Chapter 14 - Rebuilding The House

Inside the tent, Zach, Zoey, and Hannah could be found together while having a serious conversation. It was already night seeing that the place was brightened by the solar lamp. They were inside for a while now after they were done eating dinner and took the children to sleep. 

"The situation outside was not good. Though I don't know how much we have evolved, we will be restricting the kids not to go out for the time being just to be safe." Zach said while looking at Zoey and Hannah as his assumptions happened. He has already told the two about their current strength so what they were talking now was about the calamity that happened a while back. 

"That's to be expected since it's volcanic ashes we are talking about." Hannah supported. They actually felt relief knowing that it was only Volcanic Eruptions since there were no volcanoes near their place but not in their wildest dream that the danger was still around seeing the sky filled with Volcanic Ashes. 

"Just how did it happen that it immediately reached this place." Zoey said while thinking about it. She understood that it might be because of the air but everything seemed just fast to her. 

"I have an assumption that every volcano out there might have erupted at the same time gaining this abnormal phenomenon." Zach said as he wondered deeply about it. Just like Zoey, there's no way for things to escalate very quickly without any logical reason and so had guessed that what he was thinking might be true. 

"Then, does that mean, for three weeks, we will be dealing with these Volcanic Ashes?" Hannah asked while looking at Zach since it was also his assumption that a calamity would last for three weeks before another one would come which is visibly correct from their circumstances. 

Hearing Hannah, the tent then became silent. Though volcanic eruptions weren't as destructive as the other calamities that happened to the place they were living in, the danger of the volcanic ashes was present, and thinking that they had to deal with it for three weeks made their movements completely restricted. 

"We can't do anything about it because this is just how things it is." Zach then replied while sighing. He was just worried thinking that things might become worse during the next volcanic eruptions that had not yet come. 

"Let us get sleep some sleep and see the situation tomorrow." Zach followed since it was already late at night. He was also thinking of what he should do if things would really become more dangerous so he wanted to make a plan for tonight. 

"Then let me get back to where the kids are. Good night." Seeing that they had been talking about what they needed to know, Hannah stood up but before she could get out, Zoey suddenly said something. 

"Why don't you just sleep with us, sister Hannah? It's not like the place was tight for the three of us. Also, the kids might wake up if you came inside." Zoey said while looking meaningfully at Hannah. 

On the other hand, Hannah looked at Zoey curiously thinking what she was up to by suggesting such a thing. Though they were acting normally on the outside, the two were actually competing. They just never show it obviously as they have their fair share from who they were competing with. 

"Right. Hannah. Just stay and sleep with us. We can look after the kids tomorrow morning." Zach also suggested. Though he is surprised to hear such a thing from Zoey herself, he doesn't mind sleeping with her since they have already done everything aside from really doing it. He thought what could sleeping together amounted to what they had been doing in the past days. 

After hearing Zach, Hannah then just sighed before a faint smile appeared on her face. With that, the three immediately prepared to sleep but that was when Hannah felt that she made the wrong decision because only after two hours, she was awakened by the sound of lewd moans and grunts. 

Hannah spent the night tortured by their passionate sex as she struggled to hold herself back from peeking and touching herself. Fortunately, they only took an hour to finish so she finally had time to sleep but that was when she was all wrong again after Zach came closer to her saying that Zoey had totally been knocked out and would not be able to wake up soon. 

After that, the commotion in the tent continued until 3 am before finally calming down. Zoey and Hannah felt bliss while Zach was completely floating in cloud nine thinking after having the two beauties in his arms in one place and in one night. 

The next morning came and as if nothing happened Zoey and Hannah had breakfast inside their tents since there were volcanic ashes everywhere outside. Meanwhile, Zach could be found outside thinking if he could do something in their situation but he can't seem to find an answer unless they would move to an intact and unoccupied building to get away from these ashes. 

After eating breakfast, Zach told the others to just stay inside their tent as he suddenly felt like it was now time to do what he really planned a long ago. Zoey and especially Hannah reprimanded him that he should also get inside but he knew that he was fine from the fact that his status was way higher than theirs. 

With that, Zach then could be found outside looking at the house where they were using its bathroom and kitchen. He actually thinking of repairing the house but since they were still under the threat of weekly earthquakes, he postponed the idea. Now, as he ransacked the huge hardware store in the city back then, he was confident that he had all the tools and materials necessary to build a house. The problem is that he doesn't have the necessary skills to do it. 

As he was still contemplating if he could build such a thing, Zach thought that there was no need to make it the way it was before. As long as they could take cover from these ashes then it would be fine but he was not idiot enough to build something that would immediately break and destroy since he was thinking of the long run. 

With pen and paper on his hands, Zach started planning or more like creating an illustration of how he could repair the place in the shortest possible time. He has already set aside using bricks and cement since he wasn't good with those and even if he is, he still won't do it as they took too much time. 

Looking around the perimeter of the house, a sudden idea then came to his mind as he recalled a series that he used to watch before. With that, he immediately put his attention on the paper he had as he started drawing. It only took thirty minutes before he put down the pen as he stared at the illustration and compared it to the house. 

"Good. What I need is only a sturdy and long log which can be found around. I will then just duplicate it so I can start rebuilding the house." Zach said before telling Zoey and Hannah that he would be out for a while. In order not to make them worry, he told them that he would not take long and be back in a while. 

Following that, Zach came back after an hour. He, however, didn't immediately start his plan as he talked it out with Zoey after lunch that it was now time to tell Hannah about the secret that they were keeping from her since what he was about to do would completely raise suspicion so it would be better to tell her sooner since they have already known and trust with each other. 

Leaving the task to Zoey, Zach was finally able to start with ease. Though what he thought was simple, he knew that it would probably take some time so it would be better for him to start now. Taking out the tools and materials that he needed on the ground, he then grabbed a log that doubled his hips in thickness and started sharpening the edge of it. 

What Zach was planning is to copy the idea that he saw in the series about zombies which they build a wall made up of logs. He, however, didn't plan on really copying it since his only target was to renovate the house by using such an idea while giving it more style since it would be the place they would be living in the future. 

After ten minutes, Zach was satisfied seeing the log before he put it back into his survival inventory and immediately started duplicating it. With a smile on his face, he then looked at the house before moving to the very edge of the floor. Summoning one of the logs, he held it high before bringing it down to the ground. As it was sharpened in the edge, it was buried quite a depth but that wasn't enough as he continued doing it until he was satisfied. 

At the end of the day, a pile of similar logs with only 5 inches apart from each other could be found all around the house before Zach finally stopped and took some rest. Normally, such a thing was completely impossible but considering Zach's current stats and the fact that he finally started distributing his free attributable stat again specifically to strength and stamina, it was something that was no longer impossible to do. 

After eating dinner and taking the kids to bed, Zach, Zoey, and Hannah then could be found inside the tent. Unlike before when what they were talking about was the calamity that happened yesterday, the thing they were discussing right now was Zach's system after Hannah had finally stepped into their secret. 

"I've been thinking about it all this time. I can't believe that was the reason why we have an unlimited supply of food." Hannah said with shining eyes upon knowing the truth. Though she didn't believe it at first, her mind started accepting it upon seeing Zach earlier taking tools out of nowhere. 

"Such an ability. Just what is happening to the world?" Hannah followed while thinking about it. Though she was surprised to know such a thing, she also felt like the world was getting stranger. First the calamities and then Zach's system. She felt like they were getting into some unknown world at the end. 

"That's why we told you the rules as this ability was akin to cheating. If you're not good a person after getting to know you before, then we would not hesitate not to help and let you live in our place. This ability needed to be hidden so I hope you continue to keep it a secret." Zach said while looking at the ecstatic Hannah and just to be safe, he still reprimanded her to keep in the dark. 

"Don't worry I won't spill anything about it as I know how dangerous it is if people know about your ability. Also, I am relying on you in everything. I won't betray your trust and it's not like we were that distant from each other." While Hannah replied seriously, there was a faint blush that could be found on her face as she felt like she was finally part of something after knowing the secret that the two had hidden. 

On the other hand, Zoey clicked her tongue while looking at Hannah. She knew very well what her last sentence meant so she couldn't help but feel a little jealousy and a sense of rivalry. They have actually also talked about it earlier while Zach was working outside and they really can't compromise each other as Hannah was completely determined to separate the two of them giving reasons that their relationship was wrong. 

With that, the three then talk to each other for a while before going to bed. Surprisingly, nothing happened that night probably because the two women knew that Zach was tired from working all day to give them a good and safe shelter. And just like they thought, Zach immediately fell asleep after lying on the bed.