Legendary Shelter Survival Guide

Now that everyone had a certain goal other than completing phase two's objectives. Their minds had become clearer and after having such a blood bath, they needed a break from the skill uses and the killing.

One by one, Sarah skinned the Coyates and the hide was stored inside the shelter as they didn't have a way of processing it for now.

Processing a hide through primitive tools was something nobody had a need of. Even John who was a good camper and did it for many years didn't know a single way of processing the hides.

After the hides were stored for later, Sarah with Ella's help made all the intestines and unwanted material inside the Coyates drain inside a hole they dig like before.

After doing this with every Coyate, they covered it with a layer of soil making the whole stench go away with time.

They found two mana stones till now and the search was still going on.

Small but steak-sized chunks were cut from the meat and kept on a cloth that they had set aside for cleaning purposes, it was the button shirt Lucas was wearing when he came here.

When these basic functions were taken care of, the work of John, his sons, and Lucas started.

John told his group of four to cut off all the unevenness of the meat cuts and take off all the fat if there was any left.

There were 20 edible and good pieces in front of them with even surfaces and only red meat showed.

Now that the first batch was done, John ordered the three to make a firepit right at the camp. The three did as they were told and after taking out all the burned wood from the camp, they started digging a hole quickly.

When they were doing that, John had already started collecting some firewood which was dry and crumbled leaves until he was done with that too.

He brought various small but thick branches to the firepit and after measuring the diameter of the circular pit, he started bringing the branches of similar sizes.

His part of the work was done and he waited till they made a pit until John told them to stop.

He threw all the dry leaves and twigs inside the pit until it was filled to the quarter. He told Sarah to throw a single small fireball inside and after two fingertip-sized fireballs, the dry twigs and leaves started burning and giving off smoke.

"Won't this attract others to the shelter, Uncle John?" Lucas asked, perplexed by all the process they had done so far.

"Good Question, dear boy. I was thinking of how to proceed and I have found it. Bring some of that plant fiber rope, we can make more for the shelter's upgrade later."

Lucas just nodded not minding the decision, they were already pretty close to the level up, and making the plant fiber rope was very easy for him, even finding the raw material was an easy task.

While the smoke was increasing with every minute, John and the trio started making a makeshift lid for the pit. John did all the measuring and like always, Lucas looked at it with concentration.

After ten minutes, they had made a lid with the help of long leaves, branches, and plant fiber, there was space inside the lid as it was a square with 15 centimeters of breadth.

John placed those branches that he had collected first on the pit's entrance with some space left between for the smoke to pass through easily.

"Now comes the final process..." John said with a huge breath, he placed ten pieces of the Coyate's meat on the branches and covered it with the lid.

The smoke that was first coming out of the entrance even when there were pieces of meat and branches at its entrance had started closing off as if it was getting stopped by the makeshift lid.

"We did it everyone, cheers for us!" John exclaimed with an ear-to-ear grin which made everyone move their hands up in happiness.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Now we just have to observe the smoke by opening the lid every few minutes and if it is lesser than before, then we will put more wood and dried leaves in the pit." John let the whole process sit in everyone's mind and thought of the instruction he had to give ahead.

"We will keep flipping the meat every ten minutes and after 20 minutes, I will test if it is cooked or not. But for now, you three help Sarah and Ella in skinning and I will check whether the cooking is going fine or not."

As John focused on monitoring the smoking process, Lucas, Sean, and Barney joined Sarah and Ella to help with the skinning of the remaining Coyates.

At first, they had to just observe but Lucas started skinning after only a few seconds of looking.

They worked efficiently, using sharp stones to carefully remove the hides from the carcasses. The skins were then stored inside the shelter, awaiting further processing in the future.

Lucas was doing well, it was not his first time observing Sarah and Ella to skin, and now, even he knew how to do it.

Meanwhile, John approached the smoking pit to assess the progress after five whole minutes. He cautiously lifted the makeshift lid, allowing smoke to escape.

Satisfied with the amount of smoke, he gently flipped the meat pieces using a stick, ensuring they cooked evenly.

"I can already smell the smokiness from them," John remarked, his mouth watering at the thought of the succulent smoked meat. "Keep up the great work, everyone!"

Lucas, Sean, and Barney continued assisting Sarah and Ella, taking turns to skin the Coyates due to a lack of equipment and maintaining a steady pace.

As they worked, they engaged in conversation, sharing stories and enjoying each other's company. Lucas was the only one that spoke vaguely about his past and no one pestered him to speak if he was not comfortable aside from Sean who was smacked by his mother on his head for being too nosy.

After some time, John rechecked the smoking pit. The smoke was still coming out steadily, indicating that the fire was burning well. He decided to add a few more dry branches and leaves to ensure a constant supply of smoke throughout the smoking process after carefully lifting some of the branches on which the meat was kept.

Lucas skinned two Coyates in that span of time, faster than the brothers who were also doing it for the first time like him.

Lucas did his part and after taking out two mana stones from the Coyates he skinned and storing them inside the shelter.

His part of the skinning task was done according to Ella so he joined John by the pit, eager to observe the progress. They took turns peeking under the lid to observe the smoke levels, making sure it remained consistent.

John instructed, "Remember, the key is to maintain a good amount of smoke without smothering the fire. We want the smoke to penetrate the meat and infuse it with flavor while allowing the heat to cook it thoroughly."

As the group patiently waited, they noticed the tantalizing scent of the smoking meat growing stronger. It spread through the air, teasing their senses and building their anticipation.

After about twenty minutes, John decided it was time to test the doneness of the smoked meat. He carefully removed one piece from the pit using a stick, examining its color and texture. It looked perfectly cooked and tender.

The only other option to check was to poke it with a clean stick, liquid started poring out when it was squeezed with the stick.

"It's ready!" John exclaimed with delight. "Our first batch of smoked meat is a success!"

The group cheered, their excitement and satisfaction on the top of the roof. They had accomplished their goal and created a valuable product that could be used to pay back Lucas's mother and father who gave them that big corpse that was still lying there unfinished.

John instructed everyone to carefully remove the remaining meat from the smoking pit, placing it on a cloth for further cooling and storage. They made sure to keep track of the order in which the meat was placed on the branches, ensuring equal cooking times for each piece.

As they admired the beautifully smoked meat, John reflected on their progress. "We've come a long way, and I couldn't be prouder of all of you. This smoked meat will not only sustain us but also provide us with a valuable trade opportunity with many. We've taken a significant step towards our survival and prosperity."

With a sense of accomplishment, the group set to work, using the extra clothes they were wearing to store the smoked meat carefully.

They knew that this success was just the beginning and tomorrow... The shelter would upgrade!

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Thank you for reading the chapter!