Over the subsequent days, Lucian crafted his new home. He used the paste from the bark as a mortar to hold the logs together.

The walls were thin, but the paste held fast. Much to Lucian's delight, the walls were sturdier than he'd thought.

He hadn't constructed any type of foundation, which was a risk, but he'd built it with the prospect of moving it in mind.

The corners were staggered, fitting together in a way that he could dismantle the walls in a single sheet if needed.

The weight of the roof held them together. Without removing it, the walls wouldn't budge even if ten of those rats tackled them at once.

While waiting for the paste to harden, he would experiment with the clay-like insides of the tree. He'd managed to shape a few crude pots, but they would be useless until he could harden them.

Even then, he didn't know the material's properties. Heating the clay up may cause it to melt instead of hardening.

It was something that he planned to test it in the future.

Unlike the small shack, his other project hadn't gone as well as he'd hoped.

The hides had dried nicely, and he'd managed to successfully pull off a good portion of the fur, so that wasn't terrible. His issues had been with the skin.

It hadn't rained again during this time, and there was no water to speak of. So, begrudgingly, Lucian did the next best thing.

He relieved himself within one of the makeshift pots that he'd crafted. The smell was wretched, as he was completely dehydrated, but it was the best he could do.

Lucian had to act quickly because the clay had begun to discolor the urine almost immediately. He had shoved both of the decaying brains in, using his hands to smash them into a disgusting-looking paste.

It took ages for the pieces to dissolve, and he had quickly lathered the concoction on the hairless skins before more of the bowl could contaminate the brains.

The final product was a messy conglomeration that stained the hide but would at least preserve it. Lucian had hand-spun the bits of fur he could save into yarn, which was the most successful part of his venture.

He now sat on the ground, leaning against the cabin and working the yarn between his fingers. His progress over the past few days wasn't as gainful as he'd have liked, but it would do.

"This may be thick enough," He frowned and looked at the twine that he'd spun.

Lucian had never been one for sewing, but he would have to attempt it to finish tanning the hide. The process was long, but all that was left was to smoke the material after cleaning it.

"Well, I can't start a fire just yet," Lucian complained. "May as well hang the doors and stick the shingles."

The angled roof was complete and had branches spanning across the top, but he hadn't had the time to seal it. He hoped it would be sturdy enough to support his weight now that the makeshift cement had settled.

"What do you think, Ed?" Lucian asked, looking at the [Educatus]. "Do you think it will hold?"

[Error]

Lucian let out a long sigh, "I'm afraid of that too, but I have to try, or we'll just get rained on!"

After grabbing one of the shingles, he used the staggered corner of the structure as a ladder to climb on top. Lucian carefully placed the shingle at an angle, allowing the glue to weld it in place.

"I should only have to climb on top to do the center rows..." He muttered, judging the distance carefully. "Still, this will take all day!"

For the rest of the day, he took up one shingle at a time and placed it on the roof. Any more than that, and he risked the bark sticking together before he could use it.

There were no mishaps, and he finished with enough daylight to install the doors that had dried the evening before. They were nothing special, and anyone would be able to walk up and open them.

Lucian had crafted them by gluing fifteen of the logs together and cutting the tops and bottoms evenly. He'd used the point of one of the jagged teeth to carve holes, where he installed smaller twigs on top and bottom that would allow the door to pivot.

There were no locks or handles, but he would get there eventually.

"One thing at a time," He mumbled.

The first door slid into place easily, but it took him a few minutes to make the proper adjustments for the second. However, the moment he'd snapped it into place...

[Milestone Achieved: First Shelter]

[Shelter Rewards Unlocked: Advance the power, defenses, quality, and influence of the shelters in Host's Domain to unlock rewards]

[Mission Complete: Grading commencing]

"No way," Lucian smiled at the sudden string of alerts. Building was one of the Milestones?!

He frowned as he thought it through, "I suppose it would make sense. How would one conquer in this situation without some type of established base or community?"

[Mission Complete: Grading Complete]

[Host Domain Upgrade: Rank 999]

[Reward Selection Prepared]

[First Shelter Reward Selection]

[Category : Grade : Reward]

[Style : F- : Stone Hoe]

[Security : F : Straw]

[Efficiency : F : Psyons]

"Hmm?" Lucian stared at the prompts for some time without choosing. He was interested in using the straw for a bed if there was even enough available, but...

His stomach was already attacking itself, and his lips had dried and cracked. Lucian remembered the explanation of the [Initiate] Microlink and wondered if one of the others could help curb his hunger.

He stared at the third option for three seconds.

[Reward Chosen: Initiating Download Sequence]

[1%]

[5%]

[26%]

[71%]

[99%]

The flashing numbers disappeared, and the immense screen full of Microlinks filled his vision. Without his command, it zoomed in to the [Initiate] in the center.

This time, the dull red words from the six greyed-out Microlinks were a light blue, and a new number had appeared in the upper left corner of his vision.

[Psyons: 3]