Wasteland Development Diary

Zhou Yi chose a location next to the beach bonfire for building his house.

The terrain here was relatively flat, and it was not far from the water source of the Oasis River.

Behind it was the Dead Sea, which was convenient for developing sea floor resources.

In areas like this shallow beach, large Guangna Species wouldn't usually appear. They dwelled in the deep sea, where the density and intensity of Death Light they could absorb were much higher, and there were plenty of high-quality prey for them.

Nevertheless, the samurai crabs still sealed off the surrounding area to avoid interference during construction.

Zhou Yi then rode his bike back down to the sea.

He had virtually no knowledge of the specifics of building construction.

Thus, Zhou Yi chose to employ a pragmatic approach.

Amidst the flowing mist and shadows, visibility drastically decreased, and everything in the Dead Sea became vague and indistinct.

In the past, Zhou Yi's crab army moved slowly, and visual problems were a significant factor. The crabs could sense danger but were incapable of recognizing the surrounding derelict buildings or providing detailed descriptions of complex objects.

This time, Zhou Yi activated the Red Kestrel.

The unmanned aerial vehicle circled overhead.

On the electronic screen of the remote controller, the myriad of light streams and mists were filtered out, leaving a very clear view. The light mist turned into water ripple patterns on the lens, which did not hinder observing the surrounding terrain.

Next to Zhou Yi's team, a road was clearly visible, and not far away, there was a collapsed overpass.

He asked the Red Kestrel, "Are Electromechanical Lives unaffected by the Dead Sea?"

A synthesized voice sounded from the controller, "No, we are also subject to the influence and effects of the Death Light, and most can't stay in such an environment for long. My 'Bird's Eye View' consumes much more energy when deployed in the Dead Sea Zone."

"But I used to be a member of the 'Recursive City' rescue team, responsible for searching for trapped and help-seeking Electromechanical Lives in various environments. I would also undertake rescues of other Guangna Species. My structure and components have been modified to serve in extreme environments, so as long as no alarms go off, it's within controllable effects."

It was a good fit for the job.

Zhou Yi felt reassured.

With navigation assistance, he quickly found the nearest cluster of buildings.

It was an old residential area, seemingly styled like the buildings of around the year 2000, nameless, with 7 units, each having 6 floors, standing alone next to the road.

The entrance was a raised section of broken wall and twisted, leaning iron gates.

Zhou Yi entered the residential area, looked up, and could still see clothes hanging on the protective railing of each floor, as well as the empty potted plants.

Furniture and daily necessities could be collected from here.

The difficulty was the main body of the house.

Zhou Yi remembered passing a construction site to the east.

He used the unmanned aerial vehicle to conduct a wide search and quickly found the place.

The construction site was a mess; the main body of the still under-construction building had collapsed for some unknown reason, but the various materials scattered on the ground were, fortunately, complete despite the disorder.

Zhou Yi was in high spirits.

In the past, he felt that construction sites were dusty everywhere, causing traffic jams and blockages, but now they had become a crucial strategic resource point.

The lances, shields, and even the armor that the samurai crabs were fitted with were made from the steel reinforcing bars and iron sheets found here.

Building materials also had to be sourced from this location.

His gaze fixed on the other side of the construction site, where several special buildings remained intact.

He had found it!

This was exactly what he needed.

...

Night fell.

Ajin, carrying large and small bags, with one hand holding a clay pot and the other embracing a large bundle of dry grass, and with glow sticks tied to his waist, moved to the beachside house, sweating profusely.

As he approached, he suddenly felt something wasn't quite right.

Why was it so bright?

He stared hard and was startled.

In front stood a small mountain that was glowing.

Had he gone to the wrong place?

But the samurai crabs patrolling in the distance confirmed that the master was indeed here.

What was the situation?

Ajin cautiously approached the samurai crab guard, feeling somewhat tense and not daring to pass, as without the master nearby, he wasn't sure if they would attack him.

The samurai crabs didn't even glance at him and continued their night patrols.

Suddenly, someone spoke to him, "Keep going straight in, they won't harm you, Zhou is waiting for you."

This stranger's voice was cold and authoritative, as if coming from the ends of the sky.

Ajin was stunned.

The master's name was Zhou Yi, so Zhou referred to him.

He clenched his teeth and continued on, carrying his bags and bundles.

Upon drawing closer to the glowing mountain, Ajin saw the master sitting in a plush leather soft chair.

He propped up a large square black umbrella overhead, next to which stood a finely crafted, squarely-made wooden table, upon it rested a lamp made of rhombic stone.

Under the glow of the rhombic lamp,

This mysterious and powerful elder was now drinking a red canned water, his brows furrowed as if troubled by something.

Ajin gingerly called out, "Master, Master?"

It was then that the other turned his face, "You've arrived?"

"Master, my leg has completely healed, your medicine was incredibly effective! I can start on the house right now, I've brought my tools."

First, Ajin shook his leg, then he set down his bag and pulled out a stone cone and an iron shovel, "You said, where should I start digging?"

The master shook his head, "No need to dig, the main body of the house behind me is already constructed."

Behind?

Ajin only then directed his gaze beyond the other person.

The glowing little hill.

It was made up of a blue and white, massive square-shaped mound, with layers upon layers, totaling two. The brightness was emanating from within these mounds, appearing as though passageways had been carved through them.

Above-ground burrows?

What kind of technique was this?

Upon closer inspection, Ajin discovered that this kind of ground duplex cave possessed a very uniform and sleek beauty, each of its square cavities perfectly identical in size to the next, combined into a special circular formation.

In less than a day, the master had raised such a complex, luxurious underground house from the ground!

Had he not seen it with his own eyes, Ajin would hardly have believed it.

"Master, you truly are amazing."

His admiration came from the depths of his soul.

Ajin also felt a sense of loss and confusion: "Such a perfect cave, it doesn't require my crude craftsmanship..."

The master said with some irritation, "It's called a container house, and it actually has its fair share of flaws."

Zhou Yi's real target were the container houses on the construction site, these ready-made prefab units could be moved, and the strength of the samurai crabs was more than enough to transport them to land.

Under his command, the samurai crabs built a two-story quadrangle courtyard on the beach, enclosing the container houses. This way, in one fell swoop, the extra containers could be used as storage and miscellaneous rooms.

Then Zhou Yi discovered some specific troubles.

Each container house only had one entrance and exit, so moving between different rooms required some climbing. The samurai crabs could use simple tools, but cutting and welding were a bit too advanced for them.

Additionally, this kind of simple accommodation had very poor sound insulation, and just a few footsteps inside would clang loudly. Due to only rudimentary stacking and blunt fortification, the container houses upstairs would still emit friction and swaying noises in the wind, greatly affecting the quality of living.

An unexpected find was that plenty of Poly Light Stones had been discovered in the shallow areas of the Dead Sea, serving as sufficient basic lighting at night.

Ajin scratched his head, hearing all this.

"I don't think these are problems, master. If possible, may I give it a try? Which hole do you live in?"

Zhou Yi said, "Try the first room on the left first, this isn't a hole, it's a container house."

"Okay, sure."

Then Ajin opened his worn backpack, pulling out many wooden slats. He agilely climbed between the container houses, stuffing pieces of wood of various sizes into the crevices, then plastered them with mud and hammered them in for reinforcement.

The creaking and squeaking noises were significantly reduced.

Zhou Yi gave it a try and found it much quieter inside the house.

The young man wiped his sweat away, "Master. If it's still too noisy, I can line the inside with a layer of mud, add branches and dry grass. It'll be very quiet then. There are various noises underground too; after doing this, we can basically sleep."

While this was a good method,

Zhou Yi still decided it would be better to procure some wood for soundproofing panels.

"Very good. Ajin, well done."

The praised youth was somewhat anxious and fearful, "I haven't been much help, just some small tasks. Since the house is built, I'll be heading back then."

He began to pack up.

"We're just getting started, there are many improvements and maintenance issues with the house later on, and those are your tasks."

Zhou Yi told him, "You're my employee, of course, you'll stay in the staff accommodation, just in the room next to mine."

It took a moment for Ajin to react, his surprise and joy mixing, "Really? Can I live in such a luxurious underground...container house?"

Zhou Yi nodded, "I said board and lodging included. Go rest."

"But, master, it's nighttime, time for work."

"Oh, I forgot that. Then you could start by checking the dormitory for any issues and make some repairs."

"Alrighty!"

The young man began moving his belongings into the house.

At this moment, the voice of the Red Kestrel came through the remote control.

"Three suspicious targets spotted on the outskirts of our camp, having surveilled our area for over half an hour."

"One of them is an enhancer."

Zhou Yi's eyebrows raised.

The first day of moving in, and it seemed cleaning duties were already calling.