With the Bio-Energy Terminal upgraded to Level 2, every structure inside the base now had its level cap raised as well.
The first improvement was the Wooden Shelter.
It could now be upgraded with stone into a Stone Shelter—
far sturdier, and with more than double the living space.
Next was the Workbench.
A Level-2 Workbench unlocked an entire batch of higher-tier items.
And the very first one almost made Liang Chuan laugh out loud.
[Intermediate Control Collar].
The [Basic Control Collar] could only capture small hilichurls.
But the Intermediate version?
It could capture hilichurl berserkers, the big axe-wielding ones—
and other monsters of similar rank.
The base's labor force efficiency would skyrocket.
Especially the lumber-working efficiency.
Just one berserker could chop down trees ten times faster than ordinary hilichurls.
Liang Chuan had been dreaming of enslaving— cough,employing—a few of them for a long time.
Weapon unlocks also expanded massively:
Silver Sword
Mercenary Greatsword
Seasoned Hunter's Bow
Iron-Tipped Spear
Pocket Spellbook
All plain white-tier gear, but solid two-star weapons nonetheless—
enough for every combat class to at least have their own "budget signature weapon."
Armor also expanded:
Stone Plate Armor
Speed-boosting Boots
Helmets, pauldrons, gauntlets, greaves…
With enough materials, a player could wrap themselves head-to-toe like a medieval tank.
But the most exciting unlock?
[Boarhide Backpack].
Any veteran MMO player knew—
if a game gives you a "backpack,"
it probably has inventory magic.
And the Boarhide Backpack absolutely did.
Two-star equipment.
20 slots.
Item description:
Anything you can carry with your own hands may be placed inside.
Regardless of size, each item takes only one slot.
Identical items can stack up to 99.
Meaning—
One backpack could hold 1,980 items if fully stacked.
Liang Chuan crafted one immediately.
He stuffed inside:
a full set of armor,
a hunter's bow,
an iron spear,
a silver sword…
Ten slots used.
And externally?
The backpack didn't bulge even a little.
A real space-storage tool.
This changed everything—
exploring, combat, harvesting resources…
everything became ten times more efficient.
He immediately sent a system announcement:
"All players are strongly recommended to craft a Boarhide Backpack.
It will dramatically improve your gameplay experience."
Five minutes later—
A massive line had formed at the Workbench.
The price of boarhide on the trading platform skyrocketed.
Players who noticed the opportunity immediately turned into full-time boar hunters.
Meanwhile, Liang Chuan reorganized the base.
Level 2 allowed two Workbenches, so he neatly placed both beside the soon-to-be-built warehouse and housing block.
He had a touch of OCD—
buildings with the same function must be placed together.
Otherwise the whole base looked "wrong."
Housing and storage were still under construction—
but with player-builders on full "gamer adrenaline,"
progress was insane.
In reality, none of them would ever work construction.
But here?
"Hold me up, I can pull another all-nighter!"
"One more wall! One more roof!!"
At this rate, a full residential building could be finished in three days.
Housing was on track.
Food… was not.
Several Farmer-class players had opened farmland plots.
Their class skill allowed crops to grow in roughly three days.
But currently, players only had:
Sunsettia seeds
Zephyrberries
Snapdragons
All edible—
none filling.
"What we need… is potatoes!"
The Farmer [WaiBiBaBu] frowned deeply.
"If we want stable food production, potatoes are the answer. Full, efficient, grows anywhere!"
"Then we just dig some up, right?"
[ILikeRawBeans] asked.
"Dig? From where??
I asked the Hawkfeather Tribe NPCs.
Natlan doesn't have potatoes. At all."
[WaiBiBaBu] rubbed his temples.
"They said we can wait for merchants from Mondstadt.
Potatoes are native to Mond.
Or find a Liyue merchant named Liben—
he might have some.
But nobody knows when those merchants will show up…"
"Then ask Liang Chuan?"
ILikeRawBeans suggested.
"He has a shop function, right?
Maybe he sells potatoes."
"That's true… The base-building quest already gave me 10 silver.
Even if potatoes are ridiculously expensive, I should afford a few!"
[WaiBiBaBu] slapped his thigh, energized.
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