12 Chapter 12 Shrubbery_1

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Originally, he didn't know how to deal with the bodies of the two wolves, but luckily, "The Servant's Book" immediately vibrated slightly. Upon opening it, a new mission appeared.

To sacrifice the two wolves to the great Demon Egg would grant him twenty contribution points.

As for the method of sacrifice, all he had to do was drag them in front of the statue to the Array, and recite a somewhat lengthy incantation.

He immediately dragged them in, positioned them properly, and then, holding the book, began to recite the incantation; after many attempts, he finally succeeded.

A black Magic Power vortex appeared in the center of the Array, swept away the bodies of the two wolves, and then the ritual was over.

The twenty contribution points were now in hand.

Being able to kill two wolves indicated that Ma Lin had acquired some survival skills.

He began to feel an intense itch all over his body. His head hadn't been washed in many days, nor had his body, and with such significant physical exertion, he now reeked from head to toe.

A bath was absolutely necessary.

First, he emptied the ceramic pot used for defecation, which had turned into something like a clump of pitch-black muddy water. It was also a miraculous thing.

He poured it outside the cave, to the left, near a young sapling.

As a result, he discovered that it was indeed useful; the sapling immediately bore a small stamina fruit, which fell, and he caught it.

So that was how it worked.

He pocketed the fruit, cleaned the ceramic pot with snow, and then set it out to dry in the sun.

He fetched three wooden buckets and headed to the small stream to the northeast.

Now braver, he no longer feared ordinary wild animals.

From a distance, he saw a jackal drinking water. It was scared off by Ma Lin.

Most of the stream was frozen over, except for a small part that was steaming, as there was a hot spring below.

Ma Lin didn't hesitate, stripped off his clothes, and jumped in to bathe.

Without soap or anything similar, it was inconvenient, but at least it helped remove some of the sweat smell.

His body was covered with a thick layer of grime.

His dagger was laid at hand, in case a fierce beast approached and he needed to defend himself.

The clothes he took off were stinking too, a smell that made one not want to put them back on at all.

The undershirt was soaked in the water first. The large fur coat, having no replacement, was left as it was.

Having a strong physique and a certain level of frost resistance, and with the warmth of the hot spring, he soaked for over an hour before climbing out.

He put on the coat directly, carrying the wet underwear and shirt with him.

Filling all three wooden buckets with water, he carried them back.

From a distance, he saw three wolves circling his cave. Carrying on confidently, he scared them all away.

He thought to himself, if they didn't run fast enough, he would not hesitate to slaughter them.

Being blocked by wolves at his door was exceedingly annoying recently.

However, he understood that the living conditions here were still perilous, and caution was the best policy.

Reciting the command, "I am the Master's canine servant," the door of the cave opened automatically, and he placed the water buckets inside. He took a sapling that looked like a broom and swept the floor, then cleaned the wooden tub, wooden bowls, spoon, and the ceramic pot.

He hung the shirt on a tree.

Then he went to the stone ridge with his tooth-dagger and harvested a good amount of firewood, piling it up inside the cave.

His confidence had increased substantially, and he felt that with some care, he should be able to survive here. His hunting ability was passable, and he wouldn't be bullied in a fight.

So, he began to consider more problems.

First, he felt very uncomfortable with his current living conditions; the firewood piled in the cave, which was also his bedroom, looked dirty and messy. There were no rats or bugs, but he wished his dwelling could be cleaner.

Then there was the lack of soap, which made bathing and washing clothes inconvenient; he had no change of clothes; the pots and buckets were unsatisfactory, and there was no water tank.

He had also run out of meat recently, having eaten demon corn for several days in a row; it was time to replenish his food supply.

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Fortunately, the "Book of Servants" understood his thoughts and responded.

Isn't there a large patch of tall grass to the southwest, where a mineral that can be used as soap resides, and another that can serve as salt?

The hide from the sheep in the grass could be used for making leather clothing.

In the shrubbery to the northwest, there is a type of wood suitable for making barrels and wooden pots, as well as water tanks. Water stored in them tends not to spoil.

He started collecting these items right away.

First, he went to the tall grass in the southwest, carefully entering it.

He encountered a leopard, and both were startled. It showed no interest in him, probably due to an abundance of food.

Indeed, there were quite a few sheep in the grass, but since he wasn't skilled in stealth, he found it difficult to approach them.

The solution he came up with was to fasten a strand of magic power string across a path as a tripwire, then drive the flock of sheep from the opposite direction. He tripped one, rushed over quickly, and finished it off.

Not far from this path, he found the minerals suitable for soap and salt, and took some of each.

The sheep was very large.

If he hadn't been quite strong now, he really wouldn't have been able to carry it.

He discovered his vision was quite good, as he could easily spot a leopard hiding in such grass. Additionally, his hearing and sense of smell were better than before; it seemed that the 'demonic strength' awarded by the egg was at work.

He dragged the sheep back to the cave and began to skin it outside, process the innards, and then make smoked meat.

The smell of blood and cooking meat attracted a tiger. Ma Lin wasn't sure if he could defeat it, but it was clear the tiger was afraid of fire.

This was good news.

He didn't know how to process leather, but the "Book of Servants" had a very good method. For the cost of ten contribution points, a large enough animal hide could be transformed into a coat that adjusts its size automatically, which was said to have high comfort and warmth.

So he processed the sheepskin in that way. Now he had a new coat, slightly inferior to the old one in terms of aesthetics, comfort, and warmth, but it was indeed a good coat.

Before the meat was fully smoked, he went back to the creek to bathe and wash his clothes.

The soap was particularly effective, and he was in a great mood.

On the way back, he saw the tiger was still observing his cooking meat from two hundred meters away.

Ma Lin figured it must not be lacking in food, given the abundance of prey nearby. It probably wouldn't have problems catching its own. Could it be that it liked the smell of roasted meat?

So, he cut off a leg of lamb, sprinkled it with salt, and approached the tiger. He stopped about fifty meters away, put the meat down, and then backed off. This was because the tiger had clearly seen him bathing and washing his clothes, yet it had not disturbed him.

The tiger dragged the meat to the side and began to chew on it, seemingly finding it delicious.

It wasn't greedy either, leaving as soon as it finished eating.

Ma Lin then started on his lunch.

After eating his fill, he rested well, as he had been quite busy lately. The wolves blocking his door had forced him into constant battle training these past days, confining all his activities to the small cave—such frustration.

He took the smoked meat inside the cave, fearful that some animal might steal it.

Next, he went to the shrubbery in the northwest to see if he could find anything useful.

A new task emerged from the "Book of Servants."

It seemed that over twenty spices could be found there, and there was a type of thorn bush suitable for cultivation, acting as a fence.

The word "fence" lifted his spirits considerably.

Life would be so much easier with a fence. He had been trapped in the cave twice by wild animals at the door, inconveniently unable to leave even to go to the toilet, and many household items couldn't be left outside. A fence would solve a lot of problems.

He headed northwest immediately, moving at a rapid pace, arriving in half an hour.

Now bolder, he was not as afraid of predators.

Being the snowy season, it was quite cold, so poisonous snakes and insects should not come out to bite.

He proceeded cautiously through the shrubbery, cutting a path with his canine dagger when necessary—this dagger was incredibly handy.

Guided by the book, he found over twenty spices, collecting some of each and stuffed them into a deer hide bag. He also gathered two types of seeds said to be plantable in his own yard.