Chapter 29: Detection

Chu Jiu looked down to see that the chestnut spirit speaking was Sheldon, dressed in his signature shades of green.

Eleanor frowned. "Sheldon, don't cause trouble."

The little chestnut spirit wiped his oily mouth and hopped over to Eleanor in a few quick strides. "Mom, I'm being very serious! If I learn to use fire, I can roast mushrooms, and you won't ever have to get food poisoning from eating them again!"

Eleanor paused for a few seconds, her voice softening. "But aren't you afraid of fire? Don't you worry that the tongues of flame will lick your skin and roast you into a split-open chestnut?"

Sheldon scratched his head. "Well... I am afraid, yes." But then, the little spirit smiled. "I was very afraid of the sand scorpions, too. But when I was catching them with Chu Jiu and the others, Chu Jiu told me not to be afraid and that we had a way to deal with them. I held my ground and didn't run away. Later, we actually caught the sand scorpions! We turned those terrifying things into food! If I had given up just because I was afraid, I wouldn't be able to eat such delicious stir-fried scorpion meat now."

Everything was going smoothly. That was, until he was on his way back and received a system notification: [Video recording equipment repaired. Host, please resume log recording effective immediately.]

Also, this "passing the torch"... did it mean teaching Sheldon how to cook with fire?

He Fang subconsciously held his breath.

"He... I can feel it, his determination regarding this matter."

He Fang was covered in cold sweat, while Chen Mo exclaimed in shock, "What is this? Has the 'beating the grass to startle the snake' strategy backfired? Is the enemy starting an attack?"

Just as Eleanor had said, the dodo birds didn't need to be fed and could find safe places to spend the night on their own. For instance, the courtyard of this pioneer cabin was the safest spot in the entire area.

How was he supposed to announce it?

Sheldon pulled back the branch, drooling. "Is... is it ready to eat?"

The mushrooms and meat cubes sizzled, fat slowly rendering out, and the aroma gradually began to drift through the air.

"That's right, our bodies are highly flammable; if we touch a spark, we'll go up in flames..."

Only then did Chu Jiu jump off the dodo bird to return the greetings of these adorable spirits.

The dissolved alum formed a fire-resistant film on the fabric surface; that was all there was to it.

[Host has achieved the hidden condition: "Become friends with the spirits!"]

For instance, if the youth were to suddenly interrupt his stream or the space-time rift were to close abruptly, the "Detector's" coordinates would inevitably fail.

[Congratulations, Host. Your level has increased. You are now a Level 6 Pioneer.]

Sheldon, who had never imagined there could be "fireproof fabric," nodded excitedly. "Yes! Yes! I'll try!"

He suppressed the urge to run away and, just as Chu Jiu had taught him, placed the small branch skewered with mushrooms and meat, rubbed with seasoning, over the fire.

"We've harvested so many tomatoes today! The meat slices Chu Jiu cooked with tomatoes last time were so delicious. I really want to eat them!"

Even Eleanor looked surprised. "Is this some kind of... human-specific ability?"

"How could we chestnut spirits ever learn to use fire!"

The scene left Chu Jiu feeling a bit flustered, his face turning red, unsure of what to say.

The Roar-Roar Rabbit wiped the drool threatening to spill from the corner of its mouth.

Near the pioneer cabin.

Little Canned, however, pressed against his flushed face, meowing, "Don't be nervous. This is their good intention, and it's an honor you deserve."

A full 2500 Pioneer Points.

Gulu-lu spun its leaves, flying back and forth over the roof of the cabin, checking for any leaks.

The chestnut spirits were in an uproar. "That's probably impossible!"

An image gradually appeared on the screen.

The simplest and most primitive method of cooking is "roasting ingredients."

Pleased by the praise, Sheldon beamed, looking like a split-open chestnut once again.

Sheldon nodded desperately.

It seems that place, like Planet Alsa, also has moons orbiting the planet.

And this wasn't modern history, but "ancient history" from tens of thousands of years ago, bordering on myth.

*

These days, the dodo bird was still nesting comfortably in the corner of the courtyard.

He Fang furrowed his brow. "It looks like it."

The dodo bird, having been "granted entry," raised its neck and let out a cry before continuing to stride into the safe zone of the cabin.

Gulu-lu pondered the matter very seriously.

Planet Alsa.

[Upon achieving this condition, the Host will receive corresponding Pioneer Point rewards for completing commissions from the chestnut spirits.]

After finishing the barbecue Sheldon had made and sewing several small aprons for the other little chestnut spirits who were eager to learn how to cook, Chu Jiu prepared to head back to Bean Village.

"Compared to what you've done for us, this is nothing."

Despite Sheldon's impassioned speech earlier, now that he was actually standing in front of the fire, his two thin legs couldn't stop trembling.

"It's Chu Jiu!"

But Eleanor's explanation caught Chu Jiu by surprise—Eleanor said that humans who wore this bracelet could control dodo birds just like the chestnut spirits, turning them into obedient mounts.

He kept whispering to himself, "Teacher Chu Jiu made me an apron... I have a magical apron..."

Ever since the camera lens had mysteriously broken last time, Chu Jiu hadn't recorded a log for nearly a month.

"If I want to eat better food, if I want everyone to taste more delicacies, I must learn to use fire!"

Not only that, but the regional exploration rate had jumped to 7%, and Chu Jiu's own level had increased:

"I never thought that one day, our people, my children, would be able to stand before a flame again and boldly use fire."

Or perhaps the Zerg had noticed a slight abnormality and were intentionally setting other traps...

"Try riding it."

So, Chu Jiu first lit a small fire and encouraged Sheldon to try adding firewood to it.

As a sophisticated observation device, the Detector was actually collecting and transmitting information about its location in all directions. What appeared on the screen was only a small portion of the data, presented for the convenience of human viewing.

Chu Jiu noticed that when the other chestnuts mentioned "exploding upon touching a spark," Sheldon trembled even more violently.

The Roar-Roar Rabbit, having finished a day of farming, was transporting the newly harvested tomatoes from the fields to the barn.

Under the moonlight, there were small buildings and narrow paths.

The Detector slowly turned.

Chu Jiu hadn't even finished processing it, and the system had already calculated the reward:

A few minutes passed.

When Chu Jiu finally rode the dodo bird away, Sheldon hopped onto a tree, waving his little arms at Chu Jiu and shouting loudly:

"So, even if I'm a little scared, I will overcome it slowly!"

However, it would be many days before Chu Jiu returned...

It really is a super-rare item...

The dodo bird continued to run fast and steady.

Although these things looked like toys from a dollhouse, they were all practical, usable tools.

Strangely, when he approached the fire and the warm air from the combustion enveloped the little chestnut spirit, he didn't feel as uncomfortable as he had imagined.

Commission "Let the future patriarch undergo the trial" completed!

The bracelet was brownish-tan, adorned with green leaves; it looked like it was woven from chestnut tree branches and appeared to be an unremarkable piece of craft.

Was there something moving toward this location at high speed?

The little chestnut spirits who had witnessed the entire process were either scratching their heads in confusion or whispering in doubt.

This map was only 50% explored; of course he would come back!

This...?

With this bracelet, one could control a dodo bird?

Sheldon's eyes lit up: "An apron that won't burn even in fire? Does such a thing really exist?"

Almost there, almost there!

Chu Jiu followed a roughly 10:1 ratio to mix a bucket of alum solution with hot water, then soaked the coarse burlap fabric completely in the solution. After about seven or eight minutes, he took the fabric out and hung it at the entrance of the cave to air dry naturally.

The moonlight was bright.

Both of these tasks would have to wait until tomorrow.

As it reached the cabin's fence, the Roar-Roar Rabbit was about to puff out its chest to let out a loud shout, only to see Gulu-lu flying toward it very happily:

Today, when the dodo bird was about to reach the pioneer cabin, the giant bird, which had been galloping all the way, suddenly stopped dozens of meters from the cabin and began to flap its wings, circling in place.

But now, he decided to use the alum to make something else:

One person, one cat, one rabbit, and one tree—eating, talking, and gesturing. By the time the plates and bowls were empty, the moon had already climbed to the treetops.

The tongues of flame licked the fabric, but no fire ignited.

[Host's current title is: "Friend of the Spirits." When you first announce your title aloud to non-human intelligent beings, their favor toward you will automatically increase by 10%, and you will find it easier to discern their inner desires.]

Chu Jiu had originally expected some kind of giant nut or forest specialty, but Eleanor had her people bring out a bracelet designed for humans.

"I see it! It's Chu Jiu and the others, riding back on a bird that runs super fast!"

Hmm, perhaps the other monsters in this area, aside from those strange grotesque worms, were too low-level and not aggressive enough to actively enter the vicinity of the pioneer cabin.

In that space-time, it should be night right now.

Needless to say, the Roar-Roar Rabbit and Gulu-lu hadn't eaten fresh vegetables for over half a month, and even Little Canned had been eating very simply these past few days because Chu Jiu had been on the move.

On the other side of the road sign was a pitch-black forest. At the edge of the forest stood a wooden building, with flickering lights in the windows.

Were the wonderful stories the youth told just a figure of speech, or was that really his daily life?

Chu Jiu didn't say anything more like "don't be afraid" or "it won't happen."

As he spoke, the little chestnut spirit raised his fist, looking solemn:

Could that building be... where the youth lives? Is that the source of the psychic signal?

Dinner.

Wearing the apron, Sheldon fully demonstrated the drive a foodie should have.

It was the real-time footage transmitted by the Detector from the coordinate area.

However, in the half-second that the Detector crossed the road sign, a small, pale gold, unidentified object appeared out of thin air in front of the Detector!

He had just packed his backpack when Eleanor called him over, saying she had prepared a farewell gift for him.