With 120 Plant Essence in hand, Vikram was indeed a bit overconfident.
After all, his daily net income was 25 Plant Essence, and yesterday he had planted the Aquaheart Root, Warrior Sprout, Lightfly Vine, and two Thornvines. Today, they would mature naturally since he hadn't used any Growth Acceleration on them.
Once matured, they would also begin producing Plant Essence.
So, in his eyes, 864 Plant Essence didn't look particularly costly.
However, at this moment, he hadn't realized that the system's current suggestions were only based on improving the Warehouse.
If he were to apply similar upgrades to the Treehouse itself, the cost would be far higher; perhaps even thousands of Plant Essence wouldn't be enough.
Most of these upgrades only improved quality of life and didn't directly strengthen resistance against large-scale natural disasters.
What Vikram wanted most now was for the acid rain to stop quickly so he could begin hunting again.
Many resources that couldn't be mined directly would likely be obtained from loot boxes dropped by creatures.
With nothing urgent to do for the moment, and unwilling to remain idle, Vikram decided to properly sort through and organize the blueprints and materials he had acquired over the past few days.
Sewing Kit ×1
Antipyretic ×2
Cold Medicine ×3
Bandage ×1
Small Medical Kit ×1
Copper ×4
Fabric ×8
Rubber ×6
Cotton ×5
Fabric Sofa Blueprint
Iron Pot Blueprint
Simple Stove Blueprint ×1
Wooden Ladder Blueprint ×1
Hunting Bow Blueprint ×1
Rainwater Collector Blueprint ×1
Stainless Steel Water Tower Blueprint ×1
Animal Trap Blueprint ×1
Looking at these various materials, he decided to organize the medical supplies first, then the raw materials, and finally the blueprints.
Sewing Kit: Used for emergency wound suturing, an essential item for wilderness survival.
Antipyretic: Used to reduce fever and relieve high-temperature symptoms.
Cold Medicine: Treats common colds and relieves symptoms such as coughing and nasal congestion.
Bandage: Used to dress wounds and prevent infection.
Small Medical Kit: Contains basic medical supplies such as disinfectant and gauze; ideal for treating minor injuries.
Vikram neatly arranged these medical supplies in one of the bedrooms inside the Treehouse, ensuring they could be found quickly when needed.
After placing the medical supplies, various manufacturing materials such as copper, fabric, rubber, and cotton were also placed in the same room.
The first floor, which was currently unoccupied, temporarily became his storage room.
That was precisely why he wanted to complete the dedicated mountain Warehouse as soon as possible.
Finally, it was time to determine the production order for the various blueprints.
Before starting, Vikram glanced outside the Treehouse canopy.
The Guardian Sprout stood near the edge of the territory, its shield arm slightly raised, as if still on silent patrol despite being weakened by the acid rain. Noticing Vikram's gaze, it turned its wooden head slightly and tapped its shield once against the ground.
A dull thud echoed. Vikram smiled faintly.
"Good work."
He then shifted his attention to the newly planted sprouts.
The Aquaheart Root's leaves had already grown thicker, faint veins pulsing with a soft blue light. The Warrior Sprout stood more upright than before, its vine-like limbs slightly more defined. The Lightfly Vine clung quietly to a branch of the Treehouse, faint luminescent specks gathering within its buds.
Seeing that everything was stable, Vikram finally focused on the blueprints.
He carefully studied each one, considering how to use the materials and tools at hand to create these items.
He decided to start by making the Hunting Bow and Animal Traps, as these were the most urgently needed.
Especially now that he had obtained the Warrior Sprout.
With the Guardian Sprout acting as a tank and the Warrior Sprout serving as the main attacker, what he lacked was ranged suppression and support. The Hunting Bow would allow him to contribute without exposing himself recklessly.
As soon as the acid rain stopped, he planned to start hunting.
The materials he currently needed could only be obtained through treasure chests dropped by various prey.
Next was the Stainless Steel Water Tower, to ensure a supplementary water source.
However, what Vikram hoped for was to connect the Aquaheart Root directly to the Stainless Steel Water Tower, allowing a fixed amount, perhaps five liters per day, to be stored automatically.
He had not yet found a way to link the Aquaheart Root's purification output to the Water Tower.
Still, once the infrastructure was complete, the Water Tower could be installed within the Treehouse structure itself.
Then there was the Simple Stove. The Treehouse had limited space for open flames, and although ventilation was better than in his dug-out warehouse, he still needed to plan carefully before installation.
For now, roasting meat over a campfire was enough. As for the Fabric Sofa and Wooden Ladder, he decided to postpone them.
"First, I'll upgrade the bed. Comfort comes from sleep, not decoration."
Only after upgrading his bed would he consider making a sofa.
Finally, he opened the Hunting Bow blueprint.
[Do you want to craft a Hunting Bow? Cost: Wood ×5, Rubber ×1.]
"Yes." As the button was pressed, a brand-new Hunting Bow appeared in his hand.
The bowstring was taut and evenly tensioned. The bow body was smooth and well-balanced, without any visible flaws or cracks.
Vikram nodded in satisfaction.
Just as he was about to test the draw strength, a message appeared.
[Divya: Vikram, are you there?]
After thinking for a while, he remembered that she was the female seller who had sold him corn seeds last time.
Speaking of seeds, Vikram had originally wanted to plant the corn seeds beside the Treehouse, but he gave up on that idea because of the acid rain.
Until he found a complete solution that ensured not a single drop of acidic water would reach them, he wouldn't sow the corn seeds.
He returned to the chat box and typed a question mark, feeling puzzled.
[Vikram: ?]
He didn't recall having any special interaction with this Divya, so why was she sending such an abrupt message now?
[Divya: Can you trade some fever medicine to me?]
[Vikram: How do you know I have fever medicine?]
Divya briefly explained.
Roughly speaking, she had seen someone selling fever medicine earlier, but the price hadn't been agreed upon.
At that time, she didn't have enough stones to trade, so she asked the seller to reserve it for her until she gathered enough.
However, when she finally collected enough stones and returned, that seller had already sold the fever medicine to Vikram for a better price.
Helpless, she inquired about the buyer's name and found him.
What she hadn't expected was that she already had Vikram on her friend list. After all, she had previously sold him corn seeds. During that transaction, because Vikram had haggled, her tone toward him had been somewhat impolite.
Now, she could only say nervously:
[Divya: I apologize for my rudeness last time. I hope you can be magnanimous and sell me the fever medicine.]
It was obvious that Divya rarely apologized. Her words felt stiff and awkward, almost giving Vikram goosebumps.
[Vikram: Are you the one with the fever?]
Vikram wasn't in a hurry. He couldn't continue digging the mountain at the moment anyway, so he replied calmly.
The other party hesitated for a long time before finally telling the truth.
[Divya: It's not me. It's my best friend who has a fever. It's been a whole day already. I hope you can help her. I'm willing to pay the cost of the medicine and give you extra stones as thanks.]
It was truly a moving drama of deep friendship. But what did it have to do with him? Since this was the Wasteland, he didn't care about anyone.
Even when he was on Earth, he had been an orphan, struggling to make a living by doing different types of jobs for little pay. No one had shown him pity or mercy.
Instead, he had become a target of mockery from others. And this place wasn't Earth; it was even worse than Earth. It was the Wasteland.
So how could he show pity to others?
[Vikram: I don't lack stones. Bring out something valuable, and maybe I'll consider it.]
[Divya: But I don't have any graded items left. I've already used the blueprints and such myself.]
[Vikram: Then there's nothing to discuss.]
[Divya: Wait, lend me the fever medicine first. I'll return it to you as soon as I find a rare item.]
[Vikram: That won't do. Who knows if you're trying to get something for nothing?]
Although extremely reluctant, Divya knew what Vikram said made sense. For the sake of her best friend, she had no choice but to grit her teeth, take off the necklace around her neck, and put it up for trade.
[Divya: This is my most important necklace. I'll leave it with you as collateral. When I gather the items you want, I can redeem it from you, right?]
[Vikram: I don't collect junk.]
[Divya: This was my mom's necklace! It's pure gold, you bastard!!]
Divya, on the other side of the screen, was practically fuming. Her heavy breathing caused her ample bosom to rise and fall rapidly.
While Vikram was an orphan and poor, Divya was originally a girl from a well-off family on Earth. Although she had lost her mother early, she had a father who doted on her.
From a young age, she had lived a life where everything was handed to her. If she hadn't been brought to this Wasteland World, when would she ever have suffered such indignity?
After this week of Wasteland survival, she had built a stone house ahead of many Survivors. Although she had received help from her best friend, it was still something to be proud of.
She had thought she had stepped out of her comfort zone, shedding her naivety and sharp temper.
She didn't expect to encounter such a selfish person as Vikram and be immediately angered back into her original temper so easily.
Vikram, upon hearing that it was from her mom, became a little sentimental. Since he was an orphan, he knew the value of a mother. It was a different matter that he didn't care about others, since no one had cared about him.
But still, the word "mom" struck him. He didn't even know whether her mother was alive or dead. But for an orphan, the most precious thing was their parents.
Even if they didn't show it, they still felt it.
Hearing that, he decided to accept it and return it to her later. It wasn't that he couldn't give the medicine to her for free, but since she was still a stranger to him, he decided to show a little kindness rather than outright generosity.
[Vikram: Pure gold, huh? Well, that's acceptable. How did you know I like necklaces the most? If you have trades like this in the future, come to me.]
Divya snorted coldly and initiated the trade.
[Trader: Divya, Item for Trade: Pure Gold Necklace, Required Item: Fever Medicine ×1 Box.]
[Vikram: Wait, before that, I have a small request.]
[Divya: What else do you want?]
Divya was already filled with anger. She was determined that if Vikram tried to take advantage of the situation and ask for more supplies, she would immediately cancel the trade.
[Vikram: Don't misunderstand. I just want confirmation.]
[Divya: …Confirmation?]
[Vikram: A photo of the necklace while you're wearing it. I don't want a fake or swapped item.]
Although he didn't need the confirmation, he just wanted to see her photo. It was simply a small desire that had come to him. What did she look like?
For a moment, Divya froze. Then her anger slightly subsided.
So that was it… verification. Still annoying, but reasonable.
[Divya: You could've just said that earlier.]
[Vikram: I prefer to be careful when trading valuable items.]
Divya clicked her tongue, clearly irritated, but she still raised her hand and took a quick picture, showing the gold necklace around her neck.
The image was sent.
When Vikram saw her beautiful face, he became mesmerized. He couldn't believe that this was really Divya. Her beauty could rival that of Hollywood actresses.
[Vikram: Good. Now I'm satisfied.]
Without wasting another second, Vikram accepted the trade after Divya put the necklace back into the trade interface.
The exchange was completed.
---
After the exchange was completed, Divya took out the fever medicine, blew on the freshly boiled water to cool it, then helped her listless best friend sit up and gave her the medicine.
Ten minutes later, seeing her best friend's complexion improve slightly, Divya finally let out a breath of relief.
But then she remembered that she had sent her photo to him. She had been worried about the medicine and hadn't thought about it at the time, but now she realized it.
That scoundrel hadn't been interested in her necklace; he had wanted to see her photo.
"Damn it," She cursed Vikram countless times, feeling that the bastard was probably doing something weird while looking at her photo.
She even wanted to delete the message, but the Survival System didn't have a delete option.
But after a few minutes, she calmed down. She also felt that although Vikram was a bit of a scoundrel, he wasn't that bad. She knew that in the Wasteland, gold had little value... The necklace wasn't even worth much more than dirt.
But even then, Vikram had traded the medicine with her. It showed that he wasn't a complete scoundrel.