NOVEL WEB Chapter 9: fibers
Another day had passed—and once again, Ed could be seen in the forest. But this time, he wasn't near the camp. Right after meeting Lucy, he had decided to focus on gathering sturdy fibers, which he needed for multiple purposes.
First, he planned to craft a durable backpack that would make collecting various resources much easier. Second, he needed fibers for weaving fishing nets. Expanding his diet was an important goal—living off just fruit or the occasional meat wasn't a smart choice. At first, he thought he would have to make do with whatever was available, but thanks to the unique traits of his "future" body, he was accomplishing tasks much faster than he had expected. Now, he even had time to think about preparing the land for a proper home. He already knew exactly where to build it and how.
"If everything goes according to plan, I should be able to build a house in a couple of weeks," Ed muttered, methodically extracting another fiber. In his mind, the blueprint for his future home was already complete.
At that moment, he felt it again—that eerie sensation of being watched. The feeling was familiar by now, and he already had an idea of who—or rather, what—was observing him. The spirits.
"And what am I supposed to do about them?" he murmured under his breath, scanning the dense forest around him. "Not exactly a pleasant feeling, being watched by something you can't even see..."
Still, he kept working until he had gathered enough fibers. Satisfied with his haul, he made his way back to camp. As he walked, his thoughts drifted back to the problem that had been nagging at him.
"Hmm... I know so much, yet I understand almost nothing. And all because of this body..." Ed frowned, closing his eyes for a moment. "Maybe I should talk to Yanika? She might know how to deal with spirits."
Lost in thought, he barely noticed when he reached the camp. There, he found the silver-haired Kartish girl peacefully sleeping in his tent. Seeing her, Ed decided to just ignore her. He didn't have the strength to drive her away—not that she was much of a problem anyway. Most of the time, she just slept, occasionally waking up to nibble on his stockpile of dried meat.
Forgetting about her, Ed tossed some firewood into the campfire and sat down, carefully stripping each branch of unnecessary debris. Once finished, he laid them out so the sunlight would dry them properly.
While waiting for the fibers to dry, he decided to cook something to eat. He pulled out a pot, filled it with water, and set it over the fire. Once the water boiled, he added some meat and a handful of wild vegetables.
"Hmm... Should I skip the seasoning and salt?" he mused, stirring the contents. "They're not exactly expensive, but they're far away, and I should save money until I figure out a way to earn some."
When the food was ready, he glanced toward the tent—and an idea struck him. Grabbing a bowl and a spoon, he scooped up a portion and walked over to Lucy. As he approached, she seemed to catch the scent even in her sleep, her lips parting slightly. Ed carefully brought the spoon to her mouth.
The moment the food touched her tongue, Lucy's eyes snapped open, and she immediately started spitting.
"Ugh! Disgusting!" she cried out, grimacing in disgust.
Ed simply noted her reaction in his mind. Well, no surprise there. The dish contained nothing but water, meat, and vegetables. Perhaps he really had been too stingy with the seasoning.
Annoyed, Lucy started smacking his back with her tiny fists, yelling:
"Stop using me as your food experiment!"
Her hits were so weak that Ed barely felt them. Still, deciding to calm her down, he pulled out a small pouch of dried meat and handed it to her. Lucy instantly stopped sulking, eagerly accepted the food, and, without another word, retreated back into the tent to enjoy it.
With that settled, Ed turned his attention to passing the time. He began chopping down trees near the camp. Hours later, the fibers had dried completely, and he got to work. He twisted them into thick, durable threads, ensuring they were as strong as possible. Items made from such fibers would last longer, making both his backpack and fishing nets more reliable.
Once he finished the preparations, he started weaving. By the time evening fell, the work was done. Exhausted but satisfied, Ed headed to his tent to rest—only to find Lucy still inside.
Without hesitation, he grabbed her by the shoulders and gently pushed her out.
"Hey!" she protested indignantly. But knowing full well that the tent belonged to Ed, she didn't argue. With a sigh, Lucy cast a spell, lifted herself into the air, and flew off toward the Academy dormitories.
And so, another day came to an end.
The next morning, Ed finally found it much easier to gather the materials he needed. With his new backpack, the task became significantly more efficient. Afterward, he made his way to the nearest river and set up several fishing nets in spots where he had previously noticed schools of fish.
"I wonder if this will be enough," he muttered, observing his handiwork. "I'll check tomorrow to see how much I catch—then I'll decide if I need to set more."
Satisfied with his work, he turned to head back to camp. However, after taking just a few steps, he heard a faint rustling from the bushes behind him.
Then, a moment later, a voice rang out:
"Found you!"
Ed instantly spun around, his body tensing.
Who was that?
For a split second, his heart stopped before his mind kicked into high gear, analyzing the situation.
From the author: I wonder... Can any of you guess who it is?