, Stammering Yiyi and Ou Li, actually rushed in together to save them.

Thinking of this, Xue Ningning had a complex mix of feelings that were hard to express. She initially regretted allowing Stammering Yiyi and the others to join the team, but now...

Watching as Stammering Yiyi vigilantly scanned for danger ahead, and Ou Li, pale-faced yet still resolutely supporting her, Xue Ningning suddenly felt a bit of gratitude....

Perhaps this is the reward for being a good person....

It's just a pity....

It was of no use for them to come in.

"Don't worry about me..." Xue Ningning said weakly, "Escape on your own.... Staying here is death... It's already targeting us.... We can't escape."

Despite being very grateful for their life-risking rescue, she also understood that many things couldn't be changed just by daring to risk one's life.

They were facing Yuren, a type completely different from what's depicted in the data!

The data clearly showed that Yuren mostly misled people with sound, affecting their thoughts and vision to attack and kill.

But just now in that instant....

She clearly heard no sound, yet she was attacked....

No warning, no preparation, and suddenly three members of the team were devoured and disappeared.

Then, the remaining members used hand grenades and luminous stone bombs, but it was all useless.... They couldn't even detect when Yuren would approach, much less when it would attack.

The weapons were all used in vain.

"We're already in, it's obviously too late to escape now." Ou Li said calmly. Although her face was pale, in such moments, she was surprisingly less panicked.

"I will help you!" Stammering Yiyi said with determination, showing a typical stubborn look.

"It's useless... I can stay and be a blood lure, keeping this mutating Yuren here, preventing it from moving outward...." Xue Ningning said with a bitter smile, "You can do nothing here but risk two more lives.... Just sacrifices in vain."

They were all enhanced beings, but even enhanced beings were just slightly larger ants compared to the shadow; the limits of humanity ensured there was no comparison.

"You two are a burden if you come in, what's the use!" One surviving female team member couldn't help but voice her worry. "When you found that we didn't escape, you should have immediately sought backup, requested support from above!! Coming in serves no purpose! You can't escape if you enter!"

"Enough, Ah Jun." Xue Ningning reminded, "Focus on your part."

The female team member, named Fang Shijun, was also a main team member who was extremely displeased with Xue Ningning for bringing burdens into the team.

Both she and another male team member, Chen Xinji, were the two best in the third team, and with the others missing due to being devoured, only they three remained.

The two were Xue Ningning's right-hand support, and with Stammering Yiyi and Ou Li diverting the shadow's attention, they barely managed to elude Yuren's pursuit temporarily.

Currently, the two of them were responsible for alertness and determining direction and roads, expertly using various professional instruments and equipment.

Fang Shijun alone had five detection devices, capable of analyzing five dimensions, including magnetic fields, three types of radiation rays, and air molecule recognition.

Operating these high-tech devices required significant professional training; someone like Stammering Yiyi, regardless of strength and endurance, couldn't operate this kind of equipment, and would only meet their end facing the shadow.

This was the main reason other teams wouldn't recruit Stammering Yiyi.

Currently, Fang Shijun and Chen Xinji were using portable devices, continuously operating and observing various data, occasionally using handheld computers to perform complex calculations and determine the best escape route.

"Four unique force fields within the park are misleading our senses. We were close to calculating the optimal escape path, but as soon as these two arrived... they triggered changes in the force fields, ushering in new troubles. Possibly, they attracted the attention of other Yuren, and now we have to recalculate. At this rate, none of us will escape!" Fang Shijun grew increasingly irritable and anxious.

"What does it have to do with us?!" Ou Li abruptly raised her voice, her tone blunt and unapologetic, "How do you know we won't escape without even trying?!"

"What can you do? Which of these devices can you operate? Tell me, what use do you possess??" Fang Shijun retorted, standing before Ou Li.

"You think I wanted to come in!?" Ou Li's face was grim. She indeed only knew how to use one or two of the measuring devices they had.

"Then why did you come?" Xue Ningning asked helplessly, pulling at Fang Shijun to get her to say fewer words.

"If not because..." Ou Li was about to reveal the truth when Stammering Yiyi gave her a 'gentle' slap on the forehead.

Smack.

"Ou Li, just can't speak properly. She has a good heart." Stammering Yiyi seriously explained on behalf of her friend.

"...." Ou Li, struck by the immense force, felt dizzy and almost fell over; the words she was about to say also disappeared, leaving her momentarily stunned with her mind buzzing, only able to groan softly without speaking further.

"You are good kids...." Xue Ningning sighed. "But it's my fault for involving you...."

"How did Yuren attack you?" Stammering Yiyi asked.

"I don't know.... None of our detection methods worked; we had no idea when it would approach. Some people didn't even have time to detonate luminous stone grenades before being devoured and vanished." Xue Ningning shook her head, her expression troubled.

"Yuren's attack completely deviated from the pattern of accumulation followed by an outburst, instead, it was an outright sudden assault...." She glanced at the two girls, "So the biggest issue is that we can't sense when it will attack, where it will attack, or which locations it will target?"

The group fell silent. This indeed was the most troublesome aspect of dealing with Yuren.

The unpredictability.

"Let's move." Xue Ningning resigned, signaling Fang Shijun to lead the way and continue relocating.

They rapidly moved, turning and adjusting frequently, following the special calculated path based on the devices and occasionally backtracking several steps.

Fang Shijun and Xue Ningning would occasionally engage in brief discussions, speaking terms and data Ou Li and Lin Yiyi could not understand.

The two followed behind, feeling that they could offer no assistance, silently tagging along.

As they walked, Fang Shijun suddenly paled.

The path she led faced a high wall right ahead.

This wall completely blocked their route out.

Through the empty patterns decorating the wall, they could see that behind it were more of the same somber park buildings, not an exit.

"No, the calculation was wrong! This isn't an exit either!"

"Backtrack; retrace to the previous node and recalculate!" Chen Xinji commanded seriously.

The group hurriedly retreated but soon discovered that the surface they had just passed now differed from what they had seen before. Initially, the path was between two five-story buildings.

But when they tried to return, they found that the two five-story buildings had completely changed: one turned into a dark factory, while the other became a twenty-story skyscraper.

But logically, shouldn't there be no twenty-story skyscrapers in this area, in this park!??