VII - Life and Paper

It feels great to be back home again; I've missed my bed.

First things first, I need to take a bath and stitch up my tattered clothes. Luckily, I have a good supply of sinew I can use for repairs, though new clothes would be a welcome luxury.

The hounds weren't too enthusiastic about taking a dip in the water so I went to wash in the stream by myself.

After cleaning up, I took some smoked meat out of the cellar that I prepared beforehand and gave it to the pair. They seemed to enjoy the smoky flavor. Once they're done, I'll express my gratitude to both and ask if they would like to stay.

Having companions around might just help keep me sane.

Just as I was about to retire for the night, the female Hellhound started whimpering. The other one barked at me as if urging me to do something.

"Is it that time already?"

I quickly constructed a small shelter for the hounds to live in using my Heavenly Blueprint. I made sure to elevate the floor so they don't get too cold, especially at night.

Collecting wood for it didn't take too long since it was relatively simpler compared to building my house.

Then, I provided some fur that I had collected from the animals I caught earlier for bedding to make them more comfortable.

Feeling drained, I skipped dinner and turned in for the night.

Morning arrived, and I checked on the hounds to see how they were doing.

Peeking into their shelter, I saw both of them resting comfortably, with the female hound nursing four healthy pups.

Looks like everyone is doing well. You've done a good job, mother hound.

"Since you need a safe place for your pups, you might as well stay here," I suggested to the hounds.

Both hounds nodded in agreement.

I realized I couldn't keep calling them "guys" or "hounds." It was time to give them proper names.

"I'm sorry, I'm not great at naming," I confessed.

After several failed suggestions and numerous frowns, they settled on Majka and Otac, which translates to "mother" and "father". I felt a bit ashamed that I couldn't come up with more creative names.

Naming the pups could wait for now.

Being away from home for a while, I needed to check my traps for wild game.

Unfortunately, some of the traps had been tampered with, and a few horned rabbits were missing. I managed to secure what was left and reset the traps.

Upon returning, the goddess Neso appeared with a smile.

"I'm glad to see that you're fine, Egil," she said warmly.

"Of course I am!" I replied.

"By the way, goddess, thank you for what you did back there," I added gratefully.

"Don't mention it. I only nudged you into action when you froze and woke you up after you slept for a week. No big deal," she replied casually.

"A week?!" I exclaimed, stunned. "But it felt like just over a day."

The goddess explained that she had limited control over the cave, as it belonged to another god, Nox, the god of darkness.

She then revealed that the blessing of Night Vision, which allowed me to see in the dark, was likely bestowed upon me by Nox.

As for Mana Arts, it was a gift from Akrys, the goddess of death. This revelation left me feeling unsettled, as it hinted at a sinister purpose for my presence in this world.

The goddess explained that there were two more deities involved in my summoning, but their identities remained unknown.

"Now do you understand why I had to bring you to this place?" she asked.

I nodded in understanding, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"One more thing," the goddess interjected before leaving. "If you're wondering why your injuries heal so quickly, thank your Healing Factor. It's a subskill of your Mana Arts."

I nodded, realizing that it was a part of Mana Arts rather than a separate skill.

She continued, explaining how mana could accelerate healing and even regenerate heavily damaged organs or lost limbs. However, she added, "It would be a different matter if the head was cut off."

As she prepared to depart, she reminded me, "Time's up, Egil. I'll check in with you again in a few days, as per usual."

"Alright, goddess. Thank you again," I replied gratefully.

As I pondered the information she had shared, I couldn't shake the feeling that the deities involved had ulterior motives. The dangerous being who summoned me, identified as Akrys, seemed to have sinister intentions.

Thankfully, I hadn't attracted the attention of these gods yet. Perhaps the goddess Neso's intervention had kept me off their radar.

Recalling a favorite quote, I resolved to focus on the present: "I'll leave tomorrow's problems to tomorrow's me."

For now, improving my quality of life seemed like the best course of action.

After lunch, I decided to build fences around the house. Otac and I ventured into the woods to gather materials. Using a stone axe imbued with mana, I spent the whole day cutting down trees and dragging them back to the house with a makeshift sled and rope created using my Heavenly Blueprint ability.

Even after processing the logs, they remained heavy. We could only transport six at a time, each about three meters long.

The following day, we stacked the logs around the house, high enough to see our surroundings from the inside, and secured them in place with wooden posts.

I then left a part open just wide enough for an entrance but it still doesn't feel secure. I suppose I should add a gate tomorrow.

After breakfast, I erected two posts and crafted a wooden gate using my ability. The gate was sturdy enough to serve as a barrier against unwanted creatures and could be reinforced for defense if necessary.

I've been here for a few weeks now, and I've barely explored the island. Perhaps it's time to map it out as much as I can.

Before embarking on this task, I needed something to record my progress.

Using my Heavenly Blueprint, I conjured up some paper. Instead of cutting down a whole tree, I opted for a branch about 5 feet long and with a diameter similar to an average man's upper arm.

The result was astonishing. It produced more than a thousand sheets of perfectly made legal-sized paper! I had expected it to produce only about a ream at best.

Taking several sheets, I used a piece of sinew to bind them together into a simple stitch-bound booklet.

For writing notes and drawing an accurate map, I planned to use charcoal from the remnants of burned branches found near the fireplace.

I stored the remaining paper in the house for future use.

Though I didn't need much, I prepared some emergency rations and a bottle of water. I intended to head back home when it started to get dark.

It was time to explore the island!