Now, after two days of non-stop work, they finally paused. It was day five since Lucan's arrival, and the time was afternoon.
Lucan and Nors were returning from the tree zones to the shelter and resting near the fire. Everyone else was surprised by the two of them.
They had gone to and returned from the tree zone multiple times, yet there wasn't a single log visible that they had brought back.
Everyone eventually asked them, "Where are the logs?" Just as the day before, when Kenny had asked Nors, Nors was thinking of a lie. Then, Lucan's hand settled on Nors's shoulder. Nors looked at the hand and saw
Lucan nodding. Taking the hint, Nors said to Kenny, "You remember that time when I said Lord has power?"
"Yeah, you said about it, Grandpa, but after that, you didn't tell me anything," Kenny replied with a curious expression, eager for what would come next.
"Yes, so that power is a mysterious power of Lord, one that can make items disappear and appear when Lord wants," Nors explained to Kenny.
"And that's what helped us work faster and collect the logs." The conversation continued for a moment, and after that, Lucan and Nors resumed their work, while
Kenny informed everyone else about it.
So, when Lucan and Nors returned without visible logs this time, everyone didn't react with as much surprise as before, but a strong curiosity about Lucan's power was evident on their faces.
And so, by the afternoon of day five, two full days of work had been completed. Lucan now had enough logs to build the fence.
Lucan and Nors were resting near the fire when Kenny approached them, directing his question to Nors, but clearly intended for Lucan as well. "Grandpa, I've dug the whole area in a circle for our shelter and have some space left if Lord wants to build something. Are the logs you have enough to build the fencing, Grandpa?"
Nors and Lucan exchanged smiles, pleased with the work they had accomplished. Not wanting to keep Kenny in suspense any longer,
Lucan declared, "Alright, then, let's see how many logs we have." He looked towards an empty space, and with a flicker of light, many logs appeared, accompanied by tree branches. The logs, still bearing some dirt, piled up, forming a towering stack.
"Lord, how many logs are these?!" Kenny exclaimed, his surprise evident in more than just his words.
How could he not be surprised when faced with a towering stack of logs that seemed to have materialized out of thin air? The other three onlookers were just as surprised as Kenny.
Only two weren't surprised: Lucan and Nors. They knew they had this many logs, but there was a slight hint of expectation on their faces—how much workload this would reduce, and what Lucan could do with this.
As their surprised expressions remained, Nors stood up, thought for a moment, and pointing his hands toward the logs, began counting.
After a few minutes, Nors replied, but now he too was surprised. "Lord, this… it looks like we have more logs than we counted at the tree zone. There were 126, and here it is 145! But Lord, it was good that the outer area trees were small and not wide; if they were like the inner area, then there would be far fewer logs compared to this."
Lucan looked at Nors and also saw Kenny's surprised expression, then said in a voice loud enough for both to hear, "These are not 145 logs, Nors, but 150 logs, and there are also the branches and other tree parts."
As Lucan spoke, Nors recounted the logs and found that there were indeed 150. Curious as to how his lord knew the exact value, Nors asked Lucan, "Lord, how come you know how many logs these are?"
As Nors asked, Lucan looked towards the screen that was in front of him. It wasn't that Lucan had counted the logs himself; the screen had helped him.
He just needed to store these items, and they would be automatically counted, as the screen was now showing:
[Slots Used: 25]
[Items: 164 Logs, 49 Branch, 16 Trunks]
Lucan saw this display and found it incredibly useful. Because of this, they had a walking treasure chest, allowing them to instantly access any item they wanted. The logs were listed as 164, although Lucan had only counted 150.
There were also branches, which Lucan had wanted to collect but hadn't had enough space for before. And there were 16 tree trunks.
From these trees, they had gained so much, yet there wasn't much change in the appearance of the zone itself.
For Lucan, this was out of the ordinary; he had cut 16 full trees with Nors, but the border that the tree clusters formed was too vast for them to see its end, at least for now.
Not wanting to create any surprise regarding the materials, Lucan surveyed the area. He realized that if he could build the storage crate now, their focus could then shift entirely to the fence, with the cabin coming later. Lucan glanced at the logs now stored in his inventory.
Nors, too, was watching his Lord, much like an elder observes a young man, but with a growing resolve to shape this land into anything he desired.
Nors had noticed a time when Lucan paused for rest during their work and thought that his Lord would do no more for the day, but there was no stopping Lucan.
He simply went back and started chopping trees again. The Days passed like this, and now Lucan had more than enough materials to build the fence.
"Lord," Nors began, addressing Lucan, "these logs and other tree parts are enough for us. We have enough material to build the fence, right? Lord, why don't we start the work tomorrow? Today, we've just returned from work, and the two of us haven't rested enough to build the fence."
As Nors spoke, Lucan looked at him, thinking, 'Nors is suggesting a good plan for both of us. We haven't rested, and building the fence will take more than a day. Still, we can build the storage crate.' Lucan considered this,
Then Lucan turned to Nors and affirmed, "Yes, we have enough materials, and we can build the fence. And as you said, we'll build it tomorrow. But we can build the storage crate for food storage, and I think we can finish it by night."
Nors and Kenny exchanged glances, then looked back at Lucan. As the elder, Nors confirmed, "Yes, Lord, we can build it and finish it by night. Lord, do you have a place in mind where you want to build it?"
"We will build it near my shelter, and gather all the other materials for it," Lucan instructed Nors and Kenny.
They both quickly moved, and after a few minutes, stood in front of Lucan's shelter. Together with Lucan, they retrieved the materials and dug the ground for the base.
After a few hours of this collective effort, they finally completed the storage crate. It was larger than Lucan had initially imagined, a benefit of the function that allowed him to scale structures, adjusting material needs accordingly.
After several hours of work, they finished the crate and now sat near it. Kenny and Nors admired the new structure, while Lucan was engrossed in his own world, observing the screen that had recognized the build.
[Storage Crate Constructed]
[+10 LP]
[+30 CP]
[Food Supply Problem: Reduced]
Lucan had gained the points as he usually did. Now, night had fallen after a day of hard work punctuated by periods of rest.
As night came, Lucan and Nors's family gathered near the fire. Kenny and Nors joined Lucan, while the other three were already there, eating boiled herbs and the fruits they had found.
Kenny moved to sit near Alian, and Nors and Lucan settled side-by-side in front of Daria and Alian. They, too, received their food, and after a few minutes of conversation, they stood up and retired to their shelters.
Lucan also went to his shelter, the newly built crate standing just outside. As Lucan lay down on his bed, the screen appeared before him, displaying the daily summary report.
[Daily Report – Day 5]
[Population: 6]
[Structures: 5]
[LP: 40]
[CP: 325]
[Threat Level: Low-Mid]
[+130 CP from cutting woods]
Seeing this, and finally content after the day's work, Lucan drifted into a peaceful sleep, his legs stretched out on the makeshift bed.
Next Morning
The pre-dawn light on Day 6 was a pale, hesitant wash across the land. Lucan's eyes, still heavy from a restless sleep, first drifted to the shelter's rough ceiling.
He pushed himself up, his hair a dishevelled mess, and stepped outside. The cool morning air, however thin, offered a small comfort.
Nors and his family were already at work, a familiar sight. Everyone offered a greeting, even Evan, his injury seemingly not dampening his spirits.
Lucan returned their greetings, his mind already turning to the day's tasks. He headed towards the makeshift washing area to clean his face and tidy his hair.
Just then, Alian approached, a small bucket swinging at his side. From a distance, it looked unassuming, but as the boy drew closer, Lucan saw the water shimmering inside. Without a second thought, Lucan took the bucket.
He didn't consider the weight of the moment for Alian, a child usually consumed by shyness.
Alian was the kind of boy who, back when he had a room, would never leave it if his family tried to introduce him to strangers.
But the monster attack had changed him, instilling a desperate desire to help his mother.
Yesterday, his mother had urged him, 'Help Lord Lucan when he goes to wash his face. This way, you can get acquainted with Lord Lucan, and good things will come to you. I'll even give you a candy if you do that.'
And so, Alian, trembling from shyness, had taken on the task. Now, as Lucan took the bucket without questioning, a wave of calm washed over the boy.
Lucan didn't ask him anything, and that was a relief.
As Lucan splashed water on his face and finger-combed his hair, the familiar screen suddenly materialized before him.
This time, however, the text glowed a stark red, and the entire screen was suffused with the same alarming hue.
Lucan didn't know what red signified in this system, but an immediate, sickening sense of foreboding settled in his gut as he read the words.
[Threat Detected – Tree Cluster Zone]
[Movement: From Beast]
[Risk Level: Moderate]
Lucan's eyes snapped wide open. Any lingering drowsiness from his restless sleep, even after the water, vanished in an instant.
The bad feeling he'd felt moments ago was now confirmed, validated by the system's grim alert. 'Movement from beasts?' He hadn't had enough time to prepare for this.
'Were these truly just movements, or would actual monsters soon pour from the shadowed depths of the trees?' He didn't know, and the uncertainty fueled a rising impatience within him.
Yet, a deep-seated habit from his demanding past life, the kind cultivated in high-stakes environments, kicked in. When needed, he could calm himself, analyze, and strategize. He forced himself to take a breath.
Lucan's mind raced. 'These beasts must have been attracted by Nors and me.' They had been relentlessly cutting wood in that very zone.
The system's response had come swiftly, almost too swiftly. They had only just returned from chopping wood yesterday, and now this problem had already surfaced.
But Lucan remained calm; 'I know if I can't devise a solution quickly, future problems will be far worse.' He instinctively gazed in the direction of the tree clusters.
They were still distant, but not too distant. As if responding to his urgent thought, the screen flickered again, and the ominous text shifted:
[Threat: Confirmed]
The change in the screen's message cemented his urgency. His hard-won composure now truly faced a test. 'This is a definite problem. If I don't do something, and soon, we will be in serious trouble.'
He took another calming breath, forced himself to think, and like a flash, a solution appeared in his mind – a solution they had been working towards all along: fencing. 'If a sturdy fence stands between us and the wilderness, beasts won't easily approach.
And if they do, it will likely be in a large, noticeable pack, giving us precious time to prepare.' The fence was precisely what he had planned to start building today.
Lucan didn't need to overthink anything else. 'Only the fence needs to be completed, at least the vital sections, and for now, the beasts might be deterred.'
But he couldn't build it all at once; even working non-stop, it would take at least two full days. 'No,' he corrected himself, a new idea sparking. He could just build the section of the fence facing the tree clusters zone first.
The rest could be completed tomorrow, or whenever the immediate threat passed. 'It's a tactical retreat, a focusing of resources where they are most needed.'
As Lucan was engrossed in planning, lost in the calculations of his new grim reality, Alian, who had been watching him, noticed the sweat beading on his Lord's brow. 'Why is Lord getting so sweaty?'
Without a word, he quickly ran to his brother and grandpa, calling them to hurry to Lucan. Lucan didn't even notice Alian leave and return; he was too absorbed in the critical task that now lay before him.
Kenny and Nors, alerted by Alian, approached him quickly. They hadn't gone too far from the camp, so when Alian reached them, they immediately started running.
Nors, being older, lagged slightly behind, but Kenny was right at his heels. As they reached Lucan, they saw his agitation.
Lucan's face was indeed covered in moisture, though it was just water from his wash, not sweat. But Kenny and Nors didn't know that.
They both simultaneously concluded that something was terribly wrong, and Lucan was deeply worried.