Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The Rainy Season Arrives
Time passed unconsciously, and the weather became increasingly hot, seemingly heralding the arrival of early summer.
Looking far and wide, everything was lush green; even the previously barren valley wasn’t as desolate as Wang Wu had imagined, with patches of wild grass emerging here and there.
Of course, this required a closer look; from a distance, it still appeared desolate.
In such circumstances, the ten shrub seedlings and five grafted fruit saplings planted by Wang Wu were genuinely thriving.
The shrubs not only reached a height of over thirty centimeters, but their roots also began to cluster, showing signs of forming a small thicket.
As for the five fruit saplings, they stood gracefully, having occasionally been infused with Spiritual Qi by Wang Wu. They had now grown to a noticeable height of half a meter, clearly distinct from regular shrubs.
Of course, he was most concerned about the nine berry seeds, which, under the influence of Spiritual Qi, had all sprouted and rooted, breaking through the soil with vigor.
With such growth, in a month or two, he might have the chance to taste the berries.
That is, if no migrating swarms like the Iron-Teeth Flying Locusts or Devil Vine pass through.
So, in reality, Wang Wu didn’t hold much expectation.
He understood that without sufficient strength, he couldn’t protect the fragile ecological circle he was building. This time was just a trial, to gain experience; if it could survive and expand, all the better.
If it were unfortunately destroyed, it would still be within his expectations.
During this period, the immediate benefits he received still primarily came from the daily Golden Three Minutes.
In the past half month, aside from three rainy days, every other day brought him abundant gains. He absorbed Golden Particles for twelve days in total, with daily spiritual Qi intake stabilizing at 80 points. After allocating Spiritual Qi to the shrub seedlings, fruit saplings, and berry seedlings, he accumulated 780 points of Spiritual Qi.
With these points, Wang Wu prioritized enhancing his weaknesses.
For instance, Physical Strength and agility.
He successively raised his Physical Strength to 300 points and agility to 15 points, consuming 280 points of Spiritual Qi in total.
As for the remaining 500 points of Spiritual Qi, after much deliberation, he added it all to the Defense Attribute.
Raising it from 16 points to 21 points in one go.
The reason being, he was still enveloped in the fear instilled by the Big Mountain Cat.
That creature was too fast, its speed only leaving afterimages.
Even if the Big Mountain Cat was unlikely to come south, and even if it did, it might not find him, the number of Little Demons in these vast mountains was vast. What would he do if he ran into such an enemy by bad luck?
The Passive Concealment Talent ultimately had its drawbacks.
Danger Perception couldn’t preemptively detect all enemies, often sensing them at the same time they sensed him.
So increasing defense was the top priority.
According to his past battle data, his 1 point of defense could exempt 3 points of damage.
With 21 points of defense, he could exempt 63 points of damage, which was quite decent.
Wang Wu even thought that he should aim to increase his Defense Attribute to 30 points next.
And it didn’t seem difficult; bask under the sun for a dozen days, absorb 1000 points of spiritual Qi, and it would be sufficient.
However, just as Wang Wu was imagining the future, rolling dark clouds gathered from the southeast, spreading out, and distant thunder rumbled.
He didn’t pay much attention; summer was here, and frequent rain wasn’t unusual, right?
What he should consider was what to do if flash floods occurred?
Did he need to relocate his seedlings?
That night, the drizzle began, initially light, but by the next morning, it turned into moderate rain.
The world became a misty expanse, with no thunder to be heard, only the continuous sound of rain.
At this time, hiding in the rock crevices, Wang Wu had the leisure to reminisce about last year’s scenes, reminiscing about the White Rat and Flame Scorpion King.
But when the rain continued from morning to evening and then from evening to the next morning with no sign of stopping, he finally confirmed, the rainy season had arrived.
He specifically went out to check, and found no major flood in the valley; although the stream swelled, it posed no threat to his shrubs and fruit saplings, let alone the berry seedlings.
Then, a thought finally began to form in Wang Wu’s mind.
Because in such rain, he could clearly feel that his Level 6 Danger Perception was declining, and if this was the case for him, it was probably the same for other Little Demons.
So, should he take this opportunity to go to the North Mountain or the southern forest to get some meat?
Heaven knew he hadn’t had a decent meal in nearly a month, and his Growth had decreased significantly, leaving him gaunt and emaciated.
"Let’s first check the southern forest; catching a big fish would be great."
Wang Wu quickly made up his mind, instinctively avoiding the direction of the North Mountain, still fearing the Big Mountain Cat.
Following the swollen stream, Wang Wu went downstream, staying highly alert while also observing his condition.
His Life Value had long recovered, now at 310 points.
His Physical Strength, due to malnutrition, was consistently maintained at around 240 points, despite the total limit being 300 points.
However, he wouldn’t get sick from the rain, as his 10 points of Ice Resistance had long exempted him from such negative factors.
Overall, his status was fairly good.
Heading south, he walked about two kilometers, with the low hills of the valley gradually vanishing, and the terrain transforming from valleys into a vast plain.
What’s first visible was the forest shrouded in mist, stretching as far as the eye could see from east to west; the further distance was obscured by mist, and combined with the rain, visibility was greatly hindered.
Next was the stream, which had transformed into a river, and Wang Wu noticed that from a nearby valley, another small stream joined in, and with the continuous rainfall, the river now spanned over a hundred meters wide.
Wang Wu initially planned to head south along the stream, but now found the path impassable.
He either had to wade directly through the wide expanse of river or find another way to cross.
"I wonder if there are any fish in this river?"
Wang Wu’s mouth watered at the thought; in the valley, although there were abundant aquatic plants in the stream, he rarely saw fish or shrimp, though there were plenty of toad populations.
But before he could explore, the Devil Vine had completely destroyed it.
Otherwise, with a stream to guard, he wouldn’t be in such a dire state.
"The water seems a bit deep, and the current quite swift; I’m not even sure if I can swim, perhaps better not to try."
Wang Wu crouched by the river for quite some time, eventually conceding to himself.
The main issue was that catching fish required a lot of Physical Strength, and in his current state, he should first find some wild greens or leaves to stave off hunger.
Just as he was about to turn away, there was a splash in the broad, turbulent river, and out jumped a creature, pitch-black and grotesque, resembling a toad but somewhat human-like as well.
This creature could even stand upright, albeit hunched like a water ghost, with two enormous eyes resembling tumor-like light bulbs protruding from its forehead.
Its head was broad, flat, and pointed, truly difficult to describe.
Around its waist was an apron made of an unknown material, covered in fist-sized bumps.
Its hind feet were unseen, but its forelimbs resembled human hands, albeit with large webbed membranes.
One of them firmly gripped a barbed, spear-like weapon.
For a moment, Wang Wu almost believed he had encountered a Cultivation Realm version of Gulu.
As he was stunned, the toad-like Gulu spat out a large bubble and began speaking. The voice was noisy and unclear, but understandable.
"Ribbit, where’s this Little Demon from? Ribbit! You’ve crossed the boundary, you know that, right? Ribbit!"
Wang Wu was taken aback, immediately realizing this was likely a Demon Soldier under a Great Demon’s command, which wasn’t good. But before he could devise a strategy, the toad-like Gulu’s enormous eyes shifted, revealing black, unfocused pupils.
"Ribbit? You can’t speak, ribbit! You’re not a Demon Soldier! Ribbit! Such a large build for nothing, ribbit! Keep the head to pair with wine, ribbit! Give the rest to the King, ribbit!"
Before the voice had even faded, the barbed spear in its hand was already hurled.
The speed was swift and accurate, accompanied by the howling of frigid wind, inexplicably reminding Wang Wu of the ubiquitous Ice Spiritual Qi on winter plains.
He tried to dodge, but somehow, the area was covered in mud, causing him to slip and fall face-first, while the spear accurately struck his back. Though it didn’t penetrate, the weapon harbored a considerable amount of Ice Spiritual Qi, released instantly, freezing Wang Wu into an ice block.