"What do you think you're doing?!"
When the Fox Mother saw this, she could not hold back her temper and shouted loudly.
With a guest present, she could only suppress her anger and glare at her husband with a dark face.
...
He really might have gone a bit too far.
Looking around at all the broken wood scattered on the floor, he gave an awkward smile.
But soon, his excitement once again filled his mind.
He still couldn't believe how amazing it was that his hands had turned into saws.
"What on earth is this...?"
He looked at his palms first, then at the empty drink bottle on the table, and finally turned his gaze toward Luke, who sat calmly nearby.
"How did you do it?!"
"It's nothing special..."
Meeting that curious, excited gaze, Luke smiled and said, "I'm just an ordinary inventor."
"And it's only natural for someone like me to have such inventions, right?"
An inventor...?
The Fox Father ponders that word around in his mind.
Having inventions like these... Is it really reasonable?!
He had heard the term invention before.
Human civilization has advanced through one invention after another, such as cars, telephones, airships, televisions, and so on.
But those were all within the bounds of understanding, explainable by science.
However, this so-called invention that Luke produced… It was the first time the Fox Father had ever seen something like it.
No matter how he looked at it, it felt more like something out of a fantasy, something born of imagination.
"It's probably related to Nen."
He thought to himself knowingly.
As a guide for the Hunter Association, he had escorted countless applicants to the official exam site over the years.
Among them were, of course, some who already possessed Nen abilities.
He knew of Nen's existence.
And based on his years of experience, it was clear to him that Luke's Carpenter Drink was a product of Nen!
In fact, with a bold guess, he could almost determine that Luke's Nen ability must be closely tied to his self-proclaimed identity.
Inventor and Inventions...
Countless thoughts flickered through the Fox Father's mind, but he didn't say them aloud.
After all, a Nen user's ability was their deepest secret, their trump card for survival.
And since Luke had openly displayed his ability before him, it would be rude to pry further.
Instead, the Fox Father felt a deep sense of goodwill.
For someone to show such trust, to demonstrate his ability so casually and even share the results of it, letting him experience it firsthand, that meant a lot.
"And not only that."
He thought, "He's even helping me rebuild my wooden house..."
The more he thought about it, the more he appreciated Luke's kindness.
As an intelligent magical beast, he could easily sense the difference between genuine goodwill and hidden malice.
Luke's behavior clearly showed he didn't treat him as an outsider and wasn't worried about revealing his secrets.
That openness only made the Fox Father feel closer to him.
"Luke treats me as a friend, I can't just take that lightly!"
"Besides, there are still two days left before the deadline to send the applicants to the official exam site."
"So let's get to work!"
The Fox Father's gaze grew firm.
"Hm...?"
Luke, who had been sipping tea, suddenly sensed the fiery fighting spirit blazing in the Fox Father.
He tilted his head in confusion, completely unsure where this high spirit came from.
"Could it be that male creatures all enjoy hobbies like carpentry and fishing, things ingrained in their genes?"
Luke couldn't figure it out.
But that didn't stop him from cheering the Fox Father on.
Over the next two days, he truly witnessed the action-oriented nature of the magical beast.
Whrrrrrr!!!
The Fox Father easily felled every stout tree in the forest.
And, using his palms as a saw, he trimmed each tree one by one.
As the saying goes, if you're not dead, keep working till you drop.
But the body still has a limit to its endurance.
Even cows and horses need to eat grass and rest when they're hungry.
However, clearly, the Fox Father was no ordinary beast; that logic didn't apply to him.
For days, he worked tirelessly without even closing his eyes, completely absorbed in the fervor of construction.
He even dragged his son and daughter into it, making the two little ones run around helping him from start to finish.
Watching the scene of everyone busily running around, Luke wondered if he should help out as well.
But he was immediately and firmly refused by the Fox Father.
And the reason he gave was perfectly justified: "You're a guest. Since you've come to our home as a guest, how could we possibly let a guest do the work?!"
Well, Luke could only stand aside and watch.
He helped the Fox Mother a little with preparing the meal.
Yes, the Fox family's food was always prepared by the Fox Mother.
Luke, on the other hand, used the Plant Re-modeler to provide some desserts and snacks, making the two little ones beam with joy.
The resentment they had for being made to work so hard disappeared entirely once the treats appeared.
"An invention that can make trees grow food..."
Even while working, the Fox Father didn't forget to keep an eye on Luke's actions.
Seeing yet another miraculous display, he couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"If there are so many wondrous inventions, then perhaps..."
Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.
"With Luke's abilities, maybe it's actually possible to..."
He remembered a legend, one passed down for generations from his ancestors.
"Let's talk about that after the house is rebuilt."
The Fox Father shook his head, temporarily pressing the thought down in his heart.
It had to be said, now that all the tools and skills were in place, the Fox Father worked like a force of nature.
With his fierce and efficient energy, it took less than two days for the new house to be fully completed.
"And with that, mission accomplished!"
In front of the Lone Pine Tree, the Fox Father clapped his hands, utterly satisfied with his masterpiece.
The new house that now stood under the pine tree was far superior to the old, crude wooden hut.
Every plank and beam fit together perfectly, and the saw cuts are aligned neatly and precisely.
When all those timbers came together so seamlessly, it looked almost like a product of human industrial craftsmanship.
Its appearance, cleanliness, and decoration were on a whole new level.
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