Surviving the Apocalypse with Crafting Skills

“…I wouldn’t exactly call it a good plan.”

“That feeling is natural. Even though they’re racists, they do provide food and a place to live comfortably, and we even receive a certain level of respect. In fact, aside from the blonde hair, we’re even included as ‘superior individuals.'”

“That’s-”

“I can offer better conditions. Of course, it will take time, and at first, it will be quite difficult to endure.”

“…You or your community?”

“I used to lead some people.”

“How many? Fewer than here?”

“To be honest, it’s very small. Including me, there are four of us.”

“Four….”

He was contemplating.

Even with just a community of four, still…

This must be proof of how much he dislikes it here.

However, after a long silence, Dieterich shook her head.

“Thank you for the offer, but isn’t this kind of conversation extremely dangerous in the first place?”

It wasn’t a strong refusal.

That was enough.

“How long do you think Hans will protect us?”

“I… what do you mean?”

“You’re a veterinarian, and I can make and repair various items, though not with expertise. In other words, both of us are quite ambiguous individuals. I have broad but shallow knowledge, and you, while in an entirely different field, have at least some understanding of medicine.”

“So what?”

“The day when we truly need a doctor or when Hans finds appropriate specialists in the fields he needs… how long do you think he’ll keep us around?”

He could still keep them by his side.

Perhaps to assist those specialists.

But as the frontier expands and more survivors are accepted and filtered, finding specialists would only become easier.

And then the problem would arise—they could be used as sacrifices for the sake of food efficiency or as scapegoats for internal dissent.

Like hunting dogs under a hunter, their fate would be to be eaten once they’ve outlived their usefulness.

“You mentioned ‘utility.’ There’s… some truth in that.”

“Of course, that moment isn’t coming right away. It could be ten years, or if we’re unlucky, we might never find the right people. In the meantime, you could gain surgical experience here or accumulate medical knowledge while studying in the gaps.”

“But are you implying that the Nazis might meddle with me at any time?”

The communications officer, Jakob, was it?

The very violent impression with a square jaw from earlier—he must be talking about him.

“Are you American, Frau Dieterich?”

“I lived in Germany when I was young, but I moved to America with my parents.”

“…The Nazis must have loved that.”

“Not really. I think there was a notion that blonde hair makes one look dumb. Lt. Hans defended me strongly, which is why I’m treated this way, but even that feels unstable now. These kinds of incidents keep happening.”

It seemed like she was almost swayed.

Then came the decisive blow.

“Captain Hans is preparing for a coup.”

“I already know that. The communications officer…,”

What a loose-lipped guy to be in communications.

Is Hans just ignoring him for the operation?

“What if that coup fails?”

“…My position would become dangerous.”

“There are bound to be extremists on both sides—those who prioritize ideology over survival.”

– Static.

We both jumped at the sudden sound of the radio.

“Frau Dieterich, this is Lt. Schultz.”

I handed her the radio, and she calmly, with an almost perfect expression, accepted it.

“Go ahead.”

“Personnel 0032 has sent over the technician, Lee Hyun-woo, but I wanted to inquire about his condition.”

“There’s a large bruise on his abdomen, but no other noticeable injuries. I plan to treat him with hot compresses followed by ice.”

“I must apologize. Is it possible to halt his treatment and immediately send him to the stopped pipeline?”

“It’s hard for him to do rough work with such bruises.”

“My men will assist with the work and ensure that others don’t interfere. Would it be possible to proceed under those conditions?”

Dieterich glanced inward for a moment.

She let go of the radio and then spoke.

“What do you want to do?”

“If I may ask?”

“The truth is, this work seems tough. It could have been easier if Communications Officer Miles hadn’t interfered.”

It was possible to slack off, but I didn’t want to.

After all, I had to give the doctor before me some trust that I could create an opportunity for escape.

“Is there any painkiller available?”

“Yes, both strong and mild ones.”

“If you have something strong—”

“This one.”

Morphine, right?

“By the way, the rest of the upper echelon, excluding Schultz, is already addicted to morphine.”

Ah.

The situation is shakier than I thought.

Why Schultz’s influence has spread everywhere makes sense now.

“Give me the mild one.”

Drug addiction, in any form, isn’t good.

Even with the stack of drugs and a bottle of painkillers, I could make a morphine injection, but addiction always leads to a waste of resources and time.

“Colonel Schultz, are you still there?”

“I’m listening.”

“I’ll prescribe Ibuprofen for the patient. It’s just a painkiller, but he must come back for treatment after the work is done.”

“Understood.”

A glass of water and a pill were handed to me.

Swallowing it, I felt my stomach ease a bit.

“Shall we—”

“Continue the conversation when we return?”

She dropped her coat and stretched out her arms.

Voices were heard from the iron door’s direction.

“Thank you for the offer, but slipping away unnoticed with so many people watching—”

“If I tell you I have the ability to cause an event worth that—”

Before opening the door, she turned slightly to smile at me.

“Actions speak louder than words, right?”

“…Return safely. Most people don’t.”

Her eyes still held a trace of suspicion, but it was much less than before.

There was one more nail to drive in.

***

“Is this how we hold it?”

“Be careful not to hurt your back. Yes.”

Dropping the glove panel, the four elite guards slowly lowered the pipe.

“Do we have replacement pipes? Probably not.”

Normally, we’d have to replace the entire thing when something like this happens.

The corrosion indicated by the pressure was visible.

Well, I could dismantle and rebuild the pipe right there, but that process wouldn’t exactly be ‘realistic’ either.

And Schultz standing nearby leaning on the railing gives me a bit of pressure.

“Let’s try our best, whatever. Torch.”

Lowering the welding mask, I applied the flame to the iron.

I flattened the rusted part with a hammer while heating the red-hot iron.

It sounded easier with words, but the issue was the time and heat involved.

I started to sweat.

“If there’s any way I can help—”

“It’s dangerous, so please step back. You’ll have plenty of hard work when we reconnect the pipe.”

There was a slight curve left, but this was just a temporary solution.

Besides, this pipe has to create another problem for the escape plan to work.

“Are we done?”

“Yes. Ah, and the four of you should prepare too.”

“Us?”

“Yes. The reconnection process will take a long time, so it’s better we take turns with these guys.”

With bolts and nuts in hand, I worked amidst the crowd.

Commanding a change as I saw the faces of the bulky soldiers turn red and blue.

After a considerable amount of back and forth,

“Alright… now you can let go.”

Wiping sweat as I leaned against the wall, while the soldiers behind me panted heavily, I gave the bolts and nuts a last, firm tightening.

Although I left one side loosened intentionally.

“So, can we restart the heating today?”

“No. We need to check the pressure gauge. Without replacing the pipe as a whole, these kinds of incidents will keep happening. It might even be a problem with the boiler itself, so it looks like it’s going to be a long process.”

That wasn’t a lie.

Unfortunately.

The faces of the defense forces looked disheartened.

“So, is that all?”

“Yes, ah, before you go, would you spread your arms please—”

[That won’t be necessary, Corporal.]

The corporal’s radio, which intended to perhaps check my pockets despite the sweat, suddenly buzzed.

Hans, already holding binoculars and looking at us while casually pressing his radio.

[I’d like you to send him directly to the medical building. After the treatment, bring him immediately to my office.]

“Yes, understood.”

…I took a few bolts and nuts from my pocket and handed them to the soldier first.

Of course, not the ones hidden in my groin area.

Upon returning, I glanced at the pipe I had loosened again.

Putting a slight turn on the nuts nearby would probably cause the problem to explode.

All that’s left is creating an escape route.

But…

Hans, who is smirking at me.

The question is, can I really handle him?

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