My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse - Chapter 313

Chapter 313: Chapter 313 System Upgrade To Level 5
“No, 008, I know you didn’t cause this. I’ve been unfairly blaming you for all the chaos, but I’ve realized that our fates are intertwined. Whatever happens to me also affects you, so it’s clear you’d do everything in your power to help me. And, as you always remind me, it’s not your fault we’re in this mess.” Kisha sighed, struggling to see 008 in distress, just as she had a hard time dealing with Duke’s sadness and worry.

Perhaps it was because they had been through so much together, with 008 standing by her side through countless life-and-death situations. Kisha realized that her constant blame had been unfair, but 008 never complained or voiced any grievances.

She heard 008’s childlike voice sobbing softly in her mind. It tried to be silent, but after being bound to her for so long, it had developed its own consciousness and perhaps learned to feel emotions. Realizing this, Kisha understood that 008 was hurting too. She felt a pang of guilt for always chiding 008 because of its constellation, knowing now that it had its own struggles and feelings.

“Don’t cry. I’ll make sure to complete all my missions with flying colors. Unlike before, I can now see clearly how to tackle the missions, and I’ll create a plan based on that.” Kisha reassured 008, speaking with a gentle tone as if comforting a child.

“Really?! Will we be able to complete the missions?” 008 choked on its own tears, seeking reassurance, its voice trembling with a genuine fear of seeing Kisha in danger again.

“Have I ever lied to you before?” Kisha asked with unwavering confidence, determined to offer 008 the comfort it needed.

“Yes, you did,” 008 responded bluntly, leaving Kisha momentarily stunned as if she had been slapped in return for her reassurance. However, 008 was too absorbed in its own emotions to notice Kisha’s discomfort and wanted to continue proving its point. Annoyed but resolute, Kisha just wanted to focus on completing the final upgrade to reach level 5.

“Get ready for the upgrade to System Level 5,” Kisha said with a frustrated sigh.

[System Upgrade to Level 5 Authorization]

[Cost: 20,000 points]

[Accept] or [Decline]

Kisha promptly accepted the authorization request and spent her remaining points. Although this left her with no points for emergencies, she was resolute. She decided to face future challenges as they came, knowing that there was no foolproof plan anyway. She would adapt and find solutions based on the circumstances.

After Kisha had calmed down and Duke grasped some of her thoughts, he refrained from pressuring her for more details about her secret. Recognizing that she was gradually opening up and sharing what she could, he chose to respect her pace and not rush her.

After he saw her calm down and looking better, Duke wanted them to stay in the room and rest, believing that physical relaxation would help Kisha’s mental state and allow her to work more effectively the next day. However, Kisha felt differently; she insisted that they couldn’t afford to relax just yet, as there were pressing matters requiring her immediate attention. Duke, recognizing her determination, still felt it was important for her not to handle everything on her own.

In the end, they returned to the square, where Kisha directed Sparrow and the others to assist Mike at the ranch with butchering 80% of the male livestock. Additionally, she instructed them to help Gant catch the mature fish from both the lake and the sea. This was crucial to prevent an imbalance in the aquatic ecosystem due to overcrowding, which could lead to a tragedy where the aquatic life would suffer and potentially die from a lack of oxygen underwater.

Kisha then contacted Aston, asking him to mobilize some of his soldiers and arrange for a truck to transport a load of supplies to the Supply Center. This included vegetables harvested by Marcus, a small batch of previously butchered ducks, chickens, cows, sheep, goats, and other available livestock from her territory.

Aston and his soldiers were pleased to hear the news. They had already set up a generator to power the Supply Center, which was still under construction. They had arranged for both small and large refrigerators to be stocked with the meats. The main hall of the Supply Center was nearing completion, with only some remodeling left to finish. The warehouse at the back was partially laid out and awaited the completion of the main hall’s renovations before work could begin in earnest.

For now, all the supplies were stored in the main hall, making them visible to everyone coming and going. This visibility motivated people to work harder to earn more work points and secure better food each day. The leaders decided not to hide the supplies but instead stationed a few soldiers to guard the main hall, using the display of resources to encourage greater effort and productivity.

According to Mr. Winters, a significant number of people had already exchanged their work points for supplies. This not only boosted morale but also increased everyone’s seriousness about their work. As a result, productivity surged and the pace of the project accelerated.

The leaders had reached a consensus on how much to allocate to each worker based on their field and set reasonable prices for supplies at the Supply Center. This ensured that all workers could obtain a good amount of food daily. Once things were more settled, they planned to switch to a weekly payroll system. For now, Mr. Winters was actively hiring for the payroll department to manage records for each department. This would centralize and streamline data, making it easily accessible to the Supply Center. This improvement would eliminate the need for paper-based transactions with signatures, reducing both the workload and the potential for messiness or potential for falsified documents.

Mr. Winters, with his keen business acumen, was determined to ensure the base operated smoothly and efficiently with a solid system in place. However, implementing a centralized system required hiring a team of programmers to design and manage the workflow. This, in turn, necessitated a reliable electricity supply throughout the base. Currently, they relied on generators, which in turn depended on a steady supply of gas.

Gas, being a consumable resource, was not a sustainable long-term solution for their electricity needs. Even if they sent warriors out to gather more gas, it wouldn’t resolve their underlying electricity problem. This issue was critical as it could directly impact the supplies in the Supply Center, where much of the food, including fresh meat and vegetables, relied on refrigeration to stay viable.

Sure, they could fall back on canned and dry goods like other bases and shelters have, especially since most facilities were damaged after the apocalypse. However, everyone knew that relying solely on these non-perishable items would lead to poor nutrition and weaken the base’s population. Canned and dry goods have their limits, and a balanced intake of fresh food was essential for maintaining strength and health.

Unlike other bases, they had a steady supply of fresh goods, not just canned and dry. Therefore, they planned to reserve the canned and dry supplies for missions outside the base, as these were more convenient for transport. Meanwhile, they would keep the fresh supplies within the base to ensure their availability and quality.