TLBP 07

 Chapter 7……………………………

2. Encounter with the Unknown

I first dug a deep pit. The shape I imagined in my mind was a rectangular space about the size of a single bed.

It didn’t need to be very wide, since it would only be used for sleeping, but I thought the depth should reach about my waist.

I clawed at the ground, and as the piled-up dirt grew, a suitably sized pit formed.

It wasn’t the neat rectangle I had planned, but rather an awkward oval—but that was close enough to pass.

After making the sleeping pit, I dug the surrounding ground and stood flat stones like walls, then half-covered them with dirt.

The partially buried stone slabs didn’t wobble even when I pushed them with my hands. Once the dug-up soil hardened over time, it would surely become even sturdier.

“Looks like it won’t collapse unless someone deliberately crashes into it with a car.”

I nodded in satisfaction and used the remaining stone slabs to surround the pit.

Viewed from above, the layout looked like a crooked pentagon. I filled gaps between the stone walls with compacted dirt.

Except for the entrance I’d use, every side was blocked. From inside the pit, it felt stable, almost like a well-made little house.

I stepped outside the pit and observed the shelter from a short distance. The stones looked a bit unnaturally placed.

“Should I try to camouflage it? I’ll have to cover the roof anyway.”

I looked at the nearby trees and bushes. Breaking several branches and laying them over the stone walls created a makeshift roof that was acceptable enough.

I didn’t stop there. I covered the stone walls with more branches and leaves so that the roof blended in seamlessly.

“Is this enough?”

I stopped and stepped back a few paces to look at it. Observing the whole scene from a distance was more important than seeing it up close.

The shelter I had made, with branches piled on top, looked a bit like a beaver dam, or a rough stack of firewood.

It wasn’t perfect camouflage or a fully natural space, but compared to when it was just the stone walls, it was a huge improvement.

“Not bad at all, actually.”

I slipped into the entrance and jumped down into the pit.

“The threshold is a bit high inside. That’ll be annoying to climb over.”

Inside, I could consider adding stones or dirt near the entrance to make a slope or steps.

I lay down in the pit.

The space was narrow enough that my arms couldn’t stretch fully without hitting the walls, but I was used to cramped living in a boarding house, so it was tolerable.

I turned my head and looked at the ceiling.

The roof of branches and leaves would protect against wind or morning dew, if not heavy rain.

“I wish I could cover it with a big tarp or a poncho, but it’s fine for a few days. I’m not living here forever anyway.”

The sleeping area was sufficient. The next task would probably be making something like a fireplace to maintain the fire.

I got up and headed to the burning campfire a few steps away.

The fire crackled and radiated warm heat. The setting sun made the air slightly chilly, so it was the perfect temperature to warm up. I felt good enough that I unintentionally made a throat sound.

Grrr.

—What?

I startled myself and shivered. I wasn’t a feline or a beast, yet here I was making a “purring” sound out of happiness. Was my mind and body turning completely feral?

I slapped my cheeks with my hands. Losing my human dignity felt like it could lead to irreparable consequences.

A faint text appeared in front of my eyes as I frowned.

[Achievement “First Felt Happiness” completed.]
[Reward: Acquired skill “Low Frequency”.]

“What’s this?”

I stared at the text. Unintentionally, I had completed an achievement and gained a new skill I didn’t know I could acquire.

“Low frequency… like a curse?”

At first, I imagined driving nails into a straw doll, but soon realized “low frequency” referred to sound waves, not a curse.

I recalled a friend who had cats. Cats make purring sounds to attract attention and trigger protective instincts in humans and other animals.

Those sounds had certain frequencies that caused various effects. I didn’t remember the details, only vaguely recalling that such effects existed.

Hissss.

I tried making the purring sound again, but this time it came out harsh and grating, unlike the happy sound earlier.

“Seems like I can only do this when I’m in a good mood.”

I focused on the fire. Understanding the new skill could wait; right now, keeping the fire alive was more urgent.

The sun was setting, and my available time for activity was rapidly shrinking.

“Better to light a fire in the new shelter than protect this one.”

I collected stones and arranged them in a circle on the ground.

I placed sticks and dry leaves inside, and transferred embers from the original fire to start a new one.

Unlike the rough campfire made by the little demon Marbling, this one looked properly made.

I scattered dirt over the original fire to extinguish it.

“Maybe I should build stone walls behind and to the sides to shield from wind?”

I hadn’t made fires often and briefly pondered whether a strong gust could extinguish it.

I decided to place flat stones beside the fire like a hearth.

Several slabs were still left after building the shelter. Better to use them than waste them—prevention is better than cure, after all.

I placed the stones beside the fire, propping them in a 人-shape so they supported each other.

“The back side needs coverage too. It looks too empty.”

I alternated my gaze between the fire and the stones on the ground. The last slab was farthest from both the shelter and fire, so I hadn’t used it yet.

I walked toward the slab. It was about half my height, thick and heavy, not an ordinary stone.

Unlike the stones lying on the ground, this one stood upright like a gravestone, dignified.

Some characters were engraved on it, but I couldn’t understand their meaning.

“Hmm, a heavy, quality stone.”

I grabbed it around the middle and exerted strength. The stone was firmly embedded.

The weight of the stone and the pressure from the ground pressed vividly through my hands.

“Should I leave it or try to pull it out?”

I hesitated briefly. As it creaked under my effort, my excitement grew. A little more force, and I could lift it.

With full strength, my thigh and arm muscles tensed. The stone lifted to my hands’ height.

“Strength 11 doesn’t seem low after all. Does stamina help here?”

I marveled at my own strength. I tried to place the stone behind the fire when suddenly…

Crack.

Something felt wrong.

Rumble! The ground shook, and I lost balance.

“What’s happening?”

I ran, but the ground collapsed faster than I could move.

The floor gave way beneath me with a loud crash; stones tumbled and dust and soil covered me.

—Ugh, what’s happening?

I looked at what was now the ceiling above me. There was a hole several meters up—I must have fallen through it.

Who could have predicted that the ground I stood on would collapse into an underground pit?

Removing the stone may have triggered the collapse, like a sinkhole.

“Luckily, I’m not badly hurt.”

I brushed off the dust and checked myself. Minor scrapes would heal in minutes.

“Wait, where is this?”

I looked around. At first, I thought it was just underground, but the space was different from a pit or cave.

There were flat walls and pillars, covered in countless inscriptions and drawings. A dark corridor stretched ahead.

“Is this an underground ruin?”

The air was damp and musty. Not pleasant. I looked at the ceiling, considering how to get back up.

“How do I climb up?”

The height seemed several meters. I could try climbing with my claws, but there was no place to hang upside down safely.

Falling again might not end as lightly this time.

“There must be a way up somewhere.”

I examined the walls, searching for a way back to the surface.

Then I noticed a strange drawing. It looked like crude hieroglyphs, but unmistakably…

“That’s me.”

More accurately, it was a magical beast.

Round, cute face, white body like mine, claws on the front paws—clearly resembling me.

I studied the surrounding drawings.

A long snake-like creature, many-legged beings—maybe spiders or octopuses—and figures standing on two legs.

“These are humans.”

Among the drawings, different from the horned Marblings, I was sure these figures were humans.

I followed the drawings with my gaze. Some held swords or spears.

“The mural ends where the stones broke.”

White cobweb-like patterns stretched across, showing the area had been untouched for ages.

“I’m curious where this place is.”

I looked again at the figure resembling me. Locking eyes with it briefly, a flash of realization hit me.

“Maybe I should go in.”

Perhaps here lay answers about this world, why I am here, and how to return to the original world.

I crouched on all fours and quietly crept forward, toes lifted. The corridor whispered with the sound of wind.