Surviving the Apocalypse with Crafting Skills

“….”

After successfully sealing the remaining four passageways, I found myself sitting in front of the generator.

Originally, I should have just placed the mouse in front of the generator and pressed the right click to bring up the status window –

But increasingly, I couldn’t tell if this place was reality or a game.

– Creak. Grind. Clang.

Clearly my brain shouldn’t know anything about these machines, yet after opening the panel, I was fiddling with various parts and getting grease all over my hands.

– Thud.

In the end, I managed to turn the generator back on.

It must mean that there is no problem.

At Mr. James’s fake cough, I turned around.

“Would it be okay to ask what you would do if Hans wasn’t a Nazi?”

“Then I suppose we would have to accept it.”

“Umm….”

Mr. James handed me a rag as he sighed.

“First off, Hans has only been with us for three days so far, but checking every place Hans has been is – ”

“I won’t be doing this everyday.”

I tapped the generator once and stood up.

There were several popping sounds from my body.

“Of course, I’m human too, and since I have a lot to do, spending time on these things is a waste. However… this is for the safety of me, Mr. James, Mr. Curtis, and Ms. Sarah.”

“I understand, but…”

“As soon as I injected the antidote into Sarah, your reaction – ”

“No, I didn’t mean it in a way that I’m being overly suspicious!”

Mr. James scratched his head, rubbed his beard a couple of times, then placed his hands on his hip.

“I know you’re being careful. I know you’re trying for all of us. But what I mean is… I’m worried about Xuan Woo’s condition.”

“I’m fine.”

“I didn’t even fully resolve the hinges, and I’ve been sleepless making ammunition. An excuse like watch duty can’t hold up forever. If you keep going like this…”

“I can still manage for now.”

I can rest later.

Right now, I need to survive.

I didn’t want to die because at the start, for no reason, spiders suddenly increased in number, or cave bats swarmed in, or the church guys launched a surprise attack.

If I had bad luck, it was very possible that our settlement could be destroyed in a war between pillager factions, or that we would starve to death from a food supply cut-off.

A bunker was a place like that.

If we spread out too much, we’d be attacked from all sides. If we clumped together too tightly, we’d be isolated and starve to death.

My role was to create a fortress that could withstand attacks from all sides, and a society that could sustain itself even if isolated.

“Don’t worry about me.”

“But others can see it isn’t okay… sigh.”

In the end, Mr. James seemed to nod his head.

“Alright. I’ll understand for now. We’ll just observe more. But – finding German weapons in American soil, especially from WW2, isn’t that uncommon. My father would have certainly collected various items if he had the financial means.”

However, this was Concrete Under.

The people who mainly used German weapons weren’t just refugees – they were members of the 0th Empire.

“And honestly speaking… well… the accusation of being a Nazi is very sensitive in the Western world. Of course, I heard it from Sarah. The 0th Empire… sigh. Everything we see after the world turned into this mess makes no sense at all.”

Would Hans Anderson have been less suspicious if he didn’t have black hair and blue eyes?

Or was it really just over this one pistol?

Doubt was always a tiring thing – except…

“Oh, and. Hans said that when he was attacked by those cave bats, he wasn’t alone.”

“Not alone?”

“He said he had comrades but was worried about their survival.”

Of course, I already thought he wouldn’t be alone.

…Corridor reconnaissance.

Insufficient manpower.

Perhaps, a good idea just came up.

***

“Can we take this much?”

“No need to wander too far.”

Ms. Sarah took a pistol, and I took a shotgun.

In the inner pocket was a makeshift part we created in case of emergencies.

Around my neck, like a necklace, were parts I modified to be used as materials.

With my body wrapped up tightly, in case I was captured, I had a chance to counterattack, and we set out to take Hans Anderson for reconnaissance.

“Should we really use this method?”

“Mr. Curtis and Mr. James… They seem uncomfortable with me constantly suspecting others.”

“No, no, it’s not uncomfortable about suspecting. It’s more about how you’re overworking yourself, and on top of that, being suspicious, which is why your complexion looks terrible.”

“…”

“Do you know when those dark circles formed?”

While casually brushing my eyes with my thumb, Ms. Sarah also sighed.

If my condition is really that bad, I should take a proper rest later.

“The plan is simple. Go to the accident site.”

He said they scattered, but the way to survive a cave bat attack is to show overwhelming firepower, or all get eaten.

Or, escape to the territory of a bigger predator.

Mostly hopeless endeavors, but Hans said he ran toward the sound of our gunfire.

He said he remembered only that it was wide, nothing more.

“If the comrades are ‘normal’ people, my job ends there. We can just recover the remains and return.”

“If they’re Nazis, should we kill them?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“If the 0th Empire knew Hans was attacked by cave bats, they would have sent rescue teams to rally support, heavily armed teams.”

“Then, wouldn’t it be better not to look for them?”

“If there’s a rescue team, Hans’ side would react first.”

A ‘citizen’ chip embedded somewhere in the body.

Undetectable with the naked eye, obtainable only through a ‘disassembly’ process after a confirmed kill.

It’s said to allow citizens to detect others nearby with the same chip.

“If Hans’s attitude changes, we’ll leave him behind.”

“Should we fight them?”

“Too risky. I don’t want either Ms. Sarah or myself to get hurt.”

After hiding the makeshift tools created from the kit in the various pockets attached to my clothes, I stood up.

I had to be the one captured.

If Ms. Sarah were captured, Mr. James and Mr. Curtis would surely panic.

And escaping from confinement? I’ve practiced that dozens of times in games.

“I’ll mark the way we go. Let’s keep it a secret from Hans.”

“Let’s do that. Yes.”

The chalk went into Ms. Sarah’s pocket.

Paper cartridges loaded into the shotgun.

“Preparation?”

“Done.”

“Let’s go.”

After standing up and opening the door, we headed to the barricade.

Hans was already there with a neatly packed backpack of simple food supplies and a flashlight, his face clean.

Or, maybe…

He was smiling only at Ms. Sarah.

“Mr. James, Mr. Curtis, we’ll be back.”

“Be careful and come back safely.”

“Sarah, as I always remind you – ”

“Yes, yes, be careful, be careful.”

Beyond the barricade where Hans came from, we started walking.

For a moment, there was silence –

“May I ask one question?”

“To whom?”

“To Xuan Woo, I believe.”

“Go ahead.”

Hans Anderson was the first to speak.

“I saw you setting up barricades. Did you have a particular job doing that above ground?”

“I did various things.”

“An engineer?”

“Something like manual labor.”

“Aha. Still, you seem skilled. It’s not easy to find a community with a shower.”

“If it hadn’t been for Xuan Woo, we might’ve forgotten the concept of showers altogether.”

“Water, generators, firearms… you’re remarkable.”

“You flatter me.”

Compliments, huh.

Belonging to the 0th Empire, no matter how capable one is supposed to be, they would look down on someone of a different race.

“You don’t have to be so modest. Having abilities is a good thing, especially in this apocalypse situation.”

“Indeed.”

“I believe ability defines someone’s worth. That’s why – wasn’t there something you said about Hitler the other day? Telling him to go f**k himself?”

“That’s right.”

“Hitler was incompetent. Correct. A bastard. As a human, he might’ve been alright, but in the war… it was also said that he wasn’t particularly talented, especially when he ordered the invasion of the USSR, controlling and manipulating front-line commanders, thereby turning the situation into utter chaos. And the inept people who stayed seated in Berlin and never left.”

Maybe I misjudged him…

…Then why does knowing so much about Hitler feel disturbing?

Or, if I keep doubting like this, isn’t it baseless?

“Anyway, you’re Asian, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Understandably, you might harbor some fear. Although the U.S. claims to be a multicultural nation… it is also a country rampant with racial discrimination. The KKK, right? Their activities were less than 200 years ago.”

“You know quite a lot about history, Mr. Hans?”

“History is important. Learning from history helps avoid making the same mistakes. That’s why I love history.”

Ms. Sarah also seemed to relax and started walking more casually.

…Frankly, hearing such words feels deflating.

Rather if Hans had simply called me a yellow monkey, inferior species, or orangutan, it might’ve been more straightforward.

“So which way should we go from here?”

A fork in the road appeared.

Right, left, and center.

A crossroad, perhaps?

“Don’t they say in a maze, keeping your right hand on the wall helps prevent getting lost?”

“Personally, I prefer the right side. Maybe because I’m right-handed?”

There were no objections.

Instead, I nodded at Ms. Sarah.

While Hans and I moved ahead, Ms. Sarah discreetly left marks in the corridor.

“Forgive me for being forward, but do you also know how to make bullets?”

“Why…?”

“The color of the bullet casings caught my eye. Normally, store-bought bullets have red casings with brass tips or something like that, right?”

“That’s right.”

I deliberately kept a distance from Ms. Sarah who was following.

Ms. Sarah, also naturally confirming our rear, was carefully shining the light back twice while walking cautiously.

“Making bullets, generators, plumbing, all by yourself, that’s impressive. Being competent is a wonderful trait.”

“Thank you but…”

“No no. Achieving perfection in one skill is admirable craftsmanship, but aren’t you, Xuan Woo, competent in diverse areas? That’s what we need in times like this. Almost like…”

His blue eyes turned toward the back.

Ms. Sarah also turned her head toward us.

“A beautiful young lady standing there.”

My grip on the shotgun tightened.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Isn’t it true that external appearances can also signify ability, to a certain extent? Like muscles or scars. Significant features showing life experiences. Though we’re taught not to judge by appearance, isn’t it part of the whole?”

“To what end?”

“Adequate muscles. A striking face with brilliant blue eyes. Black hair maintained short as if prepared for this situation. Simply put – ”

I tried to push him away.

The ominous feeling was becoming too accurate.

I should have been more alert when he started speaking so calmly, fluently.

“Isn’t it a fine example of an Aryan individual?”

By now, his hand had a firm grip on mine.

My body swayed under the force.

“Keh!?…”

It happened in an instant.

The choking sensation came from behind.

“Put me down. If you don’t, I’ll shoot.”

Ms. Sarah immediately drew her pistol and aimed.

“You’re a quick one, aren’t you? People like you are truly to my liking. Capable individuals are exactly what the Empire needs. Not some flashy cockroaches. Similarly.”

As if trying to disrupt Ms. Sarah’s aim, he twisted my resisting hand completely, pushing it behind my back, making my bent posture his perfect shield.

“Ms. Sarah in front here also suits as someone who could bear the future talents of the Empire. But didn’t you dare to test me with that – presumptuous, dangerous behavior?”

Fluent German.

Confident movements.

And the sound of footsteps in the dark.

“I’ll re-introduce myself, Fräulein Sarah. I’m Hans Schultz, an officer of the 0th Empire.”

A cold feeling crept over me.

The sound of footsteps indicated they weren’t few in number.

So, I shouted.

“Run, Sarah – kck – ”

With intense pressure on my neck, I heard a gentle whisper in my ear.

“Don’t worry and just lose consciousness for now. Both you and Sarah will happily serve the great race. Such talent shouldn’t go to waste just handling scrap metal, wouldn’t you agree? It seems you need guidance, and I don’t mind offering it.”

A gunshot rang out, but my vision was gradually darkening.

The rapid footsteps chasing after Ms. Sarah’s hurried footsteps were fading away.

Damn.

I was right.

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