Although it’s still unclear what’s happening, Shu Bao and Lan Qing vaguely understand that the creatures outside are likely magical beings. Whether it’s magical tasks or the materials for magical blueprints, they all seem to come from an unfamiliar world shrouded in darkness.
To verify this hypothesis, when a zombie approached the fence, Shu Bao didn’t attack immediately. Instead, he used a deconstruction gun to analyze it. Sure enough, a virtual information panel appeared next to the zombie after a moment.
【Nocturnal low-level zombie, minor toxicity, not edible.】
Shu Bao: “…” Who would even consider eating something like this?
Perhaps sensing Shu Bao’s disbelief, Lan Qing explained, “Among the beast tribes, there are many species that enjoy carrion1dead and decaying flesh.” While most scavenger species have overcome this habit, there are always one or two who prefer a more primal lifestyle.
Shu Bao refrained from commenting further and simply incinerated the zombie with a fireball from his wand. The repeated deaths of zombies seemed to deter other creatures lurking in the darkness, making the tribe temporarily safe—but only for now.
Following the high priest’s orders, the people of the Xia Wang tribe armed themselves and spread out along the perimeter fence, ready to fend off attacks.
As more zombies followed the scent, even Shu Bao couldn’t keep up. Fortunately, a blow to the zombie’s head was enough to kill it. The tribe members, overcoming their fear, realized that zombies were more intimidating in appearance than in capability. They were easier to hit than the wild creatures charging blindly.
As the zombie attacks continued, some nocturnal animals couldn’t resist any longer and began tentative assaults.
Strangely, even agile cats with powerful leaps were stopped by the waist-high fence, as if it were a magical barrier. They could only attack the fence. As it deteriorated, their assaults grew fiercer.
Mu Bao and the high priest also figured out how to use their wands effectively. They incinerated zombies before they reached the fence. As for the strange, unfamiliar creatures, the fire proved to be a useful deterrent and offensive tool.
The battle unfolded intermittently, with tribal members taking turns to rest. Their enchanted spears and swords were razor-sharp, providing them with the confidence to face the bizarre creatures.
Among the creatures were crimson-eyed rabbits with lightning-fast speed, cat-like beings with razor-sharp claws, fish with legs, and strange entities resembling oily green trees.
As time passed, a pile of animal corpses accumulated outside the fence. Shu Bao intentionally targeted the cat-like creatures, completing the task of killing ten of them by midnight—only the collection of their eyeballs remained.
After a population count during the night, the tribe constructed comfortable tents, achieving the goal of reaching a population of ten. However, Shu Bao had no time to submit the task; he remained vigilant, patrolling around the fence.
Lan Qing had transformed into a massive green snake early on, frequently poking his head out to attack. Occasionally, at Shu Bao’s request, he even brought back some cat-like creature carcasses.
Shu Bao once again praised his versatile snake teammate. Lan Qing happily wagged his tail before resuming his defensive duties.
When Lan Qing revealed his true form, the onslaught of fierce beasts attacking the tribe diminished significantly. As dawn approached, only the zombies continued their siege.
As the sun neared the horizon, even the zombies departed. Survival instincts seemed to override their hunger, driving them to seek shelter from the sunlight.
With the first rays of morning sunlight, the surreal world faded away, leaving behind a carpet of corpses as evidence that last night was no illusion.
Staring at the strange animal remains, the high priest posed a question that concerned everyone: “Are these creatures edible?”
Shu Bao and Lan Qing exchanged a glance. It appeared that the system’s warning about inedibility had been quite useful.
Using deconstruction guns, Shu Bao and Lan Qing scanned each animal carcass, identifying which ones were safe to eat. The high priest then instructed the tribe to tally their newfound game.
Indeed, after a night of battle, these once incredibly peculiar creatures had become prey. The adaptability of the Xia Wang tribe astonished Shu Bao and Lan Qing, perhaps reflecting the unique characteristics of this era.
After tallying the count, there are a total of seventy-eight animals, mostly small creatures. The edible ones include crimson-eyed rabbits, frog the size of a water bucket, and fish with legs—twenty-one in total. The rest are marked as inedible.
The hunting team won’t need to venture out today, having endured almost a sleepless night. They’ll take a well-deserved rest during the day.
As for the slaves, they conscientiously chose to continue working, prompting the Xia Wang people to finally give up comparing themselves to the slaves—they couldn’t bear the comparison.
Shu Bao and Lan Qing both yawned, ready to head back for some rest. The high priest asked if they wanted to process the game. Shu Bao readily agreed, mentioning the need for cat-like creature eyeballs.
With the high priest’s approval, the two of them strolled side by side toward the mission hall.
As Shu Bao returned to his room and prepared to close the door, Lan Qing suddenly poked his small head inside. Startled, Shu Bao grabbed the door to avoid trapping his snake teammate. “What’s wrong?”
“I just remembered something. Considering that we’ll likely need to collect materials outside for the magical blueprints, should we develop a simple set of gestures for communication? After all, based on today’s situation, we should try to remain quiet during outdoor activities.”
Shu Bao rubbed his chin, considering the idea. However, when he glanced at his snake friend, he realized that hands weren’t part of Lan Qing’s anatomy.
Having obtained Shu Bao’s agreement, Lan Qing was very happy. “Great! After resting, I’ll teach you the secret gestures!”
Shubao: “???” What does that mean?
Before Shu Bao could figure it out, Lan Qing had already retreated his little head, humming a tune as he returned to his room.
Shu Bao closed the door in confusion, then curled up in a ball, yawned, and decided to rest. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted into dreamland.
Shu Bao slept straight through until noon and woke up hungry. He stretched lazily, smacked his lips, and got up. When the mouse finished washing up in the wooden tub, he hurriedly opened the door and found Lan Qing waiting outside.”
“Hi, you’re awake! Let’s go eat,” Lan Qing invited.
Shu Bao felt that his snake teammate was unusually enthusiastic today but decided to join Lan Qing for lunch at the altar.
The weather was pleasant—slightly overcast with thin clouds shielding the scorching sun. The Xia Wang tribe members gathered there for lunch. When they saw Lan Qing and Shu Bao, they greeted them warmly and offered food prepared for the two.
Shu Bao received a whole roasted rabbit leg, extravagantly glazed with honey. Only the mouse enjoyed such treatment. The rabbit leg was delicious—tender yet not tough to chew, with the perfect blend of honey and meaty flavors.
Having devoured the entire rabbit leg, Shu Bao unsurprisingly felt stuffed. His little belly refused to shrink back. Shu Bao leaned against a small rock, contentedly squinting his eyes.
Compared to Shu Bao, Lan Qing finished lunch much faster today. He quickly polished off two wild fruits, then nudged the mouse, who was sitting by the stone, with his tail. “It’s time to learn secret gestures.”
Shu Bao opened his eyes, peering past his round, furry belly at Lan Qing across from him. “Secret gestures?”
“Exactly! We agreed this morning—hand signals,” Lan Qing said, eyes wide with anticipation.
Shu Bao struggled for a moment and finally got up. Even the snake teammate, who had no hands, was so active. Of course, Shu Bao, with his healthy paws, couldn’t lag behind!
Seeing his furry teammate cooperate, Lan Qing was naturally delighted. “I’ve actually created a set of secret gestures before, but I never thought we’d use them today. Don’t worry; I’ll definitely teach you!” Lan Qing assured, tapping his chest with the tip of his tail.
Shu Bao was surprised that his snake teammate had this talent and looked interested.
Under Shu Bao’s watchful gaze, Lan Qing bent his body and made a question mark without a dot. “This represents doubt.”
Then he straightened up, forming an exclamation mark without a dot. “This indicates a significant situation!”
Finally, Lan Qing coiled into a circle, biting his own tail. He made a vague sound, representing “OK, no problem.”
Releasing his tail, Lan Qing enthusiastically said, “Let’s start with these three. It’s simple and clear.”
Shu Bao: “…” It did seem straightforward. However, when Shu Bao glanced at his fluffy, recently overindulged self, he realized he couldn’t bite his own foot.
Encouraged by Lan Qing, Shu Bao gave it a try. He waved his chubby paw, kicked his short legs, and tried to recall Lan Qing’s previous movements. Then he stretched himself.
After completing the three gestures, Shu Bao asked, “How was that?”
Lan Qing immediately praised, “Very good! However, it looks like three ellipses?”
Shu Bao: “?!”
A moment later, the mouse stormed off in frustration. In Lan Qing’s eyes, any movement was just an ellipsis. Shu Bao looked down at his fluffy self and finally realized that fluffiness was being discriminated against!
Lan Qing, puzzled by Shu Bao’s reaction, wondered if his teaching had gone awry.
