Chapter 57 - 50: Fuel

Chapter 57: Chapter 50: Fuel

Xu Mo had prepared an extra AK-47 for himself as a backup, operating under a "better safe than sorry" philosophy. He figured having a spare couldn’t hurt. He never imagined that this backup weapon would actually see use one day—and that this day would come so quickly, costing him his primary weapon entirely.

Looking at his old companion, broken in two and beyond repair, lying in the corner like a soldier’s tombstone, Xu Mo silently took out the spare AK-47. He carefully inspected it, wiped it down, and oiled it, designating it his new primary weapon.

However, as he looked at the single rifle he now had left, a sense of unease crept over Xu Mo once more. This feeling wasn’t born of fear, but an instinctual wariness at the loss of his redundancy.

In this treacherous apocalypse, relying on a single piece of critical equipment meant increased risk. ’One broke today; who’s to say this one won’t fail tomorrow? What if I need more sustained firepower against a horde of mutants, or even other survivors with malicious intent?’

’One isn’t enough. Not nearly enough,’ Xu Mo mused. He needed to build a more robust arsenal. The next time he "opened the door," his objective would be clear: restock on firearms, especially primary combat rifles.

That thought became even clearer and more urgent later that night.

As Xu Mo sat lost in thought by the stove’s fire, a faint yet piercing sound broke the silence of the snowy night.

"AWOOOO—" "AWOO! AWOO!"

Wolf howls! And it wasn’t the mournful cry of a lone wolf, but the rising and falling, call-and-response howls of an entire pack.

Xu Mo instantly identified the direction the sound was coming from—it was the same snowy plain outside of town where he had killed the two mutated zombies during the day.

The howling also indirectly confirmed Xu Mo’s suspicion from earlier: the unfortunate animal that had been devoured was indeed a wolf, not a wild dog. The pack was likely searching for a missing member, proclaiming its territory, or perhaps fighting over food.

At this thought, a chill ran down Xu Mo’s spine. He hadn’t buried the two mutated zombie corpses very deep—certainly not deep enough to hide them from a wolf pack’s keen sense of smell.

First thing at dawn, Xu Mo went to the rooftop, raised his binoculars, and carefully observed the area of yesterday’s battle.

Just as he’d thought.

The signs of struggle and the bloodstains from yesterday had been disturbed and spread over a wider area. The snowdrift where he had hastily buried the two mutated zombies was completely dug up. The bodies inside were long gone, leaving behind only patches of snow shredded and stained a dark, blackish-red, along with a few hard, gnawed-on bones.

’So they really were dragged away or eaten on the spot...’ Xu Mo thought as he lowered his binoculars, his brow furrowing.

A chilling possibility surfaced in Xu Mo’s mind: ’If those wolves ate the flesh of mutated zombies, will they also mutate?’

’The zombie virus spreads through blood and bodily fluids. If another creature eats an infected host, could that cause a secondary mutation or cross-species transmission? If this turns the wolf pack into more ferocious "infected wolves" or "mutant wolves" that carry the virus, the danger level of this area will skyrocket.’

’These animals are truly tenacious,’ Xu Mo mused. At the peak of human civilization, large wild animals had all but vanished from the areas surrounding cities and towns. Yet with the apocalypse, the sharp decline in human activity, and just over a year of collapsed order, these "native inhabitants" of the wild had crawled out from every nook and cranny. They were starting to carve out new territories, active once more in this abandoned land. Their ability to adapt was far stronger than he’d imagined.

But another question followed. ’The temperature drops to over twenty degrees below zero Celsius at night. Aren’t these wolves afraid of the cold? How can they even move, let alone survive, in such extreme temperatures?’

This was clearly outside Xu Mo’s expertise. The wolf pack, of course, wouldn’t give him an answer. They were simply following their survival instincts, struggling to exist under the harsh laws of nature.

The next day, when Xu Mo observed the area again, he made an even more surprising discovery—the gnawed zombie bone fragments scattered on the ground yesterday, as well as the remains of the unlucky wolf, had also vanished without a trace! Only messy paw prints and drag marks remained on the snow, as if nothing had ever happened there.

Seeing this, Xu Mo understood.

’It seems the wolves are having a hard time, too,’ Xu Mo deduced. ’They must be desperate for food. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have bothered coming back to drag away bones that were already picked clean. They’re truly scouring the land, not letting a single potential morsel go to waste.’

The winter, this bitter cold that swept across the land, tested not only the surviving humans but also cruelly winnowed all of nature’s creatures. Every link in the food chain was under immense pressure from this white calamity.

Over the next few days, aside from his unwavering cultivation routine, Xu Mo didn’t stay idle. The urgent need to replenish his arsenal spurred him to action.

When the next opportunity to "open the door" arrived, Xu Mo once again used the "Gun Room" sign.

With incredible efficiency, Xu Mo first moved massive quantities of 7.62mm rifle rounds, pistol rounds, and .338 sniper rounds, replenishing his spent ammunition several times over. Next, he headed straight for the firearms storage area. He ignored the precision sniper rifles that required special maintenance. Instead, he made a beeline for his target, selecting five well-maintained AK-47 assault rifles of the same model, along with a large number of spare magazines.

Seeing the gun rack full once more—even more well-stocked than before—the unease that had settled in Xu Mo’s heart after his rifle broke finally began to subside. Having six functional AK-47s and ample ammunition put his mind at ease.

However, just as the weapon problem was solved, another survival crisis quietly emerged—he was running out of fuel.

The two stoves Xu Mo had scavenged were both wood-burning. At first, his firewood came from wooden furniture, doors, windows, and floorboards from within his shelter and nearby abandoned houses. But as the winter dragged on, he had used up most of the easily accessible wood. To get more, he would have to travel farther out, braving the bitter cold and potential dangers to break apart the frozen, rock-hard ruins.

Xu Mo considered this a hassle. More importantly, it was inefficient and the risks were high.

So, Xu Mo turned his attention to the door’s ability. He remembered seeing portable fuels when he’d looted the outdoor supply store—things like charcoal briquettes, solid fuel tablets, and even small gas canisters.

These things had a high heat output, were easy to store, and were convenient to use—the perfect solution to his current predicament.

He found a new piece of cardboard and, after a moment of thought, wrote three words on it: "Specialty Outdoor Fuel." This sign should direct him precisely to the supplies he needed.

The countdown ended, and Xu Mo pushed open the door with the new sign on it.

When the faint light faded, Xu Mo found himself in what appeared to be a warehouse for an outdoor supply brand or a large wholesale distributor. The shelves were lined with all sorts of items—tents, sleeping bags, trekking poles—but his gaze immediately locked onto several large cardboard boxes in a corner. Words like "High-Efficiency Charcoal Briquettes" and "Smokeless & Eco-Friendly" were printed clearly on the sides.

Xu Mo strode forward and opened a box. Inside were neatly arranged, oblong charcoal briquettes wrapped in eco-friendly paper. This type of charcoal produced high heat, had a long burn time, and was relatively smokeless, making it ideal for use in an enclosed space.

"This is it!"

Without hesitation, Xu Mo began moving them at a frantic pace. One box, two boxes, three boxes... He made the most of every second of his sixty-second window, hauling box after box of charcoal briquettes to the safe area outside the door. He also grabbed several large boxes of solid fuel tablets to use as fire starters and for emergency cooking.

When the time ran out and he returned to the apocalypse, looking at the small mountain of charcoal boxes before him, Xu Mo nodded in satisfaction.

This fuel would be enough to last him for a long time.

He hauled the precious fuel back into his shelter, sorting and storing it alongside his other supplies: food, ammunition, and medicine. Seeing his reserves full once again, Xu Mo felt a wave of relief.

Weapons, food, medicine, fuel... He had once again secured all the basic elements of survival.

Outside, the wolf pack prowled in the grip of hunger and cold, mutated zombies likely lurked in the shadows, and the bitter frost still ruled the land. But within his small shelter, relying on his own ability and thorough preparation, Xu Mo had stubbornly carved out a relatively safe island in the storm.