Upgrading the Shelter

Night fell, enveloping the mountains and forests.

Lu Heng returned to the Cliffside Shelter.

He stood in an open area inside the cave and lit up his Wristband.

The screen displayed a pile of building materials he had accumulated. He stared at the optional advanced main materials, pondering slowly.

Frost-Patterned Iron Ore is characterized by its strong physical defense, making it resistant to impact and breaching.

Spruce Wood is tough, provides structural stability, and acts as a moisture barrier and solidifying layer.

The Large Bluestone, heavy and solid, locks in the foundation and stabilizes the entire structure.

All three are solid infrastructure materials, creating a pure physical defense.

After a moment's thought, Lu Heng finally decided on Spirit-Suppressing Rock as the core main material.

So far, he hasn't encountered many supernatural creatures.

But precisely because we encounter them so rarely, we are even less able to predict when danger will strike.

With this rock as a support, the safety baseline of the entire Shelter can become more solid.

This rock was obtained from Bronze Treasure Chest. While its hardness isn't exceptional, it possesses special effects such as suppressing evil Evil-Suppressing, Domain-Stabilizing, and neutralizing malevolent forces.

While one could contend with the sharp claws and fangs of a strange beast by wielding a knife, the elusive and unpredictable aura lurking in the shadows, the inexplicable sense of being watched, was impossible to foresee.

No matter how thick and heavy the steel boulders are, they can only block visible attacks, not invisible malevolent forces.

The power of the Spirit-Suppressing Rock- Suppressing Rock perfectly fills this gap.

Having made up his mind, Lu Heng no longer hesitated.

Open the upgrade port on the Wristband interface.

The core slot is embedded with Spirit-Suppressing Rock, and the auxiliary slots are filled with Frost-Patterned Iron Ore, Spruce Wood, and Large Bluestone in sequence.

Lu Heng lowered his fingertip to confirm.

There was no exaggerated lighting or shadows, and no violent vibrations.

A ring of restrained, dark energy silently spread out, engulfing the entire Fortress.

The foundation is the first part to change.

Under the influence of energy, the Large Bluestone fused and compressed each other, extending outward along the original foundation. The original fine seams between the stones were completely eliminated, and the ground became a unified whole. It felt heavy and solid underfoot, with every inch firmly gripping the mountain rock strata.

Spruce Wood followed suit and underwent changes.

The internal fibers of the wood are repeatedly compressed and reorganized by energy, layer by layer, in the original floor slab location to form a complete solid wood floor. The surface layer is hard and dense, making it difficult for moisture to seep into the house through the cracks in the mountain, and it will not make any extra noise when stepped on.

At the cave entrance, the Frost-Patterned Iron Ore began to melt and recast.

The original protective door frame slowly disintegrated, and the dark red molten iron flowed and cooled along the outline of the doorway in the cliff face. The brand-new iron door gradually took shape, its dark door panel surface covered with fine, winding silver-white patterns, the unique natural texture of the Frost-Patterned Iron Ore. The door panel was thick and solid, fitting tightly with the door frame, and the hinges were hidden inside the stone wall, with no fulcrum to be found from the outside.

The four pillars supporting the two-story space are also reinforced with Frost-Patterned Iron Ore, with silver-white patterns spiraling and extending along the pillars, firmly supporting the upper platform and raising its resistance to pressure and earthquakes to a whole new level.

Finally, the power contained within the Spirit-Suppressing Rock slowly dissipated.

No light could be seen; a faint aura enveloped the entire Stone Cave Fortress.

The air was quiet and clear; any eerie, cold aura would be immediately dispelled upon approaching the cave entrance, and any low-level supernatural prying or entanglement would be blocked. Inside the Fortress, one would not feel a chill or the discomfort of being watched for no reason.

Lu Heng strolled leisurely around the Shelter, his fingertips lightly touching the cold iron door, feeling the solid structural strength of the entire Fortress. He was very confident that this defense system was sufficient to withstand most dangers in the wild.

He walked to the doorway and looked outside.

The protective fence that was originally built around the perimeter has also been reinforced in sync with the upgrade of the Shelter. The material has become more sturdy, and the fence extends outward along the cliff face. Just one glance at it brings a sense of security to one's heart.

Lu Heng withdrew his gaze, raised his hand to open the Wristband, and his eyes fell on the Shelter upgrade section.

My gaze swept over the text on the screen: To upgrade to Bronze Tier Shelter, you need 500 units of Bronze Tier general materials, plus three exclusive special materials.

He let out a soft breath.

The entry requirements are ridiculously high.

He knew that his speed in gathering resources alone would become increasingly difficult as the game progressed. High-level materials were scattered, hard to obtain, and scarce, and it would take many times longer for him to gather enough resources for the next level by hunting, logging, and exploring alone.

A thought briefly flashed through my mind.

Perhaps, advanced construction in the later stages of the game requires the collaboration of multiple people to advance.

But he nipped the idea in the bud as soon as it took shape.

Lu Heng's gaze faded.

Cooperation has never been synonymous with stability.

In this world, the human heart is harder to guard against than a beast. He doesn't trust anyone, nor does he want to get involved in anyone's grudges or karma. Rather than forming teams to test each other, guard against betrayal, and entangle interests, he prefers to be alone and at peace.

It doesn't matter if the progress is a little slower or if we occasionally fall behind.

As long as you have your own life in your own hands and live a comfortable and peaceful life, that's enough.

He stopped thinking about it, suppressed his chaotic thoughts, and took out the brand-new Black Iron-Level Treasure Chest from his Storage Space.

Having just completed the Shelter upgrade, my aura is calm and smooth, so I'll just open a box and try my luck.

With a light tap of the fingertip, the treasure chest slowly opens.

The first item was a simply bound, thin cookbook.

Flipping through the contents, there are twenty dishes in total, each with a simple boost to stamina, rapid recovery, or a slight resistance enhancement. The benefits aren't exaggerated, but the variety and versatility make them useful for daily rest and pre-battle recovery.

After reading through the ingredients for each dish, Lu Heng lost all interest.

All of these are rare and scarce auxiliary materials that are extremely difficult to collect at this stage.

He casually closed the booklet, walked to the inner study, and tossed it into an empty space on the bookshelf.

I silently scoffed to myself.

Those with the ingredients can figure out how to cook without looking at a recipe. Those without the ingredients won't benefit from memorizing all the steps. At this stage, I simply don't have the energy or resources to experiment with these kinds of enhanced dishes.

The second item is Black Iron-Tier Weapon Rack.

Looking at the object floating in his palm, Lu Heng's eyes lit up slightly; it was a truly practical and useful item.

The Wristband is labeled in small print that it can be used for automatic weapon maintenance, upkeep, and repair of wear and tear. The higher the weapon's grade, the weaker the maintenance benefit.

This precisely exposed his long-standing weakness.

He was skilled in combat and adept at using various weapons, but he never took care of his personal hygiene.

Normally, the Giant Spirit Crossbow, short blade, and hunting knife are only wiped clean of bloodstains; they are never oiled, rusted, tuned, or have minor deformations repaired. Over time, the hidden wear and tear on the weapons accumulates.

Especially that Bronze Hunting Blade, which was slightly bent after being struck and pressed by brute force during the previous fight, and there was no way to fix it.

With this weapon rack, all the remaining weapons can be continuously stabilized, repaired, and kept in optimal condition.

These are truly essential and high-quality products.

The third item was a simple wooden table and chairs.

It is neatly made, simple in style, and has no special features.

Purely decorative, purely for display.

Lu Heng glanced at it twice, showing no emotion. He casually picked it up and placed it neatly in an open spot against the wall. It wasn't exactly a gain, nor was it a loss; at most, it made the layout of the cave look a little more orderly.

The fourth item is a set of five Black Iron-Tier Spy Bug.

After reading the instructions on the Wristband, Lu Heng immediately recognized its value.

Five different directions can be selected for deployment, which can serve as early warnings for each other. The only limitation is that the deployment points cannot be too far apart.

There was always a Spy Bug stationed at his door.

Now that we have five, we can set up a comprehensive reconnaissance network around the Shelter's mountainside. This provides full coverage in all directions, including east, west, north, south, and a blind spot on the flank. Whether we're resting at night or exploring during the day, we can detect any unusual activity in the surrounding area in advance, maximizing security.

Very stable and practical.

The fifth item is a Black Iron-Tier Air Conditioner.

The Wristband is described as requiring power from the Shelter's Energy Device and capable of regulating the indoor temperature independently.

Lu Heng's first impression was that it was superfluous.

The climate in this mountain forest is mild, with a controllable temperature difference between day and night. The cave is dry and at a constant temperature, so there is no need to deliberately adjust the temperature.

But then I thought about the survivors in other areas, especially in the desert, where the temperature difference between day and night is extremely terrifying, and they suffer from the alternating torment of scorching heat and freezing cold. For them, a stable air conditioner is a truly top-notch survival resource.

Scarcity, essential need, and limited supply despite high prices.

He suddenly remembered that tomorrow was the last day of this round of goods trading.

I can just put this air conditioner on the trading platform and exchange it for a batch of high-level materials that I currently desperately need.

All items obtained from the treasure chest have been inventoried.

There are no game-breaking power-ups, but every item is tailored to basic survival needs, making them far more practical than flashy gadgets.

Lu Heng glanced around the newly renovated interior of the Fortress, then gently touched the edge of the newly placed weapon rack; the metal rack felt slightly cool.

In the days to come, he finally had more layers of visible and invisible protection here.