"We were pretty lucky, but these things hold grudges. They're likely still thinking about us," Xu Yi said to Lu Ke, contemplating how to deal with the wolf pack.
We have to kill a few to scare them off.
Traps need to be set outside the fence.
Xu Yi had initially planned to do this later, but now it seemed the plan needed to be advanced.
"Well, what should we do then? Should we move somewhere else?" Lu Ke asked, clearly frightened.
"No need. We can set traps and kill them off, turning them into our provisions." Xu Yi rejected Lu Ke's suggestion to relocate. Faced with just a small challenge, if they chose to flee now, how would they face greater dangers in the future?
This was something Xu Yi absolutely could not accept.
"Are you sure it'll work?" Lu Ke was skeptical. After all, this was a pack of wolves, not just one or two.
"Of course it will. Trust me. If we can't overcome such minor hurdles, there's no way we can last 500 days. The wilderness is brutal, and we have to fight against nature to the end. Our ancestors in the Stone Age could defeat these animals, so what are we afraid of?" Xu Yi encouraged Lu Ke, even though he didn't expect her to help much. However, he couldn't let her pessimism become a burden.
"You're right. If they could do it, so can we. We have crossbows, and we have fire. You managed once; together, we can do it twice or thrice." Lu Ke, emboldened by Xu Yi's words, regained her confidence.
Back then, they relied on stones. Now we even have crossbows!
"There's no time to sleep now. I'll start digging pits to create a moat-like effect. Once they're dug, we'll fill them with spikes, deterring any animals." Xu Yi shared his plan, then picked up the Engineer Shovel.
Xu Yi chose to start digging about half a meter away from the fence, to avoid disturbing it.
The dug-up soil could be used in the yard to grow vegetables or staple crops.
"I'll help move the soil," Lu Ke said, rolling up her sleeves. She couldn't let Xu Yi do all the work.
She and Xu Yi were a team, and the work needed to be shared.
The two dug until sunrise, managing only to create a shallow trench.
Xu Yi was outlining the basic shape first, making it easier to adjust.
"I'll go get the snake meat to cook, and then I'll work on the fence while you start on the earthen kiln," Xu Yi planned to teach Lu Ke the method to create an earthen kiln to make Pottery.
With that, Xu Yi could also proceed faster with making the blade.
With blades, facing the wolves would seem more manageable.
Lu Ke nodded and returned to the yard to start preparing breakfast.
Xu Yi quickly fetched the snake meat and brought back water.
"There's still quite a bit of snake meat. We might have enough for dinner too," Xu Yi said, placing the pot over the earthen stove, then picking up the Engineer Shovel to continue sawing wood.
Time was critical, and Xu Yi had to make every second count.
Lu Ke also understood the gravity of the situation and said nothing more.
Half an hour later, Lu Ke called Xu Yi to eat.
After breakfast, Xu Yi explained the earthen kiln method to Lu Ke.
Lu Ke listened, nodded, and felt optimistic about its feasibility.
So, after resting for about ten minutes, they each got busy with their tasks.
Time ticked away, and Xu Yi seemed like a robot, constantly sawing wood and hauling it back to the yard, with breaks only for water.
Xu Yi planned to install the fence with Lu Ke after dinner, now focusing on preparing the materials for higher efficiency.
Having excess material wasn't a problem, but a shortage would be troublesome.
"Xu Yi, dinner's ready," Lu Ke called out, signaling the arrival of evening.
Xu Yi checked the time; it was only 5 p.m., with over two hours until dark.
Dinner seemed a bit early today!
It seemed Lu Ke was still worried about the wolf pack.
Having worked physically all day, Xu Yi was indeed hungry and thus returned for dinner.
"Xu Yi, do you think there's enough wood?" Lu Ke handed Xu Yi a pair of chopsticks and asked.
"It should be enough. Even if it's not, we can leave some gaps and not make it too dense, saving quite a bit of material," Xu Yi nodded, glancing at the stacked wood in the yard.
"And the kiln, is it done?" Xu Yi inquired, having not had the chance to monitor Lu Ke's progress.
"It's done, and I'm already firing it up. We should be able to fire the pottery blanks tomorrow." Lu Ke said happily. By tomorrow night, they'd have their bowls and even a basin for bathing.
Both Xu Yi and she hadn't bathed in three days, merely wiped themselves down.
With a basin, they could have a hot bath. Just thinking about it made her happy.
"That's great. I also need to get the machete ready soon. With it, we'll have more offensive power," Xu Yi grinned, feeling a bit more relaxed.
"That metal is heavy and hard. I wonder what its melting point is," Lu Ke pondered, having tested it earlier and noted its uniqueness.
"I have a hunch it will easily become a weapon," Xu Yi felt instinctively, as even the system seemed excited, with guidance toward melting and casting.
Lu Ke nodded, said nothing more, and quietly ate snake meat with Xu Yi.
After tonight's meal, they'd only have a rabbit left for tomorrow.
Of course, they could also head to the coast and gather some shellfish to eat.
However, going to the coast was riskier now, as the wolves might not only appear during the day.
After the meal, Xu Yi and Lu Ke resumed work, inserting wood into the trench one piece at a time.
By 8:12 p.m., the fence was almost complete; only the burial and compaction remained.
This task could be done slowly, without immediate urgency.
"I feel much safer now," Lu Ke remarked, looking at the over six-foot-tall fence with a sense of security.
"Yes, a lot safer. Now the wolf pack can't get through. If one manages to slip in, it becomes our prey," Xu Yi grinned and then sat, leaning against the wooden house's doorpost.
Initially intending to rest just a bit, Xu Yi unexpectedly fell asleep.
He was exhausted, having worked tirelessly all day.
"Xu Yi is so relentless, so driven, not relaxing for even a moment. It feels like he's lost several pounds in a day," someone mentioned.
"Indeed, working tirelessly with incredible stamina. If it were me, I wouldn't last half a day."
"And it's not just Xu Yi. Our Loli Ke also contributed significantly today, right?"
"To fend off the wolves, Xu Yi had to give it his all."
"Wolves? What wolves?" Some didn't know since the discovery was made after 4 a.m., and few were aware of it.
"Oh dear, they were surrounded by a wolf pack. How did they manage to hold them off?"
"I recorded it yesterday. I'll upload it to my platform soon; you can check it out," an audience member chimed in.