Chapter 13: A Double Blessing

The stream of water flowed directly into Xu Yi’s mouth, a refreshing sweetness spreading across his palate. His parched throat was instantly soothed, and he felt significantly better.

"Here, Keke, you have some."

Xu Yi was certain the water was safe to drink. Most toxic things in nature were bitter; rarely was anything sweet poisonous. Although it wasn’t intensely sweet, it had a pleasant, subtle flavor. Su Keke immediately opened her mouth, as she was also extremely thirsty. The water vine held a surprising amount of liquid; even though each segment was only about half a meter long, it yielded quite a bit.

"Dad, you drink it. I’ve had enough," Su Keke said quickly. She felt that Xu Yi needed the hydration more than she did.

[Keke is so sensible; she’s so thoughtful.]
[Compared to Keke, my daughter was sent by God purely to torture me.]

Hearing Su Keke’s words, Xu Yi felt a warmth in his heart. "Keep it and drink it. I can just cut another section to get more water."

He had already taken a few sips earlier, which had taken the edge off his thirst, and he could easily harvest another segment. There were over a dozen vines here, enough for both of them to drink their fill. While the ground loquats provided some moisture, they were far from enough to quench a deep thirst—they only served to keep severe dehydration at bay. Furthermore, the loquats were their only food source, so they couldn't afford to consume them recklessly. Discovering these water vines was, for Xu Yi, a literal lifesaver for him and Su Keke.

Soon, Xu Yi cut down another section and drank directly from it. Su Keke had finished the water in her piece and even let out a small, satisfied burp. For the first time, she realized how truly blissful it was to have water to drink.

By the time Xu Yi had finished, the sky had grown dark. There was plenty of deadwood nearby, so Xu Yi built a fire on the spot and dragged over some larger logs to burn. He had already scanned the wood with his X-ray vision and confirmed there were no edible grubs inside.

"It looks like we’ll have to rely on ground loquats to fill our bellies again tonight," Xu Yi said, reaching for their basket. There wasn't much left. After tonight’s meal, they would be out of food by tomorrow. While the water vines provided hydration, they had no way to carry the water with them—they lacked any vessels for storage. Of course, they weren't the only ones; none of the challengers had any tools.

Primitive humans didn't have such tools either, until they eventually developed pottery. Knowing that ancient humans created pottery from nothing, there was no reason modern humans couldn't figure out how to fire clay, given that they at least understood the basic concept.

"Dad, what are you looking for?" Su Keke asked, watching curiously as Xu Yi shone his flashlight around, searching intently. Could there be more grubs to eat? As sweet as the loquats were, after two days of eating them, she was starting to get tired of them.

"Termite mounds. I want to see if I can find any."

So he was looking for food! It turned out Dad was tired of the loquats, too.

"Let’s look together then," Su Keke said. She knew about termite mounds and knew that roasted termites were actually quite delicious.

"Alright, just keep it close by. Don't wander off, okay?" Xu Yi instructed, scanning the area with his phone’s flashlight. From time to time, he would also use his X-ray vision to check. But there wasn't a termite mound—or even a single termite—to be found.

"Wait, is that a snake?" Xu Yi suddenly noticed a snake-like creature in his field of vision. It even had a mouse in its belly. *Gotcha.* He had to catch it. *Meat. There’s meat to eat.*

"Keke, there’s a snake. Come over and hold the light."

[A snake? Where? I don't see anything!]
[Whoa, is that the one in the tree? It’s so dark, how did Number 1 see it? What kind of eyes does he have?]
[Where is it? I don't see it. It’s not a venomous one, is it?]
[First the water vines, now a snake—this is a double blessing!]

The viewers in the livestream were excited at the mention of a snake, though many struggled to spot it. Once Su Keke arrived, Xu Yi directed the light onto the creature so she and the viewers could see it. The snake wasn't particularly large, perhaps a meter long and weighing about three or four pounds.

"Keep it steady. Dad’s going to take care of it." Xu Yi didn't know what kind of snake it was, but that didn't matter—if it was edible, that was all that counted. He didn't care if it was venomous or not. He was the apex predator here; he would eat anything.

[What kind of snake is that? The colors are so striking. Can someone identify it?]
[A python? I've never seen one like that. It’s quite pretty; it would make a great handbag.]
[Number 1, be careful! Don't end up getting bitten while trying to catch it.]

Just as the audience began to worry, Xu Yi’s spear struck. His movements were decisive and unwavering. His target was clear: the snake’s head. Even if he didn't kill it instantly, he would at least incapacitate it. Although the snake had noticed him and assumed a defensive posture, Xu Yi’s strike was swift and precise. A starving man can summon immense strength when food is on the line.

The spear landed perfectly on the snake’s head. Xu Yi quickly retracted the weapon and struck again. After seven or eight blows, the snake's head was crushed, though its body continued to writhe against the tree. Using his X-ray vision, Xu Yi confirmed the skull was shattered; the creature was undoubtedly dead. It was only a matter of time before the nervous system finished firing and the body went still.

"Alright, let’s get everything ready and roast some meat." Xu Yi brought Su Keke back to the fire and stoked it to make it brighter. By the firelight, he broke off a sturdy branch from a nearby shrub. He couldn't use his spear to roast the meat, and one stick wasn't enough, so he gathered a few more. If his stone knife hadn't been so dull, he could have used it to cut them.

He activated his X-ray vision to scan the area again, then lugged back a large rock. It was heavy, and he struggled to carry it. His stone knife had become too blunt to ignore; he had to find a way to sharpen it.

The snake’s muscles were still twitching on the branch. Xu Yi retrieved the water vine he had used earlier to see if any water remained. He needed water to sharpen his stone knife. Fortunately, there was still a bit left. He began to grind the blade, thinning the edge to make it sharper. He couldn't do it during the day, so he would spend the hours before sleep sharpening it. In the wilderness, one could not survive without a knife. A stone knife was their only option.