Chapter 10

Zhao Mai held the chocolate bar, peeled off the wrapper, and ate half of it in front of Karl, then handed the remaining half over. The old ranger took a gentle bite, startled by the overwhelming sweetness. He looked at Zhao Mai, but instead of continuing to eat, he carefully tucked it into the bag at his waist.

With gestures and words, the two of them agreed to split the pork. Both felt they had gotten the better deal. The prospect of eating cooked meat put Zhao Mai at ease. He believed that half a chocolate bar was far less beneficial to his stomach than the pork, not to mention the advantage of establishing an initial relationship with a local ranger. Karl, on the other hand, also felt he had gotten the better deal, believing that the "extraterrestrial delicacy" he received was of higher value.

They returned to their work. The chimaera's claws were nearly thirty centimeters long, slightly curved at the front like a single-edged fruit knife, and rounded at the back, making them easy to grip without hurting the hand. When cutting flesh, the chimaera's claws were much more effective than a dagger, almost effortlessly peeling off the skin.

This was the first weapon Zhao Mai had obtained, and he used it with great care. If possible, he needed to create a non-slip handle for it, which would further enhance its practicality.

Karl watched everything. The chimaera's claws were very sharp, better than an ordinary dagger, a fact he had long known. However, he also knew that these claws easily decayed, starting to soften after a week and becoming no different from human nails after two weeks.

The magic that made the chimaera's claws sharp would gradually fade, especially after the chimaera's death. Only mages could properly process the remains of magical creatures, preserving or even solidifying the magic within for a longer time. Druids in the forest had similar abilities but were limited to powers derived from living beings. Priests in the temple were more inclined to handle materials related to divine power.

As a forest ranger, Karl knew some simple spells. However, his healing spells were less effective than using herbs, so he rarely practiced them. His main reliance was on the crossbow on his back and the blade at his waist. He had recently heard rumors in Nep Town about strange occurrences at the Poison Snake Cliffs Castle upstream from the lake. He was on his way to investigate when he discovered the chimaera and began chasing it.

The "meteor" that fell from the sky killed the chimaera and brought this strange-looking extraterrestrial to his presence. Karl believed that divine forces were at play and that he needed to make bold assumptions and careful verifications, which might help with his mission.

The outer meat of the wild boar's leg was already cooked. He cut a piece with his dagger and placed it on a plate woven from grass. "Mike! Eat!"

Zhao Mai had been waiting for this moment. He quickly put away the "chimaera claw" and hopped over. He stuffed a piece of still-steaming pork into his mouth, filling his mouth with a wild, aromatic flavor. There were no seasonings, not even salt, and the roasted wild boar meat unapologetically exuded a greasy taste. If he were at home, he wouldn't eat such a bland meal, but after a good deal of physical labor, this was the best delicacy.

He chewed a few times, and the first piece of meat slid down his throat. Zhao Mai picked up the second piece and noticed that Karl was still turning the boar's leg, with no second plate in front of him. Following the tradition of respecting the elderly and caring for the young, Zhao Mai offered the meat to the old ranger, gesturing for him to eat together.

Karl didn't stop his work but tilted his head and opened his mouth, indicating that Zhao Mai should feed him. Zhao Mai didn't mind, and after getting closer, he started feeding himself one piece and the old man another. As Karl ate, he observed Zhao Mai's expression. He noticed that the young man's eyes were pure, and his kindness was genuine, so he began to gradually accept him.

After finishing lunch, they continued working, one handling the wild boar and the other the chimaera. Karl worked efficiently, quickly extracting the best parts of the boar, then came over to help with the skinning.

He handled his dagger like a master butcher, working ten times faster than Zhao Mai. He often slowed down to demonstrate his techniques and experience to Zhao Mai. Since they couldn't communicate verbally, Zhao Mai had to learn by repeatedly imitating. Knowing this was a rare opportunity, he focused on learning from the old ranger.

Working together, they soon obtained a large, intact chimaera skin. Karl decided to process the skin well and make one or two pieces of leather armor. He had Zhao Mai carry the rolled-up skin, while he carried the wild boar meat, preparing to head north along the lake shore.

From a high vantage point, Ashen Lake resembled the character "卜" (bu). Two rivers flowed into the lake from the top of the vertical stroke and the right end of the dot. Nep Town was at the bottom of the vertical stroke, and Poison Snake Cliffs Castle was above the dot. To put it vividly, Zhao Mai and Karl were at the armpit of the "卜" and needed to circle around the lake to reach their destination.

Seeing that they wouldn't enter the forest for a while, Zhao Mai invited Karl to ride in the car, and they set off along the lake shore. The ground here was relatively flat, and areas with pebbles were unlikely to have sand traps, though bumps and jolts were inevitable. However, driving was still more efficient than walking.

Karl was very nervous when he got in the car, and the suddenly lit dashboard and rumbling engine startled him. Zhao Mai reassured him, saying, "No harm," while slowly starting the car.

Once they started moving, Karl felt better. He gradually understood that this was a magic-driven carriage, just more magical and less scary. No matter how impressive, it was still just a tool. Soon, his curiosity took over, and he began touching and examining things in the car, acting like a big child.

This was a good sign, Zhao Mai thought, so he didn't stop the old ranger. While driving, he kept an eye on the fuel gauge, which showed no change in the remaining fuel over an hour.

Could the fuel in the tank also be indestructible? What had this car been modified into, and where did its power come from? This was a fascinating and intriguing discovery.

Throughout the journey, Zhao Mai thought about how to use the car. As a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "time traveler" or "dimensional traveler"), if he couldn't make good use of his "golden finger" (a metaphor for a special advantage or ability), wouldn't he be wasting resources? The car was indestructible and could apparently run forever, but without a road network, its usefulness was limited.

If he could remove a car window to use as a shield, it would greatly increase his chances of survival. However, he didn't know how to dismantle the car, and it seemed that nothing could damage the "indestructible" parts. Moreover, once the window was removed, it might not be possible to reattach it. If he encountered a battlefield environment like the Cloud City, a missing window would prevent the car from remaining sealed, which could be fatal.

Giving up on the window, Zhao Mai had a sudden idea.