There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Chapter 288 Three Horses and One Person

The cheetah's entire body is covered in apricot or yellow fur, with large, incomplete black rings on its back and sides, interspersed with dark brown spots. Upon closer inspection, one can see that the cheetah's fur is fine, soft, and even, with clear markings, vibrant colors, and a smooth, silky feel to the touch…

It's such a waste to leave a dead cheetah to rot; it's such a waste of its beautiful fur.

So I carefully peeled off the leopard skin with the blade of my arm guard, brought it back, and after a simple tanning, it became a pretty good haul.

A leopard skin is definitely smaller than a horsehide, so it certainly wouldn't be suitable as a blanket. If resources allowed, I'd like to make a fur coat for nighttime warmth. However, looking at this leopard skin, I simply don't know how to plan, cut, or assemble it, so I'll have to give up.

Finally, I trimmed the irregularities around the edges, and used the fur from the two front paws to make ties. Once tied in a knot in front of the neck, it would become a brightly colored dustproof cloak.

…………

As dusk fell, Cheetah One sat quietly atop a tall mound of termites, the setting sun tinging its pale yellow body with orange-red. It glanced around from time to time, its body twisted into an S-shape, resembling a fine bronze sculpture, coldly watching the approaching horde of creatures.

Not far away, three wild horses stood close together, heads facing outwards and rumps close together, their front hooves unconsciously pounding the ground, kicking up clouds of dust, glaring restlessly at Cheetah One. It was the first time I'd noticed that this flamboyant wild horse actually possessed a certain leader's authority; its sharp hair revealed a piercing gaze.

Just as the air between the two sides grew increasingly tense and the atmosphere of battle intensified, I suddenly flew out from the center of the arena and kicked the cheetah that was squatting on a pile of termites, looking all cool.

Cheetah One rolled and slid down the slope, its usually pampered fur now covered in dust. It twisted its limbs, rolled over, and was about to roar. But the moment it saw the cheetah cloak on me, it instantly cowered, its roar turning into a pitiful whimper, and it unconsciously took two steps back.

I didn't care what it thought, and carried the cheetah towards the sea. Judging from its weight, the cheetah weighed only about 60 or 70 kilograms, similar to the weight of an adult, but its limbs were long and slender, and when I carried it, its front and back legs swayed as if it were swinging on a swing.

I scolded him with great dissatisfaction, "It's almost dark, and you're still posing here? Go do something productive! We feed you meat every day, and you don't want to work. Do you think you're a bunch of capitalists who come here to exploit workers?"

Then I shouted at the stunned wild horse, "You guys, don't run around! Go get to work later, and you'd better eat your fill first!"

The three wild horses were trained to lower their heads and graze, pretending to be little rabbits just peeking out of their burrows, knowing nothing. These animals seem to be a bit too intelligent; aside from their lack of enthusiasm for work, they are just as capable as humans when it comes to getting things done.

Anyway, the animals tamed by the colonizer system won't fight each other or prey on each other. They just pose for a bit, like thugs calling their gangs to stand on opposite sides of the road and yell at each other. When they get tired of yelling, they go to an internet cafe to play games together, which is a huge waste of time.

These bastards are forming cliques right in front of me, aren't they a little crazy?

This is factionalism!

Not advisable!

I carried the cheetah to the beach and threw it into the water, treating the ocean like my own fully automatic washing machine.

The cheetah stood in the water looking aggrieved, trembling as it tentatively moved its front paws toward the shore, trying to escape its control little by little.

I pretended not to see it, turned my head and whistled, took off my leopard-skin cloak to clean the dust off it, and patted it carefully with my hands.

When I turned around, I found that Cheetah One was already obediently soaking in the seawater, skillfully gliding through the waves, with slicks of oil rising from the bottom...

Just how dirty are these cheetahs normally?!

"Stop pretending. Cheetahs and tigers can clearly swim. If you don't get clean, I'll hang you from a tree and let you dry like a cheetah paper!"

This leopard also had Oscar-worthy acting skills, successfully playing a pitiful house cat that didn't want to get wet, and almost fooled me as well.

In the public's perception, felines don't like water. However, some are adept at swimming, such as tigers, cheetahs, and lynxes; others enjoy swimming, the most representative being the fishing cat, which can swim and catch fish with ease.

Because cats' ancestors were African wildcats that lived in the African desert, they were not familiar with water.

The reason these leopards were covered in a foul odor and refused to bathe was probably because of the large temperature difference in the desert. If their bodies were too wet, their body temperature would drop at night, so they wouldn't spontaneously take a shower.

But if you don't shower when you get here, won't my room stink every day?

Seeing the leopard's reluctant expression, I simply took matters into my own hands and washed it thoroughly from head to toe, even cleaning its mouth with seaside plants.

Throughout the entire process of me brushing its teeth while pinching its face, Cheetah One obediently kept its mouth open, revealing its sharp teeth. It was also very careful when moving its sharp canines, not daring to have any thought of hurting me.

If it weren't for the miraculous function of the colonizer system, we would still be mortal enemies, seeing each other as thorns in our side.

After cleaning the cheetah, I took it back inside to let its fur dry. Leopard fur is very fine and dense, and it has little oil content, making it not waterproof. Once it gets wet, it doesn't dry easily, and it's prone to catching a cold at night.

But as soon as I let go, the cheetah nimbly landed on all fours, then took a short running start and leaped onto the roof of the bar, standing majestically against the setting sun, its figure as imposing as a sphinx...

If you hadn't been pretending to be a cat just now, I would have definitely fallen for your trick again.

"I'm going to buy some oranges. You stay here and don't move."

Cheetah One tilted its head and glanced at me, a fleeting look of disdain in its eyes.

"...I mean, you just stay here and watch the house, don't let the animals come over and bully those two living statues over there. I'm going outside to find something."

It's a shame there were no fish on the beach today. So I'm planning to take the wild horse to explore the surrounding area, replenish our depleted logs, and maybe even find some other resources. If I delay any longer, I won't have any wood to start a campfire tomorrow.

I placed several baskets and bags woven from agave and sea coconut leaves on the back of the punk horse. Another horse carried a bundle of arrows, and a third carried food for the road.

The uniquely styled trio of horses and one person walked away into the distance, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun...

For some reason, I seemed to hear the background music of "Love and hate rise in the sea of ​​suffering, and fate is inescapable in this world".

Hmm? It sounds like someone's saying behind my back, "That guy looks like a dog..."

I'm not going on a pilgrimage!

Chapter 289 Paradise

The professional team continued their silent march northward.

Since these wild horses are not yet fully domesticated and there are no saddles or bridles available, I cannot ride a saddleless horse to travel far away for the time being. I can only follow behind these wild horses, following their tracks.

Four legs can walk faster than two legs, so by extension, fourteen legs can walk faster than twelve legs on a horse. Our combination of three horses and one person is definitely the fastest solution!

I'm a genius at logic!

Before this trip, I took out that nearly dried-out wild herb and placed it in front of the punk horse's nose to indicate that I was going to find this thing.

To me, these wild horses are basically like dogs kept at the tavern, responsible for guarding the place and occasionally carrying my slipper around.

The wild horses sniffed the air and began to waddle along. Once tamed, they offered no resistance. The three horses lined up, allowing me to load the goods and carry me to an unknown destination in the distance.

But the road was farther than I had imagined.

Walking north along the dirt road in front of my house, I only saw sparse dragon blood trees, robust cacti, and lifeless withered grass lying on the ground. The monotonous roadside scene made me drowsy, and before I knew it, that huge satellite, like a scarlet pupil, had risen above the horizon, slowly illuminating the vast land.

As you continue walking, the ground becomes increasingly uneven, with many hills quietly rising up, exposing the jagged rocks and boulders on the mountain ridges, like rough scars on the body of an ancient giant, which will neither continue to worsen nor ever heal.

The terrain here has entered a hilly area, and the environment is becoming increasingly complex. I found quite a few acacia trees at the foot of the mountain and collected some timber for temporary use on the way back. I plan to collect the rest on the return trip to reduce the burden of the journey.

I initially thought this was just an ordinary exploration, and I didn't have high expectations. I also thought it was impossible to find any resources so easily.

This dirt road, which seemed to be a trade route, wound its way through fragmented hills. We slowly climbed up another uneven uphill road, which seemed to have no end.

The wild horse carried me along the desolate mountain path, and after a long, lonely, and unsteady journey, it paused slightly after crossing a mountain ridge.

I was so engrossed in climbing the mountain that I bumped into the backside of a wild horse in front of me and came to a stop. When I looked up, I was met with an unexpected scene that shook me to my core.

…………

In the dim moonlight, a shadow that blotted out the sky appeared in my field of vision!

The dark shadow, like an unclean melody in a concerto, or a low murmur playing across this land, obscured a deserted valley. It was too vast, too oppressive; looking up, it was almost impossible to tell whether the shadow was collapsing to the ground.

I gripped my bow and arrow tightly, staring intently at the dark shadow before me. My eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, which was even more oppressive than the night itself. From the red light in the sky, I could discern that it was a massive man-made structure…

This completely surprised me!

Why would there be such a magnificent building in this wild valley?

Judging from the familiar disc shape and antenna, this is a giant metal frame tens of meters high and hundreds of meters wide, covered with a dense grid, making people appear as insignificant as dust in its presence...

This is clearly an abandoned radar station!

The massive radar is dead; its broken frame is covered with impact cracks and corrosion marks, likely abandoned decades ago, silently disappearing along with the desolate wilderness.

The wild horses watched this scene with unperturbed interest. To them, seeing this magnificent building was no more surprising than seeing a tree bearing fruit.

This suddenly made me feel a sense of loneliness, because only I could feel the profound meaning behind this building.

After descending the ridge, we came to a very messy path. It was a long wall made up of all sorts of discarded household items; it was practically a miniature mountain range!

What's even stranger is that this valley is filled with unnamed trees and overgrown weeds, a stark contrast to the desolation outside. It seems to suggest that glory and dreams, survival and death, are separated by only a fine line in the face of nature.

After passing through a grove of trees, a tiered bleachers came into view. It turned out that the field I had been walking through was actually a flat cement plaza, abandoned long ago. This lonely yet glorious place was covered with fallen leaves, the roof materials of the buildings on both sides had long since rotted away, and a few streetlights and outdoor machinery lay dejectedly on the ground, their once bright paint now mottled and worn, and the exposed wires could only sway slightly in the wind.

The road we were walking on had become a broken asphalt road, and a fork in the road led us deeper into the valley and into a darker shadow.

Even amidst the abundance of waste, there's no need for incinerators here, as the silicate cement from the city's buildings, streets, and ports has weathered into sand, and the steel and profiles have rusted into metal slag. The low-lying buildings in the shadows resemble shrubs growing under giant trees, their architectural style carrying a sense of oppression and humility, willingly concealing themselves as mere accompaniments to grander structures.

Without a doubt, this was once a radar base! It had a huge radar, complete ground equipment, and living and activity areas for staff, all working together to maintain the normal operation of a huge system.

I knocked on the wall of a roadside building and could tell it was made of limestone cut and pieced together. It was sturdy, durable, and readily available, and even when facing the erosion of time, it maintained its desolate and unyielding appearance.

Unfortunately, these houses are now completely empty. It's unclear whether they were emptied during the evacuation or looted by scavengers. However, there are no remains inside, making it impossible to determine why they were abandoned.

The wild horses led the way, and when the punk-style wild horse noticed that I had stopped, it took two steps back and nibbled at the hem of my clothes with its teeth, signaling me to follow it.

I dropped the building debris in my hand and continued deeper into the ground. What came into view was a huge hole, like the gaping maw of an abyss. The ground had collapsed into a wide ramp that stretched on and on. The closer we got to this hole, the more noticeable the humid air became. It rushed out of the hole and clung to our bare skin, nourishing our long-dry skin.

"Is there water in here?"

I secretly rejoiced at my decision today. Could this be a hidden mountain base? With water and trees, it could be a natural treasure, a veritable paradise!

The deep pit in front of us seemed to extend into the ground. Apart from the misty air, there was no trace of water flow, and the entrance to the pit was gradually narrowing.

Three wild horses stopped on a slope ahead, neighing at me as if seeking praise. At their feet grew a patch of green-leaved and blue-flowered plants of varying sizes, which was exactly what I was looking for: wild medicinal herbs!

Chapter 290 Adapting to Local Conditions

Item Name: Wild Herbs

Item Description: A slow-growing plant with healing properties. Because this wild plant is very difficult to cultivate but has significant healing effects, it is valued by many tribal groups who are attempting to cultivate it on a large scale.

Nutritional value of the item: 0.13

Growth time: 10 days

Characteristics: Harvestable, limited lifespan

Fertilization requirement: 100%

Fertilization sensitivity: 100%

Lifespan: 80 days

Harvesting output: 1”

It really is a herbal medicine!