Acquiring an E-grade monster crystal core didn't necessarily mean facing down a wolf pack. Yet, in practice, these cores weren't items one could just pick up casually. Monsters were still monsters.
Take the horned rabbit Arya had encountered before, for instance. Its attack wasn't particularly strong, but its speed was impressive. Every E-Ranked Demon presented a challenge for the current survivors, no matter how minor it seemed.
As a result, the upgrade materials Arya needed were being gathered slowly. But she didn't mind. Since survivors had these items in circulation, completing the collection was only a matter of patience.
Finishing her work at the desk, Arya grabbed another bucket and flew to the nearby stream with two in hand. She filled them with water and returned, ensuring she wouldn't have to risk fetching water later that night.
Once her chores were complete, Arya used up her three hourly uses of Gathering Art, pulled out the sheet she had just acquired, spread it across her mattress, and began reading the books she had purchased that day.
A quick glance told her that aside from Basic Semiotics and Basic Drawing, the rest resembled functional manuals—or even random essays where authors wrote whatever came to mind. Arya didn't mind.
Her physical condition was weaker than most, and her curiosity about the world around her was insatiable. For someone who couldn't use her legs, every piece of knowledge felt like a gateway to freedom. Even if she remained cooped up at home, her life wouldn't be diminished as long as she could learn.
The success of her crude Magic Potion, sold in massive quantities, confirmed that her accidental breakthrough had been the right path. Learning about this magical world became more than just an interest—it was a necessity. Arya wasn't chasing perfection; she just wanted to live a better life. At the very least, she wouldn't be defenseless like before.
Settling down to seriously read Basic Semiotics, Arya felt a hint of embarrassment. The text focused on the symbolic language of this world: symbols used in rituals, Magic Arrays, and even Alchemy Arrays. For instance, the sun represented "Gold," the moon "Silver," upright triangles meant "Fire," inverted triangles "Water," hourglasses represented Time, and an "M" symbol with a gap denoted Mixing. There were also symbols for Filtering, Dissolving, Boiling, and so forth—all crucial for constructing an Alchemy Array.
Albert's notes had mentioned Alchemy Arrays before, but without diagrams, Arya had only been able to burn wood as a crude substitute. Now, she realized that the function of an Alchemy Array wasn't just controlling flames—it probably involved internal circulation or other processes.
Arya didn't blame herself; she was practically illiterate in this world's magical knowledge. And Basic Drawing was helping her bridge that gap, teaching her how to draw symbols and freehand circles.
She found the lessons fascinating, occasionally sketching on pieces of wood with charcoal. Drawing had always been her strength; her father had even told her she could become a painter one day.
Time passed unnoticed as Arya read. The light from the wall lantern shifted slowly, the night deepened, and the chorus of insects and frogs filled the woods—a tranquil scene undisturbed by anyone.
Drip… drip… drip…
A crisp sound from the nearby desk pulled Arya out of her concentration. It was the notification sound she had set for when an item acquisition completed. The alert sounded whenever the set quantity of a gathered item was reached—and it wouldn't stop until acknowledged.
"Acquisition complete?" Arya muttered, pausing her reading. She had expected it to be food, but it turned out to be monster crystal cores.
Reviewing the records, she noticed that aside from three cores exchanged by different people, the remaining seven had been provided by Natasha—the same person who had sold her a kerosene lighter just yesterday. Natasha must possess a very powerful combat Talent.
Arya's anticipation grew. She clicked the Shelter upgrade button eagerly. A ding sounded, and a window popped up on her panel:
"Please select the upgrade direction:
Expand the Tree Hole Shelter threefold.
Expand the Tree Hole Shelter once, but add a second-floor area."
Second floor?
When Arya had been tossed from the hospital into the slums by two cruel men, she had slept on a hard plank bed, staring at the distant tall buildings, wondering how incredible it would be to live somewhere elevated. Now that she controlled her own small home, she wanted to rise as high as possible.
Without hesitation, Arya clicked Option Two.
The entire Shelter shook violently. Had she not been a ghost, she might have been thrown off her feet. When the trembling stopped, Arya saw three walls of her Tree Hole had magically expanded outward, and the ceiling had risen slightly. In an instant, the Shelter doubled from twenty square meters to forty.
In a corner, a rope ladder woven from vines appeared, leading to a second-floor opening.
"After all that, it's just a ladder," Arya murmured, slightly disappointed. Yet a ladder was practical, saving precious indoor space. She grasped the vine ladder and, using a bit of exertion, floated up to the second floor.
Like the first floor, intricate patterns adorned the room, now about twenty square meters—the same as the original first floor. In essence, the expansion had tripled the total area, staggered vertically.
Arya inspected the second floor thoroughly. It lacked windows, but for a bedroom, that was a minor issue. She decided the first floor would serve as her workshop, and the second floor as a small bedroom. Alchemy work in a windowless room would be suffocating, but the ladder opening presented another challenge: it was too narrow to fit her mattress.
Returning to the first floor, Arya considered her options. Her eyes fell on the panel still resting on the desk.
"…Damn, I forgot about this," she muttered, scratching her head.
She paused, thinking through the logistics of moving the mattress upstairs. The Shelter had transformed beautifully, but even in a magical world, practical problems still required clever solutions.
As she pondered, Arya's mind drifted briefly to the past—the helpless girl in the hospital, the harshness of the slums, the uncertainty of survival. And yet here she was, with a growing collection of knowledge, a secure home, and a network of supportive people. The world wasn't perfect, but it was hers to explore.
She smiled faintly, then turned back to the panel, her fingers hovering over the upgrade functions. Even small actions could shape her life, and she intended to make each one count.
The night deepened outside. Crickets sang, leaves rustled in the breeze, and the faint glow of lantern light highlighted the patterns on her workshop floor. Arya felt a quiet satisfaction.
Knowledge, skill, and persistence were her true strengths. Legs could fail her, the world could challenge her, and monsters could threaten her—but nothing could take away the potential she held.
With a deep breath, Arya resumed her studies. Charcoal in hand, she sketched new symbols, letting her curiosity guide her. The Shelter might have just gained a second floor, but her ambitions reached far higher.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new discoveries, and perhaps new allies. Tonight, though, Arya allowed herself a rare moment of peace—sheltered, safe, and ready to grow.
The second-level Shelter was more than just an upgrade. It was a symbol: of survival, resilience, and the limitless possibilities awaiting a girl who refused to remain powerless.
And in that quiet, lantern-lit room, Arya's mind raced not with fear, but with ideas—plans, experiments, and dreams for a life built on her own terms.
The world might be dangerous, magical, and chaotic—but she would face it head-on, one crystal core, one symbol, and one breakthrough at a time.
.