Apocalypse Mode: My Cheat Code Virtual Boyfriend - Chapter 18

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!”

Bai Xun, like a flea about to be pinned down, sprang up with a carp’s leap, jumping straight out of his sleeping bag.

His heart was racing, his hands trembling. Oh heavens, oh earth, who would have thought that the key to the Ocean Ark lay in the two words “at sea”!

Their makeshift raft had drifted into the ocean by sheer chance, successfully unlocking the Ocean Ark.

Bai Xun’s sudden jump woke everyone on the raft. Bai Guifang sat up from her sleeping bag. “What’s all the shouting about so early in the morning?”

The Ocean Ark emerged directly beneath their makeshift raft, lifting it onto the front deck.

Bai Xun swiftly unzipped the tent flap. “Mom! Look! We’re on the Ark! The Ark is unlocked!”

“Alright, I get it. Hurry up and zip it closed! The wool blanket is getting wet!”

After zipping up the tent, everyone soon changed into raincoats and stepped out onto the deck. They had finally made it!

Looking ahead, they were greeted by a broad, bright, honey-colored wooden deck. Along the outermost edges on both sides stood neatly arranged rows of planting boxes. In the center was a pentagonal flowerbed, and further back, a sun umbrella and a set of white round table and chairs.

At the very center of the deck stood a two-and-a-half-story cottage with an attic. The roof was a refreshing mint green, while the walls and railings shared the same beautiful creamy white hue.

Their faces were illuminated by small light strips installed every meter along the ship’s railing and the warm glow emanating from the central cottage. The sight of this structure, brimming with the familiar essence of normal human life, nearly brought tears to Bai Xun’s eyes.

Without bothering to organize the supplies on the makeshift raft, Bai Xun led everyone into the central cottage.

Pushing open the carved door with its glass panes set off a gentle chime from the wind chimes hanging under the eaves. The first thing that caught their eye was a light blue fabric sofa adorned with several plump, pale pink cushions. Beneath the sofa lay a rainbow-colored rug woven with concentric circles of wheat-stalk patterns.

The cottage’s floor was made of dark walnut wood, and the walls were covered in vertical-striped, light wood-toned wallpaper. The wall lamps were shaped like lily-of-the-valley blossoms, while the coffee table and TV cabinet were coffee-colored.

The kitchen was relatively simple, still equipped with an old-fashioned wood-burning stove as the cooking appliance. However, it was complete with lace-edged cabinets and a cherrywood-colored sideboard.

The dining area was located in a semi-arc-shaped room to the left of the living room, directly facing the kitchen. Here, glass windows wrapped halfway around, and beautiful hydrangeas in shades of purple and blue bloomed outside the windowsills. On sunny days, this would undoubtedly be a sunlit dining room with breathtaking views.

Bai Xun took off his raincoat and hung it on the coat rack behind the door, then swapped his damp shoes for dry, comfortable slippers.

Every single furnishing here had been meticulously arranged by him, piece by piece. He never imagined that one day he would actually get to live in this cottage. It was truly unbelievable.

On one side of the floor-to-ceiling glass window in the living room, which led to the rear deck, stood a black square fireplace. Bai Xun walked over, picked up some dry logs from nearby, placed them inside, and then lit the bark kindling beneath to start the fire. The cottage gradually grew warmer.

“Finally back in human society,” Bai Yu sighed contentedly, flopping onto the sofa and burying her face in a cushion.

“Can this TV work?” Grandma Bai circled the large LCD TV on the entertainment console twice before reaching out to press the power button.

Bai Guifang held the pea-green curtain from the floor-to-ceiling window in her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, clearly admiring Bai Xun’s interior design taste.

After entering, Cheng Wei first scanned the surroundings before finally settling his gaze on the wooden staircase above the shoe cabinet leading to the second floor.

Having lit the fireplace, Bai Xun sprawled face-down on the adjacent single sofa just like Bai Yu: “Finally back in human society.”

After lying there for a while, he sat up to check the unlock status of the Ocean Ark on the Star game system panel.

Opening the Star game system panel, the Ocean Ark game interface displayed the ship’s appearance.

Besides the two-and-a-half-story cabin on the deck, the unseen lower deck housed the industrial production area. The hull was painted white, with the central cabin where they currently stood. The stern deck featured a backyard and botanical garden.

[Game Name: Ocean Ark]

[Game Status: Unlocked (4/4)]

Familiarity breeds ease. Bai Xun clicked into the game status to see what usable items the Ocean Ark had unlocked.

[Unlocked: Workbench]

[Description: Unlocked via Achievement I “Craft All Blueprint Recipes.” The workbench can produce all survival tools and decorative furniture unlocked in the Ocean Ark game. Specific recipes and required materials can be viewed at the workbench on Deck -1. Note: All items produced on the workbench can only be used within this ark.]

[Unlocked: Botanist]

[Description: Unlocked via Achievement III “Cultivate All Plant Types.” Allows planting of all unlocked plant varieties in ark planting boxes, with a 20% growth speed increase.]

[Unlocked: Deep Dive Warrior]

[Description: Unlocked via Achievement IV “Reach 200 Meters Depth.” Grants 25% speed bonus to Ocean Ark diving suits and 50% reduction in underwater pressure.]

[Unlocked: Crisis Alert]

[Description: Unlocked via Achievement VI “Repel 100 Marine Mutant Creature Attacks.” Provides broadcast alerts for mutant marine creature attacks, with follow-up announcements after crisis resolution.]

Bai Xun closed the game panel and let out a long sigh of relief. These unlocked functions were incredibly beneficial for their current survival needs.

Moreover, from what he had observed during his walkthrough, nothing on this ship was missing. If the unlocked Ocean Ark had been the game’s initial version, they would likely have struggled for half a year to reach their current equipment level.

He stood up from the sofa and walked toward the second-floor staircase, with Cheng Wei silently following behind.

This was a multiplayer game. As the host, Bai Xun had originally played with two partners, so there were three bedrooms on the second floor.

Although the two partners later hit it off and left him to pair up, he hadn’t converted the extra rooms into functional spaces, he simply rearranged them.

Now they could be allocated for the five of them to sleep in.

To the left of the second-floor staircase landing was a balcony. Near the railing stood a vine-covered pergola with Mediterranean-style rectangular tables and chairs beneath it. In front of a row of potted plants lining the wall sat a barbecue grill, while a telescope stood near the guardrail.

Bai Xun had a slight preference for maximalism when it came to furniture and decor. All three rooms were furnished with double beds spacious enough for three people to roll around in, each complete with a bay window, a cozy blanket, plush toys, and a half-birdcage-like glass balcony that offered a stunning view of the sea. There were also wardrobes, bookshelves, desks, and small screens, nothing that could be added was left out.

Fortunately, his good taste kept the arrangements from looking too cluttered.

Bai Xun casually pulled a book from the shelf and found, to his surprise, that it actually contained readable content. As expected of the Star Game System, only the finest products.

Half of the third-floor roof was made of large transparent glass panels, forming a sunroom framed with crisscrossing wooden beams and filled with potted plants, flowers, and some gardening books. A long couch, just big enough for one person to nap on, was tucked into the innermost corner, its back facing a floor-to-ceiling glass window.

It was worth noting that most of the ark was constructed from wood, with only a few supporting structures made of metal.

There was no need to worry about fire hazards, insect infestations, or wood rot, such issues weren’t part of the game’s mechanics. The ark could only be damaged by mutated sea creatures.

Hahaha!

A little figure inside Bai Xun’s heart stood with hands on hips, laughing triumphantly at the sky. He truly was the heavens’ favorite grandson! After days of anxiety, everything he could have hoped for was right here!

Cheng Wei hurriedly reached out to catch him.

Well, that settled it. What started as just Bai Xun’s own embarrassing stumble had now turned into the two of them tumbling into a heap. At least his own backside was spared, though he wasn’t so sure about Cheng Wei’s knees.

The staircase leading to the second floor was a two-section wooden ladder. They had fallen onto the small landing of the second section. Cheng Wei’s arm wrapped around Bai Xun’s chest, pulling him back slightly just in time to prevent his forehead from hitting the wall.

Bai Xun let out a sigh of relief, his body relaxing as he plopped right onto Cheng Wei’s thigh, who was half-kneeling on the ground.

The precarious balance shattered once again.

Cheng Wei’s head bumped against the step behind him, serving as a makeshift cushion, while the fur on his tail puffed up, its tip curling upward.

“Sorry, sorry!” Bai Xun quickly scrambled up and offered a hand to help Cheng Wei to his feet.

“I’m fine,” Cheng Wei said, brushing off his clothes as if nothing had happened.

But a closer look at his tail revealed its tip curled tightly upward, almost resembling a fluffy bath puff.

Bai Xun didn’t notice the tail. Once he confirmed Cheng Wei wasn’t injured, he went back to inspecting the ship’s facilities.

The entrance to Deck Minus One was beneath a removable floor panel to the right of the doorway. Unlatching it revealed a somewhat steep staircase leading down. The lower deck was simply divided into three areas: the cockpit, the workshop, and the storage room.

The cockpit was located at the very front of the ship, where a transparent glass section offered a forward view. Behind it, the control panel allowed for either manual or automatic navigation.

Typically, cockpits are situated at the rear of a ship, but this was a player-built blueprint produced by the game. Modified through the Star Game System, its placement, whether at the front or back, didn’t affect normal operation.

The workshop occupied the largest portion of the ship, situated in the midsection and responsible for generating all the energy needed to keep the vessel running.

A workbench was placed beneath the staircase. Any item on the ship could be synthesized here, provided there were enough materials.

Currently, there are 2 water purifiers, 1 water storage tank, 1 generator, 1 garbage compactor, 1 resource recycler, 1 fuel production machine, and 1 fuel tank in the workspace.

In the storage room at the very rear of the ship, there are 10 oversized storage cabinets, containing all the supplies that Bai Xun had painstakingly collected over hundreds of hours of gameplay.

Bai Xun placed his hand on the door of the storage room, praying fervently in his heart that the supplies had been perfectly replicated one-to-one as well! This was truly important to him!