Chapter 6: Hunting

About two to three hundred meters ahead, a large antelope stands still, occasionally staggering. Although it has not yet fallen, it is only a matter of moments before it does.

Indeed, Gao Yang did not die; he was remarkably fortunate. With the physique of a city dweller, he managed to survive for three years at the intersection of a grassland and a tropical rainforest in an unknown location in Africa, far from modern civilization. Not everyone possesses such good fortune

In an extremely primitive state of living, the mortality rate in the Akuri tribe is undoubtedly high. During the three years of my stay in the tribe, four children were born, while three individuals passed away. The oldest among them appeared to be around five or six years old, and the youngest had just been born two days prior. The oldest person in the entire tribe, who is also the chief, seems to be in his forties.

The large antelope they are pursuing was shot beside the swamp

Gao Yang closely followed the leading chieftain, excitedly waving the hunting knife in his hand, charging towards the large antelope that was nearing its end. They had to seize the time, lest the antelope be snatched away by lions or leopards.

Starting from the early morning when they shot the antelope, they pursued it until noon. Gao Yang and the other four were jogging along the way, tracking their prey. Although their speed was not fast, Gao Yang estimated that they had covered a distance of at least thirty to forty kilometers. He was nearing his limit, but the four members of the Akuri tribe seemed unaffected.

The primitive tribe that saved Gao Yang is quite small and rather primitive, consisting of only seventeen people, essentially a large family, living a life of constant migration, relying on gathering and hunting for sustenance

During the three years in the Akuri tribe, Gaoyang would go out hunting every day with the members of the tribe. In total, there were only five people, including Gaoyang, who could hunt in the entire tribe. The remaining women and children would gather all edible plants and insects. If there were no harvest, the entire tribe would have to go hungry

They have been together for almost three years, and Gao Yang has also mastered the skill of tracking. However, when hunting with the tribal chief, he has not had the opportunity to showcase his abilities.

Gao Yang's ability to learn languages is quite impressive, and the language of the Akuri tribe is very simple, with a very limited vocabulary. In just three to four months, Gao Yang was able to communicate with people without any issues, but the information he could gather from these primitives was indeed very limited

Under the blazing sun, searching for the tracks left by prey, Gao Yang is diligently tracking a large antelope.

Over the past three years, Gao Yangguang has contracted malaria four times, almost experiencing every type of malaria that exists, yet he has always managed to endure it. It is unclear whether it is due to the antibodies developed after having malaria or some other reason, but this year Gao Yang has not suffered from malaria, and he seems to have escaped this nightmare of malaria

The Akuri tribe had once been visited by people from the civilized world, who brought them some modern items as gifts. However, later on, conflicts began, and those with guns would kill anyone they saw, even just for amusement. After three members of the Akuri tribe were killed while hunting, the tribe began to migrate continuously

However, when Akuri hunts, the primary tools used are still the bow and arrow; the knife and spear are only employed for the final strike, and even the opportunity to deliver the final blow is quite rare, as most of the time, the prey is already dead before the spear is needed

It is not that Gao Yang did not inquire about the chief's age, but rather that the tribal chief himself does not know how old he is; he only remembers that he seems to have lived through more than forty rainy seasons

It must be said that Gao Yang's life is indeed quite resilient. He was bitten by a venomous snake, and although Gao Yang had employed all possible means, without anyone to rescue him, he would have been doomed. However, Gao Yang was fortunate enough to encounter a primitive tribe that was in the midst of migration, and as a result, he survived

The Akuri tribe does not even have the concept of race; only when they encounter tribes similar to their own do they have the opportunity for intermarriage

After being struck by an arrow, the antelope will flee in a frenzy, and a human's speed cannot catch up. Moreover, the poison from the arrow cannot kill the antelope in a short period. Therefore, the hunting method of the Akuri tribe is to follow the trail of the prey after shooting it.

What means could the primitive tribe employ? Aside from using some unknown herbs, they relied on the protection of a deity from their beliefs. It is said that under the deity's protection, the snake venom in Gao Yang's body posed little threat; rather, the severe wounds inflicted by Gao Yang himself nearly cost him his life.

Gao Yang later learned that in the primitive tribe that saved him, if someone was bitten by a venomous snake, they would use traditional methods to treat the injury. Gao Yang was fortunate to have been cured by them, but a large scar was left on the edge of his left palm.

The arrow poison is extracted from the larvae of a certain beetle. Although this toxin is lethal, the onset time is somewhat prolonged. If the prey is slightly larger in size, it would take at least two to three hours to succumb. In this instance, the antelope they shot was rather large, weighing approximately 200 pounds. Even though it was struck by two poisoned arrows, it would still require at least four to five hours to kill the antelope.

After hearing the chief's words, Gao Yang was very pleased, as he had hit the antelope with two arrows. Today's pursuit took much less time than he had anticipated, and being able to finish early always brings joy. It is important to note that on the way back, he would still have to carry the meat over the same long distance.

At present, Gao Yang is tracking a gazelle that has been struck by a poisoned arrow, along with the other four members of the tribe

There was no way around it; Gao Yang was only afraid that he could hasten the flow of the poison. In a moment of excitement, he had been a bit too harsh. Surviving under those circumstances, Gao Yang felt particularly fortunate, for he later learned that according to the tribe's method of saving lives, perhaps only one out of ten could be saved.

Gao Yang still does not know which country he is in or where he is located. He only knows that he is at the intersection of the tropical savanna and the tropical rainforest. If he walks north for two or three days, he will reach the sparse tree savanna; if he walks south for two or three days, he will arrive at the tropical rainforest. However, Gao Yang is not familiar with the geography of Africa, and he is completely unable to analyze his location based on the topographical features.

The distance for tracking prey can vary, and it is quite normal to pursue for dozens of kilometers. In any case, the pursuit must continue until the prey is found and meets its demise. Therefore, while the hunting skills of the Akuri tribe may not be particularly advanced, their abilities in tracking and long-distance running are exceptionally refined

The reason for distancing themselves from the civilized world is that the Akuri tribe originally migrated to escape warfare, and they migrated towards areas far removed from civilization

After the onset of the dry season, most of the marshes that were once spread across the grasslands have dried up, with only a few large marshes still containing water. These large marshes have become the water source for all the animals in the vicinity, making hunting significantly easier than during the rainy season. One can easily shoot prey with poisoned arrows by guarding the edge of the marsh, despite the threat posed by lurking predators.

Certainly, the primary reason Gao Yang was able to survive was that he encountered the primitive tribe that saved him. Without those kind-hearted individuals to rescue him, Gao Yang would have died countless times.

It is no longer functioning now, just where it is, we will go to find it

The people of the Akuri tribe can discern which footprints belong to their prey from the chaotic array of tracks, and they can accurately determine the direction in which the prey has fled from just a few broken blades of grass. They can even infer how much longer it will be before the prey collapses based on the information revealed by the footprints or traces.

The power of the bows and arrows they use is negligible; their primary function lies in the poison applied to the arrowheads

This is the third dry season that Gao Yang has experienced in Africa; in other words, Gao Yang has been stranded in Africa for three years

After entering the dry season, it has not rained for a long time. Most of the numerous marshes on the grassland have dried up, and the grass that could grow to half a person's height during the rainy season has now become short and withered

Gao Yang did not know which ethnic group this tribe belonged to; he only knew that the tribe was called Akuri. Gao Yang had asked the chief of the tribe, who was the oldest person in the tribe, but unfortunately, the chief also did not know which ethnic group they belonged to

For three years, Gao Yang has been constantly thinking about returning home, yet in these three years, he has not encountered any traces of civilization.

Thanks to the exchanges with the civilized world several years ago, the Akuri tribe possesses iron tools. To this day, the Akuri tribe has six short knives and four long spears. Although they are crafted quite rudely, they are very functional. According to the chief, these were gifts from some very pale-skinned strange people.

Whether one can survive here is unrelated to the skills one possesses or the items one has at hand; it purely depends on luck, or rather, on whether one's fate is strong enough. At least, this is the case for Gao Yang

However, the most dangerous moment for Gao Yang was not when he was bitten by a venomous snake, but rather after he was rescued. About a month later, when Gao Yang was finally able to start moving about, he contracted malaria. He consumed all the anti-malarial medication he had with him, yet it had no effect whatsoever. After enduring a series of fevers for over ten days, he became emaciated beyond recognition, yet miraculously, he did not die.

In recent years, the Akuri tribe and Gaoyang have not encountered any other people, but as a result, Gaoyang has severed all ties with the outside world. He had explored in four directions, traveling for as long as seven or eight days at one point, but ultimately found nothing. Now, it is impossible for Gaoyang to locate the river he came from.

Finally, the chief who was running at the forefront came to a stop, examined the ground for a moment, and then pointed in a direction.

In the past, not to mention making Gao Yang run three to four dozen kilometers, even if he were to walk three kilometers, he would have been exhausted. However, the potential that a person can unleash under the pressure of survival is truly remarkable. At least now, Gao Yang can run three to four dozen kilometers without any strain.

Gao Yang was panting heavily as he followed behind the chief, moving forward. After walking approximately one to two kilometers, they discovered their target