Heading downstream
Lu Heng thoroughly cleaned up the last remaining mess in the courtyard.
The stench of blood slowly dissipated in the cold wind, and the chaos left behind by the night's fighting finally returned to complete calm.
Lu Heng walked to the fence and bent down to check each of the animal traps.
The metal clips were covered in mud and blood, and had been chilled overnight. The sound of the clips opening and closing was dull and crisp, without a single extraneous noise.
He originally intended to rearrange everything around the perimeter of the wall exactly as it was, maintaining a fully defensive layout.
He held the metal object between his fingers, paused, and then changed his mind.
Having just fought off a massive beast tide, there shouldn't be another fierce attack from beast hordes anytime soon.
Furthermore, with the snow continuing to fall, leaving the items outdoors will only cause them to become damp, accumulate ice, and get damaged. There's no need to waste the items.
Lu Heng walked slowly along the wall.
They selected only four key corner locations, placing a bear trap at each location to guard the most vulnerable blind spots.
Remove all the remaining clips.
He casually wiped the mud off the items, neatly folded them one by one, and stored them all in the Wristband Space.
All of them should be kept in reserve, and no waste should be left out in the open.
After dealing with the trap, he opened the backpack on his Wristband.
The Flesh Core, freshly extracted from the leader's corpse, lay quietly in my inventory; it was dark red in color and had a solid texture.
This kind of material is very difficult to produce.
Lu Heng did not feel the urge to absorb it.
Having experienced last night's parasite attack and the fierce battle with the beast tide, he knew better than anyone that there were too many variables in the wild.
Improving attributes is secondary; survival and emergency response are the top priorities.
He directly categorized the Flesh Core) as emergency supplies.
In the future, if you are seriously injured, overdrawn, or lose blood, you can take it out and use it at any time, which is equivalent to having an extra life-saving health bar.
After packing his things, Lu Heng looked up outside.
The hailstorm has completely stopped; there isn't a single ice shard left.
The sky was a hazy gray, and fine snow fell slowly and gently, without any sign of a violent natural disaster.
He casually glanced at the warning bar on his Wristband.
The interface is clean and there are no warnings about natural disasters.
It was just an ordinary snowfall at the start of winter.
Lu Heng leaned against the fence, gazing at the vast forest in the distance.
The doubts in my mind resurfaced once again.
He's been in this area for so long, and he's killed countless carnivorous beasts.
Wolves, wild dogs, and jackals came in waves, their density ridiculously high.
But strangely--
He had almost never seen a decent herd of herbivores.
Rabbits, wild deer, and a few herbivores—these few individuals simply cannot sustain the consumption of so many carnivores.
The ecosystems don't match at all.
It's impossible for so many carnivorous beasts to appear out of thin air.
The only explanation is that there are large blind spots in this forest.
It was an area he had never set foot in or explored before.
There must be a large number of herbivores hiding there to support the entire mountain forest's predatory population.
Lu Heng's gaze darkened.
To continue to survive peacefully and to understand the ins and outs of this region, we must expand our reach outwards.
We can't just keep guarding this small piece of land in front of our house forever.
Expanding the map requires finding clues.
All creatures in the wilderness can never escape the need for water.
The only major river in the entire mountain forest is the best route for exploration.
He quickly eliminated the upstream.
The upstream area is all steep slopes, high slopes, and dense mountains, making it a closed-off area that cannot support herds of animals or allow the ecosystem to develop.
The only feasible direction is downstream.
The route has been finalized.
Tomorrow at daybreak, we'll explore directly downstream, clearing large areas and checking for blind spots.
After considering all his plans, Lu Heng stood there, not feeling sleepy at all.
After his physique was enhanced, his energy reserves far exceeded those of ordinary people.
Fighting all night and engaging in high-intensity close combat is nothing to him.
I remain mentally alert and physically feel no fatigue.
But he didn't have the impulse to go into the mountains that night.
Visibility is poor in the woods at night, with broken branches everywhere and unknown road conditions, so there's no need to risk traveling in the dark.
Waiting for dawn to be safe is the most sensible choice.
Lu Heng turned and went back to the Shelter.
He walked into the bedroom, casually lay down on the bed, intending to close his eyes and rest until dawn.
The several layers of animal skin bedding on the bed, after long-term care, are soft and warm.
As soon as my tense nerves relaxed, I instantly felt relaxed.
My body, which hadn't felt sleepy at all, suddenly felt drowsy.
His consciousness sank deeper and deeper, and before he knew it, Lu Heng had fallen asleep.
I slept very soundly.
When I opened my eyes again, it was already broad daylight.
The brightness outside the window was no longer the dim light of early morning; it had been daylight for quite some time.
Lu Heng sat up, quickly regaining his senses.
Without hesitation, he immediately got up and put on his full gear.
The plan we made last night can't be delayed.
Now that we've decided to explore the downstream area, we must act on schedule.
Push open the Shelter door.
A slightly cool breeze blew in.
The snow fell even heavier last night than it did last night.
The ground was covered with a thin layer of fresh snow, clean and smooth.
Lu Heng stepped out of the courtyard.
The soles of my shoes crunched softly on the snow, each step leaving a clear footprint.
Stepping out of the fenced gate and into the forest, the traces of last night's hailstorm were fully revealed.
The new leaves that had just sprouted a few days ago when the weather warmed up were almost all smashed and knocked off by hail.
The entire forest was littered with broken branches and stubble.
Thick and thin branches lay scattered haphazardly on the ground, intertwined in a chaotic mess.
The hail that had previously covered the ground had long since melted away completely.
Only fallen, withered leaves and broken branches remained, mostly covered by the newly fallen thin snow, with only scattered edges showing.
The forest road conditions are extremely poor.
Numerous broken branches blocked the road, making it impossible to pass smoothly.
Lu Heng could only clean up as he walked.
He reached out and pushed aside the branches blocking his way, kicked away the broken pole lying across the ground, and slowly cleared a path for himself.
As he cleaned, his gaze swept over the Withered Branch scattered on the ground.
They were all completely dried hardwood branches.
There happened to be some firewood on hand.
It's just damp; it needs to be dried and air-dried when you get home.
Lu Heng didn't waste any time; he picked up and tidied up the items as he walked.
He gathered all the appropriately sized branches, piled them up, and casually put them into his backpack.
They were building roads while simultaneously stockpiling resources.
They picked up the stones all the way from the Shelter forest area to the edge of the river.
Upon arriving at the riverbank, Lu Heng looked up and surveyed the river surface.
He subconsciously pondered it.
With continuous snowfall and temperature drops, I wonder if the river has frozen over.
Upon closer inspection, the river was still flowing smoothly, showing no signs of freezing.
The road along the river was in much better condition than the one in the woods.
The weeds that had grown during the rainy season were now flattened and lay flat on the ground by the hail, clinging to the soil and gravel, no longer blocking the way.
The snow fell on the grass, a thin layer, making walking very smooth.
Looking at the unobstructed river and the stable sky, Lu Heng felt completely at ease.