Free Web NovelChapter 187: Chapter 162: Releasing Prey, New Ability
In just over ten minutes, the frame of a simple, triangular shelter was complete.
Securing both ends of the main beam had used up two of his ropes, and the four he had left weren’t enough to finish the structure. So, he simply leaned the slanting branches on either side against the main beam instead of tying them down. He wedged them in place with pine trunks, using their weight to keep them from rolling.
He hadn’t found any vines nearby, and twisting grass into rope would take too long. He had to think of another way to secure everything.
His gaze swept over the pile of slender branches in front of him, then settled on his remaining bark ropes for a moment. Suddenly, an idea struck him.
’Right, what was I thinking? I just need to secure them, not support a heavy load. There’s no need to keep the ropes braided. If I unravel them, I’ll double the number I have!’
After unraveling the spirally braided Mulberry Tree bark ropes, not only did one rope become two, but its length also increased significantly.
He cut them into uniform half-meter lengths, doubling the number again, giving him a total of sixteen pieces.
Next, he continuously laid the collected branches side-by-side against the main beam until the entire slanted surface was almost completely covered, forming a natural wall of branches.
To increase the main beam’s load-bearing capacity, he chose two Y-shaped branches to prop it up from inside the shelter. He dug small pits in the ground to set their bases in, then packed soil around them to hold them firm.
He then cut off all the banana leaves and tied them to the roof with the bark ropes, covering the surface with a layer of pine needles and moss.
By the time he finished, the sky had grown noticeably dim.
While there was still some light, he quickly blocked off one side of the shelter with branches, leaving only one side open for entry and exit.
’The nights in the Heat Forest don’t get very cold. I’m only sleeping here for one night, so I don’t need to worry about windproofing. A roof to block the rain is enough.’
After working for half the day, he felt the pangs of hunger in his stomach, and his lips were uncomfortably dry.
He walked over to the now-bare banana tree and plunged his sharp combat knife into the trunk near the ground, slicing horizontally.
Although it’s called a tree, a banana tree’s trunk is very soft. Sometimes, the weight of the fruit is enough to snap it.
After a few more cuts, the two-meter-tall banana tree crashed to the ground.
"A banana tree has a structure similar to an onion, with layers wrapping around a central core. The outer layers aren’t edible. My target is the innermost one."
First, he cut the banana tree trunk in half into roughly one-meter-long sections, carried them back to the entrance of his shelter, and sat down on a random rock.
Holding one section of the trunk upright on the ground, he used his small knife to peel it away layer by layer, much like peeling a bamboo shoot. Soon, the tender, white core hidden deep inside was revealed.
This was the first time he had ever seen a banana tree core in person; he had only ever seen it on TV.
The thing felt heavy in his hand, almost like a wooden stick, but it was slightly soft when squeezed. Its cross-section looked very similar to the white part of a large scallion.
He brought it to his nose and sniffed it twice. A faint, fresh plant aroma filled his nostrils, a bit like fresh grass with a hint of sweetness.
Lin Chen subconsciously licked his dry lips. He didn’t eat it right away, instead tapping the screen of his watch.
The screen lit up, revealing a dense barrage of viewer comments.
"Time flies! I feel like I haven’t done anything, but it’s already dark!"
"The live stream format really feels different from the old pre-recorded, edited shows. We can see everything the contestants see in real-time. It gives me the illusion that I’m the one surviving in the wild."
"I was so confused about that pile of dead birds this afternoon. I was guessing they ate something poisonous or were killed by a bird of prey like a harpy eagle. I never expected it to be a toxic zone!" freewebnσvel.cøm
"Yeah, same here! Survival in a tropical forest is so much harder than in previous seasons. You can get poisoned just by walking around. It’s terrifying."
"An idiot like me would probably die within a day in there, right? You’ve got this, Lin! Keep it up!"
"Even though he didn’t find a water source, the banana core contains a lot of water and nutrients. If he rations it, that two-meter-long core should be enough for two days."
"Has anyone ever eaten a banana core? It looks a bit like a white chocolate bar. What does it taste like?"
"It’s crunchy, kind of like eating a cucumber. At first, it’s a little sweet and tastes like grass, but it gets a bit bitter toward the end."
"I still want to see Lin catch and cook something. It sucks that he can’t hunt; he can’t show off his real skills!"
"Hunting isn’t the issue right now. He doesn’t have a flint, a fire starter, or a bow. How’s he even going to make a fire?"
"Didn’t Lin say it? The nights in a tropical forest aren’t cold. As long as he has food to fill his stomach, it’s fine. Hardly anyone makes a fire on the first day of the competition. Same with eating—contestants often don’t find food until the third or fourth day."
"The Panama Forest might be dangerous, but it has its perks. At least there’s a lot of fruit, so you don’t have to worry about starving."
Watching the comments scroll by, Lin Chen smiled faintly. He felt like he was no longer surviving all alone.
"Actually, I’ve never tasted a banana core either. Let me try it for all of you."
CRUNCH.
The words had barely left his mouth when he bit off a piece.
Just as he’d seen on TV, countless tiny, dense threads pulled away from the broken end of the core.
These threads were tasteless. They were the fibrous tissue of the banana core, which gave it firmness. Eating them would help with digestion, much like the fiber in vegetables or whole grains.
