Chapter 9 - Surprise Guest

The game ended and just like yesterday, I went on an early morning jog before collapsing on my bed wondering why people exercise again. I checked the forums and saw Elves_or_Nothin post talking about his second day in the game. The post was about him traveling through the forest and all the different flora and fauna he saw and touched. He also described the location where he started to settle down and talked about the reward he got from the system, which was the Safe Haven Marker.

I close the forum and search for methods for making primitive houses and walls. I found various videos on creating houses from fallen logs and branches as well as making mud walls. I went to work and bought dinner for myself from the store and got home and researched more about the construction of houses and walls. Once it was midnight I went back into the game.

I enter the game and the warmth from the sun hits my body, the cool breeze blows against my hair and I see Howard hammering a stick into the ground with a rock. I see Luke carrying a bundle of sticks and vines wrapped around his shoulders walking towards Howard while Lucina walks towards the forest to gather more materials. I walk towards the place where I want to start the wall but old man Hus stops me.

"Take this shovel lad it will make digging easier."

[ Makeshift Shovel

Attack: 1

A stick and a stone fixed at one end by fiber

Made by Hus ]

"Thank you old man Hus. If possible can you make a lot of similar-sized sticks? I want them the height of Luke and as many as possible. I would also prefer them to be as thick as your wrist."

"Hmm...Lad, I will ask Luke to find me some branches and logs and then cut them down to the size. Do you want them to be a round shape or square-ish shape?"

"Either is fine I am more concerned about their length and height. Oh! Is there anything I can use to carry large amounts of water?"

"Use the empty water sack. I am carving out some wooden cups and bowls so your poles will take a little bit longer if that is okay lad?"

"Yea that's fine I will use the water sack for now."

I walk with old man Hus as we discussed what I needed and then went to grab the water sack. I walked past Howard and Luke and waved at them as I went back down towards the river at the bottom of the canyon. I fill the water sack back up to the brim and then walked back up.

I try to recall the primitive method of creating a mud wall and remembered that I needed to make mud bricks. I could just pile mud on top of each other until I got a wall however, I decided on this method of creating mud bricks because it would be the foundation of proper walls in the future. I dig into the ground near the edge of the forest as the soil was softer and easier to dig. I then move the dirt around into a small hill and then went to create a small hole at the top. I pour water into the hole and slowly collapsed the side of the hill inwards mixing the water and dirt bit by bit adding more water if needed until it was a sticky messy mud mound. I start to use my feet to mix the mud mound around as it was more efficient.

Happy with the consistency of the mud I start to carry them to where I wanted to start the wall. Off to the far right side of the clearing and connecting to the red sandstone wall was the start of the wall. I was able to get Luke to find me 4 flat sticks to form a mold for the bricks. I place them together making a rectangle about the size of a hand and start to put the mud in the mold. I make sure to compact the mud as much as possible before removing the mold and then placing the mud-brick off to the side to dry. I repeat this process monotonously until I use up all the mud I had created. It was tough laborious work but after I finish I could see around 40 bricks.

I go down to the river to wash off the mud on my hands and feet before coming back to the hut to have some food with everyone. Howard reported back to me about the progress of the fence even though I could see how much he had done and surprisingly it seemed like he will finish the fence by tomorrow. Lucina had found some more berries in the forest as well as some fruit that looked like a cross between a banana and an apple. It was delicious and juicy and full of a sweet flavor making me want more.

A loud scream penetrates the atmosphere. I look in the direction of the scream to see a group of 4 running out of the forest. I instantly grab the shovel as it was the closest weapon to me and I see Howard hold the ax looking calmly at the uninvited guests.

"PLEASE! HELP US!"

I hesitate to move forward because I don't know what was chasing them. I watch them intently waiting for what was chasing them to appear from outside of the forest. With a loud howl, I see a golden yellow wolf lunge out of the forest. I move forward and signal Howard to follow me while Luke went to grab a goblin knife. Lucina and old man Hus walked back towards the path in case they needed to escape.

I can finally see clearly who the wolf was chasing, two middle-aged men, one carrying a young woman on his back and a skinny teenager running behind them.

"Get behind us! Carry the girl towards the ledge be careful where you step and Lucina, help him get the girl onto the path. Luke find the other knives and give them to the other man and the kid. Howard be careful the wolf looks pretty strong."