hsntnovel Chapter 10 Verification
Chapter 10 Verification
Time, in the waiting, seemed to be stretched into fine threads, flowing slowly second by second.
Xu Mo leaned against the top of the stairs on the third floor, his gaze fixed on the mottled wooden door before him. His mood was a complex mix of anticipation, calm, and a touch of unavoidable trepidation. This time, the purpose of "opening the door" was completely different from before. The pressure of survival was temporarily overshadowed by his thirst for knowledge and validation.
"So, this time... it's not necessary to get anything specific," Xu Mo said to himself.
It was a rather novel feeling. The first two times, he was driven by the shadow of death, like a drowning person desperately grabbing any piece of driftwood that might save him, with a goal that was so clear as to be cruel—medicine, water, and food.
Now, Xu Mo has a small, temporary buffer zone, which allows him to explore the boundaries and rules of his own abilities with a relatively calm mindset.
Of course, composure doesn't equate to being without desires. Xu Mo's mind was still racing through a list of desired items: a more handy, more professional weapon, such as a machete or tactical axe; a truly sturdy and durable large backpack that would greatly improve carrying efficiency; a more complete set of medicines, especially a first-aid kit for treating external injuries; and if he could find an atlas or compass, that would be invaluable for his planned migration…
"However, these are not the main points this time."
Xu Mo shook his head slightly, putting the list aside for the time being.
The core objective of this study is to verify the hypothesis of "corresponding door types." If successful, the efficiency of acquiring these resources in the future will increase exponentially, far more cost-effective than blindly relying on luck this time.
For this reason, Xu Mo was already fully prepared for the possibility of "getting nothing" this time. Even if there was still a house behind the door, or even an empty room, as long as his guess was confirmed, then this "opening the door" would be a success, and its strategic significance would far exceed finding a bag or two of food.
While reason prevailed in this analysis, deep down, the primal human instinct for luck and the hope for "good fortune" hadn't been completely extinguished. After all, it was a precious sixty-second opportunity, a miracle that could only be accumulated once every forty-eight hours. Even just taking something small would be good.
This subtle, contradictory feeling became especially apparent as the countdown entered its final ten minutes.
Xu Mo subconsciously pursed his dry lips, looked away from the wooden door, and inexplicably opened a mineral water bottle to wash his hands.
He didn't know what he was praying for good luck to—was it this unpredictable fate, or the being that gave him this strange ability? Perhaps it was just a form of psychological comfort, an attempt to remove any potential "bad luck" through this symbolic act of "cleansing" and "breaking the old to establish the new," in order to achieve a more ideal result for his next verification action.
The amount of water used was negligible, but after completing this small ritual, Xu Mo did feel that the last trace of restlessness in his heart had been soothed, replaced by a strange peace and certainty.
He shook the water droplets off his hands, his gaze sharpening and focusing once more as he turned to the wooden door that would determine the outcome of the verification.
The countdown in my mind, like a pendulum, steadily moves towards the end.
【00:05:00】
【00:03:00】
【00:01:00】
【00:00:03…02…01…00】
As the countdown reached zero, Xu Mo's eyes narrowed, and he silently thought:
"Open the door!"
A faint light flickered, and Xu Mo stepped in, once again arriving in that strange world where time stood still.
With eyes like lightning, Xu Mo quickly scanned the entire room.
The room was a standard, almost rigid, private office. A large desk, a black leather swivel chair, a filing cabinet against the wall, and on the desk were a desktop computer, a landline telephone, a pen holder, and neatly stacked documents. In the corner sat several potted plants, their leaves vibrant green, frozen in a moment of growth. Several abstract paintings hung on the walls, their meanings unclear. On the other side of the room, against the wall, there was even a single sofa for a temporary rest.
"The office..." A faint sense of disappointment swept through Xu Mo's heart.
The environment was too formulaic; everything was meticulously organized, exuding a cold, bureaucratic indifference. It was difficult to find even a small item that reflected the owner's gender or personality. It was far from the place he had hoped for, a place to hide more personal belongings or special items. The seemingly comfortable sofa might be useful, but its size and weight were beyond his ability to carry quickly.
"Luckily, I took precautions beforehand." Xu Mo secretly rejoiced, quickly suppressing his disappointment. The main purpose this time was verification, not plunder.
He immediately turned around and looked at the "entrance" he had come through. Behind him, a similar light-colored wooden door stood quietly, almost identical to the one he had pushed open.
The hypothesis has been successfully verified!
There is a pattern to the door type; opening the wooden door reveals an interior space with a wooden door.
This confirmation invigorated Xu Mo, instantly replacing his previous slight disappointment with a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Having grasped this pattern, future resource searches would be more targeted, significantly improving efficiency.
The sixty-second countdown had begun, and Xu Mo couldn't afford to waste it, so he quickly turned his attention back to the office.
[Fifty seconds remaining]
Time was of the essence, so Xu Mo quickened his pace. He rushed to his desk and swiftly pulled open several drawers. They were empty except for some company seals, blank receipts, and a few half-used pens. He glanced at the filing cabinets and the shelves on the wall, which held a few decorative items—useless in this environment.
[Thirty seconds remaining]
His gaze darted around, finally settling on the glass coffee table opposite the sofa. Besides an ashtray, several exquisite metal tea canisters sat prominently on it! He rushed over, picked one up, and weighed it in his hand; it was heavy and perfectly sealed. Although tea couldn't be eaten as food, in a post-apocalyptic world lacking vitamins, brewing tea could supplement some trace elements. More importantly, hot drinks could bring psychological comfort.
"At least I'm not empty-handed." Xu Mo pursed his lips and quickly stuffed all the tea canisters into his arms.
[Ten seconds remaining]
Xu Mo was unwilling to give up. He glanced around the room one last time, then picked up his laptop from his office. Still feeling a bit resentful, he grabbed a cushion from the sofa and tucked it under his arm before turning around and carrying his "trophies" back to the third floor of the apocalypse.
The faint light faded behind him, and the world returned to silence. Xu Mo stood at the top of the stairs, looking at the somewhat comical combination in his arms—a laptop, a tea canister, and a cushion.
Although he didn't gain any substantial survival supplies, a slight smile appeared on his lips.
The verification was successful, which is more important than anything else.