Securing the River Pipeline (2)
Preparations to draw water from the river were all complete, but problems remained. The biggest one was figuring out how to dodge those golden frogs. They leaped out the instant anything touched the water, making it a real headache. The second issue was the river's depth—deep enough to swallow more than half my arm. That made anchoring anything with rocks tricky.
I checked the items from the PassingDwarf. "If I just cover this with the net and hook it to the hose..." I alternated glances between the shiny funnel and the mesh net that went over it. Connecting the funnel to the hose was easy enough, but securing it was the hard part.
"Guess I'll have to dig a bit with the shovel?" That seemed like the way to go. I hauled the gear to the river and grabbed the shovel. Luckily, no dangerous beasts crossed my path on the way. The mad dog pack was long dead, and the owl bear had gone to the auction house recently. No top predators around for a while. Ticks and bugs scared me more than predators anyway.
Shoooaaaa—
With the shovel in hand, everything was ready. I eyed the rushing river, then got moving. First, I carefully dug into the edge with the shovel.
Thwack! Scrape!
Thankfully, no frogs jumped out. Still, I kept vigilant, scanning the surroundings between digs just in case.
Gurgle gurgle—
Finally, I had a spot big enough for the funnel. To boost the water flow, I piled rocks around the dug-out area. The current was decently strong, so all that was left was connecting the hose. I fitted the net over the funnel, attached the hose, and secured the joint not with cable ties but with sturdy metal bands. In a world without plastic, these were the substitute.
"But aren't these a pain to make too?" The hose was natural rubber, so of course it was pricey. But these metal bands looked even more expensive to me.
"Dwarves gonna dwarf, I guess. Whatever." I double-checked the fix, then moved on. One hose wasn't enough—the distance required linking several. "Suuuuck!" Following the PassingDwarf's instructions, I sucked hard on the hose end. When I carefully set it down, water gushed out way stronger than before. I connected it to the next hose and clamped it tight with a metal band. Repeating the process, I eventually reached the shelter. Finally, I hooked the last end to the valve, and it was done.
Gurgle gurgle—
"Perfect. Awesome." The water flowed beautifully. Just looking at it made me grin. But it wasn't fully complete yet. This was the wilds—I had to bury the hose to keep beasts from chewing through it. That took about two hours total. No more water worries. Felt damn good.
"Kyuu?"
"Oh, you're up?"
Right on cue, Wonmo stirred from her nap. She fixed her bright, sparkling eyes on me. I wanted to scoop her up, but she was crawling with ticks.
"Bath time first." Might as well clean myself up too. I'd bought an iron tub from the auction house and filled it with water. Rinsed it a few times to check for debris, then filled it full. I lit a fire underneath to warm it.
"Gotta give her dewormer too?" Laundry, busy day. Now that water was on tap, a drying rack made sense too. Endless supply opened up possibilities. While the water heated, I posted to the Gallery.
I'm rich now
YasaengGrill
(video of water gushing from hose)
I'm a water baron now lol
└Whoa, it worked?
└Congrats lol
└Now you can bathe
└YasaengGrill Gotta wash Wonmo first. Ticks everywhere;;
└PassingDwarf Faster than expected? Any issues?
└YasaengGrill Nah. Want a mandrake later?
└PassingDwarf Sweet, thanks. Straight to soak lol
└YasaengGrill Hell no.
└lolololol
└lolololol
└Dude using pricey mandrakes for booze;;
└What kinda dwarf even is he? lol
└Cheonma Got water too? What's next?
└YasaengGrill Dunno. If PassingDwarf sends barriers, not much left. Maybe uproot trees or scout around?
└Cheonma Then learn the Internal Power Method from this lady.
└YasaengGrill Sounds good. Washing Wonmo first, then ping you.
└Cheonma I'll wait. This lady's excited.
└SwordTasteStar Internal Power Method is cool, but you practicing swordsmanship?
└YasaengGrill Watching steadily. Basics only so far.
└SwordTasteStar Excellent. Get strong quick and marry me.
└YasaengGrill Teacher?
└SwordTasteStar Kidding
└Doesn't sound like kidding?
└She slips her true feelings out sometimes
└Obsessed with marriage lol
......Weirdos everywhere as usual. But thanks to SwordTasteStar, I'm getting stronger daily. Recalling her posts saved me against the owl bear—otherwise, dead. "Mm, this should do. Wonmo?"
"Kyuu?"
The water had warmed nicely by now. No steam, but fine for forest temps. I dragged the tub over to Wonmo. Wide sides instead of deep fit her size perfectly.
"In you go. Bath time."
"Kyuuu."
Does she really understand? Wonmo eyed the tub with her big shiny eyes, then gingerly stepped in. She flinched at first—warm water was new—but sensing no harm, she eased her fluffy bulk in.
"Ukyuuu...."
"Feels good, huh?" Now eyes closed, fully relaxed. I chuckled and started scrubbing every inch. Smeared dewormer thoroughly to kill the ticks.
"If she goes out again, it's pointless?" Guess I gotta supervise. Used soap and scrubbed hard. She accepted it, eyes shut. But the grime... massive. Wilds gonna wild. My burden.
"But pics I can't resist." Snapped Wonmo's bath pics for the Gallery. Face poking out—adorable.
Washing Wonmo
YasaengGrill
(Wonmo bath video)
Cute right? Upvote if cute
└Face is straight-up fraud;;
└This turns tyrant later?
└Healing my soul
└Eww gross
└Your face grosser
└Talking water? Your face gross?
└No idea how twisted folks pop up even on cute posts.
Self-boast post, so whatever. Mid-scrub—
"Kyuuu!"
Shiver shiver—
Wonmo, mid-bliss, started trembling. Sudden, panicked me.
"Wonmo? You okay?"
"Kyuuu."
"Not? Then..." What? Then—
Bloop—
Something rose in the filthy water. Dark brown, round...
"...Wonmo. Did you poop?"
"Kyu!"
"Gyaah! Out! Now!"
Potty training first, looks like.
*****
Post-Wonmo bath realization: Washing anything—person or beast—is exhausting. Grime city; changed water multiple times. By my turn, sun was setting.
"Nom nom chomp."
"Tasty?"
"Chomp chomp."
Toweled her dry max. No blow dryer, so bonfire it was. Gave dewormer too. Owl bear ate it like candy.
"Some eat meat, some Wall Valley Pills only. Sigh." Wonmo's meal: auction monster meat. Cheapest at under 10 gold—barely useful.
I grimaced at the bitter Wall Valley Pill. Always nasty.
"Always tummy ache after." Potty rules simple: No pooping in cave. Signal me first, I'll watch. She got it—smart kid or owl bear trait? Feed well, loyalty skyrockets. No joke.
"Meal done, now Internal Power Method." Lotus pose painless now. Flexibility boomed in a week. Possible? Good's good. No deep think yields answers.
Cheonma-nim. You there?
YasaengGrill
Ready for Internal Power Method lessons?
└Cheonma Been waiting.
└YasaengGrill ???
└Whoa, post 10s ago, comment 2s;;
└Stalker level?
└Fr scary;;
Me too stunned. How comment that fast? Cheonma often first, but this? Instant.
"...Bored much?" Nah, repaying debt. Feels like vet player spotting noob. Eased my mind.
└YasaengGrill Here ya go. Secret comments as discussed.
└Cheonma Got it. Lotus pose first.
I sat lotus-style. Slight ache, but bearable. Three days ago, girly scream—now progress.
"Mana or internal power soon?" Excited. Fantasy/wuxia energy real. Palm wind later? Range control GOAT.
└YasaengGrill Can training let me palm wind?
└Cheonma Why ask?
└YasaengGrill Range control?
└Cheonma Don't. Fools only.
└YasaengGrill Yes'm...
└Sulky lol
└Palm wind dream tho...
└Dreamers die truckload.
└How hold back palm wind!
└Palm wind not product idiot
└Cheonma shoot palm wind?
└Cheonma Obviously. Not mere wind—typhoon from hand.
└lolllllll pure flex
└Just say mage lol
Keyboard war irrelevant—ignore. Cheonma's lesson priority. She knew, posted secret.
└Cheonma Lotus done? Dantian breathing next.
└YasaengGrill What's dantian breathing?
└Cheonma Right, forgot lotus newbie. Slow explain.
Cheonma-teacher explained dantian breathing kindly. Lower belly = dantian; tense on breaths. "Scream/power from dantian" vibe. Easy concept. Middle/upper dantian heart/brain, but skip for now.
"Focus lower belly, not whole." Eyes closed, followed.
"Suuuu... whooo..."
Repeat, felt it in lower belly. Tingly, then full. Normal? Then—
Shaaaa!
"Wh-what?" Energy burst everywhere. Bowl overflow. Barely breathed—panic.
"Wh-what do?" Up to heart/brain, whole body. Danger. Instinct screamed. Noob lost. Luck: one loop, calmed.
"Huff... huff..." Eyes snapped open. Chills. What? Panting, questioned. Sweaty, nose wet—hand to it.
"...Blood?" Black dead blood. Normal? Frantic Gallery.
└YasaengGrill Cheonma-nim! Nosebleed following you.
└Cheonma What?!
Shock clear. Public post next.
└Cheonma Aside blood, issues? Dizzy? Queasy?
└YasaengGrill No. Just nosebleed, stopped quick.
Cheonma overreact? Others explained.
└SwordTasteStar Qi deviation early signs?
└Yeah. Close call.
└Dantian breathing causes deviation?
└SwordTasteStar Rare cases. During breath, mana from mana hole spread body-wide?
└YasaengGrill Spot on. How know?
└SwordTasteStar Me too. Mana hole overloaded, breaths flood insane mana.
└YasaengGrill No mana buildup tho?
└SwordTasteStar Recent elixir-ish? Like...
Wall Valley Pill only from Cheonma.
└Cheonma How many Wall Valley Pills daily?
└YasaengGrill 3 per meal just in case...
└Cheonma Hold on. Asking aide.
└Dick explode now?
└Boom boom! lolll
└YasaengGrill Crazy bastards;;
└Why so many? One per meal plenty.
└YasaengGrill Nutrition worry...
└Lol elixir tier? How deficient lol
└Didn't trust Cheonma?
└YasaengGrill Trusted but idk elixir level. Just super supplement?
└Actual retard lol
└Thickhead lol
└StarlightPrincess My mandrake was elixir too. Compare?
└YasaengGrill Only Wall Valley Pills here. Wild burns cals hard.
└StarlightPrincess Makes sense.
└PassingDwarf I'm idiot, bow three times.
└YasaengGrill What you?
└PassingDwarf Huh?
└YasaengGrill Acrostic go. Cue rhyme.
└lololololol
└lololololol
└lololololol
Thought lotsa nutrition elixir meant. Nope. Hollow. At least caught pre-boom.
└Cheonma Aide says overkill bad.
└YasaengGrill ...
└lollll
└Facts hurt.
└Cheonma's real talk?
Tears. No boom cuz ordinary. 10+ daily? Boom body. Better energy gathering than dantian breath. But how? Dantian basic, this next—but I suck basics. Pondering—
└SwordTasteStar My breathing method? Similar case.
└Cheonma This lady teaching set. Step aside.
└SwordTasteStar Mine suits better. I was like that.
└Cheonma Yours Mana Circulation Method?
└SwordTasteStar Yes. Problem?
└Cheonma West mana shallow vs Internal Power Method.
└YasaengGrill Hey?
└SwordTasteStar Better than zero start?
└Cheonma Dig well deep.
└SwordTasteStar Die thirsty digging.
└Cheonma Patience bitter, fruit sweet.
└YasaengGrill Hey? Guys? Hear me?