Perimeter Cleared

I unlooped the coarse twine from the root knob and shoved our pine bark shield aside. Morning unsealed the trench, but an uncataloged organic cluster blocked our northern advance—pale, spongy fungal caps that had erupted from the damp bark overnight. Potential biological hazard. I signaled my beast to hold the flank. Stepping forward, I drove the heavy heel of my armored boot into the cluster, crushing the spongy growth flat into the mulch. My green reptilian scout lunged on the tether, snapping its plastic jaws shut over the bruised stems to confirm neutralization. Obstruction eradicated. The path beyond the trunk is secure.