Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

Su Wu spent the next twenty minutes wandering around the shelter, using survival points to reinforce the remaining damaged walls.

The process should have been quicker, but Su Wu's cautious nature slowed him down. Each time he prepared to leave the cockpit of his mech, he triple-checked the surroundings for safety. Any sign of an aftershock, no matter how minor, made him cancel his plans and run another radar scan.

This back-and-forth added a significant amount of time to his task.

By the time he returned to the control center, the engineering and construction robots had completed repairs to the corridors and residential areas outside the control center.

The shelter's three-dimensional map on the control console now displayed a significantly larger green zone, representing restored safety and order.

The construction robots were split into two groups, heading to Underground Levels 3 and 1 to repair the livestock factory and hydroponic farm, respectively. Meanwhile, the engineering robots moved between the two levels to assist wherever needed.

In the hydroponic farm and livestock factory, most of the cultivation racks—used to grow rice, vegetables, fruit, and forage—had been toppled by the earthquake, spilling their contents across the floor.

Fortunately, the damage was not irreparable. Once the robots set the racks upright and restored order, the expected yield would not decrease significantly.

The incubation room in the livestock factory, which housed chicken and duck eggs, was better protected and suffered no losses. Within the next two days, many of the eggs were expected to hatch, bringing new life to the shelter.

Satisfied that the robots could handle these tasks without oversight, Su Wu shifted his focus to the external environment.

On the surface, the extreme drilling machine, operated by several robots, had resumed its work at the geothermal generator's steam pipe location. It was expected to drill for over 20 hours. During this time, Su Wu would need to step outside briefly to use survival points to supply the machine with nanomaterials for laying the pipes.

Nearby, the communications signal tower atop the small bunker had miraculously survived the earthquake without any damage. Once the shelter's AI reconnected with it, Su Wu's internet coverage was restored, extending a 15-kilometer radius.

Su Wu browsed the internet and found that many people had already logged in—a small but hopeful sign that a significant number of survivors had made it through the disaster.

However, the posts painted a grim picture.

While some people had survived, their shelters were in ruins. Radiation and extreme heat were seeping through the cracks in their walls and the gaping fissures in the ground, compressing their already limited living spaces.

Many users weren't logging in to seek help but to leave behind farewell messages and videos, ensuring that their lives wouldn't vanish without a trace.

"Thirteen small- to medium-sized shelters are within the signal tower's coverage range. Nine of them sustained minor damage, but one has gone completely silent after being swallowed into the earth. Three more are on the verge of collapse."

"This casualty rate is staggering."

Su Wu summarized the online information and sighed in sympathy.

The earthquake's terrifying power was indeed concentrated in specific areas. For shelters that avoided a direct hit, survival was possible, albeit with some damage. Su Wu's own shelter, for example, had suffered cracked walls and equipment malfunctions.

The difference lay in resources. Those collapsing shelters lacked engineering robots to perform repairs.

Su Wu's eyes lingered on a video post.

In the video, a middle-aged woman delivered her final message. There were no screams, tears, or despair—just calm advice for her child studying far away in the north. She urged him to stay safe and learn to care for himself.

The simplicity of her words unexpectedly struck a chord with Su Wu, touching him deeply.

"Perhaps I should help them," he murmured, as though convincing himself.

The reality was clear: the government was overwhelmed and wouldn't send rescue teams to the outskirts of the city. In the desolate region surrounding Stone Ridge Village, Su Wu was the only one with the means to make a difference.

With his mind made up, Su Wu issued commands to the shelter's AI.

Within two minutes, a rescue team had assembled, consisting of one engineering robot, six construction robots, a large cargo truck, two specialized transport vehicles, and three small excavators.

The team was equipped with weapons, rescue supplies, and tools before departing for the nearest collapsing shelter.

Su Wu remained in the control center, monitoring the rescue mission through the main screen, which displayed the cargo truck's onboard camera feed.

As the convoy approached, Su Wu observed the shelter in question.

Originally buried 20 to 30 meters underground, the shelter had partially risen to the surface during the earthquake, exposing it to the scorching heat and radiation of the outside world.

The exposed sections were severely deformed, with many structures completely collapsed, creating a scene of utter devastation.

Su Wu ordered two construction robots to approach the shelter, armed and ready, to search for an entrance.

The task proved relatively simple.

The shelter's main gate had been torn apart during the earthquake, leaving an entrance blocked only by dirt and debris. The robots quickly cleared Path, revealing a way inside.

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