Thomas reread the notebook several times. The last entry was dated August 3rd. So, I arrived on August 1st. Today is August 5th.
The refugees he'd killed had been working for someone named Mad Dog, likely the leader of the refugee camp marked on the map. But the most intriguing figure was Black Dog's uncle. He seemed to be the true power behind the scenes, even controlling who became a camp leader. And Ghostface…he remembered hearing that name from the first two refugees he'd killed. Ghostface was in charge of the cultists, performing the transformation rituals. He also answered to Black Dog's uncle, but seemed interested in the items the uncle had entrusted to Black Dog.
So, the black dot last night…was that Ghostface?
The mention of transformation potions and a laboratory also piqued his interest. A laboratory…that sounded promising.
He was grateful for Black Dog's meticulous record-keeping. He now had a clearer picture of the power dynamics in the city. Three main players: Mad Dog, Ghostface, and the mysterious uncle. They were far beyond his current capabilities, but he had the advantage of anonymity. The uncle, according to Black Dog's diary, was out of town, unaware of his nephew's death and the missing items. This gave Thomas time to prepare. With the Super Monopoly plugin, he could—
Wait a minute…Super Monopoly…
I forgot to roll the die!
He leaped up, tossing the notebook onto the cot, and opened the Super Monopoly screen. Damn it! It's all Ben's fault for waking me up so early.
He went through his pre-roll ritual: washing his hands, applying Golden Star Balm, and offering a prayer to Lord Guan.
"Lord Guan, God of War and Wealth, grant me a lucky roll today."
He rolled the die.
[5]
He looked at the fifth square. A hospital.
[Purchase District Hospital for 450 points?]
He didn't hesitate.
"Yes!"
[450 points deducted. District Hospital purchased.]
A new map materialized in his mind, twice the size of the station map. Three buildings: an emergency room, a clinic, and a main hospital building. The emergency room and clinic were three stories tall, connected by a glass walkway. The main building was twelve stories, nine above ground, three below. He saw seven or eight red dots on the upper floors of the main building. Refugees sheltering from the rain, he surmised.
He located the hospital on the district map. It was in the opposite direction of the Crimson Cabaret, almost a kilometer away.
No way I'm going there today. Or probably for the next few days. The weather was deteriorating rapidly. He didn't want to risk getting caught outside.
But my income will be even higher tomorrow! He'd already received his daily income. Even after deducting the 450 points for the hospital, he still had 287 points. The Super Monopoly plugin was working as intended. The more assets he acquired, the more points he earned. A snowball effect.
He received a message from Ben Walker.
Ben: Pro, you interested in this? [Image of Nourishing Mutton Stew Recipe]
[Nourishing Mutton Stew Recipe]
Type: Rare Recipe
Effect: Teaches the survivor how to make Nourishing Mutton Stew.
Requirements: Water Collector Level 1, Kitchen Level 2
Thomas: ??? What do you want for it?
Ben: Found it in a kitchen apron while I was hideouting from the rain. No use for it. How about three…no, two grenades?
Thomas chuckled. He was craving some comfort food. And a recipe that warranted its own item description must be special.
Thomas: Deal.
They completed the trade. His Water Collector was Level 2, but his kitchen was still Level 1.
[Kitchen] (Level 1)
Effect: +10 Stamina regeneration/hour.
Next Stage: Kitchen Level 2
Requirements: Kitchen Level 1, Water Collector Level 1, Generator Level 1, Bathroom Level 2, Phase Control Relay x1, Corrugated Hose x1, Wrench x1, Stainless Steel Pots x2
Current resources insufficient for upgrade.
He was confused. What did the bathroom have to do with the kitchen upgrade? Was there some arcane principle of interconnected plumbing at play? He didn't understand, but he clearly needed to upgrade the bathroom first.
[Bathroom] (Level 1)
Type: hideout Facility
Effect: +20% wound healing speed, -20% chance of infection.
Requirements: Waterproof Sealant x1, Toilet Paper x1, Soap x1, Basin x1, 30,000 Apocalypse Coins
Construction Time: 1 hour
Next Stage: Bathroom with Shower (Level 2)
Requirements: Generator Level 1, Water Collector Level 1, Ventilation Level 1, Heating Pipes x2, Corrugated Hoses x3, Electric Drill x1, Showerhead x1, Toilet x1
Upgrade Time: 2 hours
Current resources insufficient for upgrade.
He was about to post a request for the upgrade materials in World Chat when he had an idea.
Why not include the materials for the blueprints too? Might get lucky.
He retrieved the Intelligence Center and Refugee Loot Box blueprints, checking their requirements. He needed to upgrade his generator to Level 2. He compiled a list of all the necessary materials.
[World Chat]
City - Thomas: Looking for Classified Intel, Rolex Gold Watches, Gold Necklaces, Gold Skull Rings, Bronze Lion Statues, Corrugated Hoses, Motors, etc. Will trade food [images of canned goods and energy bars] or weapons [images of assault rifle and grenades].
He'd already acquired two of the items for the Intelligence Center: the encrypted USB drive he'd found in the locker room on day one, and the district map, which apparently qualified as a Terrain Map.
His message caught the attention of other survivors.
Plains - Tanner Young: Isn't that the arms dealer? Now he's branching out into groceries?
City - Leo Charlton: Haha! The arms dealer! Now selling grenades too!
Forest - Howie Wang: Trade with him! He has good stuff! Just got some beef and rye bread from him. [Image of meal]
Wasteland - Cecilia: Beef! I'm so jealous!
City - Miles Yates: Pro, we're freezing out here! Can't even get back to our hideout. Got anything warm to eat?
The chat wasn't as frantic as before, but his message had generated interest. He still had the AS VAL and the MP5, now relegated to backup weapons. He was willing to trade them, but not the armor-piercing ammunition. That was a strategic resource. Good bullets were more valuable than guns, in his opinion.
He refilled his cup with hot water, enjoying the warmth of the fireplace, and began sifting through the private messages. There were a surprising number of resourceful survivors out there, despite the dangers and challenges of the apocalypse. He received numerous offers within minutes. The storm and the plunging temperatures had spurred everyone into action.
Most of the offers were ridiculously overpriced. They were trying to take advantage of his apparent desperation. He countered with his own prices, willing to negotiate, but not to be taken advantage of. Food and warmth were the most valuable commodities right now. He was in the driver's seat. He could afford to wait.
Some survivors, recognizing the reality of the situation, accepted his offers. Others, still clinging to their inflated prices, were ignored. One survivor had the Classified Intel he needed, but was demanding fifty cans of meat. That was absurd. He countered with three cans. Take it or leave it.
After several hours, he'd acquired most of the materials he needed for the bathroom and kitchen upgrades, mostly from local survivors offering reasonable prices. He started the bathroom upgrade. Once that was done, he could upgrade the kitchen.
He spent the afternoon reviewing messages and waiting. At 8 PM, the bathroom upgrade was complete. Both the bathroom and kitchen had undergone significant transformations.
[Bathroom with Shower] (Level 2)
Type: Hideout Facility
Effect 1: +40% wound healing speed, -40% chance of infection, +15 Stress Resistance, +10 Immunity
Effect 2: -15% Radiation Exposure
---
[Kitchen] (Level 2)
Type: Hideout Facility
Effect 1: +15 Stamina regeneration/hour, +10 Stress Resistance, +10 Immunity, +15 Metabolism
Effect 2: 10% chance to gain the Energetic status effect when consuming food prepared in the kitchen; +10% effect of recipe-based food.