Building My Empire in the Frozen Apocalypse (Riley Carter) novel Chapter 73

Chapter 73 Morning Chores and a New Journey

Chapter 73 Morning Chores and a New Journey

“It sprouted!” Riley murmured, a quiet shock in her voice.

In this frozen, snow–cursed wasteland, that tiny speck of green was worth more than anything.

She had no clue why the wheat had shot up so fast. “Okay, okay–time to feed you.”

成

+30 Free Coins

Riley pulled a bag of plant food from her inventory, mixed it with water right in the bucket, and gently sprinkled the solution around the fragile little shoots.

“Drink up, guys. Grow up big and strong for me.”

Once the garden work was done, she straightened up and rolled her stiff shoulders. “Neeko! Shift’s starting.”

“Meow!”

The little white cat chirped back, leapt down from the windowsill, and the moment her paws touched the floor, she was already shifting back into that girl with the pointed ears. Something about the word work always lit her up–her eyes got all bright and eaget.

Today’s job was straightforward: gather firewood.

Even with electricity now, they couldn’t let the hearth go cold. Plus, for fortifying the walls later, crafting arrows, and just keeping the fireplace fed, wood was always in demand.

Getting the camp to level four needed to happen soon, too.

They geared up–proper boots, thick coats, gloves–and stepped outside.

The wind and snow hadn’t let up, but dressed in full survival gear now, Riley barely felt the bite. “That one. Let’s take it down.”

She pointed toward a pine standing not too far out.

Then she drew the “Storm Splitter Dual Axes (Upgraded)” from her belt.

‘Hyah!”

With a short shout, all of her strength went into the swing.

The frost–tinted blade left a pale streak in the air.

“Crack–thud.”

No second swing needed. One clean chop, and the pine was cut clean through. The stump was smooth, almost polished.

Back before the stats, she’d have been hacking at a tree like this a dozen times, sweating and panting.

“Now that’s efficiency…” Riley breathed, impressed herself.

This was the raw thrill of high stats–pure domination.

Not to be outdone, Neeko shifted again. In a ripple of fur and muscle, she became that six–foot–tall grizzly and slammed a heavy

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Chapter 73 Morning Chores and a New Journey

paw against another trunk.

“Whump!”

+30 Free Coins

The tree shuddered violently, snow sliding off in clumps. It didn’t fall, but the wood splintered deep, more than halfway through.

They fell into a good rhythm after that.

Riley turned into a human harvester, one tree per swing.

Neeko, still in bear form, became the haul crew. She’d wrap those thick arms around three or four logs at once, tuck them against her side like they were kindling, and drag the whole load back to camp–or she’d hitch herself to Riley’s sled and pull it through the

snow.

A whole morning passed.

By the time they were done, that stretch of woods looked like it had been hit by a tornado.

“Obtained: Wood x360”

Looking at the neatly stacked logs now filling her inventory, Riley felt a deep, quiet sense of relief. Supplies meant safety.

“Alright, break time. Let’s eat.”

Back inside, even with supplies stocked, Riley kept a practical mindset. No huge feasts every day.

Lunch was simple: slices of packaged bread, a can of beef stew heated over the fire, and two cups of vitamin–fortified drink mix stirred into water.

“Bread… soft,” Neeko observed, holding a slice carefully in both hands. She poked the fluffy center with a curious finger.

“Yeah, soft,” Riley agreed around a mouthful of stew. She swallowed and pointed. “That’s canned food. And this is juice. Say it with me: juice.”

“Joo… iss?”

“Juice.”

‘Jooce!”

‘Close enough. Just drink it.” Riley gave up on phonics.

She watched Neeko bury her face in the cup and gulp happily, ending up with an orange ring around her mouth. Riley reached over and wiped it off with her thumb.

This… relying on each other thing. It wasn’t so bad.

Once they’d eaten, they both collapsed on the worn couch for half an hour, just digesting.

“Come on,” Riley said finally, checking her watch. “One PM–best light we’re gonna get.”

Now that she wasn’t fighting to survive like most poor souls stuck out here, she could actually enjoy one of the core pleasures this “game” offered: looting.

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Chapter 73 Morning Chores and a New Journey

But before heading out, Riley made an important call.

She pulled up her interface and navigated to the “Titles” tab.

“Unlucky Fool (All Stats +5, Luck -99)”

“Unequip.”

She confirmed.

The surge of power faded just a bit, leaving her feeling slightly lighter, slightly less bolstered.

But for better loot… it was worth the trade–off.

“No way I’m still that unlucky without this thing, right?” she muttered, giving herself a little pep–talk.

“Neeko, shift.”

+30 Free Coins

This time, Riley didn’t have to specify. Neeko’s form blurred and reshaped into a sleek, powerful snow jaguar–perfect for moving across open plains.

Fast, quiet, and capable of carrying a rider if needed. Not that Riley would; no saddle meant chafing, and honestly, riding Neeko just felt… weird.

Together–one woman, one jaguar–they headed out into the vast, white silence.

They’d been moving for about twenty minutes when the jaguar suddenly halted. Her ears pricked forward, and her nose twitched Coward a snow–drifted mound up ahead to the left.

‘Grrr.”

A low rumble vibrated in her throat. She glanced back at Riley, eyes sharp.

‘Something there?”

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