Thomas glanced at the accumulating private messages. He decided to address them later, opting for a unified response. Back in his sanctuary, the [Breathing Green Vine], after its nightly soak in 3000ml of purified water and the [Type II Plant Growth Solution], had sprouted an aerial root. Another vine showed the nascent beginnings of a second root.
"Just as I predicted," Thomas muttered, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. The first offshoot, having already lived a full day, had rapidly split under the influence of the growth solution. He quickly checked the vine's status. The interface confirmed a mature offshoot, ready to be planted. He just needed to snip the rooted vine and plant it in soil or water. The second, budding root would be ready by nightfall.
"Excellent. Another vine," Thomas said, procuring a pot and filling it with the compost he'd bought yesterday. He carefully severed the rooted vine and nestled it into the rich soil, then added 1000ml of purified water. The vine unfurled, swaying gently as if in contentment. Seeing the "all systems normal" message on his interface, Thomas breathed a sigh of relief. This first foray into horticulture had him slightly on edge. Thankfully, it was a success. Rare Plant Count +1.
After watering the mother vine with its daily 3000ml, Thomas turned to the statue of Lord Guan. He performed his ritualistic ablutions in the bathroom, washing his face and hands. Standing before the statue, his expression solemn, he began, "Lord Guan, your humble servant, Thomas Smyth, offers his sincere prayers. Bless me with luck and prosperity." Prayer complete, he offered three sticks of incense, bowing respectfully before placing them in the burner. A feeling of profound good fortune washed over him. Today, he felt, was his lucky day.
Without hesitation, he opened the Super Monopoly interface and rolled the dice. Eyes closed, he chanted, "Lucky day, lucky day…" The clattering stopped. Thomas opened his eyes. Before he could register the number rolled, his miniature avatar on the Super Monopoly map began to hop across the squares, landing on one marked with a mysterious. Unlike the Event squares, this one felt more like… a loot box.
The Super Monopoly interface confirmed his suspicion: [Survivor receives random enhancement. Target: Inventory.] The items in his inventory tumbled to the floor as the space itself began to warp and shift. First, it expanded dramatically, its capacity increasing from 5 slots to a whopping 100. The second change was even more astonishing. He walked over to the generator and focused on the snowmobile he'd traded for yesterday. With a thought, it vanished. In his inventory, one of the previously empty slots was now occupied by the snowmobile.
"Holy crap… this is insane!" Thomas exclaimed, eyes wide. A 300-pound snowmobile, tucked away in his inventory without an ounce of added weight. This was the third, and perhaps most significant, change. He began frantically experimenting, stuffing various items into his inventory. A wide grin spread across his face. "This is… incredible!"
His inventory had defied the laws of physics. Size and weight were irrelevant; each item occupied a single slot, with no burden to carry. Identical items stacked, taking up only one slot. However, used items couldn't be stacked. Two full water bottles stacked, but a half-empty one required its own slot. These changes were exhilarating.
There was a minor drawback: he could no longer equip backpacks to increase inventory slots. He could still equip ammo pouches, but it was a slight inconvenience. He quickly found a workaround. While he couldn't equip backpacks directly, he could store them. A backpack full of supplies still only took up one inventory slot. The possibilities were endless. With enough large containers, he could carry a staggering amount of gear.
Thomas repacked his belongings, placing frequently used items like keys, keycards, medical supplies, and armor-piercing rounds into his CamelBak backpack, which he then stored in his inventory. He admired the organized space, a satisfied smile on his face.
His current wealth stood at 521 points, generated from his five properties: Garden Station, Crimson Cabaret, City Hospital, White Tower Park, and Sparrow City Trading Center.
He closed the Super Monopoly interface, musing, "I wonder when I'll encounter that shop again. The things it had… truly remarkable."
The memory of the rare and powerful items, cards, and traits from the mysterious shop still tantalized Thomas. He sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. He was getting greedy. He already possessed power far beyond the average survivor. With careful planning, he could survive this Apocalypse Game for a long, long time.
He approached the explosives workbench, where electronic components, lithium batteries, capacitors, and other materials were neatly arranged. He began crafting the remote detonators for the emulsion explosives. The process, thankfully, was neither complex nor dangerous. The risky part, preparing the emulsion itself, was already done. Guided by his [Explosives Crafting] skill, he worked with practiced ease, slotting the final lithium battery into place in under an hour. He also made some performance modifications to the mobile phone that would serve as the detonator. It was strange. He'd never worked with these materials before, yet his movements were fluid and instinctive, as if he'd done this a thousand times. It reinforced his growing fascination with the Apocalypse Game. The true treasures weren't the weapons and equipment, but the skills acquired through exploration and survival. He began to formulate a plan for his next skill acquisition targets.
He retrieved the emulsion explosives from the four-tiered shelving unit and began installing the detonators. This took only half an hour. The final step was applying adhesive strips to the backs of the explosives. Twenty [Remote Emulsion Explosives] were now complete.
His interface displayed their stats:
[Remote Emulsion Explosive]
Type: Explosive
Slots: 2x1
Remote Radius: 100 meters
Detonation Delay: 0.5 seconds
Explosive Power: 150
Blast Radius: 10-20 meters
Concussion Radius: 30 meters
Note 1: Stay clear of the blast radius. Value your life, stay away from explosives!
Note 2: Do not attach steel balls, nails, or similar objects to the surface of the explosive. Extremely dangerous.
"Whoa…" Thomas whistled, impressed. These were lethal. A detonation within 20 meters was almost certainly fatal. With added shrapnel, even those 30 meters away wouldn't be safe. Then he saw the second note.
"Holy crap… you can do that?" He slapped his thigh, laughing. "I'm such an idiot!"
He rushed to the storage area and retrieved several boxes of small, round objects.
[5mm Steel Balls]
Type: Miscellaneous Materials
Description: Common steel balls, seemingly used in some mechanical parts.
"Perfect!" He grabbed a bottle of strong adhesive and returned to the workbench. He put away fifteen of the explosives, leaving five on the table. Eyes gleaming, he tore open the boxes of steel balls, hundreds of them spilling into a waiting bowl. He began meticulously gluing the steel balls to the surface of the explosives and two RGO grenades.
Half an hour later, he surveyed his handiwork – five [Remote Emulsion Explosive.Mod] and two [RGO Grenade.Mod] – with a mischievous grin. The explosives were now covered in a dense layer of steel balls, a nightmare for anyone with trypophobia. The effect on detonation would be devastating. The RGO grenades, already deadly with their 85 F1 fragments, were now even more lethal. Anyone caught in their blast radius would be riddled with holes.
He stored these deadly creations in his inventory. It was now 10 AM. The temperature inside the sanctuary had dropped to -5°C, but the fireplace roared defiantly. His [Rabbit Brand Military Coat] had kept him warm while working, but his legs and feet were numb with cold. He headed to the kitchen and downed a bowl of Nourishing Mutton Stew. The invigorating warmth spread through him, chasing away the chill.
"Should've had two bowls," he muttered.
The sanctuary security door upgrade was complete. Lacking special blueprints, the Level 3 [Sanctuary Security], [Lighting], and [Ventilation] retained their previous functions with enhanced performance. Security gained a 10% boost to stealth and defense. The lighting was upgraded to brighter, safer, and more energy-efficient LEDs. The ventilation system, while rendered somewhat redundant by the Breathing Green Vine, was still a crucial prerequisite for upgrading the generator.
With all three upgrades complete and his tasks for the day finished, he could finally focus on the private messages and potential trades. Settled comfortably on the sofa by the fire, he opened his inbox. The first item made him pause.
"Now this… this is interesting."