Turns out, planting crops in an apocalyptic world hits different when you've got a System backing you up.
I cleared a patch of dirt behind my cabin....well, "cleared" was generous.
I just stood there holding my fancy hoe while the thing basically did the work itself, tilling a perfect 3x3 grid with each swing.
The soil turned itself over like it was auditioning for a farming commercial.
[Spirit Carrot Seeds x10 purchased]
[Cost: 10 Points]
[Remaining Points: 90]
Ten glowing seeds materialized in my palm, each one pulsing with a faint blue light.
They felt warm, almost alive. I planted them in neat rows, patting down the soil like I actually knew what I was doing....which I don't, not gonna lie...it's actually my first time fingers this sort of thing...
[Spirit Carrots planted]
[Normal growth time: 30 days]
[With Farming EXP Multiplier: 7.2 hours]
[Bonus: God-Level Crafting applied to planting method]
[Adjusted growth time: 3.6 hours]
I stared at the notification blankly.
"Three and a half hours? For a month-long crop!?"
[Affirmative. Your technique was flawless.]
"I literally just shoved them in the ground..."
[Flawlessly.]
"..."
I couldn't argue with results.
A faint shimmer settled over the planted area, like heat waves on summer pavement.
The soil itself seemed healthier already, darker and richer than the sad dirt everywhere else in the village.
"Alright, System. What else can we do today?"
[Suggestion: Upgrade dwelling to unlock additional features.]
I pulled up the Territory Upgrade menu. My "Cozy Cabin" was apparently the lowest tier possible.
The upgrade path looked like a tech tree from a strategy game, except instead of researching gunpowder, I could apparently turn my shack into a literal fortress.
[Upgrade Available: Reinforced Cottage]
[Cost: 50 Points, Wood x20, Stone x15]
[Benefits: +5m territory radius, unlocks Kitchen, +2 building slots]
Wood and stone were listed as "available" in my territory storage.
I hadn't even realized I had storage.
Apparently, the System had auto-collected loose resources within my territory when it initialized.
"Screw it. Upgrade."
[Upgrade in progress...]
The cabin shifted.
Not violently....more like watching a time-lapse of construction....or a fast forward video on a construction site.
Walls straightened themselves.
The gaps in the cabin also got sealed. The roof tiles rearranged into proper overlapping rows.
A stone chimney sprouted from the side like a plant reaching for sunlight.
The whole process took maybe thirty seconds.
When the glow faded, my sad little shack had transformed into something that actually looked livable.
Still humble....but it looks sturdy at least. The kind of place that wouldn't collapse if someone sneezed near it.
[Upgrade Complete: Reinforced Cottage]
[Territory Radius: 55 meters]
[New Feature Unlocked: Basic Kitchen]
I stepped inside.
The interior had reorganized itself. What used to be one cramped room was now divided into a bedroom and a small living space.
And there, against the far wall, was a kitchen setup that would've made my old apartmentn earth weep with envy.
It had Stone counters. A proper hearth. Cabinets that looked hand-carved by someone who actually gave a damn about their job.
[Kitchen allows food preparation. Enhanced meals provide temporary buffs.]
"Damnnn....this is so cool....even food gives buffs now."
A knock at the door interrupted my admiration. I opened it to find a kid....maybe twelve years old, with a mop of red hair and more freckles than face.
"Marcus! Chief says you abandoned your post!" The kid, Tam, according to Marcus's memories, looked worried. "There's people coming and you're supposed to greet them!"
Right. My incredibly important job.
"Tell the Chief I'm coming," I forced out a smile while looking at the boy. "Just had to... handle something."
Tam's eyes went wide as he peeked past me into the cottage. "Whoa. When'd you fix up your place? It looks amazing!"
"Uh. Been working on it....it's a Hobby project."
The kid bought it with the blind acceptance of someone who'd never questioned anything in his life....as expected of a NPC.
He ran off, probably to report back to Grenn.
I sighed and headed to my post at the village entrance.
The sun was climbing toward noon, heating up the dirt and making everything smell like baked earth and chicken droppings.
A few villagers were going about their daily routines....fixing fences, hauling water, existing in that background NPC way that I'd apparently been doing until this morning.
Then I saw them.
A group of five people approaching from the east road.
They had that unmistakable adventurer look....the mismatched armor on them, their weapons that had been used severaltimes on d way here, and the kind of confident stride that said they'd stabbed at least a dozen things before breakfast.
[Entities Detected: 5]
[Threat Level: Low]
[Status: Neutral]
The System helpfully labeled them in my vision.
Leading the group was a woman with silver hair tied back in a practical braid, wearing leather armor that had been repaired so many times it was basically a patchwork quilt now.
Behind her, a tall guy with a massive sword on his back, a nervous-looking mage clutching a staff, and two rogueish types who kept scanning the surroundings like they expected ambush.
They were close enough now that I could make out details. The silver-haired woman had a nasty scar running from her eyebrow to her cheek.
Sighhh.....Time to do my job.
"Welcome to Greenroot Village!" I called out, putting on what I hoped was a friendly smile.
The group stopped. Silver-hair studied me with the intensity that made break out in cold sweat.
Her hand rested casually on the sword at her hip.
"This is Greenroot?" She didn't sound impressed. "We were told there'd be supplies available."
"There's a general store," I said, gesturing vaguely toward the village center. "Old Man Jeb runs it. He's got... basics."
"Basics," the big guy with the sword repeated, his voice dripping with disappointment. "Great. We're hunting Blight Wolves and this place has basics."
The mage stepped forward nervously. "Is there an inn? Somewhere to rest?"
I almost laughed. Pfft, An inn? In Greenroot? We barely had functional houses.
"No inn. But—" I hesitated, then figured what the hell. "I've got space. Just upgraded my place. It's not much, but it's clean."
[Quest Alert: Welcome the Wanderers]
[Offer hospitality to travelers. Reward: Variable based on guest satisfaction]
The System was really trying to turn me into a bed and breakfast operator in the apocalypse.
Silver-hair exchanged glances with her group. "You're offering to let five armed strangers stay in your home?"
"I mean, when you put it that way, it sounds stupid," I admitted. "But you look tired, and honestly? This village doesn't get many visitors. Might as well be friendly."
And I have a quest to do so it's a win-win actually....and obviously I didn't say d last part out loud, but I couldn't stop myself from smiling widely.
She relaxed her expression...and the intensityof her gaze on me. ..Phew
"Alright then, we'll take you on that offer"
she glanced at her battered crew. "The Name's Kira. This is Bron, Elias, and the twins are Rook and Sable."
Bron grunted.
Elias gave a nervous wave.
The twins nodded in perfect sync, which was mildly creepy.
"I'm Marcus," I also gave a nod. "Follow me."
As I led them back to my cottage, I caught Kira studying the buildings....then we got to my cabin...
She was surprised...since it's the only manageable housing she'd seen in the village.
"You built this yourself?" she asked.
"Something like that."
She ran a hand along the doorframe. "These joints are masterwork quality. You're wasting your talent as a village greeter."
If only she knew....sigh.
Inside, the group spread out, examining the space with the practiced efficiency of people who'd slept in worse places. Much worse, judging by their relieved expressions.
"There's a kitchen," Elias said, sounding almost reverent. "An actual kitchen."
[Guest Approval Rating: Rising]
I couldn't help but grin. "Yeah. Just finished it. I could make something to eat if you're hungry."
Five pairs of eyes locked onto me like I'd just offered them the secrets of immortality.
"Food?," Bron looked at me with a raised brow. "Real food....Not trail rations."
"Yes, real food....but I'll see what I can do to make it enjoyable." I made my way to the kitchen with a smile as I looked over at my system's interface.
Time to test out my kitchen .