Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

She quickly took out a raincoat from her spatial storage and put it on. Then, she grabbed a folding entrenching tool and rushed into the rain. She made the most of the time to dig a small ditch to divert the water.

It took about twenty minutes to dig a narrow ditch.

The rainwater flowing above washed down the small ditch and finally stopped flowing back into the cave. After finishing this, she hurriedly ran back to the cave and locked the door.

Just then, a low and continuous "humming" sound, completely different from the sound of rain, faintly came from inside the mountain, and there seemed to be a very slight vibration underfoot.

Xu Xiaoyan froze, her heart pounding in her throat. Could it be a landslide?

She immediately rushed to the cave entrance, ignoring the rain seeping in and wetting her sleeves, and carefully pressed her ear against the cold door panel, listening intently.

Aside from the deafening sound of rain, the eerie buzzing sound seemed to have disappeared, and the vibrations stopped. Was it an illusion? Or had things stabilized temporarily?

She dared not let her guard down and quickly checked the inside of the cave. Fortunately, she had previously applied a thin layer of cement.

There were no obvious new cracks or signs of increased water seepage, but this did not completely reassure her.

"I can't sleep," Xu Xiaoyan told herself. Under such heavy rain and potential geological risks, sleeping would undoubtedly be dangerous.

She packed the makeshift tent, kettle, firewood, and other items into her storage space, leaving only two bundles of firewood outside for later use.

At the same time, try to make the fire burn brighter to dispel the increasingly heavy dampness and chill inside the cave.

After doing all this, she curled up by the fire, leaning against a bundle of firewood, her eyes fixed on the cave entrance and the rock wall above her head, her ears straining to distinguish any discordant sounds in the rain.

Time ticked by in agony, and the air inside the cave grew thick and cold.

Although the fire was still burning, the damp, cold air seeping in through the tiny cracks in the door was gradually eroding the limited warmth.

Suddenly, a teeth-grinding "crunch" sound came from somewhere overhead.

Immediately afterwards, a stream of murky, muddy water gushed out from a crack like a bursting dam, splashing onto the edge of the fire and stirring up plumes of acrid white smoke and ash.

The flames flickered and shrank violently, and the cave became much darker. Xu Xiaoyan's heart sank. The thing she feared most had happened!

The water inside the cave had reached a certain level of saturation and began to overflow, carrying soil with it – a clear sign of structural instability!

Can't wait any longer!

She jumped up instantly, grabbed the emergency backpack she had prepared in advance, which contained small items such as compressed biscuits, water, a lighter, a knife, and medicine.

At the same time, she took out a simple tent from her spatial storage and carried it on her back. After thinking for a moment, she took out two thick raincoats and hugged them to her chest.

After making some space, I put the two bundles of firewood inside. At times like this, I try not to waste anything.

The very next second after she finished those actions, there was another, even more violent "snap" sound.

Near the cave entrance, a basin-sized clod of earth, softened by water and mixed with gravel, collapsed with a crash, splashing up a large amount of mud.

Xu Xiaoyan no longer lingered. She suddenly pulled open the wooden stick blocking the cave entrance and pushed open the wooden door, which was half blocked by mud and water.

Outside the door, it was a chaotic water world, with torrential rain and blurred vision.

The original hillside path had completely disappeared, replaced by a turbid torrent carrying broken branches, fallen leaves, and rocks as it rushed downstream. The water was swift, icy cold, and the force of the rush almost made her lose her footing.

Xu Xiaoyan glanced at the left and right entrances of the cave. Wang Qingshan and Chen Yong were braving the torrential rain, frantically using mud mixed with weeds to plug the gaps above and on the sides of the cave entrances that were constantly being washed open by the water.

Everyone was soaked to the bone, their faces etched with a mixture of rain and sweat, their expressions a mixture of anxiety and dishevelment.

Xu Xiaoyan stopped and quickly stepped forward, shoving the raincoat in her hand into Chen Yong's hands. "Here are two raincoats for you, they'll keep you warm!"

She raised her voice, trying to drown out the sound of the rain.

Chen Yong was taken aback. He looked at the raincoat in his hand, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something. The others also stopped what they were doing and looked over, their eyes filled with surprise and hesitation.

"This... Xiaoyan, you yourself..." Chen Yong didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: how could she give such a precious thing to someone else?

"I can't stay here any longer, let's head up the mountain!" Xu Xiaoyan said succinctly, pointing to a higher place. "This place is too dangerous, the water level is rising, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold on!"

Her words sparked a struggle on their faces: Go uphill? Unknown risks, a mountain path in a downpour... or stay and patch the hole?

Xu Xiaoyan stood there, watching the ever-changing expressions on their faces. The few seconds of silence felt incredibly long at that moment.

After a long pause, Chen Yong spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse, "Sister Xu, let's...let's check the situation again. We finally managed to get this cave..."

Xu Xiaoyan understood that she couldn't make decisions for others, nor could she bear the consequences of waiting. She had done all she could; continuing to drag things out would only lead to them all being trapped and dying here.

"Okay! Take care!" She didn't say anything more and nodded decisively.

Then, she resolutely turned around and waded into the rapids. She had to go uphill and leave the hillside that could collapse at any moment.

Xu Xiaoyan's figure quickly became blurred in the gray rain curtain and eventually disappeared around the corner of the mountain road.

After an unknown amount of time, she finally managed to climb to a relatively stable spot with a large, exposed rock behind her, and leaned against the cold boulder, exhausted.

She was panting heavily, and rainwater and sweat mixed together and flowed into her mouth, both salty and bitter.

Looking back, the hillside where her cave used to be was blurred in the downpour.

But it seems that a larger area is wet and twisted, and her "home" is most likely destroyed.

Xu Xiaoyan forced herself to shift her gaze and observe her surroundings.

This appears to be a flat area halfway up the mountain.

There was an extremely tall tree nearby, its trunk so thick that it would take several people to encircle it. Its branches were gnarled and twisted. Only when you got closer did you discover that there was a naturally formed hole at the bottom of its trunk!

The edges of the opening were rough, but the inside of the tree hole was dry!

The thick, rotten wood and accumulated dead leaves created a relatively moisture-proof interior environment, which contrasted sharply with the raging storm outside.

This is truly a miraculous escape from a desperate situation!

She felt a surge of excitement, but quickly calmed down. This tree hollow was a good place, but it had a fatal risk—lightning strikes.

This towering tree is undoubtedly a striking sight, and as long as it's not during a thunderstorm, it's an excellent refuge.

But if lightning strikes, this place becomes the most dangerous graveyard.