Caelen stared at his mostly-functional hut with a hand on his chin.
"It's good," he said. "But not great."
Sparkfin tilted its head.
"I mean, sure, it has walls and utensils and a bed made of stolen grass. But where's the innovation? Where's the secret tunnel?"
Sparkfin chirped in a way that sounded suspiciously like, "You've officially lost it."
Caelen grabbed his shovel.
"Time to go underground."
Operation: Secret Storage Tunnel
The plan was simple: dig a tunnel from behind the toilet area to under his hut and turn it into a storage room. Easy. Quiet. Cool.
What actually happened?
"I think I've invented medieval back pain," Caelen muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.
He'd only dug maybe five meters before his shovel hit something white and gritty.
"Salt?"
He stared at the walls, scraped more of the material, then tapped his temple.
Search (8/20): How to identify salt in the ground
[Answer: Tastes salty. May appear white or crystal-like. Warning: Don't lick unknown rocks too often.]
"…You know what? That feels directed at me."
He tasted it anyway.
"Yep. Salt."
He kept digging—and hit a damp patch. Then a small trickle of water.
"…Wait a second."
Search (9/20): How to make a well
[Answer: Dig until consistent water source is found. Reinforce walls with stone or wood. Add pulley system or bucket.]
Caelen's eyes lit up. "I have a water source. Under my house. I'm a genius."
Well Construction Time
He widened the tunnel and reinforced the little cavern with rocks and logs. It was ugly. It creaked. It dripped slightly.
But it worked.
[You have built: Crude Underground Well – It's not pretty, but now you won't die of thirst. Bonus: salt for flavor.]
Caelen scooped some water into his cup. "It's not clear. It's not cold. But it's mine."
Then the big idea hit.
"What if… I connect the well to the bathroom?"
He ran outside and looked at his very lonely toilet.
"No more carrying buckets. No more stinky regret. I'll invent… plumbing."
Search (10/20): How to make pipes
[Answer: Use hollowed-out logs, bamboo, or fired clay. Connect with sealant (mud, clay, moss). Primitive, but it flows.]
"Of course. Wooden pipes. It's fantasy world PVC."
Pipe Panic Mode
He hollowed out logs (by hand), sealed the ends with clay and moss, and began setting them into a trench that connected the well to the bathroom area.
Sparkfin watched, unimpressed, from a tree.
"Yeah yeah, I know it leaks. Just give me a minute!"
Eventually, after sealing every crack with so much moss he might've ruined a local ecosystem, it worked. The water dribbled, but it moved.
[You have unlocked: Basic Plumbing System – Not suitable for drinking. But your toilet says thanks.]
That night, Caelen sat on his handmade chair, smelling slightly less like dirt and victory.
"I have a tunnel. I have water. I have a bathroom with plumbing. No one can stop me now."
He paused.
"…Except mold. Mold might win."
Sparkfin fluttered down with a tiny leaf in its beak and dropped it on his head like a crown.
Caelen smiled.
"Long live the Toilet King."