Living Workshop

"Whew..." Chen Fan took a deep breath before turning to Wang Kui. "Haul these five crates back. Empty them out, then bring them back up." With the crates placed on the crocodile's back, it would take only a few round trips to move everything. Soon, the excavation resumed. No one complained about the filth. Zhou Mo and the others had scrounged for survival out in the wasteland long before the rainy season arrived; none understood the terrors of the Eternal Night better than they did, nor did anyone grasp more clearly what ghost stones meant for getting through the rains—they were the very chips they staked their lives on. In a rainy season where death could strike at any moment, no one was so delicate as to mind a foul stench. Even Da Yu, the only woman in the group, showed not the slightest hint of disgust. At long last, as dusk drew near, the excavation was finished. Laden with bundles and crates, the crew rode back to camp in batches atop the crocodile's broad back. "Are there really no more?" Before leaving, Chen Fan cast a reluctant glance at the surrounding ground. How he wished the beast could dig up yet another cesspool with its forepaws. Alas, the crocodile turned to him with a look of helpless innocence, spreading its short, thick forepaws to show that it was truly out. ... Back at the camp. Qi Chong was alone inside Cave No. 1. Eternal Night had not yet descended, and the ghost fire remained unlit, leaving the interior dim and murky. "You're the best." "You really look gorgeous." "I truly, honestly like you." He lay sprawled on the ground beside the tier-2 farmland, cheek nearly pressed into the soil, whispering heartfelt compliments to the buried Sunflower Seed. His voice had grown raspy from talking without pause. This was an exceptional ghost plant. The more praise it received while growing, the higher its yield and grade would be. Last time, the stationmaster had entrusted him with the Flesh Ghost Mother-Child Seed, but it had matured prematurely because the old camp fell. Though Qi Chong knew he was not primarily to blame, he was the one in charge of agriculture, and he could not shake a lingering sense of guilt. So when the stationmaster gave him the Sunflower Seed, he secretly swore he would nurture this ghost plant to perfection without a single slip-up. It was just that... he had never spoken such sappy words in his life. Though he had moved past the awkwardness and now spoke with relative ease, his severely limited vocabulary kept him from coming up with more sophisticated compliments. He planned to consult Quehou once the stationmaster and the rest returned; of everyone in the camp, Quehou was the only one who had attended a private tutor's school, making him the closest thing to an educated scholar. Right then, a commotion drifted in from outside the wall. Qi Chong pricked up his ears and confirmed that the stationmaster's party was back. After a brief hesitation, he chose not to head out to greet them, preferring to attend to his own duties first. ... Chen Fan stood outside Cave No. 1's wall with a broad smile. With a single thought, he made a section of the wall sink flush into the ground. Zhou Mo and the others hoisted the crates and marched toward the warehouse. Looking into the gloomy cavern, Chen Fan turned thoughtfully back toward the crocodile, which was sprawled on the ground outside, waiting to be fed. He needed a source of lighting. Those glowing stones embedded in the walls of the creature's cave would do nicely. Still... He felt a bit embarrassed to ask. It made him feel as if he were looting a friend's house. Darkness was falling fast. There would be no major construction tonight; it was better to take stock of the camp's resources and upgrade a few basic structures. The second cesspool had yielded far more ghost stones than the first—over a thousand more, given that the first hadn't been full. In total, the camp now held 12,975 ghost stones. A single tier-5 cannon tower cost 480 ghost stones. This haul was enough to forge twenty-seven of them. That was practically enough to establish an interlocking network of firepower across the cliffs encircling the sinkhole. Chen Fan surveyed the structures inside the cave, intending to batch-upgrade the basic facilities, such as the altar and the cabins. At present, the camp had three stone houses, all at tier 3. Wooden cabins had transformed into stone houses upon reaching tier 3, becoming significantly sturdier. Two served as living quarters, while the third functioned as a warehouse. He wanted to see what changes tier 4 would bring. After expending 50 ghost stones, the stone house he resided in was upgraded to tier 4. - [Wooden cabin upgraded to tier 4; evolved into "stone house," significantly sturdier.] [Please select an upgrade path:] [1: Living Workshop — Capable of producing everyday living items.] [2: Artifact Refining Workshop — Capable of forging ghost materials into spirit treasures; requires an artifact refiner in residence.] [3: Alchemy Workshop — Capable of refining ghost materials into pills; requires an alchemist in residence.] - Chen Fan paused, slightly startled. He had assumed upgrading to tier 4 would expand the floor plan or boost comfort. He hadn't expected it to add functional specializations. With no qualitative-change tag, this was evidently the standard upgrade path for all wooden cabins reaching tier 4. The latter two options were ruled out immediately; he had no such specialists on hand. Without hesitation, he chose the first. The next instant, the illusory silhouette of a building formed from glowing white lines, shifting and recombining. When it solidified once more, the structure was worlds apart from the old stone house. It had grown slightly larger, bearing some resemblance to the Vehicle Workshop, though on a smaller scale. Standing in front of the building, he could see an array of tools and equipment inside—such as a sewing machine, a furnace, hammers, and garments hanging from racks. Those hemp garments were the very ones he had previously stored in this cabin. He brought up the status interface of the Living Workshop. - [Building Name]: Living Workshop [Building Grade]: White [Building Level]: Tier 4 [Building Effect]: Capable of producing select special everyday items. Currently available items: 1: Bone Hammer — Consumes a small quantity of ghost creature bones; must be crafted following the standard procedure. 2: Ghost Oil Lamp — Consumes grease from ghost creature bodies; must be crafted following the standard procedure. 3: Ghost-Skin Map — Consumes skin from human skin ghosts, monkey head ghosts, or certain other ghost creatures, plus 1 ghost stone; must be crafted following the standard procedure. 4: Leather Coat... 7: Command Token — Consumes ghost creature bones and a drop of fingertip blood from the lord; must be crafted following the standard procedure. Note: Upgrading to tier 5 requires 500 ghost stones; each upgrade unlocks new craftable everyday items. - Chen Fan fetched a few ghost creature bones from the warehouse and stepped into the Living Workshop. Using tongs, he lifted a bone and placed it into the specialized furnace. Under the intense heat, the bone swiftly began to change color. It did not melt, but gradually took on a faint blue sheen. He looked up at the command token crafting procedure inscribed on a wooden board hanging on the wall. The moment the bone turned entirely blue, he pulled it out and set it atop a nearby iron anvil, seizing a heavy hammer to strike it rhythmically. He struck it precisely forty-nine times. The blue radiance faded. Quickly pricking his index finger, he dripped a bead of fingertip blood onto the surface before plunging it into cold water to quench it. The next moment, the command token was complete. Like the ghost-skin map, it was neither an exotic treasure nor a spirit treasure crafted by master hands, possessing no grade. Its sole effect was that it carried a portion of the authority granted by the architect Chen Fan. Once claimed by a user for the first time, whoever held the token could exercise the permissions Chen Fan had assigned to it—effective only within structures under Chen Fan's name.