Chapter 144: Contact, Exploration |
Especially within a fixed area, unless struck by natural disasters, the population of creatures is generally maintained at a fixed level.
After suffering heavy losses from an attack, they are highly likely to choose to migrate.
Under this premise, if one wants to complete the missions, they can only venture far away from the residential complex, deep into the Gobi Desert, to hunt in more distant places.
The long journey and the potential dangers encountered along the way are all unknowns.
Furthermore, some groups might flee in fright due to being attacked by humans, moving far away from this area.
Qin Ziwen couldn't help but frown. Looking at it this way, these ten missions, with only one month to complete them, really seemed a bit challenging.
While completing the hunting missions, the residents of the complex themselves would also be hunting, collecting water, and gathering supplies.
Looking at it this way, the options were either to integrate the strength of everyone in the complex and allocate hunting zones.
Or to gamble, taking a small group of elites deep into the Gobi Desert to hunt fierce beasts.
In open terrain, a single Tarbosaurus could teach them a harsh lesson.
Then there was the Level 3 mission target, the Ferocious Giant Rock Dragon, which was a whole level higher than the Tarbosaurus. From the picture, its layered, heavy armor looked like piled-up rocks. Without a reference object, its detailed size data was unknown, but just from its appearance, it was definitely not a small creature.
He stopped hesitating, tapped his fingertip, and accepted all the missions.
"Big brother, the bowls and pots are all gathered."
"Bro, the bowls and pots are all gathered!" Qin Ziwu's voice came from the doorway. He stood outside with Zhao Pu and the others, wooden crates piled at their feet.
"I'll invite you first." Qin Ziwen first sent invitations to Qin Ziwu, Zhao Pu, Deng Guang, and Li Yue.
The four of them froze for a moment, clearly having received the Home prompt.
A few seconds later, they all joined the guild in unison.
"Holy crap, holy crap! This is a Home-recognized guild, right? We're a proper, legitimate regular army now!" Li Yue felt his vocabulary was somewhat lacking, and could only let a single "holy crap" carry him through the world.
Zhao Pu was very surprised. "I didn't expect there to be this shared building function."
"Ao ao~"
Just as Qin Ziwen was about to head out, the Crowned Eagle ran over, excitedly nudging his chest with its head.
"You want to go out too?"
The Crowned Eagle nodded eagerly.
Qin Ziwen pondered. Judging from the Hunting Ladder missions, the species in this Gobi Desert probably weren't as scarce as imagined. To be able to sustain so many creatures, there should be an oasis. Having the Crowned Eagle scout from the sky first was a good idea. However, there were pterosaurs in the sky, and pterosaurs were usually social creatures, so they had to be careful.
"You can go out, but don't fly too high. Just follow me," Qin Ziwen instructed.
The Crowned Eagle blinked its big, pitch-black eyes, then nodded seriously.
......
After Qin Ziwen and Zou Jianghe left together.
Cao Biansheng walked up to Luo Gang. "Teacher Luo, don't you think? It feels like their complex isn't very unified. The first and third-ranked individuals aren't even on the same team."
Luo Gang shook his head, his tone flat. "The situations are different. They can't be lumped together. We just need to focus on our own tasks. Besides, aren't we internally divided into eight hunting teams as well?"
"That's not the same. Our eight teams are all together," Cao Biansheng shook his head.
Luo Gang smiled, patting Cao Biansheng's shoulder. "It's good that you can maintain this pure, childlike heart."
"Teacher Luo, don't praise me. I can't handle praise," Cao Biansheng chuckled.
Cao Biansheng's roommate, Shen Xiaobai, sidled over. "Brother Cao, Teacher Luo is saying you're all brawn and no brains."
Hearing this, Cao Biansheng turned back angrily. "Shen Xiaobai, you're looking for a beating! Watch your father make you experience the human windmill!"
"Righteous father, spare me!" Shen Xiaobai dodged backward.
Other male students also joined in the commotion. "Quick, stop him! General Cao is about to rebel!"
Watching the boys roughhousing like a bunch of monkeys.
The girls nearby were already used to it. Some lowered their heads to organize things, others chatted quietly with their companions.
Staying in the wilderness, without phones or the internet, young people with vigorous energy had nowhere to vent their restlessness.
The Gobi Desert was scorching hot. The students in the open area couldn't bear the sun and gradually retreated to the shade.
Luo Gang raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. His throat was dry and tight.
A trace of worry flashed in his eyes. "In such hot weather, if we can't find a water source quickly, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out for long."
"Teacher Luo." A girl with a short ponytail, her forehead exposed, with delicate features, walked over, her tone calm. "The water stored in the building should only be enough for everyone to drink for three days. If we need to cook, it might last at most two days."
"I understand. Xiao Zhou, please notify everyone. Each team should send out an exploration squad, with fifteen people per squad, preferably those with good stamina. First, explore the surrounding areas in all directions. Focus on low-lying terrain. Pay attention to the environment. If you go to shady areas, be very careful. Snakes and scorpions often inhabit shady spots in the Gobi."
"Understood." The short-ponytailed girl nodded.
A student alerted him. "Teacher Luo, someone is coming from over there."
Luo Gang narrowed his eyes, looking towards the inside of the North Gate where a team was approaching.
"Teacher Luo, careful, there's a bird in the sky!" Another student suddenly pointed overhead.
Above everyone's heads, a large bird with broad wingspan was circling at an altitude of about forty to fifty meters.
This caused some students in the building to exclaim in surprise. Someone fetched a homemade bow from a classroom.
Others took out wooden throwing spears and rushed to the rooftop.
Seeing that Qin Ziwen and his group seemed completely oblivious to the large bird overhead, a sliver of doubt arose in Luo Gang's heart.
The bird was so close, they shouldn't have failed to notice it. It seemed they weren't worried at all.
As they got closer, Qin Ziwen said, "Has Guild Leader Zou not arrived yet?"
"No."
Qin Ziwen gestured for Qin Ziwu to place the crates on the ground.
"Alright, we'll deliver a batch first."
The students standing nearby gathered around. Seeing the beautiful white porcelain bowls in the crates, they exclaimed excitedly.
"Finally, we don't have to eat with our hands anymore!"
"My handmade earthenware bowl can retire now."
"You guys are lucky. Ever since crossing over, I haven't used a bowl. Every time, I find a banana leaf to wrap my food in."
"I'm a student, I get to take one first!"
"Hey, who isn't a student? Line up!"
Watching the excited students, a faint smile appeared on Luo Gang's face. He turned to Qin Ziwen and said, "Guild Leader Qin, we have animal bones, hides, and iron ore here. What would you like to use for settlement?"
Qin Ziwen asked, "Can we take a look at the hides?"
"Xiao Pan, take a few boys to the warehouse and bring down more hides," Luo Gang called out.
A tall girl responded. She had bright eyes and white teeth, with a sturdy build, clearly someone who often exercised. "Yes, Teacher Luo."
Rolling up her sleeves, she shouted, "A few strong ones, come with me to carry stuff!"
"Coming, Sister Pan!"
"Coming, coming."
From the crowd, several boys ran over swiftly.
Soon, Xiao Pan came downstairs with three boys carrying several large bundles of hides.
With a thud, they dropped them on the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
Qin Ziwen glanced over them.
These hides varied in size.
There were wild boar hides, crocodile hides, rabbit hides. He even spotted a leopard hide.
"Acceptable. Teacher Luo, how do you plan to trade?" Qin Ziwen nodded.
"You can just take two bundles," Luo Gang said.
Qin Ziwen was surprised. These hides were quite a lot; one bundle contained about seven or eight hides.
But on second thought, the porcelain bowls and three large iron pots he brought also held considerable value at this stage.
At this stage, without a unified currency, trade wasn't based on specific value but on supply and demand.
"Come down!"
Qin Ziwen beckoned to the Crowned Eagle overhead.
The Crowned Eagle descended rapidly.
This caused the surrounding people to step back, giving it enough space.
"Don't be nervous, it's mine." Qin Ziwen said this also out of concern that it might be accidentally injured.
There weren't many places to hide in the Gobi, so the Crowned Eagle's presence couldn't be concealed.
If one day, because it got close to the complex, someone accidentally shot it with a bow or crossbow, it would be a huge misunderstanding.
"You raised this!" Cao Biansheng's eyes widened, filled with envy. As expected of the man who ranked first in the complex.
"Yes." Qin Ziwen nodded.
The group of students surrounding them covered their mouths, looking at the Crowned Eagle in astonishment.
Luo Gang's eyes also lit up.
He quickly thought of its strategic value.
Having a unit that could fly in the sky meant they could survey the surrounding environment much faster.
Especially in this Gobi Desert, with few trees and an open field of view.
As long as it could fly into the sky, whether it was tracking animal group movements or searching for water sources, it would be a huge asset, saving who knows how much time.
A single bird was comparable to an entire hunting team!
Hesitating for a moment, Luo Gang said, "Guild Leader Qin, you can take the remaining two bundles of hides as well."
"Isn't that too much?" Qin Ziwen was somewhat surprised.
Luo Gang smiled. "You're probably taking these hides for processing, right? You can trade with us again after processing them. We don't have any buildings here for processing hides."
He paused, then continued, "Initially, we talked about sharing information. Looking at it now, we're the ones getting the better deal."
"Judging by its appearance, this should be a Crowned Eagle. Although it's larger than the average Crowned Eagle, one can tell it's been raised with great care. With this Crowned Eagle, finding water sources doesn't require cooperation with us at all. If there's a water source nearby, relying on it, you could easily find water. These hides are also a token of our sincerity." Luo Gang's attitude was earnest.
Qin Ziwen understood why he could become the leader among these students.
Although he had become the nominal leader of over five hundred students, there wasn't a trace of arrogance in his words or actions.
Qin Ziwen reminded him, "Alright. Our entire complex crossed over together, so bedding like quilts are probably something each household has extras of. The temperature difference between day and night in the Gobi is huge. You can go trade with the residents for some cotton quilts."
"Understood. Thanks for the reminder." Luo Gang smiled, then his expression turned serious. "Cao Biansheng!"
Cao Biansheng had somehow sneaked over to the Crowned Eagle. Gazing at this giant bird of prey that was taller than a person, his eyes were full of awe.
This kind of tamed raptor was completely different from a wild one.
If he encountered such a large creature in the wild, he wouldn't be able to observe it up close like this.
"Old Luo, wait a sec." Cao Biansheng rubbed his hands together. "Bro, I really want to touch this."
The Crowned Eagle looked warily at this human who was sneakily approaching it.
"Depends on its own willingness." Qin Ziwen neither said it was okay nor that it wasn't.
Cao Biansheng licked his lips, extended both hands, and slowly approached the Crowned Eagle.
The Crowned Eagle made a warning sound in its throat and spread its wings.
Its broad wings blocked a large patch of sunlight and stirred up a strong wind.
Cao Biansheng hurriedly stopped.
Regretfully watching the Crowned Eagle fold its wings and walk away, he muttered that he should also find a pet or something.
Qin Ziwen said to Luo Gang, "Teacher Luo, regarding this hunting mission, I've thought of some possibilities. For example, if it's an animal group, after being attacked, they are very likely to migrate away, leading to a lack of animal groups for hunting near us. So, if we encounter a large-scale animal group, I hope we can cooperate, surrounding and hunting them collectively from multiple directions."
Luo Gang pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I think that's feasible. If we find a large-scale animal group, you can contact me anytime. I'll basically be here."
"Alright, then we won't disturb you any further."
After completing the trade, Qin Ziwen returned with four bundles of hides.
It was still morning. He planned to spend the first day conducting a general survey of the geographical environment near the complex.
Ever since the Crowned Eagle underwent its second enhancement, it had become quite difficult to hang a small backpack on its chest.
So this time, the newly sewn backpack was placed slightly lower, around its neck area.
As before, he secured the phone onto it.
"Be careful. Try to avoid conflicts with other birds."
Patting its wings, the Crowned Eagle soared into the sky.
The Crowned Eagle circled at an altitude of a thousand meters for over ten minutes, then began to return. But just as it was returning.
From the west, a group of black dots approached it.
The Crowned Eagle sped up, diving towards the complex's rooftop.
The black dots chased after it. As they got closer, their distinctive silhouettes allowed Qin Ziwen to recognize them instantly as pterosaurs!
However, these pterosaurs weren't very large, with a wingspan of only about two meters, but there were many of them, around ten to twenty.
Although they had already known through the Hunting Ladder that this Gobi Desert would contain extinct creatures from the dinosaur era.
When they truly approached, the people on the rooftop couldn't help but feel their blood boil with excitement.
This was a collision across tens of millions of years.
Du Yu drew his bow and nocked an arrow, ready to take aim.
Qin Ziwen took out his compound bow, watching the pterosaurs following behind the Crowned Eagle.
"Screech—!"
In the sky, the pterosaurs spotted the humans on the rooftop.
Faced with these unfamiliar creatures they had never seen before, they remained cautious and didn't rashly approach.
Instead, they circled high in the sky, continuously emitting raucous cries.
"Screech—!" "Screech—!"
Within the complex, many residents noticed these pterosaurs.
"Mom, look, dinosaurs!" A child pointed at the pterosaurs in the sky and shouted.
His mother quickly picked him up and retreated into the building.
The pterosaurs circled for a while, then flew away towards the west.
In the distance to the west stood several tall rock pillars and a stretch of cliff. This group of pterosaurs finally landed on the tops of the rock pillars and the cliff.
......
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