Survival Queen of the Frozen Wastes novel Chapter 9

The white light of the completed transaction faded, and two boxes of Beef Stew MRE vanished from Riley's inventory. In their place: Scrap Steel x4 and a tube of Industrial Sealant.

After looking things over, Riley decided to follow up with Night_Wanderer for the remaining scrap steel. He was only willing to part with two pieces, though.

"Night_Wanderer: I kind of need the steel myself. How about I throw in two pieces of meat instead?"

The meat around here was actually pretty decent, even if seasonings were nonexistent right now.

Still, with most of the materials already secured, Riley didn't feel like haggling. She agreed to the trade and handed over her last box of Beef Stew MRE.

Yeah, losing those three delicious MREs stung a little. But the thought of finally having a bathroom with running hot water? Worth every bite.

"Alright. Time to work."

Riley grabbed the materials and headed back outside to the little wooden outhouse.

Following the system prompts, she placed the scrap steel and sealant into the construction hologram.

A series of mechanical clicks and whirs echoed through the air.

Then a flash of white light. A black, boiler-looking steel tank materialized on the exterior wall of the outhouse. Its base connected to a funnel-shaped intake for scooping snow, and a thin exhaust pipe jutted out from the top.

"New Construction Unlocked. Exp +50

"Level 2 Camp Water Storage and Heating System (Operational)

"Status: Online

"Water Source: Surrounding Snow (Adequate)

"Water Temperature: Maintained at 104°F (Warm)

"Fuel Consumption: Wood x1 per 24 hours

"Description: Not for drinking, but for washing away the dirt and exhaustion. This is what keeps you civilized when the world around you isn't."

"It's done!"

Riley couldn't wait. She pulled a piece of wood from her inventory and fed it into the burner hatch on the heating unit.

Flames flickered to life inside the furnace. A faint rush of water started echoing through the pipes.

She pushed the door open and practically lunged into the bathroom, twisting the showerhead.

"Splash—"

Warm water streamed down, sending plumes of steam into the air. Sure, 104 degrees wasn't exactly scalding—but in a world of endless snow and bone-deep cold? That warmth was enough to make a person emotional.

For the next twenty minutes, Riley didn't exist anywhere except inside those few square feet.

She peeled off her stiff, grimy work clothes and stood under the steady stream, letting the water slide over her skin, washing away layers of sweat and exhaustion.

The feeling of her pores opening up under that gentle heat? Better than any meal.

And then there was the actual flush toilet.

Only someone who'd braced themselves against freezing wind with their pants down could truly appreciate the luxury of sitting on a warm indoor toilet seat.

"Bliss..."

Riley let out a long, contented sigh. She felt human again.

Just as she twisted the faucet off and stood there savoring that long-lost sense of civilization, the familiar gold system announcement blazed across her vision.

"Server Announcement: Congratulations to player SpicyBurger for unlocking hidden achievement—First Civilized Person!

"Achievement Description: In this frozen wasteland, she was the first to establish modern sanitation and wash away the grime. The world may end, but dignity endures.

"A unique achievement reward has been granted!

Riley stared at the golden text hovering in front of her face. Her mouth twitched.

What kind of achievement was this?

First person on the entire server to shower and use a toilet indoors?

And they had to broadcast it to everyone? With a special note about "dignity enduring"?

Sure enough, the "Server Channel" had already gone completely off the rails.

"???"

"Did I read that right? First Civilized Person? Taking a shower?"

"Bro, I'm literally frozen solid over here and SpicyBurger's out here building bathrooms and taking hot showers?"

"God! Why do some people have all the luck?! I want a shower too! I haven't washed my face in three days—I'm basically a greaseball!"

"Yo, big spender, you need someone to scrub your back? I'm skilled. Free of charge. Just let me stand in the warm water for like two minutes."

"InvincibleWarrior: Attention seeker. Building useless luxuries when you could be helping others. People who only care about themselves will eventually—"

Riley tuned that last one out immediately.

She tightened the towel around herself—this one had conveniently appeared on the bathroom rack the moment the system finished construction. Just a plain white towel, but dry and soft.

"Let's see the reward."

She opened her inventory. The reward box this time was pink and white, radiating an oddly delicate vibe.

"Opening Achievement Package...

She pulled the heavy-duty toolbox from her inventory and popped the lid open.

Inside: the dead chainsaw, the expensive power drill, the precision level, the reciprocating saw that was still sharp even without power...

She grabbed the "Makita 18V Cordless Circular Saw" and placed it on the workbench.

"High-Precision Electric Cutting Tool Detected. (No Power)

"Bind to Basic Workbench?"

"Holy crap. It actually works."

Riley's eyes lit up. She slammed "Yes".

"Binding Successful!

"Due to lack of power, this tool can currently only function as a 'Precision Fixed Cutting Module'.

"Workbench Upgrading..."

A series of complex mechanical sounds filled the room. The circular saw sank into the workbench surface, leaving only the exposed blade visible—now functioning as a manual table saw!

Sure, it required hand-cranking or foot-pedaling to operate now (the system had automatically rigged up a drive mechanism). But the precision and efficiency? Light-years beyond that rusty carving knife.

Then the workbench interface exploded with new options.

"Basic Workbench (Modified)

"Currently Bound Tool: Lithium-Ion Circular Saw (Converted to Manual Drive)

"New Craftable Items:

"Refined Planks (Smooth, uniform boards—actual lumber, not rough logs)

"Storage Crate

"Reinforced Wooden Door (+50% Defense)

"Composite Wooden Bow (Requires bowstring. Circular saw allows precision carving for optimal limb curvature.)"

Riley stared at the newly unlocked list. Her breathing got a little faster.

"What if I bind the power drill too? Could it become a drill press?

"What about the nail gun? Could that make automated traps?"

She felt like she'd just stumbled onto something massive. Something that could completely break the game's balance.

Riley looked down at the toolbox full of tools. Her eyes burned with anticipation.