Crossing Over, Starting with Wilderness Survival

Cui Ciyou forced himself to calm down from the shock of his bodily mutation and his fear of the unknown surroundings.

His baby face was filled with a resolve that did not match his age.

He knew that if he wanted to survive in this primeval forest,

the only things he could rely on, besides this suddenly enhanced body,

were the "theoretical knowledge" he had learned from survival documentaries.

[Though I'm only a master of theory, I've at least watched Bear Grylls's entire series. I should be able to handle this!]

Cui Ciyou secretly encouraged himself.

Then he began checking everything he had on him. This was the foundation for assessing his chances of survival.

First, clothing: the black hooded sweatshirt, white T-shirt, and black casual pants he had been wearing during the car accident.

Though covered in mud, they were mostly intact and could provide basic warmth and protection.

Second, accessories: his mother's diamond ring on his left pinky, and the cracked jade pendant with a protective pattern that he had worn since childhood around his neck.

The faintly cool touch of the jade pendant slightly calmed Cui Ciyou's restless heart.

Third, personal items: a metal keychain with a nail clipper and a miniature butterfly knife attached to it, which he normally used to open deliveries.

And a uniquely shaped metal beer bottle opener.

His phone and lighter had been lost in the car accident.

After taking stock, Cui Ciyou's heart sank.

No fire starter. No proper weapon.

All he had was... this abnormally powerful body, a calm mind, and a fierce will to survive.

"Calm down. Think, Cui Ciyou!"

Cui Ciyou adjusted his state of mind, forcing his chaotic thoughts into focus as he carried out a logical analysis:

Situation: a completely unfamiliar primeval forest, an unknown enhancement to his body, and the loss of communication and fire.

Resources: clothing, the small tools on his keychain—the butterfly knife barely counted as a weapon or tool—two accessories, and his enhanced body.

Conclusion: survival supplies were critically scarce.

Threats: the unknown environment—climate, terrain, direction—and unknown flora and fauna—deadly poison, ferocious beasts, venomous insects.

The basic necessities of water, food, fire, and shelter were all severely lacking.

Goal: survive at all costs!

Current priorities: safe drinking water -> temporary shelter -> fire -> food.

At the same time, he had to remain on maximum alert at all times.

An empty, gnawing hunger rose from his stomach.

But the burning thirst scorching his throat was even stronger.

"Water... I need to find water first."

Cui Ciyou concentrated and carefully distinguished the faint sound of running water he had heard when he woke up.

It seemed to be ahead and to his left, not too far away.

He steadied himself, pulled up his hood, and carefully slipped toward the water source.

His steps were light and steady as he moved through the densely packed giant trees, shrubs, and vines.

He made almost no sound, thanks to the beyond-reasonable coordination of his body.

Along the way, Cui Ciyou vigilantly observed the strange plants around him:

ferns with pale blue veins, as though faint light flowed through them;

purple-black shrubs bearing fist-sized fruits that gave off a strange sweet scent, their surfaces covered in bizarre white spots;

and the thick moss carpeting the ground came in countless varieties. Some even shrank slightly or changed color when he approached...

Everything here was vastly different from Earth's ecology.

[This place... really might not be Earth anymore...] That realization became increasingly clear.

After moving cautiously for more than ten minutes, the forest ahead began to thin, and the light grew much brighter.

The babbling of water became clearer and clearer, as if it were right beside him.

He pushed aside the final curtain of massive hanging vines.

At last, a crystal-clear stream winding through the forest appeared fully before him.

The stream was around three to four meters wide, flowing gently as sunlight reflected dazzlingly off its surface.

Multicolored pebbles on the streambed were clearly visible.

He could even see several peculiar "fish," palm-sized and covered in crystal-like scales, swimming leisurely through the water.

They showed no reaction at all to Cui Ciyou's arrival.

At the sight of such clear stream water, the thirst in Cui Ciyou's throat instantly reached its peak.

Almost instinctively, he wanted to rush over and drink his fill.

But just as his foot was about to step into the wet mud by the stream,

Cui Ciyou abruptly stopped. The desire in his eyes was replaced by intense vigilance.

[Calm down... I can't drink it directly!] Cui Ciyou restrained his instinct to drink.

No matter how tempting the water was, let alone in an otherworldly ecosystem completely unfamiliar to him,

even in the wilderness on Earth, drinking untreated raw water directly could be fatal.

Reason overcame his physical hunger and thirst.

"I'm not at the point where I absolutely have to drink raw water yet. Let's see if there's a safer way to get water."

Cui Ciyou surveyed the surroundings and soon found a clue among the dense vegetation:

the broad leaves of those pale blue ferns were covered in glistening dew.

Cui Ciyou immediately thought of using his clothing to collect the dew.

He took off the white T-shirt beneath his sweatshirt and used several broken branches to spread it out, inner side facing up, and secure it in place.

This allowed it to make as much contact as possible with the moist air and gather naturally condensed dew.

After waiting patiently for a while, tiny droplets indeed began forming across the T-shirt's surface.

The water gradually gathered.

Cui Ciyou carefully pressed the edges of the T-shirt inward, squeezing the clear dew into his palm.

A small handful of icy, refreshing dew entered his mouth, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees as it instantly eased some of his thirst.

"This method... isn't bad."

"Though the amount is small, it's enough to keep me going for now."

Cui Ciyou spent some more time repeating the process, feeling nature's gift with every collection.

With water temporarily settled, shelter and fire were next.

On a relatively elevated and dry patch of ground, Cui Ciyou found several large trees with dense branches and leaves to serve as a natural barrier.

Using the butterfly knife, he quickly cut thin branches and gathered vines and broad leaves.

After more than an hour of work, a crude but habitable lean-to had begun to take shape.

It was not pretty, but it could at least block some wind, rain, and dampness.

Next came making fire.

A fire could provide warmth, drive away beasts, cook food, and boil water.

In the wilderness, fire was crucial.

But at that moment, a bitter smile appeared on Cui Ciyou's face.

[The key problem is, I have no fire starter.]

[The lighter is gone. Do I really have to make fire by rubbing sticks together?]

Cui Ciyou tried. His hands were rubbed red, yet not a single spark appeared.

"Looks like this primitive method is too difficult for me. It looked pretty easy when I watched it in videos."

"Is it because I lack the skill, or because the branches aren't dry enough?"

Cui Ciyou pondered and summarized the problem.

His gaze inadvertently landed on the zipper of his clothes, and inspiration suddenly flashed through his mind.

[Metal!]

[Right. I just need to lower the difficulty. If branches won't work, then I'll use metal.]

With that thought, Cui Ciyou's eyes fell on the metal beer bottle opener on his keychain.

He immediately took out the opener, then found a flint-like stone with a sharp edge on the ground.

He piled up the dry, dead grass he had prepared to use as tinder.

Cui Ciyou forcefully scraped and struck the metal edge of the bottle opener against the flint.

Screech!

Several weak yellow sparks burst forth!

Overjoyed, Cui Ciyou hurriedly brought the tinder close and blew on it carefully.

After several attempts, an orange-yellow flame the size of a bean finally flickered to life in the dry grass.

A cluster of steady orange-red flames finally began burning strongly in the crude fire pit.

[At last... I did it.]

[With fire, the night will be much safer.]

Cui Ciyou marveled at his enhanced body. Even after completing all that strenuous work, he did not feel very tired.

[Maybe gravity is different here, or maybe my body really has become... inhuman.]

[I'll worry about food tomorrow. Tonight, I should rest first.]

He watched the dancing flames and felt their warmth drive away the cold.

A tremendous sense of accomplishment filled every part of Cui Ciyou's body.

Some of the unease and anxiety brought on by crossing into this world eased away.

[The fire is dying. No, my flame of hope can't go out!]

Seeing the blaze weaken, Cui Ciyou did not dare slack off.

He immediately added the dead branches and leaves he had gathered during the day to the fire, ensuring that it continued to burn.

Cui Ciyou also moved the lean-to behind the fire, on the leeward side.

He hoped to use the firelight and warmth for better protection and heat.

By the time he finished everything, night had fallen completely.