The idea of using the downslope to move the heavy logs had come to him suddenly that morning.
Well, it wasn't exactly *his* idea. It came from a video he had once scrolled past.
In the video, a vlogger and his family went up a mountain to cut bamboo. They thought they'd have to haul it all down by hand. Instead, an experienced elder bundled the bamboo together and sent it sliding all the way down the mountain, using the natural contours of the slope and a man-made groove. The whole process took almost no effort at all.
That gave him the idea to use the difference in elevation to let the logs roll down the hill on their own, saving him a ton of energy.
All he had to do was wait for a log to hit a tree and stop, then give it a few kicks to redirect it and get it rolling again.
After a few quick sips of water, Lin Chen didn't even bother to rest. He immediately began the next phase of his fence upgrade.
Following the curve of the fence, he marked out a larger semicircle on the outside, about a meter wide. He left a half-meter gap between the new trench and the fence itself to prevent the soil around the posts from collapsing.
The trench didn't need to be too deep—about knee-high was sufficient.
Even this simple task took him three full days to complete.
He piled all the excavated dirt on the inside. This not only reinforced the fence but would also prevent any struggling animals from climbing the wrong way.
"This is Lin, and this is day twelve of my survival journey in the Alaskan wilderness."
"It's nearly the end of October now, and I can feel the temperature dropping faster and faster."
"Before, my breath would only turn to mist after dark, but now it's happening around dusk. I think it's time to start getting ready for winter."
The closer it got to winter, the more active the animals would become. They had to store enough food before the cold truly set in.
After planting the last sharpened stick at the bottom of the trench, Lin Chen dusted off his hands. He stood looking down at the "moat" and sturdy "city wall" he had built himself, and an irrepressible feeling of 'I'm finally safe' washed over him.
But even so, no notification about a happiness increase popped up.
He glanced at his somewhat crude campsite and sighed. 'This massive project is far from over.'
For easy access, he had left a small opening on either side of the rock wall, which could be blocked off when not in use.
The meter-wide trench didn't need a bridge; he could easily jump across it.
The main purpose of this "moat" was to deter wild animals, not to inflict any real harm.
Just as he finished getting dressed and was about to head out, a bright light flashed across the horizon.
A few seconds later, a deafening roar of thunder rolled in.
RUMBLE!!
'Is it going to rain?'
Lin Chen snapped his head up, only to find that the once-clear sky was now covered in dark, oppressive storm clouds.
His expression darkened. He immediately scrapped his plans for the day, turning and rushing into the forest to gather dry, fallen branches.
There was no telling how long this storm would last. He had to prepare for the long haul and make sure he could stay warm.
As for food, he still had a good amount of the fish he'd been smoking every few days, plus about three pounds of sunchokes. It was enough to last him for a while.
While gathering firewood, he also cut a large bundle of grass and brought it back, piling it in his 'courtyard' along with the excess dirt from digging the trench.
Just as he finished, scattered raindrops began to fall.
Lin Chen quickly ran into his shelter, changed into his raincoat, and watched the pile of soft soil in the courtyard slowly darken as the rain soaked it.
RUMBLE—
Another crack of thunder echoed through the sky.
Powerful gusts of wind swept through the forest. Patches of low-lying spruce trees bent in the same direction with a great SWOOSH.
The rain intensified, quickly turning from a light sprinkle into a torrential downpour.
"That should be about right,"
Lin Chen muttered to the camera, then lifted the door flap, and stepped out into the rain with his Engineer Shovel in hand.
Drenched by the heavy rain, the pile of dirt had visibly compacted, and its color had grown much deeper.
He plunged the Engineer Shovel precisely into the center of the mound, digging out a crater like a small volcano. Then he grabbed a handful of grass, tossed it in, and began mixing it with the rainwater and mud.
After seven or eight minutes of thorough mixing, the grass and mud had completely combined, forming a thick, lighter-colored slurry.
To improve the slurry's cohesiveness, Lin Chen added another handful of grass and continued to mix.
After repeating this process several times, the mud mixture was finally thick enough to hold its shape instead of just sliding apart.
He didn't care about the filth, scooping up the mixture with his bare hands and packing it between the wooden posts of his shelter. He occasionally inserted small branches or stones to act as support.
Thanks to the cover from the waterproof tarp, he didn't have to worry about rain seeping into the walls from above for the time being.
Once both the front and back walls were thoroughly plastered, Lin Chen stood in the rain to wash his hands, his gaze falling on the downward-sloping waterproof tarp.
'With this much rain, maybe I can collect some of it?'
After a moment's thought, he gave up the idea of moving the waterproof tarp.
If he moved it, the freshly applied mud would be instantly washed away, the food inside would get damp, and it might even affect his sleeping area. It just wasn't worth the risk.
'If I can't use the tarp... the parachute?!'
He ran back into the shelter and pulled out the parachute he'd been using as a groundsheet under his sleeping bag. He tied it between the fence and the shelter's posts with steel fishing line, spreading it out flat.
The downpour hammered relentlessly onto the parachute. A small puddle soon formed in the center, growing at an astonishing rate.
Half an hour later, a large pool of water had clearly collected in the parachute's center, causing it to sag significantly under the weight.
"When I secured the four corners of the parachute, I deliberately left some slack. This allows it to sag naturally as it collects water, forming a reservoir. For the next few days after the rain stops, I won't have to make trips back and forth to the river for water."
Since he hadn't collected any water today, Lin Chen used his pan to scoop out enough water to fill his stockpot. He brought it inside to boil, taking the opportunity to dry his damp clothes and warm up to avoid catching a cold.
Waves of heat from the fire radiated through the shelter. With the gaps now sealed against drafts, the interior quickly grew warm.
Lin Chen sat on a log, tearing off bites of smoked salmon. Every so often, he'd grab a small handful of colorful berries and pop them into his mouth. He listened quietly to the sound of the furious rain drumming against the parachute and tarp outside.
The whole world was being battered by the downpour, yet here he was, tucked away in a warm crevice in the rocks, enjoying a moment of peace. It was a wonderful feeling, the likes of which he had never experienced before.
[Successfully reinforced shelter in the North American wilderness. Avoided a torrential downpour and secured a large water source. Happiness +3]