vncnus Chapter 33 Winter Training
Chapter 33 Winter Training
Winter is long, but Xu Mo doesn't have a clear idea of exactly how long it is; at least, he has no concept of winter in this world.
Time seemed to lose its meaning in this desolate world covered in ice and snow.
Since the heavy snow that lasted for three days and three nights heralded the official arrival of the harsh winter, Xu Mo's life has quietly passed by in the daily routine of cultivation, vigilance, and the occasional necessary explorations outside.
One morning, as Xu Mo marked another entry on his calendar, which recorded the consumption of supplies, he was suddenly struck by a realization—two whole months had passed since he first saw the snowflakes.
These two months were a relatively "safe" period due to the extreme cold, but they also became a golden period for Xu Mo's personal strength to improve by leaps and bounds. He made the most of this rare window of tranquility.
After consuming a massive amount of ammunition, Xu Mo's marksmanship has long surpassed that of a beginner. Now, he can reliably hit stationary targets within 200 meters with an AK-47, and also has a high hit rate against moving targets within 100 meters.
Xu Mo could draw his TT-33 pistol quickly and hit his target accurately within 100 meters, but his greatest achievement came from the AWM sniper rifle.
Through repeated practice and the accumulation of ballistic data, Xu Mo now has a fairly reliable hit rate against stationary targets at a distance of 800 meters, and has even begun to challenge longer distances and measure wind drift.
Xu Mo felt that his shooting skills had moved from the "learning and exploration" stage to the "maintaining and fine-tuning" stage. Daily practice only required a small amount of bullets to maintain his feel for the shot, and he no longer needed to do the basic training that consumed a lot of bullets at the beginning.
Wind speed, humidity, gravity... these terms, which he once only saw in books and videos, have now become part of Xu Mo's subconscious. The consumption of more than 1,500 .338 Lapua Magnum bullets has not only made him familiar with every shot fired by this AWM, but has also imprinted the ballistic data at different distances into his consciousness like a brand.
As for the Thirteen Bodyguards' external martial arts training, this skill is Xu Mo's core practice every day without fail. Compared to two months ago, his body has undergone a complete transformation. His originally well-proportioned physique has now been reshaped by layers of clearly defined muscles.
This wasn't the bulky, muscular shape deliberately sculpted by a gym, but rather as resilient as an alloy forged through countless trials, every inch containing astonishing energy. Long-term application of medicated oils and nourishment of blood and qi had given his skin a healthy bronze hue, which, under the glow of the furnace fire, shimmered with a metallic sheen.
Xu Mo felt his skin had become denser and tougher. Ordinary splinters and pebbles would only leave a shallow white mark that would disappear in a moment. Even when a solid wooden stick was used to strike his torso, arms, thighs, and other muscular areas, it would mostly only leave slight redness and swelling, which would dissipate in a very short time.
However, this is still not the "Bullish Realm" described in the cultivation manual.
The extraordinary phenomena that my second uncle boasted about back then—"skin so smooth it could withstand ordinary bites and sticks" and "skin turning yellow and rough like old cowhide when practicing martial arts"—have not materialized.
He could hardly sustain any real damage from ordinary blows, but a sharp fruit knife could still cut his skin, though the wounds would be much shallower than those of a normal person. As for whether he could completely withstand the bites and claws of zombies, which were covered in viruses and filth, Xu Mo dared not, and had never even considered, trying; after all, he wasn't that foolish.
"Having reached this level, I still haven't officially stepped into the threshold of the first realm?" Xu Mo would occasionally stop cultivating, and couldn't help but sigh at the difficulty of cultivating this ancient skill. He also developed greater awe and imagination for the subsequent "Iron Bone Realm" and even the "Golden Body Realm".
However, Xu Mo was not discouraged; instead, he was filled with even stronger anticipation. Recently, especially after extreme stance training or high-intensity impact resistance training, he had been able to catch a strange, fleeting premonition.
It was a feeling of fullness, as if every cell in my body was filled to its limit with pure energy, and a hot and concentrated power was surging and colliding beneath my skin, as if it was yearning for a complete explosion.
Xu Mo felt that he only needed one last bit of strength and one opportunity to break through completely and step into a completely new world.
"Not far off..." Each time he slowly came out of that extreme state, feeling the still surging power within his body, Xu Mo would silently repeat this in his heart, his eyes resolute.
His improved strength was naturally reflected in his equipment.
The cleaver, originally used for self-defense, has been honorably retired, relegated to a kitchen tool for processing food and chopping bones within the shelter. In its place is a machete, nearly eighty centimeters long, crafted from high-quality steel. Its blade is thick and wide, with robust anti-slip serrations along the back, and the edge is polished to a cold, sharp gleam. Whether chopping zombie skeletons or clearing paths and obstacles in the wilderness, its effectiveness far surpasses that of the former cleaver.
In addition, a menacing triangular bayonet with a cold, eerie blue light gleamed on the weapon rack. The three blood grooves and the tempered tip exuded a chilling aura born purely for slaughter.
Using the power of the "door," Xu Mo has carried out several rounds of targeted equipment upgrades over the past two months.
He managed to acquire a military-grade bulletproof vest and several ceramic bulletproof inserts. In critical moments, these things can withstand direct hits from most rifle bullets, making them life-saving essentials. Over this hardcore bulletproof vest, Xu Mo usually wears a lightweight and flexible stab-proof vest, forming a double layer of protection against high-speed projectiles and sharp claws.
Based on his usage habits and pursuit of reliability, Xu Mo added an AK-47 of the same model as a backup primary weapon, as well as a classic pump-action shotgun. The latter can unleash devastating firepower instantly when engaged in close-quarters combat indoors, clearing rooms, or dealing with the threat of sudden door breaches. Together with his existing AWM sniper rifle and his familiar TT-33 pistol, his personal arsenal now constitutes a complete firepower system covering long, medium, and close range, as well as indoor assault/breaching operations.
Thanks to the significant increase in strength brought by the "Thirteen Bodyguards' Horizontal Training," Xu Mo achieved an unprecedented record in the total amount of supplies he carried within the precious sixty seconds of recently opening the "Ammunition Depot." He not only replenished the base ammunition for all his firearms but also acquired two boxes each of flashbangs, smoke grenades, and stun grenades. The addition of these special munitions made his tactical options more diverse and flexible, providing him with more means to deal with situations whether it was creating chaos, covering retreats, or launching assaults.
As for the overall improvement in his physical fitness, it was the most surprising thing for Xu Mo in the past two months, and it was also the most fundamental source of his confidence in survival.
The benefits brought by the "Thirteen Protectors' Horizontal Training" are comprehensive and far-reaching. Now, even when Xu Mo is in the highest alert state—wearing a vest with thick bulletproof plates, an outer stab-proof vest, carrying a tactical backpack containing three days' rations, a first aid kit, basic tools and extra ammunition, and holding a fully loaded AK-47 assault rifle—he is still running at high speed continuously.
This "high speed" isn't a 100-meter sprint, but rather maintaining a speed far exceeding the limits of ordinary people in cross-country running. Furthermore, Xu Mo can maintain this state for nearly thirty minutes without stopping. This is not only a testament to his powerful cardiopulmonary function, but also a comprehensive improvement in muscular endurance, bone strength, and energy metabolism efficiency.
This level of physical fitness would be considered top-tier in Xu Mo's original world before his transmigration. Abundant, almost freakish, stamina translates to a higher chance of survival, greater tactical mobility, more confidence in dealing with danger, and stronger self-assurance.
The daily routine had already solidified into a precise, almost rigid process over the past two months:
In the early morning, Xu Mo wakes up in the dim light of the stove fire that is about to go out. After breakfast, he will first practice standing meditation for two hours.
The morning is the core time for the "Thirteen Taibao Body Training"—medicated oil is applied to the whole body, weighted squats and sprints, and various physical exertions that push the limits of the human body.
In the afternoon, there is firearms "maintenance" training and at least an hour of melee weapon slashing and thrusting practice to ensure muscle memory.
In the evenings, Xu Mo would relax and study the books he had collected, mainly emergency wound care, wilderness survival guides, and a few traditional Chinese medicine classics that he had high hopes for but never quite understood. Or he would carefully maintain each piece of equipment and plan the next "opening" of the gate.
Food and fuel are not in short supply for the time being. The small restaurant with the slogan "Welcome to Try" is his stable logistical base, and the "food" for the heater comes from the doors, windows and furniture of nearby abandoned houses.
Occasionally, Xu Mo would use the high-powered scope on his AWM or his military binoculars to carefully scan the town and the snow-covered landscape further away through the observation point on the third floor, which was not completely sealed off.
As far as the eye could see, there was only a vast expanse of white. The thick snow, like a giant shroud, covered all the ruins, streets, and traces of the past, concealing all possible life and danger. The whole world seemed to have truly died completely in that heavy snowfall.
Xu Mo saw no further signs of zombie activity, nor did he find any other signs of human presence—no smoke, no reflections, no footprints.
This ruin, forever sealed by ice and snow, seemed to have become his own lonely kingdom, safe yet boundless and desolate.
Sometimes, in the dead of night, with only the crackling of the fireplace for company, Xu Mo would involuntarily recall the night the zombies had marched westward in a bizarre mass, the dense bullet holes on the walls, the rough barricades he had seen during his exploration, and the unusually small skeleton huddled beside the school bus.
What kind of catastrophe did this world experience? What is the truth behind this apocalyptic disaster? Outside the town, on this vast land, are there other survivors like him? In what more cruel or more fortunate ways are they struggling to survive?
These questions, like seeds sown beneath the ice field, were quietly buried in Xu Mo's heart.