A single-player post-apocalyptic game, but with an all-female teammate mod.

Let's see what we've gained first.

After taking a big gulp of water, Aono had an idea and opened his backpack.

24. Ark Upgrade

The first thing that catches the eye is the doubled amount of gold coins.

Next came a large quantity of materials.

[Withered mycelial core], [hardened skeletal plates], [sharp claws], [parasitic sporangia]...

There were many in both quantity and variety, but nothing new.

Aono's eyes scanned the area repeatedly. "Not this one, not this one either..."

Finally, his gaze settled on a large number of materials.

【Heart of Symbiosis】×1

Looking at this material, which was the smallest quantity and there was only one of it, Aono was happier than when he saw all the materials combined.

We've finally got our hands on the key item for upgrading the Ark.

The situation was critical at the time, and he had no time to check the notifications, so he was unsure whether the Symbiotic Heart had actually been revealed.

He would have forgotten to collect the loot if the system hadn't prompted him.

It seems that good deeds are indeed rewarded.

If he hadn't gone back to rescue Dudu and General Thunder, he certainly wouldn't have obtained the Heart of Symbiosis.

The Symbiotic Heart is a special item that is almost always dropped by the mycelial heart.

As for the two bosses, they only provide more experience, gold coins, and materials.

Coincidentally, Dudu killed the short zombie, and although the giant zombie eventually self-destructed, Qingye was the one who fought it last, so the system counted him as the killer.

I've received all the rewards for defeating both bosses.

Looking at it this way, although the process was extremely dangerous, the final reward was worth the danger.

However, Aono was not satisfied.

"It could have been much easier and safer..."

He closed his backpack and secretly resolved to continue becoming stronger.

If he's strong enough to crush the boss, then no matter what happens, it won't have any impact.

However, Aono had no idea how to do it.

After all, he had only been in this world for less than a month, and there were still many things to explore.

Aono stuffed the last cookie into her mouth, brushed the crumbs off her hands, stood up, and looked at Dudu.

"Dudu, how was your rest?"

The girl with long orange-red hair nodded. "Walking home will definitely not be a problem."

Of the three, she was the weakest in combat and had a worse recovery ability than Aono, but fortunately, her injuries were much less severe.

The two stood up and their gazes fell simultaneously on the purple-haired older woman who was still lying motionless on the ground.

"What should we do about her?" Dudu asked softly.

Aono took a few steps closer, waved his hand in front of General Raiden's eyes, and then gently touched her shoulder.

no response.

"Just don't resist."

Aono said something in a low voice, took the naginata that the purple-haired woman was holding tightly and put it into her backpack, then squatted down and bent over decisively.

He slipped his arms under her knees and back, and with a little effort, lifted her up in his arms.

General Thunder is tall and voluptuous, but surprisingly light in weight.

Her long purple hair fell down, the ends brushing against Qingye's arm, smooth and silky, like being caressed by cool silk.

Dudu, watching from the side, was a little stunned. "Brother Qingye, are you just going to carry him back like this?"

"What else? Leave her here?" Aono adjusted his position to make sure he was holding her securely. "Let's go, it's still a long way to go."

The girl didn't say anything more and quickly followed.

The setting sun cast long, slanted shadows of the three people.

Aono walked at the front, holding the Thunder General, who was as quiet as if he were sleeping, in his arms.

Dudu followed behind him, occasionally looking up at the gradually darkening sky, then looking down and kicking away the pebbles at her feet.

Speechless all the way.

Only the sound of footsteps and the occasional whistling of wind in the distance could be heard.

Only when the somewhat heavy hatch of the Ark slowly opened in front of him did Aono finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He carried General Thunder inside and gently placed her on the metal floor.

He rubbed his slightly sore arms. "Finally home."

Aono looked at the red-haired beauty whose face was still covered with ash and dried bloodstains, and then glanced at the Thunder General who was still unconscious and covered in filth and battle marks.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Dudu, take General Thunder to the bathroom for a bath first."

"Huh? I'm taking her with me?"

Dudu paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked at the purple-haired older woman on the ground, feeling a little helpless.

"Yes, thank you for your trouble." Qingye said with a hint of regret, "I would like to help General Raiden wash, but upgrading the Ark is more important right now."

With the Ark upgraded and the level cap unlocked, I'll definitely be able to level up directly with the experience I've accumulated over the past few days.

Then your physical condition will be able to recover directly.

"Of course, you don't have to force yourself if you really don't want to."

Aono added with a smile, "You go wash first, and I'll bring General Raiden to wash together after I upgrade the Ark."

Dudu pouted, ignored Qingye, and decisively carried Raiden General towards the bathroom.

Two beauties, one in red and one in purple, one youthful and one mature, entered the bathroom.

Then, faint sounds of fabric rustling and water flowing could be heard from inside the door. Aono didn't linger and went straight to the control panel.

"I'm going to upgrade the Ark. Call me if you need anything."

A deep blue light enveloped the control panel.

Aono took a deep breath and took out the [Heart of Symbiosis] from his backpack.

It is no bigger than a fist, and its body is a translucent emerald green with fine veins covering its surface, as if it is slowly pulsating.

Each pulsation of light subtly resonated with the vibrations of the ark itself.

"submit."

As Aono confirmed the submission, the verdant Heart of Symbiosis transformed into a dazzling, colorful beam of light and merged into the control panel.

With the last key element completed, the dimmed "Upgrade" option in the console finally became bright.

Without hesitation, Aono extended his index finger and clicked.

hum!

The entire ark shuddered violently, as if a sleeping behemoth had been awakened.

A blinding golden light burst forth from the console, and countless data streams frantically flooded the screen.

The once silent metal walls began to rumble and operate, and the energy pipes under the floor lit up one by one, as if they had been injected with new life.

Aono took a half step back, watching as the captain's cabin underwent a transformation at a visible speed.

New pipes extend from the ceiling, hidden modular interfaces unfold in the walls, and complex patterns never seen before appear on the floor.

Finally, the entire room was completely enveloped in a deep blue energy glow.

For a fleeting moment, the entire Ark base seemed to detach from the physical rules of reality and enter a brief interlude of some kind of high-dimensional reconstruction.

Meanwhile, even bigger changes are taking place in the outside world.

On the land shrouded in thick, dark clouds, ruins vanished and disappeared, replaced by skyscrapers that exude a futuristic feel.

Even the gray sky gradually distorted and tore apart, eventually turning into a clear blue.

But all of this was kept out of the Ark's newly upgraded protective shield.

All the changes were happening silently, yet they carried a breathtakingly powerful momentum.

It seemed like a long time had passed, yet it also felt like only a moment.

The eerie blue light faded, and a brand-new captain's cabin appeared before Aono.

Before he could even take a closer look at the changes in the Ark, a series of system notifications popped up like a screen full, almost filling his entire field of vision.

[Ark upgrade successful]

Current Level: Lv.2

[Shop Unlocked]

[Training Grounds Unlocked]

Dormitory unlocked

[Warehouse Unlocked]

[Level cap unlocked]

[New Map Unlocked]

[New NPC Unlocked]

New enemies unlocked

[New resource points unlocked]

[More system features unlocked]

At the same time, a familiar warm current began to flow and circulate in my body.

This feels like an upgrade.

When the heat subsided, the body, which had been exhausted and nearly seriously injured, was instantly refreshed.

With abundant Qi and blood, one's condition returns to its optimal state.

"The level cap has been raised!"

Aono comfortably squinted his eyes and let out a long breath.

But amidst his joy, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily, and he couldn't help but mutter a complaint under his breath.

"It's said to unlock more system functions, but it's not that simple yet. I still have to figure out everything myself."

Despite his complaints, he was still in a good mood at the moment.

The benefits of upgrading the Ark far exceeded his expectations.

Unlocking the level cap is just one aspect.

While other functions still require some exploration, there are a few that are quite impressive just from their names.

After turning off the notifications, Aono didn't rush to investigate but instead looked towards the bathroom behind him.

25. Changes from the upgrade

The captain's cabin appears to be integrated with the Ark; as the Ark was upgraded, the captain's cabin also underwent significant changes.

Therefore, the bathroom, which is also part of the captain's quarters, should also be affected.

I wonder if Dudu, who's taking a bath in there, will be startled...

Aono smiled slightly before turning to observe the changes in the captain's cabin.

If the first-class captain's cabin was just a small room, after the upgrade it becomes a fully functional single apartment.

Living room, kitchen, bathroom, and office area.