Isekai Nonbiri Nouka Chapter 3 - All-Purpose Farming Tool

The All-purpose Farming Tool possesses the ability to transform.

Moreover, I can summon it forth or dismiss it at will.

While in use, I find that my throat remains un-parched, my stomach stays full, and not even a hint of sleepiness overtakes me.

However, is there a limitation to its continuous application?

For instance, if I were to shape the All-purpose Farming Tool into a hoe and then strike the ground with it, what might occur if I failed to retract the tool?

In essence, this implies that I could engage in an unending series of hoe swings.

This principle seems to apply to most tools.

Yet, consider the scenario where I strike a post with a hammer.

While I am actively striking the post, it could be argued that I am utilizing the tool. However, if I then move on to a different post, the tool's direct application ceases.

When I employ the All-purpose Farming Tool in its knife form to craft small objects, its benefits are felt during the act of creation. But once I finish with one item and move to the next, its direct effect is no longer present.

Even if these moments of non-use are fleeting, they accumulate significantly over time.

Consequently, at this very moment, I am experiencing thirst, hunger, and drowsiness.

After basking in the morning sun, I proceeded to the diagonally dug well that I had completed the previous day. I retrieved the wooden cup I fashioned with the knife during my late-night watch.

Given that the well's depth was approximately 1 meter, I carefully drew water from the uppermost, clean stratum.

I can drink this.

I should be able to drink it.

I have no other recourse but to drink from here, as my thirst is overwhelming.

A person must face challenges with courage.

I angled the cup slightly and took a tentative sip.

To my surprise, the water's taste was not unpleasant.

I perceive it as ordinary water.

At least, that's what I wish to believe.

My thirst demands it.

With a deep breath, I drank,

It was refreshing.

Time will tell. If my stomach remains untroubled, then all is well.

My fate rests on the unfolding hours.

Next on the agenda is sustenance.

Before that, however, I must assess my surroundings.

I had established a sleeping area upon the sturdy branch of a sizable tree.

The earth around me had become loosened and pliable, a result of my earlier tilling with the hoe.

I had also excavated a diagonal well at a moderate distance from my makeshift resting place.

And then there's the five-meter wide pathway I carved out from the very spot where I first materialized.

Though not entirely by design, this clear path now stretches out before me.

It extends for a distance of perhaps one hundred meters.

Clutched in my hand is the All-purpose Farming Tool, alongside the small wooden implements I crafted during the night when sleep eluded me.

These rudimentary items, the cups and plates, were shaped by skillfully shaving away the wood.

Having worked on them throughout the night, a respectable quantity was produced.

Indeed.

For the time being, my priority is to explore my immediate vicinity with my hoe, seeking edible flora.

A nut-bearing tree would be ideal.

Finding apples or grapes would bring me immense joy.

Then, a thought struck me: I must first ensure a steady fire.

I am determined not to repeat yesterday's unfortunate incident.

I gathered the wood shavings generated while I hollowed out the tree to create my sleeping quarters. Transforming the all-purpose farming tool into a magnifying glass, I focused the sun's rays to ignite them.

Subsequently, I carefully nurtured the flames with dry branches, stabilizing the fire.

Securing the fire consumed more time than anticipated, but the task was ultimately accomplished.

While I succeeded, a sense of apprehension lingered.

I worried about the potential for a devastating wildfire.

Consequently, my search for food was confined to the area within my direct line of sight to the flames.

In other words, my strategy involved tilling the land to expand my immediate territory.

I toiled diligently.

I continued to employ the hoe, systematically widening my domain around the central tree that served as my shelter.

My efforts were exceptionally strenuous.

I expanded my accessible space to encompass a radius of approximately 200 meters from the tree.

It turns out, wielding a hoe is rather satisfying.

As I worked, it occurred to me that I might deplete my wood supply if I converted all the nearby trees into fertilizer. Thus, I switched to the all-purpose farming tool's axe form, felling the trees.

It was then that I made a remarkable discovery. Employing a crowbar-like extension, I found I could hook and pull the trees with surprising ease. It seemed the all-purpose farming tool could adapt to forms I envisioned, even without explicit naming.

With this crowbar attachment, I could maneuver even hefty trees as if they were weightless.

The all-purpose farming tool proves undeniably practical.

Directly behind the tree that serves as my refuge stands a massive tree, its trunk measuring between 1 and 2 meters in diameter.

With this substantial resource, I need not worry about a shortage of firewood.

As a result of this discovery, my quest for food completely slipped from my mind.

Was it good fortune or misfortune? Something was about to happen.

While I was diligently tilling the surrounding area, an animal emerged into the clearing where I was swinging my hoe.

The creature bore a resemblance to a rabbit.

However, its size was comparable to that of a medium-sized dog. Its eyes gleamed with animosity, and despite its rabbit-like appearance, two elongated fangs protruded from its mouth, reminiscent of a saber-toothed tiger. Could this possibly be some form of a bizarre rodent?

Regardless, I found myself unable to halt the momentum of the hoe as I brought it down upon the creature.

The strike was decisive, ending its existence in a single blow.

The hoe impacted the rabbit's neck as it bowed its head forward, producing a distinct, crisp sound.

The section from its neck upwards was reduced to fertilizer, while its body remained intact.

...

Although momentarily taken aback by ending a life, my stomach's rumblings were undeniable.

I had, at last, acquired the sustenance I sought.

A moment of silent reverence.

Let the feasting commence.

The all-purpose farming tool was converted into a knife, and then I began to dismantle it.

Dismantle is what I say, but I had no idea how to actually do it. I started by slicing through the fur.

However, I was taken aback when the internal organs were revealed amidst the process.

I couldn't possibly just discard the innards, could I?

Setting aside the heart and liver, the rabbit had clearly ingested other contents within its stomach and intestines.

Considering its hostile demeanor and sharp fangs, it certainly didn't strike me as a herbivore. There was no way it subsisted on grass.

Indeed, its intestines weren't as lengthy as I'd anticipated, suggesting a carnivorous diet.

I diligently worked to extract them, taking care not to damage anything, and disposed of them.

Following that, the fur was removed.

While I managed to transform the versatile farming implement into a frying pan, I decided against using it, as I had no desire to expose it to open flames.

After portioning the meat into bite-sized pieces, I threaded them onto a wooden skewer and suspended it over the fire.

This time, I opted for a barbecue.

Following this, I would shape a stone into a griddle.

Such culinary endeavors were possible now that I had successfully secured a food source.

These thoughts occupied my mind.

Because, at present, I was consuming charred meat.

Not good.

But this was an entirely natural outcome, considering I was grilling meat over an open fire.

There were no seasonings to speak of.

Nevertheless, this was at least edible.

My palate had been accustomed to bland hospital fare for an extended period, having been hospitalized for nearly a decade.

The last sustenance I received was through an IV drip.

Reflecting on it now, this was a meat dish I had prepared with my own hands.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

There was absolutely no reason to refuse to eat this.

....

No matter how many times I tried to salvage it, the result was invariably burnt, bloody meat.

I could no longer fool myself.

*Kuh.*

I had to find a solution for my food situation.

Renewing my resolve, I ate it for the time being.

Still, there was only a meager amount of food left.

To prevent spoilage, I would require a cool storage space…

A well came to mind, but I preferred to utilize something as sanitary as possible.

With no other viable options, I resolved to grill all the remaining meat to preserve it.

Although the meat would likely become tough from grilling, it was a better alternative than leaving it raw.

Subsequently, I utilized the hoe attachment of the all-purpose farming tool to till the internal organs and fur into the soil, converting them into fertilizer.

My stomach still felt fine, leading me to conclude that the well water was safe to drink.

For the moment, my belly felt noticeably fuller.