At this moment, I seem to be able to see the harpy eagle's contemptuous expression mocking me.

Human! You think you can outlast me with this? You're kidding me!

I gritted my teeth, regretting that I had acted so impulsively and did so much exercise, which only aggravated my fatigue. Now, everything I see looks like a big bed, tempting me to climb up and have a good night's sleep.

I can't sleep, I absolutely can't sleep, otherwise all my previous efforts will be for nothing. As the saying goes, ruthless people don't talk much, and right now I've come up with a ruthless method.

The ancients had a method to combat fatigue called hanging oneself from the rafters and pricking one's thigh with an awl, so I'll try hanging myself from the rafters and locking my neck!

I had enough hemp rope. The next step was to make a crossbeam to tie the rope. The crossbeam didn't need to be very big, just big enough to support the weight of my head, so I chose a piece of driftwood to make the crossbeam.

The rock crevice above my head is not a completely flat piece because it is wind-eroded rock; instead, it has gaps and grooves of various sizes.

I wedged the deadwood into one of the gaps, and then, in front of Top and the harpy eagle, I performed the scene of the three-foot-long white silk ribbon that is often seen on TV.

However, the mountain crevice was not very high, and unlike the tragic beauty shown on TV, it looked rather comical.

I sat down in front of the harpy eagle, placed the hemp rope at the appropriate position around its neck, and then tied a loop of rope with a bulin knot that wouldn't lock.

I gave the harpy eagle a resolute look, then put the noose around my neck. My expression was as if I were threatening the eagle with the rope: "You submit? If you don't, I'll kill myself!"

These rope loops won't lock under stress, so there's no need to worry about danger. At most, if I doze off, the weight of my falling body might temporarily strangle my neck, making it difficult to breathe.

This is the same principle as me poking the harpy eagle with a stick; we both rely on external force to combat fatigue. The only difference is that the harpy eagle is forced to do it, while I do it voluntarily.

It's impossible for a person to stay awake indefinitely by willpower. The brain will gradually withdraw the body's sensory abilities, and most of the body's muscles will relax. No matter how strong your willpower is, it will be of no use.

However, not all muscles can stop resting. For example, the heart muscle and the diaphragm muscle of the lungs cannot stop resting. If they were to rest, a person would really need a long period of sleep.

Therefore, even if the muscle groups become weak and relaxed, as long as the respiratory system continues, when the trachea in the neck is compressed and airflow is obstructed, endangering one's life, the body will naturally wake up all the muscle groups to react.

This method did not disappoint me, although it was a bit tiring on my neck. I don't even know how I fell asleep less than ten minutes after I sat down.

My body slid forward involuntarily, and then the rope around my neck suddenly tightened around my neck due to gravity.

In just a few breaths, I woke up gasping for air. This time, I seemed even more alert than when I exercised before.

If I had known it would be like this, I would have just made a high-efficiency device like this, and I wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble to exercise.

However, it's not too late yet. Under this kind of cheat that puts life on the line, my brain can't do anything about it and has no choice but to compromise and wake me up every time I fall asleep.

Soon, my duel with the harpy eagle turned to night again. At this time, the harpy eagle, which was originally still somewhat energetic, became drowsy and only wanted to doze off, just like I was during the day.

However, I still poked the harpy eagle with a stick to keep it from sleeping, even though I really wanted to sleep myself. But I knew that if it fell asleep, all my previous efforts would be in vain.

The rope only keeps me awake; it doesn't mean it fights fatigue. My brain is starting to feel a bit disorganized, and some songs are beginning to play in my head automatically.

These familiar tunes, like lullabies, flowed uncontrollably through the neurons of my brain, and wave after wave of drowsiness almost made my mental defenses collapse.

This stalemate continued until late into the night, when the proud harpy eagle finally gave in and compromised.

The harpy eagle moved its claws, which were around my ankles, and walked toward me, finally landing on my arm.

I was overjoyed to see this and quickly took out some soaked sand beast thigh meat to feed the harpy eagle.

The harpy eagle, now submissive, showed no airs whatsoever, immediately devouring the meat offered to it. After a few pieces, it seemed to have filled its belly.

It squinted its eyes and fell into a deep sleep while perched on my arm.

I untied the brin knot from my neck, smiled knowingly at the tamed harpy eagle, and then did the same to it.

My body had just slid down to the ground when I fell into a deep sleep. This time, I was more exhausted than when I went hunting all day and fought the Sand Beasts.

The next day, I don't know how long I slept. I only know that I was woken up by hunger, and if it weren't for a strong protest from my stomach, I probably could have slept a little longer.

The harpy eagle beside me is in much better shape than I am. After taking a nap, it has completely shed its previous listlessness and become full of energy, flapping its wings constantly as if trying to fly up and catch Top.

Poor Top was so frightened by the bird of prey that he huddled in a corner of a rock crevice, squeaking at me in terror, as if saying, "Come and save me! I'm about to be eaten, how can you still be sleeping!"

However, the ropes tied to the harpy eagle's feet restricted its movements, preventing it from flying up and pouncing on Top even if it wanted to.

I got up and grabbed the harpy's rope, pulling it back. The harpy didn't struggle much at this point, and after I pulled it over, it jumped up from the ground and stood on my arm.

I gently stroked its feathers to calm it down. The harpy eagle seemed to enjoy this gesture, simply standing quietly with its eyes slightly closed as it accepted my touch.

After successfully taming it last night, this harpy eagle has now established a basic level of trust with me. However, its wild nature remains, and it still has a strong hunting instinct towards all natural prey.

I guess Top couldn't resist its curiosity and wanted to get a good look at its natural enemy, or perhaps it wanted to use dried meat to get closer to the harpy eagle like it did yesterday.

Clearly, Top failed. While harpy eagles are brave and fearless, they have not yet evolved the complex comprehension abilities of humans.

To the harpy eagle, Top's actions might be like a complimentary delivery arriving at its doorstep—why wouldn't it eat it?

The harpy eagle doesn't care about your intentions; in its eyes, Top is just a moving meal.

Looking at Top, who was still cursing at me, I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on. It was clear it was badly frightened by the harpy eagle and was complaining that I hadn't intervened to save it.

It seems that if I don't sort out how these two lovable creatures get along, I'll be in for a lot of trouble in the future.