When Zhang Ye arrived at the riverbank, he, of course, was no longer reckless. He first surveyed the river. The water was clear and shallow, reaching just above his knees, and he didn't see any large creatures, so there seemed to be no immediate danger. However, to be cautious, he found a long stick and poked it around in the water.
No danger was stirred up, but he did manage to uncover a number of crabs that looked like rocks. Without hesitation, Zhang Ye used the "Analyze" skill on them.
[Stone Crab: A river crab that disguises itself as a rock. It has no magical properties, and its shell is hard and edible.]
No magic, so it wasn't considered a magical beast. Zhang Ye relaxed and grinned. "Gu Jiu, wait here, I'll get you some crabs!"
He rolled up his pants carefully and stepped into the river, finding that the water was just as shallow as expected, barely reaching his knees. He bent over to grab the stone crabs.
The crabs were small—only about the size of a coin, with some as big as a small crab—round and with shells that looked like stones. They were hard to spot at first, but with a few pokes, Zhang Ye easily startled some of them into scurrying out from their hiding spots.
The crabs weren't very fast, and their pincers weren't particularly threatening. Zhang Ye swiftly grabbed them, not worried about getting dirty, and stuffed them into his side pockets, which he secured tightly.
Soon, all four of his pockets were full.
"A bumper crop! A real harvest!" Zhang Ye laughed heartily, jumping onto the shore. He grabbed a small stone crab and offered it to Gu Jiu. "Eat, Gu Jiu."
"Gu Jiu~" Gu Jiu chirped happily and immediately wrapped the stone crab in its round body. The crab started struggling and bubbling as its hard shell dissolved rapidly before disappearing entirely. Gu Jiu seemed to grow a little larger.
Zhang Ye grinned, tossing more crabs to it. "Here, eat more, get bigger."
"Gu Jiu~"
After a dozen stone crabs, Gu Jiu's size grew to about the size of a pomegranate, noticeably larger than before. Zhang Ye's injuries seemed to have healed a little too, his strength replenished.
He had a few crabs left and decided to try one himself. "I'm a bit hungry. Time for lunch." He looked around. "Let's start a fire."
There were many ways to start a fire, and Zhang Ye had learned a few methods from videos online. The most famous one, drilling wood, was also the hardest, so he opted for the simpler "scraper fire method."
This method involved carving a long groove in a soft piece of wood, placing flammable tinder at the front, and rubbing a hard stick back and forth until sparks ignited the tinder.
Zhang Ye quickly gathered materials: a piece of wood, a hard stick, and some dry leaves and twigs. Using a sharp-edged stone, he worked on the wood, chipping it into a flat board. Though it took some effort, he didn't mind for the sake of the crabs.
In no time, he had a groove carved, and with his fire-starting materials ready, he began the scraping process. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he rubbed the stick against the groove. Slowly, smoke began to rise, and after several attempts, a small spark flared up. Zhang Ye carefully transferred the spark to the tinder, blowing gently to encourage it to ignite.
Before long, a small flame flickered to life. Zhang Ye let out a triumphant cheer. Though it had taken over an hour and he was drenched in sweat, it was a satisfying result for a first-time attempt.
He soon had a fire going strong, and he placed the stone crabs onto the flames. The delicious aroma soon wafted through the air.
As the crabs cooked, Zhang Ye removed his wet pants, hanging them by the fire to dry. A small blush appeared on Aira's face, but she said nothing.
The crabs were soon ready. Zhang Ye eagerly cracked open a shell, revealing golden crab meat. "Mmm, smells so good!" He laughed and started digging in.
The stone crabs' shells were tough—Zhang Ye had to use a stone to crack them open—but once he did, the meat inside was delicious. Gu Jiu immediately scurried over to the discarded shells, only to have Zhang Ye stop it. "No, no, Gu Jiu, you can't eat leftovers!"
Instead, he offered Gu Jiu a freshly cooked crab. Gu Jiu chirped excitedly and ate away.
The two finished their meal and prepared to move on. Just as Zhang Ye was about to extinguish the fire, Aira suddenly pointed toward the river. "Look, there's someone!"
Zhang Ye turned quickly, eyes widening. He saw a figure drifting in the river, being carried downstream by the current. As the water grew shallower, the body started to bump against the rocks.
Without thinking, Zhang Ye rushed over and grabbed the person by the clothes, dragging them to shore. It took considerable effort, but he eventually managed to get the person by the fire.
Upon closer inspection, Zhang Ye realized it was a woman—and what a striking one at that!
Her features were exquisitely sharp yet soft, with high cheekbones and striking, fiery red hair. Her eyebrows and lashes were also red, giving her a wild, untamed beauty. Her clothes, soaked from the river, were a red magical robe that seemed resistant to water. She was wearing a white inner shirt underneath, with a high collar that accentuated her long neck. Even in her unconscious state, she exuded an impressive presence.
"She must be a mage," Zhang Ye muttered.
Aira nodded. "A powerful one, most likely. That robe is enchanted with strong magical resistance."
As Zhang Ye checked for signs of life, he realized she wasn't breathing. He immediately began CPR, holding her nose and giving her a breath of air, before performing chest compressions.
After about ten minutes, just as Zhang Ye was about to administer another breath, the woman suddenly began to cough violently, spitting up water.
"Ugh!" Zhang Ye was caught off guard and spat out the water he'd accidentally swallowed. "Gross!"
As the woman's breathing returned, Zhang Ye sighed in relief, though now he faced a new dilemma. Her clothes were soaking wet, and the dampness would cause her body temperature to drop. He needed to remove her wet clothes to prevent hypothermia. However, the thought of undressing a woman, especially one as beautiful as her, made him hesitate.
"She's a mage, so she probably has some powerful enchantments protecting her. It should be fine if you take her clothes off to warm her up," Aira said.
Zhang Ye nodded but still hesitated. "If she wakes up and thinks I'm a pervert, she'll probably fry me with a spell…"
But in the end, his worry didn't stop him. He began to carefully remove her clothes, trying not to touch her body too much, even though he couldn't help but notice her athletic build.
"Wow, she's got some serious muscle definition… Is she a battle mage?" Zhang Ye thought as he undressed her. The woman's physique was tight and well-toned, her body strong but feminine—an ideal combination for a mage who specialized in close combat.
Just as Zhang Ye finished, he realized he couldn't stop glancing at her body. He quickly turned away. "Focus, Zhang Ye! Focus on saving her!"
But it was too late; his gaze wandered back.
Aira, watching all of this, found Zhang Ye's inner turmoil quite amusing. He acted like a gentleman, yet couldn't resist sneaking a peek at the unconscious woman.
Zhang Ye, meanwhile, was still pondering whether he could ask her to teach him magic once she woke up. "If she's a mage, this could be my chance to learn magic!"