Shelter for All: People catch ghosts and gain entries in the end times - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: No Matter How You Change, You Won’t Lose.

With the Level 3 Corrupted Wasteland map in hand, Su Mu effortlessly navigated his way back to his shelter.

Outside the shelter, a pack of skeletal dogs gnawed futilely at the protective shield. The three-day protection period for newcomers ensured they couldn’t breach it. Su Mu eyed the skeletal dogs blocking the entrance and dealt with them swiftly, tearing them apart with his bare hands.

Once the path was cleared, he wasted no time entering his hideout.

The first thing Su Mu did was retrieve the Level 1 Wall Construction Blueprint from his inventory.

“To build the wall, I need 200 stones, 40 wooden planks, and ten energy stones,” he muttered, quickly gathering the required materials. A wave of his hand summoned a large pile of resources in front of him.

He activated the blueprint. A low rumble echoed through the area as the shelter’s dilapidated walls transformed. They were replaced by a sturdy and imposing brick wall that encircled his wooden house completely.

Satisfied, Su Mu inspected the wall’s properties.

[Name: Level 1 Brick Wall]

[Durability: 200/200]

[Quality: Excellent]

[Additional attributes: Not acquired.]

[Description: A wall with a certain protective effect, giving newcomers a considerable sense of security.]

[Special note: When the wall is attacked, its durability is reduced.]

[Repair Tip: If the durability has not dropped below half, the shelter owner can use normal materials to repair it. If the durability is less than half, repairs must be made using energy stones.]

The sight of the wall’s durability and repair options pleased Su Mu.

“Good. Regular materials will suffice for minor repairs,” he noted. “Energy stones will only be needed for major damage.”

The system camp offered an ample supply of basic resources like wooden planks and stones, making repairs manageable.

“Now to upgrade the Anti-Evil Crossbow,” Su Mu said to himself. “A Level 2 Anti-Evil Crossbow paired with my current level should be enough to take on that crimson boar in the energy stone mine.”

However, one crucial item was still missing—Golden Fragment Grass.

Su Mu opened the trade market to search for it. As he sifted through the listings, he noticed an offer that piqued his interest.

[Li Zhen: Hello, Su Mu. I thought you wouldn’t be interested in tree fruits.]

[Li Zhen: I found Golden Fragment Grass, but the strength increase from a single bone fragment is quite limited. I’d like to trade more with you, Su Mu.]

“Tree fruits?” Su Mu raised an eyebrow. In this nearly apocalyptic world, living trees were a rare sight, let alone fruit-bearing ones.

Curiosity compelled him to reply.

[Su Mu: All right, send the tree fruit over so I can take a look.]

Moments later, Li Zhen sent over several small, blueberry-like fruits.

[Name: Inkberry]

[Description: A fruit with a slightly sweet and sour taste. Refreshing the additional attributes might result in a different taste.]

Su Mu smirked at the system’s cheeky description. He decided not to waste refresh attempts on the Inkberries.

“If I ever get seeds, refreshing them might make sense,” he mused. “But doing it for a single piece of food is a waste.”

[Li Zhen: Do you like this, Su Mu? I’d like to exchange six more Inkberries for three Bone Fragments. If that’s not enough, I can gather more.]

On the other side of the conversation, Li Zhen felt anxious. Although she had been lucky to find the fruits, dealing with skeletal dogs and even more dangerous monsters in her region had proven challenging.

For Su Mu, however, the trade was a simple matter. Bone fragments had little value to him now, but exchanging them for valuable items was a win.

[Su Mu: All right, I’ve updated the trade terms. Confirm it on your end.]

Li Zhen’s relief was palpable through her messages.

[Li Zhen: Thank you, Su Mu! If I find more fruits in the future, I’ll think of you first!]

The trade was completed, and Su Mu received the much-needed Golden Fragment Grass. Placing the six Inkberries in his system backpack, he pulled out the Anti-Evil Crossbow.

The system prompted him:

[Upgrade materials are ready. Shall we proceed with the upgrade?]

He confirmed.

[System: Upgrade successful. Anti-Evil Crossbow attributes have been upgraded to Level 2.]

With the upgrade done, Su Mu leaned back with satisfaction.