Chapter 41: The Intense Heat Arrives

"Today's sign-in reward: 100 KFC Meals"

After Charles left, David brought the pistol, rifle, and sniper rifle back into the house. 

However, because the penetration ring couldn't accommodate the sniper rifle and rifle, he commanded the door to open a crack. 

Previously, when it was a Level 1 door, although it was an intelligent switch, it could only be fully opened or closed, and the speed of opening and closing was very slow. 

But at Level 2, this capability improved. Although the door still opened and closed slowly, it could now stop halfway. 

Thus, David opened a small gap and, with the penetration ring, managed to bring all three guns inside.

After getting these three guns, David was extremely fond of them. 

He had fragments of knowledge about firearms, feeling as familiar with the sniper rifle as if he had used it for many years. 

Charles really understood his psyche, having never probed David's home situation or expressed a desire to enter David's home, and even brought a sniper rifle this time. 

With such a neighbor, David felt quite reassured.

When midnight arrived, it was time for another sign-in. Again, it was food – a hundred KFC meals. 

Although it wasn't what David really wanted at the moment, it was still much better than the hundred packs of instant noodles he had received before.

The outside world was progressing as he had expected. 

The next day, the temperature began to rise again. Yesterday, it had already reached zero degrees, but today, around seven or eight in the morning, the sun was shining brightly, its rays melting the ice. The temperature had already reached the teens and was rising rapidly. 

David had thought it would peak around four or five in the afternoon, like yesterday, but it seemed that the sun's fiercest power would be reached by noon. 

Indeed, by twelve o'clock, the temperature had reached thirty degrees.

The ice accumulated during the extreme cold rapidly melted under the sun's piercing rays, turning into liquid water. The streets, previously piled with ice, quickly became filled with water. 

People hadn't been outside enjoying themselves for long before streams formed everywhere. Although not completely melted, it seemed to be just a matter of time.

The thirty-degree temperature was still within people's tolerance, but their main concern was whether the temperature would continue to rise. 

Having survived in temperatures of minus sixty or seventy degrees for two months, people found it hard to adapt to this environment.

Just as Charles had thought, the military didn't bother them, probably too busy dealing with the upcoming issues. 

Ordinary people might not think much of it, and even if they did, it wouldn't change the fact that they couldn't find resources – though, by now, the number of such ordinary people had dwindled. 

How many of those who had survived the extreme cold were still just ordinary people? So, many had realized the trouble and started finding solutions.

If they were initially excited about the return to warmer temperatures, the sudden and extreme rise in temperature today made them start preparing for the heat. 

This was even more the case for the military, who were organized and disciplined, with many strong individuals. They were preparing in advance.

Previously, only a part of the military was sent to the city to maintain order. Now, they were all engaged in resource excavation. 

Thus, no one was paying attention to Charles. 

By the time their preparations were nearly complete, and the extreme heat reached its peak, they wouldn't be able to fight Charles during the extreme heat.

So, Charles's thoughts were not without merit. 

He kept sending people out to find various resources, especially in the area previously controlled by Brown. Brown, without protective gear during the extreme cold, had managed to form a small power base but couldn't explore outside as often as Charles's people, so there were likely many unexplored resources in his area. 

Now, it was a race against time to secure more resources before the extreme heat arrived.

Thus, David's life became much quieter. 

Everyone was busy with their own matters, striving to survive the potentially increasing temperatures, so no one cared about others, and no one cared about him. 

He continued to exercise in his house, realizing the benefits of physical training after dodging a sniper. 

Even though he decided to upgrade his glass windows to make his house more secure, he still insisted on exercising every day.

Gradually, David began to feel a sense of loneliness. It seemed like he was the only one in this world. 

Although he had felt this way before, seeing others in groups now made him feel more acutely lost. 

But David saw this feeling as a test for his heart. 

To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. 

Since he had this miraculous sign-in ability, he was naturally different. Others were busy because they had to struggle for survival, but he didn't have to. This was, perhaps, a happy problem.

David's hometown wasn't in Emeraldon. As mentioned before, he was alone in Emeraldon for college and decided to settle there after graduation.

His hometown was far north of Emeraldon, almost two different worlds. 

His parents had passed away, and he did have some relatives, but they were also in the distant north and couldn't possibly come to Emeraldon now.

"Damn it, I can't be so sentimental," David scolded himself. "In this world, there probably aren't many who can afford to be sentimental like I am now." 

Only those without the pressure of survival could afford to think of others. In the current world, there weren't many people without survival pressure. This was the so-called leisure of the strong, the troubles of happiness.

Watching the setting sun outside, David smirked. 

Although the sun was setting, the temperature remained around thirty degrees, causing more panic among the people. But...

No matter how panicked and fearful, it was useless. The extreme heat was, after all, inevitable.