From the beginning, when I had very little, finding a more efficient way to get electricity.
If that was the case, then of course there was no better method than solar power using panels.
“Solar panels?”
“Yeah. Hydroelectric power can provide stable supply, but we can’t use it in the current situation because there are no rivers or large reservoirs. Plus, using wind power is difficult too, because the noise from the windmills could attract the attention of strange creatures around us.”
So, when developing both hydroelectric and wind power, it’s common to build them in places like the middle of a mountain where no one is around.
On the other hand, solar power had advantages that could overcome the weaknesses of the two methods of power supply.
“Solar power… The disadvantage is that it can only supply power when it’s sunny in the morning, but right now, those disadvantages are far outweighed by the many advantages.”
“For example?”
“First, there’s no noise. We can just install the panels on the roof of our motel.”
“Oh….!”
“And maybe because humanity was so eco-conscious right before the collapse, solar panels are scattered all over the roofs of buildings, even ones that seem a little high.”
“So, you’re saying that we can easily gather materials without attracting the attention of strange creatures!”
“That’s right.”
As I explained, Levi’s golden eyes sparkled brightly again.
Maybe it was because she always took classes related to combat in the R.P.M orbit around Earth.
Unexpectedly, Levi seemed very interested in this kind of technical knowledge, almost like a college student finding their major.
She looked intrigued, like she had just discovered something fascinating.
“So, does that mean today we’ll be searching the rooftops of buildings where solar panels might be?”
“Yeah. But let’s skip buildings that are either too collapsed or ones where light won’t reach.”
“Is that because of the strange creatures, Chanwoo-nim?”
“Exactly. Of course, I think you could probably handle most strange creatures in battle, but right now, your mission is to protect me, not to hunt them.”
“…! Right.”
“You’ll only be able to engage in limited combat focused on me. And since our goal is only the solar panels, I’d like to avoid unnecessary battles if possible.”
“Understood, Chanwoo-nim.”
This wasn’t a story that applied to all Soul-types, but Star Child was known for having a particularly hard system among the Soul-types—a ‘combat system with no level-up.’
That is, unlike traditional RPGs where defeating monsters increases experience and makes you stronger, in Star Child defeating monsters or strange creatures only gives you a few drop items.
Unless it’s ‘weapon enhancement’ or ‘awakening through certain materials,’ it was possible to play through the whole game with the same health and attack power you had in the early stages.
“And since we don’t even have a ‘workshop’ at our base yet, even if we succeed in defeating strange creatures, the materials we collect will just decay. Right now, we can’t even make anything.”
The only benefit we could get from strange creatures at this point was ‘food,’ but even that, if you look at the efficiency, didn’t seem worth it.
In the first place, even without fighting dangerous creatures for food, we could easily hunt animals around or even pick mushrooms growing from the ground.
Growl…
“Mm?”
“Ah…”
‘Maybe I was thinking about food.’
Since waking up in this world yesterday, I hadn’t eaten anything yet, and now my stomach growled.
“Chanwoo-nim… Were you hungry?!”
“Yeah. I guess I was?”
Thanks to my dependable companion, I had forgotten about my hunger until now.
“Then you should’ve told me sooner! What if you had starved to death?!”
‘Starve to death?’
‘Even though I didn’t have many advantages except for my “special,” did Levi really think I was that weak?’
“No, I just wanted to eat with you when you were hungry, Levi.”
“By the way, I ate two days ago, so I wasn’t planning on eating anything until tomorrow.”
“W-what?!”
Then came Levi’s completely unexpected answer.
I was surprised not just because she hadn’t eaten in two days, but also because, as an android from the 4th Unit, she should have been consuming a lot of calories due to her active movements.
“Levi, are you… okay?”
“Of course, Chanwoo-nim.”
“But the 4th Unit… That combat unit is known for using a lot of energy, which means they deplete their stamina quickly.”
“That’s right.”
“So, you’ve been starving for two days and you’re not hungry at all?”
“Yes. I’ve also undergone fasting training to prepare for when our food runs out.”
‘Did the 4th Unit have training like that? Or had Levi trained separately in the R.P.M?’
Either way, it was impressive.
It was a solution to one of the biggest weaknesses of the 4th Unit, which was ‘calorie overconsumption.’
Pat pat.
“That’s amazing.”
“Eh, eh?”
Levi, with her white hair, somehow reminded me of our family’s Poppy.
Poppy was the name of the white bear we kept at home.
Though much larger, she was just as gentle and reliable as Levi.
She even listened to commands as well as Levi did.
[As smart as a person, that guy would bring me the whole refrigerator if I asked for a glass of water.]
Suddenly, memories of old times, drinking cola with that white bear Poppy, came to mind.
I wondered if that’s why.
“ot.”
Just like I always did for the white bear Poppy.
I gently patted and stroked Levi’s white hair… my right hand on her head.
Levi is not an animal, though!
Of course, she wasn’t human, but an android… Anyway!
Realizing that I had committed a huge mistake, I quickly tried to pull my hand away and apologize.
I felt like the boss who had just harassed his female employee.
“Le-Levi, I’m sorry…!”
But the moment my hand dropped above her head, Levi immediately grabbed my palm with both hands in a dazzling motion and placed it back on her head.
“I don’t really understand what this action is.”
“Huh?”
“But… strangely, I feel good. It feels like my condition is automatically recovering.”
‘Just from a little head pat, her condition was restored?’
As in any survival game, the most important thing for survival is the condition of the person involved.
Like how a calm mind leads to a healthy body.
Things like hunger or injuries could be taken care of by finding food and treating wounds.
However, managing condition wasn’t something that improved immediately, so in a game like <Star Child>, where survival and soul-like elements mixed together, condition had a significant impact on combat power.
That’s why condition-related items were among the hardest to acquire in the game world.
But here was Levi, smiling so happily at such a small thing.
Pat, pat, pat, pat.
“Levi… are you feeling good?”
“Hehe. Yes… h-huh! I feel great… Chanwoo-nim.”
“Uh, okay…”
She definitely had a face that clearly asked for more pats.
And since it wasn’t really doing any harm, I decided to give in.
I patted Levi’s head with all my strength, like I was petting a polar bear.
But after all, we were just patting.
‘This should be nothing more than a healthy praise scene, so why was Levi’s body trembling so much?’
It was as if she was feeling something… Levi herself didn’t know why this was happening, but she let out heavy breaths, clearly enjoying it.
Somehow, her moans sounded like she was about to melt.
Anyone who saw it would definitely think… ‘what can I say?’
“Ah, yes!”
It looked exactly like someone doing “intense exercise.”
It was truly a wholesome scene.
“Levi… are you satisfied now?”
“Whoo. Yes! Thanks to you, I feel a fresh feeling I’ve never experienced before. Chanwoo-nim.”
***
After the pats ended, Levi’s golden eyes sparkled brighter than ever, and she smiled like the happiest android in the world.
“That’s a relief…”
“Chanwoo-nim, but… since a while ago, I feel itchy between my legs. Do you know why?”
“Huh?! Well… I don’t know. I’m human, so I don’t really understand android bodies…”
“Is that so…”
Sigh, Levi.
‘How does someone with that body not know anything about their lower half?’
It’s like putting a pearl necklace on a pig’s neck.
It felt like I was dealing with a grown child, so I couldn’t continue any further.
And our goal wasn’t to go down this “red” path in the first place.
“Rather than that, Levi! I think we’ve finally entered the villa complex. Let’s look for solar panels together.”
“No! Before that, we need to fill Chanwoo-nim’s stomach first!”
The villa complex in South Korea, which had been abandoned for at least 1,000 years after humanity’s collapse.
Before redevelopment, it seemed like humanity’s footprints had vanished.
The area we arrived at was still in its old state, but thanks to the tall trees that had grown like apartment buildings, it offered a great view.
But Levi, who suggested filling my stomach before looking for solar panels.
“Your stomach is the priority, Chanwoo-nim!”
“Even so, it took us at least an hour to get here…”
As for food, we could easily find it at a motel nearby, not even in this complex.
Our activity hours were limited to the afternoon, so I wanted to act more efficiently.
But…
“If Chanwoo-nim doesn’t eat here, my condition will drop too.”
“If you don’t eat, I’ll die.”
…Because of Levi’s logic, I couldn’t refuse.
Grumble, grumble.
Anyway, I was already starving after a day of barely eating, and solar panels were easy to find early on.
“Then let’s fill our stomachs first.”
“Yes!”
If only Levi had a tail, it would be swaying happily.
I decided to go along with the opinion of our pet android(?) without hesitation.