Island Survival: Starts by chopping a tree-Chapter 70 - 66: Start here
Before going, he looked at their faces, which were filled with relish and satisfaction.
"I’ll be going for now. Just cook the remaining meat, and don’t wait for me in the afternoon," he told the group.
Hearing what he said, their faces filled with smiles, and satisfaction stiffened; silence enveloped the place.
Layla, who was feeling worried about the outcome of this, could not help but stop him.
"Captain, can you not go? It’s too dangerous," she said to him, her eyes filled with worry.
Jeff just shook his head as he replied, "I’m sorry, I have to. I already made up my mind. If I win, then it will be a good thing for us, and if I fail, I can assure you that I will not die." He said this full of confidence.
Seeing the look in his eyes, they know that they can’t stop him. It’s really impossible right now since he was already determined.
"Then, captain, be careful. If you feel something wrong or have second thoughts, then you can back down. Since no one will be blaming you," Ariana voiced out.
All of them nodded their heads. Charlotte really did not want him to go, but she couldn’t do anything to stop him right now.
She was really helpless, their reactions in their faces cause his smile to become broken.
"Why are they making this kind of faces, it’s not like I’m going to die," He mourned in his mind but felt warm in his heart.
He then stood up and went to pick up his weapon. He brought his stone knife and attached it between his hips. He also gathered some ropes to be used later by putting them inside his pockets.
With the bow and arrows on his left and the spear on his right. He looks like a fucking warrior, you could say.
All of the girls then stood up and stood behind him. Looking back, he smiled to reassure their unease.
"I will be going now. Make sure to keep the fire warm. Tonight, I’ll be teaching you one by one how to make a fire," he voiced out.
The girls nodded their heads one by one, "Young Jeff, you better be careful out there." Emma said, clutching her skirt, looking at him with concern.
With this look, Jeff could not help but give her a hug and care for her. She was like a mistress, bidding farewell to her man.
But he did not do that, "I will," he responded to her.
After calming the group down, it was time to leave. Jeff then walked toward the bamboo forest, leaving the fire axe for them to use.
Since he was not here, leaving them with a weapon is necessary since what will happen if there is any danger?
So he gave this to Charlotte since she seems to be one of the most courageous girls in here.
Charlotte can only promise him that she will do her best while he does his best to get back alive.
So when Jeff’s back was nowhere to be seen anymore, the girls assigned one of them to keep the fire alive. Ariana was chosen for the job.
Layla and Jessica go to the river to refill some water and filter it so they can drink.
Charlotte and Emma are going to make some ropes for the two, so they can at least help with something.
But before they did that, they rotated the pot to ensure it was dry evenly. Jeff then made it back to the bamboo forest after some time.
"Now I need to make it leave its very own home and prepare some traps to kill it maybe? " Jeff said, but he knew that killing it in one fell swoop was a dream.
Since his opponent is an animal that existed a million years ago, so it’s very dominant and must not be an easy one.
Because time is of the essence, he began to gather materials, including dry bamboo leaves and twigs.
These materials are highly flammable and will serve as the ignition material to produce initial heat. It was easy to gather since it was just beneath the bamboo groves.
Next are green bamboo leaves. He chose some green leaves that are full of moisture. When they burn, they smolder and produce thick smoke.
He collected enough fresh leaves to fill the hollow bamboo container and bundle it tightly.
After that, he looks for a container for the smoke bomb—yes, you heard it right, a smoke bomb.
A hollow bamboo-segment (6-8 inches long) is a good choice for that. This can serve as the container for the smoke bomb. It is naturally fire-resistant and easy to work with.
He utilized the stone knife not for direct cutting, as his limited strength rendered that approach ineffective.
Instead, he methodically employed the blade of the stone knife, repeatedly applying it to the same location while carefully rotating it.
Using his stone knife, Jeff finally cut a segment of bamboo (about 6–8 inches long) that was sealed on one end by a natural bamboo node.
He then hollows out the other end, leaving one side as a natural base to contain the materials.
He also bought some ropes earlier. These will be used to seal or bundle the bamboo container, keeping the materials in place.
"Now is for the preparation," Jeff uttered with a serious look.
He wanted to look for some resin so he could smear it lightly on the inside of the bamboo container or on the green leaves. This can slow down the burn and create denser smoke.
But he found nothing about this, so he decided not to include it since it was only optional.
After thinking too much, he placed the dry bamboo leaves and twigs at the bottom of the bamboo container as the ignition layer.
He carefully arranged the green bamboo leaves above the dry materials, ensuring they were packed tightly yet allowing sufficient airflow to facilitate smoldering.
The container was filled completely with the green leaves, achieving a balance that supported optimal combustion without compromising ventilation.
After a brief inspection, Jeff acknowledged the task at hand and proceeded to secure the open end with additional green leaves, fastened in place with rope.
This method is designed to regulate smoke emission while facilitating adequate airflow. The subsequent step involves initiating the ignition process.
Looking at his creation, he smiled, filled with pride since he made a smoke bomb.
[You just made a Smoke Bomb. You have gained 15 experience points and 2 points]
[182/200 exp. Remains to upgrade the skill]
After seeing the notification, he earned 15 experience points for this, with only 18 remaining to earn him a skill.
When that was done, he made another one so that if the first one failed, he could use the other one. When he made the second one, he earned some points and EXP.
[You just made a Smoke Bomb. You have gained 15 experience points and 2 points]
[197/200 exp. Remains to upgrade the skill]
"So close, very close, but I should focus on my stuff right now." Not wasting time anymore, he then picked up his things and directed his way towards the cave.
He did not encounter any predators along the way, so it was all good, making him sigh in relief. Of course, when he arrived at the place, he did not get too close to the cave.
Jeff also did not get inside the cave. He hid behind the trees with his head popped out, looking at the entrance, wondering if it was home.
He could not risk himself by going inside to check since that would be plain stupid, so after checking it, he made a small fire first using the resources in the place.
[You just made a Fire. You have gained 10 experience points]
[70/100 exp. Remains to unlock a skill]
As the fire began to blaze, he set his plan into motion. A myriad of strategies swirled in his head.
His first idea was to claim the cave for himself. Instead of directly confronting the megalomania, he thought he could exploit its territorial instincts to his advantage.
By agitating it with arrows and fire, he hoped to drive it away long enough to take control of the cave.
Once it retreated, he planned to temporarily seal the entrance using bamboo and rocks, securing his claim.
Since there is a chance that the Megalania will seek another shelter instead of returning to a cave that seems unsafe.
But there is still a risk. What would happen if it came back to check his home on a certain day?
So, this plan is not good. There are still a bunch of plans in his mind, but they are not as good as killing the creature.
The dead will have no threat when they lose their ability to cause trouble, because it’s dead, like dead, dead you know what I mean.
