After spending some precious time together and seeing that Olivia's condition had steadied into genuine recovery, everyone naturally began to drift back to their daily routines.
The women chose to remain indoors, continuing their watchful care of the recovering girl, while the men began making preparations for a much-needed hunting expedition. Grandpa Eldrin and Henry, however, decided they would stay behind at the house.
It was quickly agreed that Neil's father, Anil, would lead the hunt alongside his brothers Kael and Rhys, with Uncle James joining their group to track down fresh game for their growing household.
Meanwhile, Neil's cousins—Lyra, Caspian, Orion, and Noah—would venture out together on their own mission to forage for wild vegetables and anything else edible they might discover in the winter landscape.
The children were absolutely thrilled at the prospect of venturing out as their own small group, treating it like the beginning of a grand adventure rather than simple chores.
Just as they were gathering their baskets and preparing to set off into the crisp morning air, Neil suddenly raised his hand.
"Um... everyone, I think I'll stay at home today."
Lyra's face immediately fell, her excitement deflating like a pricked bladder. "Why, Neil? We could've all gone together—it would've been so much fun."
He offered her an apologetic smile, genuinely sorry to disappoint his cousin. "I'm sorry. There's just some important work I want to get done here at the house."
Though clearly disappointed by his decision, his cousins didn't press him further or try to change his mind. Soon after, everyone began the process of equipping the protective armor Neil had so carefully crafted for each of them, concealing the lightweight metal pieces beneath their regular winter clothing. James and Noah wore their own existing gear, since Neil hadn't yet had the opportunity to create custom armor for the newest members of their group. To any casual observer, they would appear to be wearing nothing more than ordinary clothes against the cold.
Henry frowned slightly as he watched the preparations, concern creeping into his weathered features. "Aren't you going to wear any protective gear yourself?"
Eldrin gave him a reassuring smile, his eyes twinkling with knowing amusement. "Don't worry about them, old friend. They're already wearing it—just hidden underneath their regular clothes."Relieved by this explanation, Henry nodded his approval.
Once everyone had properly collected their weapons, tools, and other necessary supplies, the hunting and foraging parties finally set off into the white wilderness beyond their door.
Neil stood in the doorway watching them disappear into the landscape, then stepped outside himself into the crisp air.
Behind him, the two grandfathers had settled into comfortable conversation at the stone table, while the women busied themselves with the familiar rhythm of household tasks and caring for their recovering patient.
A sharp wind immediately brushed against Neil's face, carrying the familiar bite of snow and winter cold. The entire land stretched out before him blanketed in pristine white, as it always was during this harsh season.
Taking a steadying breath, Neil's thoughts circled back to a plan that had been forming in his mind for some time—ever since he had first encountered the frustrating shortage of building stone during the underground hall's construction.
The solution had seemed clear—he needed to build a cobblestone generator somewhere underground, with a dedicated room designed specifically for that purpose.
Filled with new determination, he pulled a sturdy shovel from his inventory and began the ambitious work he had envisioned. This wasn't merely a simple trench or small excavation—
Neil systematically dug two full blocks down and carefully removed the entire top layer of earth within the village boundary, working methodically around the house and all the open spaces surrounding it. The massive pit he gradually carved out was truly vast, stretching across the whole inhabited area like a great wound in the earth.
Then, working with the same methodical precision, he used all the collected dirt to refill the enormous excavation block by block, completely restoring the surface until it appeared as if nothing had ever been disturbed or touched.
By the time he carefully placed the final block back into position, he stood tall and steady, his breathing calm and regular. Remarkably, his arms felt no ache or soreness whatsoever—because under the Artifact's strange and wonderful rules, each block he dug simply dissolved into energy and entered his inventory with every swing of his tool.
But when he opened his personal interface, checking his status as he had learned to do, his hunger bar flickered ominously before his eyes: the familiar row of drumstick icons that normally glowed brightly was almost completely empty, with only one and a half glowing faintly in the display.
His stomach growled loudly in immediate response, making it painfully clear where the real cost of all that extensive digging had gone.
Still, despite his hunger, satisfaction filled his chest like warm sunlight.
Now, even if he chose to tunnel and excavate beneath the surface, the ground above would remain perfectly solid and stable, held in place by the Artifact's mysterious rules and logic.
His careful groundwork was finally complete, and he could safely begin any underground construction projects whenever he wished, without fear of collapse or instability.
But before he could continue with his ambitious plans, his stomach growled again, even more insistently than before. Glancing up at the sun, now positioned high overhead in the pale winter sky, he realized with surprise that it was already well past lunchtime.
He approached the heavy door and knocked firmly, since it could only be opened from the inside for security. A moment later, Aunt Seraphina swung it open; her eyes immediately softened with maternal worry as she took in his pale, exhausted face.
"Neil, didn't I specifically tell you not to overwork yourself like this? You should've come inside the very moment you started feeling hungry." Without waiting for any protest or explanation, she grabbed him firmly by the ear and marched him toward the kitchen like a guilty child who had forgotten his chores.
The other women looked up with various expressions of amusement as Seraphina delivered her wayward nephew to the warm kitchen. Astrid immediately burst into delighted laughter, teasing him mercilessly about being dragged around by his ear, while the other women quickly joined in with their own gentle mockery. Even Olivia, still resting quietly nearby but clearly feeling much better, giggled softly at the entertaining sight.
They all gathered around the table for a late lunch together, while the hunting and foraging groups had wisely taken packed meals with them so they wouldn't need to waste precious daylight hours returning home to eat.
After Neil had eaten his fill of warm bread and hearty stew, he leaned back in his chair and discreetly opened his personal interface once more—the hunger bar that had been frighteningly empty now displayed a completely full row of glowing drumsticks, every single slot bright and steady once again.
He smiled faintly to himself. At least that particular aspect of his condition was back to normal and functioning properly.
Afterward, Maya turned to her son with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Neil, what on earth were you doing out there that left you so completely famished?"
Neil patiently explained his morning's ambitious work, describing how he had systematically replaced all the surface ground within their village boundary, creating a stable foundation for future underground construction.
Maya sighed deeply. "Keep these with you at all times," she said, handing him a small, carefully wrapped bundle of fresh bread from the morning's baking. "If you ever start feeling hungry again, just eat immediately. You have your own magical place to store items, don't you? Use it properly, the same way we keep food preserved in a barrel."
The other women nodded in firm agreement, their faces showing the same protective concern. Accepting their worry as the caring gesture it was meant to be, Neil carefully tucked the bread bundle into his inventory for safekeeping.
"I'll be working underground for quite a while," he said. "If anyone needs me for anything important, that's where I'll be."
Though they all secretly longed for him to spend his days in carefree play and adventure like his cousins, exploring and enjoying his childhood, they had learned through experience that it was completely futile to argue with him once he had set his mind on a project.All they could realistically do was support him however they could and make sure he took proper care of himself.
Neil descended the familiar stone stairs to the underground hall, his mind absolutely brimming with exciting ideas and possibilities.
Where exactly should he place the entrance to this new construction room? What sort of space would work best for the cobblestone generator he envisioned? And beyond even that immediate project—what kinds of automatic farms, ingenious machines, or other marvels might he one day build in the expanded underground complex?
Each new thought sent a genuine spark of excitement coursing through him, filling him with anticipation for the work ahead. He placed his hand against the cold stone wall, already envisioning the first decisive strike of his pickaxe and the beginning of his next great undertaking.
Completely unaware of the profound changes his next steps would bring to their lives, Neil took that crucial first step into his newest and most ambitious venture yet.