Su Su's fish was grilled quite well, with a slightly charred yellow skin, and was currently emitting a fragrant, white steam.

The most eye-catching of them all were the roasted tiger gourd seeds, which looked like beans; these things can't really be considered nuts.

But the unique aroma it releases after roasting is something many nuts can only dream of. No wonder Top was so eager to come and try this new food.

We also grabbed a few roasted beans, rubbed off the thin outer skin, and the tender, charred inside was revealed.

After chewing it for a while, an indescribable rich aroma lingers between the lips and teeth, creating a wonderful experience that resonates long afterward.

"Master, this is so delicious!"

"Yes, sir, where did you find this thing?"

Su Su and Dante were thoroughly enjoying the rare delicacy, asking questions at the same time.

They only knew that many things were edible, but didn't really understand their nutritional value. So I shared some information about tiger melons with Susu and Dante.

After hearing my explanation, they both nodded. Su Su then asked,

"Master, can we take these tiger gourds back and plant them ourselves? If we can grow a whole patch of them in our area, they will definitely be very popular with our people."

I smiled, tore off a large piece of fish from the shelf, quickly ate a couple of bites while it was still hot, and then continued speaking.

"That's natural. In my hometown, people grow tiger gourds specifically for this purpose. They can be eaten, and the dried fruit can also be used as medicine, generating considerable value locally."

However, tiger gourds are susceptible to both drought and waterlogging. So if we want to grow them, we'll probably have to find some river sand with good moisture retention and drainage.

To make it grow well, basic measures alone are not enough. Ideally, you should crush some fresh bird eggshells and mix them in, along with some well-rotted, dried grass and green plants.

“Sir, when we get back, I can get you some bird eggs. I can also find that river sand you mentioned; Dante has plenty of strength.”

Dante patted himself on the shoulder with amusement, indicating that he was physically strong and could endure hardship.

Su Su was also listening with great interest as I talked on and on about planting.

Women seem to be naturally more interested in things like planting, just as they enjoy growing flowers and plants for decoration.

Perhaps we were hungry from our long journey, or perhaps Su Su's cooking skills have improved considerably, but I'm more inclined to believe the latter.

After the fish, which weighed over 20 kilograms, was gutted and then grilled, its weight had shrunk by more than half.

The three of us and the monkey finished off the entire fish in less than twenty minutes. After eating some of the flatbread and roasted tiger gourd seeds, we finally let out a satisfied burp.

In places with high oxygen concentrations, energy is consumed much faster than usual. If we left all this food outside, we definitely wouldn't be able to finish it in one meal.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they packed the remaining fish into their backpacks.

That was just a skeleton of the Deinosuchus; Dante and I had already cut off the lean meat. Without the burden of the skeleton, it would be much easier to take the pure meat back.

We stuffed two large backpacks full of crocodile meat, and then each of us carried dozens of kilograms of supplies toward the exit of the sinkhole.

With our current physical strength, carrying dozens of kilograms of supplies is not considered heavy. Compared to carrying 140 or 150 kilograms of firewood during previous training, this is considered very light cargo.

The rest of the journey went smoothly, and we followed our memory to find the path that led down to the sinkhole.

As evening approached, we returned to the tribe as planned.

Everything continued to operate smoothly as usual, the only change being that the tribe's granary had been expanded considerably.

The number of cellars used to store potatoes has increased from fifteen to as many as twenty.

The space inside isn't full of potatoes and other tubers yet, but I think it won't be long before it's completely filled.

That night, by the light of the fire in the cave, we reported the results of our investigation to the chief and the high priest.

First, I assessed the current size of the Haru population. The Haru are far more numerous than us; their numbers are at least three times greater.

The two were not too surprised to hear the news, but they frowned. The advantage in numbers had already been a disadvantage more than ten years ago, and they did not expect to make much of a difference in numbers now.

The leader waved his hand, signaling me to continue.

Then I took out a package that was wrapped tightly in leaves from my backpack.

As I unfolded the leaves, a faint, invigorating fragrance wafted out. I held the grayish-white mushroom up to the chief and the high priest and said,

"These are the mushrooms I found in those Haru plantations. Before they were picked, they had a heartbeat like animals and a strange fragrance. I wonder if you two recognize them?"

When the chief and the high priest heard my description and then took out the grayish-white mushroom in front of them, they immediately became agitated. The chief took the mushroom from my hand and examined it carefully for a while.

He then held it under his nose and sniffed it for a while. The leader and the high priest exchanged a glance and nodded at the same time.

I naturally noticed the expressions on the leaders' faces, and I was pretty sure they knew something. I didn't speak, waiting for the leaders to talk.

“We did see this kind of mushroom during our operation to exterminate the Haru tribe in cooperation with the Asaida tribe. Let me first tell you one of the uses of this mushroom.”

As he spoke, the leader, in our presence, picked up the mushroom, took a small bite, and swallowed it.

Only a short while later, the leader underwent a dramatic change. First, his eyes turned blood red, as if he were possessed.

Then something even more outrageous happened. The muscles on the leader's body seemed to be stimulated by an immense, mysterious force, and began to swell and harden, with veins bulging out like coiling dragons.

However, it was only the leader's body that underwent these strange, seemingly amplified changes; the calm aura still emanated from the depths of his eyes.

It seems that his mind was not affected by this thing, and he was still able to control his body and prevent it from going into a berserk state.

However, the leader seemed to have seen through our thoughts, sighed and shook his head for a moment, and then said,

"It's not what you think. It's just that I eat a small amount, so I can control its effects on me."