Legendary Shelter Survival Guide

Lucas approached the front of the shelter, his hands touching various components.

'I can build something better than this… even the basement could be ten times more efficient. But if I keep upgrading the shelter through my shelter generation skill, will I see something new and unique?' Lucas wondered.

Before him, the shelter looked like nothing more than a simple village house. The basement was the only part that was somewhat decent; everything else seemed plain.

As he reached the front, he noticed the group had split into smaller ones. Haley, Sandra, and Sarah were talking in a corner, and judging by how much Sarah was blushing, it seemed like she was talking about him.

John, Mike, and Jerry were standing near the shelter's entrance, deep in conversation, while Elena sat at the campfire, tossing twigs into the flames to keep them from going out.

The only person missing was Phil.

"Aunt Ella, where's Phil?" Lucas asked, looking around.

"He's just a few meters ahead of the shelter's defenses. Mike helped him set up a small farm there."

"That's great, but before I go see him," he said, making Ella look at him curiously, "how have you been lately? And if I remember correctly, didn't you have some creatures with you?"

"Oh! They're all fine. They're out hunting right now, patrolling the area around the shelter. They know the territory well, so we let them handle the smaller creatures."

"That should help them level up nicely and keep the monster population in check. Still, thank you for their services," Lucas said with a smile.

"Oh, it's nothing. This little community feels like a big family to me now. We've been through so much together. Don't you think so?"

"I'm glad to hear that, Aunt Ella. I think of this as a big family too... It was nice talking to you. Let's catch up over dinner soon." Lucas said and went away with some complicated thoughts.

He headed toward the shelter's entrance, though he couldn't help but sense some doubt from Ella. She was sweet on the surface, but something about him bothered her, and Lucas knew it.

But he believed that in time, they would see he was still the same person.

"I see your little talk went well," John commented as Lucas approached the trio.

"Yeah, it went fine. We're giving our relationship another shot," Lucas replied with a smile.

"But isn't there a 15-year gap between you two now? OW! What was that for?!" Mike yelped as John smacked him hard on the back of the head.

"It's not the time to talk about that," John said, shaking his head.

"It's alright. I'll deal with that later. Anyway, where did you set up the farm?"

"Oh, just go left and take a right at the corner. We made a small path leading to the farm."

Hearing this, Lucas glanced outside the shelter and finally noticed a crude path—or more accurately, a simple dug-up line—that led straight into the forest.

"You've made good progress. I'm proud to see the beginnings of the first road in our territory. Good job," Lucas said, earning a few grateful smiles from Mike before he left for the farm.

"Do you think he's okay now, John?" Jerry asked, watching Lucas walk away, analyzing the terrain.

"Even if he's not, he'll be fine soon. We need a leader," John replied before walking over to his wife, leaving Jerry and Mike by themselves.

"That's a lot of pressure for a kid," Jerry muttered, still concerned.

"Jerry, you really are dumb sometimes. You realize Lucas was gone for 15 years, right? He was 18 when he left, so he's 33 now. That's not a kid," Mike explained.

"Wha—?!" Jerry's face filled with shock, and Mike couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.

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"I forgot to do the math, but… what the fuck?! He's as old as me now?" Jerry shouted, catching John's attention.

"Well, no shit. I'll leave too, can't have your dumbness wash over to me" Mike mumbled and left the shelter too. It seemed the area around the shelter was peaceful, to say the least.

Meanwhile, Lucas followed the path while taking his time to observe the terrain along the way. It was overgrown with unwanted plants and trees, but that didn't mean it was useless. He found several plants with alchemical properties.

He plucked one of the common ones in such a way that every single root of it whether it be weak or strong got dragged out too. He kept walking.

'Let's see… what do we have here,' Lucas thought, turning the plant in his hand. Once he had observed it carefully, he loosened his grip, and instead of falling, the plant hovered above his palm, rotating gently.

Lucas covered his other hand with mana and directed it toward the plant. The mana enveloped the plant completely, and soon, the plant began to separate into individual parts, each piece hovering in a circle above his hand.

Lucas looked up and saw there was still a lot of road ahead, so he poured more mana into the separate components. The delicate roots, stem, and leaves started to dissolve, transforming into a colorful liquid.

Lucas manipulated the liquid in front of his eyes, observing its properties.

"Extremely low healing properties, slight spell enhancement, and light rejuvenation…" Lucas muttered to himself, mixing the liquids into a single floating orb.

He moved his hands in an intricate pattern, and soon, the liquid's color shifted to a soft green.

Lucas smiled at the concoction. 'These ingredients are so low-level that I didn't even need a cauldron to complete the potion. It seems it'll take a while to find high-quality ingredients…'

Just as he finished, Lucas looked up to see a small clearing where the path ended. In the center of the clearing was a small farm, with a figure working diligently on it.

The small portion in the center looked like it had some word done on it. Lucas observed it until his eyes fell on the right side of the clearing.