Jueyun Karst, by the river.
Algae grew in tangled clumps, tinting the river water a shade of green.
Fish darted through the growth, drinking when thirsty, eating algae when hungry—a blissful existence.
However,
they did not yet know that the gifts bestowed by fate always come with a price, marked in secret.
Zzzzt...
Lumps of Electro Slime condensate sank into the river.
Dark purple electric currents surged, lethal flashes of light flickering through the murky water.
Hsss!
Several perch floated to the surface, bellies upturned, white scales gleaming, their eyes reflecting an eerie light.
"Wait a few seconds!"
Gu Baizhou held back several hilichurls eager to rush forward and collect the fish, worried they might get "Electro-Charged."
The river water contained many impurities. The "Electro energy" within the Electro Slimes would be diluted to harmless levels within seconds.
"Meat! Good!"
Over a dozen seconds later, the hilichurls couldn't wait any longer and charged forward to gather the fish.
"Electrofishing damages the ecological environment."
The mastermind behind it all—Gu Baizhou—spoke earnestly to the Geo Samachurl. "Farming is still better."
"Meat. Plants."
The Geo Samachurl muttered, seemingly weighing its options. It hesitated for a moment, a sparkle appearing in its single eye. "We want both!"
"When we return to the tribe, I'll teach you farming."
Gu Baizhou was fairly satisfied with this outcome.
His Hilichurl Farmer Development Plan had made significant progress.
As he finished speaking, a data interface popped up in Gu Baizhou's vision.
[Upgrade Complete]
[Hilichurlian Language lv3: 0/15]
——————
Back at the tribe.
Several hilichurls brought firewood and set up wooden roasting racks.
One of them, with fiery red fluff on its head, plunged its hand into the earth and pulled out a jelly-like, soft, yet scalding hot solid-liquid mixture.
Pyro Slime condensate.
Sssssssss.
As the wood ignited, flames danced under the racks, crackling and popping.
"Meat!"
"...!"
"Meat!"
After the cheers, the next scene left Gu Baizhou momentarily stunned.
A hilichurl fetched a sharp wooden spike from the storehouse and began deftly gutting the fish, removing entrails, and rinsing away bloody residue in the large pot.
Clearly low-intelligence creatures... So why could they process food?
This thought lingered in Gu Baizhou's mind, unforgettable.
"Could you roast a few potatoes for me? I won't eat the meat."
Gu Baizhou didn't want to compete with them for food.
First, it would build goodwill with the hilichurls—the benefits alone outweighed mere appetite.
Second, he had no appetite for fish handled by hilichurls' furry black hands.
"You eat plant food—so impressive!"
A hilichurl ran to the storehouse, pulled out several potatoes, and placed them by the fire to roast.
During the wait for the food to cook,
Gu Baizhou didn't feel awkward. He stayed in the hilichurl hut and began exercising.
"+1 Overall Physique EXP."
[Overall Physique lv2: 4/15]
"+1 Overall Physique EXP..."
Originally, it had been detailed to specific muscle groups. But using the hilichurl structures, Gu Baizhou exercised comprehensively. After a full routine, it consolidated into Overall Physique.
[Overall Physique lv2: 9/15]
Thirty minutes of anaerobic exercise earned Gu Baizhou 6 EXP points.
As his body fatigued, the EXP gain began to slow.
"Try to reach Overall Physique Level 3 tonight?"
Gu Baizhou's hair was damp, sweat soaked his clothes, and his whole body felt weak.
If not for this EXP interface, he couldn't imagine being able to exert himself so fully in his original world.
Tap.
The stone staff lightly touched the ground. The old shaman walked steadily into the hut.
"Domu (Dance)."
It looked up at Gu Baizhou and said.
"Come, watch hilichurl dance."
Its tone carried pride and arrogance.
"The honor is mine."
Gu Baizhou replied politely and courteously, following it out of the hilichurl hut.
The night air was cool and thin.
A full moon hung high, emitting a soft, luminous glow.
Yet he felt as if a faint layer of blue haze covered his vision.
"Do you see a night like this every day?"
He probed indirectly, sighing as he asked the Geo Samachurl.
The latter looked up at the moon on the distant horizon and shook its head. "I don't know."
Better stay vigilant.
In a nearby hut, there were broken crossbows and sturdy arrows.
Tonight, after their revelry ended, he would repair them for self-defense.
Of course, when not in use, he would need to find a place both convenient and hidden to stash them.
Otherwise, once they were armed with such weapons, they might shoot travelers coming to hunt boar or gather fruit. Gu Baizhou wanted no part of the moral pressure or the troubles that would follow.
After all, these hilichurls were meant to farm and mine for him.
....
Bright yellow firelight illuminated the hilichurls' faces.
They formed a circle, dancing and leaping, humming a song:
"Now we all dance together."
"Hilichurl dance, very good."
"La~ la~ la."
"La~ la~ la."
"We are all very happy."
Gu Baizhou sat on the ground, holding a scalding hot potato, peeling it.
"Aren't you dancing?"
He asked the Geo Samachurl sitting beside him.
"I am no longer a young hilichurl."
The single eye visible through the horned mask still gleamed brightly. It hugged its shaman staff, looking at the hilichurls by the fire, then turned to Gu Baizhou.
Twilight is a day every creature must face...
Gu Baizhou felt no sadness. His mind was wrapped in a bundle of confusion:
"Metamorphosis?"
Why did hilichurls, mitachurls, and samachurls look so different?
Gu Baizhou couldn't understand. He ate his potato, sitting there, completely relaxed.
The hilichurls finished dancing, came over with fish skewered on branches, and ate with their hands.
"What do you want to do tomorrow?"
Gu Baizhou wanted to give them a schedule, planning when to eat meat and when to eat plants to ensure green, sustainable development.
But he didn't know if hilichurls had a concept of time, so he probed tentatively.
"Meat! Good!"
"Eat meat!"
"Sleep!"
Several hilichurls vied to answer.
Gu Baizhou already had an idea. He said, "Using Slimes to stun fish like today—if done too many times, the fish will disappear, just like the boar."
"Then what do we do?"
The Geo Samachurl asked with some anxiety.
"We use hoes to dig a fish pond, weave fish traps, catch them, and raise them."
Gu Baizhou had originally intended to promote farming, but on second thought, many things could develop in parallel.
"Some of the time we eat fish. Some of the time we eat plants."
"That is a good method." The Geo Samachurl expressed agreement. "Tomorrow, teach us to make fish trap."
"Okay."
Gu Baizhou agreed, but then added:
"Plant food can be taken to the city to trade for meat. Not only that, but rice and fruit can be used to brew wine, which can also be traded for meat."
He had to correct these meat enthusiasts first; only then could his farmer plan proceed steadily.
"Meat! Good!"
The Geo Samachurl cheered happily.
The feast ended amidst cheerful songs. The hilichurls returned to the hut, preparing to sleep.
They slept in a simple, endearing manner, piled on top of each other, six or seven huddled together without any discomfort, giving off a very warm feeling.
After feigning sleep for an hour,
Gu Baizhou opened his eyes and began repairing the broken crossbow.
Rather than repairing, it was more like tinkering, as he similarly lacked the corresponding knowledge.
"+1 Artisanry EXP"
"..."
"+1 Artisanry EXP"
[Upgrade Complete]
[Artisanry lv3: 0/15]
An hour later, Gu Baizhou had repaired the crossbow. Once fitted with arrows, it would be a formidable weapon.
Thud...
A few minutes passed. Suddenly, a hilichurl stood up, muttering as it walked outside.
It had probably gone to relieve itself.
It had nothing to do with Gu Baizhou. He closed his eyes again to rest.
Perhaps due to overexcitement, or perhaps a stress response in this foreign world, he couldn't fall asleep.
A long time passed,
and he still didn't hear the hilichurl return.
Tap...
Feeling a touch on his body, Gu Baizhou opened his eyes to find the Geo Samachurl also awake.
It clutched a scroll in its hand, anxiety evident in its single eye. "It might have been dragged away!"
----------
I'm still a rookie translator, but I do have a Patreon page! It might look a little bare right now, but here's the plan: the webnovel will get 3 chapters every single day, and the Patreon will host all the early access chapters. It might not seem like much yet, but hopefully, it'll be worth your while down the road. You never know! Feel free to stop by and check it out if you're interested!
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