From Robinson Crusoe

The night remained as deep as ever.

A gentle breeze flickered the flames as the pack of cave hyenas gradually disappeared into the dark wilderness.

A few excited cries of scavenging birds came from the towering canopy. The smell of blood and entrails attracted them. The branches swayed, and they were already impatiently looking for an opportunity to start their meal at the top of the tree.

As the effects of the adrenaline wore off, Paul finally felt the burning pain in his lower back.

From the moment the cave hyenas approached the campfire, his mind remained constantly on edge—

The three-year military training at the Siberian Special Training Camp taught them how to face ferocious enemies, how to use firearms, how to survive in the wild, and how to deal with foreign tribes with whom they did not speak the language. However, it did not teach him how to defend himself against a pack of cave hyenas that wanted to devour him alive.

Fighting wild beasts, especially fighting ten enormous beasts at the same time, and weaving through a hail of bullets are two completely different experiences.

This is etched into our genes; it's the fear our ancestors experienced.

During the fierce battle, Paul had no time to consider the consequences, nor dared to show the slightest sign of fatigue. He knew that the cave hyenas would not let him go, and he had only managed to hold on until now by fighting with all his might.

Only when the cave hyenas were far away and Chen Zhou approached did exhaustion and pain surge up together, causing Paul to collapse to the ground.

hiss~
By the firelight, Paul turned his head to look at the wound on his waist inflicted by the cave hyena and couldn't help but gasp.

"You need to disinfect it quickly and treat the wound properly."

Cave hyenas are scavengers, and their mouths contain various bacteria. If wounds are not disinfected promptly, they are highly susceptible to infection.

Chen Zhou, who had come closer, looked radiant, except for some dust and bits of grass on his clothes, as if he had not been affected by the battle just now.

He noticed Paul's injury from afar, and as soon as he reached the campfire, he reminded Paul—

In this prehistoric world where medical care was scarce, being bitten by a wild animal was no laughing matter; if not treated seriously, it could cost you your life.

"Don't you have alcohol in your survival kit? Don't be stingy with it at times like this, use it when necessary."

I'll go find some firewood to make the fire burn brighter, then I'll skin and roast this cave hyena. That way, we'll have food for tomorrow.

As he spoke, Chen Zhou pulled out the wooden spear stuck in the female cave hyena's back, then broke off the tip of the spear and used his military knife to cut open the cave hyena's carotid artery.

Although the cave hyena's heart had stopped beating, it hadn't been dead for long, and its blood hadn't yet congealed; some blood was still flowing out after its artery was cut.

Fresh meat from animals that have been bled and those that haven't tastes completely different.

Animal meat that hasn't been bled is bright red, or even dark purple, which looks unappetizing and has a fishy, ​​foul smell.

Even though he was in the wilderness and didn't have much energy to care about the taste of the food, Chen Zhou would still try his best to take care of his taste buds as much as he could.

……

Seeing that Chen Zhou had already started collecting branches to start a fire, Paul also mustered his spirits and took out alcohol from his pocket to disinfect his wound.

The exposed wound was now somewhat red and swollen, with a little blood seeping from the torn flesh. The evening breeze made it ache slightly.

The plastic bottle containing the disinfectant alcohol didn't hold much to begin with, and when the tall Paul held it in his hand, it looked like a bottle of oral liquid.

Upon unscrewing the bottle cap and smelling the ethanol emanating from the opening, Paul's eyes, which had just seemed somewhat listless, immediately lit up—

The Soviets' love for spirits is world-renowned. Even on the International Space Station, where drinking is strictly prohibited, Russian cosmonauts dared to use various methods to smuggle brandy into space.

As a member of a pure-blooded warrior race, Paul was naturally no exception to the customs.

Paul glanced at Chen Zhou and, seeing that he wasn't paying attention to him, carefully poured a capful of alcohol, then brought it to his lips and drank it all in one gulp.

Ah!
The strong liquor instantly flushed Paul's face, as if he had been injected with a stimulant.

He examined the small bottle of alcohol in his hand and poured another capful.

This time, looking at the alcohol in the bottle cap, he hesitated—

Should we disinfect it, or continue drinking it?
My brain hasn't been completely controlled by alcohol yet; in fact, this bottle of disinfectant alcohol is a lifesaver and can't be wasted recklessly.

After licking his lips, Paul ultimately did not drink the bottle of alcohol. Instead, he used his finger to dab it and smear it little by little on his wound.

The stinging sensation from the alcohol caused Paul's facial muscles to twitch slightly. He applied the alcohol to the wound three times with extreme frugality. Seeing that there was still a thin layer left inside the bottle cap, he disregarded the fact that the alcohol had gotten on his fingers and stuck out his tongue to lick the last bit of alcohol into his mouth before reluctantly putting the bottle cap back on.

……

"I want to remind you that medical alcohol contains a high concentration of ethanol, and drinking it directly may cause ulcers in the digestive tract mucosa."

It might even contain methanol, which could damage your eyesight and cause metabolic acidosis.

Chen Zhou had already added enough fuel to the campfire. In the firelight, he spread out the female cave hyena's carcass and used his military knife to peel off its skin.

Paul did not reply to Chen Zhou. He sat in front of the campfire, the bright red flames adding to his radiance.

Looking at the vast grassland, at this strange and dangerous world, and at Chen Zhou, whose hands were covered in blood as he dissected the carcass of a cave hyena, his eyes began to glaze over.

Perhaps it was the wine that intoxicated him, or perhaps the desolation of ancient Siberia allowed Paul to find the spirit of his ancestors who once lingered on this land. He began to sing—

"Grassland, oh grassland"

The vast grassland stretches as far as the eye can see!
The heroes rode their horses across the grasslands, and the Red Army soldiers galloped forward.

The girl is crying, she is very sad today, watching the young soldier bid farewell with tears in his eyes…

The song has a powerful rhythm that rises and falls in waves, creating a sense of exhilaration, much like the grassland cavalry in the lyrics, full of indomitable spirit.

Chen Zhou had already removed the cave hyena's massive head from the carcass.

Perhaps due to the influence of alcohol, Paul's voice sounded particularly weathered and deep, making this classic "Song of the Steppe Cavalry" even more heroic.

As he cut open the cave hyena's chest, Chen Zhou looked at Paul from the Red Era and hummed softly in response.

However, in Chen Zhou's time, the red giant had long since disintegrated, and those heroes who once swore to defend the red flag and make it fly over Moscow's Red Square were gradually forgotten.

Chen Zhou's humming lacked the grandeur expected of military songs; instead, it carried a sense of nostalgia and melancholy.

Paul could sense Chen Zhou's emotions from his singing, and remembering that Chen Zhou came from another world, he couldn't help but ask.

"Did the Soviet Union win the Cold War and defeat the evil American imperialism in your country?"

"Sever the tendons in the cave hyena's forelegs, pull them out, and set them aside," Chen Zhou replied.

"No, the Soviet Union collapsed, and the United States became the world's only superpower. But don't worry, another giant is already rising in the East, and one day she will finish what the Soviet Union failed to do."

"Oh……"

As if he had anticipated this, Paul responded and looked thoughtfully at Chen Zhou's yellow skin.

……

The cave hyena attack dispelled their sleepiness.

Although Paul's wound was treated to eliminate most of the risk of infection, his clothes had been torn open by the cave hyena, and leaving the injured area exposed would increase the chances of contracting the disease.

To address this, Chen Zhou cut off one sleeve from his protective suit and sewed it onto Paul's outer garment as a temporary measure.

Fearing that the bloody smell of the decomposing cave hyena carcass would attract other predators, Chen Zhou specially moved Paul's location from the edge of the woodland to the center.

Before leaving, they roasted the thigh of a cave hyena, cut off pieces of meat with a knife, and ate them raw to fill their stomachs.

The cave hyenas were clearly in a bad situation, and Chen Zhou hadn't been able to find much fat on the female cave hyenas.

Without the luster of oil, the hyena meat was tough and dry. Because the bleeding wasn't done properly, and he was worried about overcooking it for parasites, the hyena meat tasted and had a terrible texture.

Even Paul, who was used to eating hard, dry bread, frowned and could only puff out his cheeks, turning his hatred for cave hyenas into appetite in order to barely accept the food.

During this process, Chen Zhou's terrifying bite force and swallowing ability shocked Paul once again.

He was able to bite through the leg bones of a cave hyena with his teeth, then break the hard bone and swallow the marrow and bone fragments together.

Considering Chen Zhou's previous brilliant achievement of killing four cave hyenas without sustaining any damage, Paul felt that Chen Zhou seemed more like a wild beast than a cave hyena.

……

Paul was extremely exhausted from not sleeping all night. Although the wound on his waist scabbed over quickly, it still ached slightly.

As the first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon, Paul treated his wounds once more, and then, at Chen Zhou's suggestion, leaned against a large tree and fell into a deep sleep.

Watching over the newly lit campfire, Chen Zhou didn't feel tired at all.

His energy level was several times that of an average person. Although the fight with the cave hyena was exciting, it was not enough to exhaust his strength, let alone make him feel physically and mentally tired. In addition, he had slept for several hours last night, and he was full of energy until the sun rose.

Paul is injured and needs rest to recover his strength.

While he was sleeping, Chen Zhou selected five long and sturdy tree branches, peeled off the bark, and remade them into five spears.

The spears he made this time were pointed at both ends, and could still be used to attack even if one end was dulled or broken.

Furthermore, after being cut, the center of gravity of the stick is more central, which increases the stability of the spear when thrown, allowing it to perform better when hunting.

Chen Zhou originally planned to make the tip of the wooden spear using a sharp stone tool, preferably obsidian, but he couldn't find suitable stone near the woods. Paul was sleeping, and he couldn't leave Paul to explore alone, so he had to make do with wood.

In addition to wooden spears, a weapon effective at both close and long range, Chen Zhou also planned to make a bow using the tendons of cave hyenas.

However, the process of making the bow from the tendons was quite complicated. When he peeled off the tendons, he did not scrape off the remaining muscle in time. Now the climate on the grassland was noticeably cold and damp, which increased the drying time.

The dried tendons need to be pounded and soaked until softened, then torn into shreds and glued to the arch, which undoubtedly takes a lot of time.

Moreover, after making the bow, one would still need to manufacture the bowstring and arrows. After weighing the pros and cons, Chen Zhou abandoned this idea.

With his strength and accuracy, he could easily use the spear as a large siege crossbow bolt. Using ordinary bows and arrows would actually limit his combat effectiveness. Heavy weapons like stone hammers or maces would be more suitable for him.

Last night, if I had a sturdy heavy hammer or the sharp axe I was given during the first challenge, I could have easily taken on three cave hyenas at the same time, let alone three more.

One blow from the hammer cracked open the top of the skull, shattering the cave hyena's beastly dream.

……

After arranging the five wooden spears and leaning them against the tree trunk, Chen Zhou looked at Paul, who was fast asleep on the ground. He was unsure whether to marvel at the Russians' carefree attitude or be grateful for Paul's trust in him.

The sun has slowly risen from the east, and wisps of clouds still drift across the pale blue sky.

The sunlight filtering through the gaps between the clouds brought warmth to the earth.

Nocturnal animals that have filled their bellies have long since found warm havens to rest and recuperate, while hungry beasts, unable to sleep, starve with eyes that glow green with hunger, preparing to work overtime.

Chen Zhou's keen hearing had already picked up the sounds of some animal activity in the tree canopy and underground.

Whether it's birds, squirrels, or rodents, they are all storing up food for the winter.

Further afield, near the edge of the woodland, the carcass of a cave hyena, decomposed last night, has attracted scavenging birds. As the temperature gradually rises, the stench of the decaying carcass will drift further afield, and even larger wild animals will come to visit.

Thinking of the cave bears, cave lions, saber-toothed tigers, and other ferocious beasts, Chen Zhou felt that this was a dangerous place and he should not stay there for long.

Judging by the time, Chen Zhou felt that Paul had slept for about 4 hours, so he finally woke him up.

……

Having undergone military training, Paul regained his senses very quickly after being woken up, showing none of the dazed or confused behavior one would expect from someone who is woken up from a deep sleep.

He quickly gathered his combat uniform, which he had laid out on the ground to serve as a bed, then picked up two wooden spears and followed Chen Zhou, who was carrying three wooden spears on his back, southward.

This direction wasn't chosen randomly by Chen Zhou.

Chen Zhou believes that the entire challenge area is large enough, but different directions have their advantages and disadvantages. Overall, the area closer to the southern edge is more livable.

Because the higher the latitude, the colder the climate.

The challenge organized by the Time and Space Administration had an element of scheming, as the rules had already foreshadowed the arrival of a major temperature drop.

The grasslands are currently in late summer or early autumn, and the first winter will arrive soon.

This winter will be the toughest for challengers, as they will not have time to stockpile large amounts of food and fuel, nor are they likely to build sturdy shelters that are protected from the wind and cold.

Under these circumstances, challengers located closer to the south can gain a geographical advantage, reduce energy consumption, and thus take the lead.

Furthermore, the winter snowstorms cause large areas of northern vegetation to die, prompting herbivores and less cold-resistant animals to migrate south, bringing abundant food to the southern challengers during their migration.

Influenced by these factors, most challengers with a brain would head south.

By heading south first, he has a high probability of encountering other challengers, thus gaining prior information about his competitors and potentially eliminating them directly. (End of Chapter)