Legendary Shelter Survival Guide

Lucas looked at the tub of blood and smiled. "I'm going to dehydrate the blood into powder."

Sean stopped for a second and then started following Lucas again.

"Dehydrating blood? I've never heard of that before!"

"Well, we have to do something. Blood is going to be a vital ingredient in many of the things we'll be making. We don't have the right containers for it, so we might as well try something ridiculous," he said, glancing around.

The Dakota fire pits were in two locations, one in the right corner and the other in the center.

"Wait… yeah, that might be better." Lucas stopped. At first, he had planned to use one of the free fire pits to start the process, but an idea popped into his head.

"Have you excavated any clay yet?"

"Uhh… I'll have to ask Dad. Wait a minute," Sean said and ran off to find his father. Fortunately, no one was too far from the shelter.

While Lucas waited, he saw Sean returning.

"Uncle John, you didn't have to come yourself."

"It's no problem, Lucas. We've got some clay at the back of the shelter. What do you need it for?" John asked.

Lucas could only smile. He truly felt blessed to be surrounded by such curious people.

"I'm going to make a clay oven on the left right there. That way, we can start with some basic projects."

"A clay oven… how about using the furnace in the basement?"

"It would be too much trouble. Having one here will make things easier. We can use the furnace when we're working with more complex material that needs higher temperatures."

"Yeah, it would be a hassle to clean the dirty floor with wet clay all over too," John stated.

"Wet clay?" Sean asked.

"Clay has to be mixed with water before we can use it to make something like this. Do you mind if we tag along, Lucas? I'd be happy to show my son how it works."

"You don't need to ask."

The trio went behind the shelter, and after Lucas frowned at the primitive bath and washroom, he looked at the pile of stones, logs, and miscellaneous materials off to the side.

"I must say, I didn't expect things to be this organized, Uncle John," Lucas said as he inspected the large and small logs, the stones and boulders, and finally the smaller items.

"Sand and clay—just what we need, huh?" Lucas said, crouching down to inspect the clay.

A smile bloomed on his face.

"There are about 11 kilos and 521 grams of clay here. I'll call Haley and ask her to move it for us," Lucas said, making the call while Sean and his father exchanged surprised glances. Lucas' ability to estimate such specific numbers by just touching the material confirmed what they'd been hearing all along—Lucas had truly become skilled.

"She's on her way. In the meantime, I'll walk you through the process in theory."

Lucas began explaining how they were going to make the clay oven.

Even though John knew some of the basics, he still listened to everything Lucas said as if it were new.

"Do you guys think I'm your porter or something?" Haley asked after arriving.

"That's not the intention, Haley. Your skills are just so remarkable that we can't help but ask for your help."

"Save your sweet talk for Sarah. So, how much do I need to carry?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Around 5 kilos. Can you tell how much I mean?" Lucas asked.

"Uhh… this much, right?" she said, making a small mark in the pile.

"You're close. Take this much, and the same amount of sand," Lucas said, using a small stick to mark the pile of logs.

"Got it, boss."

Haley moved her hand forward, and soon particles began vanishing from the ground, as if reality itself was glitching. One moment the clay was there, and the next it was gone.@@novelbin@@

The four of them went to the front of the shelter. At Lucas' command, Haley pulled all the clay and sand from her inventory and laid them on the ground.

"Alright, Mike! Want to level up your skills right now?" Lucas called out, though it still sounded like he was speaking normally.

Mike, who had been working at a small house outside the shelter, looked toward them. His ears perked up, and he quickly jogged to the entrance.

"I'm here," Mike said within seconds. Both Haley and Sean chuckled at how eager he seemed.

"Mike, we're making a clay oven right here. It'll be a fast project with your help."

"What do you need me to do?"

Lucas was pleased with his enthusiasm. "We're going to fetch some water from the river and mix it with the clay. I need you to mix the clay and sand together properly before we add the water."

"Take out everything other than those two out of the mixture." He added the next second. Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire

"Piece of cake," Mike said with a grin. With a flick of his finger and focused concentration, the particles from both piles began floating in the air. Under everyone's astonished gaze, they started swirling together.

"So cool…"

"So beautiful…"

Both Sean and Haley muttered, but while they saw simple beauty in it, Lucas saw beyond that.

"You skillfully interacted with each particle with finesse. I must say, it won't be long before you're able to control their temperature or even fuse them."

Lucas watched the process with a keen eye, noting every subtle motion Mike made. The particles swirled and blended seamlessly, forming a smooth mixture in the air before settling into a neat pile on the ground. At the side were small rocks, roots, and other unnecessary stuff that could be a hindrance to the mixture.

"Excellent work," Lucas said with a nod of approval. "Now we'll add the water. Be careful not to add too much—we need just enough to make the clay malleable but not runny."

Sean fetched a bucket of water from the river, and Lucas slowly poured it over the mixture, kneading the clay with his hands covered in a bluish glow. They asked about the glow and Lucas explained it to be a coating of mana to not let it get dirty.

The group stood in silence, focused on the task at hand from then on.

He looked at Mike who was trying to force some unmixed clay and sand with water.

"Don't bother, you can't manipulate water, just the land. But once we mix it properly, it will be your turn to make the proper structure." Lucas stated and Mike just nodded in understanding.

All everyone could do was learn from Lucas since he came back, the questions kept coming in and Lucas answered them but at one point, many stopped asking, but they did what was told and learned.