Making sure to be absolutely silent, and not tripping any of the transparent lines, I roam the tunnels using one of the backend ways to the surface.

All the while, I’m throwing my scan around with a pulse, just to be sure I haven’t been detected by the two women.

Nothing. Great.

I’ll figure that side out as things go along. For now, I should look at this aboveground farm.

With that thought complete, I travel through seemingly endless tunnels all to get to another entrance to the surface. It is not until I throw another pulse that I realize I fell back into a bad habit, using the pulse to gather information. Not only that, it made me go into tunnel vision. I can’t let myself fall into bad habits when I get flustered.

This time, I intuit the safest way to get to the farm. Which leads me in a slightly direction I was originally going.

I emerge from the underground relatively quickly. What meets me is a bright day, the However, all I see is that the spiders are clearing the area of rubble and buildings.

It seems that they haven’t been able to create a farm for this area, yet. I guess I’ll just find the seeds and heal them, so that can be taken care of.

Finding them goes surprisingly easily and I’m on my way within ten minutes or so, after healing them in a batch. I notice that it is mainly food seeds, with some alchemy ingredient seeds spread out within them.

With that taken care of, I head out. Not that I didn’t want to stay. I tried to find things to do, but the spiders were doing a much better job than I ever could.

Wow. They really have this planned out.

Sigh… of course things go quickly and easily, when I don’t want to deal with things.

At this time, I notice something in the distance.

The hint of a large spider back.

Easily climbing my way up one of the nearby buildings, I try to see what’s going on.

What I see is that there are 12 giant spiders, at least the size of Gong, laying down webs along alleyways. The strange part about it is that they are only laying down the web for a small portion of the alleyways.

In fact, it really reminds me of… a checkpoint!

As I view it, I can begin to see the resemblance. Most of the alleyways are being blocked by thick patches of webs. Considering the concept, this is likely the fences. If those are the fences, the open alleyways must be the actual checkpoint areas.

The concept is really clear, now that I know what to look for. However…

Doesn’t this look really intimidating?! I’m not sure this will be welcoming for demi-humans, to come join.

Though… that may be part of the point. Anyone that takes shelter here shouldn’t be coming frivolously. Without a doubt, it will be safer here, but it will also require some real oversight. At least for the start, we shouldn’t be looking for large amounts of demi humans to come through.

This is likely her starting to formally establish the borders of her ‘claim’.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

I think I may have seen something minimally similar from the other gangs. I vaguely remember seeing barriers to major areas, matching the colors of the gangs.

Man… my eyesight has gotten way better. I can see so far out now. My healing ability must have healed my eyes, since I had to have eye surgery back on earth to see better.

Blinking and focusing my eyes, I look far into the distance to see who’s watching this development.

Already, I can see some demi-humans standing on buildings farther out, looking towards the commotion. My intuition also sees some yellow sashes and some potential blue bands cautiously observing the development.

Looking around, I still can’t see Gong anywhere, which may be due to the fact that she’s trying to stay under the radar.

As my eyes drift along the landscape, I can see a much less prominent sight. Smaller spiders are actually rebuilding some areas. It’s honestly strange to see the spiders working together to create homes… using their web as some kind of adhesive.

The buildings are still a distance away from the main entrance to the caverns, but relatively close to one of the checkpoints. I also notice, that it is close to one well we were speaking about.

This may be where she is planning to have people live. I hope all of this will work out.

I continue looking around, but I can’t seem to find something else to distr- that I can help with.

Sigh. I should probably head back.

Using a high-powered intuition, I jump into one of the tunnel entrances, all while making sure I’m not being followed.

Alright, I should… go to bed. Yeah. Bed. I’ll work out all these issues tomorrow morning.

Definitely.

With those thoughts in mind, I head back into my room and nod off to sleep.

Or at least my best attempt.

My eyes open to the light of the room for what feels like the 15th time. No dreams. Just… awake. It was a rough night.

I’ve just noticed this… but it is quite difficult to sleep with these lights here. Also, when’s the last time I ate?

Wait.

When IS the last time I ate? Or drank water?

It had to have been when I was with that guardian lion.

Man, this healing constitution is seriously insane. This can’t be good for my health, though. Starting now, I’ll make it a priority.

Not only that, but I forgot to turn on my awareness for the night.

My mind briefly drifts over to a number of things I could be doing. In the end, I start my workout and just try to sweat away my problems. It takes a little longer than I expected.

I’m pretty sweaty now. So, I should probably wash up.

I take the time to go through a full wash down at the baths area.

As I come out, of the bath refreshed and with my clothes washed, I use a nearby heat vent and web towels to wipe down. There are a few others, which I wrap around the wet clothes to wring the water into.

After a little, I’m all done!

Seeing a ladle, I take a drink of the nearby river, after checking to see if it is drinkable.

…Okay. I’m just wasting time at this point.

I need to seriously think about how to talk to Lin and Ai. I need to go find them and see what they are up to.

An intuitive pulse shows that they are in the main hall with Gong. I get the sense they are working intently on the aboveground changes.

I shouldn’t bother them at this time. Eventually, Ai will try to talk to me. I’m sure of it. I can talk about this then.

I can feel myself relax a little, as my mind drifts more comfortably back to them.

Man… they are just pushing through. Fighting to get a better life. Honestly, they are stronger than I think I could ever be. If I went through half the stuff, they went through… I-I don’t know what I would do.

A pit fills my stomach as I imagine myself in similar circumstances.

When… whatever they decide to say happens, I’ll meet it as respectfully as I can.

Out of curiosity, I ask how to help a friend with trauma with the scan.

‘It depends,’ huh?

I guess I’m on my own in regards to the human heart. Or at least these hearts.

I mull over these for the next few minutes, but then I remind myself of something else.

I never got a chance to thank that Old Man, who helped me when I first got here. My guess is that he’s a cultivator and is likely not there anymore… but I should at least make the attempt to find him again.

Not only that… but I want to make sure that scum’s body is truly gone. No ‘coming back with a vengeance’ shenanigans here.

I know what I’ll do for today, I’ll head over to the shack and that marketplace.

With that in mind, I begin the trek upstairs towards Gong, Ai, and Lin.