After nearly ten nights of hard work, a simple fishing net, about three meters long and one and a half meters wide, finally took shape.

The mesh is fairly uniform, and the overall surface is relatively flat. However, compared to a real fishing net, it appears quite rough.

But in Lin Feng's eyes, it was undoubtedly a masterpiece.

He reinforced the edges of the fishing net with thicker "tough vine" ropes, and tied some specially selected, appropriately sized stones at the bottom as sinkers, while threading several lightweight, dry, hollow reeds he found through the top as makeshift floats.

On the day of the test run, Lin Feng chose a river bend with a relatively gentle current.

He carefully cast the fishing net into the water, watching the stones and net sink to the bottom, while the reeds floated on the surface in twos and threes. He didn't immediately pull in the net, but waited patiently.

During this time, he also discovered an interesting phenomenon.

There is a plant with pale blue flowers growing by the stream. Its roots, when crushed, emit a strange sweet and fishy smell, which seems to be quite attractive to fish.

He tried scattering bits of the plant's rootstock in the water near the fishing net as bait.

About an hour later, Lin Feng began to slowly pull in the net.

He felt there was little resistance, but he was still a little apprehensive, worried that he would gain nothing.

But as the fishing net was gradually pulled out of the water, he saw several silvery-white fish jumping around in it, including one or two that were quite large, as long as his forearm.

"It's a success!"

Lin Feng was so excited he almost shouted out loud. He hurriedly dragged the fishing net ashore, and looking at the fish struggling in it, his face beamed with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

These few fish are enough for him to have two delicious meals.

More importantly, the success of the fishing net meant that he had a stable source of high-quality protein.

Besides "wild spice" and "tough vine", Lin Feng also noticed some inconspicuous but useful things during his more detailed exploration.

For example, in an old forest with very rich humus, he discovered a large fungus that resembled Ganoderma lucidum in shape, but was dark brown in color and had a very hard texture, almost like wood.

He scraped off a little powder with a knife and found that the powder was very easy to ignite and produced little smoke when burning, only a faint woody scent.

This reminded him of tinder. Although he no longer had any problem starting a fire, it was better to be safe than sorry. This high-quality natural tinder might come in very handy in damp environments. He named it "Wuzhijun".

He also observed that a small, grayish-brown forest bird particularly enjoyed pecking at a type of small red berry.

He tried the berries; they were sweet and sour with a good balance of flavors and quite juicy.

Although individual berries are small, they are plentiful, and a small patch of bushes can yield quite a few.

This adds another option to his wild fruit recipes.

Lin Feng never gave up observing and studying that mysterious "phantom".

He discovered that the "Phantom" had a fixed area of ​​activity and was extremely sensitive to human scent.

He tried changing his approach, such as choosing to be downwind, or applying strong-smelling plant juices to his body to mask his own odor.

One evening, he finally observed the "phantom" up close again.

It was still munching on wild herbs, its bluish-purple fur gleaming with a dreamlike luster in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Lin Feng noticed that its claws were very sharp, and it seemed to dig through the hard ground to find the roots and stems of "wild spice" with ease.

He also discovered that the "Phantom" had exceptionally sensitive hearing; at the slightest sound, its long ears would immediately turn towards the source of the sound.

Lin Feng did not disturb it, but observed it from a distance with binoculars.

He increasingly felt that this "phantom" was not an ordinary wild beast.

Its behavior reveals a spirituality far surpassing that of other animals.

He even had an absurd thought: Could this little guy also understand human speech?

The days passed by in a busy and fulfilling process of exploration and creation.

Lin Feng's life became more colorful and challenging because of these new discoveries.

He used wild spices for seasoning, used tough vines to make tools, used fishing nets to catch fish, and used black fungus to start fires. His survival skills were constantly improving, and his sense of control over the world was getting stronger and stronger.

Survival in the wilderness is a never-ending journey.

Lin Feng knew that the land beneath his feet held countless secrets waiting to be discovered.

And his story continues to unfold in this endless exploration.

However, the gradual enrichment of his material life also made Lin Feng occasionally feel an indescribable emptiness.

In this vast wilderness, besides himself, there were only some ordinary wild beasts.

Although he had long been accustomed to solitude and even enjoyed the peace and quiet of being undisturbed, a deep longing for some kind of "companionship" had quietly grown within him.

This longing became increasingly clear as he observed the small, blue-purple beast named "Phantom" time and time again.

The Phantom is truly extraordinary.

Its shimmering fur, like the finest blue-purple silk, sparkled with a mesmerizing luster in the sunlight.

Its crimson eyes are bright and alert, containing wisdom far exceeding that of ordinary wild beasts.

Its swift, lightning-fast, and agile movements as it traverses the forest are full of wild beauty.

Initially, Lin Feng did consider hunting "Phantom"—its fur was too tempting.

But after observing it repeatedly, especially witnessing its obsession with "wild spices" and its extraordinary alertness, Lin Feng's mindset quietly changed.

He found himself no longer thinking about aiming at it with a bow and arrow, but instead often taking a telescope with him during breaks from work to observe its every move from a distance.

The way the "Phantom" cautiously yet greedily gnawed on the "Wild Spices" was.

Its nimble and agile figure as it chased insects in the forest, and even the way it would occasionally stop, scratch its ears with its hind legs, and tilt its head to look into the distance, all made Lin Feng feel...somewhat cute.

Yes, cute.

The word came out of the mind of Lin Feng, a man who had experienced many hardships and had a hardened heart, which surprised even himself.

He recalled his past life, where some people kept cats or dogs as a source of emotional support.

The "phantom" before him, though an unmistakable wild beast, had such a small size and agile demeanor that it gave him the idea of ​​keeping it as a pet.

"If I could keep it in a cabin, like a... well, a really fast blue-purple kitten?"

Lin Feng stroked his chin, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.

He imagined that, in the quiet of the night, by the firelight of the fireplace, besides himself, there was a small, beautiful life moving about.

It would mischievously knock over his ceramic cups and curiously sniff out the various tools he made; that sense of loneliness would surely dissipate considerably.

Once this idea took root, it grew wildly like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Of course, Lin Feng also knew that capturing a small beast like "Phantom," which was incredibly fast and extremely alert, would be no less difficult than fighting a tiger with bare hands.

But his indomitable spirit and strong desire to conquer the unknown made him decide to give it a try.

The first helper he thought of was his loyal partner, the horned wolf "Wangcai".

"Wangcai, how about we go and catch a new friend?"

Lin Feng patted Wangcai's head, and Wangcai excitedly rubbed its head against his leg.

For his first attempt, Lin Feng adopted the most direct method—encirclement and capture.

He took Wangcai and quietly crept to the sunny, gentle slope where "Phantom" often appeared.

When "Phantom" reappeared and began to gnaw on "Wild Spices," Lin Feng gave a low shout and, together with Wang Cai, rushed out from their hiding place, one on each side.

However, the Phantom's reaction speed exceeded their expectations.

Almost the instant Lin Feng and Wangcai started, its blue-purple figure was launched as if by a rocket, turning into a blur and instantly creating a distance of tens of meters.

Its movements were so light that its toes barely made a sound on the ground, and it disappeared into the depths of the dense forest in just a few leaps.

Wangcai gave chase with all its might, its agile figure weaving through the forest, but even at its fastest speed, it could only watch helplessly as the blue-purple streak receded further and further into the distance until it could no longer be seen at all.

Lin Feng stood there, slightly out of breath, a bitter smile on his face.

"This guy... is unbelievably fast."

Wangcai quickly ran back dejectedly, letting out a pitiful whimper as he apologized for his incompetence.

"It's not your fault, Wangcai." Lin Feng patted it reassuringly. "We underestimated it."

Over the next few days, Lin Feng tried several more methods.

He tried setting traps along the Phantom's usual route, using the lassos he used to hunt small wild animals, but the Phantom easily detected the traps and always managed to nimbly avoid them.

He also tried using "wild spice" as bait and setting up simple tripwires woven from "tough vines" around it in hopes of restricting its movement, but "Phantom" always managed to narrowly dodge the tripwires with an incredible sharp turn or jump the moment they were triggered.

On one occasion, Lin Feng even used a bow and arrow, but he switched to practice arrows without arrowheads, hoping to temporarily stun or entangle the target.

He and Wangcai worked together to drive the "phantom" towards a relatively narrow pass.

Just as the "Phantom" was about to pass through the pass, Lin Feng calculated the lead time and shot an arrow.

He believed he had performed at his best with that arrow, it was both fast and accurate.

However, as "Phantom" ran at high speed, its body seemed boneless, twisting in a bizarre way to narrowly avoid the arrow.

The arrow grazed its fur, leaving behind a few bright blue-purple downy hairs, while the "Phantom" disappeared in an instant without pausing.

Lin Feng picked up the few downy feathers; they were soft and smooth to the touch, shimmering with a strange luster in the sunlight.

His fondness for the "Phantom" grew even stronger, but at the same time, he was also troubled by its difficulty.

"It seems that ordinary methods are useless against it."

Lin Feng sat in front of the wooden house, sharpening his tools with a whetstone while pondering a solution. Wangcai lay at his feet, occasionally nuzzling him with its head, seemingly encouraging him not to give up.

He realized that dealing with the "Phantom" couldn't rely solely on speed and strength; patience was also essential.

He began to observe the "phantom's" habits more closely.

He discovered that although "Phantom" was extremely vigilant, its love for "Wild Spices" was deep-seated.

At the same time every day, it appears on that gentle slope covered with wild sage.

Moreover, it particularly favors a few of the "wild spice" plants that grow exceptionally lushly and have a stronger aroma.

"The breakthrough lies in this 'wild spice'," Lin Feng thought to himself.

Instead of rushing things, he began a more complex preparatory process.

He selected the area near the few wild spice plants that the "Phantom" frequented most often and began to secretly modify the terrain.

He did not dig any obvious traps because he knew that the "Phantom" was alert enough to detect any anomalies on the ground.

His plan was to launch a surprise attack from above when "Phantom" was most focused on eating "Wild Spices" with its head down.

Therefore, he chose a large, leafy tree next to the "wild spice".

He wove a larger, more intricate, and stronger net using "tough vines," with specially made stones attached to the edges to ensure it could fall quickly.

Then, he spent several days cleverly setting up the large net among the branches of the tree, controlling it with thin ropes. As long as the mechanism was pulled, the net could quickly cover the area.

Setting up this net was extremely time-consuming and mentally taxing.

He had to accomplish all of this silently without alerting the "Phantom".

Several times, he felt that the "Phantom" had sensed something and was lingering nearby, its crimson eyes scanning the surroundings warily. Lin Feng was so frightened that he didn't dare to move until the "Phantom" left, at which point he dared to continue.

He also gave Wangcai special training. He required Wangcai to remain absolutely silent before he gave specific instructions, without making any noise or any unnecessary movements.

Wangcai was very clever and quickly understood his intention.

With everything prepared, Lin Feng chose a sunny afternoon and, with Wangcai in tow, returned to the gentle slope.

Instead of approaching as usual, he climbed the large tree covered with nets, hiding himself among the dense foliage, and gripped the thin rope controlling the nets tightly in his hand.

Following his instructions, Wangcai lay prone behind a bush at a distance, only his head peeking out, observing warily.

Time passed by, minute by minute. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the forest.

Lin Feng held his breath and remained motionless, like a seasoned hunter waiting for his prey to appear.

Finally, that familiar blue-purple figure, like a forest sprite, appeared silently on the gentle slope.

It first cautiously looked around, its long ears twitching slightly as it listened to the sounds around it. Only after confirming that there was no danger did it take light steps toward the few wild sages that Lin Feng had specially "taken care of".

The "Phantom" lowered its head and began to dig into the ground with its sharp little claws, revealing the roots of the "Wild Spices" underneath, which it then began to gnaw on with relish. Its attention was completely drawn to the delicious "Wild Spices".

"Now!" Lin Feng thought to himself.

He took a deep breath and pulled hard on the thin rope in his hand!

The large net hidden in the tree canopy, like a net from heaven and earth, came crashing down on the "phantom" who was engrossed in eating, accompanied by the whistling wind!

"Phantom's" reaction was astonishingly fast as ever. The moment the net fell, it sensed the danger, abruptly raised its head, and with a push of its hind legs, it tried to repeat its previous trick and escape like lightning.

However, this time, Lin Feng was much better prepared. The net had a vast coverage area and was falling at an extremely fast speed.

Although "Phantom" tried its best to dart to the side, it was still a step too slow. A corner of the large net grazed its body, and the net ropes became entangled in its hind legs!

"squeak!"

"Phantom" let out a sharp cry, its body losing balance as it was tripped, and it rolled on the ground.

It struggled violently, trying to break free from the netting wrapped around its legs, but the ropes woven by the "tough vine" were exceptionally strong, and the more it struggled, the tighter they became.

"Wangcai!"

Lin Feng leaped down from the tree and issued the command at the same time.

Wangcai, who had been poised to pounce, burst out of the bushes like a black lightning bolt, heading straight for "Phantom".

Its task is not to attack, but to use its body to pin down the "phantom" to prevent it from struggling further and getting injured, or biting through the net ropes.

Lin Feng also rushed over at top speed.

He saw that although the "phantom" was trapped in the net, it was still struggling desperately. Its red eyes were filled with fear and anger, and its sharp little claws were scratching wildly, trying to tear the net apart.

"Be careful, don't hurt it!"

As Lin Feng spoke, he cautiously approached. He didn't immediately tighten the net, but instead spoke in a reassuring, deep voice, "Don't be afraid, little one, I won't hurt you."

Of course, the Phantom couldn't understand him at that moment. It only knew that it was in unprecedented danger.

Wangcai had successfully used its strong body to gently press down on most of "Phantom's" body, but it was obedient and did not use its teeth, only restricting "Phantom's" range of movement.

Lin Feng quickly stepped forward, grabbed the net rope, and carefully tightened it, while trying to avoid the mesh from hurting "Phantom".

This little guy is surprisingly strong; even when trapped in the net, he keeps wriggling.

After much effort, Lin Feng finally managed to completely close the net opening, and then used extra ropes to tie it tightly, forming a temporary net.

He could clearly feel the little creature inside the net struggling and trembling violently.

He let out a long sigh of relief, his forehead already covered in sweat.

This capture, from planning to execution and finally to success, consumed a great deal of his energy.

Instead of immediately releasing "Phantom" from the net, he carried the net bag and, under Wangcai's protection, quickly returned to the wooden house.

He needs a safer, more secluded environment to have his first "close encounter" with the little guy.