Survival Queen of the Frozen Wastes novel Chapter 10

The night stretched on. Wind and snow pattered softly against the cabin window, a steady, almost rhythmic sound.

Wrapped in her fluffy white bathrobe, Riley was like a kid in a candy store. She kept hauling her precious tools over to the workbench, one after another, seemingly without any trace of fatigue.

"Power drill. Bind.

"Angle grinder. Bind.

"Nail gun. Bind.

"Level... okay, can't really bind that one. Whatever. Set it aside for now.

"Heavy-duty reciprocating saw. Bind. Bind. Bind."

Every time another piece of modern machinery touched the workbench, the system notification chimed like it was having a seizure.

"High-precision drilling equipment detected... Binding successful! Unlocked: Precision Drill Press Module

"High-impact fastening equipment detected... Binding successful! Unlocked: Pneumatic Nailer Integration Module

"High-speed grinding equipment detected... Binding successful! Unlocked: Multi-Purpose Grinder Module

The once-simple basic workbench had been completely transformed.

Its originally smooth wooden surface was now covered in steel gears, linkage rods, and modified mounting brackets. It looked like something out of a steampunk fever dream. Sure, it had lost all its electric convenience—but the intricate, mechanical beauty of its complex construction was honestly kind of mesmerizing.

Just as Riley placed the last multi-bit screwdriver onto the bench...

"Boom!"

The entire shelter floor shuddered violently.

Not an earthquake. This was a deep, metallic impact sound, like something slamming into place far underground.

Then a blinding white light erupted directly from the workbench.

"Player SpicyBurger has performed a "Full Industrial-Grade Tool Set" binding operation at current shelter level (Lv.2)!

"System logic conflict detected... Reconfiguring...

"Reconfiguration complete!

"Congratulations, player. You have unlocked achievement—Master Artisan's Soul!

"Achievement Description: Through your own efforts and a suspiciously well-stocked toolbox, you have bridged the gap between eras. In the middle of the Stone Age, you've sparked the Industrial Revolution with your bare hands.

"Special Reward Granted: Cross-Tier Building—"Intermediate Mechanical Workshop (Tool Shed)"!

"Note: This building was originally scheduled for unlock at Shelter Level 5. It has been forcibly deployed ahead of schedule. All associated tools and modules are now permanently unlocked."

"Holy... crap?"

Riley stared blankly at the glaring red exclamation marks flashing in front of her eyes.

Forcibly deployed? A Level 5 Shelter building?

Before she could even process what that meant, a harsh, grinding metallic screech erupted from the open space outside the cabin.

She tightened her bathrobe and shoved the door open, rushing out into the cold.

The sight that hit her made her suck in a sharp breath.

The previously spacious clearing—home to the campfire, main cabin, and outhouse—was now dominated by a colossal behemoth.

A sturdy, industrial-grade workshop constructed from gray stone blocks and rust-streaked steel framework loomed in front of her.

Its size was staggering. Nearly half of its walls extended beyond the campfire's fifteen-foot "warm zone", jutting straight out into the wind and snow beyond.

The icy steel exterior panels gleamed faintly in the firelight, creating a jarring visual contrast with the primitive little wooden cabin beside it.

It looked like a modern machine shop had been air-dropped into the middle of a prehistoric settlement.

"This is... the tool shed?"

Riley swallowed hard and walked quickly toward the heavy iron door.

She pushed it open, leaning into the weight.

Inside wasn't warm—too much of it lay outside the campfire's radius. But in the firelight filtering through the doorway, she could make out the interior layout.

At the center stood a massive "Integrated Mechanical Workbench".

Her circular saw, power drill, and angle grinder had all vanished from her inventory. In their place, various precision mechanical modules now sat perfectly integrated into this workbench.

Larger pieces of equipment lined the walls.

A heavy-duty Manual/Semi-Automatic Lathe.

A massive Hydraulic Forging Hammer.

And in the corner, a black box-like device that looked suspiciously like a CNC Machine.

Riley reached out a trembling hand and ran her fingers along the cold steel handwheel of the lathe.

"Intermediate Mechanical Workshop (No Power)

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