From Robinson Crusoe

As time went by, Chen Zhou and Paul, who had just arrived in this place, gradually figured out the movement patterns of the giant beasts on the grassland.

Siberian bison primarily feed on grass, so they follow the grass wherever they go, and most of the time they can be spotted along the banks of lush, grassy rivers.

At this time, Siberia had not yet become the permafrost it would become in later years. Although the climate had clearly cooled down, it still retained a kind of African savanna-like atmosphere, and the sight of huge herds of cattle crossing the river together was spectacular.

As for mammoths, they also mainly eat grass, but they also use their noses to eat tender buds from trees.

During the day when the sun is at its strongest, the mammoth herd will rest in the shade of the sparse woodland or stand in the water to wet their fur and accompany the baby mammoths as they play in the water.

Mammoths seem to be more friendly than African elephants. Chen Zhou has seen other herbivores mixed with elephant herds more than once, including bighorn deer, a type of long-necked camel, and some smaller wild horses.

These herbivores, once fully grown, are about the same size as juvenile mammoths.

The baby elephant is full of curiosity about the world and often stumbles and runs towards other animals with its trunk swinging, looking for them to play.

Herbivores sheltered by mammoth herds are remarkably tolerant of baby elephants. Even if a calf deliberately disturbs their rest, they won't attack it; at most, they'll simply move to another feeding spot.

This was not only because mammoths deterred dangerous predators for them, but also because adult mammoths looked after the calves nearby.

These colossal creatures, with a shoulder height of up to 5 meters, resembled a small mountain when they walked. Throughout the entire history of biological evolution, they were rare giants on land. Once they survived the dangerous period of infancy, adult mammoths had virtually no natural enemies.

Both herbivores and carnivorous predators understood this, and therefore they always maintained the most basic respect for mammoth herds, which was also a respect for nature.

……

Herbivores were scattered along the banks of the river, while other creatures lived on the riverbanks, which clearly did not belong to ancient Siberia or the Mammoth Plain.

At the water's edge, Chen Zhou saw some giant turtles, their shells exceeding 1.2 meters in diameter, lying in twos and threes on the sun-heated riverbank, basking in the heat transmitted from the stars to the earth.

Perhaps due to their inability to adapt to the temperature differences in high-latitude regions, these giant tortoises all appeared listless.

When Chen Zhou and Paul passed by "Turtle Nest Beach", they chose a small sub-adult turtle. They lit a fire by the river to kill the giant turtle and then used its shell to make a turtle soup.

Without salt, the soup naturally doesn't taste very delicious, but fortunately the turtle meat is tender, so it still has a unique flavor.

Unfortunately, turtle shells are not metal and cannot withstand fire. Even though they were filled with water, they cracked after being used to stew a dish once and could not be reused.

Thanks to Topaur, the little saw-toothed tigers were able to eat these aquatic animals, a rare treat.

Compared to the tough raw venison, stewed turtle meat is obviously much softer and more tender, and can be bitten even if the turtles don't have all their teeth yet.

Paul carried the little ones on his back all morning, and the little ones, unable to hold their poop, "pooped" in the leather bag, making Paul's back stink.

During the midday break, Paul washed the leather bags by the river, leaving the task of feeding the meat to Chen Zhou.

The little guys defecated and urinated inside the bag, so they were naturally covered in feces and urine. Chen Zhou looked disgusted when he fed them meat.

The little creatures didn't seem friendly towards Chen Zhou either. If it weren't for the aroma of cooked meat attracting them, they probably wouldn't have dared to approach this man who exuded a murderous aura.

Paul ate a few pieces of meat here and there. It wasn't until he finished washing the leather bag and put it on the rocks by the river to dry that he returned to feed the baby tiger cubs. When they saw their "mother," the tigers became more lively and kept moving closer to Paul. They even rubbed the excrement and urine they had smeared on their bodies onto Paul's trouser legs, leaving him looking helpless.

……

Having barely slept all night, after lunch, Chen Zhou let Paul rest for a while, while he took a walk alone near Turtle Beach.

There are quite a few giant turtles by the water, as well as some monitor lizards that can reach 3.5 meters in length. They look similar to the Komodo dragons of later generations, with stout bodies, short legs, and they always walk with their mouths wide open, the stench of saliva between their sharp teeth can be smelled from a distance.

Chen Zhou speculated that they might be like Komodo dragons, with venom glands on the back of their jaws. Relying on their toxins and massive size, they were able to hunt some large herbivores.

However, even on this land transformed by the Time and Space Administration, the giant lizard, with its enormous size, cannot escape becoming food for other creatures.

For example, a giant bird that can reach up to 4.5 meters in height will use its sharp claws to hold down the neck of the monitor lizard and then swing its sharp beak to peck at the monitor lizard's eyes.

This bird resembles an ostrich but is much larger. When it runs, it flaps its short wings on its sides, creating an imposing presence.

Chen Zhou once saw a giant bird surrounded by a small group of cave hyenas. After pecking one of the cave hyenas to death, it easily escaped with its long legs.

His knowledge of paleontology was limited, and he speculated that the bird was most likely a swift bird or a crowned moa.

Compared to tiger cubs, this giant bird seems more suitable for domestication.

Although it is a carnivore, the missing hair on its neck suggests that it is a scavenger.

With its sharp beak, this giant bird would be no less powerful than a saw-toothed tiger, and it would be much larger. Once it reaches adulthood, it might even be rideable. It could carry Paul without much trouble, if not him.

However, it is still unclear whether this bird is intelligent or how fast it grows, and since a stable habitat has not yet been found, Chen Zhou is unable to put his ideas into practice.

……

Looking out over the open river, you can occasionally see tangled branches and withered grass and mud protruding slightly from the water's surface.

At first, Chen Zhou thought it was a natural rocky beach formed by silt or broken stones and sand from the river, but later he discovered that it was a dam built by a giant beaver.

These beavers were much larger than modern beavers, with each one easily approaching 2 meters in length.

They live in groups near the water and have a pair of huge, chisel-like incisors.

Although these dam-building "construction workers" have only been here a short time, they have already caused significant damage to the trees along the river.

However, because giant beavers are too heavy and their hind limbs are not as well-developed as those of modern beavers, they have difficulty walking on land. Therefore, they rarely go ashore except to collect building materials, and mostly stay in the water.

The buoyancy of water reduces the load they bear when moving.

The giant beavers mainly feed on fish, shellfish, and some aquatic plants in the river. By feeding on river fish, they accumulate a lot of fat, making them look round and plump when they swim. When they climb onto the embankment, their fat jiggles, making Chen Zhou envious.

Most of the animals that he and Paul could hunt on the grasslands did not have sufficient fat reserves, and they could not extract much oil from their bodies.

Especially for carnivores, their limited fat reserves are consumed during hunting.

Last night, when roasting the sawtooth tiger meat, both the thigh and rib meat were dry and tough. At that time, Chen Zhou was thinking that it would be better if he could put some oil on it. Now, seeing the giant beaver, he couldn't help but sigh that it was simply a group of moving oil cans.

Killing more beavers before the cold winter arrives not only yields thick, waterproof fur but also a large amount of high-quality fat.

The fat from these animals can be eaten and used as fuel for oil lamps. Combined with the nutritious meat of the giant beaver, each beaver is a living treasure trove. Even its huge, hard incisors can be knocked out and used as small shovels. ...

Worried that Paul might be in danger while fast asleep, Chen Zhou only walked around Turtle Beach to get a general understanding of the biota near the river before returning to the campfire.

Paul's nap conveniently avoided the hottest times of noon and afternoon.

As the sun began to set slightly westward, turning the grassland a golden hue, Chen Zhou woke Paul, fed the baby tigers one last time, then stuffed them into his still-dry leather bag and continued on his way.

……

After his physical condition changed, Chen Zhou's energy level also became extraordinary.

He has extremely high sleep efficiency, needing only about three hours of sleep a day to get plenty of energy. He slept in the shelter last night and stayed up until evening.

Before the sun completely set, to avoid being attacked by carnivorous beasts, Chen Zhou selected a temporary campsite in advance and lit a campfire early.

That night, there was no turtle shell pot available, so the two of them could only eat grilled food.

After catching several large fish along the river, and keeping enough for himself, Chen Zhou cut up the extra fish, removed the bones, and fed the fish meat to the little sawtooth tiger.

This was the third time Chen Zhou had fed the baby sawtooth tiger.

After the initial unfamiliarity, wariness, and fear, the sawtooth tiger cubs became familiar with Chen Zhou's scent and thus became more affectionate.

When Chen Zhou fed them meat by hand, the boldest of the sawtooth tiger cubs dared to come close to Chen Zhou's palm and gently lick his hand. The other two, although still a little timid, would stagger along with their older brother to beg for food from Chen Zhou.

Yesterday, when Paul wanted to raise these saw-toothed tigers, Chen Zhou felt disgusted, thinking they were a burden and an unnecessary hindrance.

Surrounded by the little guys, watching them cautiously show affection and gradually build trust in him, Chen Zhou felt as if he had returned to the deserted island, back to the time when Little Grey, Ti Zi, and Tiger Head were by his side.

However, these guys can't compare to Laifu, they're not as smart as him, and they're certainly not as loyal and brave as him—

Chen Zhou thought so.

While the little creatures were close together, he took the opportunity to grab the scruff of the tiger cubs' necks and check their sex.

He was shocked to discover this once he looked.

"Good heavens, they're all with eggs."

There are three tiger cubs in total, all of them male.

In other words, even among social animals like the Siberian tiger, if it were a solitary Siberian tiger, the mother tiger would work herself to death but still couldn't provide enough meat for her three big, fat cubs. During their growth, one or even two of the cubs would inevitably die from malnutrition and slow development. Even if they were lucky enough to survive, they would be much smaller than a solitary tiger.

Seeing that Chen Zhou was more friendly towards the little saw-toothed tiger, Paul's anxiety and guilt lessened considerably.

While tending the campfire, he grilled fish and tentatively asked a question.

"Should we give them names?"

Chen Zhou put down the smallest saw-toothed tiger in his hand, watched it run awkwardly toward its other two brothers, and gently shook his head.

"If you like, you can get up."

I'll stay up for the first half of the night. You can eat and then go to sleep. I'll wake you up in the second half of the night.

Taking a nap at noon took up a lot of time, and considering the detour, we only shortened the distance by about 11 kilometers from morning to night.

If we don't get a proper rest tonight and delay again tomorrow, it's like giving the challengers three days to prepare. With that much time, they could very well build some simple fortifications.

Moreover, things can change in the long run. Nobody knows when the airdrop will arrive. If the airdrop arrives before we even reach the target camp, we'll have to make a choice between the other challengers' survival tools and the airdrop supplies.

To avoid this situation, I advise you to get some rest early; I won't give you any extra rest time tomorrow.

After saying that, Chen Zhou pushed away the serrated tiger cub that was crawling towards him again, and casually grabbed a handful of wild grass from the side and threw it into the fire.

There are few trees along the riverbank, and although there is plenty of wild grass, it is not fire-resistant. Someone must watch the campfire all night long, otherwise it may go out. This is why Chen Zhou arranged to keep watch for the first half of the night.

Although Paul is stronger than the average person, he has been sleep-deprived and his rest quality has been poor these past two days. The short nap he took at noon today will only ensure that he has some energy for the afternoon's journey. If he is put on night watch, he might forget to refuel and fall asleep towards the end.

This is similar to driving while fatigued. Short naps don't solve the problem at all. The energy you feel after sleeping is only temporary, and your body hasn't actually recovered.

The first half of the night on the grassland is the peak time for predators. Chen Zhou couldn't guarantee that he could catch the sounds or smells of wild animals at any time. If something went wrong due to improper planning, he would regret it.

……

Sleeping on the grassland and sleeping on the mountaintop are completely different experiences.

Very few herbivores abandon the plains where food is plentiful to inhabit the sparsely vegetated high mountains. As a result, carnivores in high-altitude areas have also become scarce.

The grass principle is the opposite.

Having witnessed various colossal beasts during the day, I have come to deeply understand just how dangerous this land is.

As night fell, listening to the roars of beasts carried by the wind across the grassland, interspersed with the screams of predators, the bleating warnings of the great elk, the flapping of waterbirds' wings, and the sounds of wild animals diving into the water, Chen Zhou remained constantly on edge.

The bright firelight illuminated the riverbank, but could not illuminate the deep darkness that enveloped the Mammoth Plain.

The flickering flames brought warmth, giving people a sense of security in this wasteland more than 10,000 years ago.

They kept watch until late at night. Only after confirming that no wild animals were near the campfire did Chen Zhou wake Paul, who was sleeping with his little saw-toothed tiger. Paul rolled up some wild grass into a pillow and, with the sound of water and wind as his pillow, forced himself to fall asleep with a last bit of vigilance.

……

Without a sturdy and stable shelter, even resting is much less efficient than usual.

If not for his special bodily functions, this brief sleep would not have been enough for Chen Zhou to recover his energy.

After another sleepless night, just as dawn broke the next day, before Paul could even wake him, Chen Zhou got up on his own and set off on his journey again, bathed in the faint morning light. (End of Chapter)