Survial Alone with Endless Bullets

Chapter 7

Finally, I found it.

"Ha..."

I collapsed as a plume of murky smoke and steam billowed before me.

No matter how much superhuman stamina I possessed, today was a tiring day.

"[You have discovered one of the veins of Holy Mount Noah!]"

"[Your luck stat has increased due to an amazing stroke of luck.]"

"[7 -> 8]"

Perhaps it was because I was still a beginner, or maybe it was due to the extreme conditions outside of Ark, but the increase in my luck stat was not bad.

When luck stats were low, the effects were not very noticeable. However, once they exceeded a certain threshold, they exhibited incredible effects.

Naturally, the higher the stat, the better.

"Still, it's only the beginning."

Strictly speaking, I had only just found a location to establish a base.

Creating a proper dwelling here would be impossible within a reasonable amount of time.

"That aside...before that."

Now that I had found a water source, I drank greedily from the water pouch.

Gulp, gulp-

"Ah..."

I finally felt alive.

Then, I rummaged through my bag and retrieved a multi-calorie bar that I had saved from earlier.

After moving continuously for hours, thirst and hunger were no joke.

If I were an ordinary person, I would have died from exhaustion long ago.

Munch, munch.

They say hunger is the best seasoning.

The multi-calorie bar, which had tasted like a chocolate-scented brick, now felt like a real chocolate bar.

Despite being a short and simple meal that lasted less than five minutes, it was more satisfying than any meal I had ever had in my life."In my heart, I want nothing more than to sleep right now... Unfortunately, rest is a luxury in my current situation."

Sadly, I couldn't afford to rest. In fact, there wasn't even a proper place to sleep, so I grabbed my field shovel and got up again.

"First things first, what should I do about that?"

I looked at the hot spring water that was filling up the pit I had dug.

If I just leave it like that, the water will overflow and the well will soon run dry.

Or worse, this area could turn into a sea.

Either way, it wasn't the situation I wanted.

So, what should I do?

I just needed to dig or widen the area around the well until the pressure of the flowing hot spring water reached a suitable level. Then, I could make a hot spring.

"Let's give it a try."

Luckily, my level 3 protective suit had a significant waterproof function, so I didn't have to take off my suit and risk anything dangerous.

I didn't want to be nervous and jumpy, or end up like a drowning rat with a heavy protective suit.

Thud! Thud!

Indeed, there was no comparison between Ark's field shovel and any other field shovel I had ever used. Even considering the influence of the hot spring water, the ground was as soft as pudding.

How long had I been digging like this?

"Hmm."

I think this depth is enough, right?

If I made it too deep, it would be inconvenient in many ways, so I focused on making the hot spring as wide as possible.

I aimed for a depth of about 150cm and a width of approximately 5✕5m in a rough square shape.

"Is this enough?"

After digging up the ground like this, the hot spring water stopped spurting at about 1 meter high. It was evidence that the pressure had reached a balance."I have created a makeshift hot spring."

"My skill proficiency has increased."

"10 -> 11"

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[Makeshift Hot Spring] [★(1 Star)]

A temporary hot spring created on Mount Noah.

It has excellent effects on recovering from fatigue and wounds.

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Though it may have been hastily made, it deserves recognition for being completed.

"I can always do renovation work later."

The current hot spring was made with such haste that impurities such as dirt were unavoidably mixed into the water.

As a result, the purity of the hot spring water is considerably low, which can affect its effectiveness and efficacy.

"I'll have to fix that later..."

I dipped my hand into the hot spring.

"The temperature is just right."

As I know, the temperature of hot spring water generally rises by an average of 2.5 degrees Celsius per 100 meters underground, depending on the terrain and location.

Therefore, it was not too hot to enter right away, although whether it would be suitable for drinking water was another matter.

Hot spring water is divided into drinkable and non-drinkable depending on the terrain and location.

Although I know that hot spring water from Mount Noah can usually be used as drinking water without causing any significant problems, I cannot be sure in reality.

"Minor stomach upsets may not fall under the category of significant problems."

The best way to test this would be to go through several stages to confirm whether the water can be used as drinking water without any issues.

Of course, even if this process is successful, there may be long-term side effects if consumed regularly. However, considering my current situation, as long as it is not life-threatening, I can tolerate it.

"If that doesn't work, I'll have to find a way to purify the water."

Of course, there are several permanent straws that can be used for purification, connected to my water storage. But if I were to lose or break them, it would cause significant disruptions to my water supply.I had no intention of entrusting my fate to a few scraps of straw.

"Of course, that's not something I need to worry about right now."

There was still water in the water tank, and most importantly, I had yet to create a suitable dwelling.

A dwelling near the makeshift hot spring I had created would be ideal, but there was no appropriate location nearby.

"Let's see..."

As I looked around, I discovered a small cave not too far away.

The location was difficult to spot from outside Noah, including Ark, and it was a fairly defensible terrain in case any monsters or demons happened to come by.

"That looks good."

After climbing a steep cliff, I soon discovered a small cave that I had seen before.

Although I stumbled upon it by chance, it met many of my requirements.

"Being small is a disadvantage, but it's not a big problem."

I could always expand the space.

I picked up my field shovel once again.

"Is this a rocky area? It won't be easy to dig, but..."

Difficult and impossible were two different things.

I began digging once again, like a true Ark supply field shovel, smashing through any rock that came my way during the nighttime excavation.

My hands tingled with each blow to the rocky terrain.

As expected, it was not an easy task.

"Hmm, at this rate, I won't be able to finish today..."

Then, a good idea popped into my head and I pulled out my Ark-15 rifle.

"The noise mode will be applied."

I took out a bullet magazine filled with armor-piercing rounds from the magazine holder and attached it to the Ark-15 rifle.

I figured there was no better ammunition for excavation work.[Type 15 Armor-Piercing Bullet] [★★★ (3 stars)]

[Current quantity: 20]

The Ark-made Type 15 armor-piercing bullet.

Capable of penetrating even steel.

《View details》

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"Shall we try it?"

After all, if it's just bullets, there's no harm in trying.

Swoosh!

With a sound that tore through the air, sparks flew from the Ark-15 assault rifle.

Thunk─!

And with it, the rocks crumbled and fell.

The first attempt was successful.

Clang!

Crack!

Indeed, by putting Type 15 armor-piercing bullets in several key points of the excavation work, the difficulty of the work was greatly reduced.

All that remained was to dig out the fragments of rocks that had fallen.

In less than thirty minutes, the cave had expanded so rapidly that they could unfold a military tent for five people.

"Cough! Cough!"

Avoiding the dense dust and dirt that had risen, they took a brief respite outside the cave.

Even in a place like this, dying of lung disease was not an option.

"Phew..."

After waiting outside for about ten minutes to catch their breath, the dust inside the cave finally settled.I continued with the construction work, and finally...

After securing enough space to install the CC-type tent, the boring excavation work came to an end.

After ventilating the area once more, I began setting up the CC-type tent that I had prepared beforehand.

Of course, it was not much of a setup as one of the longest points of the CC-type tent was its simple installation process, so there was no need for me to do much.

With a simple touch and a few fixed pins, a great shelter was completed.

"[CC-type tent has been installed.]"

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[CC Military Tent] [★★(2 stars)]

An Arc-made CC military tent.

It has an area that can accommodate up to 10 people.

It has a level 2 protection ability.

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The CC-type tent has a level 2 protection ability.

In other words, even if most monsters and beasts were to come rushing in overnight, it would buy me enough time until I wake up.

"Moreover, if it's inside this cave, even a massive monster or beast that could tear apart the CC-type tent wouldn't be able to get in easily."

In terms of safety, it was quite satisfactory given the fact that it was in the extreme environment outside of Ark.