Chapter 62 - 55: Blizzard

Chapter 62: Chapter 55: Blizzard

After confirming the radio could reliably pick up outside broadcasts, Xu Mo made it a part of his daily routine. Just like his morning and evening Qi Collection and Pile Training, he would turn on the radio at a set time, tune to the familiar frequency, and listen carefully to the distant voices that were the last embers of civilization.

At first, the broadcasts brought a welcome sense of novelty and provided valuable information. But as time passed, Xu Mo quickly realized that whether it was the Jiang City Shelter or the Rock Fortress with its spotty signal, the core content of their daily reports was largely the same, having fallen into a predictable pattern.

It was mostly just repeated warnings about the continuing extreme weather, calls for survivors to seek refuge, and announcements about cleared safe zones around the shelters. For Xu Mo, who was already aware of this and had decided to stay put for the time being, the value of this repetitive information diminished with each broadcast. His listening habits shifted from rapt attention to a routine check, with the radio playing like background noise as he listened for any subtle changes.

Of course, the broadcasts occasionally featured something different, like a few distinct notes in an otherwise dreary melody, which would briefly lift Xu Mo’s spirits.

For example, there were public service announcements about zombie weaknesses, though this was hardly news to him: "Repeating, common zombies rely primarily on hearing and smell; their vision has severely degraded. Low temperatures will significantly reduce their activity but will not kill them. The head remains the only confirmed vital point. If you encounter them, remain quiet and use obstacles to your advantage..."

"According to current observations, Strength Type mutants possess extremely high defense but are relatively clumsy when turning. We advise using the terrain to your advantage and avoiding a direct confrontation. Agility Type mutants are incredibly fast and excel at ambushes, but they show some hesitation in response to bright lights and loud noises, and their defenses are comparatively weak. Another urgent reminder: if you spot a suspicious individual with blue-green skin, possibly dripping mucus as it moves, you must stay away at all costs. Do not engage in close combat. The venom or virus it carries is extremely lethal..."

Other messages revealed the shelters’ own statuses and needs: "The Jiang City Shelter is in urgent need of all types of antibiotics, surgical equipment, fuel, and non-perishable, high-energy food. Survivors with these supplies who are willing to trade will receive bonus points upon arrival."

"The Rock Fortress is recruiting engineering technicians, doctors, and individuals with combat experience. Qualified personnel will be granted special privileges..."

Though fragmented and unsystematic, these scraps of information were like pieces of a puzzle, helping Xu Mo gradually build a clearer picture of the outside world. They also gave him a faint understanding of how the major shelters were operating and the difficulties they faced.

Besides his daily radio listening sessions, Xu Mo’s observations gained a new, regular subject: a wolf pack.

Perhaps because they had gotten a taste of an easy meal from the Strength Zombie they had "scavenged" on the outskirts of town, the wolves now seemed to view Cyan Pine Ridge Town as a potential feeding ground. They no longer just hurried past in a panic. Instead, they would appear at the town’s edge from time to time, moving as a pack, patrolling and lingering among the snow-covered ruins.

Through his binoculars, Xu Mo could see them clearly. Their numbers fluctuated between seven or eight to a dozen or so. Their gray-black fur created moving specks against the snow. The pack was wary and never entered the town proper, preferring to stick to the outskirts. They were especially drawn to the area where they had found the zombie corpse, sniffing the ground repeatedly as if hoping for another "free lunch" to fall from the sky.

The wolves looked slightly healthier than before—at least they weren’t as emaciated as when he’d first seen them—but it was still clear that food was scarce. Xu Mo was content to let them roam the outskirts. In a way, their keen sense of smell made them a natural ’alarm system’ for the town. If any other dangerous creatures approached, the wolves would likely be the first to react.

Aside from the occasional visits from the wolf pack, the town returned to a dead silence over the next few days. No new teams of survivors ventured into the ruins, which were likely marked as having "no resources." It made sense. With daylight so short it was almost negligible and resources long since depleted, everyone was in a hurry to reach a shelter. No one would want to linger here. This expected quiet, however, gave Xu Mo a rare, uninterrupted stretch of peace, allowing him to focus more intently on his cultivation.

However, this fragile tranquility was soon shattered by the far more violent power of nature.

The lead-gray clouds that had been gathering and brewing in the sky for who knows how long finally reached their breaking point.

First, it was the wind. The frigid gales suddenly intensified, turning from a whimper to a roar. They slammed against the buildings, whipping up the heavy snow from the ground and creating a whiteout that obscured the outside world.

Feeling the ferocity of the wind, alarm bells went off in Xu Mo’s mind. He immediately sprang into action, retrieving the thick wooden planks, metal brackets, and other reinforcement materials he had previously collected, and began to fortify all the windows on the second floor.

For some of the larger windows, Xu Mo even used metal brackets to create diagonal braces on the inside, ensuring they could withstand a much greater impact. The task took him a considerable amount of time, but looking at the now incredibly sturdy windows gave him some peace of mind. At the very least, the defense of the second floor, his main living space, against the storm was now significantly stronger.

His premonition was soon confirmed. Not long after he finished the reinforcements, the heavy snow arrived as scheduled. But this was no longer the gentle flurry from before. It was a deluge, as if the heavens had burst open. Dense snowflakes hammered down at a nearly horizontal angle. Visibility dropped to near zero in an instant; outside the window, there was nothing but a chaotic swirl of white.

CRACK—CRASH!

A grating shatter, mixed with the roar of the blizzard, came from upstairs.

A chill went down Xu Mo’s spine. He immediately knew it was the third-floor windows. They were already damaged, and under the assault of such a violent blizzard, they had finally given way.

He rushed upstairs to check.

Sure enough, the glass in several third-floor windows had been shattered by the gale-force winds. As if it had found a new vent, snow furiously poured into the rooms, rapidly piling up on the floor. The temperature on the entire third floor plummeted, turning it into an icebox.

Xu Mo silently thanked himself for reinforcing the second floor. He didn’t try to patch the breaches on the third floor. Instead, he quickly and tightly shut the doors to each of the third-floor rooms, creating an isolated zone to stop the blizzard from invading the hallway and his main living area below. As for the third floor itself, he would have to let the storm have its way for now.

With that done, Xu Mo returned to the relative safety of the second floor. Listening to the wind and snow howl outside and feeling the building occasionally tremble, his expression grew grave. This storm was even more violent than he had anticipated.

Occasionally, during a brief lull in the wind, Xu Mo would push open the rooftop access door—half-blocked by snowdrifts—and go up to observe the situation. But as far as he could see, there was only a vast, white expanse. The dense, flying snow created a total visual barrier. He couldn’t even make out the town’s silhouette, let alone the solar panels on the opposite building. After a few attempts, he gave up. This kind of observation was pointless.

Then came another change—the radio signal was gone.

Both the relatively clear channel from the Jiang City Shelter and the erratic signal from the Rock Fortress had vanished. All that remained was the eternal hiss of static. Xu Mo tried several times—adjusting the antenna, switching bands—but to no avail.

’Looks like the blizzard completely cut off the signal transmission,’ Xu Mo guessed. The fragile link to the outside world he had just established was severed once again, plunging him back into a state of total information blackout.

Outside the window, the wind and snow danced in a frenzy; in his ears, there was only a ceaseless roar.

Xu Mo sat by the stove and added a few charcoal briquettes, making the flames burn brighter. He picked up the Mountain-Cutting Saber that had been his constant companion and began his daily ritual of cleaning and polishing it.

No matter how violently the storm raged outside, all he could do was stay vigilant, maintain his strength, and wait for it to pass.