【Ding! System has detected that the host has completed the Main Quest “Prosperity of the Shelter,” and the shelter’s comprehensive development index has reached a milestone.】
【The host has established a relatively complete management system, the robot force has begun to take shape, and various infrastructure facilities are gradually improving.】
【The next phase of the Main Quest has been generated—】
【Main Quest: Rise of the Shelter - Final Chapter】
【Quest Objective: Develop the “Terminal Station” shelter into a fully functional, self-sufficient, large-scale survivor base.】
【Core Metrics—】
【Population: Successfully recruit and accept 10,000 Official Tenants (excluding existing tenants).】
【Time Limit: 90 natural days in the current plane.】
【Current Progress: 0/10,000】
【Time Remaining: 89 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes】
In addition to these regular metrics, for the quest to be considered complete this time, there were also supporting facility metrics, including residential facilities, medical facilities, food production, energy facilities, water source facilities, and more.
Each item had specific requirements.
【Quest Rewards—】
【Points +5,000,000】
【Unlock Authority: Large Building Cluster Planning Authority (Allows for the planning and construction of larger-scale functional building clusters around “Terminal Station”)】
【Unlock Authority: Area Control Authority (Allows for the expansion of the “Absolute Safety Zone” to the entire shelter planning area, no longer limited to a single building)】
【Unlock Blueprint: High-Level Ecological Cycle System (Can meet the food needs of over 5,000 people)】
【Unlock Blueprint: Integrated Energy Center (Solar/Biomass/Backup Energy, meeting the energy needs of a large-scale base)】
【Unlock Blueprint: Water Treatment Plant (Daily processing capacity of 500 tons)】
【Unlock Function: Remote Communication System (Allows for stable communication between the shelter and informants stationed outside)】
【Obtain Item: Large Infrastructure Acceleration Card ×1 (Reduces the construction time of any single large infrastructure project by 50%)】
【Obtain Item: Advanced Supply Crate ×3】
【Obtain Random Lucky Draw Chance ×2】
The failure penalties, besides the deduction of a large amount of Points and a decrease in the operational efficiency of existing facilities, included the most critical factors...
【Tenant Loyalty will drop significantly, potentially leading to large-scale loss of residents】
【The next phase of the Main Quest will be permanently locked and cannot be triggered again】
Su Wan watched the long list of quest requirements on the system panel, her pupils contracting slightly.
Ten thousand tenants.
Ninety days.
Ten supporting facility metrics, each needing to be built from scratch or upgraded from basic to level two.
This was no longer just an “expansion”; this was building a small town from the ground up.
And the most important metric for development was the number of people!
By now, almost all the vagrants in the Ruin Zone surrounding Panshi City knew of Terminal Station’s existence. Before long, vagrants from the entire Ruin Zone would gather here.
Therefore, as the Landlord behind Terminal Station, she had to expand her market and let more people know about the shelter’s existence.
Only with a continuous stream of population could Terminal Station keep growing and strengthening.
So, she had to go out and see what this world really looked like now.
With her mind made up, Su Wan used the Central Hub to find an old hunter.
In less than ten minutes, Black Rat led the old hunter to the door of Room 102.
The man was in his fifties, his hair was grizzled, and the wrinkles on his face were as deep as if carved by a knife.
He wore a faded old hunting suit and had a slight hunch in his back, but his eyes were startlingly bright.
“Landlord, this is Old Zhao. He was born in the Outer City and entered the Ruin Zone in his teens. He’s lived in the Ruin Zone for over forty years. There’s not a part of Panshi City’s Outer City or Ruin Zone that he isn’t familiar with,” Black Rat introduced.
Old Zhao stood at the door, looking a bit lost.
“Come in,” Su Wan’s voice came from inside.
Old Zhao quickly stepped inside, standing awkwardly in the corner and keeping his head down, not daring to look around.
Su Wan sized him up.
He was an ordinary old hunter, not even a Level 1 Ability User. To survive in the Ruin Zone until this age, he relied not on strength, but on his wits.
“Old Zhao, I’m planning to take a trip to the Outer City. You lead the way.”
Old Zhao froze, looking up with a flash of disbelief in his eyes.
“The... the Landlord is going to the Outer City?”
Su Wan nodded.
Old Zhao was very excited and wanted to say something, but in the end, he just nodded heavily. “Alright! It’s my good fortune that the Landlord has a use for me!”
Su Wan thought for a moment. “We’ll head toward the Outer City. There’s no rush; we’ll look at whatever we see along the way.”
Old Zhao nodded. “Understood! Then we’ll head southeast first, crossing through Area A7 and Area A6. Once we reach the edge of Area A5, we’ll be able to see the Outer City walls.”
“The journey is about... thirty-some li.”
For Su Wan, who was at Level 3 Late Stage, such a distance was only a matter of a few minutes.
But this was her first time truly stepping out of Terminal Station—not to find something or to run for her life, but to see the world.
“Let’s go.”
Su Wan changed into inconspicuous dark clothing and followed Old Zhao out of the Terminal Station building.
As they walked, Su Wan occasionally saw a few figures rummaging through the ruins.
These people were tenants.
When they saw someone passing by, they would look up warily, then quickly lower their heads again to continue their work.
Noticing Su Wan’s gaze, Old Zhao immediately explained, “Those are all scavengers.”
“The most common people in the Ruin Zone are scavengers.”
“They rummage through the ruins for things they can trade for money—metal, parts, junk from the Old Era. If they’re lucky, they might find a few Energy Crystal Cores or a small piece of gold.”
“If they’re unlucky... they find nothing at all.”
He paused before adding, “In the past, scavengers used to fight and fight over territory all the time, all just to survive.”
He sighed and continued walking. “This Ruin Zone used to be a city, too.”
“The elders say that a long, long time ago, Panshi City was ten times larger than it is now. There were houses and people everywhere. Later... no one can say for sure what happened.”
“All we know is that overnight, the city was gone, and the people were gone. Those who survived retreated into the Inner City and built high walls. Everything out here became ruins.”
Listening to this, Su Wan’s heart stirred slightly. “Overnight?”
Old Zhao nodded. “That’s what the elders say. They say something fell from the sky, and then there was fire, smoke, and earthquakes. It was as if every disaster imaginable descended upon this land that night. When everything finally calmed down, the city was gone.”
“Ever since then, we’ve had the Death Tide.”
He pointed toward the hazy grey horizon. “Once every seven days, regular as clockwork. Some say the Death Tide is a curse left behind by that disaster; others say something is behind it. Who knows.”
From Old Zhao, Su Wan learned many more specific details.
Rate on N.U.
