Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Starting a Fire
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💬 Live Chat Room leader, you ever tried this before? "Of course not. Where would I even try something like this?"
Yeah, fair enough lololol Still, the method was firmly planted in my head.
Rubbing the outer husk of a husked coconut makes for great tinder.
Pick up a round stick and slice it with a knife.
Tak!
Carve a notch next to where you'll rub the stick to let air in.
When placing the wood shavings on the ground, wedge rocks underneath to allow airflow.
Finally, just rub with a sharpened stick, and you're done.
Sak sak!
Sasasak!
"Yah! 1st circle spell, Fire!"
Damn, room leader's a grand mage Fire (physical) Rubbing the stick between my palms, my hands gradually work their way down.
Hand drills can take hours without success, but when they work, it's in just 2-3 minutes.
"Oh, ooh!"
Oh, looks like it's working? Room leader could survive alone in the jungle no problem lmao Keep rubbing, and the end of the wood turns black as smoke starts to rise.
Black ash keeps falling into the knife-notch beside the rubbing spot.
Sasak! Sasak!
The ash piles up on the leaves laid out beneath the wood block.
A bit more! Ember's formed, right? Sasasak!
I've never been this focused in my life.
In this muggy weather, even one bead of sweat could spell disaster.
"Looks like it worked?"
A good pile of black ash has gathered on the leaves.
Carefully lift the leaves and dump it into the pre-made coconut husk tinder. Done.
"Hoo— hoo—"
Room leader handling it like a baby, roll roll Gently blow, gently Smoke rises with each breath from my mouth.
It's still just a tiny ember. Gotta keep feeding it oxygen.
"Hooo—"
The more oxygen I blow in, the thicker the smoke gets, until a crackling hwarrk joins the sound of my breath.
Blow a little more! Oh it's working, really working "Hooo─────"
Check that lung capacity lololol Too funny lolol Hwarrk!
"Kuhk! Inhaled smoke, kuhk!"
Transfer the fire quick! "Fire! Fire!"
Fire!! The ember that had been spreading finally bursts into flame.
Pro primitive? Nails it first try lol Before it dies out, keep adding fuel that can catch.
Lucky for us, Nella caught something near trees, so plenty of usable kindling scattered around.
I hurriedly gather some and pile it on the flaming coconut husk. The fire grows.
"Kyaa."
Damn This is it So freaking fun lolol "Looks like oxygen is the key to starting a fire."
Yeah Mazm A ground fire like this won't last long.
Digging a pit for airflow would be better, but no time for that now.
No choice—gather stones to ring the bonfire. Looks decent enough.
"Now that we've got fire, let's make coconut oil."
How? Why make that? "You can eat it, and it's useful for all sorts of things. First, scrape out the flesh."
I open the remaining coconut lid and pour the coconut water into my canteen.
Scrape all the flesh onto a broad leaf rolling around on the ground, then wring it out using my outer coat as a cloth. Done.
"Only container we've got is Nella's bucket."
With Baeksul finding the water source, no need to obsess over water anymore.
Rinse the seaweed, dump the water, squeeze the flesh into the empty bucket—white liquid flows out.
Jjorreuk.
"This is coconut milk."
Damn Something's actually happening For real, so magical "Boil this to evaporate the water, and the oil separates out."
Balance the bucket on stones—finally, one big task down.
"Kids, let me know when it boils."
Ok lol Trust us I don't trust them at all. Gotta check periodically.
"Friend, you're back!"
By the time I'd lit the fire and wrestled with the coconuts, quite some time had passed. Nella approached, waving.
"Whoa, you started a fire?"
"Yeah. You get it prepped?"
She just grins without a word.
Setting down the broad stone wedged between her left fingers, she pulls out a burstingly full non-woven bag of fish meat.
"Nella, good work."
"Hehe. This much is nothing."
"I'll cook it up nice and tasty for you then."
She flashes a mischievous grin, wiggling two fingers at her mouth.
"Here."
Chik, chik.
"Hoo— thanks, friend."
She lights up and hands over the cigarette pack.
"Take the whole thing."
"Huh? For real?"
"Yeah."
"Oho."
She looks thrilled.
On a deserted island, everything's precious.
For a heavy smoker like Nella, cigarettes must be priceless here.
"In exchange, could you find a few more buckets or something? We're short."
"That was hard enough to find... but I'll look around. There's some washed-up trash on the shore."
"Don't push yourself—if nothing, just come back. And take this."
I hand her the canteen of coconut water, and she lights up with joy.
Gulp, gulp.
"Wek!"
lololololololol Her reaction's gold lolol "Ga-eul!"
"Other contestants are dying of thirst, don't waste it. Drink up properly."
"No, how is this...?"
Her face scrunches up after happily taking the cigs.
Guess it really doesn't taste good.
Can't be helped.
Beep!
⟨ 1034 ⟩ Pressing the device button, the displayed number ticks down in real time.
Super high heat, super humidity, occasional heat blasts.
No sane person could endure this.
"Nella. Drink if you don't wanna die. No matter how trained you are, you're human."
Sweat pours just standing still. Skip hydration, and sudden death awaits.
As Nella pouts, noise comes from the bucket behind.
"Nella, I'll have tasty food ready. Hurry back."
"Yeah."
"Drink regularly."
"...Yeah."
Turning to the bucket, transparent oil has formed around the clumped, shrunken coconut milk.
"Oh, got it."
Whoa, actual oil? Insanely cool lol Making oil in the wild is wild Cool the coconut oil and store in an empty water bottle later.
Move the oil-filled bucket aside, place Nella's stone slab over the fire.
No frying pan, so this'll do.
Everything here's improvised. No teeth? Use gums.
"Spread the fresh-squeezed oil on the stone slab like this."
Oh, that's how you use it She's nuts lol Smearing coconut oil on a leaf makes a handy brush.
"Now lay on Nella's fish meat."
Looks like belly meat.
Remove skin and inner membrane for better texture.
Wait for the slab to heat, add fish—sizzles like a pan.
Chiiik—!
Whoa, grilling it up So good "Guys, breathing's hard here. Eating sashimi in this weather is suicidal."
Oh right, forgot watching stream Must suck Fish spoils in real time in this heat—if not eating right away, sashimi's off the table.
While fish cooks, whittle thin twigs. Can use as skewers or chopsticks—versatile.
"Splash more oil, fry the outside crispy for better texture."
Chiiik—!
Press one side with fresh wooden chopsticks—delicious sizzle.
Desert island ASMR Peak romance lolol Lay seaweed on the remaining slab space—looks proper.
"Baeksul, fruit time."
"Yeah!"
Hand over leftover flesh from oil-making; Baeksul eats well.
"Thirsty or hungry, tell me right away."
"Yeah!"
If ranking pets by ease, Baeksul'd be bottom—no fuss.
Says hungry when hungry, sleepy when sleepy, straight up.
Beep!
⟨ 1028 ⟩ Six more dropped in that short time.
Probably collapsing from heatstroke right now.
Or poisoned plants, ocean currents, shark bites—who knows.
"Friend!"
"Oh, back?"
She approaches hugging a bunch of stuff.
"Quick trip?"
"Grabbed everything in sight."
"Good job."
She really did—looks useless.
"Why the broken glass bottle?"
"Haha. Might come in handy?"
Only usable item: small metal bowl.
"Eat first. Should be done."
Wrap a big grilled fish in leaves, hand to Nella—her face brightens.
First proper meal since landing.
We got ingredients fast; others must be starving.
"Mmm! So good! Ga-eul, you're an amazing cook?"
"Just grilled. Nothing special."
"No way. Super savory. Not just grilled?"
"Made oil from the coconut you husked."
Shake the bucket; she nods.
"Ga-eul's a jack-of-all-trades. Gotta stick by you."
"Fine by me, but we're rivals, right?"
Spin the knife I'd been holding—Nella's chewing pauses for the first time.
While she broods, Baeksul munches flesh diligently.
"Baeksul, try this."
Blow on oil-fried seaweed, hand it over; she chomps.
"Yummy!"
Crunch crunch with each chew.
"Turtle liked it too. Eat up."
"Yeah!"
"Swim after eating."
"Yay!"
Got splashed with seawater—need a rinse.
Water source probably mobbed.
"Bed before sunset too."
"..."
"Nella?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Shelter's important."
Wonder what's on her mind.
Five mil dollars changes lives.
Humans do crazy things in extremes.
First night feels like a blood-soaked battlefield.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Here?"
"Yeah!"
Baeksul leads to stream— as expected, campers everywhere.
Look ragged, surviving on water alone.
Defeated soldiers.
Ignore stares, approach water—whistles from around.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
A scruffy-bearded guy calls from behind.
Leers up and down with sleazy grin.
"This is our turf."
Already forming gangs.
"So what, punk? Pissed? Come at me."
"Ha. Feisty girl. Join our crew. Use this freely then. Good stuff at night too."
Click.
Knife sheath drops to ground.
"Wait for night? Can't hold back. Let's do good stuff now."
Kiyaaak!! Crazy room leader sudden acceleration again!!