novelsite Chapter 37 Food Crisis
Chapter 37 Food Crisis
Entering the Bullhide Realm brought Xu Mo surprises far beyond the improvement in his physical abilities. In the following days of adaptation and training, Xu Mo discovered another unexpected yet perfectly logical change—his marksmanship had also improved dramatically!
This improvement doesn't come from more practice, but from a leap in body control.
Previously, when aiming at a gun, especially a heavy AWM sniper rifle for extended periods, even with Xu Mo's core strength far exceeding that of an average person, he still needed to rely on breathing and subtle muscle adjustments to maintain stability. But now, Xu Mo felt as if his arms, shoulders, waist, and even legs were connected to the earth, completely still. The crosshairs in the high-powered scope seemed etched onto the target, virtually eliminating all meaningless, minute tremors. This absolute stability provided the most solid foundation for accurate shooting.
Moreover, the annoying muzzle climb that used to plague AK-47s during burst fire has now become much milder. Xu Mo's strong bones and muscles have given him greater "control" over firearms. The impact of recoil is absorbed and dispersed by his body more efficiently.
The increased speed of nerve reflexes resulting from the breakthrough also affected shooting. When shooting at a moving target rapidly, Xu Mo felt that the entire process of his eyes capturing the target's trajectory, his brain calculating the lead, and his fingers pulling the trigger became smoother and faster. That feeling of "mind, eyes, and hands all in sync" became increasingly apparent.
It can be said that the breakthrough in the "Bullish Realm" comprehensively optimized Xu Mo's gun feel from a hardware perspective. This allowed his marksmanship to be elevated to a new level beyond its original "maintained" level, reaching a level that truly qualifies him as an "elite marksman." Now, Xu Mo is confident that he can resolve threats more quickly and accurately under more complex conditions.
Of course, great power always comes with a corresponding price, a fact that Xu Mo soon came to deeply understand.
That was hunger, an unprecedented hunger!
That afternoon, after completing a round of high-intensity training including stance work, resistance to blows, melee weapon slashing, and physical sprinting, Xu Mo felt an unprecedented hunger attack on his stomach. That feeling was even more intense than the weakness he felt before consuming the medicinal herbs on the night of his breakthrough; it was a pure, cellular-level thirst for energy.
He practically pounced on the food supplies, wolfing down enough rice and vegetables to last him two days, but it felt like he was just filling his stomach.
Xu Mo devoured five more high-energy chocolate bars and drank a whole bottle of cola before the burning hunger was finally subsided.
Xu Mo roughly estimated that this meal was almost three to four times the amount of food he ate before! And this was only after his daily training. He couldn't imagine how terrifying the energy consumption would be if he experienced a high-intensity battle or maintained a "powerful" state for a long time.
"This is practically a human-shaped oil stove..." Xu Mo's lips twitched as he looked at the food reserves that had been emptied in an instant.
He had thought he had enough food to last him through the winter and even had some left over, but at this rate of consumption, it probably wouldn't even last a month! And that doesn't even take into account the extra need for him to continuously use medicinal herbs to nourish his body and consolidate his cultivation level.
A resource crisis has once again confronted Xu Mo in an unexpected way. His increased strength has ironically made him more "vulnerable"—his need for energy replenishment has become extremely demanding.
Another discovery that left Xu Mo both amused and exasperated was about the control of power.
During midday cold weapon practice, while rehearsing a swift turning slash, Xu Mo subconsciously circulated his qi and blood, causing his arm strength to surge. As a result, the machete in his hand accurately struck the wooden stake he was targeting, but the wooden armrest of the chair he was instinctively holding onto, which he used to place towels and water bottles, suffered the consequences.
"Snap!"
With a crisp crack, the sturdy solid wood armrest, which he casually touched, shattered like rotten wood, and wood chips fell from between his fingers.
Xu Mo stared at the remaining piece of wood in his hand for several seconds before shaking his head helplessly.
He knew this was a sign that his body hadn't fully adapted to the surge in power and his control wasn't precise enough. The Bullhide Realm had granted him immense power, but this power was like an untamed wild horse; it needed time to be carefully honed before he could wield it with ease and control.
Xu Mo looked at the second-floor room, which he had built like a safe fortress, and was really afraid that one day he might exert too much force or make too much noise while testing the defenses and accidentally collapse the second-floor floor. That would be a huge mess. Falling to the first floor in the dead of winter, even if you weren't seriously injured, would definitely not be pleasant.
"This place is not suitable for lingering... oh no, it's not suitable for practicing anymore." Xu Mo made the decision immediately.
It took Xu Mo some time to clear out the storage room on the first floor. The first floor had a solid concrete floor, and there was enough space for him to move around. Although it was a bit colder than the second floor, the chill was negligible for his current powerful physique.
Here, he can confidently test his strength, engage in more intense competitive training, and doesn't have to worry about destroying the house.
With the training ground issue resolved, the next pressing problem is food supply.
The daily meals offered by the "Welcome to Try" restaurant were clearly no longer sufficient to meet the terrifying energy consumption of his "oil-fired stove." Xu Mo felt he needed food with higher energy density that was easier to store and carry.
Xu Mo thought of the individual rations and compressed biscuits he had previously scavenged from the "ammunition depot" and the second "armory." Those things were extremely high in calories and nutritionally balanced, exactly what he needed right now.
It's time to use the power of the "door" once again.
Xu Mo found a new piece of cardboard, pondered for a moment, and wrote a few large characters with a thick pen: "Emergency Food Warehouse." This sign was clear enough and its direction should be very strong.
He replaced the disposable signs he had used before with this new sign and affixed it to the frequently used door leading to the stable supply point.
The countdown ended, Xu Mo took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
The shimmering light and the sight before him invigorated him!
Behind the door was a standard warehouse-style space, with tall metal shelves lined with neatly stacked cardboard boxes labeled "Emergency," "High Energy," and "Compressed Dry Food." A faint, mixed smell of oil and grain filled the air.
Time was of the essence, and Xu Mo's eyes flashed like lightning as he quickly scanned the area.
He first rushed to the shelves labeled "high-energy compressed biscuits," which are extremely dense and one biscuit can provide an adult with half a day's worth of calories. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around them and began carrying entire boxes of compressed biscuits out. The boxes were heavy, containing individually vacuum-packed biscuits, each box probably weighing tens of kilograms.
Next, Xu Mo saw boxes of "energy bars" and "protein bars." Although these items had a simple taste, they were extremely high in calories and protein, making them a great way to quickly replenish energy. He took the whole box, just like Xu Mo.
Xu Mo even found a large quantity of canned mixed nuts and military-grade chocolate in one corner, which are sources of high-quality fats and sugars, so he couldn't pass them up.
Xu Mo made the most of the sixty seconds. Like a tireless transport robot, he shuttled at high speed between the inside and outside of the door. Outside, food boxes of various sizes quickly piled up into a small mountain.
When the last second ran out, Xu Mo returned to the apocalypse and looked at the "energy mountain" in front of him that was enough to sustain him for one or two months. He finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
With these high-energy foods as a backup, he could continue cultivating with peace of mind, consolidate his cultivation at the Bull Skin Realm, and even attempt to reach a higher level.
After finishing all this, Xu Mo sat in the training room on the first floor, picked up a compressed biscuit, and took a big bite. It was hard and bland, but after swallowing it, he could clearly feel a solid warmth slowly being released.
As he savored this "dull" energy source, he felt the surging blood and qi within his body, as well as the resilient, leathery strength that he could readily mobilize.