Doing my usual crawl into my home I moved into the centre. Looking around I had to plan out how to set up my new domicile. Where would I put my rocks? Where should I make a fire pit?
Decisions, decisions. I could start by creating a stack of wood in the corner to dry, to hopefully make a fire in the future. Pulling out the branches and logs that I had stored inside my inventory. Now I had to decide on which were fire wood material and which were decoration material AKA camouflage.
It was a pain in the ass to do due to my now large hands, what used to be like a sword to me when I was a human now looked like twigs in my hands. And that was not helping with sorting.
Branch, after log I pulled out my stored wood. Using the scientific nock test I could now use my acute hearing to tell how decomposed or wet the wood was. Monotonous as this task was, I had to actually have dry ish wood. If I don’t have dry wood then when I go to make a fire to cook food, large plumes of black smoke will be created.
That, if you can’t tell, would be a bad thing for me. Humans will definitely investigate smoke / fires, especially if I’m in America like I think I am. Afterall all of those creepypastas I used to listen to had the protagonist in a fire tower, America also just had a lot of wildfires.
I didn’t know if there were any fire rangers out during spring but being careful helped.
After all the wood was sorted, I now had a decent pile of firewood. Around a 2 feet tall pile of wood that could probably be used in a couple hours. The opposing pile of wet wood stood at an impressive 3 feet tall, coming to a fraction of 2/5 dry wood and 3/5 wet wood, a total of 5 feet worth of wood. Very usable for the coming days.
Using my inventory I placed the piles of wood aside into my left back corner, I made sure they stayed divided. I then moved onto sorting the stones I had collected. That honestly was easier. Creating the two different piles, one was filled with big rocks that I would use to cover my entrance in the future. Another pile was made up of medium to small rocks that would be used for my fire pit.
Once again using my convenient Inventory I placed the pile of large rocks and boulders into my Miscellaneous Inventory slot.
Using the fire pit rocks that I had collected I placed them in a circle in the middle towards my only entrance so smoke would flow out. Looking up I noticed a problem, the main cave had a taller ceiling than the tunnel leading out. Smoke would get trapped in the main cave, and that was a big problem. Solutions were to either carve out a line in the ceiling to let all the smoke out, or easier make the pit outside in my cave entrance. I of course did the latter, easier is better after all.
After I finished moving my campfire rocks outside my cave, I was done and ready to continue working.
The penultimate task for sprucing up my cave was to sort out my future pillow, easiest out of the tasks I think. All I did was drop all the grasses that I had collected into a large pile in the right back corner of my cave. I did a little checking here and there. Didn’t know if my inventory also picked up bugs. Apparently it did. Only Aphids though, no ticks.
Having done all that I checked to see if this met the system standards for a home. It didn’t. That left me with my final and most drastic measure.
Pulling out the park sign I made quick work of it, tearing off the 3 signs from the pole, I flipped them to have the blank back exposed. This would be horrifying and may traumatise me but it had to be done.
With a trembling paw I reached out for the closest sign. Placing it in front of me I prepared myself to carve out the devilish words found in the most basic of places.
Using my index finger, I carved out using sharp straight lines, ‘Live’ oohhh the pain! I felt like I was betraying everything that I held dear!
Continuing my carving with now shaky hands, I carved out the second part of the accursed 3 words. Mid way through the carve I could feel the demons trying to possess me. I started craving Starbucks (Costa is better), and pumpkin spiced coffee.
“BE GONE FOUL HEATHENS!!” I shouted as I completed the second word ‘Laugh’
I had to take a break. I couldn’t last if I had to continue writing that final infernal word. Collapsing onto my back I stared up into the ceiling, tears streaming down the side of my face. I had to finish it. It was the easiest way to finish the optional mission without using a lot of effort. Determination started to burn in my eyes. I would finish this! For All The Men That Had Suffered Before Me!
Rolling onto my stomach I dragged myself to the possessed object that was the ‘sign’. No. It should be called ‘A Satanic Manifesto’
Carving the first downwards line, I could see my life flash before my eyes. Every moment. From when I had broken my leg. The first and last time I punched my brother. I could see it all. I had lived a good life, a shame it would have to end here.
Like that I must have blacked out, because when I woke up again I was greeted with a complete sign. A 3 feet long arrow shaped board of wood, that now on its face read, ‘Live, Laugh, Bear.’ I had won. Raising my arms up in pure glee I exclaimed.
“I hadn’t let those basic bitches win!!”
Doing a quick victory jig on the floor I started propping myself up. I picked up my new sign, walking it towards my right side wall. I gently placed down the holy text. All would be able to see it after entering my home. And it would now stay there until the end of time (until I moved it).
Happy with my accomplishment the System notified me with a ding that I had finished my mission.
Pulling up the Mission screen I was greeted with a pleasant sight.
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Mission Available
Description: You are in a new world and have nothing to your name, but you can change it with your effort and tenacity and survive. Maybe even thrive!!
Objectives: Find a water source that can be continually used (Complete), Get enough food for your continued survival (Optional) (Complete) , Make your home comfortable to live in (Optional) (Complete)
Rewards: Weak Presence Sense (Receive?), Strong Claws and Teeth (Optional) (Receive?),1x Random skill Ticket (Optional) (Receive?)
Complete: Would you like to receive Mission rewards? [Warning! If the host receives mission rewards without completing other objectives, then all further rewards are defunct!]
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I had done it! I completed all of the objectives! I was Rich!! Immediately reading all that had changed in the mission, I noticed a helpful warning left by the System. That I would never use, I’m a completionist after all. Go big or go home as they say.
Receiving the rewards I felt the error of my ways. I again hadn’t prepared for the pain and pain it was.
A mild ache started in my fingers and toes, along with throbbing in my head and jaws. Slowly both my afflictions started to build up. My nails on my hands and feet felt stumped and compressed.
My finger bones felt like they scraped against my nails. An unscratchable itch was just below my finger tips. With all my will power I had to resist the crawling pain. Slowly my old claws were pushed out and new lighter coloured ones took their place. The old nails plopped onto the floor, great for surfer necklaces I may add. Actually no, the claws were apparently 23 cm long (Observe told me).
Back to the pain, speedrun description this time. My teeth that were being strengthened felt like they were being drilled for cavities. And my brain felt like something was being pushed into it, just squeezing into any available space.
The pain was finally over, and I felt better? Well I mean I can’t really tell what has changed in my teeth and claws. What I could tell was that I could feel little orbs outside my cave that were of course presenses, you know because I just got that ability?
Thinking about my new Abilities I couldn’t help but enjoy their usefulness. Weak Presence Sense would help find any animals, or hidden future enemies. Who knows what type of world I’m in? I could be in X-men for all I know, or a zombie apocalypse (I don’t know, I'm just speculating).
That’s why I liked my other Ability. After some initial testing on the floor, I could now break the rock with my claws. I couldn’t do this before (I tested while making my home sign). I could now make changes to my cave walls, and build an indoor fire pit, with a makeshift chimney pipe
In a good mood I pulled myself up and forward onto my feet (by feet, I mean both my front and back paws) I had to go bleed out the deer. I wanted it to taste good if I was going to eat it.
Before I left I placed my fallen nails (Claws) into my Miscellaneous Slot in my Inventory.
Wiggling my way out I looked back at my cave and felt proud of my home's development. A place I would like to live in for a couple years. I will add stuff here and there but it was good enough for now.
Stepping out I placed the campfire circle into my Inventory. Using my prepared large rocks I built up a wall in my cave entrance, blocking about 2 thirds of the cave‘s entrance. That should keep out most animals and intrepid adventures (unless they are horror movie protagonists).
Standing up and stretching I started swaggering towards my stream.
“Will I try eat it raw? Or should I cook it?” Simple questions that lasted my entire journey.
I felt like I was betraying everything that I held dear!
You missed the chance to say everything I held bear
Shit! Your right!
I have no words… the sign… I didn’t expect that to be its use…
Thank you for the chapter
