Today, Top and Pat were working as usual, one on the ground keeping watch, and the other high in the air providing us with a view of the ground.

At first, we didn't find anything unusual. Even after we arrived at the brine spring and boiled several pots of brine, everything around us remained peaceful.

But just when we had almost finished preparing everything, and were thinking that today was another wonderful early shift, and that we could go back, eat something, and get a good rest, we were suddenly...

A sudden change occurred.

While we were simmering the brine, Pat seemed to be hiding in a big tree, slacking off and taking a nap, but in reality, he was monitoring us from within a hundred meters.

Pat's keen eagle eyes can detect even the slightest movement, just as a frog's eyes are more sensitive to moving objects.

However, the eagle eye is several levels higher than the frog eye. In terms of distance alone, the eagle eye can completely outperform it.

Eagles typically cruise at altitudes above 1,000 meters, at which height they can still clearly see rabbits, mice, and even frogs on the ground.

So at this height in the tree, Pat could see clearly not only any animal trying to escape his sight, but even an ant passing by.

But at that moment, Pat, who had been quiet all along, let out a series of sharp eagle cries from the tree.

Upon hearing that cry, our hearts sank. Sure enough, his cool demeanor didn't last long. Obtaining anything in this jungle wasn't an easy task.

I'll have the natives and Susu carry the prepared brine and leave first. We need to see what kind of animals are coming so we can take precautions and delay them for a while.

However, they hadn't gone far when I saw Su Su and the locals running back in a panic, looking as if they had been greatly frightened.

Even when we were ambushed by cave bears in that narrow valley during our hasty retreat from the tribe, we didn't show such terror.

Before Dante and I could even ask what was going on, Su Su called out a name that even I knew!

"Hanu! It's Hanu! We're surrounded! What should we do?"

Su Su's speaking speed increased again as she spoke with Dante.

I understood everything as soon as I heard the name Hanu. Pat was calling so urgently, there must be a reason. We've been together for so long, I know best what its calls mean.

Pat was warning us to leave as soon as possible, as something dangerous might happen.

Without hesitation, I told everyone to put down their baskets and then climb the nearest tree first.

I know that the other side is definitely better at climbing trees than we are, but we have absolutely no chance of winning on the ground.

If we were to be surrounded and attacked by these animals, which these tribesmen call the most cunning, believe me, without a doubt, we would all perish.

Just as we were about to climb the tree, Dante suddenly shouted,

"Wait, first pour the salt water into the bark box. We need to take the baskets up the tree!"

"Why?" I asked.

"Sir, you don't know, they can use bows and arrows to shoot!"

"What!"

After Dante nervously finished speaking to me, he quickly chatted with the natives in their native tongue. Everyone immediately poured the salt water from their baskets into boxes before starting to climb the tree.

I was genuinely startled by Dante's statement. I had thought that primates would be intelligent, but I never imagined they would be so intelligent as to use tools.

Can such an animal still be simply called an animal? It's already at the level of early Homo sapiens!

Dante helped me empty the salt water from my basket, and then said to me,

"If they shoot arrows at us later, we'll use this basket to block them. It's sturdy enough."

I nodded and handed the blowgun and all the arrows I had to Dante.

Dante quickly refused, saying, "Sir, no, that won't do. If I take your blowgun, how will you defend yourself?"

"It's alright, I naturally have weapons for self-defense. The blowgun can only be used to its fullest potential in your hands."

As I spoke, I proudly patted my shotgun.

"Look, if all else fails, I still have this. One shot will surely scare them all away."

"no!"

Dante immediately interrupted me.

"Hanu are different from other wild animals; they are naturally very curious."

"If you fire your gun, you might temporarily intimidate them, but it will definitely attract more Hanu from nearby to attack. They're a bunch of lunatics, even lunatics than those bighorn sheep!"

Of course I knew what Dante meant by the great antelope—the wildebeest we'd encountered before. I'd seen those creatures go crazy before, but I never imagined this Hanu was even more insane.

I slung the basket over my shoulder and still insisted on giving the blowgun to Dante. Then, at my insistence, we each climbed a tree that wasn't far from each other.

This allows us to take advantage of our superior position and effectively strike targets on the ground.

Moreover, although there are only seven of them now, their overlapping field of vision in the tree allows them to cover each other's blind spots without any blind spots, and to shoot Hanu immediately if he tries to climb the tree and pose a threat.

Dante used my blowgun, along with the anesthetic he carried. This stuff can quickly take down wild boars, and it can also quickly take down those Hanu who come to attack.

The other natives, including Susu, used their own bows and arrows. Although these things are not very powerful, we now have a better geographical advantage, so shooting ground targets will not be too much of a problem.

Top was right beside me, holding a quiver made of animal hide with fifty crossbow bolts inside.

Some of these are arrows I made before, and others are arrows I made by polishing flint arrowheads after I came to the tribe.

The crossbow has hardly been used since it arrived in the tribe; blowguns have been used much more. Today, it seems like it's time for the crossbow to shine.

As Pat let out his last sharp eagle cry, we could see many figures darting through the woods from all directions, heading towards us.

At this point, Dante instructed everyone to crouch inside the baskets placed on the tree branches for protection, and then used their weapons to stand guard.

Because Dante said that the enemy's bows and arrows were the same as theirs, although not very powerful, but they had also been coated with something like theirs.

As for whether it's coated with poison or something else, only God knows.