Chapter 84 Leaving

Each time after drinking an enhancement potion, aside from needing to do adaptive training to quickly master new bodily functions, Bai Xiao also needed to spend considerable time training herself on how to avoid sensory overload.

For example, more acute hearing—if she didn't learn to process and block out noisy, useless information, it would place a continuous burden on her brain, becoming extremely bothersome.

But this issue couldn't be resolved in a short while; it would take at least one or two days of training.

Before continuing to purchase items from the Game Mall, Bai Xiao planned to first organize all her supplies to see exactly how much more space she would need to pack everything away.

First were food and water. Currently, she still had three and a half storage slots of instant meals—staples, meats, dietary fiber, and the gourmet food she had ordered before. Fresh ingredients, seasonings, and side dishes occupied another slot. Small bottles of mineral water, barrel drinking water, and a water tank filled with tap water each occupied one slot.

Previously, without having acquired shelving, the food within the storage slots was piled up haphazardly, wasting some space. This forced Bai Xiao to temporarily move half a slot of supplies to the vehicle. After procuring shelves from the wholesale market, this problem had been resolved.

This way, excluding the tap water and fresh ingredients, the remaining food and water totaled five storage slots. She wanted to buy two expanders to enlarge a single slot, which would be just enough to hold all these ready-to-eat supplies, thereby freeing up four storage slots.

Of the remaining storage slots, two were filled with energy supplies like gasoline, diesel, lubricating oil, etc.

Another three storage slots held: one for clothes and bedding; one for hygiene, bathing, cleaning, personal care items, etc.; and the last one for medicine, various tools, outdoor survival gear, previously purchased weapons, and other miscellaneous items.

The final storage slot had already been enhanced with an expander. It currently held that off-road vehicle, which was empty inside. Bai Xiao considered that if she needed to take the vehicle out for use later, it would be best to store some supplies in it. Otherwise, if she had to retrieve items from the storage slot on the spot while with others, it would ultimately be inconvenient.

Thinking this, she placed some clothes, outdoor survival supplies, various tools, and about two weeks' worth of food in the vehicle for emergencies.

As for the four freed-up storage slots, one was used to store the several generators she had stockpiled along with related accessories, the inflatable assault boat, rubber dinghy, and related supplies. The items previously gathered with everyone at the wholesale market and office building were also placed inside.

This left her with three empty storage slots available. Bai Xiao looked around this new home she hadn't lived in for long. Since she had just moved in, she hadn't actually acquired many things; only the furniture and appliances were complete.

Bai Xiao thought that in the future, when searching for a new place to settle down, if she managed to settle somewhere, she couldn't start completely from scratch with nothing. Now that she had empty storage slots, it would be better to take along the usable furniture and appliances from home. After all, she had generators.

Although she wanted to take them, there was no need to take everything. For instance, items like the TV and refrigerator were useless to her. Bai Xiao only selected essential things like the sofa, microwave, etc., to place in the storage slots.

After all, these were things she had carefully selected for her new home before, of top quality and comfort. Rather than making do with whatever she could find later, it was better to use her own. Given the choice, who wouldn't prefer to live more comfortably? Moreover, leaving them here meant they would just get flooded, which was truly a waste.

Thus, she still had two empty storage slots left. Bai Xiao thought that on the journey to Mian Mountain, she might come across other useful supplies. Having two empty slots was a good thing.

After all this organizing, expanders cost 25 points each. Bai Xiao bought two. Adding the 20-point-per-bottle enhancement potion she bought earlier, she had already spent 70 points, leaving 30 points remaining.

Bai Xiao then focused her attention on the defense capsule. This item's effect was to increase the sturdiness of the affected space by 30% and attach a 10% presence-weakening effect. The duration was five calendar days, and it could be interrupted at any time. After interruption, using it again would continue the countdown. However, the drawback was that the target of the effect could not be changed.

The journey to Mian Mountain was forty to fifty kilometers. For the sake of convenience when storing it in the storage space, Bai Xiao had not chosen an assault boat made entirely of alloy—the sturdiest kind. However, those were large in volume, non-foldable, and her storage slot couldn't accommodate it at the time. So, she settled for the second-best option: an inflatable assault boat.

The inflatable assault boat only had a chassis that could be assembled with a steel frame to withstand impact risks. But if she encountered shallow waters or rocky piles along the way, it certainly wouldn't be as impact-resistant as a full-alloy assault boat.

Although the time using the assault boat wouldn't likely reach five days, and once a protection target was chosen it couldn't be changed again, Bai Xiao thought it over and decided to buy one to reinforce her assault boat. Ensuring safety on the journey came first.

Wanting to buy the defense capsule was also to avoid frequent boat repairs. Although she wasn't short on repair materials, the journey was fraught with considerable risks. Stopping frequently to repair the boat would be troublesome, and the location at that time might not even be suitable for repairs.

By comparison, even if the defense capsule's duration wasn't fully used on the assault boat, for the sake of convenience and safety, it seemed acceptable. Bai Xiao hesitated no longer and placed the order. An icon of a light blue pill, shaped like an anti-inflammatory capsule, flashed onto her backpack.

At this moment, her backpack was already full with three slots: one for the course, one for the several pieces of bread and water accumulated from three games, and the last slot for this capsule.

To avoid wasting time, Bai Xiao decided to use this capsule when she was about to leave.

Time had unknowingly passed nearly two hours. It was now 1:47 AM. By the moonlight, Bai Xiao pressed against the window to observe the water level outside. It was still rising, now less than half a meter from the 12th floor where she was.

Bai Xiao took out the assault boat in advance, inflated and assembled it. She then took out the oars, the outboard motor, and a small bucket of fuel, placing them on the boat. Next, she prepared a waterproof backpack for herself, putting in enough food for three days. Finally, she took out the clothes she needed to wear outside and prepared them in advance.

She decided to set out at daybreak.

...

Having drunk the enhancement potion three times, Bai Xiao's recovery time had shortened once again. Three to four hours were sufficient to restore all her energy. At 5:30 AM, she changed clothes, shouldered her pack, and carried the assault boat out of her home.

After half a night's effort, the water level had successfully risen another notch. In another two or three hours, water would likely seep into the 12th floor.

At 5:30 in the morning, the sky was on the verge of dawn but not yet fully light. The world was enveloped in a deep blue morning hue. All around, aside from the sound of rain, there was no other noise. Most people were still asleep.

The 12th floor was about to be flooded, and no homeless people remained there. Without disturbing anyone, Bai Xiao lowered the assault boat from the unit's corridor bridge. Then, carrying the fuel bucket and outboard motor, she climbed over the railing and jumped down.

The outboard motor was the assault boat's booster, but once started, it produced considerable noise. Not wanting to alert her surroundings, Bai Xiao only placed the items properly before rowing the boat towards the unknown distance ahead.