New Residents

"Huh?"

As Im Jui pledged her loyalty, a system window popped up.

I glanced at the Han sisters and thought about their loyalty levels, and messages appeared for them too.

This was the ability I'd been hoping for most. Of course, I had no idea if "submissive" meant there was an 11% chance of betrayal in certain situations, but at 89%, it felt safe to assume her pledge was genuine.

"Please, stand. You should shower first. The shower tools and towels are..."

"We'll show them, Master."

Han Seol and Han Byeol said, bowing their heads. I nodded silently and headed inside. Part of it was to project some authority, but the moment I saw Im Jui's message window, I felt something unlock. It wasn't the same sensation as when a room unlocked.

I rushed straight to the drone room.

"There it is."

I tried the third and fourth blue drones, wondering if they'd opened, but no luck. Then I opened the display case with the green drone on the second floor, and the door swung open.

"Oh!"

The instant I opened the case, I instinctively understood the drone's functions to some degree.

I didn't know the details, but it was clear this drone focused on construction, not scouting or combat. Grinning ear to ear, I hugged the two green drones to my chest and headed downstairs. Before leaving the room, I'd checked the blue drone—its damaged parts were fully repaired.

As I stepped out the front door, laughter echoed from behind the house.

"Sis! The hot water keeps coming!"

"Ha-yeon, stay in the tub and don't come out."

Han Byeol spotted me and came running like an excited puppy.

"Master! What's that? A new drone?"

"Yeah, the display case unlocked. What about Jui's group?"

"Seol's having them shower first. The kids and women go before the glasses guy. The Ragged Wanderer headed to the house we told her about to tidy up first, then she'll shower last by herself."

Han Byeol stared at the drone with sparkling eyes.

"Does it have attack functions?"

"It's not for combat."

"Aww..."

She looked a bit disappointed.

There was more to do than I'd expected, so testing the new drone got pushed back. After they showered, I washed all the bedding and laundry they'd need for their new home here, then handed over blankets, daily necessities, and more. That place didn't even have lights, so I gave them spare smartphones from the house. They could charge them here anyway, using them as makeshift lanterns.

We rounded up every empty container to fill with hot water, which Im Jui carted off in a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wheelbarrow. I told them water was unlimited—unlike before, they shouldn't ration it but use it freely for cleaning and hygiene. Every day from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., we'd run the hose to the makeshift bathroom for four hours. That way, they could shower and stock up.

I hadn't met them yet, but when trading groups came, they should hide inside with Im Jui. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Crossroads faction wasn't pure raiders, but if things went south or they thought raiding would pay off more, they'd do it without hesitation. Im Jui could rip them apart, sure, but I had no desire to kill off trading partners.

For meals, I felt a little bad, but I gave them the MREs stashed in the basement corner—the ones so nasty I'd only eat them near starvation. Im Jui's group devoured them. I made porridge for the patient. Even the powdered orange drink packets I'd tossed as trash from the MREs? The kids loved them. It tugged at my heart a bit.

After two hectic days, things settled with Im Jui's group. Honestly, I hadn't done much— the Han sisters handled the work, and I'd just sit and give orders when they reported back. They insisted a leader moving around would undermine authority, so I should stay put.

On the third evening after they joined, I made a big decision. I dragged folding tables into the yard and set a feast using fruits and veggies from the hydroponics room, plus canned goods.

I planned to bring Im Jui's group inside the barrier for dinner together. Han Seol and Han Byeol objected fiercely, saying it was too dangerous, but I pushed through. Inviting them in would show I wasn't afraid of Im Jui. Plus, over three days, her loyalty had risen to 95% / Absolute Submission. I wouldn't bet my life on the number, but 95% meant no sudden flips.

I issued them three-hour passes.

"Dig in."

"Th-thank you!"

Lee Ha-yeon beamed at the spread.

"Oppa! Can we really eat all this?"

"Ha-yeon! It's Master, remember?"

"Huh?"

I'd never told her to call me that. I glanced at Han Byeol, who avoided my eyes.

"Eat as much as you want. We'll pack leftovers, so don't force it."

"Thank you!"

I got why zombie or plague movies always tossed a kid into survivor groups as a cliché. Just having them around warmed the heart somehow.

Im Jui's group tore into the food. Fresh fruits and veggies brought tears or disbelief—except for one.

"Jui, why not take off the gas mask and eat?"

"No problem... but we'll ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have these gatherings sometimes. You planning to take leftovers every time?"

The glasses-wearing doctor's name was Lee Kyung-min. He'd told me it took six months to even see Im Jui's real face. She was extremely shy, barely speaking—to the point she'd eat and sleep alone in a corner, back turned, for the first half-year.

"Take it off when you're comfortable."

I wasn't going to force it. If enemies showed up later, I'd prefer she kept it on. That drab raincoat and gas mask made her look like a post-apoc executioner.

As I munched on the sugar-dusted tomatoes Han Seol brought, Lee Ha-yeon shouted.

"Whoa! Sis is taking it off!"

"Huh?"

I looked up. Im Jui gripped her gas mask with both hands, trembling.

Her group watched, mouths covered, like something monumental was happening.

"Ha... uh... ah."

Whether it was speech or just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a sound, Im Jui removed the mask.

"Oh my."

Han Seol set down her fork in surprise. Im Jui's face flushed red, her eyes shaking like there was an earthquake inside. Shockingly, she looked like a normal, pretty teen—glowing green eyes aside, proving her Awakener status. She seemed fragile, girlish.

"Jui, how old are you...?"

I asked, and she pulled out her notepad.

She'd been around sixteen during the gate crisis, I figured—pitiful. No clue if trauma or pre-crisis issues caused her muteness, but admirable that this kid had kept her group alive alone.

"Let's eat."

Im Jui grabbed a melon slice, chewed, then stared at me in shock. A familiar reaction.

After the first resident party ended, Im Jui's group headed home. The Han sisters and I went to the yard to test the green drone's capabilities on the badly damaged house next door—not livable, perfect for experiments.

"I'll activate it and pilot from the drone's view first."

"Yes, Do-hyun."

Vrrr. Unlike the silent blue drones, this one hummed mechanically. I instinctively grasped its functions.

"If it works well, we might repair this house."

"Master, that's not a house anymore—it's rubble."

The two drones positioned before the "former house" and began printing. A holographic blueprint appeared in the drone's view. The blue schematic showed the house's original form.

"Master. What are you doing?"

"Don't you two see the blueprint?"

"No, the drones are just hovering in front of the ruins."

Just visible to me, then.

"Begin reconstruction."

"Oh."

Even after I disconnected from the drone view, they autonomously scanned the ruins.

"Let's watch for a bit."

We observed for over an hour. The drones shifted rubble or idled, then converged on a collapsed wall.

Then came the most absurd, astonishing sight since moving here.

Ziiiiing. Beams shot from both drones, hitting the wall.

"No way..."

The blue beams crept upward from the base, impossibly slow.

"Master, what is this?"

After thirty minutes, the wall was pristine, like new. No materials used—matter created from nothing, 3D-printed. Or replicated, more accurately.

"Whoa..."

Slow, yes, but at this rate, the ruins could become a new house eventually. I recalled one drone inside the barrier and pulled out my smartphone.

"Can it replicate this too?"

I set out a folding camp chair and ordered reconstruction. Combining beams for two hours, they perfectly duplicated it. Complex electronics no, simple furniture yes. Downsides: two hours for that tiny chair, and green drones needed six hours charge after 24-hour runtime.

We experimented till dawn. Washing machines? No. Food? No. Simple structures? Yes.

"Do-hyun, with this, we can keep building houses."

Han Seol marveled; Han Byeol silently thumbs-upped.

"It's late—let's head in and sleep."

I set the drones to auto-repair the house first. No idea how many months it'd take, but we'd gained an incredible power.