Bloodthirsty Vine
After standing in the yard for a while and feeling the breeze, the irritation I felt from the trouble I'd gotten into while drunk gradually subsided.
A breeze carrying the faint dampness of the forest brushed against the fence, the leaves rustling softly and dully, as if the noise of the whole day had been shut out by the mountains and forests. Lu Heng turned and went back to the Shelter's Planting Room.
The upgraded small Planting Room is indeed very useful. The soil is loose, the temperature and humidity are stable, and the crops can grow steadily on their own without needing to be watched over every day.
Pushing open the door, you can immediately see the ripe fruit.
Several Tomato were laden with bright red, translucent fruit, glistening with a thin layer of moisture, looking incredibly fresh. Nearby Pumpkin vines climbed all over the ground, bearing several plump, heavy Pumpkin with deep, solid veins—they were ripe.
Lu Heng casually picked a Tomato.
No water was used to wash it.
In the apocalypse, there's no time for sentimentality. He rubbed his hands against the hem of his clothes a couple of times to remove the surface dirt, then took a big bite.
The juice burst open instantly.
Sweet and sour, refreshing, and exceptionally fresh.
After taking a bite, Lu Heng was stunned.
It's been too long since I've had any real fresh fruits and vegetables.
For the past few days, I've been eating exotic beast meat, roasted meat, and dry, hard rations every day, my mouth is filled with the heavy taste of smoke and greasiness. This simple sweet and sour taste, which used to be readily available, now seems especially precious.
A touch of sweetness, a touch of sourness, not fancy, no added flavor, yet it gives you a strange sense of peace.
This is what life tastes like.
After a few bites, the fatigue in my mouth was relieved considerably.
Lu Heng didn't delay any longer. He reached out and picked all the Tomato, gathering them into a pile of all sizes. Then he picked the ripe Pumpkin one by one, leaving the vines untouched and only harvesting the fruit.
After packing everything up, I carried it to the Cellar.
The refrigerated compartment is cold enough and well-sealed, so if you lay the fruits and vegetables out flat, they can be stored for a long time without spoiling.
After placing the ingredients, he returned to the Planting Room and began saving seeds for replanting.
The Tomato I just ate had perfectly plump seeds inside.
Lu Heng squatted down, dug away the topsoil with his bare hands, scattered the seeds one by one, and gently covered them with soil and pressed them down. No meticulous care was needed; the improved soil here was highly active, and as long as they were sown, they would basically all survive.
Then pick up the ripe Pumpkin and cut it in half.
The melon flesh was soft and full of ripe seeds. He picked out all the plump seeds, discarded the empty ones, and selected the best ones to plant in the soil.
He didn't dismantle the wooden frame that had been used to support the Tomato.
The trellis is sturdy and can remain in place. When new seedlings grow, they can climb directly on it, saving the trouble of gathering materials to rebuild it. All the cloth strips used to tie the vines have also been untied, neatly folded, and placed in a corner for later use.
Save wherever you can; in the apocalypse, every penny counts.
After tidying up the Planting Room, Lu Heng walked out of the house.
Look up at the sky.
The clouds were piling up on the mountaintops, the sky was gradually darkening, and a heavy, grayish-blue hue pressed down on the distant treetops. The air was damp and clinging to us, not a breath of wind could get through, and the surrounding silence was somewhat oppressive.
It looks like it's highly likely to rain tonight.
Lu Heng glanced at the surrounding mountains and forests.
The roads were slippery from the rain, visibility was poor, and the dangers of the mountains and forests doubled. There was no need to venture out. The oppressive feeling brought by the heavy clouds loomed over me, so I decided to stay put inside the Fortress.
He made up his mind immediately: he would stay indoors all day and remain at the Fortress.
Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to browse the trading channel during this free time.
After the uproar last night, he doesn't plan to speak in the public chat anymore. But the trading function is unaffected, so he'll take advantage of the last trading window to exchange his idle hard currency for new resources and items.
He skipped his own area first.
His goal was clear: he clicked on the trading section in the Desert Region.
Lu Heng had initially held a sliver of hope, thinking that many desert survivors would take advantage of the trading window to put their treasured equipment and rare materials up for sale. His Black Iron air conditioner was a necessity in the desert, where the temperature difference between day and night was terrifying, and he thought he could use it to exchange for something decent.
The sky outside the window darkened further, thick clouds completely obscuring the sunlight, dimming the light inside the room. He slowly flipped through the pages, his fingertips repeatedly swiping across the screen, patiently waiting for his treasured items to be listed.
After browsing for a long time and refreshing the page several times, most of what was displayed were ordinary consumables and basic building materials; there were hardly any noteworthy collectibles.
None of the high-quality goods we had anticipated appeared.
The little bit of expectation in my heart gradually faded away, and a wave of disappointment welled up. My chest felt slightly tight, which inexplicably overlapped with the oppressive sky outside.
Since there are no worthwhile resources to trade in the desert, continuing this stalemate will only be a waste of time.
Lu Heng exited the desert section and opened the Rainforest Region trading channel, which he rarely visited.
The rainforest was humid, lush, and teeming with poisonous insects—completely different from his current living environment, and he rarely ventured there. His fingertip hovered over the screen, a listless and unmotivated feeling settling in as he scrolled down the page with little hope.
But in that casual flip, I spotted a rare find.
Some people simply took out all their savings to hang a plant.
[Bronze Tier: Bloodthirsty Vine]
Description: A living plant that takes root upon contact with the ground. Once successfully planted, the vines remain active and can spread and grow autonomously. It will actively attack all living things within a one-meter radius (without harming the host), indiscriminately deterring invading creatures, beasts, and intruders.
The copy concludes with just five simple words: Those who know, know.
Lu Heng's gaze lingered on the line of description, and his breath hitched slightly.
Without needing to use any extra words to explain its value, his mind was already rapidly calculating.
What's the hardest thing to defend against in the apocalypse?
They are not ferocious beasts that fight head-on, but rather stealthy infiltrators, night raiders, small poisonous insects, and hidden predators.
Even the sturdiest fence is still an inanimate object.
Even the thickest iron gate can only stop brute force.
But the Bloodthirsty Vine is a living defense.
Simply plant them around the perimeter of the fence, and the dense vines will create a living warning and killing line.
Whether it's wild beasts, poisonous insects, or survivors sneaking in at night, as long as they step within one meter, an attack will be triggered.
The strength of the outer perimeter defenses can be increased significantly.
Lu Heng immediately clicked on the seller's redemption request.
The other party doesn't want weapons, ordinary ores, or exotic beast materials.
The requirements are clear: prioritize comfortable living space items, which can be supplemented by high-level materials and high-quality equipment.
He lightly tapped the edge of the screen with his fingertip, quickly weighing the options in his mind. Would the other party deliberately raise their demands after seeing the air conditioner? Would other variables arise during the transaction? After a brief hesitation, he confirmed that the Black Iron air conditioner he had was perfectly suited to the other party's needs.
The desert region requires comfort, while the rainforest region is hot and humid year-round, lacking temperature-controlled living equipment. The other party wants comfortable living equipment, and I happen to have top-of-the-line items in stock.
100% match.
The sky outside grew increasingly dark, with dark clouds completely covering the mountaintops. The forest fell silent, and the oppressive atmosphere before the rain intensified.
Lu Heng stood inside the Shelter, his fingertips hovering over the trading interface, his gaze fixed on the Bloodthirsty Vine entry.
Originally, I was just killing time, aimlessly browsing the trading section, not expecting to make any gains today. Unexpectedly, I stumbled upon something that could strengthen the outer defenses of the Fortress.
Staying home today might not be a bad thing.
If this deal is successfully finalized, a ring of Bloodthirsty Vine will grow and spread along the fence, and the entire Black Iron Shelter will truly form an invisible living barrier.
Strangers who approach will be attacked by vines; with layers of defense inside and out, there is no need to worry about sudden attacks in the middle of the night.
He didn't immediately initiate a transaction request. Instead, he stared at the screen, waited quietly for a while, calmed himself down, and prepared to connect with the seller.