Chapter 152: Level 5 Shelter

Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Level 5 Shelter

[Shelter upgrade complete. Current Shelter Level: Level Five Sturdy Stone Castle.

Added a three-story main building containing five rooms. Two lookout towers with basic fortifications have also been added.

It is difficult for Level Five or lower weapons to breach the walls. Defends against Level Five and lower monsters. All creatures within the shelter are completely immune to damage.]

’Damage immunity again?’

It seemed a Level Five Shelter already possessed some basic self-protection capabilities.

The white mist over the island began to dissipate after the system notification sounded, vanishing completely in the blink of an eye.

From the boat, they could see a faint purple halo of light appear above the island. The halo expanded downward, encircling the island and connecting with the sea’s surface along the beach.

Shi Zhile eagerly jumped off the boat. The moment she stepped inside the halo, the scorching heat from the sun began to subside.

The farther she walked, the cooler and more humid the air became.

She sent a message to Shi Zhiyi, and a moment later, her sister and Wen Bai came down from the boat.

Shi Zhiyi stored the large ship in her backpack, then turned and took Shi Zhile’s arm.

"Why does it feel so much cooler on the island than on the boat?"

Shi Zhile smiled and nodded. "You’re not imagining things. Look up."

Shi Zhiyi did as she was told, but all she could see in the sky was the blazing sun.

"See it? That faint purple Energy Shield is blocking half of the intense heat."

She didn’t lower her voice, deliberately letting Wen Bai overhear.

’If I’m not mistaken, Deputy Director Wen Changming of Huaxia Base is Wen Bai’s father.’

’They both have the surname Wen. So, what’s Mr. Wen’s relationship to Wen Bai?’

She decided to just ask, "Are you and Elder Wen related?"

"He’s my grandfather. My actual grandfather!"

Shi Zhile said, "Then Deputy Director Wen Changming is your..."

"My dad!"

Shi Zhile quietly tightened her grip on Shi Zhiyi’s hand, an unusual glint in her eyes.

’Is the world just too small, or is this too much of a coincidence? To think I’d run into three generations of the same family all at once.’

Shi Zhiyi was stunned, and the way she looked at Wen Bai changed. "Elder Wen is so incredible. How did you end up as just a retired soldier? Or... have you been lying to me this whole time?"

Wen Bai: "..."

"Why so quiet? Did I say something wrong, or have you already found someone new?~"

Wen Bai: "..."

Not wanting to get involved, Shi Zhile quickened her pace and walked on ahead.

Behind her, the sweet, syrupy teasing continued. Ahead, the newly upgraded shelter was faintly visible. Shi Zhile walked faster and faster, putting a great deal of distance between herself and the others.

As she drew closer to the shelter, an enormous stone wall appeared before her. The main gate looked exceptionally narrow against it, like the rampart of an ancient fortress.

The gate was much thicker now. She gave it a gentle push, and just opening it cost her 5 Spirit Value points.

Stepping through the gate, she was met with the sight of a tall stone wall two or three meters ahead, completely obscuring the view of the courtyard.

To enter the courtyard, one had to go around it from the side. The stones making up the wall were extraordinarily large, impossible to move by manpower alone.

"This is a screen wall, a design borrowed from traditional courtyard houses. This wall blocks the view from the outside. If the main gate is ever breached, this wall will give us plenty of time to set an ambush."

Shi Zhiyi and Wen Bai finally caught up. Remembering that Mr. Wen would also be living on the island, she brought Elder Wen out from the Planting Space.

Finding himself suddenly in an unfamiliar environment, Mr. Wen immediately began to survey his surroundings.

He looked up to see two small towers, one on each side of the gate, rising even higher than the stone wall.

The towers were made of stone, with wooden staircases spiraling upward inside them.

"Are these... lookout towers?"

Shi Zhile nodded. "They are. Go on up and take a look for yourselves."

Shi Zhiyi and Wen Bai climbed the winding staircase together.

Shi Zhile walked around the screen wall and into the courtyard.

The overall layout hadn’t changed much, but the space was now larger, and the square courtyard walls were higher.

The wooden sunshade over the courtyard had been half-removed, with only a small portion remaining at the northernmost end. Looking up from below revealed a square patch of sky.

Mr. Wen made a beeline for the fenced garden on the west side, where his most precious crops were planted.

To the north, the original two-story stone building had become a three-story Stone Castle. The cave at its base was unchanged, and the wooden cabin in front of it was still there, though it had been renovated into a house with large windows.

Sunlight streamed into the house, bringing with it both light and a bit of sweltering heat. The moment she stepped into the stone cave, however, she was greeted first by a wave of coolness, followed by the unique scent of wood.

The modestly-sized cave was well-utilized, furnished with a wooden sofa, a coffee table, and a simple shoe rack.

The staircases leading upstairs and downstairs had both been replaced with wooden ones.

She went into the basement first. Compared to before, there were now many more wooden shelves with supplies neatly arranged on them. Other than that, there were no changes.

Remembering the system message about five new rooms, she turned and went up to the second floor.

The space on the second floor was very large, having been expanded outward from its original footprint.

Aside from the stairwell, the remaining space had been divided into three sections, each furnished with a wooden bed and a small wardrobe.

Above that was the third floor, which was smaller than the second.

A central wall divided the space into two rooms. With windows on all four sides, it was a perfect spot to observe the entire island.

These two rooms were also furnished with beds and cabinets.

Standing at a third-floor window, Shi Zhile gazed out. Through her binoculars, she could clearly see the whitecaps on the sea beyond the stone wall.

The northern window overlooked the forest. The trees were bare due to the sweltering heat, so with a careful look through the binoculars, she could clearly see what was going on inside the woods.

Shi Zhiyi and Wen Bai came up, looking around and murmuring in admiration.

Shi Zhile said, "The south-facing room on the second floor is mine. Besides my room, two people can stay on the second floor, and two can stay on the third.

The closer we get to Huaxia Base, the more players we’ll encounter, and the more people there will be with ill intentions. For safety, while the island is moving, we’ll all take turns standing watch in pairs, day and night.

To get to the base faster, I’m going to remove the control restrictions on my sister, so we can take turns piloting Stone Island."

Traveling nonstop, day and night, will double our speed. The reason I’m including Mr. Wen in the rotation is to train him to remain vigilant at all times.

With us here to protect him in the main game world, Mr. Wen is relatively safe. But if he enters a dungeon instance without that protection, he’ll need the mental fortitude to deal with other players and monsters on his own.

Shi Zhiyi looked at the windows on all four sides, then picked up the binoculars to carefully observe the coast.

"The third floor has a wide, open view. Let’s not have anyone stay here for now. We can use these two rooms for people on watch duty.

The lookout towers have a good long-range view, but they only cover the South Sea Coast. From up here, we can see the ocean in every direction, making it easier for us to respond if other players try to board the island."

Wen Bai added, "It takes six minutes to jog from the main gate to the third floor. If we spot a player from here, six minutes is plenty of time for us to get to the lookout towers."