Bai Cheng had figured out some patterns of her talent.
To level up, she had to use it first.
And when it came to usage, some items were very simple to use, such as matches or daggers.
Bai Cheng could quickly max them out and earn attribute points as rewards.
At least so far, she hadn't encountered any items that required accumulated time to upgrade.
Looking over the items she currently had, Bai Cheng's gaze first settled on the black backpack.
This was also an item from the starter pack. The backpack's storage space wasn't large. In fact, it was even smaller than the school bag she used to carry.
After crafting the wooden crate, it became even more redundant. Bai Cheng had barely used it since.
She flipped open the Book of Cheng and selected the backpack as her upgrade target. Information soon appeared on the page.
[Ordinary Black Backpack: 0/10]
"So simple!" Bai Cheng's face lit up with joy.
She immediately took out the half-empty box of chocolates from the wooden crate, stuffed it into the backpack by hand, then took it out again, increasing the usage count by 1!
In the blink of an eye, a green glow flashed over the black backpack in her hands, transforming it into a larger, multi-pocketed canvas bag.
[Practical Canvas Bag: 0/20]
Bai Cheng didn't stop. In fact, she sped up.
A minute later, a blue glow flashed. Fifteen minutes later, a purple glow. Half an hour later…
With the final use completed, the already exquisite backpack in her hands shimmered with golden light, finally reaching its highest grade.
[Top-Grade! A Stylish and Practical Spatial Backpack!]
[You have gained 1 distributable attribute point!]
"Spatial backpack?!" Bai Cheng exclaimed like a broken record.
This thing was practically a god-tier item in the early game! It completely solved her problem of being unable to transport supplies.
But as she looked at the moderately sized, beautifully crafted backpack in her hands, she couldn't help but complain, "But why is it pink? Why!?"
The front wasn't adorned with a cute cartoon print but rather an image of a speeding train.
"This logo is everywhere…" As for other details, it looked no different from an ordinary backpack.
After experimenting with it, Bai Cheng learned that this backpack had ten storage slots, with each slot holding a maximum of twenty items.
"A total storage capacity of two hundred units, with no weight restrictions. That's quite good."
Bai Cheng was very satisfied, but she still couldn't confirm whether food stored inside would spoil.
Almost instantly, an idea popped into her head.
She could trade this backpack for supplies with others, then upgrade more backpacks using the Book of Cheng, allowing her to farm attribute points infinitely.
Plus, the extra spatial backpacks could be traded for employee cards.
But she immediately dismissed the thought.
First, she was still weak, and her talent couldn't be exposed recklessly.
Second, a spatial backpack was far more valuable than a useless employee card. She didn't want to help unrelated people for free, especially since they might become competitors later.
But what if she kept them for herself?
This backpack was practically useless to most survivors. She could probably trade for a bunch of them with minimal supplies.
Bai Cheng glanced back at her stockpile of wood. It was the only thing she could offer.
But she shook her head. "No, chopping trees is getting harder, and I still haven't traded for leather. This amount of wood isn't enough…"
Reluctantly, Bai Cheng gave up on the idea of farming attribute points for now. After all, her top priority was to reach Station One as soon as possible.
There will be plenty of chances to farm attribute points later.
For her second upgrade target, Bai Cheng wanted to choose the wooden crate, since it functioned similarly to the backpack. Fully upgraded, it would likely become a spatial crate.
But to her surprise, the Book of Cheng didn't display an image of the crate.
"The wooden crate can't be upgraded?"
She remembered the rules of the Book of Cheng. Any item or tool without an upgrade path could be upgraded through usage.
Of course, nearly everything counted as an item, so the real question was whether it could be used.
And the wooden crate in front of her clearly met both conditions.
"So… the crate has an upgrade path, but it's locked for now?" Bai Cheng quickly understood. If she didn't know about it yet, it must mean she hadn't unlocked it.
She then turned her attention to the solar-powered lantern on the rail cart.
This time, the Book of Cheng obediently displayed the lantern's image.
[Low-Quality Solar-Powered Lantern: 0/20]
Although it was solar-powered, the lantern still had an on/off switch.
Without hesitation, Bai Cheng started frantically flicking the switch.
Green… blue… purple… gold!
[Top-Grade! Infinite Energy Lantern!]
[You have gained 1 distributable attribute point!]
The lantern was now smaller, brighter, and entirely black, resembling an exquisite small lantern made of some unknown metal. It was so lightweight that holding it felt like nothing.
Bai Cheng adored it. Now, she would never have to worry about nighttime lighting again.
Scanning her surroundings again, she pondered, "What else can be upgraded quickly?"
Consumable items, including food, were non-upgradable and were immediately ruled out.
"The stone spear? The pulley transmission system? Or the workbench?"
Bai Cheng had long noticed that uncraftable items were much easier to upgrade, such as the backpack and dagger.
Meanwhile, craftable items like axes and pickaxes were a pain to level up, and crates couldn't be upgraded at all.
"The stone spear and workbench are both crafted. It'd take forever to max them out." Bai Cheng rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
If she chose the pulley gearshift device, the upgrade method would probably involve traveling long distances…
Her fingers still on her chin, Bai Cheng suddenly noticed the clothes she was wearing.
Her outfit consisted of a white short-sleeved shirt. Despite her efforts to keep it clean, the past two days had involved more labor than the past month combined, and the sweltering heat meant that she was sweating constantly.
Bai Cheng frowned. Her clothes were definitely dirty.
But there was nothing she could do about it, until a sudden thought struck her: "Can clothes be upgraded?"
With that thought, the Book of Cheng in her hands immediately displayed an image of her white short-sleeved shirt and the blue pleated skirt she wore underneath.
"It actually works?!" Bai Cheng was stunned. "That's a little ridiculous, isn't it?"
[JK Uniform Set: 0/1]
"What's the big deal? It's just undressing!"
Without hesitation, Bai Cheng kicked off her shoes and began undressing right there on the rail cart, completely disregarding the surroundings.
Sure, it was out in the open, but there was no one around. It's just a bunch of animals. She had nothing to be shy about.
Taking it off and putting it back on counted as one use.
Soon, the clothes in her hands shimmered with golden light, reaching their final upgrade.
[Top-Grade! Temperature-Regulating Summer Outfit!]
[You have gained 1 distributable attribute point!]
"Outfit?" Bai Cheng was puzzled. At a glance, the clothes looked no different from before, just slightly higher in quality.
Curious, she checked the details.
[Name: Temperature-Regulating Summer Outfit]
[Quality: Legendary (Bound)]
[Function: Can freely transform into any summer attire. Self-cleaning and maintains a constant comfortable temperature.]
[Evaluation: One outfit to replace them all!]
Bai Cheng blinked. She put it back on and immediately noticed the difference. The fabric was smoother, and a faint coolness emanated from it, dispelling the oppressive heat.
With a thought, her JK uniform instantly transformed into a floral sundress.
Bai Cheng spun in place, at a loss for words. Only two syllables came to mind: "Damn…"
"What about the shoes?"
She repeated the process, and her little black leather shoes were also upgradeable.
Another golden flash later, Bai Cheng checked the details.
[Name: Versatile All-Purpose Shoes]
[Function: Can transform into various styles of shoes. Self-cleaning and slightly reduces stamina consumption.]
"The shoes are even more useful than the clothes!" She then glanced down at her undergarments. "Then…"
Soon, another golden flash appeared.
[Function: Can freely adjust sizes.]
Bai Cheng: ???
"What does that even mean?! Are you looking down on the letter A!?"