Chapter 4: Survival Skills for Academic Masters_2
Dong Ran looked at Tang Xian with surprise again. How could this man... seem to know everything?
After finishing the fruit, Tang Xian said, "I'm going to look for the Hellhound's location. Will you stay in the tent by yourself?"
"I'll go with you!"
"Are you sure? Well, that's okay. There won't be any danger, but you might not be able to handle it."
"What do you mean?"
...
...
Dong Ran soon understood what he meant.
The preparation work before looking for the Hellhound seemed even more difficult than hunting the creature itself, at least to this beautiful girl.
Tang Xian first cut a lot of red, needle-like plants, which he also took the opportunity to explain to Dong Ran—called Redline Grass.
It was a type of grass whose leaves could emit a strange odor. This odor is harmless to the human body, and also not very toxic to animals.
But the smell would make all animals steer clear.
Tang Xian said, "To survive in the mining area, it's best to crush Redline Grass and apply it on oneself. That way, carnivorous creatures won't approach us unless we provoke them too much."
Dong Ran was reluctant to do so, but Tang Xian was stubborn. If you didn't do it, you weren't allowed to follow him. As a result, the sweet, tender girl began to emit an odor that would keep all beasts at bay.
Dong Ran wasn't sure if this knowledge was true or not.
In her student days, she wasn't bad at survival education, barely considered an excellent student, but even those with better grades than hers seemed to rarely be as knowledgeable as Tang Xian.
Moreover, he had strong practical abilities. Along the way, she truly hadn't seen any creatures, even though this was the Blue Zone, which meant that the creatures were generally not strong but didn't indicate there were absolutely no wild beasts along the way.
"What's next?"
"We need to find the den of the Hellhound."
...
...
The Red Soil Forest was extremely vast. Finding a nest of an elite boss creature in such a place would take quite some time.
Especially since humans can't stay in the mining area for more than seven days. After seven days, one's vitality plummets, leading to death.
That's why many people set their own safety limit at three days; those who set it at five days were rare. Moreover, finding the Hellhound's den within a few days was almost impossible.
Tang Xian didn't think it was impossible—if things went smoothly, he could finish today. And as for the time spent in the mining area, he personally liked it very much; he felt more comfortable here than in the Pyramid.
Tang Xian wanted to stay for the full seven days, to test what the so-called rapid loss of vitality felt like. Afterwards, he could even write an article on Bī hū titled "What It's Like to Spend Seven Days in the Mining Area."
Dong Ran was very curious about how Tang Xian would look for the Hellhound next.
In the morning, the air was still a bit moist.
Tang Xian didn't search aimlessly like a headless fly. After applying Redline Grass, his actions were decisive in the Red Soil Forest full of many plants, neither too flashy nor overly cautious.
Dong Ran noticed that Tang Xian seemed to pay extra attention to the trees.
Beneath trees with particularly thick branches, Tang Xian's gaze would linger for a long time.
Under a Parasol Tree, which he had noticed before among the Redtail Trees, Tang Xian had merely observed and thought for a long time, but hadn't actually done anything.
It was only after discovering this Parasol Tree that Tang Xian slowly approached the trunk.
Dong Ran followed not too far behind him.
The Parasol Tree had no leaves, looking quite bare, with something like moss growing on its branches.
Dong Ran had not learned about woody plants in her survival education, as she had majored in ornithology. It seemed Tang Xian must specialize in plants.
Dong Ran felt that Tang Xian seemed very familiar with the ecological environment.
Tang Xian crouched down and then touched the soil around the tree stump with his index finger. Dong Ran watched, wide-eyed, as Tang Xian carefully sniffed the muddy soil that looked rather nauseating.
The soil smelled foul but was highly nutritious. It was called Red Soil because of its color; the area's high vegetation coverage was due to this strong, unpleasant-smelling soil.
The soil in the mining area was naturally different from the desert sand in the Human World, brimming with the breath of life.
Tang Xian slightly furrowed his brow—indeed, the soil did not smell good, but he still dug up quite a bit and bagged it in his utility pouch.
Dong Ran didn't understand. Tang Xian didn't speak.
Once he confirmed that the Parasol Tree had what he needed, he began to search for more Parasol Trees.
The Parasol Tree could be counted as a towering tree, though it looked somewhat eerie and out of place in the forest of Redtail Trees.
"Animals all have a sense of territory; even those dogs in the Pyramid, domesticated by humans to the point of losing their wildness, know to mark their territory by urinating on a lamppost or something," Tang Xian suddenly said, probably feeling too quiet. He remembered reading a book titled "Research Collection on Canine Creatures in the Mining Area" at the age of thirteen. Then, to verify what he had read, he sought out many similar books, such as "Habits of Canine Creatures in the Mining Area" and "Q&A on Canine Creatures in the Mining Area."
Compared to other creatures, Tang Xian had researched dogs the most. Because dog meat tasted very good.