Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: Government Shelter - 1
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Forest Cabin
Everyone's probably dreamed at least once of building a little cabin in the woods and living there.
I had too.
Whenever business was booming, I'd resolve that after retirement, I'd build a house in some quiet forest.
Living with nature as my companion—how great would that be?
"But damn."
Who could've imagined I'd be building the house with my own hands?
I'd planned to leave it to Da-jeong, but all she'd done was expand it.
The rest was on me.
You can't just plop a cabin on bare ground, right?
I makeshifted some formwork as best I could and poured the mortar.
It differed a bit from the cabin design the stag beetles had drawn up.
The bugs pointed at the formwork and protested—what the hell is this?
Such nagging little guys.
"Moisture rising up would be a headache."
The stag beetles buzzed angrily.
Moisture is part of nature too... or something like that.
But I'm not some fantasy race like you lot.
I kept working despite the nagging.
The stag beetles gave up and went off to do other tasks.
"Whew, this is tough."
Once the mortar set, it was time to lay the floor.
I cut and fitted the wood along the lines the stag beetles had marked.
That's when I saw just how meticulous they were.
They'd drawn precise lines on the lumber to match the cabin's dimensions perfectly.
By the end, not a single floorboard was left over.
"Damn, those guys are something else."
From their perspective, this lumber must've been enormous, yet their skill was impressive.
I laid down thick waterproof cloth and plastic, then topped it with plywood.
Next up: raising the pillar frames.
A crane would be nice, but my style is to slap it together quick instead of wasting time building one.
I sipped ice-cold beer from the real world—now chilled—and got to work.
"Ah, perfect."
In normal society, I'd get kicked off the site for drinking, but I love this.
With my resistance so high and body so tough, regular booze barely fazes me.
Pillars all set—now for the walls.
One side needed the hearth and door, so the design varied there.
As I stacked the wall timbers, the stag beetles showed up nagging again.
Why not clean the floor?
I opened my mind and took their nagging as advice.
"Yeah, yeah, got it."
I paused to sweep the floor, and they looked surprised.
Wait, this wild human's actually listening?
Something like that.
After cleaning and sitting on some lumber to rest, the head stag beetle brought paper.
It looked like a simple crane diagram.
Yeah, that'd make raising the roof frame easy.
"But it'll take too long."
As I said that, it crawled up my thigh and chomped my hand.
"Ow! What the hell?"
It gestured for me to look far off.
Oh yeah, other people were coming here too.
With multiple cabins to build, hauling pillars by manpower each time would suck.
I nodded and tried to pet it.
"Yeah, you're right."
It flinched away from my touch.
Fine to talk, but no touching, huh?
Such picky bugs.
I cut lumber per the plans and took a break.
Two days gone already...
Da-jeong should've reached the volcano by now.
Checking the auction house brought a grin to my face.
She was climbing the volcano.
The finest soil for pottery is only at the summit, apparently.
I sipped my beer and typed a comment.
I had no idea how she'd kill me, but Da-jeong saw the shelter as home too.
Our cozy, happy home... nice.
I humored her whining while building the crane and roof.
Laid plywood, waterproof sheets—tons to do.
Three days after she left, I finished the cabin that evening.
"...It's a bit crooked."
Some cutting errors, probably.
Whatever, livable is good enough.
I fitted the door the stag beetles made.
Finally, stack the hearth and partition wall for the bathroom.
"Tub here..."
After heaving it in place, I thought: why not make this a full bathroom?
Water from the valley via pump.
"Work just keeps piling up."
Someone said it: plans go wrong from the start.
My simple cabin plan turned into a comfy countryside house.
Checked with Da-jeong: she's on her way back.
Even rushing, two days—time to pipe the water.
I dug a deep tank at the valley with Dingo.
Can't have debris, so roof and walls needed—another big project.
"Bury the hose..."
Monsters might mess it up, so underground—work time quadrupled.
And monsters didn't sit idle.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
I unloaded the rifle on them to vent.
"Stop barging in, you bastards!"
Endless numbers—no mercy.
Living in this forest means fighting forever.
Maybe till death.
"Whew..."
Barrel smoked from all the shooting.
Stress gone, but new problem: gunshot-attracted monsters.
Can't spray real bullets forever—ammo limits, plus night creeper risk.
Cursing, I picked them off with arrows one by one.
Work dragged on endlessly.
"Argh, seriously."
Maybe better to wait for people instead of soloing.
But they'd take time to arrive.
"Still too weak..."
Solo dimension gate quests need serious power.
Those few Japanese fleeing in surprise? I'm not there yet.
Sent to Seoul to change that.
"Doing well, I bet."
I pushed through the last work.
Pumped the old-timey lever—hose gushed valley water.
Can't use raw; settle in tub first.
Motor for pump would be ideal...
Yoo Hyun coming solves that.
Cleaned up, crashed in cabin.
Dingo panted beside me.
"This is our home."
Woof.
Cozy house acquired.
.
.
.
I moved cave furniture and supplies to the cabin.
Live here now; cave just storage.
"Hot, poor ventilation, dark..."
Quiet, but too many flaws.
Installed new solar generator and IR sensors.
Shook out mattress and blankets last—Da-jeong arrived.
Filthy, she stared blankly at the cabin.
So gaunt from hardship.
"You built all this already..."
"Water's ready inside. Wash up."
"Really?"
She bounded in, splashing joyfully in the tub.
"Just hook up the pump now."
"Did that too."
"Epic."
She spotted the pump in the shed, smacked her forehead.
"I live for Sung-ho."
"Weren't you gonna kill me for the volcano?"
"Different way. Wait."
She winked.
I know how feral a starved lioness gets after five days.
Prepared for that.
While she bathed, I served cold beer.
She took it in the tub, wiped tearing eyes.
"I never cry easy, but tears are coming."
"Chug it, chug..."
"Kya, good..."
That was it.
Exhausted, home relief, bit of booze—she slumped.
Fell asleep mid-beer.
Hauled her out, toweled roughly, laid on mattress.
Hot, but blanket anyway.
"..."
Gazing at her thin-blanket wrapped form, urges stirred subtly.
Da-jeong's pretty with a great figure, after all.
But tasks first—held back.
Packed up, headed out with Dingo.
Hid at dim subway entrance—gunshots rang.
"Bastards shooting already."
Metal plague mostly settled; they withstand shocks fine.
Issue: station raiders packing guns.
Found entrance, looted for sure.
"Backup shelter's mine, punks."
Now how...
My gear can't block bullets easy.
Dimension wall possible, but timing trigger pull precisely? Tough.
Need last defense.
Like bulletproof vest...
Government shelter came to mind.
They'd stock vests and helmets aplenty.
"That old man's not giving 'em free."
Could send Da-jeong's ghouls without asking.
But even locusts lose to gunfire power.
Tank holds, but only one.
"Put Da-jeong on standby in dimension gate; I go down."
That seizes their core quick.
Scouted station cautiously.
Descending stairs—sudden frantic footsteps, many.
"Eek."
Hid in gate; saw several fleeing, pistols drawn.
"Fuck, guns don't work!"
"Need rifles!"
"Less talk, run!"
Soon after, sniffers pursued.
Pretty recent...
But this sniffer looked different from memory.
"Kinda fat..."
Monsters usually uniform.
Habits and genes match.
This one: belly bulging, unlike before.
"Shorter too."
Human-monster hybrid sniffer confirmed.
Next one seals it.
Kept descending, hid in gate again.
"Two sniffers."
This one differed from the first too.
Human hybrid theory solid.
But no smile.
It gunned raiders while leaping, downed two fleeing.
Shocked by its spring.
"That distance in one jump?"
Not rubber—20 meters instant? Impossible.
"Gaaah!"
Bang bang bang!
Screams and shots echoed.
Sniffer retracted spines, started eating.
One not fully dead wailed dying gasps.
Damn.
Closed gate, pondered.
Came for backup shelter; two sniffers now.
Abilities unlike Gyeongryong ones.
"One rubbery bounce, the other..."
Fat build: defense specialist?
M72 rocket might not pierce.
"Bouncy: slingshot sniffer. Fat: shield sniffer."
First: normal sniffer.
While naming, more armed raiders passed.
"So many with guns?"
Couldn't descend further.
No clue who spread word or gathered.
Auction house quiet too.
Tried going down—more coming up; gave up.
They griped guns breaking fast.
"Metal plague not settled."
"Spoons etc. were fine before."
"No shock on those."
"What shock do guns take?"
Tool-guy raider scowled.
"You moron. Bullets don't fly alone—gunpowder explodes, pressure on barrel."
"Oh, that kinda..."
Beyond ignorant.
They yapped about more guns, vanished.
Those are mine.
Normal supplies whatever; guns, hoard all.
No choice.
Resolved, messaged government shelter.
Someone commented: Hyun-woo.
"Hyun-woo's in the shelter too."
Was roaming capital from Gangdong; settled now.
Soon, Jang Won-taek himself appeared.
Explained situation roughly.
Straight to the point here.
Anyone alive would.
If Jang played coy, I'd wait.
My people inside; time gets supplies.
He knows that.
Momentarily suspicious, but reconsidered.
No reason to screw me.
Kill me? Respawn scroll revives—no grudge worth it.
Genuinely pleased, asked favorite foods.
I obliged vaguely, exited station.
Time for government shelter.
Government Shelter - 1 End