Chen Yang and his group walked for half a day before arriving at the bamboo forest.
This bamboo grove has been ravaged by several people; nearly half of it has been cut down. The once lush bamboo forest is now bare.
They replenished their water and food at the stream near the bamboo grove. The fishing basket by the stream did not disappoint them; there were actually three fish swimming inside.
"Let's have fish for lunch to reduce the consumption of dried meat," Chen Yang said.
They picked some wild fruit along the way, which, along with three small fish, was barely enough. It wasn't enough to fill them up, but it gave them enough energy to keep going.
It was still early, so they continued on their way after lunch.
They didn't go any further, because it would be difficult to get back to the cabin before dawn if they went any further.
"There's some wood sorrel here. Let's collect some; it'll make a nice side dish." Jiang Yining found a patch of grass and directed the others to collect quite a bit.
The advantage of traveling along the lake is the abundant vegetation, making it easy to find edible plants.
Besides plants, there were also many animals. As it got dark, Li Su'er shot a large bird.
"Is that a swan?"
Holding her prey, Li Su'er said with some confusion.
Jiang Yining glanced at it: "That's right, it's a swan. In reality, it's a protected animal."
"You're making me feel a little guilty."
"So, are you still going to eat?"
"eat!"
In the evening, under Li Su'er's skillful hands, the group ate the large bird with a guilty conscience. Because of their unease, they didn't really taste anything.
"These feathers can be used to make arrow fletchings, let's keep them," Ye Wu said.
This was Jiang Yining and Ye Wu's first time camping, so they were very excited.
Occasionally, you can hear birds chirping, insects buzzing, and sometimes even the sounds of animals.
"Alright, let's not waste energy and exit. Keep the supplies on your person so they don't get left in the micro-world," Chen Yang said.
Items worn on your person will disappear when you leave the micro-world and reappear when you enter. If you leave them on the ground, they will likely be snatched away by wild animals the next day.
The next day, they continued along the lake for several hours but still didn't find anything special. However, Jiang Yining collected a lot of plants to take back, saying they could be used as seasonings.
At noon, their road was blocked.
A swamp blocked their path, leaving them with a dilemma: whether to cross it or take a detour.
Crossing the swamp is very risky, as it is infested with creatures such as crocodiles, water snakes, and leeches, and the journey is difficult.
They don't know how long it would take to detour, as they know nothing about this place, and it might even take several days to get around.
"What do you all think?" Chen Yang asked.
“I suggest we go straight through the swamp; I want to see the crocodiles!” Li Su’er was the first to speak, but her words were not very convincing.
“I also support time travel. It looks like there’s still land inside. As long as we’re careful, we should be fine,” Ye Wu said.
Jiang Yining shook her head and said, "I don't agree. We don't know the size of the swamp, and I'm not familiar with it. If we can't find food in there, we'll be in big trouble and have to turn back soon."
Chen Yang gazed at the swamp in thought. He had brought dry wood and tinder for starting a fire, so starting a fire wasn't a problem. The main concern was the extreme danger of the swamp.
"Enter the swamp first. If you haven't found it by nightfall, retreat and come out tomorrow to find another way."
Chen Yang said.
"Boss, does finding an alligator count as a discovery?"
"You've been found out if your leg hasn't been bitten off."
"Okay, boss, I understand," Li Su'er said with a grin.
Having decided to enter the swamp, the group didn't delay any longer and chose a route that looked decent before venturing into this dangerous swamp.
The swamp was very humid, and even the mud underfoot was extremely wet. When you stepped in, the mud could reach above your ankles, making it very difficult to move forward.
However, the group preferred to wade in the mud rather than go into the water; at least the mud made them feel safer. In the water, they couldn't be sure if crocodiles or water snakes were beneath their feet.
If you are bitten by a crocodile, it will immediately begin a death roll. The powerful bite and the force of the roll can easily tear your leg off.
In the swamp, getting injured is very dangerous; even a small wound can lead to infection and kill you, so they have to be careful.
"There are so many mosquitoes."
Li Su'er was starting to regret her decision to enter the swamp; the constant harassment from mosquitoes was driving her to the brink of madness.
"There's a small piece of land ahead, and some dead wood. Let's go up there, make a fire, and rest for a bit," Chen Yang said, pointing to a clearing in the swamp.
This open space was the driest land they had encountered on their journey. It was on higher ground and had not been soaked by swamp water. There were also a few dead trees lying on the ground.
However, when they were halfway there, Ye Wu suddenly stopped and stared intently at a spot on the land.
Chen Yang and the others followed Ye Wu's gaze and immediately noticed something amiss.
On the edge of the land, there was a dark brown object that looked like a piece of wood buried in the soil. But upon closer inspection, it was clearly not wood at all, but a crocodile.
Its dense scales, slender mouth, and cold eyes made it look like an assassin lurking and waiting for its target.
Li Su'er shouted cheerfully, but when she actually encountered the crocodile, she became somewhat afraid.
After careful observation, Chen Yang determined that the crocodile was about one meter long and not a large crocodile.
He and Ye Wu exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement in each other's eyes.
“You two get onto land from over there, watch your step. Ye Wu, let’s go.”
Chen Yang took out a rope, tied one end to the spear, and made a knot at the other end.
Li Su'er hesitated for a moment, then was pulled onto land by Jiang Yining.
Chen Yang and Ye Wu slowly walked towards the crocodile.
"I'll put a gag over its mouth, you hold it down, and then I'll finish it off with a knife."
"Don't worry, I understand."
Most people know how to deal with crocodiles; many survival shows teach this.
The biggest weakness of crocodiles is their rear. An experienced person can leap up, hold the crocodile's mouth, use their own strength to stop the crocodile's death roll, and then plunge a knife into the crocodile's forehead.
The two approached one of the oldest species on Earth step by step, and the crocodile noticed them, slowly turning its body and watching them warily.
To be on the safe side, Chen Yang planned to use a noose to tie the crocodile's mouth, and then Ye Wu would restrict the crocodile's movements.
He extended his spear and slowly brought the noose close to the crocodile's mouth. Once the noose was on the crocodile's mouth, it would begin to writhe in agony, tightening the noose around its mouth even more.
"Chen Yang, there's one more!"
Just then, Jiang Yining suddenly shouted, making Chen Yang feel cold all over.
(End of this chapter)
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