Chapter 54

Lucky or unlucky... this time, the period ended on the third day, which was also the second day after Titus left. After it ended, Cloudy made a mark on the calendar, wanting to calculate when the next one would be.

In total, three days - with a slightly strange temper and a slightly bad mood, feeling all achy and lacking energy, plus aching in the lower abdomen... everything was just like a normal period as remembered.

On the bright side, one could think of this as a symbol of good health, and at least it didn't last for five days! After this time, it's probably another two or three months before needing to worry again.

With the period marked on the calendar, Cloudy began planning today's exploration task. It hadn't rained inside the cave since the morning, and to Cloudy's surprise, the previously murky pool inside the cave suddenly became clear as glass, allowing a view of the sediment at the bottom and the fresh green water plants swaying gently.

The sunlight shining into the pool from outside illuminated the cave walls with a network of water ripples. Some strange bird calls could be heard from outside... it felt very much like spring, even though the temperature indicated otherwise - it was completely summer!

Stretching lazily, Cloudy admired the decent scenery. Who wouldn't like a clear pool? Especially with those brightly colored water plants at the bottom... it looked inviting, but now wasn't the time for swimming; first, preparations for the exploration had to be made.

The first step was warming up. Facing the pool, Cloudy began some slightly awkward exercises, stretching her neck, wrists, and ankles. While stretching her waist, she heard her bones crackling, like firecrackers.

After the routine, she went to the tool table to check the weapons to take out. Two spears, wrapped together with vines to carry on her back, two stone hand axes for making rafts or clearing paths, and three small bone knives, all tucked into her waist pouch for easy access.

These items were all old companions, but Cloudy's gaze fell on the bow and arrows standing quietly next to the table. It was a makeshift from before the rainy season, looking like a bow and arrows. The bowstring snapped when pulled, but she didn't discard it, thinking it could serve as a decoration in the cave...

For this exploration trip, she hoped to find materials to make a new bowstring so she could practice shooting game from a distance.

As for food, she only had roots. She picked a few and folded them into convenient lengths to carry, then tied them up with vines on her back, resembling a small brown backpack.

Apart from weapons and food, Cloudy pondered what clothes to wear outside. She hadn't worn anything these past few days for convenience, but going out for exploration was different - it was better to protect most of the skin... but wearing animal skins would be too hot! Cloudy wiped her forehead, already sweating from the heat. She couldn't even imagine the temperature outside.

The weather in the rainforest truly changed at the drop of a hat.
After some thought, I decided to go inside and put on the worn-out vest that I had. The fur was too hot... I'll deal with it later.

Once ready, Cloudy entered the pool and swam towards the cave entrance. The clear water of the pool felt somewhat unfamiliar, like a neglected backyard pool overgrown with weeds that had suddenly been cleaned and filled with water overnight, turning into a cool spot for summer days.

Changes were not limited to the cave; as she dove underwater and swam into the tunnel leading out, despite the blurry underwater visibility, she could sense that it was getting brighter.

Emerging from the water, Cloudy wiped her face dry and noticed everything sparkling around her. In just a few days... outside the cave was already lush with greenery, and the muddy swamp, like inside the cave, was as clear as glass. She could see green water grass growing on the pool bottom, swaying in different directions with the pool's flow.

Upon closer inspection, she spotted several pale yellow flowers among the water grass. Cloudy dove down and picked two of them up, but as soon as they left the water, the thin petals wrinkled against her skin. She sniffed them, only catching a hint of a watery smell besides the faint scent, and there was no taste when she tried chewing them in her mouth.

It's better to leave them at the bottom of the water for a better view.

Cloudy swam forward slowly, with specks of light shining through the newly emerged tree leaves above, and in the distance, there was even a faint mist... The birds' chirping and insects' buzzing were deafening, but Cloudy wasn't in a rush to start making a raft. She secured her weapons and belongings near the closest tree root and jumped back into the water to swim around.

The sweat she had worked up in the cave disappeared in the cool pool water as she submerged and began vigorously scrubbing her hair. She hadn't washed her hair during her period, so it was time for a quick rinse today. After thoroughly scrubbing her hair, it bloomed in the water like a giant sea urchin.

Due to the lack of shampoo and conditioner use for a long time, Cloudy's hair was in a terrible state. Originally fine and soft, her hair had been tortured into a dry mess here, coupled with a lack of nutrition, causing some serious hair loss. Luckily, it hadn't reached the point of balding yet...

Enjoying her bath in the clear pool water, Cloudy felt much happier... She combed through her hair with her hands, which had grown below her shoulders, making movement in the rainforest very inconvenient.

Titus' hair was almost long enough to cover the back of his neck, and during the rainy season when she visited settlements, she noticed that many people had long hair, especially the Matriarch, whose tangled hair probably reached her waist. Why didn't these people cut their hair? Was it some kind of tradition... Cloudy thought about trimming her hair a bit, but she didn't have any sharp tools... Using a bone knife would only dull it, making the process very inefficient.

But that could wait. After almost finishing scrubbing her hair, Cloudy began to swim around and enjoy the scenery.
Near the cave, the trees were not very dense, making the visit quite pleasant. However, as you walked a hundred or so meters further, the trees became more abundant. Yet, the canopy had not yet fully recovered to its former lushness, and even deep in the rainforest, it was still relatively bright.

Many tree barks were beginning to regenerate, with most of the new bark being light in color, appearing very soft... Cloudy used a bone knife to cut off a piece and squeezed it in her hand, indeed, it was very soft. When held up to the sunlight, the inside of the bark revealed intricate patterns resembling tree leaves.

The newly grown bark... felt more like fruit skin, and Cloudy couldn't resist putting it in her mouth to chew. It was quite moist, but tasteless, turning slightly bitter after prolonged chewing. Quickly spitting out the bark, she moved away from the trees.

In addition to the bark, the vines growing on the trees were also rejuvenating, entwining specific trees explosively like ivy, displaying beautiful shades of a pale green hue.

Cloudy also picked some, finding the leaves very tender, and the branches, not yet mature, were as soft and delicate as morning glory stems, easily breaking off with a finger's touch. She stuffed both leaves and tender stems into her mouth.

She realized she had become a bit obsessed with finding new flavors, stuffing anything new she came across into her mouth. Of course, insects, whether seen before or not, were an exception... After a few chews, Cloudy detected a hint of sweetness, somewhat enjoyable, and she continued to pluck and chew them like a goat grazing on grass.

Despite her fear of poisoning while eating randomly, she couldn't resist the urge to try new things, a contradiction she couldn't resolve. Before the rainy season began, she had given up contemplating this contradiction and instead kept trying whatever she found in the rainforest, leading her to discover many spice plants, including the buzzing grass that could boost alertness.

She didn't know when it would sprout after the rainy season ended, but Cloudy missed that taste, feeling like she hadn't had it in almost half a month...

The only thing Cloudy wouldn't easily try was mushrooms. Anything suspicious emerging from damp soil, looking soft and squishy, was classified as fungi in her mind.

"Mmm..." Floating on the water's surface, Cloudy found herself surprisingly calm after realizing she could leave the cave to explore freely. She had been afraid of being separated from Titus, but now, she hardly thought about him.

Indeed, keeping busy seemed to keep negative emotions at bay!

Cloudy began splashing around near the tree roots, playing until she was satisfied, then decided it was time to start building a raft.

Materials for the raft were abundant everywhere, following the basic technique of using sticks and vines, along with a long pole to propel the boat.

In less than an hour, Cloudy was sitting on a brand-new raft. She began to
Using the pole to adjust the direction and angle of the boat in place, Cloudy ensured that the raft wouldn't fall apart and drift in the direction set yesterday.

The difference before and after the rainy season is really significant... Cloudy looked up at the sky, where layers of green leaves overlapped, shimmering with different colors as the wind blew, resembling fluttering butterflies.

She felt like she was rowing in a forest park in some country, having paid a few hundred bucks for the entrance fee. I wonder if Titus will be able to see this view on his way back? But he's a local, so he must be used to it by now, right?

For her, it was quite rare, the water rainforest in the clear pool... In her time, you could only see this in videos or animations, and experiencing it firsthand was amazing. She couldn't even bring herself to stir up the water at the bottom of the pool with the pole.

As the pole touched the pool bottom, it stirred up a small mist of mud, causing the water plants to slightly disperse upon the arrival of the pole. When the pole was removed and returned to the surface, the dispersed water plants gently gathered back together, resembling green jellyfish.

Since there was no rush, the raft moved slowly forward, leaving gentle ripples on the water surface. Along the way of rowing the raft, Cloudy could recall the miserable scenes of herself struggling in the muddy swamp during the rainy season.

By the time the next rainy season arrives, she can't afford to be in such a sorry state again; she needs to be fully prepared. For instance, she plans to move to higher ground after the rainy season, where there won't be any waterlogging, and the access will be more convenient. It's too troublesome to have to dive in and out of the cave like now.

She wants to find a highland similar to Titus' settlement. She plans to thoroughly check during these days of exploration, while the water level hasn't receded yet, to identify which areas won't get flooded.

Rowing the raft leisurely forward, Cloudy found it slightly difficult to recognize the route to traps and small ponds as many landmarks were submerged underwater due to the still high water level... The explosive growth of trees and plants also added to the difficulty of navigation, but the good news was that there were many plants she had never seen before.

Just rowing along this path, Cloudy collected many plants and piled them up at the bow of the boat. She intends to take them back to smell and taste each one, to see if they can be used as spices.

After rowing a few hundred meters further, Cloudy's waterway was blocked by a large number of raised tree roots. After circling around, she found no way to continue forward and had to tie the raft to the tree roots. Armed, she continued forward by stepping on the tree roots.

Without water, these tree roots would have been above her head. Due to their large quantity, they laid out a path directly ahead, making it relatively easy to walk, albeit occasionally requiring the use of hands and feet.

The lighting here was slightly dimmer, promoting better plant growth. Many vine plants had already climbed up the trees and bloomed, acting as sunshades. Cloudy carefully made her way along the tree roots, using both hands and feet.

It was during her exploration forward that she heard some noise not far away. It wasn't the sound of animals but rather voices speaking...

...The water continued.
Has someone come so far without completely retreating? Cloudy crouched down, trying to blend in with the tree roots and vines as much as possible. She perked up her ears, listening carefully to the distance.

"&…￥……" "是……#*—"

It sounded like the language of Titus and the others, but subtly different. She cautiously peeked out, squinting her eyes. After a while, she saw two tall figures walking on water about a hundred meters away from her.

Were they from the settlement?

Cloudy felt her whole body tense up. She hadn't expected to run into trouble on the first day of her exploration...