Jiang Lai sat up, wrapped herself tightly in her military coat, and opened up the information panel for the Shengjiang.
[Dwelling Name: Shengjiang
Dwelling Level: Level 2 (Upgradeable. Upgrade requirements: Wood*1000, Nails*500)
Dwelling Score: 30]
The last time she upgraded her little boat into a raft, Jiang Lai had checked the Shengjiang’s stats.
Back then, a thousand pieces of wood and five hundred nails had seemed like an utterly unattainable goal.
So she hadn’t given it much thought at the time.
But who could have guessed that, in just a few short days, she’d already be able to reach the next upgrade target!
Almost reverently, Jiang Lai reached out and tapped the “Upgrade” button.
In an instant, the entire raft—including her little wooden cabin—was enveloped in a familiar white light.
She could hear the clanging and banging of construction from within the glow.
Jiang Lai closed her eyes. After about thirty seconds, the sounds faded, and she opened them again.
She was still on her little boat.
But…
Jiang Lai stretched out her arm.
Before, she could reach out and touch the table beside her.
Now, that table and chair were several meters away.
It looked like the cabin’s area had expanded quite a bit.
Jiang Lai reached out to touch the wall.
Previously, the cabin had been a simple structure, pieced together from planks of wood. It kept out rain and snow, but wind could still slip in through the gaps.
Now, after the upgrade, the cabin was still made of wood, but it was far more refined.
The walls were made of sturdy wooden boards, coated with some kind of material that made them thick, smooth, and seamless—as if each wall was a single, solid plank.
This kind of material would definitely keep the warmth in much better.
Eagerly, Jiang Lai put on her shoes, threw her military coat over her shoulders, and opened the door to step outside.
The upgraded dwelling was at least three times bigger than before. It was still a raft, but both its length and width had been extended significantly.
The space that had once felt cramped now seemed spacious and open.
But the increased area wasn’t even the most exciting part for Jiang Lai.
What thrilled her most was the discovery of a smaller wooden cabin next to her own room.
Jiang Lai opened the door—and found a ceramic toilet inside.
It was clearly a bathroom!
Jiang Lai’s eyes lit up at the sight.
Heaven knows how she’d managed her personal needs these past few days.
She’d only gotten by because she’d eaten and drunk so little, so her needs hadn’t been too urgent.
The bathroom was spacious enough that she could easily add more fixtures if she wanted.
After the initial surprise, Jiang Lai studied the pristine toilet, thinking to herself.
She hadn’t provided any ceramic materials for the upgrade.
This must be a reward for reaching Level 3 with her dwelling.
When she’d upgraded to Level 2, there hadn’t been any special rewards.
But now, reaching Level 3 had given her something this useful—did that mean there’d be even bigger surprises at Level 4?
Jiang Lai returned to her room, closed the door, lit the brazier, and opened the Shengjiang’s info panel again.
She wanted to see if she could start working toward Level 4!
[Dwelling Name: Shengjiang
Dwelling Level: Level 3 (Upgradeable. Upgrade requirements: Wood*2000, Nails*1000, Glass*20)
Dwelling Score: 40]
The required materials for the next upgrade had doubled again.
Her dwelling score had increased by 10 points—clearly thanks to the bathroom reward.
Last time, Jiang Lai had tested it: adding a bed, table, chair, workbench, and water purifier had raised her dwelling score from 0 to 30.
She’d figured it out—anything that improved her quality of life would increase her score.
But a bathroom alone giving a 10-point boost was quite something.
Jiang Lai checked her backpack to see what supplies she had left.
After upgrading to Level 3, she only had 1,655 pieces of wood and 644 nails remaining.
As for glass, she didn’t have any at all.
It looked like her next upgrade plan would have to be put on hold.
But now that her workbench was upgraded, maybe she could make some furniture to boost her dwelling score a bit more.
Before, there hadn’t been enough space to do much.
Now, with so much room, the whole cabin felt a bit empty.
Maybe it was the promise of a better future, but as Jiang Lai thought about it, her eyes started to close.
Taking advantage of her last bit of wakefulness, she put the brazier away in her backpack, then lay down on the bed and fell asleep.
It was the fifth day since the game began.
For the first time, it started raining at sea before sunset.
As soon as the sunlight faded, the cold once again settled over every little boat.
At that moment, Jiang Lai was lying snugly in her well-sealed cabin, enjoying the lingering warmth from the brazier.
She drifted into sweet dreams.
Jiang Lai slept straight through to the afternoon.
When she woke up, her stomach felt empty and she was ravenous.
She hadn’t eaten all day.
Jiang Lai took out some biscuits and water, filled her belly, and even ate a few pieces of fruit.
She’d brought those fruits into the game but had always been reluctant to eat them—this was her first time.
After a long night spent gathering supplies, she’d earned this treat!
Jiang Lai got up, pushed open the door, and saw that the raft was still wet with rainwater—only then did she realize it had rained heavily while she slept.
She set up her fishing rod, then went back inside to browse the public chat channel while waiting for a treasure chest to be reeled in.
With the temperature as it was, there was no way she was going to wait outside for a chest to bite.
In the chat, many people who’d stockpiled torch materials at high prices were complaining.
When it rained, torches were useless. Those who’d already bought them could only put them away in their backpacks.
This meant torches weren’t selling, and prices had to drop again.
There were already too many competitors and slim profits, especially for those who’d bought materials at high prices.
Now, with another price drop, they were selling at a loss.
But the worst part was, even at a loss, they couldn’t afford not to sell.
If they waited, and more people got their own fire sources, they might be stuck with all their stock.
Jiang Lai sighed.
She felt lucky that she’d wrapped up her own business just in time.
She also realized that, in harsh weather, torches were of limited help to people.
Looking at all the pleas for help in the chat, Jiang Lai wished she could do more.
She was only in her early twenties—not without compassion.
But she had to survive, too.
Not only that, but in a month, she’d need to make plans for her family members who would enter the game.
Helping those close to her was already her limit—she simply couldn’t take care of everyone else.
Just then, Li Haibo, who’d been silent until now, finally spoke up in the chat.
(End of chapter)”
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