Bamboo Rat
She rubbed her dirty little hands and asked Kēkē, "Where are my brothers?"
"They went to catch bamboo rats," Keke replied. "Bamboo rats are also an endangered species, so I hope the host can document them."
Mǎn Bǎo had never seen a bamboo rat before, and she was startled by the news. She jumped to the side of a big tree and asked, "Are bamboo rats similar to mice?"
"No, bamboo rats belong to the bamboo rat family." They have a robust appearance. Host, you can walk into the bamboo grove. I have scanned and found many bamboo rats there.
Mǎn Bǎo found a stick on the ground and approached the bamboo grove.
She waved the stick on the ground, occasionally calling out for her brothers, but they were nowhere to be found. The forest was filled with only her echoes and the occasional chirping of insects and birds.
Kēkē directed Mǎn Bǎo to the bamboo grove to search for the large hole next to the bamboo roots.
It presented the scanned images in Mǎn Bǎo's mind, and she could see two bamboo rats lying not far from the base of the bamboo underground. One of them was very large, lazily scratching its face with its claws.
Initially afraid, Mǎn Bǎo found the fat bamboo rat somewhat cute.
She squatted in front of the hole, unsure of what to do. Could she just reach into the hole?
Kēkē said, "Host, you can use smoke to force them out, and then I can assist you in capturing them. However, if you catch a bamboo rat, you must record it at least once.
Mǎn Bǎo agreed.
She then decided not to look for her missing brothers and instead busied herself collecting dry leaves and grass from the forest. After much deliberation, she purchased a lighter from the store, one that she had never used previously.
With Kēkē's guidance, she reluctantly lit a fire and placed it at the entrance of the hole. She blew gently, and the smoke drifted into the hole.
Mǎn Bǎo found the sight fascinating and continued to add wood and dry grass to the fire.
Kēkē did not intervene because it only had theoretical knowledge and had never lit a fire before. It had no idea how to do it properly.
Due to Mǎn Bǎo's eagerness, the fire she had just started was soon extinguished by her, and the smoke billowed up, stinging her eyes.
Of course, such a large amount of smoke would naturally flow in and out of the hole.
Without a physical form and relying solely on scanning to "see," Kēkē was unaffected. The smoke billowing from the hole caught their attention, causing the two animals inside to become restless. The smaller one immediately began to crawl towards the hole.
Kēkē immediately warned Mǎn Bǎo in her mind, "They're coming out!"
Mǎn Bǎo instinctively used her stick to block the hole, but before she could do so, the hole, filled with dry grass, was knocked open, and her stick was pushed aside.
Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed.
As she landed on the ground, Kēkē recorded the moment her fingers touched the bamboo rat in the system.
As she completed this series of actions, a larger bamboo rat emerged from the hole, and Mǎn Bǎo found herself face to face with it.
Clearly agitated, the bamboo rat bared its teeth at Mǎn Bǎo, ready to attack.
Kēkē directed her, "Go and grab it." "As long as you can touch its body, I can pull it into the space."
Mǎn Bǎo agreed, no longer afraid but excited. She crouched down, realizing she might not be able to catch it, so she leaped forward, attempting to accomplish the task with her body.
The bamboo rat was waiting for this. As soon as she moved, it darted past her and leaped out from under her.
However, when her clothes briefly touched the bamboo rat, Kēkē recorded it in the log.
Mǎn Bǎo watched the bamboo rat disappear into thin air and then eagerly checked Kēkē's enclosure, where she saw the chubby bamboo rat looking bewildered inside.
She knew she couldn't tell anyone about Kēkē's existence, so she found a vine and tied the bamboo rat to it before dragging it along.
She decided to go find her fourth brother. "Kēkē, where did they go?"
"At first, they ran in the southeast direction, but I don't know if they changed direction midway." I suggest the host to stay put and wait for their return.
Was this truly the best course of action, and was Mǎn Bǎo patient enough to follow through?
Of course not. She played around for a while, but when her brothers still hadn't returned, she had no choice but to search for them while dragging the bamboo rat along.
As she searched, she muttered, "Could they have been taken by wolves?"
This was something she had been scared of since childhood, so she firmly believed that there were wolves in the mountains.
She told the squeaking bamboo rat to be quiet and said, "Once we find my fourth brother, we can go home and cook." "Don't worry."
As she ventured deeper into the forest, she occasionally called out, but there was no response. She began to feel uneasy and eventually stopped, pouting and almost on the verge of tears. "Kēkē, my fourth brother is missing."
Kēkē was also scanning, but its range was limited. It could only comfort the host, "Host, why don't we turn back?" It's better to wait in place.
Mǎn Bǎo sniffed and shook her head. "No, I want to find them." Otherwise, how can I face my parents when we return home at night?
Kēkē thought to itself, "Who's to say who lost whom?"
Mǎn Bǎo continued to drag the bamboo rat forward, while at the same time, her three brothers, who had chased after the bamboo rat, were huddled at the entrance of a cave, attempting to start a fire to roast the bamboo rat.
Zhou Wǔláng had found another exit and called out, "I've blocked it." Hurry, start the fire!
Zhou Liùláng struggled to make fire without a flint, but eventually managed to start a fire using alternative methods.
The three brothers cheered and then, after subduing the bamboo rat, looked up with smiles on their faces.
Then Zhou Sìláng's smile froze, and he looked around, asking, "Where are we?"
Zhou Wǔláng said, "In the mountains, of course." Fourth brother, are you confused? "We came here today to see your mountain."
Zhou Sìláng's voice trembled slightly. "I know, and I also know that I came here with Mǎn Bǎo."
Zhou Wǔláng and Zhou Liùláng also looked around, feeling uneasy.
Zhou Sìláng was on the verge of tears. "So where is Mǎn Bǎo?"