Xu Dekai felt rather downcast, his mood overwhelmingly gloomy. During this period, he had attempted numerous methods with everyone, yet they couldn't manage to create a functional and reliable boat. To be precise, they barely put together a small boat that couldn't sail beyond this tree.
Indeed, it was about getting beyond the reach of a tree, and this tree was situated in the middle of the water. After the previous struggle against the rain and giant rats, Xu Dekai and the group of people had valiantly emerged. However, they hadn't even steadied themselves before being pelted by raindrops larger than themselves. Swept away by the rainwater down the slope, they clung to leaves and branches midway, holding onto whatever floating objects they could find. They helped each other, pulling and tugging, each finding their own "boat," eventually reaching the base of the mountain.
At the mountain's foot, the water's current slowed down. Xu Dekai and the others clung to leaves, exerting themselves to climb upwards. Just when they thought they could return once the rain subsided, another heavy downpour came suddenly, transforming the green space at the mountain's base into a vast expanse of water. Like Xu Dekai, many young people who were also perched on grass and leaves were swept away again by the rain into the forest, starting a new journey along a river.
Fortunately, the initial drifting was gentle, and there were quite a few leaves and branches floating on the water's surface. With the combined efforts of those who knew how to swim, they managed to pull themselves onto various floating objects. These groups formed on their makeshift vessels, allowing them to communicate and encourage each other. However, the good times were short-lived; as the rain intensified, the water's flow grew swifter. This was followed by a half-day of rapid drifting, the river splitting into smaller streams that carried each person on their "life-saving leaves" in different directions.
Initially, Xu Dekai was accompanied by many people on his journey, but as their speed increased, distances between them widened. After drifting for half a day, he and many others arrived at a vast expanse of water, dotted with scattered trees. With much effort, they managed to maneuver tree leaves toward one large tree, making it their temporary refuge until now.
After a brief respite, the young people's first thought was to hurry back. The destruction caused by the giant rats left them deeply concerned about their loved ones' safety. Eager to return, they started off with great enthusiasm, urgently working on constructing boats.
However, things weren't so simple. Some had materials for boat-building, which should have made the process straightforward. Yet, once the boats were built, they realized they couldn't get back at all. The reason was the underwater fish, almost like a group of demons, which they discovered were attacking insects falling from the tree by hitting the water's surface.
With few trees in this area, the situation was sparse, resembling a sparsely treed grassland. Most of the insects on the tree had crawled up from the grass. These bugs acted purely on instinct, a far cry from the ones Xiao Guang and Junya encountered in the forest, but the fish in the water were far from foolish like those in the woods. Some aggressive ones were chased and driven into the water by everyone, long before the drift even began. The gentle ones were mostly wiped out after the first round of fish attacks, falling into the water in a panic. After a few more rounds of predation by the large fish, these less clever bugs from the grass practically died out.
The young people who attempted to return were overturned by the fish every time they placed the boat in the water. Unwilling to admit defeat, they tried multiple times, day and night, but all in vain. The waterways in this area were completely sealed off, even leaves would be nibbled away. After multiple failures, while they didn't give up entirely, they had lost their vigor. They began focusing on the issue of survival.
First, they consolidated resources, realizing that aside from having an ample supply of leaves, they also had tree branches—though that was all. Food was passable, with wild fruits on the trees, each enough for a few days, and bird nests with eggs. Igniting a fire from wood wasn't feasible since they couldn't afford to burn the trees, but eating raw bird eggs managed to keep hunger at bay.
During the months spent living in the trees, the young people had worked together and grown accustomed to one another. They recognized that Xu Dekai possessed the most strength, clear thinking, and leadership qualities, so he was unanimously chosen as their leader. After constructing dozens of leaf boats and discovering that they couldn't paddle upstream against the rain, plus the fact that underwater fish enjoyed ramming the trees to consume insects, they could only sigh in despair.
Daily, they gazed upon an expanse of water and the distant water-bound trees, wondering if fellow companions were up there like them. Anxiously waiting for the rainy season to end, they worried that afterward, the land might transform into a swamp, making their journey even more challenging. Because in this wetland, inconspicuous creatures like mud loaches and crabs could now become their predators.
Sigh, returning home seemed so difficult!
These days, the birds in the trees have mostly flown away. It seems that the rainy season is coming to an end. Several large fish have become increasingly aggressive, frequently ramming into the trees as if attempting to shake down every last insect. These green insects are now in short supply, and the fish below seem intent on having one final feast on the land's delicious morsels before the rainy season concludes.
Today, an exceptionally large fish arrived, resembling a colossal sea monster. The branches trembled, and Xu Dekai shouted loudly, "Hold on tight! Secure yourselves!"
Everyone promptly tied themselves with ropes, as this situation had become all too familiar. Even without direct impacts, during sleep at night, they tethered themselves to the trees, as it appeared the fish didn't need rest. They also habitually walked while holding onto the vines on the trees, fearing sudden impacts that might dislodge them and make them fish food.
Xu Dekai had also organized sentry posts. Regardless of day or night, if anyone noticed abnormal waves on the water's surface, they'd immediately sound the alarm. By combining these strategies, they had effectively prevented surprise attacks and reduced their numbers.
Today, the fish beneath the water continued to ram against the tree trunks one after another. The people above swayed and held on for half an hour, figuring that they had finally weathered the storm.
However, this time, the fish didn't give up so easily. They relentlessly pounded the trees with increasing force, making it the most severe incident since the beginning of the rainy season. It had been going on for so long that it hadn't stopped yet. Some of their companions were already beginning to vomit from the relentless swaying, and the situation was growing dire.
Xu Dekai was frantic, unsure of what to do. With his strong physique, he couldn't afford to be cautious. He tied a rope around his waist and, disregarding the danger, unsteadily made his way to those who were feeling dizzy from vomiting, securing them firmly to the trees. A few other sturdy members were doing the same, yet having spent a long time in the trees, rest was poor, and with limited food, they were reaching their limits. Several companions couldn't hold onto the branches any longer, swinging helplessly in mid-air. Meanwhile, the fish below were growing even more excited. Xu Dekai cursed in his heart, "Damn it, who said fish had poor eyesight? Can they not see how thrilled they are?"
At this moment, Xu Dekai was forcefully clinging to a branch, pulling up the vine of a dangling comrade, and noticed that more companions were falling, some of them even from the strong rescue team, all suspended mid-air. His heart twisted like a knife.
Just as the crisis reached its peak, a strange scene unfolded. From a distance, like a helicopter, a large beetle flew toward them. It caught some attention and, as it drew closer, it hovered overhead, dropping something that resembled bombs. In no time, the fish below scattered.
This miraculous sight left everyone in awe, and what happened next almost made their jaws drop. The beetle flew straight towards them, landing on a branch and folding its wings. Someone agilely jumped down from it. This person approached, removed their headgear, and looked at them with excitement and scrutiny. They gazed at the sky for a long while and let out a sigh, "Thank the heavens, I've been searching for you for months. Finally, I've found the first group!"