Reconstruction
"Whoa...."
Not just me, but my companions beside me were all gaping in awe at the mansion. Even though I'd watched it being built right in front of my eyes, I still couldn't believe it. Was this really possible? It had to be a scam! Scam-level skills!!
But as my head cooled down a bit, another thought crossed my mind. Maybe this was how other people felt when they saw me? One person growing plants in an instant to feed over 2,000 mouths. Like that story about Jesus feeding thousands with a single loaf of bread. I was pulling off miracle-level stuff too. Put like that, building a mansion in an hour didn't seem so crazy. Maybe even a little boring. To compare to me, they'd need building materials popping out of thin air! And apartments going up in 10 minutes flat. That'd be EX-rank territory.
That's when Yohan approached, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"What do you think?! Like it?!"
"Of course!! Living in a house this huge has always been my dream!"
This was true. More than some SSS-rank apartment in Gangnam, I preferred the vibe of a massive estate owned by some American tycoon.
I gushed with genuine excitement, and Yohan scratched his head with a proud grin.
"Hahaha!! Glad to hear it. If you need anything else, just say the word!"
"Something I need...."
Actually, there was one thing. But it wasn't selfishness—it was for the public good—so I mentioned it without hesitation.
"I need warehouses. One for storing tons of plants, and another for seeds."
"Got it. Where should they go?"
"Not too far from the house."
"Yes, sir!! Consider it done!"
Yohan rounded up his crew and started hammering away at warehouses a suitable distance away. It didn't take long. Probably because unlike the house, no interior fixtures were needed. I gazed contentedly at the massive structures—easily ten times bigger than my old ones—when Yohan came back.
"Anything else you need?"
He sounded ready to build the moon if I asked. But nothing came to mind right then.
"Hmm... I'll let you know if something pops up."
"Understood! Then we'll fence in the house grounds, make a path to the front gate, and call it done."
"Yes!! Thank you!"
As Yohan and his workers packed up and began paving a stone path out front, something whizzed past my head. Wasn't sending them off empty-handed un-Korean of me? Tradition says you give workers a drink. I ducked into Turtle's shell, grabbed colas and slightly soggy fries from Penguin's ice fridge, and brought them out.
"Great work, everyone. This is all I have, but please take it."
"Th-this is...?!"
"Druid-nim's fries?!!"
Their eyes sparkled at my fries. A bit overwhelming.
"No, really, these are old and soggy—won't taste good."
"Doesn't matter!! We'll devour them gratefully!!"
Yohan and the crew snatched the fries with fighting spirit and plopped down to chow down.
"Haven't had these in forever—insanely good!!!"
"Can't stop eating!!!"
Watching them enjoy it so much lifted my spirits. No wonder chefs love enthusiastic eaters. As I smiled warmly at the sight, thinking it was time to unpack, Yohan approached slowly. His expression more serious now.
"Uh, Druid-nim."
"What's up?"
"Actually... before I go, I wanted to say thanks properly."
He bowed deeply. I accepted it quietly. Lifting his head with a soft smile, he continued.
"I was one of those captured by vampires. My whole family was taken."
"Ah...."
"If you hadn't turned us back to normal, I wouldn't be doing this now."
He chuckled wryly, then bowed again.
"Thank you once more. For saving my son and wife, Druid-nim."
With that, Yohan and his crew left. His whole family captured by vampires. How hellish were those two months? Watching loved ones get eaten, their will to live shattered over and over. If I hadn't pushed myself to rescue them from the vampires, I'd never have seen that smile.
I watched Yohan's retreating figure for a long time before slowly heading inside.
"......Huh?"
Someone was still in the house. Yohan and the workers had left, though? Looking closer, a burly guy was wiring things up. Who was he? As I tensed—
I realized it was Seunghwa Jeong.
"Ah."
"...Feels like you totally forgot about me?"
"Yeah. Blacked out completely."
Distracted by Yohan's construction wizardry, I'd shoved Seunghwa to the back burner.
"I'm hooking up the electricity and such. Don't mind me—do what you need."
"Okay."
Was Seunghwa always doing chores here because he's the baby of the group and handy with tech? I left him to his surprisingly skilled work and toured the house. Despite the exterior, Yohan's mansion was super modern. Not the classic Western manor with grand stairs in the foyer off the entrance, dining hall, and assorted rooms—like something from a mystery novel. More like an oversized vacation lodge. Open the gate, pass the shoe rack and entryway, and a spacious living room greets you, with stairs to the second floor. Big kitchen next to the living room. One bathroom per floor, plus a separate shower. The rest were empty rooms. Up to me to furnish them. No furniture yet, so it felt cavernous. I'd brought most from my old place, but filling a two-story mansion with attic from a tiny two-room house? Not even close.
"When am I ever gonna fill this?"
Eh, it'd happen gradually. I postponed decorating every room and started hauling luggage with my companions. By the time we finished, night had fallen.
Click.
Flipping the light switch bathed the room in bright light. Seunghwa wiped his brow, finally done.
"Power's limited, so use it wisely."
"Got it. Thanks."
"I'll head out then."
"Fries for you too, Seunghwa?"
"...Sure."
"Enough to share with the base too."
I gave him all the leftovers, and he left with a spring in his step.
"Good work today."
"No biggie! This is nothing!"
Exhausted from the nonstop hustle. Early bed to save power anyway. I hugged cool Turtle's shell, crashed on the bed, and passed out. My companions gathered around. Mae perched on the headboard, Nyangnyang curled on my pillow. Hugged Turtle, Penguin sprawled in the corner. Teddy bear against the wall. Peaceful sleep with them, as always.
I woke, freshened up lightly, and stepped outside. Today's routine!!! Plant-growing basics first. Then some kind of meeting later. I could skip via Penguin statue proxy. Remote work vibe. Everyone's super accommodating. So I gotta do my part. Top priority: Reinstall Tree of Life. Two slots available now. One's in Turtle's shell. The other's destroyed and unplaced.
"Where to plant the Tree of Life to get 'brilliant placement' raves?"
"This one's humble opinion: somewhere with heavy foot traffic."
"Agreed. No need at our house with you here, Turtle."
The Tree of Life's plant-based AoE buffs are key, but we're not in constant massive battles. Turtle covers that. So leverage the mana regen buff in high-traffic awakener spots. Best bet.
"...Gotta ask around."
Haven't heard city rebuild plans yet. Tell the planners to slot my tree optimally. Leave it to the experts. Time for my expertise.
"Alright, let's move!!!"
We strolled to the farm. First up: potatoes and rice. Prioritize rice. More refugees than expected pouring in. Thanks to slaying that high-tier Night Goddess monster. Consistent treatment for awakeners and civilians alike. Of course, without my insane food production, a group this big wouldn't hold.
To feed ~3,000 with rice, hustle time. Found a good plot, tilled it. Could scatter seeds like wild rice and harvest roughly, but paddies boost efficiency. My plants kick in extra effects post-rapid growth. Quick-grow partway, then natural with sun, nutrients, water—saves mana. E.g., rapid-grow rice to pre-heading, then let it finish naturally. Mana-efficient. With that mindset, we built paddies; Turtle hosed them full. Done. I tossed seeds in haphazardly, clasped hands, and yelled.
"Rapid Growth!!!!"
"Rapid Growth, nyang."
Seeds sucked up my mana, sprouting instantly. Rice heads stiffened, filling the paddy.
"...Not bad?"
Level 2 Rapid Growth paid off. No collapse from this paddy size. Tired, but Tree of Life in Turtle would recharge me quick.
"Potatoes after the meeting?"
"Sounds good!! Don't overdo it!!"
9 AM. Morning chores done. Leisure till meeting.
"Be safe, falconer."
"Have fun!!!"
Mae flew off with Penguin statue as I fiddled with Nyangnyang by the ice screen. Soon, Mae reached the meeting room.
"Whoa. Packed house."
Crowded half-ruined conference room. Standouts: Sua Kwon and Seunghwa in uniform. Kanghyuk Choi from Haven nearby. No Seola Han. No Hyunwoo Park. Yohan too. No other workers—higher-ups only?
Time up, door shut. Kanghyuk stood.
"Thanks for coming on short notice. I'm Haven's leader, Kanghyuk Choi."
He bowed; applause. I clapped lightly via screen.
"Let's begin the meeting on Haven's future."
Started mellow. I figured just hashing out ideas, munching fries blankly.
"Currently, about 10,000 people have entered the city."
"...Huh?"
That number hit way higher than expected.