Chapter 67: It Finally Feels Like Home |
Chapter 67: It Finally Feels Like Home
Boom... Boom...
The ten Level 5 Gun Towers perched atop the Wall thundered without pause, their relentless barrage carving deeper and deeper into the mountainside Cave.
Torrents of rubble and shattered stone cascaded down the Wall’s flanks, flooding the canyon floor below.
Even in the thick of the Rainy Season, the feverish activity at the excavation site radiated an unstoppable sense of progress—a rare, vibrant pulse of hope in this grim world.
Humans...
No matter how desperate things become, we always cling to hope.
And right now, this Cave was their hope—the only chance they had to survive the coming Rainy Season.
...
With just an hour left before Eternal Night descended, the Cave had finally reached a depth of thirty-six meters. That would suffice, for now, to meet the Rear Base’s immediate needs. They could begin outfitting it and expand further when time allowed.
Crippled Monkey and the others had long since pushed themselves to their limits. They sprawled atop the Wall, gasping for breath.
Exhausted...
Utterly, bone-deep exhausted.
“Haven’t been this wiped out in years,” Crippled Monkey muttered, his limbs aching so badly he could hardly move. Yet his eyes shone with satisfaction and pride. He relished this feeling of honest labor—so much better than those stifling days back at the Chen Clan.
He didn’t fear hardship. What he feared was being useless.
Chen Fan stood atop the Wall, gazing at the gaping mouth of the Cave behind him, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Ten meters high, twenty meters wide, thirty-six meters deep.
Three sides protected by sheer mountain stone.
Even with Level 5 Gun Towers, it had taken ages to blast this far. No Ghostbeast could ever hope to break through these natural barriers. And once the Level 1 Wall at the Cave’s entrance was upgraded to Level 2, this place would become an impenetrable Rear Base.
Let anything come—they would find it futile.
Compared to the Old Camp out in the Wasteland, the sense of security here was almost tangible.
The Mountain Remnant Seed, embedded within the Ghostfire, had sent its bone-like tendrils deep into the mountain, ensuring the Cave would never collapse.
The shell was complete.
That afternoon, they had focused on clearing away the last of the loose stones and earth from inside the Cave. At the entrance, they installed a Level 5 Gun Tower, its twin beams piercing the gloom, keeping the ground inside relatively level.
The mountain itself was solid as iron.
As long as they kept clearing debris, they would soon have a perfectly flat floor.
It was a colossal task.
Even with everyone popping Monkey-Head Mushrooms to boost their strength, it wasn’t enough. Fortunately, Chen Fan discovered the Mountain Remnant Seed could do more than just stabilize the Cave—it could extend bone-like protrusions to help clear out rubble. With Crippled Monkey and the others lending a hand, they managed to get the job done after all.
Next, it was time to take stock of the Camp’s resources.
When Qianhou—one of the Ghost King’s four lieutenants—had led the Mourning Ghosts in their assault on the Old Camp, they were wiped out to the last, leaving behind a treasure trove of supplies. Among these were five large chests; three were filled with Ghost Material, heaven-and-earth treasures, and other items they didn’t immediately need.
The remaining two chests? Packed to the brim with Ghoststones.
And not just any Ghoststones—Level 2 Ghoststones.
Over the past few days, the Level 5 Gun Towers had burned through a hefty chunk of Ghoststones excavating the Cave. Running almost nonstop since the last Eternal Night, they’d used up half a chest—about 5,000 Ghoststones.
The energy drain from a Level 5 Gun Tower wasn’t excessive in theory.
But running them for this long? That was another story.
All told, two and a half days of continuous fire meant each Level 5 Gun Tower consumed about 200 Ghoststones per full day.
Normally, towers never operated for that long—if they did, the Camp would have been overrun long ago.
Now, with a chest and a half remaining, they still had 15,000 Ghoststones left.
Adding in the Ghoststones salvaged from the Old Camp and those collected from Ghostbeasts over the past few days, the Camp’s total resources now stood at 16,492 Ghoststones.
Time to build.
First, he dismantled the old Level 1 Ghostfire at the Cave entrance.
In its place, he forged a new Ghostfire, setting it deep within a specially carved alcove at the far end of the Cave. It took 163 Ghoststones to instantly upgrade it to Level 4. No Qualitative Shift option appeared this time, but the Safe zone expanded to a 200-meter diameter—enough to blanket the entire Cave and even spill out into part of the canyon below.
It connected seamlessly to the Natural Ghostfire Zone.
The alcove had been carved specifically for the Ghostfire—a compact, secure space nestled between three walls of solid mountain. Once he built a Wall across the entrance, no one but him would be able to access it.
Right now, everyone in the Camp got along.
But he knew all too well: as the Camp grew, so would the risks. If anyone with ill intent managed to destroy his Ghostfire, everything he had worked for would go up in smoke. The Ghostfire was the Builder’s lifeblood—he couldn’t afford to be careless.
He’d already made up his mind.
This Cave would become the core area—only trusted personnel would be allowed inside.
Anyone else the Camp took in would stay in a separate Cave to be excavated on the right-hand cliff.
He built a one-meter-thick Wall to seal off the alcove, ensuring the Ghostfire was safe and sound.
...
Inside the Cave.
Chen Fan stood on the smooth stone floor, gazing at the Ghostfire flickering in its alcove, lost in thought.
“Let’s take it to Level 5...”
If the Safe zone could expand a bit more—enough to cover the entire canyon floor—life would get much easier.
No need to hesitate.
He grabbed 30 Level 2 Ghoststones from a nearby chest. They shattered in his palm, dissolving into a ghostly green light that poured into the Ghostfire.
The next moment—
A System Panel shimmered into view.
Ghostfire has reached Level 5. Safe zone expanded to a 500-meter diameter. Status Effect: Intimidation against Ghostbeasts enhanced.
Please choose an Upgrade Path:
1: Expand Safe zone to a 1,000-meter diameter.
2: Further enhance intimidation against Ghostbeasts.
3: Slightly reduce crop maturation time.
No Qualitative Shift this time.
But that was fine—this was exactly what he wanted. He chose the first Upgrade Path, expanding the Camp’s Safe zone to a full kilometer.
Now, the entire canyon was under their protection.
He finally understood: if he hadn’t chosen to expand the Safe zone to 200 meters when his Ghostfire reached Level 3, the base range at Level 4 would have been stuck at 200 meters, not 500.
With the Ghostfire secure, Chen Fan got back to work.
He spent 64 Ghoststones to build two Level 3 Stone Houses for rest. For upgrades, he selected Restful Sleep and “Expand area: add kitchen, toilet, bathhouse, and other optional rooms.”
They absolutely needed a toilet.
This wasn’t the Wasteland anymore.
No more relieving yourself wherever you pleased—do that here, and you’d just end up soiling your own home.
He used another 32 Ghoststones to build a third Level 3 Stone House, this one upgraded with the Shadow Array—allowing the Camp Lord to monitor every corner at will. This one would serve as the warehouse.
Gotta keep an eye on the supplies.
Next, he constructed Level 2 Farmland, a Sacrificial Tower (non-upgradable), and a Level 1 Altar, situating them all within the Cave.
With the houses upgraded to Level 3, there was no need for makeshift heating. The fireplaces kept everything warm, and the bathhouse provided hot water on demand.
Time slipped by, minute by minute.
Slowly, the Cave filled out. It was no longer a barren hole in the mountain.
At last, it felt like a place where people could truly live.