Chapter 17: Slime Jelly

Page 1/3

Chu Jiu furrowed his brow, bringing the mirror closer and scrutinizing it repeatedly. He saw nothing unusual, no strange reflections. Perhaps he was just too exhausted today and had imagined things? Still, this time the system was generous, granting him a full fifty exploration points at once!

Counting the points with satisfaction, Chu Jiu carefully put the mirror away. Under the faint glow of the luminescent grass, he felt his way to the wooden bed and lay down. Closing his eyes, he instinctively pulled the curled-up little canned cat into his arms—soft and warm, utterly comforting.

*

On Arsa Star, He Fang never imagined he would one day find himself so engrossed in a livestream titled “How to Make Soy Sauce.” He had to admit, listening to the young man describe the chemical transformation of a single soybean, recounting what he had harvested that day, brought a peculiar sense of tranquility to his heart.

Combined with the boy’s delicate features and the occasional pure smile, it was as if standing in the gentle warmth of a spring breeze—utterly soothing.

When the boy mentioned “braised chicken wing roots” and made his stomach growl, He Fang couldn’t help but laugh. How adorable! Could such a sweet child truly be a Zerg in disguise?

!

The thought flashed through his mind, and He Fang immediately became alert: No! This might be a special form of psychic attack designed to lower our guard and lull us into complacency!

Realizing this, He Fang quickly glanced at Marshal Lu, who was also watching the livestream. As expected, the marshal maintained a calm expression, simply sipping from his cup. Marshal Lu’s composure was impressive.

He Fang quietly withdrew his gaze, unaware that after setting down his cup, a faint curve lingered at the corner of Marshal Lu’s lips.

*

Dawn broke.

After reminding the howling rabbit to stay safe and not wander into the village to be mistaken for wild game, Chu Jiu set off with the little canned cat in tow. As before, the cat perched its paws on the pocket’s edge, eyes fixed intently ahead.

It hadn’t forgotten its prime directive: to exterminate the insects.

But where exactly were these insects?

The little cat’s expression was solemn, its ice-blue eyes wide with focus.

Chu Jiu had no idea what this tiny creature was thinking. He only knew that this was already the fourth time he had ventured far with the cat, which remained tense, neither dozing nor meowing.

Sigh—cats are just too sensitive to their surroundings. Yet this little one refused to stay home, insisting on following him.

Still… because of this, his chest always felt warm.

Thinking of this, Chu Jiu couldn’t help but want to treat the clingy, sensitive little cat even better.

Just then, ahead appeared a Bloodthirsty Bee hive.

The Bloodthirsty Bee was covered in dark brown fuzz, with a sting nearly two meters long, often stained with reddish-brown “blood marks”—a single glance enough to send chills down one’s spine.

In truth, the bee did not suck blood.

Page 2/3

Its food was the nectar of the giant banana flower. Because this nectar’s color and texture closely resembled animal blood, the bees appeared as if they had drunk fresh blood after gathering it.

Chu Jiu clumsily climbed the tree and collected twenty units of high-quality beeswax and thirty units of premium honey from the hive.

The beeswax was light brown and could be crafted into handmade candles.

The honey was a distinctive rose-red, fragrant and rich, reputed to sweeten any dish with just a trace.

More importantly, the honey’s description card read: “When added to desserts, it induces a joyful state of body and mind, effectively relieving tension. Perhaps a special ‘honey pudding’ before exams would be beneficial.”

Using this honey in a dessert might help the perpetually tense little canned cat relax and sleep soundly during the day.

But what kind of dessert to make?

Should he find the giant black-and-white spotted aphids for some milk, or seek out the crackling breadfruit tree to pick some breadfruit?

Chu Jiu scanned the surroundings.

Hmm? Those two translucent creatures ahead, one pale pink and one light blue… jellyfish?

Slimes!

Excited, Chu Jiu took out a specially carved wooden stick from his bag and tiptoed toward the two half-meter-tall slimes, then struck them hard with a mighty blow!

Squelch…

The slimes deflated like punctured water balloons, spreading out into two slippery sheets of soft skin.

Satisfied, Chu Jiu squatted and placed a wooden cup on the ground. Using his machete, he cut the slime skins into large chunks, scooped them up, and wrung them tightly like wet cloths—

“Drip, drip…”

A sticky gray liquid poured into the wooden bowl.

“...Meow?” The little canned cat was utterly stunned.

Tilting its head in confusion, it asked, “What are you doing? Why collect this?”

Chu Jiu smiled: “Making jelly! Very tasty jelly!”

The little cat’s whiskers bristled. “This is food?!”

Who would eat something the color of bugs?

Chu Jiu chuckled without answering, capped the cup filled with the viscous liquid, and shook it vigorously.

Half a minute later, he opened the lid. The gray non-Newtonian fluid had transformed into transparent, small chunks of gelatin.

He stirred in the honey he had just gathered, and gently mixed—

The transparent jelly turned a pale amber, exuding a delightful and refreshing sweetness.

The aroma wafted out, and the little cat instinctively twitched its nose.

Chu Jiu sniffed the sweet scent and exclaimed, “Wow, this ‘slime jelly’ must be delicious!”

The little cat turned its round face away. “Meow!” — “Jelly is a kid’s treat; I won’t eat it!”

Chu Jiu scooped some jelly with a spoon and ate several mouthfuls himself.

Indeed, it was cool and refreshing. The texture resembled grass jelly but smoother, with a lingering sweet fragrance.

He clicked his tongue and shook his head: “I knew you wouldn’t eat it. You’re scared of things made from slimes.”

The little cat was indignant. “Ow?! What? Scared to eat?!”

It scratched Chu Jiu with its tiny paw: “Give it here! How could I be scared?”

Suppressing laughter, Chu Jiu fed a full spoonful of jelly into the little cat’s mouth.

“Ahh!”

The spoon was clean.

The little cat’s mouth moved, but before it could speak, Chu Jiu wordlessly fed it another spoonful.

The cat quickly swallowed but refused to eat more.

Page 3/3

It licked its paw and softly meowed: “Save some for you and the howling rabbit.”

Such fragrant, sweet things should be shared with hardworking companions.

Chu Jiu said, “I’ll bring back the slime skins and make more later.”

Squeezing slime juice to make jelly left the skins, which after drying and grinding with water, could become high-quality adhesive.

Slimes were truly treasures; nothing was wasted.

Hearing this, the little cat swallowed the rest of the jelly.

Chu Jiu gently pressed on the cat’s forehead and praised, “Good job, thinking of sharing with the howling rabbit.”

A polite and caring little cat indeed.

The little cat licked its paw: “Except for dried fish, I share everything else.”

Chu Jiu thought the little creature was mistaken; hadn’t it shared dried fish with him before?

But cats were known for their small brains; a slip or two was normal.

As an adult human, he decided not to correct the tiny cat.

*

Perhaps the honey truly had a calming effect. The little cat relaxed slightly, no longer as tense as a stone.

Still, it perched its paws and watched ahead, curious about all living things.

Chu Jiu let it be.

*

Three days passed, and the journey on the map was more than halfway done. Chu Jiu’s backpack now held “Sweet grapes resembling eyes,” “Sweet potato fruits that looked like rotten fat but were white and glutinous inside,” “Small spiked tangerines with rough skins,” “Black peanuts with rocky shells,” and so on.

Sometimes he felt he wasn’t on an adventure but shopping wildly in a large self-service supermarket with everything free.

That afternoon, man and cat reached the forest’s heart.

The trees were denser here, branches intertwining so thickly they blocked out the sky. Chu Jiu had to use luminescent grass for light.

The monsters on the path had shifted from non-aggressive bloodthirsty bees and slimes to more dangerous creatures like two-headed snakes and drooling corrosive lizards.

Though these monsters provided valuable materials such as “highly toxic fangs” and “hard skins,” Chu Jiu assessed his strength and dared not provoke them.

Except for occasionally chatting with the little cat, Chu Jiu mostly pushed aside branches silently, moving forward.

Only the varying chirps of insects and birds and the rustle of leaves surrounded them.

Suddenly, Chu Jiu halted.

Ahead, in the bushes, a dark shape, with protruding tusks and a snorting sound…

A jungle boar!

[Jungle Boar: A fierce beast accustomed to foraging in dense forests. It has thick skin and abundant blood, strong attack power, fast running speed, and tusks capable of inflicting fatal puncture wounds. It skillfully uses its charging force combined with canine teeth in attacks.

Its sense of smell is highly developed, and it is intelligent enough to detect camouflaged prey.

Though dangerous, boar skin, tusks, meat, and bones are invaluable materials.

If your combat ability is sufficient to subdue a boar, it’s like opening a small treasure chest.

Found deep within various forest regions.]

Chu Jiu knew his own combat strength well.

He cautiously stepped back, aiming to hide behind a several-feet-tall fern.

But the boar had already turned.

Its sinister triangular eyes locked onto Chu Jiu.

Not only that, the boar’s hooves began digging into the soil, its body arching forward, readying for a powerful charge.