Chapter 497: Special Buff Effect

"And the one who's been whining about being broke and cursing Black Feather! If at this stage you can't even produce this amount of Game Coin, can't scrape together money by selling supplies, then you were already not far from death, and the flood only sped up your demise! Blaming everything on Black Feather is a perfect moral blackmail!"

"Is it that cruel? The one upstairs can't be Black Feather, can it?"

"Cut the accusations, okay! This world is cruel; expecting others to save you is the mistake."

"Right, never mind, even if Black Feather gets more crowded, it can still keep at least one life alive. Vehicles can be repaired, most supplies are waterproof; only when the people are gone does everything truly end. I'm going to raise money right now!"

"But… the weapons have to be handed over! Without weapons, entering is just being a lamb waiting to be slaughtered?"

"A lamb headed for slaughter is still better than a fish that drowns! Besides, if Black Feather really wants to deal with you, would that busted sword of yours be any use? They're clearly trying to eliminate unstable elements. If you want to survive, you have to follow their rules."

"That may be so… but I'm just not willing to accept it! The belongings we painstakingly saved…"

"If you're not willing, keep it and let it ferment in the water with your belongings. I'm out first!"

"Wait for me! I'm going too! Squeezing in a bit is still better than drifting in the water!"

"You… sigh, fine, I'm going too. I'll pay the ticket, I'll hand over the weapons. Sigh."

As Cheng Shuili had initially thought, even if reluctantly, these people still have to pay three times the ticket in Game Coin to enter her safe zone for refuge.

Cheng Shuili watched the regional channel's discussion and the Game Coin column where the numbers kept climbing, and for the first time felt a sense of bewilderment.

Honestly, what's the use of needing so many Game Coins?

Before we had to go to the Jiao Yi Zhan to buy food and various items; now food and fruit can be self‑supplied within the safe zone, and there's even surplus food being sold within the faction, as for items…

The items that can be bought at the Jiao Yi Zhan, Cheng Shuili hasn't lacked for a long time.

Materials for making the Eternal Power Core, she still hasn't seen, and hasn't seen any of them.

She had already posted those materials as quests within Black Feather; with so many members, any currently obtainable item shouldn't be impossible to acquire.

Unless…

Those items are like "Energy Stones" or the "Pinned Cards" that suddenly appeared after the region merged; they only show up after passing certain special milestones.

Then… the server‑wide merge should also count as a milestone, right?

Unfortunately, with the flood raging, Cheng Shuili wanted Su Rui to work, but she can't work today either.

From her high perch, a casual glance outward reveals a sea of silhouettes and… the faction buildings standing around the ancient castle.

After many days of accumulation, the materials for upgrading the faction buildings have been gathered.

The flooding of other factions' territories, united to pressure Black Feather, and Black Feather, as usual…

Cheng Shuili dumped all the matters onto Xinxue and a few others, lazily reclined on the sofa, and began pondering the building upgrades.

During this period, she used the Taotie Furnace every day to the fullest; stone and wood, Black Feather never lacks.

Even the slightly higher‑tier low‑level Energy Cores and iron ingots, Cheng Shuili has stockpiled quite a bit.

Thus, she didn't even prioritize the order of building upgrades, and boldly chose to upgrade everything.

The level‑2 communal canteen will add a dish‑development feature, and Cheng Shuili remains indifferent about it.

Whichever faction has Wan Yi, the top chef, they won't have much hope for this feature.

Even if the feature is excellent, it probably can't surpass humanity's pinnacle technology.

Cheng Shuili looked on with a hint of arrogance, only to realize how absurd her mistake was and how ignorant her arrogance had been.

After the upgrade, the back‑kitchen area will gain a research station; by inputting a specific combination of ingredients and a small amount of Game Coin, there's a chance to develop a limited dish with a special buff effect.

The key is this limited dish!

After eating, the special buff lasts 1–2 hours, e. g., a slight boost to strength, a modest increase in stamina, or enhanced night vision, among others.

The developed recipe will be recorded, and later can be produced steadily by consuming standard ingredients.

Most importantly, the magnitude of the special buff is directly linked to the chef's culinary skill.

The better the meal tastes, the greater its effect…

Cheng Shuili practically sprang from the sofa, eyes fixed on every word of the upgrade description.

With Wan Yi's skill, having her craft these special dishes will likely make the buffs far exceed modest ranges.

This is practically a feature tailor‑made for Black Feather, especially for Wan Yi!

Even better, since the feature appears in the canteen, it means it's not just an exclusive perk for a few elites.

As long as the recipe is successfully developed, with enough ingredients and chefs, it can be mass‑produced and supplied to the entire faction.

This can directly and greatly boost Black Feather members' overall quality; although temporary, such quality is extremely valuable in faction competition.

For ordinary factions, the problem lies in the massive materials needed to upgrade the building to level 2, and the high amount of Game Coin required for recipe development.

But for Cheng Shuili, none of that is a problem!

She even felt a bit pleased: "The use of Game Coin—hasn't it finally arrived?"

If this gets out, who knows how many players it would infuriate.

While delighted, Cheng Shuili turned her gaze to the training ground that had impressed her most during the first upgrade.

The level‑2 training ground also added a feature called "Basic Battle Simulation".

Thinking of the martial arts manual that appeared after the first upgrade, Cheng Shuili was almost eager to try this feature.

Its function is simple: it opens a brand‑new area, allowing up to two members to engage in combat practice within a protected virtual illusion; damage doesn't affect the body, but provides near‑real combat feedback, useful for sparring or testing weapons.

If no player is available as a sparring partner, the venue can generate an all‑purpose companion.

One downside is that the feature requires a low‑level Energy Core to continuously supply power; the specifics aren't detailed, so Cheng Shuili must wait until the building is fully upgraded to see it.

Besides these, there are also additions to the weapon racks and the secret manual wall.

Previously it was only basic knife and sword techniques; after the upgrade, there are advanced manuals.

New instructional books, plus a space for practical combat training…

Cheng Shuili has no doubt that Black Feather's combat personnel will experience a qualitative leap in a very short time!