The tree that had been cut down, used as firewood, and all sorts of other damage hadn't even started to recover yet. However, there was no reason not to make more use out of the land there than I had before. With the tree gone, an outdoor farming area could be set up. There was more than enough wood for fence posts.

The road was destroyed, and a lot of the bushes were gone, but instead of worrying about that, I decided we could have a more... industrious use than just replacing it. We'd need a good place for crafting weapons and armor, so why not just have it in front and the path of spiderweb and moss go around it?

Sure, there was that big open space beneath the clay doorframe, but the Yuck was already spreading down there pretty well, and if we used any organic components that weren't bone, then it would get absorbed. Having the smithery outside made more sense. Plus if anyone attacked we could throw hot coals or something at whoever it was. Not the best attack, but being annoying is a good idea for the start of a brawl.

Finding another stick that could work as a new handle for my old hoe to break up the dirt around where the tree stump was wasn't easy. Maybe one of the first kinds of things I should get planted aren't the coffee seeds or that +1 seed pod, of whatever kind I didn't know, or the manzanita seeds in that crate the brigands left behind.

Well, not left behind. It was theirs, but since we killed and ate everyone, now it counted as loot or treasure or something.

The first set of seeds I just now thought I should grow, are seeds from the trees from the hermit spider forest. Pine, or at least something that looked like a star pine, grow faster and denser than these gargantuan baobab-like trees did. Since there weren't any of those fake drider anymore, and they had giant seashells that were no longer in use, I could find some sort of function for the shells. Maybe half-bury them and turn them upside-down as plant pots for mushrooms in the cave since the Yuck wouldn't grow up them since they're made of calcite?

The egg sac I had laid earlier hadn't done anything, and no dings appeared in my head. There was time still, apparently. Farming might be the best way to go, finally! It's taken far too long as it is. We started with chipped stones as axe heads, and after using them like the crude tools they were, we had made a handle. One hoe, one stone axe. Shortly after, relatively speaking, we had four more axes. Building the fence posts around the tree stump was the next step, followed by planting some seeds from the various ridiculous multitude of bushes around was the next one.

I don't know why, but it just felt right to leave the stump where it was. Maybe it could be for a reason later- maybe we could build something on top of it and it could become the floorboard of a silo.

…

I saw them before I heard them, but that really shouldn't have been the case. Some of those yellow birds, and one blue one, showed up at the edge of what I considered to be the civilization part of my forest. Atop them were some leather-clad jumi, which I assumed were knights due to their decals.

“The Lord of the Land has sent us to demand an answer. How much longer will it take for you to clear the other forest of drider?” I guess it was a knight.

“I already did that. In fact I had done it about-”

“We were attacked yet again by the monsters! You have done nothing. Since you are lying, we have no choice-”

“I'm not lying! Djraine, bring one of the dead hermit spider legs out here so they can see proof please.”

She heard me, and did as she was asked. She had already been paying attention to what was going on apparently.

“This could be a leg from one of your own.”

“No, look at our legs, and look at this. Ours are thick and smooth, but theirs are thin and really hairy.”

The jumi knight looked around and saw I was telling the truth.

“I'll head out there again, and check for myself to make sure they're gone. We went in battle formation, killed the drider, and burned out the inside of their nest. I was planning on going out there again anyway, so we'll do the same thing again.”

I didn't bother telling anyone, but that boss had given me new abilities, though I didn't really want to use them. I also really didn't want my children to be put in danger again, especially this soon, so I would only take Aneis, Djraine, and the cart with me. I did want those giant seashells.