Chapter 237 - 137: Construction and Daily Life

Chapter 237: Chapter 137: Construction and Daily Life

He subconsciously looked down at himself. His combat suit was worn neatly, the zipper pulled up to just below his collarbone, cuffs fastened, and underneath was a moisture-wicking, breathable tactical undershirt.

It wasn’t because he wasn’t sweating. Rather, the powerful thermoregulation and internal circulation granted by the Iron Bone Realm made Xu Mo’s tolerance for the ambient temperature far greater than that of an ordinary person.

The harsh sunlight and the heat waves shimmering up from the ground felt as if they were behind an invisible film. He could sense them, but they struggled to truly penetrate to his core, let alone trigger the messy, heat-purging reaction of profuse sweating.

Xu Mo reflected that he had been so immersed in his own training and state of high alert that he had completely overlooked how out of sync he was with his surroundings.

Feigning nonchalance, Xu Mo let his gaze sweep over the crowd again. People like him and Zhang Yun, fully decked out in standard combat gear, were in the minority. Although Zhang Yun also wore long-sleeved camouflage, her collar was open, her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and fine beads of sweat were clearly visible on her temples and neck. Her breathing was also a little heavier than usual.

Just then, Zhang Yun seemed to sense Xu Mo’s gaze. She turned to give him a slightly quizzical look, then followed his line of sight to the surrounding people—shirtless and drenched in sweat—and her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Xu Mo’s heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained impassive. He nonchalantly shifted his gaze, looking up at the glaring white sun before commenting casually, "This damn weather is really getting hotter and hotter. The sun’s strong enough to make you dizzy."

This sentence immediately resonated with several Hunters nearby who were chugging water.

"Tell me about it! It’s just past noon, and my canteen’s already almost empty!"

"If this keeps up, we’ll have to carry water barrels on our backs for patrols!"

"And the higher-ups haven’t said anything about giving out more heat-relief supplies..."

Zhang Yun wiped the sweat from her brow after hearing Xu Mo’s comment and chimed in, "It really is hot. Xu Mo, you don’t seem to be sweating much?" Her tone was one of pure curiosity.

Xu Mo smiled, his expression unchanged. "Maybe it’s because I’m keeping a steady pace and not moving around too vigorously," he said lightly. He then pointed at himself and then at the complaining Hunters. "Look at them. A lot of guys are on high alert during patrols, making big movements, so they naturally burn more energy. I’m just pacing myself to conserve stamina."

The explanation sounded plausible. Zhang Yun nodded in agreement, took another sip from her canteen, and turned her gaze back to the registration desk where assignments were being handed out.

Soon, it was Xu Mo’s turn. As they left the noisy, sweltering assembly point and walked the road back to the Inner City, Xu Mo became even more keenly aware of his body’s strangeness, now that he was no longer surrounded by sweat-drenched people for comparison.

A breeze rustled past, carrying a wave of heat, but the clothes against his skin remained perfectly dry. The energy circulating smoothly within his body effortlessly dissipated and neutralized the oppressive heat from the outside world.

’Looks like I’ll need to be more careful in the future,’ Xu Mo silently reminded himself. The various superhuman traits granted by the Iron Bone Realm were an advantage under normal circumstances, but in a crowd, they could easily become a conspicuous anomaly if left unconcealed. In this apocalyptic world, standing out too much was not always a good thing.

Back in his small courtyard, he shut the door, closing out the noise and heat of the outside world. Xu Mo stripped off his combat suit and the shirt beneath it, leaving him in just a thin t-shirt. He savored the rare sensation of coolness—even if it wasn’t something he truly needed.

Looking at the neatly folded combat suit, Xu Mo made a mental note that for the next patrol, he should consider leaving his jacket open or rolling up his sleeves like Zhang Yun.

He walked over to the washbasin in the courtyard and splashed a handful of cool water on his face. Droplets trickled down his well-defined cheeks. As he gazed at his reflection in the water, his eyes were calm and deep.