Still feeling a little annoyed, Vikram opened the chat channel, wanting to check what other Survivors had gained today.
Sure enough, the channel was flooded with discussions about supply drops, and almost every message carried a thick layer of sarcasm.
"Great news, brothers! I got a mobile game recharge card from a chest. Finally, I can top up my online game even in the apocalypse."
"Congrats, bro! I got a ₹50 roadside chaat coupon. When I buy a luxury car someday, I'll take you along to celebrate."
"You people are too materialistic… Learn from me. I got five years of prison theory notes and three years of exam mock papers. Once I become a topper, all your stuff will be mine anyway."
"Brother upstairs, I'll trade you spicy namkeen. Deal?"
"Private message me."
"Hahaha… are you trying to make me laugh to death? I thought getting garbage loot was already the worst fate."
"You're still worse off." ×4
Four different Survivors sent the exact same line at the same time.
The unfortunate fellow who had just complained instantly fell silent, probably going somewhere to mourn his tragic luck.
Watching this chaotic exchange, Vikram couldn't help feeling both awkward and amused by the creativity of modern netizens.
Yet strangely, his mood improved considerably.
What he had gotten was indeed trash, but compared to what the others had opened, his loot seemed pretty good.
"At least my trash can relieve my boredom."
Vikram rubbed his hands together like a fly.
---
Inside his room, Vikram breathed into his palms and rubbed his hands together.
Unlike normal weather changes, the temperature remained constant in the days after the natural disaster struck.
The −20°C temperature lasted all day, and if he hadn't been wearing a cotton coat, even his physique alone would not have been enough to endure it comfortably.
He looked at the trade message from Divya.
[Trader: Divya | Trading Item: Fertile Soil ×1 ton | Required Item: Food ×1.5 kg]
Vikram casually clicked Confirm and then bluntly sent a message.
[Vikram: Any more photos you can send to cheer me up?]
[Divya: Get lost. You wish.] This was followed by a sweating emoji.
Actually, Divya had started regretting sending the message a few minutes after she had sent it last time.
Vikram himself had said he didn't need anything else, but she had still taken a photo and sent it, immediately wanting to retract it.
Who knew that the Survival Platform's chat system worked exactly like Earth's V, and once the time limit expired, a message couldn't be retracted?
Since it had already been sent, Divya could only let it be.
Later, Vikram saw the photo and replied, "Thank you. I'm good."
This left her utterly confused, and she later asked her good friend Anjali what it meant.
Her knowledgeable friend gave her a thorough crash course in internet slang, and only then did she realize that Vikram had played her again.
"But I was wearing something so tight…"
Meanwhile, Vikram had already begun transforming the barren ground into usable farmland.
Following his original plan, he selected a section of the Territory close to the Treehouse where the soil was relatively level and protected from strong winds.
Based on his rough calculations, the total farming area he intended to develop was about 200 square meters, but considering the harsh weather and limited daylight, he could only complete around 50 square meters for now.
First, he used his shovel to remove the upper layer of frozen, nutrient-poor wasteland soil.
After clearing the surface, he continued digging downward to a depth of half a meter, ensuring that the cultivated soil layer would be thick enough to retain moisture and nutrients even during prolonged extreme cold.
Once the pit was ready, Vikram began taking out the fertile soil he had traded for over the past few days.
Ton after ton of rich, brown earth was slowly poured into the pit.
While filling it, he carefully compacted each layer with his boots and the handle of his shovel to prevent future collapse or uneven settling.
When nearly 35 tons of soil had been used, the entire farming pit was finally filled and leveled.
What now lay before him was no longer cracked wasteland, but a stable patch of dark, nutrient-rich farmland.
With this, on the very first day of the Extreme Cold disaster, Vikram's Territory officially stepped into the age of agriculture.
Yet there was no time to celebrate. Darkness had already fallen.
The water supply was secured. The farmland groundwork was completed.
But a far more troublesome issue had now surfaced: Territory-wide lighting.
Inside the Treehouse and around its surrounding area, the Lightfly Vine still provided gentle bioluminescent illumination. Outside, however, the entire Territory remained swallowed by the cold night's shadows.
Without proper lighting, night work, security patrols, farming preparation, and construction efficiency would all be severely restricted.
Vikram made a quick calculation and realized that, to establish a complete lighting system, he still lacked several essential components:
Diesel generators for producing power. Electrical wiring to distribute the generated power. Lighting fixtures, such as bulbs or industrial lamps. Protective poles or mounts to install lights safely in snowy and windy conditions.
Energy control modules or switches to manage power consumption. Weather-resistant housing to prevent damage from freezing temperatures.
Unfortunately, energy-related blueprints were extremely rare at the current stage.
Most Survivors were still trading basic structural designs such as ladders, doors, wooden barricades, and primitive traps. Anything involving electricity or modern infrastructure had yet to circulate widely.
That left Vikram with only one practical option: purchasing something directly from the System Store using Plant Essence.
But so far, the System Store hadn't sold many different items apart from plant-related products.
He had thought about buying more Lightfly Vines, but ultimately abandoned the idea because, although they were useful, each one could only connect to a single plant or tree.
In his Territory, apart from the Treehouse, there were only Thornvines and Spikevines, which wouldn't provide much additional benefit.
He also didn't want to install Lightfly Vines on his Sprout Team. Otherwise, they would become light-based mobile plant warriors.
Lighting, though important for long-term development and quality of life, had always been pushed down the priority list.
Now, with the Extreme Cold beginning to reshape the rhythm of survival, Vikram could clearly feel that the time for hesitation was coming to an end.
Perhaps, with the Survival Platform's recent supply adjustments, advanced blueprints would soon start appearing in Treasure Chests or trade channels.
Until then, his Territory would still have to endure the long, freezing nights, half illuminated by plant-based light and half swallowed by the silent darkness of the wasteland.
But he didn't want to wait any longer.
Vikram had endured more than ten days of dim shadows around his Territory. Now, he wanted his Territory to finally step back into something resembling civilization.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the Plant System Store.
Rows upon rows of strange botanical items appeared before his eyes, seeds, vines, roots, spores, and luminous buds that pulsed softly with green energy.
Originally, his goal had been simple: buy something like a light bulb.
However, just as he was about to search for lighting equipment, something unexpected caught his attention.
A new category had appeared: Utility Illumination Plants.
Curious, Vikram tapped it open.
At the very top was a Green-grade seed that instantly drew his attention.
Lumen Reed Seed (Green)
Price: 50 Plant Essence
Type: Territory Illumination Plant
Growth Time: 3 hours
Upgradeable: No
Daily Plant Essence Generation: +3
Description: A subterranean adaptive plant that burrows into the soil after planting. Upon maturity, it resurfaces vertically like a natural street lamp.
Current Functions: Absorbs sunlight during the daytime and stores bio-energy. Automatically emits stable white illumination during the night.
Light range: 6–8 meters radius. Wind-resistant flexible stem. Requires no fuel or electrical connection.
Role: Basic outdoor lighting infrastructure for Territory development.
Vikram blinked twice. "…A living streetlight?"
He crouched slightly, rereading the description to make sure he hadn't misunderstood.
Unlike electric bulbs, this plant charged itself during the day and released its stored energy at night. It didn't consume diesel. It didn't require wiring. It even produced Plant Essence daily.
For someone struggling with energy scarcity, this was almost a perfect solution.
The price wasn't cheap for a Green-grade item, but compared to installing electrical lighting infrastructure, it was far more economical in the long run.
Without much further hesitation, Vikram made his decision.
This was better than returning to the old world's dependence on machines.
He immediately purchased ten seeds.
As the transaction was completed, faint green motes of light condensed in his palm, forming slender, capsule-like seeds that radiated a gentle warmth.
Looking at them, Vikram felt a rare sense of satisfaction.
The wasteland around him was still frozen and lifeless… but soon, rows of living lights would rise from the earth.
Three hours passed surprisingly quickly.
At first, nothing seemed to change.
The ten Lumen Reed Seeds Vikram had planted around the Territory remained hidden beneath the frozen soil, leaving only faint circular cracks on the surface as signs of their presence.
A cold wind swept across the hills, carrying fine snow that slowly covered the newly dug ground.
Then, the earth began to tremble.
Soft vibrations spread outward from multiple points across the Territory.
Tiny fissures widened, and slender green shoots slowly pushed upward through the hardened soil. They rose steadily, almost gracefully, as if guided by an invisible hand.
Within minutes, each shoot elongated into a tall, flexible stem nearly two and a half meters high.
At the top of every stem, a translucent bud formed, shaped like a narrow lantern carved from living crystal.
The buds pulsed faintly.
Then, as dusk deepened and the last traces of pale sunlight faded behind the mountains…
They bloomed.
A gentle white glow spilled out from each plant, not harsh like electric bulbs but soft and steady, like moonlight condensed into physical form.
Although they had not yet absorbed sunlight, they still possessed enough energy to glow, having only just bloomed.
One by one, the ten living streetlights awakened, illuminating the Territory in overlapping halos of light.
The shadows that had ruled this land for days finally retreated.
Now, light spread not only around his Treehouse but across his entire Territory. Even the path from the entrance of the hills to his Treehouse was illuminated. And if he wished, he could turn the lights on or off with just a thought.
The outline of the defensive Thornvine barrier appeared sharp and well-defined, and he could control its lighting as well.
Even the distant farming ground shimmered faintly under the calm radiance, though he chose to turn off the lights there.
From above, the once-dark valley now resembled a quiet settlement, a tiny civilization carved out of the wilderness.
Vikram stood silently for a moment, genuinely stunned. "…So this is what progress feels like."
Meanwhile, his Sprout Team reacted far more vividly.
The Guardian Sprout waddled toward the nearest glowing reed, tapping its stem cautiously with the edge of its shield.
Finding no danger, it tilted its head upward, staring at the luminous bud with wide-eyed curiosity.
The Warrior Sprout circled another plant like a vigilant patrol guard, occasionally poking the light with the tip of its blade, as if testing whether it was an enemy or an ally.
The Healer Sprout approached more gently.
Its own green aura resonated faintly with the plant's white glow, tiny particles of light drifting between them like silent communication.
The three small companions exchanged excited gestures, clearly fascinated by these new additions to their Territory.
Watching their reactions, Vikram couldn't help but smile. When a notification came.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on becoming the first Survivor in the Wasteland World to illuminate his Territory!]
[Achievement Unlocked: Wasteland's New Radiance.]
[Achievement Gift Pack ×1 received.]
The sudden mechanical announcement echoed in his mind, breaking the tranquil atmosphere.
Vikram blinked in surprise.
"Achievement…?"
"Gift Pack…?"