At one-point-eight meters tall, his hand was about sixteen centimeters long, roughly the length of an iPhone Pro Max. It was the most accurate measuring tool he had.

His usual squat sets at the gym were around 130 kilograms, with a 100-kilogram warm-up. Anything under 80 kilograms barely stimulated his quadriceps.

Judging by the feel in his legs, this Light Wood log felt practically weightless, far less than eighty kilograms.

In disbelief, he changed his stance. He reached his hands forward and around the trunk, cupped them underneath it, and positioned it just above his knees. Bending over at nearly a ninety-degree angle, he then pulled it toward his chest.

This was the stance for a bent-over barbell row, an exercise that primarily worked the lats. He didn’t train this movement much, and his working sets were only around 50 kg.

The log slammed into his chest with the force of a meteor strike, leaving him winded and with a dull, persistent ache.

’Wait, what’s going on? A log this long only weighs about thirty kilograms??’

The unexpectedly low weight instantly dispelled his concerns. He walked to the middle of the log, squatted slightly, and hoisted it onto his shoulder. He straightened his legs without any real effort, lifting the entire thing with ease.

Though he couldn’t see himself, he imagined the sight must be ridiculous.

Carrying a five- or six-meter-long log on his shoulder without breaking a sweat, not even breathing hard, and still able to walk briskly. It was like something out of a damn movie.

He first moved all the Light Wood logs to the edge of the stream. He nudged them forward one by one, resting one end on the opposite bank.

Once all the Light Wood logs were lined up across the surface of the stream, he no longer needed to take off his shoes and wade through the water. He could simply walk across the logs, then pull them over to the other side one by one.

He bundled the branches and leaves separately, leaving only the bare logs. Then, he used the downhill slope to let them roll freely.

He wasn’t asking for much. They didn’t need to roll far—even five or six meters would do. At least it was easier than carrying them.

And so he continued, nudging the logs along with his feet while carrying the bundle of branches on his shoulder. Every so often, he would adjust their rolling path to steer them clear of other trees.

It took a little over an hour to finally get them all to the edge of the tobacco field.

While moving the logs, he made a point to search his memory again for information on Light Wood.

Besides its light weight, Light Wood possessed many other excellent properties for construction.

It was insulating against both heat and cold, soundproof, rot-resistant, and insect-repellent. It even had a fair amount of elasticity.

Furthermore, its lightness made it ideal for building rafts, not just structures.

A raft built from Light Wood wouldn’t sink in the waves even when packed with people; it was a natural life preserver.

’With a diameter this thick, wouldn’t it be a waste to use a whole log for each of the four corner support posts?’

Only after moving the Light Wood logs to the cabin one by one did he realize they were about a size thicker than the timber used in the original structure.

’Could I build a second story?’

For some reason, he had a strange fixation on having a second story. He just felt that having a well-ventilated balcony would be better—not only could he dry food on it, but he could sunbathe, and the view would be better.

’Four Light Wood logs for the corners, one for the roof beam, and the last one... maybe I can use it as a central support joist for the second floor?’

The four posts were no problem; thicker just meant sturdier.

But he couldn’t use whole logs for the second story and the roof. For one, it would be ugly, and for another, they would be too heavy.

Moving thirty kilograms horizontally might be nothing, but lifting it vertically, especially overhead, was a weight that could crush a person.

He sat on a Light Wood log and rested for half an hour before getting up to work.

The dilapidated wooden walls were already teetering and couldn’t withstand more than a few kicks before they collapsed with a crash.

He cleared away all the rotten wood, piling it on the nearby grass. Then, he moved the Light Wood logs over one by one, placing one next to each of the four large holes he had dug.

’Wait, there’s a problem.’

Just as he was about to cut the Light Wood logs to the right height, he suddenly realized something.

The Light Wood trunks were perfectly straight, with almost no major branches—any that existed were just small twigs. There were no Y-shaped forks.

He couldn’t speak for other places, but at least in that Lightwood Forest, there were no trees with that shape.

’Without any forks, how am I supposed to lay the beams for a second floor?’

He closed his eyes, visualizing the structure of a log cabin in his mind, along with the designs of various wilderness shelters he had seen before.

’I’ve got it!’

His eyes snapped open, a glint of excitement flashing within them.

He had been so focused on using rope for lashing or finding Y-shaped branches that he had completely overlooked another important, traditional technique.

Mortise and tenon joinery.

To put it simply, mortise and tenon joinery was a method of interlocking two or more pieces of wood by cutting specific shapes into their ends, allowing them to fit together naturally—without fasteners—to form an incredibly sturdy structure.

Of course, he didn’t possess such masterful skill, but he could adapt the principle.

’Normally, a story is about two meters high. I’m one-point-eight meters, so that would be about a hand’s breadth taller than my head.’

He lay down on a Light Wood log, estimated a two-meter length, and then marked off a bit more, leaving some extra.

After measuring, he realized that a five-meter Light Wood log could actually be cut into two usable posts, and a six-meter log could yield three. That meant he had about twelve or thirteen logs in total.

However, the top sections of the Light Wood logs would be narrower in diameter than the bottom sections, making them easier to handle.

After some thought, he changed his plan. He would use the narrower top sections of the Light Wood logs for the four support posts. The thicker bottom sections could be split into planks for the second-story floor. This would be a perfect way to make full use of his lumber.

If he had stuck with his original idea, he would have had to go cut more bamboo for the floorboards.

’This is what I get for being inexperienced. Back when I was in Alaska, I had paracord, so I never had to think about structural integrity. I never imagined it would be this hard to build a proper cabin when you don’t have the right tools.’