Chapter 4: Finding a Flint (Please Vote!)

Chapter 4: Finding a Firestone (Please Vote!)

“Death is the only way to quit?”

Xu Yi rubbed his nose. In that case, he wouldn’t let Su Keke quit.

He had already lived two lifetimes; losing a third of his lifespan was nothing to him.

But Su Keke’s life was just beginning. If she lost a third of her future, how tragic that would be.

“Can my daughter quit without any harm? Just a clean exit.”

“No, leaving by death is the only way.”

Xu Yi twitched the corner of his mouth, feeling an urge to curse.

“Um, there are two of us. If we survive a hundred days, do we each get a potion?”

Xu Yi thought surviving at least a hundred days was necessary.

That way, even if they were eliminated, it wouldn’t be too much of a loss.

“A simultaneous appearance of two players was our mistake, so you will each receive a potion.”

The cold voice sounded again.

“Thank you.”

“By the way, is this a 24/7 live broadcast? Can we block the feed when bathing or using the restroom?”

Xu Yi felt privacy was very important.

“Rest assured, all contestants. We will not broadcast any private moments. Our filming system is highly intelligent and will protect everyone’s privacy.”

Hearing this, all the contestants breathed a sigh of relief.

Especially some of the female guests, who were more concerned about exposing inappropriate footage.

“So, can we form teams?”

Xu Yi thought if he could find a skilled partner, their chances of survival would greatly improve.

After all, the last five survivors would remain.

“There are no restrictions in this program.”

[No restrictions? Does that mean we can attack each other?]

[Attack? Are you that aggressive? Why don’t you go attack the dinosaurs then!]

[Teamwork is the best strategy for wilderness survival. They have clothes, shoes, even phones, but no other tools.]

[I really regret declining earlier. If only I could turn back time. Just now, a big shot offered 2.5 billion for acquisition.]

Reading the live chat responses, Xu Yi brightened.

He possessed the Survival Reward System. Though weak now, after some development, he could become very strong.

Others would surely think about teaming up too.

Loneliness in the wild is deadly.

Compared to others, Xu Yi was lucky—he had Keke with him.

Though only six years old, Keke was quite capable.

She not only eased Xu Yi’s loneliness but helped with many tasks.

Without Su Keke, where would Xu Yi find a basket to carry these seven or eight pounds of wild loquats?

These loquats alone could supply their food and water needs for a day.

So, they could focus wholeheartedly on finding water sources and suitable places to set up camp.

...

A sudden, tremendous roar echoed.

Lu Ning had never heard such a sound before.

“That must be a dinosaur’s roar?”

Lu Ning looked down the mountain, trying to locate the source.

Unfortunately, she was deep in the forest and saw nothing.

She had intended to descend the mountain.

But after hearing the roar, she changed her mind.

Dinosaurs were apex predators.

Without weapons, she couldn’t even handle ordinary beasts, let alone these ecological overlords.

“I was prepared to go down and find a suitable place to survive, planning to challenge myself for years.”

“Now, I can only stay in this area or look higher up for a safe spot.”

[Awesome! Brother Seven really plans to challenge for years?]

[You get a potion after 100 days. Don’t you want your parents to reverse aging?]

[And a 10-year potion can sell for billions, achieving financial freedom. Only fools would give that up.]

[Brother Seven, was that really a dinosaur? It didn’t sound far away.]

Lu Ning didn’t look at the chat; she found it too distracting and tiring, and it impaired her actions.

Besides, the chat offered her no help.

Her wilderness survival skills were no worse than those survival experts on the show.

“I’ve heard sounds of tigers, brown bears, black bears, and other fierce beasts, but that was unfamiliar.”

“Even if it’s not a dinosaur, it’s a very large predator. Unarmed, I can’t even kill a mountain mouse.”

“At times like this, avoidance is my only option.”

“Look, I found lemongrass here.”

“Lemongrass, also called citronella for its lemon scent, can treat rheumatism and migraines, fight infection, and improve digestion. It also deodorizes and repels insects.”

“I need to collect some, mainly for insect repellent. After all, this is a completely primitive world, and bug protection is crucial.”

With that, Lu Ning began gathering lemongrass.

Meanwhile, Xu Yi and Su Keke were collecting dry moss.

This could serve as tinder to make starting a fire easier.

Though they hadn’t found a water source yet, they could carry some tinder.

Fire would also make the night safer.

Even though their phones and tablets had battery to use the flashlight, it was only for illumination, not defense.

Without shelter, fire became even more important.

Xu Yi knew some ways to make fire.

But he had no suitable tools.

Starting a fire by friction was very difficult.

“Keke, don’t run off.”

As they walked, Su Keke suddenly dashed toward one direction.

“Daddy, a white firestone! Look, this is a white firestone!”

She held up a white stone.

“Is this possible?”

Xu Yi walked over and took the stone Keke had found.

“Natural white quartz?”

He recognized it at once and scanned the area.

He found another larger piece of white quartz; the others were too small to use.

Quartz has strong piezoelectric properties; striking it can produce sparks.

Paired with flammable tinder, starting a fire becomes much easier.

Quartz content can reach up to 94%. Quartz crystals are the hardest natural mineral after diamond, with a surface hardness of 7.5 on the Mohs scale, far harder than kitchen knives or spatulas, so they won’t be scratched by those tools.

Quartz crystals are typical refractory materials, with melting points above 1300 degrees Celsius. Their smooth, flat, unblemished surface and dense, nonporous structure prevent bacterial growth, making them safe and non-toxic for direct contact with food.

However, white quartz has a drawback: it is brittle.

Composed of small aggregated crystals with many internal cracks, collisions cause it to shatter into small fragments.

That’s why Xu Yi saw many scattered small quartz pieces.

But the two pieces he and Keke found were clearly structurally stable and not easy to break, which is why they remained so large.

Its variant, flint, lacks this flaw and was the best material used by ancient people to make stone tools and start fires.

Unfortunately, Xu Yi had not found any flint.

[Has Keke’s luck meter maxed out? She even found white firestone!]

[I think Keke is their number one cheat code. Everyone else is alone; it’s just the two of them.]

[Exactly, it’s a glitch. The live stream admitted it was a mistake.]

[Plus, Keke has a tablet and chocolate beans. Others only have a phone or watch.]

[I’ve always wondered: do you get to bring whatever you have on you when you agree to enter?]

[No, I once watched an outdoor streamer with full gear, even holding a machete when agreeing. But they only got clothes, shoes, hat, watch, and phone—nothing else.]

[Some bring tablets, but mostly phones. Some only bring a mouse. I suspect you only bring whatever electronic device you have when agreeing. No other gear.]

Tomorrow I’ll send off the contract. Friends interested in investing should act quickly!

(End of chapter)