Starting a Fire

Everyone had come from Blue Star, so they all knew at least a little about the conventions of novels. Even those who knew nothing could get a rough idea after spending some time in the chat channel.

Seeing everyone eagerly posting about going out to search for treasure chests, Tang Zhixue merely reminded them to stay safe before closing the panel.

No one had obtained a trading box yet, so he was in no hurry to list any items.

Rustle~

Tang Zhixue headed back toward the woods east of the Shelter and continued exploring along his previous route.

His main objective before had been to find water. Now it was to find treasure chests.

The Shelter's transformation had set his heart pounding for a long time. A scene that had previously existed only in novels, films, and television shows had appeared right before his eyes.

He wanted to find more treasure chests and pull farther and farther ahead of everyone else.

But whether Tang Zhixue's luck had run out or the wooden treasure chest he had found earlier had been everyone's starting bonus, he searched the woods for over an hour without finding another chest.

Quite a few people in the regional chat, however, had already found wooden treasure chests and successfully converted their dwellings into Shelters.

Fortunately, Tang Zhixue's exploration had not been wasted. He had found three unusual items.

[Item: Void Nether Stone]

[Grade: First tier]

[Description: An unusual stone, transparent throughout like crystal. Formed through the influence of spatial turbulence, it contains a trace of spatial power.]

...

[Item: Golden-Pattern Iron Ore]

[Grade: First tier]

[Description: Formed when iron ore is infused with gengjin power. Its surface bears golden patterns.]

...

[Item: Purple Cloud Grass]

[Grade: First tier]

[Description: A plant that is purple throughout, with leaves resembling clouds. When mature, it can treat some common ailments.]

Although he did not yet know what the Void Nether Stone was used for, the spatial power mentioned in its description was clearly something extraordinary.

As for golden-pattern iron ore, once he had enough of it and acquired the technology to smelt iron ore, Tang Zhixue could enter the Iron Age.

As for Purple Cloud Grass, naturally, the more the better.

Glancing up at the sun in the sky, Tang Zhixue turned and headed back to the Shelter.

Along the way, he picked up fallen dry branches one by one.

By the time he returned to the Shelter, he was carrying a large bundle of dry branches slung from a wooden pole, all collected along the way.

"All right, let's see if anyone knows how to start a fire by drilling wood..."

After piling the dry branches in a corner of the Shelter, Tang Zhixue sat by the bed and opened the regional chat channel.

[Anyone selling food? I'll trade stones.]

[Stones? Dude, you can pick those up anywhere, and you want to trade them for food?]

[Shit, all I got from my treasure chest was an Iron Axe and a Shelter Crystal. No food or water!]

[We've got a show-off here! An Iron Axe is practically a god-tier tool, okay?]

[Tang Zhixue: Um, does anyone know how to start a fire by drilling wood? Could you teach me?]

[I don't know how to do that either. Luckily, I got a lighter from a treasure chest. Hehe~]

[Who do you think you are, expecting someone to teach you for free? Ever heard of paying for knowledge?]

[??? What the hell is the person above talking about? If our big cousin hadn't reminded us, we wouldn't even have Shelters right now.]

[Exactly! If it weren't for our big cousin's reminder, my house would still be drafty.]

[Shelter? Let me ask you, is there any difference between a Wooden House and a Shelter?]

[...Surely no one still hasn't converted their dwelling into a Shelter? Surely not, surely not.]

[Haha, it's almost dark now. I'd advise you to go out and find a Shelter Crystal soon. There's clearly more to this environment than meets the eye. Who knows what might happen after dark?]

Watching the messages pouring into the channel, Tang Zhixue's mouth twitched.

He had not expected to gain so many "younger cousins" after just two reminders...

As for the discordant voices among them, Tang Zhixue did not bother paying them any attention. After all, it took all sorts.

Fortunately, someone soon posted what he wanted.

[Yuan Lexian: Let me say this first: I only know the theory. I've never actually tried it.]

[Yuan Lexian: As for starting a fire by friction, I know roughly two methods: the Hand-Drill Method and the Fire-Plow Method.]

[Yuan Lexian: For the Hand-Drill Method, choose a straight hardwood stick, then make a small hollow in a dry piece of wood. Put tinder into the hollow, then rapidly rub the stick between your palms. This requires tremendous wrist strength and endurance, and your palms will hurt badly.]

[Yuan Lexian: For the Fire-Plow Method, use a piece of hardwood and a hardwood stick. Cut a shallow groove in the board, then rapidly push and pull the stick along it. The hot wood shavings produced by friction fall into the tinder. This method produces smoke and sparks more directly than the drilling method.]

[Yuan Lexian: I remember there's also a Bow-Drill Method, but unfortunately, I've forgotten the exact steps.]

[Tang Zhixue: You're fucking awesome, bro!]

[You're fucking awesome, bro!]

[You're fucking awesome, bro!]

[You're fucking awesome, bro!]

[Xu Shi: I know a fire-starting method too, though it might not be very efficient.]

[Xu Shi: The Sunlight-Focusing Method. The curved, transparent section at the bottom of a mineral water bottle can act as a convex lens. Adjust the angle to concentrate the sunlight into a small bright spot and scorch the tinder.]

[Xu Shi: This method is simple, sure, but its efficiency really is terrible.]

[A weakling like me who couldn't even truss a chicken can probably only try the Sunlight-Focusing Method. I happened to get a bottle of mineral water.]

[We can try all these methods. It'll be dark soon. Time is short, and we've got a lot to do, everyone.]

[Hehe, I've already got a fire going inside my Shelter~]

The Hand-Drill Method, the Fire-Plow Method, and the Sunlight-Focusing Method.

Three ways to start a fire. After thinking for a while, Tang Zhixue decided to choose the second.

He had watched some survival videos before. The Fire-Plow Method was a more efficient and practical choice than the Hand-Drill Method.

With his vitality absorption talent, getting suitable tinder was easy. He just had to drain all the vitality from some plants.

Making the tools, however, would be a little troublesome. Naturally, tools used for starting a fire needed to be dry.

But Tang Zhixue's talent only worked on plants that were still alive, and if he absorbed their vitality directly, the plants would wither completely, naturally leaving them with no hardness at all.

Luckily, I picked up a big bundle of dry branches on my way back.

He carefully searched through the bundle of dry branches and pulled out a piece of hardwood two or three centimeters in diameter.

Then he took a stone with one edge ground sharp and began working on the wood.

Tang Zhixue had considered trading food for tools others had obtained from treasure chests, but after looking around, he had not found anyone trading tools. In the end, he had no choice but to use stone tools.