allendalepharm Chapter 61 Gap in Foundation
Chapter 61 Gap in Foundation
As Xu Mo finished his day of cultivation and was about to lie down to rest, that familiar, deep rumble came from the sky once again, growing louder as it approached.
Xu Mo listened intently and could tell that the roaring sound seemed lighter than when he left. He didn't know if it was because he had shed his burden or it was just his imagination, but it felt less solemn than when he left.
Xu Mo lay on the bed, silently calculating the time in his mind. From the moment he heard Pan Shi's distress call to the departure of the bomber formation, and now to their return, the time span clearly outlined the considerable distance between Jiangcheng and Pan Shi's shelter.
"This distance is really not close," Xu Mo thought to himself.
Long-distance raids mean bomber formations need to traverse unknown and dangerous airspace, requiring diverse fuel, navigation capabilities, and responses to potential threats. This also indirectly confirms the formidable strength and technological reserves of Jiangcheng Shelter, further confirming Xu Mo's belief that Panshi Shelter is not of the same level.
As the engine noise gradually faded into the distance and finally disappeared completely, Xu Mo slowly drifted off to sleep. That night, perhaps because he knew that a powerful force was at work in the distance, or perhaps because he had resolved the threat of the wolf pack, he slept more soundly than usual.
The next day, Xu Mo woke up on time, roused by his biological clock. Outside the window, the darkness still swallowed all light; his watch indicated it should be early morning. Xu Mo listened carefully for a moment, but the expected roar of planes, likely signaling a second wave of air raids or transport support, did not materialize.
"It seems that the situation at Pan Shi has stabilized," Xu Mo concluded.
Jiangcheng's intervention, especially the direct deployment of bombers, is enough to turn the tide of a local crisis. The mutated beast horde gathered around the outskirts of the rock has likely suffered heavy losses under the aerial attack. With external reinforcements and a chance to regroup, the chaos inside the rock should be gradually quelled by the remaining organizational forces.
However, the temporary easing of the crisis does not mean the impact has disappeared.
Xu Mo could imagine that after this battle, the Rock Shelter's standing among the surrounding survivors would inevitably be shaken. A sudden, internal and external attack triggered by the darkness's encroachment nearly led to the entire shelter's annihilation, undoubtedly exposing the Rock Shelter's serious deficiencies in crisis response and basic defenses. For a shelter whose primary promise is to provide safety, this was practically a failing grade. Survivors sought refuge in shelters seeking stability; how much security could a stronghold that nearly lost its own inhabitants possibly offer?
As Xu Mo had predicted, things unfolded exactly as he had.
That evening, when Xu Mo turned on the radio as usual, he clearly received a broadcast from the Rock Shelter. The announcer had changed his voice; although he tried his best to remain calm, the weakness and relief of surviving the ordeal were still palpable through the airwaves.
The broadcast was divided into two main parts. The first part was to continue appealing for and accepting survivors who were stranded outside the area, providing certain admission criteria and directional guidance. The second part was to express the sincerest gratitude to the Jiangcheng Shelter for the "timely and decisive assistance" provided during this crisis, and to promise to remember this kindness.
The broadcast only vaguely mentioned the shelter's losses and chaos during the incident, using phrases like "experienced a severe test" and "temporary difficulties," without going into detail. But the more it did so, the more likely it was to arouse speculation among listeners.
Xu Mo could even imagine how the survivors scattered throughout the ruins, relying on radios for information, would feel upon hearing this broadcast. While marveling at the strength of Jiangcheng Shelter, they would inevitably question the capabilities of Pan Shi. "It almost collapsed in one test, what about next time?" Such doubts were enough to make many survivors who initially considered Pan Shi their first choice hesitate, or begin to seriously consider whether to risk venturing to the more distant, but clearly more powerful Jiangcheng.
"I wonder if the survivors who hear the broadcast will still consider going to Rock Shelter as their first choice." Xu Mo shook his head slightly, putting aside these chaotic thoughts. To him, this was just an interlude and observation sample in the post-apocalyptic landscape.
......
At night, the soft white light dispelled the shadows in the room. Xu Mo knew very well that cultivating in the dark, actively resisting mental erosion, was a proactive and controllable form of tempering. But sleep was completely different; it was a time when consciousness was relaxed and defenses were at their weakest. In that state, allowing darkness to erode and infiltrate was tantamount to slow suicide. He didn't need to "forge" his will in his dreams; what he needed was ample rest and safe recovery.
As expected, Xu Mo's cautious move was proven to be extremely wise in subsequent information.
The day after the broadcast from the Rock Shelter, when Xu Mo tuned back to the Jiangcheng Shelter's frequency, he heard a highly valuable technical message. The announcer, in a clear tone, explained in detail the latest research findings on the effects of the "Eternal Night Darkness Spiritual Erosion" on humanity:
"Based on continuous observation and data analysis by our researchers, it has been preliminarily determined that the darkness erosion effect is closely related to the environment and individual condition. In an unshaded, completely exposed outdoor environment, the darkness erosion effect is most intense. It is preliminarily estimated that if a healthy adult stays in such an environment for about seven hours, they will experience obvious mental confusion, hallucinations, and it is highly likely to lead to irreversible madness..."
Hearing this, Xu Mo's eyes narrowed. Seven hours. This figure was even more severe than his previous experience and estimates, meaning that a long-distance migration under the eternal night would be an extremely dangerous undertaking. Of course, if the lights could be kept on the whole time, that would be a different story.
The broadcast continued: "Being inside an enclosed building can effectively reduce the erosion effect, but its influence still exists, especially during sleep when consciousness is lower. Dark erosion will continue to occur, albeit at a slower rate. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that all survivors maintain a minimum amount of stable light during sleep, as this is currently the most effective protective measure..."
This completely confirms Xu Mo's approach: sleeping with the lights on is essential.
Immediately following, the broadcast announced a major decision by the Jiangcheng Shelter: "To maximize the protection of the physical and mental health of all residents of our shelter and resist the encroachment of eternal darkness, from this day forward until the sun rises again, the main area of the Jiangcheng Shelter will implement the 'Ever-Lighting Plan,' providing uninterrupted public lighting 24 hours a day, and this energy supply will be completely free for all registered residents..."
"Project Everlasting Light! Free supply!" Upon hearing this, Xu Mo couldn't help but take a deep breath.
This is a huge undertaking.
In the face of perpetual darkness, energy is the lifeline. Lighting, heating, and equipment operation all require enormous amounts of energy. Jiangcheng Shelter not only has the capacity to maintain its basic operations but also the luxury of providing 24-hour uninterrupted lighting to the entire main area of the shelter, free of charge. What a vast energy reserve and substantial material resources this requires!
This news from Jiangcheng stands in stark contrast to the fact that the Rock Shelter has not issued any similar notice to date. Perhaps Rock Shelter's energy facilities were damaged in the previous chaos, or perhaps its original reserves were insufficient to support such a scale of consumption, or perhaps it is prioritizing the restoration of order and fortifications. In any case, this clearly demonstrates the insurmountable gap in scale and resources between the two.
The depth of Jiangcheng Shelter was indeed unfathomable. Xu Mo once again realized that the survival mode and development path of a behemoth like Jiangcheng were on a completely different level from those of lone wolves like him and large civilian strongholds like Panshi.
He turned off the radio, lay down, and the lamp beside him cast a reassuring glow. The distant sanctuary, whether forcefully intervened or generously illuminated, was far away from him.