King of the Wilderness

The sight in front of him brought a satisfied smile to his face; those giant banana leaf gutters were covered with crystalline dewdrops.

They followed the path he designed, dripping down slowly, gathering into the square containers made from folded banana leaves below.

Each leaf bowl had already collected a shallow pool of clear liquid, shimmering with pure light in the morning sun.

Lin Yu’an carefully picked up one of the leaf bowls, brought it to his lips, and drank the clear, sweet life-giving water in one gulp.

"Ah... perfect water," he uttered with a satisfied sigh.

The purity and sweetness, devoid of any impurities, instantly quenched his parched throat and awakened his drowsy body.

"No need for filtration, no need to boil it, this is nature’s most efficient gift. Hydrating before starting a day’s work is the first priority."

He carefully consolidated all the dew in the leaf bowls. But this brought about a new problem—how to carry it?

He looked around, his gaze swiftly scanning the surrounding plants. There was no sturdy bamboo, not even a piece of suitably shaped bark.

"It seems today we’ll have to use the most ancient and reluctantly accepted method to carry water."

Facing the camera, he showed a slightly bitter smile, then pointed to his stomach.

He didn’t offer further explanation but instead picked up the banana leaf bowl filled with dew and drank it all in big gulps.

Until the last drop slipped down his throat, he finally put down the leaf bowl and let out a long water burp.

"When there’s no container, drinking water in excess at once to achieve body water saturation is the only way."

As he rubbed his slightly bloated abdomen, he explained, "This allows me to travel for at least three to four hours of high-intensity journey without falling into danger due to dehydration. Survival is a continuous process of weighing and compromise."

"Alright, with the water issue resolved, next up is the problem of maintaining the fire," he said as he walked to the campfire, "I need to make a portable fire starter, so I can have flame anytime, anywhere."

Lin Yu’an walked to the pile of already rekindled campfire, feeling the warmth the flames provided, though his face didn’t show the slightest relaxation.

"A fixed campfire in the wild is just a temporary safe haven. A portable fire starter is the key to embarking on an expedition."

"I can’t afford to spend hours each day creating fire by friction, especially in unpredictable weather conditions. So I must make a Fire Starter Jar and guard it like life itself."

He didn’t search for bamboo or clay but instead set his sight on a long-dead giant oak tree next to the shelter. Parasitic on its trunk were a few hoof-shaped large brown mushrooms.

Using the base of the Stone Knife, he forcefully struck the mushroom roots, exerting some effort before he managed to pry it completely off the tree trunk.

"Wood Hoof Fungus," he said, holding the mushroom larger than both his palms combined up to the camera, "In ancient times, it was called Fire Tinder Fungus, and it serves as a naturally reliable Fire Starter Jar."

He placed the mushroom on a flat rock, beginning the meticulous processing.

"Look at its structure," he said, using the tip of the Stone Knife to point at the cross-section of the mushroom, "The outermost layer is a hard fungus shell, like armor, waterproof and fireproof. The innermost layer is woody fungus tubes, and we need the layer sandwiched in between."

He slit open the hard fungus shell with difficulty, revealing an internal layer of golden, dense fiber, similar in texture to top-grade suede or velvet.

"This is the fire tinder layer, its fibers are extremely dense and rich in complex organic compounds. Once ignited, it won’t produce an open flame but will smolder in a slow and stable manner, like the most exquisite incense or cigar."

Using the tip of the Stone Knife, he carefully scooped out a fist-sized cavity in the center of the fire tinder layer.

Next, he used two sticks to pick up a glowing, white-ash-coated piece of charcoal from the campfire and placed it into the mushroom’s cavity.

He then gently covered the charcoal with some pre-prepared dry moss tinder.

"Phew..."

Leaning down, he lightly blew into the cavity entrance.

The heat from the charcoal instantaneously ignited the dry moss, and a thick plume of blue smoke rose. Gradually, the heat began to transfer to the surrounding fire tinder layer.

The golden fibers visibly started turning black and carbonizing starting from the point of contact, yet no flame ignited, only releasing steady heat and smoke.

"Perfect." Lin Yu’an confirmed the fire starter had been successfully established, then sealed the cavity opening with fresh moss. Afterward, he tightly bound the entire Wood Hoof Fungus using prepared vines.

A biological Fire Starter Jar filled with primal wisdom was complete. He could even feel a steady, subtle warmth emanating from within the mushroom’s cracks.

"With this, it’s like having a super match that can burn all day. As long as there’s enough oxygen inside, it won’t extinguish."

"Wherever I go tonight, I only need to open it and add some dry grass to rekindle the flames in seconds, never having to struggle with wood again."

Having solved the critical issues of fire and water survival, he then began preparing breakfast for the day.