Storm Approaches
Linsey gazed at the distant dark clouds, and then spoke a second later:
"Ala Song, what we might have to do next is..."
"No, it must be so. The enemy we will face next is the Master of Black Tide Island, that Eighth Stage Fallen Artist!"
Linsey understood it very well.
His relationship with Wala Wala made it impossible for him to remain uninvolved, so he turned and ran away.
But Ala Song is a loyal friend.
Linsey, however, did not want to drag him into such an exaggerated danger.
"I cannot guarantee your safety, so..."
"Linsey, do you know where my left hand went?"
Ala Song suddenly interrupted Linsey, pointing to his empty left arm and saying:
"This is a memento left after resisting the villains, and I still don't feel any regret."
Even if the road ahead is bumpy, don't expect me to run away in the face of battle.
"..."
The painter wore a resolute smile.
Linsey didn't know how to thank Ala Song for his support.
Although an awakened being's level does not represent their combat strength.
But at the Eighth Stage, the current situation is, in any case, a challenge to true despair.
After Linsey spoke, Wala Wala's expression became flustered and helpless:
"Linsey, do you mean I'm being targeted by Dark Moon?"
"Have we fallen into her Destiny Script?"
Dark Moon was the pseudonym of that Fallen Artist.
Linsey nodded:
"Think about when the crisis of the Hallucination Dream broke out."
"And Hilude and Seth after they spied on my fate, or rather, on yours."
"..."
Wala Wala fell silent.
Linsey then stepped forward.
The prepared blueprints and upgrade materials were all put into the shop, and the upgrade began.
The enemy we are facing now is an abnormal entity that cannot be measured by common sense.
He naturally wanted to enhance all the abilities he could now.
[Shop: Linsey's Magical Plant Shop]
[Level: 3 (0/3000)]
[Shop Staff: 1/3]
[Awareness: Well-known store]
The Shopkeeper's Business Policy: Regardless of whether the shop owner is physically present in the shop, they can monitor the situation and issue orders to the staff anytime, anywhere.
[Popular Shop: Your shop is doing excellent business. During operating hours, there is a chance to attract rare customers.]
[Goods: Light Lung Grass, Weeping Beauty, Witch's Smile, Summer Bamboo, Ren Grass, Jade Gentian...]
[Furniture: Professional plant shelves, elegant counters, glass display cases...]
[Warehouse: Source Isolation Ice Jade, Steel Vine Vitality Potion, Crystal...]
Basement: Empty...
After the upgrade, the number of staff positions was expanded from one to three, and the "Owner's Notes" were changed to "Shopkeeper's Business Policy".
Linsey can now not only check the store's status at any time, but also issue commands remotely.
In addition, there is a new feature called "Popular Shop".
"This..."
"As expected, it's an upgrade in business direction."
Linsey remarked.
The results from the store upgrade were as expected.
What he was really looking forward to was the reward after Task Completed "Brocade of Flowers" quest.
Linsey receives the mission reward.
[Simulation Management Level: 4→5]
Production Line: Players can set up Production Line in their shops, provide energy, and input materials to quickly, in large quantities, and with low consumption produce goods of uniform specifications.
Note: Productivity, productivity! This is the force that determines everything!
The effect of the [Production Line] looks somewhat similar to the [Workbench] or [Food Production] in the [Survival Construction] module.
But in reality, this skill liberates Linsey's production efficiency, which is limited by the Essence.
All you need to do is set up the Production Line inside the store.
It can then possess a continuous production capacity for goods!
"But what I need right now is an enhancement related to adventure, not this kind of production-oriented ability."
Linsey's expression was a mixture of joy and worry.
At the same time, the "Business Decisions" entry began to flash on the Attribute Panel.
With the upgrade of the [Simulation Management] module, the new 3-choice-1 effect of [Business Decisions] has also become apparent.
[Garbage Recycling] - Players can directly exchange their owned items for currency.
[Mysterious Shop]—On the first of each month, the Mysterious Shop offers some special items that can be purchased.
[Employee Exploration]—Send your shop's employees out to explore and collect resources.
"..."
Linsey needs immediate enhancements right now.
After a moment's thought, he selected the second option, [Mysterious Shop], and a purchase window appeared on his Attribute Panel.
[Mysterious Shop]
February Products —
Artisan Grip (5 gold coins): Increases the holder's building radius by one meter.
Cat Food (2 gold coins): Consumable. After eating, All Attributes increase by 1 for one hour.
Mysterious Seed (1 Gold): A consumable item, a seed shrouded in mist. Its true species can only be known after Sowing and sprouts.
Cliff Fall Immortality (10 Gold Coins): Consumable item. After use, no matter how deep the cliff in front of you is, you will not die from falling off.
Flower Headband (3 Gold Coins): The wearer's spirit will be soothed before the flowers wither.
"Not too expensive."
Linsey bought all five items.
All products are exactly as described.
The "Cliff Fall Immortality" ability is somewhat unique; its appearance resembles a tree branch used in martial arts stories to suspend the protagonist from a cliff. Linsey can activate its effect by breaking it.
"But these things still don't enhance our combat power."
Linsey frowned and looked at another item in the mission rewards.
[Potion: Random Teleportation Potion]
[After drinking the potion, the drinker will be randomly teleported to any place within the current world where they can land. The potion's effect guarantees the safety of the landing location, but does not guarantee the safety of the surrounding environment.]
[A rare spatial ability potion, reasonably priced.]
Linsey raised an eyebrow slightly.
"That's perfect for the three of us, one bottle each."
He generously shared the medicine with Ala Song and Wala Wala.
The former immediately accepted it, while the latter said that he was just a fragment of time in the past and returned the potion to Linsey.
So Linsey went into the backyard of the upgraded shop.
Will's design plans transformed the place into Linsey's ideal space, and he immediately set up the Production Line in the backyard and connected it to the power system.
Buzzing—
Rumble— Rumble—
Linsey simply stuffed in ordinary wood, and the Production Line started running.
For every 5 seconds of electricity consumed, one Resource Conversion wooden plank is produced, with the same effect as Linsey's skill.
However, we need to produce wood panels of the level required for "Architecture and Materials Science".
The amount of electricity consumed will immediately increase several times!
The Production Line consumes a lot of resources, but for Linsey, for whom Essence is life, this is definitely a significant boost to productivity.
Moreover, as long as the energy supply is improved, this efficiency can be further enhanced!
Boom—
At that moment, a thunderclap resounded in the sky.
Linsey looked up.
The dark, overcast sky that they had only seen a few minutes earlier was approaching them at a very obvious speed.
It will take no more than fifteen minutes.
They will be immediately shrouded in dark clouds and plunged into a pitch-black Sea Storm!