Chapter 20: The Genetic Serum

For the next three days, Chen Zhuo’s mornings began and ended with one thing: hunting.

He rose before dawn and worked until dusk, but his efficiency remained stubbornly low. It wasn’t just that game was hard to find—most of his time was wasted walking through the same barren stretches of land.

In total, he’d managed to kill only four rare-tier creatures and two exquisite-tier ones. Most of the credit went to the meadow he’d stumbled upon—a lush patch of grass that, almost daily, yielded at least one viable target.

Notably, the acid rain hadn’t turned every creature into a monster. Some animals remained unchanged, normal as ever. Not a bad thing, really—but it slowed down Chen Zhuo’s progress in collecting Crimson Fragments.

Even worse? Rare-tier Crimson beasts didn’t always drop fragments. Out of the four Crimson creatures he’d taken down, only two dropped shards. The other two were actually regular animals—no mutation, no loot.

That night, sitting on his bed gnawing on roasted deer meat, Chen Zhuo scratched his head in frustration.

Three fragments. That’s all he had. Still miles away from the Crimson Gem.

He swallowed the less-than-delicious meat and was about to push himself harder when a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

【Congratulations, Host. Happiness Points have broken 200 for the first time. System upgrading… please wait.】

“Again?”

Now he was fired up. Every system upgrade meant new features—and freebies. Last time, he’d gotten the Shelter Analysis function and a generator. This one had to be just as good.

“Wait… did my Happiness Points really climb this fast?”

While the system upgraded, he glanced at his current shelter facilities:

【Precision Stone Hut: Happiness Value: 60】
【Stone Bed: Happiness Value: 20】
【Stone Table: Happiness Value: 12】
【Stone Bench: Happiness Value: 8】
【Basic Drainage Channel: Happiness Value: 10】
【Safe, Stable Water Source: Happiness Value: 120】

He hadn’t even realized it, but his total happiness value had quietly reached 230. Add in the fact that he’d upgraded from rare-tier pork to exquisite-tier venison over the past few days—three meals a day, just eating, gave him 15 Happiness Points per day.

That made 38 points daily. In three days, that was over 100. And as his shelter kept improving, that number would keep multiplying.

And let’s not forget—he hadn’t even counted the space system he’d dug out himself. Once he followed the system’s blueprint and rebuilt everything properly, that alone would add a massive chunk to his happiness score.

【……】
【Ding. Upgrade successful. New feature unlocked: Biological Detection】
【This feature allows the host to detect nearby lifeforms more easily, enhancing environmental awareness and hunting efficiency.】

“Now *this* is what I call a timely gift,” Chen Zhuo muttered, grinning. “The system’s like a guardian angel who shows up right when you’re about to trip.”

“Next time I’m stuck, I should just whisper a prayer. Might get another upgrade.”

【Ding. Received Advanced Reward Pack X1. Open?】

“Yes.”

【Congratulations! You’ve received:
- High-Grade Thermal Suit (Blue)
- Pure Goose Down Quilt (Blue)
- Premium Latex Pillow (Blue)
- Luxury Carpet (Blue)
- Biogas Power Generator (Purple)】

“Whoa.”

To be honest, he could handle the first four. But the last one? That was borderline ridiculous.

His shelter still didn’t even have electricity. The old generator sat dusty in the corner, gathering cobwebs. Now the system drops a *biogas power generator* on him?

He couldn’t help but wonder if the system was mocking him—like, “You’re moving too slow. Let’s speed things up.”

Seriously, since arriving in this wasteland, he hadn’t once slept in late. If *that* counted as laziness, then he was doomed.

Shaking off the thought, he grabbed the goose-down quilt and pillow and carried them to the bed.

“Now that I’ve got bedding, it’s time to upgrade this stone slab into something decent.”

If it weren’t for the duck-down coat he’d been using as a mattress, sleeping on the stone floor would’ve been torture.

Sure, he’d slept soundly these past few days—thanks to exhaustion from waking up at dawn and working till dark. But he wasn’t about to relive that bone-crushing morning feeling again.

From his pack, he pulled out the latex pillow he’d gotten from a recent loot box and immediately initiated the upgrade.

【Stone Bed → Latex Bed | Happiness Value: 30】

He surveyed his new bed. The size had expanded from single to double—plenty of room for an adult to stretch out without hanging off the edge. The frame was solid wood, supporting a thick, plush latex mattress covered in soft, warm fabric.

Pressing down gently, he felt the mattress give slightly, then slowly rebound—springy, supportive, luxurious.

Lying down, Chen Zhuo exhaled. The difference was instant. His back and spine were cradled perfectly. Tension melted away. The fatigue of the past three days vanished like smoke.

“This is it.”

He stood, now holding over 200 Happiness Points—more than enough to splurge. He opened the System Store, eyes locked on a single item:

**初级基因药剂 (Basic Gene Serum)** — 200 Happiness Points.

His finger hovered over the purchase button.

【Ding. Purchase successful. Received: Basic Gene Serum X1】

The serum came in a clear glass vial, minimalist design. Inside, a deep blue liquid swirled, dotted with tiny glowing specks—like stars reflected in a midnight sky.

Shaking it gently, the liquid pulsed faintly with inner light. Each molecule seemed alive.

He uncapped it. No smell. Just a whisper of coolness escaping as the seal broke.

No hesitation. He drank it down.

A wave of warmth spread through his body. Cells sang.

【Happiness Points +80】

Power surged through his limbs. Strength, speed, reflexes—all sharpening. His senses snapped into focus.

He clenched his fist. A surge of raw power shot through his arm. He swung forward—wind howled behind the punch.

A grin split across his face.

“Holy crap. I could probably punch a bull into next week.”

He checked his character panel:

**Host: Chen Zhuo**
**Strength: 8 + 10**
**Speed: 8 + 10**
**Stamina: 10 + 10**
**Reaction: 9 + 10**

Sitting back on the bed, eyes closed, he soaked in the transformation. The effects were still building. He could feel his body becoming stronger, sharper.

“Damn. Feels like I’ll be able to wear my pants outside soon.”

Lying there, he mapped out tomorrow’s plan. He had 92 Happiness Points left. Just needed steel—then he’d be ready to rebuild the shelter.

Why buy the serum instead of upgrading the shelter first? Simple: the serum would return some Happiness Points after use. So he boosted his body *and* kept momentum on his base.

Win-win.