The weather was growing colder. With every passing day, the temperature continued its steady decline.
Generally speaking, creatures in cold regions evolve larger bodies—Siberian tigers and polar bears, for instance, are the largest individuals within their respective families. This unique evolution results in a smaller surface-area-to-volume ratio, which helps reduce heat loss and combat freezing temperatures.
Logan, however, didn't fear this slight dip in temperature; it hadn't even started to freeze yet! Combined with his thick layer of scales, he could barely feel the change in the air.
At the moment, he was processing a new tree stump. Using his arm blades, he stripped the bark, scraped away the uneven knots, and hollowed out a large cavity in the center. He then wrapped the exterior in a tight layer of silk-like material to prevent the wood from cracking. Thus, a new wooden vat was born.
Ever since humans had entered his lair, he had remained hyper-vigilant of his surroundings. Although he hadn't discovered anything new yet, he knew those fellows would surely return. For that reason, he had to prepare early.
Of course, this wasn't about going to war with the hunters. With his current strength, doing so would be nothing short of a death wish.
He had been pondering a question: at this current stage, what exactly did he have that the hunters would value? After thinking it over, besides his tough scales, the only likely candidate was the "sugar" (his secreted nutrient crystals) he produced.
They wouldn't go as far as to butcher him just to skin him, would they? That would violate the principles of the Hunter's Guild. Therefore, the only thing left was that they were interested in his secretions.
Since they wanted it, he would give it to them. Logan considered himself a generous soul; he was even willing to throw in a little "extra" to give the sugar a unique, alternative flavor.
He carefully packed the crystals he had secreted recently into the new vat. Then, he chose a spot on the floor, dug a hole, and carefully buried it. Next, he pulled out the old vat he had used before. He didn't touch the crystals remaining inside; instead, he lifted a hind leg and added a bit of "pale yellow liquid" to the mix.
He didn't add much—just enough that it wasn't obvious at first glance, but distinguishable if one looked closely. He would wait and see if that little thief would actually eat it. He guaranteed that once they took a bite, they wouldn't say a word. But if they didn't eat it, they would probably feel it was a waste to throw it away.
Based on his knowledge of humans from his past life—where things like Kopi Luwak (civet coffee) and other exotic delicacies could become popular—he guessed they wouldn't mind taking a sip of this "seasoned" sugar. Humans were the ultimate omnivores—the very creative kind. As long as there was a perceived benefit, there was little they wouldn't try. The most classic example was Ambergris; at the end of the day, it was just whale waste, yet it sold for prices higher than gold.
If he could gross them out, he'd consider it a win. Besides, he hadn't added any poison, so they surely wouldn't launch an expedition to subjugate him just for this, right?
Thinking this, Logan plugged the vat and gently returned it to its original position. Now, he only had to wait for his "honored guests" to arrive.
Afterward, he took Zhu Peiniang and leaped out of the cave, sprinting toward the edge of the wetlands to find today's breakfast.
In the past half-month, he had earned over twenty Evolution Points. Half of them were still being funneled into his general physical stats; his size had grown further, now exceeding fourteen meters.
The remaining half was invested into Heat Resistance as per his plan. A familiar warmth emerged, softly enveloping the surface of every cell in his body.
The metallic minerals already abundant in his cellular fluid began to gather in an orderly fashion on the outer walls of the cells, gradually forming a thin but resilient membrane.
Massive amounts of bioenergy flowed across this membrane, granting it incredibly high thermal conductivity. No matter which part of his body was exposed to high heat, the thermal energy would be rapidly conducted throughout his entire frame. Then, through the gas exchange of his efficient respiratory system and his massive surface area, the heat could be dissipated quickly.
This unique structure was like the heat pipes installed alongside train tracks in permafrost; when the air temperature rises, they efficiently conduct surface heat deep underground to keep the soil frozen.
After this evolution was perfected, Logan curiously tried placing a paw over a burning campfire. The flames licked the fine scales of his palm, but the heat simply couldn't accumulate in that specific spot. After several minutes, aside from his paw feeling a bit warm, he hadn't suffered even a trace of a burn.
It was like trying to boil a giant pot of water with a single tiny candle; no matter how the candle burned, it could never bring the pot to a boil.
As the temperature dropped, while Logan barely noticed the change, it had a significant impact on various plants—especially annual herbs.
Many of the aquatic grasses around the wetlands had begun to turn yellow and wither. A decrease in plant life meant a decrease in herbivores, which indirectly affected the food supply for carnivores.
To catch enough prey, Logan had no choice but to lead Zhu Peiniang deeper into the Ancient Forest. There, the towering broadleaf trees remained lush and green, with some branches already heavy with fruit. The massive, dense trunks effectively blocked the biting cold winds, creating a more suitable environment for herbivores.
As they pushed deeper, a vast expanse of strange fruit trees appeared. Compared to the broadleaf trees and cedars that often reached a hundred meters high, these trees were relatively short, their branches spreading outward and hung with fruit that transitioned from green to orange-yellow.
Suddenly, a ripe fruit was nudged by the breeze and fell from a branch, hitting the ground with a loud thump. The orange-red shell instantly exploded, and the black kernels inside went flying like bullets in all directions.
This seemed to trigger a chain reaction. A large number of fruits began to fall one after another, exploding upon impact. The kernels flying through the air were like machine-gun fire, pelting against Logan and Zhu Peiniang's scales with a dense clatter.
Logan quickly raised a forepaw to protect his relatively fragile eyes. He realized then—these were likely Scatternuts. This unique method of reproduction and defense was truly special; no wonder they could be used to make slinger ammo or bombs. The impact was no joke.
Even with his thick scales, Logan could feel a series of dull impacts against his body. If it were a Kelbi or a Mosswine, they would likely be covered in bruises—or if they were unlucky, they might even be killed by the blasts.
I heard these are a primary food source for Pukei-Pukei, and they supposedly taste pretty good?
Once the "explosion" subsided, Logan used his claws to pick up a black kernel from the ground and tossed it into his mouth to chew. Beneath the hard shell was powdery, starchy flesh. The texture was somewhat like a chestnut with a hint of sweetness. It was likely rich in starch and made for an excellent food source.
Unfortunately, ordinary herbivores probably couldn't enjoy this delicacy; after all, that hard shell wasn't easy to bite through, and one had to risk injury just to get them.
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