Fortress

Standing on the balcony of the Shelter, Lu Heng calmed down and began to review all the resources he had.

The total amount of ore accumulated was 600 units. Fifty units were used to build the new base in the town's lake center, leaving a surplus of 550 units. The upgrade threshold for a Bronze Tier Shelter only requires 500 units of basic ore.

Resources are completely abundant, and the conditions for upgrading are fully met.

He reconsidered the issue of which materials to include.

Nightmare Stone is thick and sturdy, making it perfect as the main building material, with maximum adaptability. The only thing that has made him hesitate is Night Stone. This Stone is naturally sharp and aggressive, making it more suitable for forging weapons and creating offensive equipment. Forcibly embedding it into the walls as a building material seems like a huge waste, a complete waste of its unique properties.

But the opportunity was right in front of us.

All conditions are met, only the final step of confirming the upgrade is needed. Constantly hesitating and looking back only wears down one's mentality. In the apocalypse, resources can be collected and accumulated again, but the opportunity to break through and become stronger will never wait for anyone.

The hesitation in Lu Heng's eyes completely disappeared.

Out with the old, in with the new.

Ignoring all the pros and cons, I just went for it.

He turned and went back inside the Shelter, opened the Wristband's construction interface, and finalized the upgrade plan.

First, take out the three pieces of the Sun, Sun, Moon, and Stars, and Star set that were previously selected: Sunlight Pearl, Moonlight Pearl, and Star Tear, and lock them as functional inlay materials for the Shelter upgrade. Then, put in 500 portions of ore as the core material for the Bronze upgrade.

Finally, he deliberately kept fifty Night Stone for himself, without using any of them for construction.

This batch of offensive Stone will not be wasted on construction; it will all be reserved for future use in forging high-level offensive weapons, maximizing its value.

All materials have been allocated logically and with clear choices made.

Lu Heng took a deep breath and pressed the button to confirm the upgrade.

Buzz--

A silent, oscillating pattern instantly enveloped the entire Cliffside Shelter.

Inside the building, Lu Heng was unable to perceive the changes in the external architecture, but he could clearly see the dramatic changes in his surroundings. The originally rough stone walls began to tremble and reshape themselves, and countless tiny cracks in the stone slowly closed and dissolved. The old structures that had been clinging to the crevices of the cliff for many years were gradually overthrown and reconstructed.

The interior space is constantly expanding outwards and rising upwards, with a well-organized layout layer by layer. Cluttered dead corners have completely disappeared, and the stone cave dwelling is transforming and expanding at a visible speed.

The reshaping process lasted several minutes, proceeding smoothly and solemnly without the slightest disturbance.

Once all the commotion had completely subsided, the interior renovation was declared complete.

Lu Heng didn't linger. He walked straight out of the Shelter and retreated to the distant mountains and forests, gazing at the cliff face from a distance.

At this moment, his completely transformed new home came into view.

The simple stone cave that originally nestled between two cliffs has completely disappeared.

Instead, a small Fortress rose from the ground. The building had sharp, prominent angles, thick and dense stone walls, and a cold, imposing overall design with a unique, austere feel. The structure was simple and uncomplicated, with a limited number of rooms and no unnecessary frills, perfectly matching the understated and sturdy nature of a post-apocalyptic Fortress.

The two cliffs that once restricted the layout of the dwellings have long been completely covered and surpassed by the buildings. Today, the height of this Fortress far exceeds the original cliff face, standing firmly on the mountainside with a majestic and imposing presence.

The cracks, broken walls, and rough rock surfaces that were once everywhere have all disappeared, leaving the walls smooth, sturdy, and seamless. Around the Fortress, a thick, enclosed stone fence has been constructed simultaneously, tightly enclosing the entire structure and further enhancing its defensive capabilities, preventing any strange beasts or monsters from approaching at will.

The three-tiered structure is clearly defined, with distinct layers and well-organized functional areas.

The third floor has been completely transformed into a super-large Planting Room, several times larger than before. The space is open and airy, enough to accommodate a large number of crops for cyclical cultivation, laying a solid material foundation for long-term survival. The altar has also been moved here.

The second floor is a complete living and rest area, with neatly arranged bedrooms and living areas, specifically designed for rest, recuperation, and recovery. A quiet, separate study is adjacent, suitable for calming the mind, organizing information, and reflecting on gains and losses—a dedicated space for quiet contemplation.

The first floor is the core functional floor of the entire Fortress, where all special function rooms are concentrated.

The temperature- Cellar on the inner side of the first floor, sheltered from light and heat, and can be used to store supplies and rare materials for a long time, preventing mold and damage. The armory next to it stands quietly. It was passively unlocked due to being soaked in a lot of aggressive stone aura during the upgrade process. The room is always surrounded by a cold and icy atmosphere. All the weapons stored here can receive automatic maintenance, edge reinforcement, and even slow repair of minor wear and tear, keeping them in the best combat condition at all times. There is also Portal to the base.

The most crucial feature is the newly unlocked stargazing room, which occupies the best view position on the third floor. The top has a natural transparent light-receiving surface that does not require any glass, making it clear and clean, allowing you to directly look out at the sun, Sun, Moon, and Stars in the sky.

Just as Lu Heng finished examining the entire Fortress, a series of unlock prompts popped up on his Wristband.

[Bronze Tier Shelter Upgrade Completed]

[Architectural Remodeling: Standard Three-Story Fortress]

[Unlock exclusive room feature: Stargazing Room]

[Stargazing Room Features: Automatically and continuously absorbs sunlight, moonlight, and starlight energy]

[Energy linkage mechanism: Prioritize energy flow to the first-floor Planting Room to accelerate crop growth cycle; when energy is abundant, it can be supplied to the Shelter Global Region to serve as the base's operating energy]

[Spatial Enhancement: Greatly increases the efficiency of meditation and cultivation in the stargazing room; effective during the day, with maximum effect at night]

[Unlock exclusive feature room: Armory]

[Warehouse Features: Perpetually imposing, icy atmosphere; dedicated to the storage, maintenance, and repair of weapons]

Looking at the continuously updated feature descriptions, Lu Heng felt only reassurance and relief.

This seemingly risky upgrade turned out to be a perfect gamble.

What was originally just a simple residence upgrade has, thanks to the blessing of the Sun, Moon, and Stars set and the lingering aura of the attacking stone, directly unlocked two rare exclusive rooms.

Planting capacity, base energy, weapon maintenance, meditation and cultivation, and material storage—all five major survival and combat systems have been completed.

He looked up at the transparent interface of the stargazing room on the third floor, where daylight streamed in. Although it could not directly absorb starlight, it could still weakly collect sunlight energy, slowly nourishing the entire Fortress.

Lu Heng stood in the woods, quietly gazing at the newly renovated three-story Wolf Fortress- Fortress.

From the humble cave where they initially struggled to survive, to the fully-fledged Fortress that now encompasses offense, defense, planting, cultivation, and storage, coupled with a hidden main base by the town's lake, the dual-base layout is thoroughly secure, allowing for both advance and retreat, and free movement in both offense and defense.

Lu Heng then returned to the Fortress, went up to the third floor, and stood by the window looking out at the endless forest. When he was upgrading, he was focused on the changes in the layout of the room and hadn't paid attention to the outer fence.

Only when I looked up did I realize that the entire stone fence had expanded along with the building, extending its area significantly outwards.

The growth space of the Bloodthirsty Vine previously planted along the fence has been redefined, and the old vine layout has been altered and dispersed, requiring time to regrow. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing; the expanded fence area means that the Bloodthirsty Vine can cover a larger defensive zone, which is a welcome development.

The watchtower next to it was also upgraded.

In Lu Heng's eyes, the watchtower looked much the same as before. In front of him was a vast expanse of forest, the dense trees obscuring the view. Even from a high vantage point, the area that could be clearly seen was still limited, and there were still many blind spots in the field of vision.

Fortunately, the alarm system linked to the watchtower remained intact, and its detection and early warning functions were still reliable. As soon as any strange beasts or monsters approached the fenced area, the Wristband would immediately issue a warning.

Even if the entire forest cannot be seen with the naked eye, this alarm system remains the Shelter's first and most reliable line of defense.

Just as Lu Heng turned his gaze away from the watchtower, his Wristband suddenly vibrated slightly.

He looked down.

On the interface, the previously quiet outpost marker suddenly lit up with a faint red dot.

The location is not Cliffside Fortress.

It was Town Ruins.

The main base in the heart of the lake.

Lu Heng's gaze darkened.

There was Illusory Camouflage there, and the stone pavilion appeared normal on the outside, so it shouldn't have triggered any activity.

But the next second, the Wristband vibrated again.

[Unknown malicious activity detected outside the main base]

[Source of fluctuations: Lake center area]