Chapter 33: A Species of Tinder Fungus

Chapter 33: A Tinder Fungus

With a single stroke, Xu Yi severed the vine. Because the stone machete was relatively long, he could reach higher areas with ease. Although his previous stone axe had a longer handle, it lacked sharpness, causing it to bounce off on impact; it was better suited for close-range chopping.

"It’s a water vine, and it’s quite rich in water." Xu Yi drank his fill directly from it, then cut a few more sections to take with him.

After quenching his thirst, he skinned the snake and cleaned it. The stone machete made the task significantly easier, though Xu Yi still wished he had a proper, nimble knife. He figured that when his phone battery was completely dead, he could dismantle it to craft a small kitchen knife for slicing meat and vegetables. The back casing of the tablet could be repurposed into a small pot; by heating the alloy until it glowed red, he could use a stone to beat it into a round-bottomed vessel. Theoretically, it was feasible, though he would need to be extremely careful to avoid cracking it. Once they found a stable water source, he would attempt it.

After a short rest, Xu Yi began chopping deadwood nearby. While working, he made a discovery.

"Look, everyone, this is a horse-hoof fungus," he said, prying a hoof-shaped growth from a dead tree. "Some people call this tinder fungus. As the name suggests, it can be used to make tinder, or rather, it acts as a natural slow-match. Once ignited, it can smolder for days. When you need fire, you just keep blowing on it, and it will flame up."

"Although we have a fire starter, igniting a fire is still quite difficult, taking over ten minutes each time. This will be a huge help to us. I hope to find more so we can carry an ember with us wherever we go."

[Number 1 is amazing! He actually knows about this fungus.]
[There are such incredible fungi? This is magical.]
[I know this one! It can be used to treat esophageal, stomach, and uterine cancers, and it boosts the immune system. It's a precious thing—don't just use it as a slow-match!]

Xu Yi could not see the trivia in the live chat. To him, its greatest use was serving as tinder.

"Look, there's another one here, and it's huge—bigger than my fist. It should be able to smolder for a very long time." He plucked the second fungus to show the camera, handed it to Su Keke for safekeeping, and returned to his chopping.

Once the wood was gathered, Xu Yi started a fire. "Once the grill is ready, you can take over here, Keke."

Xu Yi still needed to gather more firewood and look for more vines. Since the jungle floor they were heading toward was likely damp, they couldn't sleep on the ground. How could they sleep well without being on the ground? A hammock would solve that.

Some viewers had suggested he weave a hammock, but he couldn't see those messages. He had previously cut the snake skin into four equal sections, each nearly four meters long; it would certainly be enough to weave a hammock, but he didn't want to waste such precious material. He could easily find vines to do the job. Even though a vine hammock would be stiffer, it would serve its purpose perfectly. If he had enough time, he could even weave a large basket, which would protect them from most animal attacks.

Xu Yi thought that for their future shelter, he and Su Keke could consider using a large, vine-woven basket fixed high in the trees. That way, it would be suspended and prevent feline predators from climbing up. He felt like a little genius for coming up with such a brilliant shelter!

The jungle was full of vines—a useful material if one knew how to utilize them. Before long, he had collected a bundle.

"Keke, I’m planning to weave a hammock," Xu Yi said, setting down the vines and glancing at Su Keke, who was using sticks to manage the charcoal. Earlier, Xu Yi had tried to burn out a wooden bucket, but the bottom wasn't level. Seeing him busy elsewhere, Su Keke was trying to use the charcoal to burn a depression into the wood, hoping to create a deep, functional basin by nightfall.

"A hammock?" Su Keke wasn't familiar with the term.

"Yes, you'll see once I'm done. With a hammock, we can sleep in the air, which will be much safer," Xu Yi said happily, starting to sort the vines.

They weren't very thick—only about the size of his pinky finger—and he had ten of them. He tied the ends of the ten vines together with smaller creepers, twisting them to create a loop, and secured them tightly. With the loops ready on both ends, he began weaving other creepers across the main structure. He started by weaving both ends to spread the ten main vines apart.

"Dad, let me help!" Su Keke realized his intent and offered to assist.

"Good idea! Your hands are much nimbler than mine; with your help, we'll finish much faster."

The two began weaving between the ten vines. In just over half an hour, the hammock was finished. Though it was simple compared to a professional one, Xu Yi rolled it into a bundle to test its flexibility and found it held up well. It could be tied up with a vine and carried on his back. Looking at the finished hammock, he smiled with satisfaction.

"Let’s hang it up and test it."

Xu Yi threaded a vine through the loops, tied one end to a tree, and then secured the other. A simple hammock appeared on the screen.

[66666! He really made a hammock! It looks pretty good.]
[It really does look good. I've seen many wilderness survival experts make similar ones, but their craftsmanship wasn't as good as yours—theirs were too crude.]
[They were making single-use ones, but Number 1 clearly intends to take his with him.]