Wandering America: My kill threshold is far ahead

Chapter 244 You're Too Detail-Oriented, Kid

The digging process is extremely tedious and boring, and it also consumes a lot of physical strength.

Compared to the outstanding performances of other players, Ma Jieke can be said to lack skill and only have stats, failing to demonstrate the advantages of a fully upgraded building.

So much so that when the head instructor and assistant instructors patrolling around him passed by, they didn't even bother to stop and observe him.

Two hours later, he dug a large hole in the snow slope, and the excavated soil was piled up like a small hill.

This is not ordinary soil, but seasonally frozen soil. Once you get inside, the entrenching tool becomes very difficult to use. You have to crawl in first, use a pickaxe to chisel and split the soil, and then cut out the broken pieces. It is both time-consuming and laborious.

Even when the production team notified everyone to collect their lunch boxes around noon, they didn't go to collect them, still immersed in pure physical labor.

In the end, it was Donya who brought the food, and he only ate a couple of bites before turning back to work.

With the combined boosts of [Physical Energy Absorption] and [Working Divine Body], he didn't feel tired at all. In short: as long as he didn't die, he would work himself to death!

Around 3 p.m., when Ma Jie finished shoveling the last bit of soil, the framework of the shelter was completed.

From the outside, it looks like a horizontal tunnel that can only accommodate one person. However, this tunnel is far from the ground, and there is a sloping ramp at the entrance. The foundation is not completely parallel to the ground, but has a slight incline. A person lying inside may not feel it, but when cold air invades, it will sink at the entrance and cannot penetrate inward.

After a short ten-minute rest, Ma Jie returned to the cave and began to repair the cave ceiling with a small shovel. In the past, he would not have known where to start with such delicate work, but now, as a max-level builder, he only spent less than half an hour transforming the entire cave ceiling into an arched dome, as perfectly as if it were done by a machine.

Adding this step not only expands the interior space and reduces the feeling of confinement, but also distributes the pressure from the ceiling evenly, forming a stable "pressure ring" and reducing the risk of collapse.

Finally, he took a crucial step by punching a vent in the ceiling to prevent carbon dioxide buildup.

At this point, some players who built quickly had already completed their shelters ahead of time, but these were all relatively simple in structure.

But Ma Jieke wasn't in a hurry to hand in his paper. He took his logging axe and handsaw and headed towards the birch forest not far away.

Then another unbelievable scene appeared: others had already finished cutting down the timber and were working hard outside, while he was only starting now, truly going against the natural order.

He selected a birch tree about the thickness of a thigh and began to chop it down with an axe.

The initial clamor of the competition was gone, and the only sounds in the silent forest were the rhythmic sounds of logging and the occasional birdsong from the depths.

This process is quite stress-relieving. After cutting a horizontal "V" shaped cut in the tree trunk, you only need to push it hard, and the tree trunk will fall down, splashing up a large cloud of powdery snow, giving you a feeling of being in a real-life Stardew Valley.

Two more trunks were cut down according to the same specifications and precisely divided using a handsaw, resulting in three complete tree trunks.

After carrying the tree trunks back to the shelter one by one, Ma Jieke resumed his busy and orderly woodworking work.

He first carefully scraped off the bark with a knife, just like peeling an apple, making sure not to break it.

This operation was extremely difficult, but with the support of "Infrastructure Maniac MAX", Ma Jie successfully accomplished it.

He then collected discarded wood from other contestants to start a campfire, and dried the damp side of the birch bark facing the fire.

At the same time, the trunk is cut into shorter segments again with a handsaw to obtain logs of uniform size.

He initially planned to use the traditional mortise and tenon method, but later decided against it. It wasn't because of technical issues, but because he had limited time. This kind of slow and meticulous production process is only suitable for working slowly when there is plenty of time.

In contrast, the simple and crude binding method is less particular. The cut logs are all the same length and thickness. After they are laid out neatly on the ground, Ma Jieke lay down on them and tried it out. It was just enough to straighten his body.

However, the gaps between the logs were quite large, and it was uncomfortable to lie on them.

The most common treatment is to cover it with a thick layer of leaves.

But in this icy, snowy place, the vegetation is almost all wet. If you lie down to sleep on it, the moisture in the leaves will be baked out by your body heat, which is no different from sleeping directly in a puddle. It's no wonder you'll catch a cold the next day.

So Ma Jie decided to add another step: cut the logs into vertical sections so that the upward-facing parts were completely flat, and also reduce the side wings to a flat surface to facilitate alignment and increase stability.

The biggest challenge in doing this is that it can only be done with a hand saw, which lacks the speed and precision of power tools.

But are you kidding me, Lu Ban's descendant? There were no power tools in ancient times, yet the houses they built were still incredibly ingenious.

First, he used a knife to carve out the cutting line, and after ensuring there was no deviation, the saw in Ma Jieke's hands was as precise as a laser.

By the time the sun was setting, the processing was finally completed, and when they were pieced together, they fit together perfectly.

Using a through-binding method, the wood is firmly bound together with strong paracord, and a true bed board is born.

Next, place the bed board on the two supporting beams and tighten it again with paracord to completely isolate the bed from the ground.

I shook it a few times to check if any of the bindings were loose, and then lay down on it myself to try it out. It was almost no different from sleeping on a wooden plank bed without a mattress at home.

Finally, the previously dried birch bark is laid on the bed, with the outer bark facing down and the inner bark facing up. This not only serves as a moisture-proof barrier but also greatly enhances comfort.

After all, the internal fibers of tree bark are relatively soft, just like a natural blanket.

Having accomplished all this, Ma Jie still did not slack off. He carefully checked every detail of the shelter again to ensure that nothing was overlooked, and put up a sign with his name on it at the entrance of the cave.

As the sharp assembly whistle blew, the last contestant completed the construction of his shelter.

After a day of physical labor, most people were exhausted, but their faces still showed a hint of relaxation.

Especially for those contestants who know the results in advance through manual scoring, these contestants don't have many points to spare, so even if they get full marks in the final assessment, they are unlikely to make it into the top ten.

Chief Instructor Lehman didn't waste any time with small talk and led everyone on a tour of the exhibits.

Just as Ma Jieke had predicted, at least half of the contestants built their shelters on the ground using mainly wood and waterproof tarpaulins.

The advantage of this type of shelter is that it is quick and easy to build, but its disadvantages are also obvious. It is prone to drafts and has poor insulation. It must be paired with a high-quality goose down sleeping bag to withstand the extreme cold of minus ten degrees Celsius. If the temperature continues to drop sharply, it will be a disaster.

Lehman's ratings were also very harsh, ranging from a maximum of 5 points to a minimum of zero, focusing on mental torture.

The crowd continued to move and came to a strange open space. A waterproof cloth was laid on the ground, and the surrounding area was compacted with soil to prevent it from being blown away by the wind.

The sign next to her had what was probably the most difficult-to-pronounce name of all the contestants—Donya Kirasanchivov Ivanotana.

"Are you kidding me, Russian girl? Are you planning to sleep on the floor and tough it out?"

A mocking voice came from the crowd, but most of the contestants had already seen through the ruse and instead cast disdainful glances at him.

Sure enough, Donya ignored him and slowly lifted the waterproof sheet covering it, revealing a hidden entrance inside. It turned out to be a trench-style shelter deep underground.

Building such an underground shelter is physically demanding work, and most people would never dare to attempt it within the limited assessment time.

Ma Jie estimated that the amount of earth excavated was more than what he had excavated. It was hard to imagine what this girl ate growing up; her stamina bar was so long it couldn't fit on a screen.

However, you can't tell much just by looking. The key is the living experience. As the chief instructor, Lehman took a responsible attitude and personally went inside and lay down for two minutes. When he came out with a thermometer, he had a smile on his face: "Well done. The temperature in the tunnel is a full 8 degrees higher than outside. With a standard sleeping bag, you should be able to get a good night's sleep."

"But..." Hearing the "but," Tonya's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, Old Deng had found a problem: "The ventilation in this shelter isn't very good. Remember, ventilation should always take precedence over insulation. If the carbon dioxide level in the tunnel is too high, you'll be at risk of suffocating. What's the point of making sure the insulation is good then?"

"I understand, I'll pay attention next time." Faced with the instructor's criticism, Donya chose to humbly accept it.

After a week of intensive training and selection, everyone was impressed by the old man's extensive knowledge of wilderness survival. His 40 years of deep cultivation in this vertical field made him a veritable encyclopedia of human knowledge.

"Donya, 7 points." He announced the score casually, and the accompanying assistant instructor quickly recorded it on the score sheet.

With this score, the girl finally breathed a sigh of relief. Seven points was quite a lot for her, considering that the details were indeed lacking.

After passing several similar shelters, a delicate domed snow house came into view, looking like an upside-down white bowl.

"Wow, these are the snow houses that Eskimos live in. I saw them when I traveled to Canada."

"My goodness, look at the quality! Although the space is a bit small, it's enough for one person to live in."

"I guess it was built by Silla, who grew up in these kinds of buildings."

Amidst the constant praise, people curiously lined up to go inside and visit, as if they had arrived at a tourist attraction.

These igloos are called "kunik" in the Inuit language, and about 8% of the Inuit people still live in igloos.

The specific construction method involves first finding old snow that has been compacted by the wind, and then using a snow saw to cut it into trapezoidal snow bricks of uniform size.

Then, starting from the ground, snow bricks are laid in a spiral upward manner, with each layer sloping inward to form a self-supporting dome structure.

Then fill the gaps between the bricks with crushed snow to enhance the seal. Finally, dig out a passageway entrance that is lower than the ground level so that the cold air sinks to the low-lying area at the doorway and cannot enter the room.

The thick walls effectively insulate against the extreme cold outside, and the snow on the wall surface melts due to body heat, forming a water film that reflects radiant heat back into the room, creating an internal circulation.

It is said that Inuit people sleep naked in their igloos, using specially made seal oil lamps for warmth, and the indoor temperature can reach 10-15°C.

To build such a mini snow house with excellent insulation and ventilation in such a limited time is simply a game-changer.

"Sila, ten points!" Lehman announced the test results decisively as he came out of the igloo.

Everyone was envious of her; this was her third perfect score. She had previously achieved perfect scores in the food collection and fishing competitions, making her the most likely champion.

In contrast, Ma Jieke only scored 10 points on the first day, and his highest score after that was 8 points. His worst performance was in the competition, where he almost scored zero.

There's nothing you can do; that's the skill level of professional gamers. You can't challenge someone's livelihood with your hobby.

After a long and winding journey, they finally arrived at Ma Jieke's shelter.

Looking at the earthen cave dug out at the foot of the snow slope, everyone's foreheads lit up with question marks.

Layton, the lumberjack he'd met before, crossed his arms and grinned smugly. "Jack, I thought you were just joking, but you actually dug a huge rat hole? Are you sure people can live in this? We're humans, not rodents. Only groundhogs live in places like this."

"Haha, is this a shelter unique to China? I could never have come up with such an idea."

"What do you know? This is called respecting history. Didn't humans originally live in caves?"

Listening to their sarcastic remarks, Ma Jieke smiled without saying a word. This bunch of bottom-ranked noobs were really making a scene.

Chief Instructor Lehman stood outside the cave entrance, his brow furrowing slightly, clearly also feeling that the shelter was too hastily constructed.

However, he still turned on his flashlight, bent down and crawled inside to take a look. As soon as he entered the cave, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

Entering this unassuming earthen cave felt like stepping back into the warmth of home from the biting cold outdoors.

Of course, saying it's warm is a bit of an exaggeration, but comparing only the perceived temperature, there is indeed a big difference.

On the dome directly opposite his nose and mouth, there is a well-sized ventilation hole, which perfectly solves the problem of air circulation.

Even more amazingly, he was lying on a soft bed and felt no discomfort at all, as if there was a blanket under his body.

When I touched it, I realized it was just dried, soft bark. When I lifted the bark, I was completely stunned.

What lies beneath is not raw wood, nor is there an insulating layer made of leaves. Instead, there is a finely crafted "bed board," and below the bed board, there are two supporting wooden sections, completely suspended from the ground.

"What?" Lehman exclaimed instinctively, his first thought being that the kid had definitely cheated.

It's not because of the difficulty, but because in such a short time, who could improve a shelter to this extent?