Ryuji quickly went about completing his tasks. Thanks to his increased stamina, he managed to finish four missions in under two hours.
Fortunately, he also stumbled upon a cement mixer in a pile of rubble—though it was broken. He figured he'd check if there was a way to repair it.
The mission rewards were quite generous, and among them was something absolutely crucial: a crucible.
Without a crucible, he wouldn't be able to produce steel ingots, and without steel, there was no way to make reinforced concrete. This find made him genuinely happy.
The other three rewards weren't bad either—two wrenches and twenty antibiotics.
Antibiotics were particularly valuable, as they significantly reduced infection levels, and the trader no longer had honey in stock.
However, what truly shocked Ryuji was the mining efficiency of Kiri and Tsunade.
"You guys are ridiculously fast."
Looking at the massive mine in front of him—at least ten meters deep and nearly thirty meters in length and width—Ryuji was stunned. Meanwhile, Kiri, her pickaxe resting on her shoulder, simply shrugged, her face and body covered in dirt.
"It only takes me two swings to break apart a cubic meter of rock. Honestly, I think this is still pretty slow. I don't know where you plan on building, and I don't want to risk undermining the foundation."
Taking a swig from her beer, Kiri seemed unbothered. Ryuji didn't even question where she had managed to find ice-cold beer in this wasteland. However, she suddenly tugged at the collar of her shirt, releasing a wave of sweat-stained stench that instantly assaulted his nose.
Unlike Erina, whose post-exercise scent was subtle, Kiri's body odor was overpowering—an intense mix of sweat, gunpowder, and machine oil.
Ryuji instinctively waved his hand in front of his nose, glancing at Kiri's dirt-covered chest and the droplets of sweat rolling down her skin.
A sight that had once been tempting… was now anything but.
"Hehehe!"
Noticing Ryuji's disgusted expression, Kiri grinned mischievously, then suddenly lunged at him, locking his head under her arm.
Ryuji's face was instantly buried in something soft. But before he could process that, an overwhelming mix of sweat, gunpowder, and stale beer filled his nostrils.
He struggled desperately, finally breaking free—only to find himself covered in dust and dirt. Well, at least he wasn't exactly clean to begin with.
Just as he was about to complain, he noticed Tsunade emerging from the mine, looking just as worn out and covered in dust.
So, he quickly changed the topic.
"I remember the trader selling sewing stations. They aren't too expensive—I could buy one and make you guys some new clothes."
"No need," Kiri replied, shaking her head. "I've been through worse. We once got bombed for half a month straight in Ghent. Forget changing clothes—our own urine almost became a resource. This is nothing."
She took out a casino token and twirled it between her fingers, grinning.
"Besides, there should be some old clothes in the houses, right? We can just wear those. Better to save money for more important things. And, well, I know how to make clothes myself."
She puffed out her chest proudly.
"Don't underestimate a girl raised in Ghent! I can do everything—from fixing machines to babysitting kids! Need grenades, Molotovs, or even a homemade Gatling gun? Lady Kiri got you covered!"
She thumped her chest confidently, causing a noticeable jiggle.
"Uh…"
Ryuji quickly averted his gaze, trying to focus on something else—like the cement mixer he had hauled back earlier.
Then, a thought struck him.
"Wait—you said you can make grenades?"
Kiri blinked, caught off guard by his sudden interest.
"Uh… yeah? Supplies don't always make it to the frontlines, so we have to improvise sometimes."
Ryuji's eyes gleamed.
"What materials do you need?"
"Tin cans, gunpowder, fuses… The usual," Kiri replied. Then, narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she asked, "Wait—you're not expecting me to sit here churning out grenades for you, are you? Forget it. You don't have the materials. At best, I can make some basic explosives or landmines. And since there's no gasoline or oil around, making Molotovs is completely out of the question."
She shook her head.
"Ah…" LRyuji felt a pang of disappointment but then remembered something else.
"Hey, Kiri."
He pointed toward a fuel barrel nearby.
"What if we modify those barrels, pack them with explosives, and use them as makeshift cannons?"
He vaguely recalled something similar being used before.
"You mean…"
kiri trailed off, her eyes widening in realization.
A moment later, she shook her head.
"It might work, but it'd be extremely dangerous. It'd probably explode in your face. Without proper welding tools or equipment, I'd have a really hard time making it safe. But I guess… we could give it a shot."
She spread her hands in a helpless gesture.
"I see… In that case, can you at least make some remotely detonated mines?"
Ryuji sighed. He knew Kiri hadn't witnessed a zombie horde before. She had no idea how terrifying it could be.
Even though the system's building mechanics were convenient, there was a flaw—everything was numerical.
In the real world, a wooden barricade might hold against a zombie attack. But in the system's world, numerical values determined its durability, and once that number hit zero, it was instantly destroyed.
The same thing had happened to his previous wooden barricades.
He feared that concrete fortifications would suffer the same fate.
That's why he kept looking at the trader's indestructible walls.
If worst came to worst, maybe he really would have to build a floating base—perhaps a suspended platform with an isolated cliff for an escape route.
"Yeah, I can make some mines," Kiri nodded. "That's easy enough."
"Good. Then let's keep mining for now."
Seeing that it was still only around ten in the morning, Ryuji grabbed his pickaxe and shovel, joining the two in their work.
As the materials piled up, he felt more and more at ease.
The forge continued burning, smelting more iron, while he chopped down trees and fed the furnace with additional resources, focusing on making as many steel ingots as possible.
The three of them worked tirelessly, barely stopping for a quick lunch. Kiri and Tsunade, not being ordinary people, had impressive endurance, so they only had a light meal before getting back to work.
By five in the afternoon, their stamina was nearly depleted.
Prioritizing their safety, they decided to rest.
After dinner and a quick wash, Ryuji realized something crucial—
He forgot to make beds.
Fortunately, none of them were too picky. So, they simply curled up in the tiny shack he had built and fell asleep.
However…
Half-asleep, Ryuji suddenly felt something constricting his body—like a massive python squeezing the air out of his lungs.
He gasped for breath, struggling to wake up, only to find—
Kiri had wrapped herself around his arm like a giant teddy bear, pressing his face against her chest.
Desperate for oxygen, he pried himself free, panting heavily.
Just as he turned to scold her, Kiri rubbed her sleepy eyes and mumbled in annoyance.
"Ugh… you're so noisy."
"You were suffocating me!" Ryuji snapped.
Kiri clicked her tongue and lazily waved a hand.
"Pfft. That's it? You woke me up for that? Geez, let me know when you start rubbing up against me and finish, okay?"
Yawning, she wiped the drool from her mouth, gave him a half-hearted middle finger, and collapsed back into sleep before he could even react.
He lay there, silent.
Then, twenty minutes later…
The sound of her grinding teeth and snoring filled the room.
Taking a deep breath, he cover his ears.
But the next moment...
Tsunade's snoring also started.
And louder than Kiri's.
Ryuji: "..."
He suddenly missed Erina again.