241: Chapter 241 The Strange Neighbor

The morning light dispelled the cold of the night, but it could not dispel the heavy chill in his heart caused by the "Neighbor."

Ling Ye stood beside the trail crushed by the eerie "Worm Rock," his gaze following the clear dragging path from the direction of the riverbed, extending all the way to the silent ridge of the hills in the distance.

Abandoning this hard-won cave stronghold, which had a stable Water Source, would come at a huge cost, and there was no guarantee that the next resting point would be safe.

The wilderness seemed vast, but locations suitable for long-term hidden survival were equally scarce, and they might also harbor unknown dangers.

Since "Worm Rock" had appeared in these hills, it didn't mean other places wouldn't have even eerier existences.

The characteristics "Worm Rock" currently displayed—nocturnal activity, a fixed route, seemingly dull perception, unknown aggression but no signs of active hunting—meant that as long as he figured out its patterns and carefully avoided it, "coexisting" with it was not entirely impossible.

Under the premise of ensuring his absolute safety, he would figure out the activity patterns of "Worm Rock," adapt to its existence, and use this stronghold as a base to accelerate his recovery while continuing to explore the fundamental problem of food shortages.

During the day, he carefully tracked the trail "Worm Rock" had left the previous night in reverse.

The trail extended deep into the riverbed and disappeared in front of a dark, gloomy crevice partially hidden by huge pebbles.

The crevice was not large, and the inside was pitch black, emitting a faint smell of ozone and minerals similar to the residue left by "Worm Rock."

This was very likely the "lair" or "starting point" of "Worm Rock."

He did not get close; he observed from afar, marked the location, noted its position, and then left quickly.

Next, he spent a lot of time setting up a new, denser early warning network in the area between the "Worm Rock" path and the cave, as well as in the northwest direction away from the path.

He also optimized the defenses inside the entrance.

In the afternoon, deep in the safe zone, he found a small patch of plants that looked like wild scallions (the smell was pungent; he tasted a bit of the leaf tip, it was spicy but seemed non-toxic), as well as a few ferns with large roots.

He didn't dare to pick too much, only taking a small sample back.

The trap was reset next to a gully in the northwest direction where there was fresh animal feces.

In the evening, he returned to the cave and collected more water seeping from the rock crevices.

Then, he sat cross-legged, poured a white tablet out of the medicine bottle, used a fruit knife to extremely carefully scrape off about a quarter of the powder, dissolved it in a small amount of water, and swallowed it.

He focused his mind to look inward, feeling every subtle change in his body.

After the powder went down, he felt nothing special at first.

But about half an hour later, a distinct, cool, itchy sensation came from his wounds (especially on his lower leg), as if the healing speed had accelerated.

At the same time, his spirits were lifted a little, and his physical fatigue was slightly relieved.

It seemed effective! And it was a positive anti-inflammatory and recovery-promoting effect!

Ling Ye was heartened.

Obtaining this bottle of medicine might even be more valuable than that gun!

He carefully put away the remaining tablets.

This would be one of his trump cards for saving his life at a critical moment.

Night fell.

Ling Ye entered the "Watch" state again.

This time, he was not just waiting nervously, but with a clear purpose—to record the schedule of the "Neighbor."

At almost the same time as the previous night, that rustling friction sound and the low creaking sound came from the riverbed again, moving slowly and heavily upward along the established path.

The detection wave swept over as expected, silently neutralized by the faint light of the xuanyuan ring.

The figure of "Worm Rock" remained blurry in the darkness, with only the occasional burst of green sparks outlining its unsettling silhouette.

It took about forty minutes to complete the climb from the riverbed to the side near the cave, then it continued to move toward the ridge, finally disappearing into the darkness.

The whole process was almost identical to the previous night.

The "Neighbor's" "night shift" was punctual, route-abiding, and silent.

Ling Ye silently noted the time, speed, timing of the detection wave release, and its approximate intensity.

A night passed, and all was safe.

In the following days, Ling Ye lived strictly according to the new plan.

Like the most patient wilderness observer and the most cautious survivor, he moved carefully inside and outside the invisible boundary drawn by "Worm Rock."

He successfully captured a thin sand rat with the improved snare trap.

He skillfully processed the prey, cut the rat meat into strips, and pressed them with relatively clean shale fragments he had found to air-dry in a ventilated place.

The rat skin was tanned again.

He tried to make fire with flint and the back of his fruit knife. After countless failures and more blisters on his hands from the sparks, finally, with a strike at just the right angle and force, a cluster of bright, stable sparks ignited the carefully prepared tinder (dried moss and tiny dry grass fibers)!

The tiny flame lit up in a sheltered corner inside the cave, bringing a long-lost warmth and light that almost made him tear up!

He used this precious fire to boil a can of water and roasted a small strip of rat meat.

The taste of the roasted rat meat, mixed with a charred aroma and a faint fishy smell, was better than any delicacy at this moment.

The warm food and hot water in his stomach brought not only heat but also a faint hope, like a spark of civilization rekindled in the wilderness.

He used the firelight to carefully examine the revolver.

In the reflection of the dancing flames, he indeed discovered an extremely blurry, almost worn-away brand under the wire wrapped around the handle.

It seemed to be an abstract, distorted letter or symbol, like some combination of "R" and "S," or like an elongated cross with a hook.

He could not recognize its meaning, but he kept it deep in his mind.

There was only wear and a production number (also blurry) on other parts of the gun, with no more information.

His injuries, under the influence of the "Star Visualization," regular meals (though small in quantity), and that quarter-tablet of special medicine, improved at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His left arm had basically recovered and could be used normally.

Only a pale pink scar remained on the wound on his lower leg.

The dull pain in his ribs had completely disappeared.

His physical strength was recovering slowly but steadily, reaching about seventy percent of his healthy state.

His observation of "Worm Rock" also continued.

Its activity pattern was highly stable: it would "depart" from the riverbed crevice at about three in the morning, move along the fixed path up to the ridge, disappear for about two hours, and then return to the riverbed crevice along the original path during the darkest time before dawn.

The whole process had almost no deviation, and the detection wave was released three times every night (when departing, when passing near the cave, and when returning).

Its movement speed and energy characteristics also showed almost no change.

This was an "orderly" anomaly that seemed to follow some simple "program."

As long as he did not intrude on its path or trigger its perception, it seemed indifferent to the outside world.

The regularity of the "Neighbor" actually made Ling Ye feel a little relieved.

The unknown brought fear, while regularity meant it could be predicted and avoided.

He gradually adapted to this state of "survival in the cracks."

During the day, he moved cautiously within the safe zone, setting traps, collecting plants, and familiarizing himself with the environment.

In the evening, he returned to the cave, made a fire (extremely saving fuel, only when necessary), processed food, engaged in Cultivate, and rested.

He stayed vigilant in the first half of the night, and entered the "Watch" state in the second half of the night to record the movements of the "Neighbor."

The cave truly became his "home" in the wilderness, although next to this "home" was an eerie path where a "stone monster" patrolled every night.

The pressure of survival was still huge, food was still short, and the confusion about the future still existed.

But at least he had a relatively stable stronghold, his injuries were recovering, his strength was growing, and his understanding of this area and the "Neighbor" was deepening.

He was like a weed growing tenaciously in a rock crevice, taking root bit by bit in the barren and dangerous environment, absorbing every bit of nutrients, and resisting the wind, frost, and the slowly wriggling shadows from underground.