Back at my place, I found the remaining aconitine solution from that day.

I made a total of fifty poisoned blowguns, and I filled twenty-five of them with the highly toxic aconitine.

It's not that I don't want to get more poison arrows, but I've already used up all the aconitine solution. I can only pick more next time I find this plant and bring it back to replenish it.

However, twenty-five vials are usually enough. This stuff was already so toxic when it was only taken orally before. If it were to enter the bloodstream directly, what would happen?

They could die without even knowing how they died in a matter of minutes.

As for the remaining empty poisoned needles and blowguns, I put them into a small bamboo tube.

This bamboo tube was used to store salt before, but after porcelain came along, I put it aside and stopped using it. Now it's perfect for storing these arrows.

I sewed a bag onto the outside of my python coat using a piece of leather and linen thread, and then carefully put the bamboo tube inside my bag.

The jungle is full of poisonous creatures, so let's replenish the poison needles in these jars with some of the poisons we encounter along the way.

My original plan was to craft this equipment and then explore the hilly area to the east. Now that I have the equipment, I am very satisfied with its effects.

There's no time like the present, so I've decided to set off tomorrow with Top and Pat into the unknown depths of the jungle.

If we're lucky, we can hunt enough food, process it, and manage to transport it back to my place for storage.

Don't be fooled by the fact that there's only a small stream in front of my door now; with the arrival of the rainy season, no one can predict how high the water level will rise.

It may only take a few days for the water from other tributaries to converge into a huge, unstoppable torrent, turning the babbling brook in front of me into a raging beast more than twenty meters wide.

If I have enough food, and with the natural barrier of the cliff, my life will be much more secure.

I put all the necessary tools, such as a saw, into my basket and prepared everything.

Top isn't a picky eater; he eats whatever I eat, so our main food consists of smoked jerky and a dozen taro noodles.

Pat doesn't like to eat dry, hard jerky, so I had to roast all the liver from that short-faced bear and carry it with me to use as Pat's food temporarily.

After all, this guy can hunt on his own. While it's self-sufficient, Top and I can also mooch off it. I don't need to worry too much.

After thinking about it carefully, I realized I had brought everything I needed.

Now all I need to do is feed everyone, get a good night's sleep to recharge, and we'll set off early tomorrow morning.

I slept soundly tonight. It probably proves the saying that all fear stems from insufficient firepower. As long as you have confidence, you won't be so nervous.

The next day I felt more energetic than ever before. I felt like I could knock a cow down with my bare hands.

"Top! Wake up, wake up!" I shouted, shaking Top who was still fast asleep.

Top probably never slept in a bed much in his life, but ever since he got a bed, this diligent monkey has also started to enjoy sleeping in late.

Human intelligence is truly a terrifying weapon; it can not only make humans lazy, but also affect animals, making them lazy as well.

Top reluctantly got out of bed after being called several times, much like how we were when our parents urged us to get up early in the morning to go to school when we were kids.

Back then, I longed to be like the adults, without having to go to school or bear the pressure of so much homework. But when I actually entered society, I realized that the pressure I faced back then was nothing compared to theirs.

Pat, that kid, didn't need me to call him; he went out for a walk early this morning and I don't know where he's hiding now.

Just as I was about to yell to call Pat back, a black shadow glided toward my residence from not far away. It was Pat.

What surprised me was that it clearly had a prey slightly smaller than a rabbit on its paws. Its head looked somewhat like a mouse, while its body and limbs resembled a rabbit. I guess it was a small animal called a pika.

I promptly took out some chopped bear liver and rewarded it. Such an action deserves praise, especially since Pat's attention was focused on the bear liver in my hand.

I removed the prey, which I suspected was a pika, from its paws. Since it was Pat's good intention, I couldn't refuse it.

After quickly skinning and gutting the prey, I rinsed off the blood, then made some diagonal cuts, rubbed it with fine salt, and let it marinate for a while.

As usual, I used all the cleaned-out organs to feed Pat, since they are nutritious and he should eat more of them.

I started a fire, and Top brought over taro about the size of seven or eight fists and skillfully placed it next to the fire. He even knew to surround the taro with embers so that it would cook faster.

Top roasted taro, and I roasted the pika. About half an hour later, my pika was done, and Top's taro was done too.

Top kept only one to eat in its hand, and put the rest into its little basket.

I gave a large piece of the hind leg to Top, who then handed me a taro, which was a way of returning the favor.

Since the journey to that place was quite long, we decided to eat as we went, so as not to waste time.

Before we knew it, it was noon.

It's been raining non-stop lately, so the air has been very stuffy.

Although these things weren't very heavy, my shoulders started to ache from the pressure of them after walking for a while.

My feet felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

I sat down on the bluestone slab under a tree, leaned against the tree, gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, and began to pant and rest.

Top had already taken out its own roasted taro and was munching on it. At that moment, I was too lazy to start a fire and cook, so I grabbed a handful of meat and started eating.

Whenever I stop to rest, Pat disappears instantly. But when we leave, it reappears beside us and accompanies us all the way.

And so, the three of us—one person, one monkey, and one eagle—walked along this path, stopping and starting, until we passed the shallow stream that was about ten meters wide.

There were still quite a few waterfowl, like wild ducks, playing inside. I had just knocked down three waterfowl with my blowgun when Pat charged at them, scaring away all the duck-like waterfowl.

The result was that Pat only managed to hunt one wild duck-like waterfowl. It seems that Pat isn't always suited to do this kind of thing, at least not now.