Cang Xu, the old scholar, was knowledgeable and broad-minded. Often, he could discern many things from the corpse of a magic beast. Before Zhenjin took on the leadership responsibilities of the exploration team, Cang Xu had already brought significant help to the team by this virtue.
Cang Xu had previously examined the ordinary flying squirrel's corpse but had specifically instructed that if the head flying squirrel was dissected and any anomalies were found, they should be reported to him immediately.
"Lord," Bai Ya quickly brought the head flying squirrel's corpse to Cang Xu.
"It's Bai Ya," Cang Xu nodded and immediately turned his gaze to the head flying squirrel's corpse in Bai Ya's hand.
"Lord, please take a look. I might be too nervous, but there is indeed something different," Bai Ya presented the head flying squirrel's corpse for Cang Xu to inspect carefully.
Cang Xu observed for a moment, and his expression gradually became serious.
"Bai Ya, you did well," Cang Xu praised and reached out, wanting to pick up the head flying squirrel's corpse. Although he managed to lift it, the old scholar quickly sighed and put it back in place.
The old scholar was naturally weak and powerless. Additionally, he had previously suffered from magical contamination; although the poison had been cleared, his body was still significantly damaged.
"You carry it and come with me to report to Lord Zhenjin," Cang Xu said to Bai Ya.
"Yes, Lord," Bai Ya immediately took the order.
Inside the tent, Zhenjin was discussing crossbows with Zi Di.
"Because of the magical contamination, the actual combat power of the entire exploration team has decreased significantly," Zhenjin looked worried, as no outsiders were present, "Exploring this island was already quite difficult. Now, the risks we have to bear are even greater."
Zi Di pondered and said, "Lord Zhenjin, we have already done our best. For now, the state of the exploration team can only be this way unless we use mid-to-high-level magic potions or corresponding magic and divine arts for treatment."
"However, given our current situation, we cannot produce mid-to-high-level magic potions. Besides, I don't agree with doing this."
"Because it's too uneconomical."
"Whether it's mid-to-high-level magic potions or corresponding magic and divine arts, the cost is very high. Just to heal these ordinary people, even though two of them are elite Bronze Level, it's not worth it."
After a pause, Zi Di added, "In fact, magical contamination has many after-effects. For example, various strange and even incurable chronic diseases, as well as shortened life spans."
Zhenjin sighed, "Let's not consider these for now. I just want to supplement our actual combat power. Do you think we can make crossbows?"
In recent days, Zhenjin had fully realized the benefits of ranged attacks.
For example, not long ago, the head flying squirrel, a Bronze Level magic beast, had been killed instantly by a dagger thrown by Zhenjin. With the death of the head flying squirrel, the attacking flying squirrel group fell into chaos, allowing the exploration team to seize the opportunity and achieve a great victory without any casualties.
Zi Di, after careful deliberation, said, "Lord, your idea is correct. Enhancing our ranged forces could greatly supplement our combat strength, save physical strength, and reduce possible casualties."
"However, we are currently unable to manufacture them."
"First, we don't have a crossbow maker. Although crossbows have simple structures, making them requires skilled craftsmanship. We are all laymen."
"Second, we don't have a blacksmith. The best crossbows use steel plates for the bow arms, which gives them very high poundage. The crossbow mechanism is also very intricate, requiring metal springs, all of which need to be forged by a blacksmith. High-quality crossbows also have mechanical aids for drawing the string, which even the Empire cannot mass-produce and must procure annually from goblins on the Molten Lava Continent."
A scholar wasn't necessarily a mage, but every mage was a scholar.
Zi Di, being the current Chairman of the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce, knew a lot about crossbows due to the lucrative arms trade.
Yet, Zhenjin was not willing to give up so easily.
He still insisted, "I don't intend to use steel plates for the bow arms, just wooden planks. We can dry and tear tree bark to make ropes, giving us a bowstring. In fact, we also have many magic beast tendons."
"The crossbows we make this way will have much lower poundage but will be easier to string, purely by human power."
"The only obstacle will be the crossbow mechanism. It needs precision and specifically shaped metal parts, especially springs."
"Zi Di, you are right, we don't have a blacksmith, but we don't need large-scale manufacturing. I just need you to use potions to corrode specific metal parts and springs."
Zhenjin was also familiar with crossbows.
Though he had not recovered his memory of relevant skills, he had a wealth of common knowledge.
In fact, Holy Temple Knights were equipped with horse crossbows, which were small crossbows designed for knights to use while mounted.
Zi Di sighed, "I'm sorry, Lord, but I currently don't have a potion that can corrode specific metal parts. I don't carry such special potions with me, but if we gather the right materials, I can concoct them on the spot. However, dealing with magic beasts that have corrosive acid liquid is not easy and could cause significant casualties to the entire team."
"Moreover, there is another point I want to remind you of."
Here, Zi Di instinctively lowered her voice slightly.
"If your plan succeeds and almost everyone in the team has a crossbow, this team will become difficult to control and very dangerous."
Zhenjin's pupils slightly contracted.
Zi Di's reminder was very accurate.
Zhenjin immediately recalled the moment when Huang Zao fled.
"Do not overestimate or underestimate people." Zhenjin murmured in his heart.
Human hearts were treacherous.
When faced with a lifesaver, Huang Zao fled with a dagger, regardless of whether he did it intentionally or unintentionally. And on this island, full of dangers, what kind of extreme situations might arise in the future?
Currently, it seemed that these people all supported Zhenjin as their leader. But what if extreme situations occurred?
For instance, if everyone fled together under the pursuit of a magic beast, would someone use their crossbow to kill a companion, making them bait to slow the beast's pursuit?
Especially in the current environment, where mid-to-low-level magic and fighting energy could not be activated. Both Zhenjin and Zi Di were very weak. A sharp sword or a flying arrow could be lethal to them.
Humans had fatal weaknesses.
The exploration team members were not soldiers of the Hundred Needle Family. Loyalty often required time to cultivate.
Zhenjin was not someone who couldn't listen to advice.
"If crossbows won't work, then we'll have to try using bows."
"Longbows are definitely not suitable; they're very inconvenient in the dense forest and require skilled archers."
"Short bows are feasible, easier to make than crossbows but still require some training."
Ranged attacks first required precision.
However, Zhenjin's sudden acquisition of ranged attack abilities due to his emerging memories was difficult to replicate.
The exploration team's members were not proficient with bows and arrows, except for Bai Ya.
As a hunter's son, Bai Ya's bow skills were one of his means of survival.
If they had enough people, Zhenjin could select skilled archers to form a dedicated archer team. But now, he was severely short of manpower. Forming an archer unit was mainly to protect its members, minimizing casualties.
"The wood here is abundant, making short bows is not difficult. An individual's aim might not be good, but the team can perform volleys to create an arrow screen, compensating for the lack."
"They still need intensive training, or even an arrow rain can't be formed."
"However, training requires ample food."
Zhenjin began to feel a slight headache.
Drawing a bowstring consumed a lot of physical strength. The higher the bow's poundage, the more so. Many crossbows required mechanical aids; otherwise, humans couldn't draw the bowstring.
Shooting arrows required aiming and maintaining the strong bend of the bow arms for a period, which also consumed physical strength.
The greater the physical exertion, the more food was needed.
Without food replenishment, random training was asking for trouble.
Therefore, the issue boiled down to food.
Unfortunately, food scarcity was already the most severe problem they faced!
While Zhenjin was troubled, Cang Xu and Bai Ya sought an audience.
The two brought the corpse of the head flying squirrel.
"We have made some unexpected discoveries, Lord," Cang Xu said seriously.
Zhenjin's gaze instinctively fell on the head flying squirrel's corpse, "Did you find a Demon Crystal?"
"No," Cang Xu gestured to Bai Ya.
After Zhenjin nodded, Bai Ya placed the head flying squirrel's corpse on the table.
Cang Xu then instructed Bai Ya to forcefully open the head flying squirrel's incision, revealing the distinct muscle fibers.
"Lord Zhenjin, Lady Zi Di, please look here," Cang Xu pointed to the muscle fibers.
Zi Di squinted, her brow slightly furrowed, "It indeed differs from the usual magic beasts."
Zhenjin also noticed that normally, magic beast muscles were bundles forming a whole. But the head flying squirrel muscles were divided into many thin muscle slices, closely arranged like fish scales.
"Look here," Cang Xu continued, revealing the head flying squirrel's internal organs.
Zhenjin and Zi Di noticed that the organs' surfaces were covered with a white, membrane-like substance.
Zi Di was puzzled, "This is indeed different from the usual magic beasts. What does this unusual structure indicate?"
Zi Di, though a mage, wasn't as knowledgeable as Cang Xu in this regard.
Zhenjin's general knowledge also couldn't grasp the old scholar's intention.
Seeing their puzzled expressions, Cang Xu explained, "I strongly suspect that this head flying squirrel can release strong electric currents!"
"Oh? How so?" Zhenjin was puzzled.
"A mouse that can discharge electricity?" Bai Ya's mouth dropped open.
Cang Xu continued to explain, "There is a special fish that reproduces in the ocean or large rivers, known as the Electric Eel. Its body structure closely resembles this head flying squirrel. When they want to discharge electricity, their entire muscles will rhythmically move, generating a terrifying electric shock that can instantly kill an elephant. However, they also have insulating membranes within their bodies to protect themselves during electric shocks."
"Then why didn't this head flying squirrel discharge electricity previously?" Bai Ya asked.
Cang Xu shook his head slightly, "This electric shock isn't magic; it comes from the unique structure of life. Magic is when mages use their spirits to manipulate elements, creating something from nothing based on rules. On the other hand, the Electric Eel's shocking ability stems from its unique organs and tissues. Just as a throat enables sound and wings enable flight."
"An Electric Eel can generate electricity but cannot control the flow of electricity. However, it lives in water. When it generates strong electricity, all nearby aquatic creatures will suffer from the electric shock."
"As for the head flying squirrel, its ability to generate electricity depends on its surroundings. Trees, the ground, and air are all significant obstacles to the flow of electricity."
"Therefore, only when the head flying squirrel is in contact with its enemy will its electric shock ability become evident. But earlier, Lord Zhenjin's thrown dagger killed it mid-air, temporarily concealing this ability."
"I see," Bai Ya suddenly understood.
Zi Di squinted slightly, "So, if we encounter this head flying squirrel again, iron armor would be a disadvantage. Thick leather armor would be better."
Cang Xu shook his head, "Leather armor doesn't offer enough protection. Faces are usually exposed, and the flying squirrel's claws and teeth are sharp enough to tear through leather and discharge."
Zhenjin nodded, "So, the best way to deal with the head flying squirrel is still ranged attacks! But we have too few archers."
Though Zhenjin could accurately throw, he couldn't always kill with one strike.
He wasn't meant to be his subordinates' caretaker, and his followers weren't for protection.
"Lord, Lan Zao seeks your audience," a voice came from outside the tent.
As a Bronze Level elite, Zhenjin had previously sent Lan Zao to scout the surrounding area.
He summoned Lan Zao into the tent and found him full of joy.
"Lord, good news! I discovered a gathering of flying squirrels not far ahead. They dug holes and nested in the tree trunks, and I roughly counted that there were many holes! This flying squirrel group is large, nearly a thousand. If we hunt them, it would greatly supplement our food supply."
Cang Xu pondered aloud, "It seems that this flying squirrel's social habits haven't changed."
"Oh?" Zhenjin raised an eyebrow and instinctively looked at Zi Di.
Zi Di understood his meaning and promptly said, "I've already checked. The meat of ordinary flying squirrels is safe. However, we cannot eat the magic beast meat of the head flying squirrel."
Bai Ya exclaimed, "Hunting such a large group of flying squirrels is very dangerous."
Lan Zao glared at Bai Ya and then looked at Zhenjin, volunteering to lead the charge against the flying squirrel colony.
Cang Xu shook his head, "Lan Zao, you underestimate these flying squirrels. The Bronze Level head flying squirrel can discharge electricity. Such a large colony might have a Black Iron Level head flying squirrel."
"What?" Lan Zao was stunned.
Zhenjin fell into thought.
He realized he was facing a challenging decision.
But for a moment, Zhenjin couldn't make up his mind, "I need to think about this carefully. You all go back to your tasks."
"Yes, Lord."
"I'll support you no matter what decision you make," Zi Di said as she left the tent last.