Whatever fate awaited the Popo in the end had nothing to do with him. Logan couldn't be bothered to dwell on it and instead began his preparations.
He selected a straight branch about as thick as his wrist, cut it to length, carved a cross-shaped slit at one end, wedged two small sticks into the slit to hold it open, then sharpened the tip. After casually wrapping it with spider silk for reinforcement, a simple fish spear was complete.
Next, he peeled a large sheet of bark from a tree, folded it several times, and secured it with more spider silk. Thus, a rudimentary wooden bucket was born.
Carrying these two homemade tools, Logan wandered through the forest, nostrils flaring slightly as he searched for fresh Popo dung.
As omnivorous creatures with voracious appetites but weak digestion, Popo essentially had the "disease" of a Deviljho without the corresponding destiny. They ate massive amounts every day, which naturally produced no small quantity of waste.
Thus, it wasn't hard to find. Before long, Logan spotted several gray-brown lumps beneath a few trees.
The intense stench stung his eyes. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance by gathering leaves from a certain weed—whatever the species, it carried a cool, minty scent. He crushed them into balls and stuffed them into his nostrils.
That made it much more bearable. Only then did he approach and use his newly made spear to collect the gray-brown masses. Soon, a shallow layer accumulated at the bottom of the bark bucket. Piled together, the odor grew even more piercing.
However, to drive the Anjanath out of that cave, this level was far from enough. The smell from ordinary excrement was only so strong—he needed something far more potent.
...
Logan temporarily set the collected dung beneath a tree, not worried at all that other animals would touch it, and turned to making a new bucket.
This time, he chose a small tree trunk over two meters in diameter. After chopping it down with his sharp wrist blade, he began hollowing out the core bit by bit. His hooked claws, driven by immense strength, dug deep into the wood fibers each time. With a pull, large handfuls of wood shavings came loose.
The section—two meters in diameter and nearly three meters long—was soon hollowed into a sturdy wooden barrel. He shaved the remaining wood to fashion a matching plug.
With that done, Logan roamed the forest again, gathering Fire Herb, Parashroom, Ivy, Stinkminks, and anything else with a strongly irritating smell. He also hunted a small Bullfango in advance, but instead of eating it, he hung it from a tree to rot.
Once these preliminary preparations were complete, it was time to invite the "star ingredient" to the stage.
...
A Popo lay leisurely on a tree branch, all four limbs tightly hugging the trunk, tail dangling naturally in the air and swaying gently without thought.
As a large primate species, it actually possessed no small intelligence—at the very least, it could keenly sense the unease that had plagued the herd recently. After all, they had already been forced to relocate twice.
Originally, they had lived comfortably in the fruit grove, where endless fruits and lush mushrooms made it an ideal habitat. Yet disaster struck one day when a strange white creature appeared from nowhere, with the bizarre habit of specifically targeting their rear ends.
The scene had been truly chilling for the monkeys. Rumor had it that ever since, the alpha no longer dared to use his proud signature move and had no choice but to lead the entire herd on a migration. They had barely settled in the coastal forest when they encountered a group of "little monkeys"—hideous things, completely hairless and even tailless.
What the monkeys found hardest to accept was that these creatures showed no kinship at all. A few of the stronger ones had thoroughly beaten the alpha, forcing yet another relocation.
There was some good news, though: the white creature seemed to have left the area. A few bolder herd members had foraged near the fruit grove without being attacked. Did that mean they could return to their original home?
Its somewhat useful but not entirely reliable brain churned these thoughts as the Popo gradually grew drowsy. Sleep washed over it like a tide, completely unaware that danger was silently approaching.
...
Logan moved through the pitch-black forest. The dense canopy layered overhead like a vast curtain, blocking the light of stars and moon so his pure white scales would not stand out too much. His thick paw pads stepped lightly on the soft earth, deliberately avoiding dry twigs and leaves, producing not the slightest sound.
His massive nine-meter-plus body glided like a silent ghost in the darkness. He locked onto a lone Popo, then crept closer bit by bit.
Soon, he stood beneath the broad-leaved tree with lush foliage. The distance was now close enough—no further need to conceal himself.
In an instant, countless blue-white arcs leaped across his scales, crackling through the surrounding air and emitting shrill, bird-like noise. His evolved electricity-generating organs released far greater power, rapidly activating his muscles and unleashing explosive strength.
With a light leap, his entire body shot upward like an arrow from a bowstring, reaching over ten meters in height. Sharp claws dug firmly into the bark. Using the trunk for leverage, a few agile pushes carried him easily upward.
The Popo on the branch had just heard the commotion and snapped its eyes open when an electrified claw appeared before it like a phantom.
Before it could react, the claw seized its head and lifted it effortlessly, as if picking up a helpless chick. The whole process was smooth and relaxed, like a majestic Bengal tiger capturing a frail leaf monkey.
Continuous electric stimulation caused the Popo's muscles to tense uncontrollably, preventing any effective struggle. Fortunately, Logan had no intention of killing it. He simply raised a palm and slapped the back of its head hard. The massive impact knocked it unconscious instantly—he didn't care if it might cause concussion or other aftereffects.
When the Popo regained consciousness, dawn was faintly breaking, and soft morning light began to spill across the land.
It discovered in horror that its limbs and tail were tightly bound with dense layers of spider silk, spread in a "大" shape and firmly tied between two trees. The unfamiliar surroundings filled it with extreme terror. It began thrashing desperately, emitting sharp, piercing roars from its mouth.
At that moment, a white figure entered its vision—the very terrifying creature that loved attacking rear ends. It seemed to foresee its tragic fate. Then its mouth was forcibly pried open, and a wooden funnel-like object was shoved inside.
Next, all manner of strange substances were poured into the funnel one by one and hammered down its throat with a small wooden mallet. Soon, its belly swelled like a balloon, and its stomach churned violently.
...
"First, some rotten Bullfango meat to establish the base odor. Then Fire Herb to make it explosively sharp. Parashroom to greatly extend the range. Ivy to thicken the final product... and finally, Stinkminks as the finishing touch.
Mm! Let the sun ferment it a bit longer—haha! Perfect! This smell is simply divine!"