My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse

Hearing this, Kisha recalled what 008 had mentioned when she first obtained the territory pack.

Back then, 008 had told her that an upgrade was possible, but it required a whopping 500,000 points.

She hadn't given it much thought at the time—after all, she and 008 had always been scraping by when it came to system points, and that amount had seemed like nothing more than a distant dream.

But now?

Now, she had more points than she ever imagined, and the realization hit her like a rush of power. For the first time, she truly felt like a rich woman who could spend without a second thought.

'Damn! Being rich feels so fucking good!' Kisha thought with a smirk.

"Alright, 008, help me upgrade my territory pack."

"Leave it to me, Host!" 008 responded enthusiastically before getting to work immediately.

[Do you wish to spend 500,000 points to upgrade 'Territory Pack' to level 2?]

[Yes] or [No]

Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

Kisha clicked "Yes," and almost instantly, Marcus, Mike, Grant, and Daisy—who were still inside the territory space—were all abruptly ejected. Stumbling slightly, they looked around in confusion, completely caught off guard by what had just happened.

One moment, they had been minding their own business inside the territory space, going about their tasks, and the next, they found themselves forcefully kicked out without warning.

Meanwhile, on Kisha's screen, a new message appeared.

[Territory Pack undergoing upgrade: 15%]

Kisha was still unaware that Marcus and the others had been kicked out, but when she realized she couldn't access the territory pack, a sense of unease settled over her.

"008, I can't open the territory interface. Does that mean the protective barrier and my connection to the territory in City A have been lost too?" she asked urgently, her voice laced with concern.

"Host, I'm currently reading the territory pack's manual. It states that while everyone inside the territory space will be expelled during the upgrade, anything placed outside will remain fully operational. This includes the farmland you established in City A and the barrier protecting the base. However, the barrier's strength will remain at level one until the upgrade is complete, at which point its energy capacity will increase."

[Territory Pack undergoing upgrade: 17%]

"Alright then, as long as the base in City A is functioning properly, I'll leave the monitoring to you. I'll check on it again once the upgrade is complete."

Just as she finished speaking with 008, the Resource Crate finished opening. Duke nudged her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Wifey, all the Resource Crates are open."

"Oh!" Kisha responded absentmindedly before quickly opening the list.

[Normal Quality Mass of Vanadium x 15]

[Common Quality Mass of Iron Meteriorite x20]

[Uncommon Quality Mass of Chromium metal x 35]

[Rare Quality Mass of Magic Wood x 25]

[Legendary Quality Elf's ears x 10]

[Mythical Quality Dragon's blood x 5]

[Normal Quality Goblin's Tongue x 20]

[Uncommon Quality Mass of Zirconium x 10]

[Uncommon Quality Mass of Osmium x 10]

[Rare Quality Mass of Lutetium x 5]

Most of the resources she obtained were metals, along with a few magical items that seemed to be categorized as resources.

These magical items could be used for alchemy, ink-making for inscriptions, rune crafting, and other mystical applications.

However, even after opening 100 crates, the majority of the items were still materials that could be found on Earth—albeit rare and difficult to acquire under their current circumstances.

This likely explained why most of them were classified as common or uncommon.

Yet, when compared to Earth's resources, these metals were highly valuable and could be considered rare treasures.

"Most of these resources are exactly what we need for building the Advanced Solar Panel and the main engine for the Sewer System with Gas Preservation," Duke said as he scanned the list of metals dominating the screen.

Since he had been heavily involved in the construction of the solar panel and frequently reviewed other blueprints while brainstorming with Dr. Shuveck and Engineer Steel, he was well-acquainted with the materials they required and the ones they were still missing.

He wasn't there to breathe down their necks or rush them to complete the project—his hands-on involvement stemmed from genuine interest.

When he was still the head of the Winters and leading his business empire, he often collaborated with the military on various projects. He funded many of the large-scale projects, and he was always fascinated by modern technology and weaponry.

He even had a private collection, which some, he had once shown to Kisha.

However, this advanced technology was something different—both foreign and strangely familiar. It intrigued him in ways he hadn't expected, making him all the more eager to see the final product. That's why he was always willing to contribute however he could.

"Hmm, alright then. We'll send these minerals to the workshop so they can be smelted and processed into parts. After that, Dr. Shuveck and Engineer Steel can use them to complete the blueprints," Kisha said thoughtfully. "But it'll take time—there's a lot of material, and our equipment is still limited."

As she spoke, she considered ways to improve the workshop's efficiency.

So far, they had been relying on makeshift equipment pieced together from scraps—not exactly ideal for long-term use.

If they wanted to produce high-quality components and speed up production, they needed better tools and machinery. Kisha made a mental note to look into possible upgrades to support the team.

Especially for manufacturing the essential parts for the solar panel, sewer system engine, and gas preservation unit.

Duke let out a tired sigh before speaking. "Actually, I have advanced equipment stored at the base in City A—the one we're currently occupying. Originally, I built that place as a hidden armory where I designed and stockpiled advanced weapons."

"The blueprints either came from commissions I had made or were acquired through deals with the government in exchange for funding or materials. It was through those business transactions that I managed to establish that hidden facility," Duke explained.

Now, everything was starting to make sense to Kisha—why that place was so well-hidden and why Duke had so many secret weapon stashes, even at the farm.

It was all coming together.

The fact that he had struck deals with the government only reinforced his capabilities and influence; even the authorities couldn't easily dismiss him.

However, one question still lingered in her mind—why had he been preparing and stockpiling so many weapons in the first place?@@novelbin@@

As if reading her mind—or perhaps simply wanting to explain—Duke spoke up.

"Well, I manufacture and sell weapons worldwide. You could say I'm technically a weapons smuggler, but that's also where my main financial firepower comes from."

"More importantly, it helped keep other countries in check, ensuring they wouldn't even think about attacking ours."

"At the same time, I provided free and discounted weapons to our military, making it a win-win situation. That's why their weapon engineers were always eager to sell me their blueprints—I had the advanced equipment to produce them."

"Of course, on the surface, I made it seem like I was just commissioning the military to manufacture my armored vehicles and firearms, using it as a cover."