Wilderness Survival with Druid System-Chapter 374 - 43: Barricade Fence

Chen Wen pondered over the information about the leopard, feeling an even stronger urge to build barricades.

He had a vague premonition.

If he didn’t construct some barricades, he might indeed fall victim to the leopard this time.

The main issue was that the area where Chen Wen was currently located was a place frequented by leopards.

About three hundred meters from his shelter, there was a tree with the remains of some prey gnawed clean by a leopard.

Possibly some kind of antelope.

Therefore, taking precautions against the leopard was crucial!

Thought Chen Wen.

He shared his plan.

Lin Jiawei, upon hearing it, nodded with great relief.

Solid!

Better to be safe!

...

Barricades.

Originally, they were war equipment used to restrict cavalry charges, and sometimes to restrict infantry advances.

Later, as human society developed.

The forms of barricades grew more varied, including steel and concrete barricades to block vehicles and other modern transportation.

Chen Wen planned to construct a simple triangular barricade.

Simply put, it involved binding three sharpened wooden sticks together.

Such a barricade would resemble a thornball, deterring any creature from approaching easily.

Triangular barricades are classified into long and short versions.

Long triangular barricades.

This involves using a piece of wood as the main beam, with sharpened sticks positioned on either side.

This type of barricade is larger and more difficult to make.

It also guards a straight line, requiring at least three to fully protect the shelter.

The workload is too immense.

Therefore, Chen Wen decided to make short triangular barricades, also known as barricade forks.

These barricades are short and easy to make, significantly reducing the workload compared to longer triangular barricades.

And because they are short, they can be stacked under the large tree where the shelter is located.

Offering comprehensive protection.

After arranging three sticks into a barricade fork model, Chen Wen felt confident.

Therefore, he decided to collect materials while he had the time.

Make them in the afternoon.

By evening, they’d be ready for use.

No sooner said than done.

Chen Wen jumped down from his shelter and entered the forest to search for materials.

Since they were to ward off leopards, the sticks couldn’t be too thin.

After a careful search, Chen Wen decided to use sticks as thick as a teenager’s wrist to make the barricade forks.

He swung his axe, beginning to fell trees.

Even though he hadn’t activated the [Lumberjack] section, Chen Wen had learned the method.

Whether activated or not, it was the same.

In a few strokes, he felled a small tree.

He divided it into three sections, each more than a meter long.

Leopards are adept jumpers, capable of leaping to great heights.

An adult leopard can easily jump five or six meters high when fully exerting itself.

Chen Wen’s treehouse was less than five meters above ground, more like two or three meters.

So, no matter how tall the barricade was made, it wouldn’t be effective.

He planned on making them lower, just enough to encircle the tree.

Two sides of the treehouse had walls; leopards wouldn’t be able to jump from those directions.

Among the remaining two directions, one faced towards the tree trunk, meaning the only way up was by climbing the tree.

The barricade was meant to guard against that direction.

As for the last direction, Chen Wen planned to create a suspended barricade with rope and wood.

Simply put, it involved nailing one end of the sticks to the platform, lining them up in a row.

The other end would be tied with rope, and at night it would be pulled up, set for the air.

If the leopard attempted to jump from that direction, it would meet sharp wooden sticks.

Gathering materials took Chen Wen the whole morning.

By midday, Chen Wen returned to camp with a large bundle of sticks.

He sat down, sorted the sticks, and then used reeds to craft the barricade forks under the tree.

There weren’t many reeds left; after lunch, Chen Wen planned to make another trip to gather some fresh ones.

With the hippo there, Kuanduo River was now an open avenue for Chen Wen.

At the very least, it was trouble-free.

He casually rode on the hippo’s back, letting it take him around Kuanduo River.

The crocodiles encountered along the way kept their distance, not daring to approach.

Chen Wen even spotted a massive Nile crocodile nearly five meters long.

But like its three or four-meter counterparts, it turned away upon seeing the hippo.

"Truly a road bully!"

Chen Wen said, patting the hippo’s back. "No, it should be a river bully."

Although the hippo didn’t understand the meaning of Chen Wen’s words, it sensed his praise.

It happily spouted a stream of water, making Chen Wen chuckle with glee.

Arriving at the reed-filled wetland, Chen Wen wielded his spear as a probing staff.

He swept through the nearby reed thickets, ensuring nothing was hidden within to ambush him.

Once he confirmed the area was safe, he began collecting reeds.

The hippo squatted in the water nearby, staring dully at Chen Wen.

However, while Chen Wen was picking reeds, some marks on the ground made him wary.

"What kind of animal tracks are these?"

Chen Wen couldn’t help but remark, looking at the uneven ground.

The tracks seemed to have been there for a few days.

Chen Wen stood up, scanned the entire reed wetland.

It was very quiet.

Only the slender reeds gently swayed in the breeze.

"Can’t tell what made these tracks, but they’re definitely not from a crocodile or hippo. It must be another creature."

Chen Wen stared at the tracks that stretched from the riverbank to the edge of the river, contemplating the owner of these footprints.

"Hippo footprints are larger, and crocodile trails are more extensive. I suspect these are from a lion or leopard, but I haven’t heard any sign of carnivores in the area recently."

He spoke while recalling the past couple of days.

No carnivores were around the camp, and the hippo had marked the vicinity with its droppings.

Most carnivores avoid areas marked by hippos.

Even a lion pride can’t challenge a hippo, as long as it’s still in the water.

"Could be a passing carnivore, but I must hurry with the barricades, else I won’t sleep soundly tonight."

Chen Wen murmured and fell silent.

The hippo, listening to him, sniffed the air.

But too much time had passed; even the hippo couldn’t discern any scent.

Both he and the hippo decided to give up.

...

Successfully gathering the reeds, Chen Wen once again rode the hippo, traversing Kuanduo River.

On the way, he paid special attention to the positions of several Nile crocodiles.

They were potential food reserves.

With the hippo assisting in hunts, Chen Wen no longer feared Nile crocodiles.

He dismounted, bidding farewell to the hippo.

Chen Wen returned to camp, continuing his security work.

By dusk, Chen Wen had finally completed the barricades.

He tossed them around the large tree hosting his shelter, encircling it while leaving a path for himself.

After climbing up the tree, he’d use his spear to block the remaining gap.

And raise the suspended barricades as well.

It brought a profound sense of security!

Chen Wen leaned against the shelter, gazing at the setting sun through the leaves.

A wave of contentment washed over him.