The next morning, the first rays of sunlight shone through the windows of the wooden house, casting dappled patterns on Lin Feng's face.
He slowly opened his eyes, a sense of unprecedented satisfaction filling his heart.
Last night, the light from the oil lamp, though not as bright as modern electric lights, did indeed dispel the darkness and bring a long-lost sense of civilization.
He stretched, and his joints made a slight cracking sound.
As he sat up, his gaze immediately fell on the small table by the window.
The glass he had hand-blown, though simple in design, held profound significance, refracted a soft halo in the morning light.
The tiny air bubbles and uneven thickness on the cup wall now appeared to him as unique marks.
He picked up the cup; it was slightly cool to the touch, but the texture was much smoother than the ceramic bowls he had used before.
The half-cup of herbal hot drink left over from last night had gone cold, but he still held it up to the light and admired it for a moment.
The transparent cup allows him to clearly see the color and sediment of the drink, something unimaginable before.
He looked at the glass oil lamp again; the wick had long since gone out, but a trace of soot remained on the lampshade.
This small item represents a big step he has taken toward a more comfortable life.
“It’s not just about light and containers,” Lin Feng murmured to himself, “it’s about control, it’s about creation.”
He took a deep breath of the cool morning air, his heart filled with the ambition to continue exploring and transforming the world.
After a quick wash and breakfast—still roasted meat and some stored wild fruit—Lin Feng began to seriously consider his next plan.
The wooden house was sturdy enough, and pottery and glassware solved basic living needs.
Their food sources currently rely mainly on hunting and gathering, but the variety is relatively limited and is greatly affected by the season and luck.
Clothing remains a problem for him; while animal hides are warm, their processing and sewing are relatively rough, and their comfort is limited.
"Improving the quality of life begins with increasing food diversity and stability, followed by improvements in clothing, and then further advancements in tools."
"Perhaps it's time to explore some more distant places."
He muttered to himself, his previous activities mainly confined to the valleys and streams near the cabin, with little knowledge of the environment further out. Perhaps, in different terrains and landforms, he could discover more useful resources.
Having made up his mind, Lin Feng began preparing to set off.
He inspected his bow and arrows, carefully sharpening the arrowheads with a whetstone and the skinning knife he carried with him.
They filled the animal skin water bag with clean water and also brought some roasted dried meat as provisions.
He also brought along the simple ironwood blowpipe. Although it wasn't a weapon, the fire-resistant clay coating on the front made it hard enough to serve as a short stick in an emergency.
He chose a different direction than before—going upstream along the stream and then crossing a not-too-high ridge, which was a more flat area with more sunshine.
He vaguely remembered glimpsing what appeared to be different vegetation over there once while chasing prey.
Despite the rugged mountain path, Lin Feng's steps were steady and powerful. His long-term wilderness survival experience had greatly improved his physical strength and endurance.
He sometimes climbed using vines, sometimes leaped over rocks in the stream, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily, not missing a single suspicious movement.
After crossing the ridge, the view suddenly opened up before us.
This is a sunny, gentle slope where the sunlight shines down without any obstruction, making the temperature here significantly higher than in the valley.
The vegetation also differs from the dense forests in the valley, which are dominated by tall trees. Here, more shrubs and herbs grow, and the air is filled with a complex aroma that blends various plants.
Lin Feng was delighted; this kind of environment was most likely to breed all sorts of strange plants.
He slowed his pace and carefully observed each plant at his feet.
Soon, a plant emitting a strong, spicy aroma caught his attention.
This plant is not tall, about half a meter, with oval leaves that have fine serrations along the edges and are covered with a layer of fine white down.
What's most distinctive is its stem, which has a pale purplish-red color.
Lin Feng plucked a leaf, rubbed it between his fingers, and a strong aroma resembling a mixture of ginger and pepper immediately filled his nostrils, invigorating him.
"This is..." Lin Feng's heart stirred. He squatted down and carefully removed the soil at the base of the plant.
Sure enough, beneath the shallow soil, he found several irregular, pale yellow tuberous rhizomes that resembled ginger in some ways, but with a smoother skin and a more intense spiciness.
He recalled seeing wild ginger plants in some food documentaries in his previous life, many of which had unique flavors and medicinal value.
He dared not try it rashly, but the strong aroma gave him a feeling that this stuff was very useful, at least as a powerful seasoning to add some flavor to his roasted meat.
He carefully dug up a few plants with a knife, cleaned the soil off the roots and stems, wrapped them in large leaves, and put them into his animal skin bag.
He didn't dig it all up, but left some to ensure the plant could continue to thrive there.
This is the rule he learned in the wilderness—to take, but even more importantly, to consider the long term. He tentatively named this "Wild Spices."
As Lin Feng continued exploring, he discovered that the ecology of this gentle slope was far richer than he had imagined.
With ample sunshine and adequate water, all sorts of exotic flowers and plants thrive.
In a sheltered little gully, he saw a vine-like plant.
The stems of this vine are very tough, dark brown in color, and have fine longitudinal striations on the surface.
Its leaves are heart-shaped and glossy. What attracts Lin Feng are its drooping, dry pods, which, when split open, reveal snow-white, cotton-like fibers inside.
Lin Feng reached out and tugged at the fibers, finding them exceptionally strong and of good length. He pulled hard, and several fibers remained taut without breaking.
"Could this... be some kind of natural cotton substitute?"
Lin Feng was overjoyed.
He had been struggling to find suitable materials to make more comfortable clothing. Animal hides were warm, but they were not breathable and were time-consuming and laborious to process.
If this fiber could be spun, it would be a huge breakthrough.
He even thought that the fiber could be twisted into stronger ropes for making better traps or reinforcing wooden houses, with a wide range of uses.
He carefully collected some mature, split pods, and meticulously observed the vine's growth habits, noting its characteristics so that he could collect it in large quantities later. He named the plant "Resilient Vine".
Just as Lin Feng was immersed in the joy of discovering new resources, an unusual rustling sound came from the bushes not far away.
The sound was very soft, but Lin Feng's hearing had been trained to be exceptionally sharp.
He immediately stopped what he was doing, gripped the skinning knife at his waist warily, and quietly took the bow off his back with his other hand.
He held his breath and slowly moved toward the source of the sound. The bushes were dense, obscuring his view.
He parted a branch and peered through the gap.
In a small clearing behind the bushes, he saw an animal he had never seen before munching on something.
The animal was not large, slightly larger than a common hare, but smaller than a fox.
Its entire body is covered with an extremely beautiful coat, the color of which is very peculiar. It is not a single color, but a bluish-purple color with a flowing metallic sheen, shimmering with a mesmerizing luster in the sunlight.
Its ears are long and stand erect alertly, while its tail is short, like a fluffy little ball.
What is most striking are its limbs, especially its hind limbs, which appear unusually thick and powerful, disproportionate to its small body.
Lin Feng's heart began to race.
That fur! If I could get my hands on it, whether it's made into a vest or used to decorate his bed, it would be an absolute gem.
Moreover, judging from its well-developed hind legs, it must be extremely fast, and its meat must be of very good quality.
However, just as Lin Feng was about to draw his bow and nock an arrow, the strange blue-purple beast seemed to sense something and suddenly raised its head.
Its eyes were crimson, like two burning embers, creating a stark contrast with its cold, dark fur.
The moment their eyes met, Lin Feng felt a strange chill rise from the bottom of his heart.
That wasn't the fear a wild beast shows when facing a hunter; instead, it carried a hint of scrutiny and...warning?
Before Lin Feng could react, the little beast pushed off the ground with its hind legs and shot out like a blue-purple lightning bolt.
Its speed was beyond imagination. Almost in the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the distant dense forest, leaving only a blade of grass that was trampled and swaying slightly.
Lin Feng remained frozen in place, still in the bow-drawing posture.
"Such speed!"
He lowered his bow, deeply shocked. With his current archery skills and reflexes, even if he had fired that arrow just now, he would have had absolutely no chance of hitting the target.
Moreover, that last glance from the little beast bothered him. It didn't look like the eyes of an ordinary wild animal.
He walked to the spot where the little beast had been munching and found some broken plant tubers scattered on the ground, which were the "wild spice" he had just discovered.
"So it eats this too."
Lin Feng seemed to be deep in thought. This little beast was so fast, and it fed on spicy "wild spices," so its meat must be quite extraordinary.
He secretly memorized this blue-purple beast and named it "Phantom".
He had a premonition that his connection with this "phantom" would not end so easily.
Although he missed the "Phantom", the discovery of "Wild Spices" and "Resilient Vine" made Lin Feng feel that the trip was worthwhile.
He didn't venture any further, as he wasn't familiar with the area. For safety's sake, he decided to return to the cabin with today's catch.
On the way back, Lin Feng was in a cheerful and expectant mood. He was already planning how to make use of these newly discovered treasures.
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