Chapter 3

The good news is that Cloudy didn't have any adverse reactions. She didn't feel numb all over her body, nor did she develop any nauseating rashes. Apart from some acidity in her stomach, most of which was due to the man's recently administered vomiting aid, she was fine.

"..." Cloudy rubbed her stomach, anticipating it might be bruised tomorrow, but it was better than being poisoned to death. "Thank you."

The man flashed a brilliant smile, if that expression could be called a smile. "Starving."

He was mimicking Cloudy as he spoke, one large hand gently patting Cloudy's shoulder. "Aguloo."

Cloudy stared into the man's intimidating eyes, letting go of at least thirty percent of her wariness towards him. Wanting to express her gratitude better, and seeing the man always enthusiastically repeating "Aguloo" in good spirits, she decided to mimic him.

"Aguloo...?" Cloudy chose to mimic his way of speaking, with some fluctuations, sounding somewhat like a poorly singing bird.

This action pleased the man even more. Besides repeatedly chanting "Aguloo," he also kept saying "starving."

Those two words didn't make much sense... although Cloudy thought so, she didn't know how to express it. "Thank you for helping me," she said, gesturing as she spoke.

"But why did you help me?" She pointed towards the direction of the rainforest, then at her own face and his. "We don't know each other, and we're not of the same race."

Unfortunately, they couldn't continue the conversation. Strange calls suddenly came from the rainforest, sounding deep and heavy. The man immediately stood up upon hearing it, took a deep breath, and emitted a similar shout.

Cloudy felt a bit dizzy from the sound. After a few shouts, the man urgently said to Cloudy, "Titus!" while pointing at his own face. "Titus, go there!" With that, he hurriedly ran off.

Watching the man's swiftly retreating figure, Cloudy observed the strange local with long, muscular limbs, healthy brown skin, and wild animal fur draped over him. When he ran, he resembled a cheetah in speed.

Cloudy gazed in the direction the man had gone, lost in thought. He had pointed at his own face repeatedly, saying "Titus"... was he telling her that his name was Titus?

Informing her of his name, warning her about the poisonous fruit, helping her vomit, and even assisting in moving the meat back to the cave yesterday.

At this point, it wasn't apparent if Titus harbored any ill intentions towards her, but his inexplicable kindness left Cloudy unsure of how to respond. Should she simply accept his help?

It sounded appealing - being transported to an ancient and exotic world, with a local wild man who seemed strong and helpful, taking care of her... If she maintained a good relationship with Titus, the benefits might outweigh the risks, but she couldn't ignore other possibilities.

Titus hailed from a village with a complete language system. Besides language, they cooperated in hunting and were well-versed in all the creatures and plants of the rainforest. Cloudy wasn't entirely sure.
Understanding ancient human societies... but Titus is in an environment that should be relatively advanced for this era.

In other words, Titus's actions cannot be chaotic; he comes from an environment that already has "systems" in place, so his series of friendly gestures must also belong to some kind of "system." Cloudy is a straightforward thinker and naturally assumes that Titus's inexplicable kindness may be a form of courtship.

This is a positive development because Titus and the other men are not directly pressuring Cloudy; instead, they are constantly showing kindness and making efforts to communicate despite the language barrier. Cloudy's concern about being seen as a tool for reproduction by the local tribespeople is unlikely to materialize.

However, there is a contradiction in this situation. Cloudy was brought into the village by the local tribespeople upon her arrival but was quickly cast out. This proves that those with authority in the village do not want her, a strange outsider, to integrate into their community.

So, why would Titus, as a local, be friendly towards her? Or is she misunderstanding; perhaps it's not friendliness but some other behavior?

If only she could go online and search, Cloudy thought to herself, chuckling awkwardly.

With her current understanding of these people and the era, Cloudy cannot guess what Titus truly wants from her. Instead of pondering over it, she decides to make good use of the remaining daylight.

The fruits she salvaged cannot be eaten, so she must process and store the roots properly...

"If only you were a potato," Cloudy squats down, picking up the scattered roots. She holds one up and shakes it. "But I don't mind you; we still have to live together."

Having potatoes would indeed be great, but without fire, raw potatoes are just as unappetizing. Cloudy cleans up the items on the ground and moves them back to the cave entrance. The raw meat left out during her absence is not in good shape, with large ant-like bugs lingering nearby.

Cloudy has encountered these large ants many times; they are not aggressive and are quite numerous... somewhat like cockroaches. After rudely shooing them away, she rewraps the meat in leaves, hoping it will last until tomorrow without spoiling... if it does, she'll have to give it to the ants.

After stacking the roots back in the cave, Cloudy sits at the entrance with selected long sticks and bone fragments, attempting to secure the bone pieces at the end of the sticks using vines.

This task is not as simple as it seems; after tying the bone pieces several times, they still come loose with each swing, not secure at all. After about ten attempts, Cloudy gives up and retrieves some stored stones to sharpen the bone fragments like a knife.

With the light she gained from drilling wood for fire during this period, the bone pieces are quickly sharpened. Cloudy raises the bone piece and gestures a few times, very satisfied... although the bone piece is only half the size of her palm, making it inconvenient to hold, it's far from a great dagger.

After some thought, Cloudy abandons the idea of a defensive dagger. The bone fragments she collected are all relatively small, making it impractical for both handling and attacking.
It was not convenient to hit, so she sat down again and began sharpening the front end of the wooden stick with sharp bone chips.

The bone chips were not as sharp, making it a bit difficult to sharpen the wood... but it was much better than before! With determination, Cloudy sharpened three wooden sticks, testing the sharpness with her fingers. It was quite sharp, and she was confident it could cause harm if thrust with force.

Lost in her thoughts, she lifted her crude spear and charged towards the group of large ants still lingering near the cave, delivering a series of rapid stabs. The bursting sound as the ants were pierced was oddly satisfying to Cloudy, who felt like a brave hunter in that moment.

After bullying the large ants, she contentedly returned her weapons to the cave and peeled a root to munch on. As the sun began to set, Cloudy took a moment to rest and looked at her cave, starting to plan.

This small cave on the green slope was previously inhabited by animals, but Cloudy had driven away those strange, rat-like creatures and claimed it as her own. Though safe, it was not comfortable; the storage space was limited, and the air circulation was poor. After reinforcing the cave with branches and insect-repellent leaves, the space became even more cramped.

...Cloudy wanted to find a flatter area to build a new base and turn the cave into a storage space for roots and some essential tools.

In her mind, she envisioned a charming countryside wooden cabin with a sturdy roof made of broad tree leaves and strong vines, walls built with thick wooden sticks filled with mud. Inside, there would be a wooden bed covered with furry animal skins.

The cabin would feature a small earthy fireplace burning continuously, with fish and meat skewers hanging above it. Next to it would be a pot of steaming tea or coffee. Additionally, there would be a secure wooden door with a latch for locking.

Daydreaming always brought joy, even though she knew she probably couldn't achieve it, Cloudy decided to try building a simple yet sturdy cabin! She picked up a thorn stick and stored the bone chips in her waist pouch. She headed towards the higher ground on the green slope, an area she hadn't explored thoroughly.

The green slope was probably... from Cloudy's estimate, as large as a university campus. She divided it into three regions:

Grassland area, where she currently resided, very flat with almost no noticeable slope.
Bush area, slightly steeper, giving a feeling of climbing a hill.
Rock area, a place Cloudy had never been to, devoid of vegetation, with steep white rock walls requiring climbing.

Cloudy had been moving in the grassland area, near her small cave, which had some prominent mounds and white boulders. Beyond these features, a few kilometers uphill would lead to...
Cloudy ventured into an area filled with wormwood shrubs.

The once soft and lush green grass had disappeared, replaced by patches of purple and yellow shrubs. At night, the area was alive with the sounds of small animals, prompting Cloudy to only visit during midday and stick to the edges of the shrubbery.

Deeper into the shrubbery, the vegetation grew denser and taller, with thorny plants and an ominous sense of lurking snakes deterring Cloudy from venturing further. While there were flat areas bordering the grass and shrubbery, the presence of nocturnal creatures made it unsuitable for settling down.

Walking towards the eastern side of the shrubbery, where the sunlight was brighter, Cloudy encountered a variety of vibrant and colorful shrubs. Among them, she spotted a plant she recognized - oval green leaves with sharp thorns at the tips, all growing on straight green stems. Were these taro leaves?!

Excited, Cloudy dropped her makeshift weapon and began digging frantically at the base of the plant, hoping to uncover something familiar. Unfortunately, after ten minutes of digging, all she found was a plant that resembled taro leaves. Disappointed, she sighed at her futile attempt to connect with a plant from a world thousands of years in the past.

Moving on, Cloudy stumbled upon something unexpected - tomatoes growing amidst the shrubbery. Bright red tomatoes hung from green vines, resembling the ones she knew from her time. Cloudy couldn't believe her eyes and rushed towards them.

One by one, she plucked the tomatoes, only to find herself holding a handful of leaves instead. Perplexed, she searched for the real tomatoes and found them a few steps away. As she reached out to grab them, a sense of unease crept over her.

Sensing danger, Cloudy hesitated and eventually retreated from the shrubbery. As she stumbled backward, she noticed a scattered hamburger and a dirty roasted chicken on the ground. Upon closer inspection, she realized they had turned into small piles of dirt.

Cloudy understood she had been poisoned, without needing to ponder the situation further.