Chapter Thirty: Confirming the Fief

"71:19:55..."
The countdown still hung glaringly in the sky, its light undimmed even by the red mist.
Yet on the ground, the vegetation wrapped in the crimson fog was withering; the trees around Mu Chen were already beginning to rot and die.
He chopped off the drying branches and stowed them in his backpack, collecting as he went and marking his path along the way.
"Obtained [Wood] *1."
Before the ethereal voice had faded, an expanse of barren land appeared before his eyes.
"The vegetation is dense all around, so why is there such a large patch where nothing grows? Apart from the red mist, this should be an area bathed in sunlight. Could the soil be highly acidic or alkaline? Or is there something else beneath the surface..." Mu Chen wondered inwardly.
[This place has witnessed extraordinary events. What could be the cause of such desolation? Why not hazard a guess? Your speculation won't prevent you from digging further.]
Mu Chen was unsure what he would find below, but he had a feeling it was connected to the air-raid shelter.
He took out the workbench, placed the iron ingots and wood upon it. Though the arrangement was haphazard, in the next moment, two iron pickaxes materialized at his side.

He tossed one of them to Sade.
"Let's dig down from here," he said, drawing a circle on the ground with his pickaxe to mark the spot to excavate.
"Let's begin!"
The grand excavation commenced once again!
Though there were only two of them, now that they were far from danger, their enthusiasm was undiminished.
...
Five minutes later, the marked patch of earth had been thoroughly turned over.
"Bang!"
With a thrust of Mu Chen's pickaxe, a hole was gouged out.

"..."
The scene suddenly felt off!
Had they just unearthed a grave?
[This air-raid shelter, sealed away for nearly forty years, had its entrance blocked by the passage of time. Now, you have broken into it through the ventilation shaft.]
Mu Chen rolled his eyes.
So, according to the information, they had found the air-raid shelter, but instead of using the door, he had clambered in through a window?
He dug downward with renewed effort, widening the opening until it was the size of a well-mouth.
Staring into the pitch-black hole, he felt a wave of uncertainty rise within him.