After walking in the woods for so long, they still hadn't come across any ravines, ponds, or anything where they could directly access fresh water. It wasn't very realistic.
Ning Shu worriedly said, "Even running into a mud puddle would be good!"
After reading the system manual, Lu Zhe said, "Don't panic. There are still ways to get fresh water in this kind of jungle."
Tang Xiaoguo weakly asked, "Are those methods of getting fresh water legitimate?"
"Does that really matter? Besides, my survival methods have always been pretty legitimate, they just take a bit longer."
"What methods?"
"Come on, let me teach you guys. I'll demonstrate first, then you can have a try!"
Lu Zhe looked around at the trees and said,
"There are many types of trees here. We can get water from the trees!"
"Get water from the trees?"
Then he discovered a thick, sturdy tree. There were quite a few like it in the forest.
Lu Zhe patted the tree trunk, "I think this one should work, but we should test it first!"
As he spoke, Lu Zhe used the tip of his 30-style bayonet to drill a small hole in the bark. Then he cut out a slash to the left, right, and below the hole, forming a "Y" shape.
Ning Shu and Tang Xiaoguo exchanged a glance:
"Are you sure... this pattern is legitimate?"
"Of course!"
Lu Zhe went on to explain, "Many trees are poisonous, but they absorb water very strongly. When we see white liquid flowing from the bark, we should immediately give up. If not, wipe it on the back of your hand. If you feel an itchy sensation, also give up. But if there are no abnormalities after a few minutes, we can move on to the next step."
Ning Shu nodded, "That sounds pretty legitimate when you explain it like that."
Tang Xiaoguo shrugged, "I'm still not convinced."
Next, Lu Zhe took a bamboo skewer and sharpened one end.
"Then, we insert this stick into the hole!"
As he spoke, Lu Zhe aligned the skewer with the center of the "Y" shape and inserted it under the tree bark from an angle below.
The two girls shuddered involuntarily.
Clutching the skewer, Lu Zhe forcefully jabbed it in while twisting it, occasionally hammering it in further with a rock.
"Some tree trunks can be quite hard. Find the right angle, apply force slowly, and the bamboo stick can still penetrate. Remember, never use brute strength or the skewer will break."
"Oh!" The two girls nodded in seeming comprehension.
Sure enough, Lu Zhe inserted the bamboo skewer into the big tree. "Now we'll see if it can draw out any water."
Tang Xiaoguo frowned, "Are you sure this is knowledge us girls need to know?"
Ning Shu nodded, "It doesn't hurt to know more."
Next, they saw the skewer become moist, condensing into droplets that trickled down the bamboo.
"Ding! New fresh water source obtained, +1 potential point!"
"See!"
Lu Zhe was overjoyed and quickly held up a bottle to catch the drops.
The two girls were dumbfounded.
"My god, to think humans drew water this way."
"This big tree has no propriety!"
"Stop spewing nonsense. Follow my method to tap a few more spots and fill up these bottles! I'm going to take another look around."
"Hey! We have no experience!"
"This was my first time too."
With that, Lu Zhe left the campsite. He was now searching the vicinity for some food as reserves for the days ahead.
The island jungles of Southeast Asia teemed with life. As long as he recognized the plants, there was no need to worry about carbohydrate sources. But if he didn't recognize them, that could spell trouble.
Luckily, as soon as his fingertips touched them, he would obtain information about the plants.
For instance, this forest was a mushroom wonderland. It was easy to discover mushroom traces amidst the decaying leaves.
The most numerous was a large, bright red mushroom. Crouching down for a closer look, the stems were white with a hint of pink.
The domineering appearance and flashy color gave the impression at first glance that it was extremely poisonous!
But unable to resist intense curiosity, Lu Zhe still touched it.
Information about the mushroom instantly flooded his mind. "Ding! Wild red mushroom discovered!"
Followed by detailed information about this kind of mushroom!
Lu Zhe read through it and discovered that this mushroom was not only non-toxic, but also a very tasty and precious delicacy!
The most obvious difference from the legendary poisonous mushroom was that its stem wasn't pure white, but had a faint pink color instead.
That tiny distinction resulted in completely different properties. Only those who dwelled long-term in the deep mountains could distinguish it.
He had to gather some.
Next, he discovered a beefsteak fungus and a cluster of oyster mushrooms. No need to say more, gathered them up too.
He filled up half his bag.
Finally by some rocks near a fallen tree, he found several dried oyster mushrooms. Rubbing them with his hands instantly turned them to powder.
They were probably exposed to the raging storm that toppled the tree, losing their shelter. Dried by the blazing sun.
Perfect for preserving over some time. Soak in water to rehydrate and eat. Ground into powder it could be used as seasoning too.
Aside from the oyster mushrooms, there were also dead kaffir lime leaves.
That was a Southeast Asian native aromatic seasoning.
Having obtained three kinds of mushrooms and kaffir leaves, earning another 4 potential points, Lu Zhe was starting to get a bit greedy.
If he could also find a wild mountain chicken, then he could stew chicken and mushrooms back at camp. Now that would be perfect!
He began searching the vicinity for traces of wild chickens.
But there were none at all. Not a single feather found!
Finally he only discovered two rattan vines on a pile of rocks.
Containing a small amount of moisture. Oh well, it was still not bad!
Carrying these things, he returned to camp!
The two girls had drilled four holes into this tree, dripping steadily into the bottles. Together they had filled up over half a bottle.
That little bit of water wouldn't even be enough to stew chicken and mushrooms.
Roast mushrooms it was!
"Whoa, so many huge mushrooms!" Tang Xiaoguo picked one up for a look and her expression instantly changed. "Lu Zhe, isn't this a poison mushroom?"
"It looks like it, but trust me, it's non-toxic!"
"How can you be so certain?"
"Don't ask for 10,000 reasons why again? I did read that all brightly colored poison mushrooms are inedible!"
"Can what you read compare with my knowledge? Are you really sure? The benign red mushroom stems aren't pure white, but faintly pink instead." Lu Zhe educated them, pointing out the stem's color.
Ning Shu and Tang Xiaoguo leaned in for a closer look. "That's true!"
"Are you certain?"
"When have I ever deceived you!"
"How do you plan to eat these then?"
"Roast them!"
Lu Zhe strung up the mushrooms and roasted them over the fire. Adding a touch of Ning Shu's salt and some crushed chili peppers, a mouthwatering aroma wafted up.
"Oh well, if we're going to die, might as well die together. Let's eat!"
They split up several mushrooms. Just then a new quest appeared. "Craft fire starters!"
Lu Zhe was stumped right then and there.
Could something that arcane even be made?
It sounded pretty mystical! But on second thought, it might just be possible.
Having fire starters meant the embers could be preserved for 7 to 8 hours. Then they wouldn't need to wave their arms wildly while drilling wood for fire every time. Most importantly the girls could use them too, greatly conserving strength.
But with the materials on hand, could fire starters be crafted?
Seems he had everything needed already.