Free Web NovelChapter 38: Alternate Reality
As soon as they returned to their base’s safety, Shinon and Rico set out to prepare the ground for their crops, armed with nothing but seeds and the shovels that Sarah had gifted them.
They knew it would be challenging, but they were determined to make it work. And it wasn’t like they had a choice, and eating only fruits and nuts wouldn’t do them any good in the long run.
As for the canned good they found in the resource room, the trio was planning on saving it and only using it every other day to keep running out of it.
They made their way to a nearby patch of land next to the stream and cleared any debris that the stream hadn’t.
Shinon began digging into the soil with his shovel, turning it over and breaking up any clumps of dirt. Rico followed behind him, using another shovel to smooth out the soil’s surface. As they worked, Shinon grunted with effort, sweat dripping down his face.
He was used to working in the extreme temperatures of the forge, but farming was a different kind of labour that constantly drained their stamina.
"This is harder than I thought," he said, taking a break to wipe his brow.
Rico nodded in agreement, his shirt soaked with sweat. "Yeah, but we can’t give up. We need these crops to survive."
Shinon smiled, "Better do this than drink berry tea for the rest of our lives."
They worked in silence for a while, the only sound the scraping of their tools against the soil. But as they progressed, the conversation began to flow again.
"So, what did you do before all this?" Rico asked, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.
Shinon hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer. He couldn’t tell Rico the truth, that he had transmigrated from the past. Instead, he decided to keep it vague.
"You know, just a simple blacksmith."
"Bullshit. No simple blacksmith can create things that you do, nor can they fight better than someone from the military like me!" Rico playfully threw a punch towards Shinon, who expertly blocked the attack. "See! This is what I’m talking about!"
"The military? Can’t say I’m surprised. You had to have learned those skills somewhere."
Rico’s expression darkened slightly. "In a special division called the Delta Force."
Shinon’s eyes widened in surprise. "The Delta Force? That’s a pretty cringe name. What did you do?"
"We were like a group of assassins, if I’m being honest," Rico hesitated for a moment as if debating whether or not to share more. "Our commander pointed at the heads, and we took ’em, no questions asked."
Rico probably expected Shinon to look at him with disgust like many had before. Instead, he laughed and patted him on the back.
"It’s good we never met before, then! Who knows what would have happened if your commander pointed at me!" Shinon laughed before turning his expression mockingly serious. "Jokes aside, that sounds like a tough job."
"It was. But I was good at it." Rico shrugged. "I just hope wherever my teammates are, they are safe and putting their skills to good use for once."
They worked in silence for a few moments, accompanied by the sound of scraping their tools against the soil. But then, Shinon spoke up again.
"Do you ever miss it? Being in the military, I mean."
Rico thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Sometimes. But not really. I’m glad I’m here now, doing what I can to survive."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I miss my old life sometimes, but I’m glad to be here with you and Kira, people I can trust." Shinon nodded in agreement. "Better be in your company than zombies. God, those bastards stink so bad."
"Do they? I mean, after being around you 24x7, they kinda smell comparable to you," Rico smiled. "Banter aside, we do make a good team. Especially in how we handled the Smasher zombie or whatever you named him."
As they continued working, Shinon couldn’t help but think about Rico’s past. He had mentioned being stationed worldwide, but Shinon had yet to learn where they were now. It wasn’t until Rico mentioned Arizona that Shinon realised something was off.
"Arizona?" Shinon repeated, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I’ve never heard of that place before."
Rico looked at him in surprise. "Really? You’ve never heard of Arizona?"
Shinon shook his head. "No, I haven’t. Is it a big city or something?"
"No, it’s a state. In the USA." Rico chuckled. "Have you been living under a rock or something this entire time?"
"The USA? You mean, we’re in America?"
"Yeah, where did you think we were?" Rico nodded, looking at him as if he were crazy. freeweɓnøvel.com
Shinon shook his head, feeling embarrassed. "I don’t know. I guess I just never really thought about it."
Rico laughed, shaking his head. "Man, you really are from another world."
Shinon only smiled and carried on with his work. In his world, the USA only existed in history books as it was bombarded with nukes once the first dungeons overflowed. After that, the country had to be divided into two parts, New America and the Wastelands.
Where New America consisted of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and Nevada. The rest of the country was turned into wastelands, ruled by countless monsters.
But the USA wasn’t the only nation that suffered such a horrific fate. More the half of every continent except Antarctica was destroyed similarly.
Well, Antarctica was in a much worse state as the dungeons there were left unattended, and by the time Shinon was ten, the entire continent was riddled with monsters.
’Does it mean I didn’t travel to the future but an alternate reality altogether?’ Shinon thought to himself. ’If that’s the case, it would make sense why the people here have no idea about anything related to dungeons.’
Shinon was hoping to get rid of some of his puzzlement by engaging in a conversation with Rico. But in the end, he was even more confused now than before.
