Chapter 34: The Treehouse Upgraded Once More

Page (1/3) 【Upgrade!】

The moment Ye Da pressed the selection button…

Whoosh!!!

A golden light rapidly spread from where Ye Da stood. The treehouse finally began to resemble a proper house: the ground was covered with a finely crafted wooden floor, there were room partitions, and even a separate space for the toilet. Moreover, two windows appeared around the wooden house, though without glass—just hollowed frames. Ye Da could feel the night breeze blowing in from outside, carrying a hint of coolness.

But the most marvelous thing was…

The black mist seemed to be completely blocked out, unable to enter at all.

At this moment…

The sky was already turning pale, heralding dawn. Outside, instead of the impenetrable darkness of midnight, wisps of mist drifted by, reminiscent of brushes soaking in an ink basin.

In the center of the living room, which was now covered with wooden flooring, a firepit had appeared. The campfire inside crackled warmly, radiating heat. The two wolf pups, undisturbed by the renovation, were still fast asleep beside the fire.

【Top-tier Treehouse Upgrade Complete!】
【Would you like to store it?】
【PS: When there are people inside, the treehouse cannot be stored or moved.】

Such a large house—Ye Da wondered how it could possibly be stored. Unfortunately, now was not the time to experiment. He resolved that once daylight arrived and he could venture outside, he would definitely test out the treehouse's storage function.

He then checked the treehouse’s attributes and the requirements for advancing to the next tier.

Everything had indeed changed.

【Name: Top-tier Treehouse (Mist World Level 3 Shelter)】
【Top-tier Advancement: 100 units of superior stone, 10 units of superior wood, 1 unit of premium clay, 20 units of glass. Can be upgraded to a top-tier stone house (after upgrading, you can build a fireplace, basic workbench, smelting furnace, potion station, etc…)】

Not only had the shelter's level increased from one to three, but the list of items buildable after upgrading to a stone house now included a smelting furnace and potion station!

It seemed that…

Upgrading the top-tier treehouse brought more than just the ability to store it; it also opened up a high-end development path.

Especially the smelting furnace!

Ye Da had previously wondered about things like iron ingots used for upgrading axes—surely they couldn’t rely solely on opening treasure chests?

The player levels were still low, so dismantling treasure chests for metal ingots might suffice for now, but when they reached advanced stages—say, wanting to forge a full set of metal armor—the amount of metal from chests would certainly be insufficient.

At that point, they would need to refine pure metal from ore, making the smelting furnace essential!

“Ding!”

Just as Ye Da was studying the newly upgraded treehouse, his phone screen suddenly lit up!

Someone had replied?

Ye Da’s eyes brightened, and he hurriedly stepped forward, bending down to pick up his phone from the floor.

President Ning: “I thought I was dreaming! You ended up in this place too? Do you remember how you got here? Is there any way to go back? I have an important cross-border meeting this afternoon.”

It was Ning Qingcheng.

This woman…

Ye Da couldn’t help but let out a wry smile at her message.

At a time like this, she was still thinking only about work!

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But…

She was currently the only person Ye Da could contact, so he quickly replied: “President Ning, I have no idea how I arrived here. I was up late working on a report, fell asleep at my desk, and woke up in this place. May I ask, how did you get here?”

【Message Sent Successfully!】

Luck was on his side today, and he managed to get through.

While waiting, Ye Da felt uneasy, worried the signal would vanish and they’d lose contact again.

It wasn’t that Ye Da particularly wanted to chat with the president—though Ning Qingcheng was certainly an intelligent and attractive woman—but this was hardly the time for flirting!

Given their backgrounds, Ye Da knew there was no possibility between them, so he hadn’t thought along those lines.

The sole reason he wanted to contact Ning Qingcheng was to determine whether he was in a real world or a fantasy one.

Besides…

Having a familiar acquaintance provided a sense of belonging.

As the saying goes, humans are social creatures.

Back in Robinson Crusoe’s day, it wasn’t hunger or illness that nearly defeated him on the deserted island—it was loneliness.

If not for Friday’s arrival, Robinson might have succumbed to despair!

“Ding!”

President Ning: “I was working overtime at the company when suddenly a choking smoke appeared… After that, I remember nothing. I woke up just like you, in this strange place. Do you know how to get back?”

Ye Da: “No, I haven’t found an exit yet—this place is huge. President Ning, if possible, try to add me via the communication channel; my phone battery is running low.”

President Ning: “Alright, I’ll try.”

Ye Da stared at the screen for a while, but Ning Qingcheng’s request never came.

Could it be that, like him, she wasn’t listed in the district?

【Ding!】

Instead of Ning Qingcheng’s reply, Ye Da waited half the day and received an outing notification from the system!

【Newbie Protection Period: Day 2】
【Weather: Mist turning to rain】
【There will be a sudden rainfall today. Please take shelter promptly to avoid catching a cold.】
【PS: Tonight, multiple cold air currents will strike. Players should collect as much wood and other materials as possible, keep campfires burning all night, and upgrade tree hollows to treehouses as soon as possible—otherwise, your homes may not withstand the upcoming extreme cold! Good luck!】

“It’s already six in the morning?”

Ye Da was startled by the announcement.

Because…

It meant his phone might soon lose its signal.

He checked—sure enough, the signal bars instantly vanished.

He tried sending another message to Ning Qingcheng, but, as expected, received a 【sending failed】 prompt.

“Whew!”

Ye Da sighed. It seemed he could only try again tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Unable to contact anyone else, Ye Da focused his attention on the outing reminder—these were crucial warnings, and neglecting them could result in unforeseen dangers!

Ye Da studied the entire prompt carefully, noting the importance of these two lines:

【There will be a sudden rainfall today. Please take shelter promptly to avoid catching a cold.】
【PS: Tonight, multiple cold air currents will strike. Players should collect as much wood and other materials as possible, keep campfires burning all night, and upgrade tree hollows to treehouses as soon as possible—otherwise, your homes may not withstand the upcoming extreme cold! Good luck!】

Rain was understandable.

But the next line…

Tonight’s multiple cold air currents—could this refer to the nightmare knock event he’d encountered?

The prompt urged players to gather wood and keep the fire burning all night.

It seemed…

Ye Da hadn’t misunderstood—fire remained the most effective weapon against such entities!

He returned to the main screen.

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Ye Da checked the number of online users.

【Current district online users: 1,721】

The count had dropped again.

Last night, about 1,850 people had returned to their treehouses on time, but after just one night, more than 120 people were gone.

No need to ask—

Those people must have been taken by last night’s nightmare creatures!

Ye Da looked through the window, confirming that daylight had arrived and the mist outside was almost dispersed. Only then did he pull open the door.

He had been waiting for this moment to open the door, driven by curiosity.

That being from his nightmare last night—was it a ghost or a monster?

“Ee-ah!”

The wooden door opened.

But Ye Da noticed the door seemed…

Much heavier today.

“Uh…”

After pulling it open, he discovered the crude timber door had become a thick vermilion lacquered door.

The massive door was coated with fresh brown lacquer, so smooth it lacked even a single seam—let alone any marks on its surface!

There was nothing!

“Damn, I accidentally upgraded it.”

Ye Da stared at the beautiful vermilion door, speechless.

Because he had erased the clues through upgrading.

Now…

He could no longer confirm what the nightmare entity was—perhaps a monster, or perhaps something unspeakable!

“Forget it. In time, I will learn the truth.”

Ye Da’s character was open-minded.

Since nothing could be done, he quickly chose to let go.

【Top-tier Treehouse (Storable)】
【Store!】

The moment Ye Da stored the treehouse, a flash of white light blinded him!

When he opened his eyes again, the entire treehouse had collapsed into a small sphere, dropping at his feet.

The sphere was only the size of a ping-pong ball.

Looking back at the spot where the treehouse had stood, the tree trunk was fully restored, showing no trace of the previous tree hollow.

As if…

Neither the tree hollow nor the treehouse had ever existed.

“Amazing.”

Ye Da picked up the round, translucent orb and saw a section of tree stump inside, with a vermilion wooden door in its center.

“So this is what my treehouse looks like when shrunk? It’s a bit like a model.”

Gazing at the small orb in his hand, Ye Da suddenly thought of the capsules from Dragon Ball.

Those capsules could also contain anything!

Ye Da placed the treehouse into his backpack, even though it took up a storage slot—after all, it was far too important. He dared not simply put it in his pocket: if he lost it…

He would be left without a home.

After storing the mobile treehouse, Ye Da, as usual, used his analysis glasses to scan in four directions.

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