Then, it was time to make his own thorn wall grow a little taller.
That required more sacrifices to feed it.
The only sacrifices he could offer now were those blood-sucking creatures.
Having no choice, he continued with yesterday's method, dragging the sled along the river. He had now become very skilled at hunting the bloodthirsty creatures and was much braver.
After hunting down six in succession, he hauled them back on the sled.
Now that the snow was melting, pulling the sled no longer saved much effort. Fortunately, his strength had increased significantly, so hauling it home wasn't too tiring.
Once again, he threw the creatures into the thorns, reciting that long incantation.
The thorn bush started to feed on them as if coming to life, absorbing their flesh and evil energy—the sounds and sights were disgusting.
Luckily, after the ritual, the thorn wall had grown another meter in height and its width had also increased, now measuring about sixty centimeters wide.
Ma Lin felt he couldn't jump over this wall.
Normally, Old Hu wouldn't be able to jump in either. But that didn't mean his yard was safe—after all, there might be flying magical creatures.
Then he felt it was time to install a gate in the wall. However, the wall wasn't high enough yet and it wasn't a good time to fit a door.
So off he went again to hunt the bloodthirsty creatures, sacrificing them to the thorn wall. Another six were killed, among them one with a red pelt that seemed to be the leader; it ventured out alone to hunt and charged at Ma Lin from a distance. It took seven rounds of fighting before Ma Lin managed to take it down.
By the time he had dragged them all back, it was already noon.
Once again, they were used to sacrifice to the demonic thorn bush.
It seemed that the leader of the blood suckers had greatly excited the demonic thorn bush. This time it grew quite a bit taller, reaching over three meters in height and one meter in width. Land-based magical creatures were now basically unable to jump over.
Next was to install a door.
As for how to make one, "The Slave's Book" had provided some hints.
The doorframe should be made of a black wood, and the door panels from a red wood. Inside there were several bolts and a deadbolt.
Normally, processing this wood would have been very labor-intensive, but Ma Lin had his dog tooth dagger, which could carve wood as if slicing tofu.
What to do without nails?
A mortise and tenon structure would do just fine. At a glance, you could tell this door was sturdy.
From collecting the wood to processing and installing the door, it all took a total of two days and one night, primarily because his handiwork was so poor.
This door was protected by the demonic thorn bush and was extraordinarily sturdy, making it very difficult to damage.
Both the doorframe and doorposts were protected by demonic thorns, and the door panels were flexible. Even if a rhinoceros charged with its horn, it wouldn't be able to break through.
Ma Lin went hunting for a Sharpheaded Deer to replenish his food supply, and gathered several varieties of wild vegetables and nuts. "The Slave's Book" could identify these, telling him if they were edible or not.
The deer skin was used to make a backpack, gloves, boots, a hat, and a pair of trousers with an automatic size adjustment. Some of the deer's fur was processed into that magical yarn which, when under the influence of a spell, could turn into a magical serpent and attack prey.
His leather jacket and boots were waterproof; after getting wet, they could be dried with a spell at the cost of a bit of contribution points.
More time was spent building a thatched shelter in the northeast corner of the courtyard, with a stove underneath made of mud and stone, using a method from "The Slave's Book." Because his handiwork was terrible, the stove was unbearably ugly but very convenient to use. Firewood and a large water tank were kept under the shelter, protected from the rain.
The thorn wall was extraordinary; it was very difficult for wild animals to jump in or burrow through.
He then enclosed an area for a latrine and planted vegetables and fruit trees on bare ground. He felt he finally had a real home, and "The Slave's Book" acknowledged it. From that day on, this home provided him with ten contribution points every day, and even if he traveled away, as long as the home remained undamaged, it would not be affected.
His mood improved slightly, but problems still existed.
This world was still too dangerous, too lonely.
The hunting process was also fraught with too many incidents; he could get injured at any time, then face a survival crisis.
That night, after a full meal, he lay in bed thinking about all sorts of messy things.
Ma Lin didn't know why he so desperately wanted to go home; he just felt an unbearable loneliness in this life here.
Without friends, unable to talk to anyone, weak, too many dangers—it was a tough life. Initially, he didn't have the chance to consider these issues, but now, they were a source of great concern.
He hardly slept that night. The next morning, after brushing his teeth with a wooden brush, he felt his "Servant's Book" vibrate several times in succession.
He opened it to check. There was a new task to search for new species of flora and fauna, and another important task: In the north, the Stone Bamboo Forest had become home to new demons. He was to eliminate them, earning contribution points and unlocking new dagger techniques.
The moment he saw that he could unlock new dagger techniques, his eyes sparkled with excitement. Finally, the day had come.
He quickly ate his fill and drank plenty of water, carrying a water bag filled with drinking water and stuffing some food into his shoulder bag, including dried meat, dried fruits, and corn cakes.
Where did the corn cakes come from?
He himself had made a stone mortar and pestle to crush dried demonic corn kernels, mixed them with water to form a rough dough, and steamed it to make corn cakes. They were very filling and satisfying to eat.
Then he set off for the cold northern Stone Bamboo Forest. Fortunately, his thick leather coat was especially warm, and since he had a strong resistance to cold, it was not a problem at all.
Upon arriving, he didn't discover any demons.
Following the task instructions, he struck the gong under the very center of the stone bamboo.
Then, the ground inside the large circle in front shook, and a skeletal demonic ape emerged.
Ma Lin tested it out and found it too weak, so he took off its head with a slash of his dagger.
Then he struck the gong again.
A single strike brought forth one ape.
He killed over a hundred in succession.
This was too easy.
Then the task updated, indicating a slight increase in the monsters' combat strength.
Still, he struck the gong and out popped a slightly larger skeletal demonic ape.
Again, he killed over a hundred in succession.
Ma Lin's mind filled with questions. Where were they coming from?
Then the monsters' combat strength slightly increased again.
He struck the gong, and out came another one.
That day, he killed over seven hundred of these skeletal demonic apes in total. Then the first phase of the task was completed.
The "Servant's Book" notified: "His Majesty the Egg's servant Ma Lin has obtained the dagger skill book 'Dance of the Serpent'."
Even the name was cool.
Ma Lin didn't have time to mock the egg; he headed home. He felt a bit excited on the way. Perhaps this was his chance to turn his life around.
The door to his courtyard was also opened with a passphrase; if he sang "Master, master, I love you," the door would automatically open.
What if he had a sore throat or something in his mouth? It didn't matter; as long as he hummed the tune, the door would open just the same.
After entering and securing the door, he saw that the transplanted vegetables were growing well.
He then went into the cave to begin reading the skill book.
He returned to study it because mastering this skill required time.
Calling it a skill book was a stretch; it was actually just an extra dozen or so pages in the "Servant's Book."
Each page was filled with numerous patterns. When he observed these patterns carefully, they would start to move, as if demonstrating some usage of the dagger.
The human body has its own structure, and each movement follows its own pattern. By cleverly utilizing these patterns to simplify a complex series of movements and make them more coordinated, one can significantly improve the efficiency and lethality of their attacks. The more skillfully the patterns are manipulated, the more powerful the combinations become.