From Robinson Crusoe

Disassembling a glyptodon is a troublesome task.

From modern times to life on a deserted island, and back to modern times, Chen Zhou has personally dissected at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, animals. But when faced with this glyptodont, he really didn't know where to begin.

Of course, this was mainly because he wanted to preserve the glyptodon's bone armor to make a set of protective gear for Paul; otherwise, with his brute strength, he could have torn the glyptodon to pieces with his bare hands.

……

After pondering for a long time with the knife in hand, Chen Zhou finally decided that it would be better to start from the belly of the Glyptodon. He would first take out the internal organs and understand the internal structure before trying to remove the tightly arranged bone armor.

While he was working, Paul wasn't idle either; he went into the hole to look for matches.

Unfortunately, the result was disappointing. Because the glyptodon's forepaws were not very flexible and it did not have the habit of storing food, Paul explored the entire cave, getting himself covered in mud, but ultimately failed to find even a single piece of dry firewood. Instead, he did find two piles of fresh glyptodon droppings.

Outside the cave, as Chen Zhou dissected the glyptodont, the three listless little sawtooth tiger cubs became excited by the smell of blood. Led by their "big brother," they kept pawing at the glyptodont's tail and climbing onto the corpse.

Worried that they might crawl onto the glyptodont's side and fall into its hollowed-out abdomen, soiling its fresh internal organs, Chen Zhou had no choice but to patiently pry them away again and again.

……

Without kindling, Paul could not simply wait for Chen Zhou to dissect him.

They can't eat the meat raw after cutting it up; they still need to make a fire, even if the conditions are harsh.

He continued twisting straw rope to make a fire bow, found a piece of wood thick enough, peeled off the soaked bark, dug a small pit in it, and Paul prepared to begin his arduous journey to make fire.

Normally, the pits in the wood should be dug into holes so that the wood dust produced by friction can fall down, and any sparks generated can ignite the tinder.

However, Chen Zhou had the tools to dig holes, and he had to put in a lot of effort to dig a hole with stones. He would have to work until dark to dig through the 30cm thick piece of wood, so he had to make do with what he had.

……

Even if the glyptodon's appearance is strange, as a mammal, its internal structure is not much different from that of pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses.

Chen Zhou was an old butcher. He quickly emptied the carapace from its body, using its intestines and the diaphragm between its chest and abdominal cavities as a cushion, and then dumped its heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, and other organs on top of it.

The little saw-toothed tigers, who had been eyeing the carnivorous tigers for a long time, were so tempted by the strong smell of blood that their mouths were practically watering. They watched Chen Zhou dissect the tigers and cried out anxiously.

Now that they could finally get to the nutrient-rich organs, the little ones couldn't resist and all climbed onto the bright red heart.

However, before their little scheme could succeed, Chen Zhou snorted and turned to glare at them.

Remembering how the great sawtooth tiger died, a deep-seated awe compelled the little sawtooth tigers to stop moving forward. They stood pitifully in place, their eyes fixed on the carpenter's organs as if drawn by a magnet, unwilling to move an inch.

Sawtooth tigers are social animals with a hierarchy within their groups. Therefore, they are not as unruly as tigers and leopards. When faced with other tigers that are significantly stronger, younger, or more intelligent than themselves, they usually follow the rules and do not actively challenge the authority of the superior.

However, this only applies to populations that have already stabilized. Newly established populations are a different story once the female tigers are in heat and the male tigers are competing for mates.

In the eyes of the little sawtooth tigers, Chen Zhou was undoubtedly the leader of their group.

The concept of "killing one's father" or "killing one's mother" does not exist in the minds of the sawtooth tiger. They only recognize the status of the strong and follow the centuries-old tradition of the sawtooth tiger group, showing respect to them in their behavior in order to maintain the stability of the group.

It was this unity that enabled the Sawtooth Tiger to challenge the mammoth, the largest animal on Earth at the time, and successfully hunt down the young elephant.

……

After hollowing out the chest and abdominal cavities of the glyptodont, Chen Zhou not only obtained a large amount of meat, but also made an unexpected discovery—

It turns out that the glyptodont's high, rounded forearms were not only a "shield" against predators, but also energy storage stations similar to camel humps.

Perhaps because this glyptodon was already an adult, and no wild beasts threatened its safety, it was able to eat and rest in peace.

When Chen Zhou dissected the bone armor, he discovered that the carpenter's fat reserves were quite astonishing, totaling about 60 to 70 pounds, all of which were creamy yellow. When he took them out and piled them on the ground, they were quite a sight.

The discovery of this oil provided Chen Zhou with an idea—

He wanted to use the oil as a combustion aid.

However, the ignition point of grease is much higher than that of materials such as chopped grass or dry branches. The ignition point of dry grass is around 130 to 180 degrees Celsius, while the ignition point of grease is usually above 300 degrees Celsius. To ignite grease, it is necessary to find or make some conductive material similar to a lamp wick.

Both hemp rope and cotton thread can absorb oil through capillary action, increasing the contact area between the oil and the flame, while using low-ignition-point materials to carry oils with higher ignition points.

Just then, Paul had a small piece of straw rope left over from when he was making the fire bow components, so he put that half piece of straw rope into the grease to soak.

In addition, Chen Zhou mischievously plucked some fur from the little saw-toothed tigers, rolled it into a small ball, and put it into the oil as well. The little guys were so angry that they didn't dare to resist. They sat on the ground with their little faces all scrunched up. Although they didn't make a sound, you could tell at a glance that they were definitely holding back their anger.

……

After soaking the fur ball in oil, Chen Zhou handed it to Paul and asked him to find a way to create some sparks or small flames to ignite the fur ball.

He then returned to the glyptodon, which he had dissected more than halfway, and began to disassemble its circular bone armor.

Whenever Chen Zhou comes into close contact with the creations of nature, he marvels at the incredible craftsmanship of biological evolution.

Looking at the outer armor of the glyptodont, most of its bony plates are rhomboid, but some are hexagonal or pentagonal, and the surface is covered with smaller, regular patterns, like anti-slip patterns on floor tiles.

Inside the glyptodon's outer armor, all the bone armor is connected by a layer of tough skin. If you pry off a piece from the edge with a knife, you can see that each piece of bone armor is 2.5 to 5 cm thick, which is much thicker than rhinoceros hide. Moreover, the glyptodon's bone armor is a layer of bone, and its defensive power is far superior to that of a rhinoceros.

If it weren't for drastic climate change and the rise of humankind, glyptodonts might still have occupied a place in Earth's ecosystem until the 21st century.

Even after the Glyptodon was hollowed out, its exoskeleton remained stable, leading Chen Zhou to think that if he could kill a sufficiently large Glyptodon, he might be able to use its exoskeleton to create a small shelter. This integrated bone structure would be much sturdier than a hut made of broken branches.

Unfortunately, he has no intention of settling down here, nor does he want to travel around with his heavy Glyptodon armor.

After removing the first piece of bone armor from the edge of the outer armor, his movements became more and more skilled, and he quickly removed more than a dozen pieces of bone armor of different sizes.

Besides these bone fragments that could be drilled and tied together with rope to make armor, Chen Zhou also set his sights on the tail of the glyptodont.

This glyptodont wasn't particularly large, but its entire hammer-shaped tail, from the "hammer head" to the "hammer handle," weighed about 50 kilograms.

Its tailbone is interlocked, with a diameter of over 20cm, and is surrounded by well-developed muscles on both sides, protected by a layer of bony armor. When disassembled, it can be seen that the tailbone is connected very tightly, with almost no room for movement. This means that with simple reinforcement, the entire tailbone can be transformed into a 50-kilogram hammer.

Such a heavy weapon might be an unbearable burden for an ordinary person, but it was just right for Chen Zhou.

Very handy.

……

Chen Zhou's dismantling work went very smoothly. Meanwhile, thanks to the selfless dedication of the little sawtooth tiger cubs and the glyptodonts, Paul finally managed to start the fire.

The serrated tiger fur ball, soaked in grease, emitted a smell unique to burnt protein.

Flames spread through the grease, and Paul, his hands numb from pulling the bowstring, carefully protected the flames, placing oil-soaked leaves and twigs on top.

As if sensing that it was about to be mealtime, the three little sawtooth tiger cubs cried and squeaked anxiously, crawling from the carpenter's entrails toward Paul. They were both fascinated by the aroma of burning oil and afraid of the blazing flames. Their hesitant and timid appearance, wanting to move forward but not daring to, was quite amusing.

……

The ground was too damp, and the fire would go out quickly if placed directly on it. Therefore, Paul used a method of building a platform to place the fire.

During his wilderness survival training, this method of starting a fire had a sacred name—

"Temple Fire".

This temple refers to the platform that is raised above the ground and suspended in mid-air.

Building a platform requires at least four long, vertical branches. A wooden stick is placed across their intersection, and then a layer of soil is laid on top before a fire can be placed on it.

If necessary, a wooden stick can be placed horizontally across the long branches diagonally to hang water containers.

Unfortunately, they didn't have any containers to hold water. The only thing they could possibly use to cook the beast was its skull, but Chen Zhou was too busy dismantling the bone armor to deal with the beast's head.

Having not eaten a hot meal all night and slept in the rain, Paul still felt like he was about to have a high fever. After finally getting a fire going, all he wanted to do was to spread the flames as quickly as possible, then roast a few slices of meat smeared with fat to replenish his strength. He wanted to fill his stomach first before thinking about anything else.

……

The conditions were simple, but the ingredients were fresh.

Surrounded by the "temple fire," Chen Zhou and Paul each ate half a carapace of a goat-toothed beast, smearing grease on it with their hands, and occasionally cutting off a small piece of the heart to roast over the fire, their mouths dripping with oil.

Thanks to the two of them, the little sawtooth tigers squatted between Chen Zhou and Paul, and soon they were able to get a piece of roasted carpenter's meat.

Wild animals are incredibly resilient. After being caught in the rain last night, the little guys were shivering from the cold, but now that they've eaten meat, they're full of energy. Their legs are no longer weak, their eyelids are no longer drooping, and they're all looking very energetic.

……

With fire, not only did they have food, but the two could also dry their bodies and clothes and keep warm by the fire.

After the meal, Paul seemed to be in much better spirits, but he still couldn't help sneezing when the wind blew, which made Chen Zhou worry about his health.

But if asked, Paul would definitely give a stubborn reply—

"it's okay no problem……"

Seeing this, Chen Zhou could only helplessly stop asking, but secretly made a mental note that he should help Paul find some herbs to treat colds and flu.

During those two modern years, he frequently traveled to remote places to ski, rock climb, dive, or wingsuit fly.

Through interactions with the locals, Chen Zhou learned to identify many medicinal herbs.

But that was in the 21st century. This is the prehistoric world. He has no idea whether he can find those herbs. Even if he can find similar plants, it will be difficult for him to verify whether they are the real deal or a fake.

Thinking about it carefully, the most likely place to obtain the medicine right now is still those two challengers' temporary camps.

Paul had five survival items, including a multi-tool, alcohol, a fire starter, a needle and thread, and a compass.

Based on this calculation, the two challengers should have a total of ten survival items. Excluding the knife or axe they used to cut down trees and the tools they might have used to start a fire, they should have at least eight items left.

These eight items are not random, mysterious rewards distributed on the island; there is a very high probability that they contain medicine.

Chen Zhou didn't expect any special medicine to cure the cold; a few common anti-inflammatory pills would be enough to help Paul get through the high fever and save his life.

……

Looking at the sky, after last night's torrential rain, the sky was clear and blue.

After a morning of fussing, we finished eating roasted carpenter's meat. The sun was high in the sky, and with the warm sun baking us, the moisture left on the earth and between the stems and leaves of the plants began to evaporate slowly, and the whole forest was enveloped in a sauna-like atmosphere.

After silently calculating the time, Chen Zhou estimated that if he worked with all his might, he could probably make a simple breastplate, a pair of arm armors, and a pair of leg armors before the sun completely sets.

If Paul also helps, they can carve out ten new spears, and with the glyptodon tail he kept, they will basically have all the weapons and armor they need.

As long as there is no heavy rain tonight and no unexpected events occur throughout the afternoon, they can continue their raid plan tonight, sneaking around to their old location under cover of darkness and launching an attack based on the intelligence he has gathered.

Chen Zhou was initially worried that "45 yards" and the Japanese might discover the exploration traces he and Paul left on the mound when they went out during the day.

But last night's rain was heavy enough to wash away their footprints and the sticks left on the side of the mound.

If they're lucky, the river level might rise so high that it could flood those two's camp. Maybe they're busy clearing the silt right now, or desperately searching for materials to build a new shelter on higher ground.

Moreover, now that they are guarding the burrow of the glyptodont, they can stuff the three serrated tiger cubs into the burrow before taking action, and then block the entrance to the burrow. This way, they are free from burdens and can act more freely.

……

Having finalized his plan, Chen Zhou informed Paul of the new arrangements.

Paul naturally had no objections, so the two split up to search the woods for vines to bind the bone armor and hardwood to make spears, beginning their preparations for battle. (End of Chapter)