Chapter 98 — Shelves for Tomorrow
S.C. 1510 — Mid December
Hidden Island — Eastern Cliff Chamber
The sun hovered lazily above the ocean when Ren's rowboat bumped onto the hidden island's shore.
It felt familiar now.
Like a second home
—or a secret bunker he absolutely wasn't supposed to have.
Zemo leapt out immediately, nose buried in sand, ready to explore or judge everything in sight.
Ren stepped onto the island, inhaling deeply.
"No experiments today. No chemicals. No metalwork.
Today we…
build shelves."
Zemo barked with the enthusiasm of someone who had no idea what shelves were.
---
Step 1 — Expanding the Chamber
Ren ducked into the narrow entrance of the cliffside chamber.
It was still cramped, dusty, and had strong "future accident site" energy.
Time to fix that.
Ren grabbed the KEA mini pickaxe and swung.
CRACK—CRACK—CRACK
Chips of rock fell cleanly, thudding onto the ground.
Zemo occasionally poked his head in, eyes glowing like a tiny supervisor making sure Ren wasn't slacking off.
Ren used all three tools:
Pickaxe → break rock
Chisel → refine shape
Spade-head → scoop debris
Slowly, the cramped space widened.
Half a meter here.
A deeper pocket there.
Ceiling smoothed.
Floor leveled.
The cave no longer felt like a coffin.
More like a humble workshop.
Ren whispered like a man handling explosives:
"Steady… no cave-ins today, please."
---
Step 2 — Installing Support Beams
Ren dragged in several wooden beams pre-cut in Foosha.
Zemo followed him with the proud gait of someone pretending he carried the same weight.
Ren slotted the beams into carved grooves he made earlier.
TOK—TOK
Solid.
Two vertical beams.
One horizontal.
He reinforced the joints with thick rope knots.
Zemo tested one by pawing it.
Ren almost screamed.
"Don't—! …Okay, it's stable."
Zemo nodded smugly.
---
Step 3 — Carving the Shelf Grooves
Time for precision.
Ren marked the wall with charcoal, straight lines on both sides.
Then—
SCRRK—SCRRK—SCRRK
Slow, careful chiseling.
Thin streams of rock dust floated down.
Zemo sneezed so violently Ren almost dropped the chisel.
"Sorry. Almost done."
An hour later, Ren had two perfect grooves cut into the chamber's right wall.
---
Step 4 — Building the Shelves
Ren sanded four wooden planks until they were smooth enough not to splinter a finger.
Then he lifted one plank and slid it into the grooves.
THUNK.
Perfect fit.
He tested it with a stone jar.
It didn't wobble.
Ren placed a hand on the plank, whispering:
"…Our first real storage."
Zemo hopped up slightly, as if wanting to try it too.
Ren quickly blocked him.
"No. You are not allowed on shelves."
Zemo's tail drooped dramatically.
---
Step 5 — Organizing the Chamber
Ren brought the wooden crate inside and began placing items neatly onto the new shelves:
KEA mini tools
coiled rope
lantern oil jars
empty clay pots
charcoal sticks
tarp pieces
herb bundles
and small cloth bags
Everything suddenly looked… professional.
Like a tiny workshop belonging to someone who knew what he was doing.
(Zemo still disagreed with the "no fox on shelves" rule.)
---
Step 6 — Ventilation Upgrade
Ren carved a narrow upward tunnel using his chisel—just wide enough for air, not wide enough for curious animals or bandit-sized problems.
Tiny flurries of wind slipped into the chamber.
He felt the air shift, the room becoming less stale.
"This will help when we start storing serious materials."
Zemo sniffed the breeze, ears perking up.
---
Step Back — A Builder's Pride
Ren stepped outside and gently pulled vines across the entrance again.
Invisible.
Hidden.
Perfect.
He looked at the cliff and whispered:
"One room done. Piece by piece."
Zemo sat beside him, leaning against his leg.
Ren rested a hand on the fox's back.
"We're not strong yet…
But we're preparing. Quietly."
The wind carried the scent of the sea.
Peaceful.
Promising.
Tomorrow would bring more construction.
More carving.
More expansion.
But today?
He built shelves.
And strangely…
That felt like the beginning of something big.
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End of Chapter 98