Chapter 115: Extra Story #8
The swamp in front of them seemed to stretch out endlessly.
As far as the eye could see, it was all gray-black, turbid water, or soft, moss-covered mud.
Chu Jiu was silent for a moment, then said to Rawr Rawr Rabbit, “Rawr Rawr Rabbit, can this swamp do ‘soil analysis’?”
Rawr Rawr Rabbit hopped down and ran around the edge of the swamp, poked the mud eight times with its little paws while lying on the ground, and then raised its head: “Roar roar roar, yes, it can!”
“And this land is actually a bit similar to the land that was flooded downstream of the ‘River of the Underworld’ before, so the analysis should be faster, Roar roar roar!”
Chu Jiu felt confident.
He checked the time and said to the spirit beast babies, “Let’s set up camp first today. Tomorrow, we’ll have a big project!”
*
The golden hamster led Chu Jiu and the others through the jungle and found a flat open space very suitable for camping.
This place leaned against a low hill, the hillside naturally forming a circle of shelter, and there were clear springs flowing down between the rocks, making it both safe and convenient to get water.
What was even more surprising was that there were several dense bamboo forests not far from here.
Chu Jiu and the spirit beast babies worked together to cut down the weeds and small trees here for fuel, and also collected 99 pieces of bamboo and 99 pieces of wood as materials for building a house.
For Gulu Lu, who had built many houses before, even without facility blueprints, it could quickly build a small house suitable for them—one person and four small creatures—to live in.
Soon, Gulu Lu began to work—
[Building a Cabin in the Woods X1, estimated completion time 6 hours]
Chu Jiu left Rawr Rawr Rabbit and Kakaba to help, and took Little Can to explore the map and find ingredients.
He first went near the bamboo forest and easily obtained [Tender and Delicious Bamboo Rats X20], and then found [Round and Fat Big-Mouth Mushrooms X10] in the nearby woods.
Next, he dug up [Spiky-skinned and Ugly Potatoes X10] from a sandy area and found scallions thicker than his arm, ginger as hard as stone, and garlic that looked like some kind of internal organ next to the mountain spring.
Looking at these ingredients with obvious signs of mutation, a thought floated in Chu Jiu’s mind, but he wasn’t entirely sure.
He put away these ingredients and followed the small stream flowing from the mountain spring all the way forward, discovering a hidden pond deep in the dense forest.
Unlike the black swamp, this pond was quiet and fresh, with round lotus leaves floating on the deep green water surface.
There were lotus leaves…
Then there might be lotus roots?
Thinking this, Chu Jiu leaned down to try to? (l?o – scoop up)—
[Collected Mutant Lotus Roots with Hardness Comparable to Steel Pipes X10!] [Note: Due to being too hard, these lotus roots are no longer edible.]
Chu Jiu picked up the dark, muddy lotus root in his hand and shook it, unable to help but chuckle: this thing could completely be used as a weapon; one lotus root down could definitely smash someone’s head and cause bleeding.
Lotus roots like this definitely couldn’t be used to stew “lotus root and pork rib soup.”
But Chu Jiu still put the lotus roots into his backpack.
Although these lotus roots couldn’t be eaten now, they had Rawr Rawr Rabbit.
Looking at the island map on the backend showing 50% completion, Chu Jiu slowly walked back the way he came.
While walking, he chatted with Little Can: “Little Can, don’t you think the style of this forest is a bit familiar?”
Little Can: “Meow! Meow!” – “It’s quite similar to the Forgotten Forest. But there aren’t as many fierce monsters here.”
Chu Jiu: “Right. Very similar. It’s just that the degree of mutation seems to be lighter.”
Chu Jiu stopped here and casually picked up a few hazelnuts and threw them into his backpack: “And, the information says this planet was only recently formed—but I feel like the little Puni have lived here for a long time.” Not only had they lived here for a long time, but they had also seen “previous outsiders.”
Could it be…?
A guess formed in Chu Jiu’s mind.
He pondered it carefully in his head and unknowingly reached the campsite.
“Glup-Glup!” Gulu Lu flew towards him happily, “Glup-Glup, our little house is finished!”
Chu Jiu looked up:
In the cleared open space was actually a square stilt bamboo house!
Chu Jiu let out a “wow” and praised, “Not bad! In this kind of tropical area, a stilt house isn’t afraid of moisture and can avoid rats and snakes. It’s much more suitable than an ordinary small house!”
Gulu Lu happily twisted the little leaf on its head several times and then said a little shyly, “Glup-Glup, it was because Chu Jiu mentioned that Blue Star has this kind of house, and then I thought of the houses where the little gray birds of the Frostwind Rock live, so I built this.”
Chu Jiu gave the little sapling a thumbs-up: “Fantastic! I’ll give you ‘Haha Fruit Juice’ tonight!”
Gulu Lu happily nodded its head while twisting its little leaf backwards several more times, flying into the sky like a bamboo dragonfly.
That night, because there were enough ingredients, Chu Jiu made a substantial feast.
Stir-fried rabbit meat, squeezed haha fruit juice, roasted bamboo rat…
And the mashed potatoes that Chu Jiu had been missing for a long time.
Don’t let the durian-like spiky shell of the potato fool you; once the hard shell was peeled off, the inside was still the familiar light yellow, a high-starch, high-quality staple food.
He also chopped up the rabbit heads that had fallen from the rabbit tree and repeatedly boiled them in a small pot, obtaining a white, fragrant [Rabbit Candy Syrup].
With this syrup, plus the endless mountain spring water and the coconut fruits that could occasionally be picked up on the beach, even if other fruits were very scarce, there was no need to worry that Gulu Lu wouldn’t have a suitable drink.
This meal left everyone, one big and four small, very satisfied.
After dinner, the spirit beast babies, tired after a day’s work, all crawled into their nests and soon began to breathe evenly.
Chu Jiu also lay down in his sleeping bag.
But he was staring at the ceiling, continuing to ponder the question he had thought of in the afternoon—
Why was the environment on this small island so similar to the Forgotten Forest?
Also, why did the information he received contradict the actual situation?
Just then, Chu Jiu heard a slightly low “wulu” sound: “Chu Jiu.”
Chu Jiu was startled and quickly sat up, at the same time lifting the black jumping cat he was holding in his arms in front of him: “Lu Qingyan!”
The little black cat jumped from his arms to the floor, landed as a large black cat, gently sniffed his hair, and said, “That question you noticed—”
“It is indeed worth paying attention to.”
“I suspect that this planet, when it finished evolving, was once caught in a temporal vortex.”
“I’ve already sent people to investigate the temporal rifts nearby.”
Chu Jiu “oh”ed, blinked a few times, and asked seemingly casually, “You sent people to investigate during your vacation?”
Black cat: “When encountering matters of this nature, the vacation will be interrupted.”
Chu Jiu stared into the black cat’s ice-blue eyes for a long while before slowly saying, “So, you really were on vacation?”
Black cat: ….
After a long while, the big cat raised its paw and rubbed Chu Jiu’s slightly sticking-up hair: “Learned to ask leading questions, not bad.”
Chu Jiu extended a finger and poked the big cat’s face.
The big cat also pressed its paw against Chu Jiu’s cheek.
The person and the big cat stared at each other for a moment.
Finally, Chu Jiu lowered his head and whispered, “I… I will finish the work as soon as possible and go back.”
Big cat: “…Okay. I’ll wait for you.”
*
The next morning.
Chu Jiu gathered the spirit beast babies, who had eaten their fill of breakfast, and began to discuss the “swamp transformation plan.”
To transform the swamp, whether it was to change this swamp into dry land, paddy fields, or a lake, the first step had to be drainage.
Gulu Lu, who had dug countless ditches in Bean Village and the Netherworld Jungle, declared, “Glup-Glup! Don’t worry! Glup-Glup will quickly build suitable drainage ditches!”
Kakaba also raised its little head: “Dang-dang-dang! Kakaba can help too!”
Chu Jiu: “Fantastic!”
The second step was to dredge the silt from the swamp and also figure out the composition of the soil here.
Rawr Rawr Rabbit perked up its ears: “Roar roar roar, Rawr Rawr Rabbit is already very familiar with this!”
“Leave it to Rawr Rawr Rabbit with confidence!”
Chu Jiu approvingly patted Rawr Rawr Rabbit’s head.
The third step was to determine the most suitable way to transform this swamp based on the soil analysis results.
After the target was determined, water diversion facilities would be built accordingly, and corresponding plants would be cultivated…
Finally, the soil would need to be turned over, plants that could protect the ecology would be planted, and suitable small animals would be introduced…
Chu Jiu and the spirit beast babies estimated the workload together: even with the babies’ cheat-like abilities, it would take at least a month to complete this work.
“Alright, let’s start today!” Chu Jiu clenched his fist. “The sooner we transform the swamp, the sooner we restore Tara, the sooner we go home!”
The spirit beast babies raised their paws one after another: Okay! Let’s start now!
As soon as the words fell, the spirit beast babies each began their work.
To Chu Jiu’s surprise, even Little Can, who usually never handled work within the campsite, jumped off his shoulder and helped Gulu Lu move stones and clear trees.
Faced with Chu Jiu’s somewhat surprised gaze, the little guy turned its head and “meowed” once: “Go home sooner.”
Someone is waiting for you.
Chu Jiu smiled and nodded: “Mmm, go home sooner.”
For a time, the silent swamp became bustling with activity.
The four spirit beasts either flew around in the sky or floundered in the mud.
A few days later, the drainage ditches were built.
In addition to the drainage ditches, Chu Jiu also used [Bamboo Tubes] to make [Simple Water Pumping Facilities] to pump out the sewage that was too low to flow smoothly through the drainage ditches.
After the layer of turbid black stagnant water was drained away, what remained was deep black silt, emitting a stench in the dim light.
Snow-white and clean Rawr Rawr Rabbit, not minding the dirt or ugliness, “putong” jumped in and began [Soil Analysis].
This jump of its didn’t surprise Chu Jiu and the other three little ones, but a group of small Gray Puni who were secretly hiding in the woods and quietly observing Chu Jiu and them were startled into continuous soft “puni” sounds.
Ah Wu: “Puni?! That so white rabbit actually jumped into such a dirty mud pit? Is it going to play in the mud?”
Ah Liu: “Puni… doesn’t look like it. I heard them say it seems this rabbit needs to check the soil here to see what kind of things can grow here?”
Ah Si: “Puni? They want to grow things with the mud from the swamp? Puni Puni? How is that possible?”
Ah Qi: “Puni! I, I said it before, these outsiders, they just want to fix this island and grow lots and lots of delicious fruits on this island!”
The other little Puni: “Oh… really…”
“Then they’re working so hard…”
“Look at that pretty white bunny, it’s covered in ugly mud.”
The few little Gray Puni were chatting happily when a cold voice suddenly came from beside them: “Puni! You actually sneaked over to the swamp again!”
The little Gray Puni trembled a few times and looked back: it was Green Puni with a stern face!
The little Gray Puni immediately stopped talking, lowered their heads, quietly rolled down from the tree branches, and slowly moved towards their shelter.
After watching the little Gray Puni leave, Green Puni “peng” jumped onto a tree branch and glared at Chu Jiu and the spirit beasts who were busy in the distance.
These guys…
Didn’t really use those strange things?
They were really building water channels and digging silt?
They… could it be that they really wanted to heal the swamp?
No, no, no.
Green Puni shook its head vigorously.
It had to observe more.
Who knew if under their seemingly cute exteriors, there weren’t ugly and hateful bugs that only wanted to devour this planet hidden!
*
Rawr Rawr Rabbit’s analysis results were out.
Judging from the soil structure, water retention capacity, etc., the most suitable way to transform this swamp was to “build a lake.”
This would require further dredging, and they would also need to find a way to divert water from nearby and maintain water connectivity to avoid re-silting…
After listening to what Chu Jiu said, Gulu Lu immediately waved its little tentacles: “Glup-Glup! Glup-Glup understands! Glup-Glup will continue to dig silt! Build water channels!”
Chu Jiu said, “That’s right.”
“Fortunately, there’s a mountain spring nearby, so introducing fresh water won’t be a problem.”
Gulu Lu nodded its little head vigorously: “Glup-Glup! That’s right! Glup-Glup is already thinking about how to divert water!”
At this time, Kakaba also waved its little paws: “Dang-dang-dang! This time, I’ll still help dig silt! I’m best at playing in the mud!”
Chu Jiu shook his head: “No, Kakaba has other tasks this time.”
The task Chu Jiu arranged for Kakaba was to look for suitable “small animals” with it.
To ensure the successful transformation of the lake, it wasn’t just a matter of digging up the mud and piling it aside, and building a water diversion channel to introduce fresh water.
After the infrastructure construction was completed, “rebuilding the ecological balance” was also a crucial step.
A healthy and self-regulating, self-repairing lake ecosystem must have vibrant animals and plants.
Whether it was small fish and shrimp or beavers and squirrels by the lake, they were all part of maintaining this system.
And now, there were no settled animals in this dark and gloomy forest.
Kakaba understood.
It patted its little chest: “Dang-dang-dang! I will communicate with the little animals and persuade them to live here!”
After Kakaba finished speaking, Little Can, who had been very quiet, spoke:
“You go with Chu Jiu.”
“I’ll take care of the dredging.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Chu Jiu and the three little ones were all surprised.
Not to mention how much Little Can usually disliked mud, the mere fact that it wasn’t staying by Chu Jiu’s side but staying at the campsite was unprecedented.
Little Can first looked at Kakaba:
“I’ve investigated this island, there are no fierce monsters.”
“I’ll be more efficient staying here.”
Then, the little guy looked at Chu Jiu again, its little mouth opened and closed as if wanting to say something, but in the end, it only let out a meaningless “meow” that faintly carried a hint of grievance.
Chu Jiu’s heart softened, and he stroked Little Can’s head, whispering, “I understand.”
I understand that you want to stay by my side all the time.
But you also want me to finish the work as soon as possible and go back soon.
Little Can let out another aggrieved “meow” and nuzzled Chu Jiu’s face.
After arranging the two tasks of “dredging” and “finding animals,” there was still one equally important task:
Cultivating suitable aquatic plants.
Without suitable plants, no matter how Kakaba persuaded the small animals, they wouldn’t settle here.
Chu Jiu handed the plants he had searched for from the various ponds on the island these past few days to Rawr Rawr Rabbit one by one:
[Mutant Lotus Roots with Hardness Comparable to Steel Pipes], [Elodea Nuttallii that Looks Very Much Like Porcupine Quills], [Stinkweed Flowers Emitting a Foul Odor that Deters Approach]…
Rawr Rawr Rabbit’s task, naturally, was to use [Creative Breeding] to transform these strange mutant plants back into “pure white and crisp lotus roots,” “cute Elodea Nuttallii resembling small green fluff balls,” and “delicate-colored and fresh-scented stinkweed flowers”…
Looking at these guys that had mutated so much that even their plant mothers wouldn’t recognize them, Rawr Rawr Rabbit’s little tail wagged back and forth excitedly:
“Roar roar roar, yay yay!”
“Big challenge!”
“Leave it to Rawr Rawr Rabbit!”
*
Chu Jiu and the four spirit beast babies worked continuously for twenty days, like they were wound-up toys.
During these twenty days, the little Gray Puni secretly came to see them many times.
Each time, they would exclaim in surprise:
They actually dug a big pit!
There’s actually clear lake water!
Puni Puni! Plants have actually been planted by the lake!
Puni Puni! What are those segmented things? Why haven’t we seen them before?
…
Twenty days passed.
Green Puni, using the excuse of “bringing the Gray Puni home,” also came near the swamp.
When Green Puni jumped onto a tree again and looked in the direction of the former swamp, it was so shocked that it almost rolled off the tree—
Where was the swamp?
It was clearly a beautiful lake with light blue and light purple flowers blooming on the shore, the lake water clear and still, and lotus leaves floating quietly on the surface!
What was even stranger was that there were actually frogs jumping around on the lotus leaves?
There seemed to be small squirrels hopping around on the trees by the lake as well?
This, this…
Green Puni felt its eyes getting hot and sore again.
Transparent water droplets fell from its eyes.
The scene before it was clearly the tranquil and peaceful sight of the forest lake from who knows how many years ago, before the forest was poisoned by those “toxic gas” and “black lumps”!
These people, these people, could it be that they really came to help us as they said?
If that’s the case… maybe they can really help Tara?
Green Puni wiped away its tears with its little arms, just thinking about how to explain Tara’s situation to Chu Jiu and the others, when it heard Chu Jiu call out to everyone:
“Alright, alright, let’s pack up.”
“We need to get ready to board the boat!”
…Board the boat?
Were they going to the next island?
Green Puni couldn’t help but feel a little anxious, thinking that if they really came to help them, then it should at least thank them and, more importantly, tell them in advance what the next island was like…
Just as Green Puni was about to jump hurriedly down the tree, it heard Chu Jiu say again:
“Now we’ll take the boat back to the deserted island, and we’ll be able to make it in time for a bonfire party with Blue Puni.”
Green Puni: !
They… were actually going to find Blue Puni?
They clearly didn’t have to go back…
Green Puni thought of Blue Puni’s lonely figure, the way it jumped so high and shouted “Green Puni, I missed you so much!” with a smiling, bouncing gait when it saw it.
The few Puni had all agreed that unless there was something extremely special, everyone should stay on their own island and not leave easily to supervise the outsiders. Before Tara woke up, they could only live alone on their own islands.
Blue Puni usually, definitely, definitely hoped someone would keep it company…
Thinking of this, Green Puni’s eyes, which had just dried, welled up with many more transparent liquid droplets.
*
Deserted island.
The small, round Blue Puni “peng peng peng” hopped onto the small rocky hill.
The fuel in the campsite was almost used up.
It had come to cut some tumbleweed, then lay it aside to dry and make suitable fuel.
While cutting the tumbleweed, a small white seabird flew over.
“Yay, birdie!” Blue Puni happily greeted the small seabird.
However, the small seabird pecked at some tumbleweed seeds and then flew away, flapping its wings.
It didn’t pay any attention to Blue Puni at all.
Blue Puni sighed, put down the [Blue Puni Special Machete] that Chu Jiu had made for it out of stone shards and squid beaks, and sat dejectedly in the [Small Lean-to for Rawr Rawr Rabbit to Cool Off].
It hugged its round body.
“Wuwu, I miss Chu Jiu and the others so much…”
Blue Puni said softly.
“I also miss Green Puni and the little Gray Puni…”
But, everyone had agreed that unless Tara woke up, everyone had to stay on their own island to supervise the outsiders. Before that, it could only live alone on this island.
Blue Puni stared blankly up at the sharkskin roof, its peripheral vision catching the sun outside.
It was so good to have a lean-to.
Even if it wanted to sleep on the top of the hill, it wouldn’t have to worry about being dried into Puni jerky by the sun.
Thinking of this, Blue Puni clenched its little fist, thinking that the Island of Blue Puni now was so much better than the Island of Blue Puni a month ago!
There was more tumbleweed here, a fish pond where it could catch fish every day, a small house where it could lie down and sleep, and seabirds that would occasionally come to eat fish and grass…
I, I’m not a lonely Puni!
Blue Puni regained its spirits and started cutting grass again with “heiyo heiyo.”
Later, it would learn Chu Jiu’s recipes and make an oyster and kelp soup…
Just as it was thinking this, it suddenly caught sight of a small boat sailing over on the distant sea?
The only ones who would sail a boat here were, were probably Chu Jiu!
That’s right, the ones standing at the bow waving over here were clearly Chu Jiu and Kakaba!
They… they were back?!
Blue Puni froze for a few seconds, threw the machete into the lean-to, and rolled down the hill with “peng peng peng” sounds, then “guang dang guang dang” rolled onto the beach.
Chu Jiu, who had just stepped ashore, scooped up Blue Puni, which was covered in small dents and needed to be soaked in water to recover.
Blue Puni looked up at Chu Jiu, at the spirit beasts behind Chu Jiu, and said in disbelief, “Puni?”
Chu Jiu smiled and said, “Ah, we’re back. We’re back to have a bonfire party with you!”
Blue Puni: “……Pu, Puni!!”
