“Chapter 38: Dream Home (Extra Chapter)”

"Chapter 38: Dream Home (Extra Chapter)"

"In the night, the villa across the way, which had just outlined its shape in a single day, cast a huge and somewhat intimidating shadow."

"But Chen Shijin, with his eyes faintly shimmering with silver light, could see that the villa remained undamaged and intact despite the windstorm, which was comparable to a tornado."

"Compared to their ruinous surroundings, that place could truly be called a Dream Home."

"Unfortunately, it was not their Dream Home."

"But happiness is created by oneself, as is a home."

"For instance, your home is very nice; after tonight, it will belong to all of us."

"'Brother Xiao Jia,' Jiang Hong spoke up, both excited and cautious: 'What are we going to do?'"

"Chen Shijin turned to him: 'It might be a bit dangerous, but if we all act together, I think we should be fine.'"

"Jiang Hong nodded vigorously: 'What isn't risky? If it can help us complete the survival task, the risk is worth taking.'"

"The other exiles showed earnest agreement."

"Chen Shijin waved his hand: 'Then let's move stealthily, follow me.'"

"'Keep quiet, anyone with abilities to hide or suppress their presence, cast a buff on all of us.'"

"After Chen Shijin finished speaking, a girl from Chu Tiankuo's team covered her ears and whispered, 'I can't hear if the sound is too low.'"

"'The sound within five meters of me becomes very low. Brother Xiao Jia, is this okay?'"

"Chen Shijin raised his eyebrows: 'That's a nice ability.'"

"The girl smiled shyly. Then Jiang Hong coughed: 'I can also release the scent of ginger around us, which can somewhat repel and irritate the eyes. It can help us stay alert.'"

"'Then we can start dismantling the house.'"

"Chen Shijin, with the silver-gray groundhog, made a beeline for the villa across the garden."

"The other exiles had only taken a couple of steps following him before they abruptly realized what was happening, nearly stumbling backwards in a collective tactical retreat."

"'Did I hear that right? Brother Qiang, did I mishear just now?'"

"'No, you heard right about dismantling a house. But, hiss—if it's really that house, this is indeed a big move.'"

"Everyone, with a mix of trepidation and inexplicable anticipation, stealthily followed Chen Shijin to their destination."

"Then they collectively stared at the nearly completed villa, lacking only a roof and doors/windows, their hearts pounding."

"Oh my God, no way."

"Are we really going to do this?!"

"As everyone was internally struggling with the decision, they saw Bystander A pull out an exceptionally long and sharp chainsaw from nowhere, yanking the start cord, and the chainsaw buzzed to life, spinning at high speed."

"Then, this seemingly ordinary Bystander A, who often went unnoticed due to his unremarkable appearance, cast a strikingly heroic silhouette in the hearts of all present exiles at that moment—"

"He actually began to saw straight through a wall from top to bottom!"

"And within just twenty minutes, he had sawed off a wall three meters long and three meters high!"

"Then this terrifying chainsaw maniac came over with a huge cart he found somewhere, loaded the half-wall onto it, and dragged it away step by step right before their eyes."

"The helper groundhog also pulled on a rope alongside him."

"Everyone: '!!!'"

"Chen Shijin turned to them: 'What are you standing around for? Isn't there enough material here? The entire villa is bigger than all our houses combined.'"

"The exiles: '...'"

"That's true, but isn't it a bit too brazen to do this?"

"'Or do you no longer want to clear the level?'"

"The crowd: '...'"

"So, for the remaining time, the girl with the ability to 'Muffle' sounds within a five-meter radius was warmly welcomed by everyone. By the time night turned into day, the twenty-five exiles had piled up materials and even entire walls in front of their ramshackle houses."

"The swallowtail foreman and the neatly dressed construction workers who arrived early in the morning were left gaping at the site of the vanished Dream Home villa."

"Five seconds later, they collectively let out sharp, incredulous shrieks!"

"'Aaaaaah—'"

"'Aaaaaaaahhhhh!!'"

"'Aaaaaahhhh where’s our house!!!'"

"'Boss, damn it, our house disappeared overnight!'"

"Had he not heard it with his own ears, Chen Shijin wouldn’t have believed these construction workers could scream so miserably. Dressed in their yellow overalls, they truly resembled a flock of panicked, squawking chickens, frantically pacing over the original foundation of the house."

"The swallowtail foreman stood dumbfounded on the spot, cigarette dangling, for several seconds."

"As a foreman for so long, this was the first time he had encountered something so preposterous."

"But a foreman is a foreman. After being stunned for a moment, he sharply turned around, his fierce gaze landing on the exiles' houses."

"Wherever his gaze went, the exiles quickly turned to work on their own houses, not daring to meet his eyes, until he saw those black eyes filled with laughter."

"And behind that person, a newly built house that looked particularly sturdy."

"Swallowtail foreman: '...'"

"He approached Chen Shijin in an instant: 'What did you all do last night?!'"

"Chen Shijin shook his head: 'The wind was too strong last night, of course, we were inside avoiding it.'"

"'Then why isn't your house damaged?'"

"'Because I repaired it overnight.'"

"'Where did you get the materials for the repairs!'"

"'From the wind, of course.'"

"Chen Shijin responded fluidly and sincerely to the foreman's questions."

"'After the storm, we were staring at the ruins in a daze. But then, we turned around and saw building materials piled up like a mountain behind us!'"

"'It must have been a gift from the heavens!'"

"Swallowtail foreman: 'Ha!'"

"He had never seen someone spout such nonsense before!"

"The Dream Home villa could not possibly be affected by any disaster that occurred overnight; that 'gift' was clearly chopped down and taken by yourselves!"

"Even if the swallowtail foreman puffed up with anger like a pufferfish and the construction workers screamed continuously, they, who were absent last night, had no way to retrieve the villa the exiles had taken."

"Therefore, for the entire next day, the sixty-six construction workers screamed while frantically working at an accelerated pace, their shrieks sending shivers down the spines of the exiles, who feared a collective meltdown might lead to mutual destruction."

"It's clear that whether human or non-human, alive or spectral, being forced to work overtime and increase workload can drive anyone to scream and go mad."

"And indeed, madness does significantly boost work efficiency—Chen Shijin witnessed the sixty-six construction workers rebuild the Dream Home villa they had emptied, even completing the roof, doors, windows, and basic interior decorations in just one day."

"Even by Huaguo standards, they deserved a resounding '666'."

"However, after a day of frenzied labor, the resentment of the sixty-six construction workers seemed heavier than that of ghosts. They were supposed to leave at nightfall, but instead, they encircled the villa like sixty-six guardian deities, coldly watching everyone on the opposite side."

"They said nothing."

"But collectively cursed with their faces: 'I dare anyone to try stealing tonight!'"

"The watched exiles: 'Cough.'"

"Feeling somewhat guilty as if facing underpaid workers."

"Fortunately, tonight was the last night; as long as they got through it and their houses were still standing in the morning, they would have completed the survival task!!"

"What offered some consolation was that thanks to the previous night's 'free shopping' for villa building materials, they not only finished their houses but also had some materials left for repairs."

"No matter what disaster tonight brought—be it a windstorm, torrential rain, wild bulls, or giant serpents—they were confident and determined to repair their houses before dawn, meeting the basic requirements of having walls and windows to provide shelter."

"The exiles felt joy and excitement until night fell, and they stood by their windows, peering out into the dim light at the slowly approaching, dazed-looking crowd."

"In groups, two by two, hundreds, thousands."

"These people, each looking ragged and weary, their eyes numb as if weathered by countless storms."

"Until they saw those twenty-five small houses standing before them."

"At that moment, a fierce wind howled, and heavy rain fell."

"The roar of beasts mingled with the sound of rain and wind in the night, making the twenty-five lit houses seem exceptionally warm and safe."

"The eyes of the approaching crowd suddenly sparkled, first with longing and then with intense desire and greed."

"Then came the first person, the second... the tenth person, pounding on the doors in frenzy."

"'Open up! Open the door! Let us in! Let us in!'"

"'Open the door! It’s stormy and rainy outside, let us in to take shelter, eat, and sleep!'"

"'Open the damn door, do you hear me! Hurry up and open it! Open it now!'"

"The sound of knocking escalated from soft to loud, from slow to rapid, even to frantic smashing! Every exile inside the houses felt their hearts pounding wildly."

"At that moment, the frenzied, fierce faces pressed against the windows looked more terrifying than the monsters themselves."

"Chen Shijin, inside his house, listened to Feng Tianhuo's phone relay: 'Never thought your phone could directly connect to mine. Phones are practically useless in the land of exile; everyone uses guides to communicate."

"'Turns out the city of phones is also a special evolved devourer! But looking at this, seems like your phone could even give the guides a run for their money in terms of jobs, huh?'"

"'Ah, back to the main point.'"

"Feng Tianhuo's voice suddenly deepened."

"'Beware of these homeless madmen.'"

"'I've come here twice, and both times, it was on this night that they destroyed my house completely.'"

"'When these people go mad, they are much more ruthless than monsters. If they can't have a house, they'll burn yours down.'"

"'Facing such a group of lunatics, how do you plan to respond, Your Excellency?'"

"Feng Tianhuo laughed nervously, 'This is probably the most deadly human disaster the devourers of Dream Home thought they could create.'"

"Chen Shijin hung up the phone, watching the maniacs already snarling with bricks in hand, ready to smash the windows, and suddenly let out a chuckle."

"He strode to the door in two steps and flung it open."

"Amidst the howling wind and pouring rain outside, he said, 'Everyone, come in and take shelter from the storm.'"

"'My home is your home.'"

"'We're all one big, loving family here!'"

"The expressions of those fiercely knocking froze."

"The eyes of those about to smash the windows widened in shock."

"The cursing ones suddenly fell silent."

"In just a few seconds, the expressions outside went from crazed ferocity to bewildered uncertainty."

"'Ah, ah,'"

"'It might not be possible to let everyone in to avoid the rain, but we can take turns resting inside for a few hours.'"

"The young man who opened the door had a very calm demeanor, with the indoor light casting a warm, orange halo around him, making him especially soothing to those around."

"'Family doesn't deceive family.'"

"'Everyone, come on in.'"

"Thus, the menacing figures of the night, in the rain, transformed as they saw the warm light and the cottage, one by one."

"'Cough, brother, thanks. Sorry for the intrusion.'"

"'No pushing, no shoving! Everyone can fit! Make sure to wring out the water on your clothes outside, don't ruin our own home, huh!'"

"'Let those coming in later stay calm and wait their turn! We’ll swap out once we've had a rest. Seriously, be polite. This is our home!'"

"At this moment, Chen Shijin heard angry curses, screams, and the sounds of talents being activated from not far next door."

"Unlike the orderly queue here, with people peacefully waiting to enter and rest, disputes had already begun in other houses."

"'Squeak!' The silver-gray-blue-eyed groundhog tilted its head in surprise at this human."

"He clearly had the power to prevent all the rioters from entering, yet at this moment, he chose to open the door voluntarily."

"The young man met its gaze and said something while patting its head."

"'I just know what kind of house is truly strong.'"

"'People will always protect their own home.'"

"He took out his golden gemstone phone and sent out this message to everyone."