Cultivating Farmland in a Fluffy S-Rank Game – CH29

Chapter 29: Detection

Looking down, the one speaking was indeed Sheldon, the chestnut sprite dressed in all green.

Eleanor frowned. “Sheldon, don’t cause trouble.”

The little chestnut sprite wiped his oily mouth and hopped in front of Eleanor in a few quick steps:

“Mom, I’m being serious!”

“If I learn how to use fire, I can cook mushrooms properly, and you won’t ever get mushroom poisoning again!”

Eleanor paused for a few seconds, her voice softening slightly:

“But… aren’t you afraid of fire?”

“Aren’t you worried that if a tongue of flame touches you, you’ll be roasted into a split chestnut?”

Sheldon scratched his head. “Mm… I am still afraid.”

But then, the little chestnut sprite grinned:

“I’m also really afraid of sand scorpions.”

“But when I was catching them with Chu Jiu and the others, Chu Jiu told me not to be scared and said we had ways to deal with it.”

“I held on—I didn’t run away.”

“And in the end, we actually caught the sand scorpion! Turned that scary thing into food!”

“If I let fear stop me, I wouldn’t have tasted that delicious stir-fried scorpion meat.”

As he spoke, the little chestnut sprite raised his fist with determination:

“If I want to taste even better things, if I want everyone to enjoy more delicious food, then I must learn how to use fire!”

“So even if I’m a little scared, I’ll overcome it, bit by bit!”

Looking at this particularly determined little foodie, Chu Jiu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: Whew, never underestimate the resolve of a foodie…

Eleanor pondered for a long time, then finally turned to Chu Jiu with a trace of pleading in her tone:

“Mr. Chu Jiu, if you can spare a bit of time during your journey, would you teach this child how to use fire? How to cook the simplest meals?”

“I… I can feel how determined he is.”

Chu Jiu replied instantly, “No problem!”

*

The simplest and most primitive method of cooking is to “roast the ingredients.”

Considering Sheldon’s small size, Chu Jiu directed the other chestnut sprites to stack stones into a tiny stove. Meanwhile, he whittled small branches into skewers and used a smooth stone slab to make a “simple grill plate”—all in front of Sheldon.

Thanks to his previous experience making miniature bows and dining sets for Little Can, crafting these tiny tools wasn’t difficult at all.

Soon, a miniature stove, firewood pile, and roasting utensils were all set up before Chu Jiu.

Although they looked like toy props from a dollhouse, they were fully functional.

Chu Jiu didn’t rush Sheldon into cooking right away.

The first step was to help Sheldon overcome his fear of fire. After all, if every little spark made the cook scream and flee, how could anyone expect a meal to be prepared?

So Chu Jiu first lit a small fire and encouraged Sheldon to try adding firewood to it.

Despite his rousing speech earlier, now standing in front of a real fire, Sheldon’s skinny legs were trembling non-stop.

Forget poking the fire or tending it—just standing there without bolting was already taking all of his strength.

He trembled like a leaf, sweat pouring down his round face.

The other chestnut sprites, hiding at a distance, whispered anxiously:

“This probably won’t work.”

“How could we chestnut sprites ever learn to use fire?”

“Yeah, our bodies are highly flammable. One spark and we’d go up in flames…”

“Sigh, Sheldon’s still young—he doesn’t know better.”

Chu Jiu noticed that Sheldon shook even harder when he heard them say “go up in flames.”

But instead of saying something like “Don’t be afraid” or “It won’t happen,” Chu Jiu walked over and gently asked:

“Are you worried that a spark might hit you and you’ll catch fire?”

Sheldon nodded desperately.

Chu Jiu stroked his chin and said, “What if I made you a ‘fireproof apron’—one that won’t burn even if it touches flames? Would that make you feel safer?”

Sheldon’s eyes lit up: “An apron that can’t burn? Is that even real?”

Chu Jiu smiled. “It doesn’t exist yet. But I can make one.”

Chu Jiu took out some alum from his backpack.

He had gathered the alum back in the Forgotten Forest’s underground mines while collecting gypsum—originally intending to use it as a purifier if a sudden storm turned rivers muddy.

But now, he had a new use in mind:

Fireproof cloth.

Chu Jiu mixed a hot water solution with alum at roughly a 10:1 ratio, then soaked coarse linen in it. After letting it sit for 7–8 minutes, he hung the fabric to dry naturally at the cave entrance.

The dried cloth didn’t look different, but felt stiffer to the touch.

The little chestnut sprites, watching the whole process, scratched their heads in confusion and whispered among themselves.

Chu Jiu casually picked up a leaf and said to them, “What you’re afraid of is this—something that burns instantly, right?”

As he spoke, he tossed the leaf into the fire.

The leaf ignited instantly, causing the sprites to nod in alarm.

Then Chu Jiu placed a strip of the fireproof cloth into the flames.

The flames licked at it—but it didn’t catch fire.

Even after more than twenty seconds, it only had a faint scorch mark.

The sprites gasped in amazement.

Even Eleanor was shocked. “What is this…? Some kind of human magic?”

Chu Jiu shook his head with a smile. “No, just a bit of practical physics.”

The dissolved alum formed a flame-retardant film on the fabric’s surface—simple as that.

As he spoke, he cut the fireproof cloth into a tiny apron and handed it to Sheldon. “Here’s your ‘fireproof apron.’ Try it on. Now you don’t have to worry about sparks, right?”

Sheldon, who had never imagined that non-burnable fabric could exist, nodded furiously. “Mm! Mm! I’ll try it!”

With the “fireproof apron” protecting him, Sheldon finally had the courage to approach the fire and add firewood.

Strangely, when the warm air from the flames surrounded the little chestnut sprite, he didn’t feel as uncomfortable as he thought he would.

He kept mumbling under his breath, “Teacher Chu Jiu made me a magic apron…”

Resisting the urge to run, he followed Chu Jiu’s instructions and placed a skewer with mushrooms and meat, seasoned and ready, over the flames.

The mushroom and meat sizzled, oils dripping as the delicious scent filled the air.

Chu Jiu watched carefully and then nodded, “It’s ready.”

Sheldon pulled the skewer back, drooling. “Th-this… I can eat this?”

Chu Jiu smiled. “You can. No poison this time.”

Sheldon was about to take a bite—but then paused, turned, and excitedly ran toward Eleanor holding the skewer high.

“I made edible mushrooms! I used fire to cook real mushrooms!”

Wearing his apron, Sheldon displayed all the drive one would expect from a true foodie.

In just one day, he mastered how to use flint and steel, how to tend the fire, how to skewer mushrooms, bury sweet potatoes in smoldering coals, and cook sliced meat on the grill plate.

He even memorized which mushrooms were both edible and tasty, all under Chu Jiu’s guidance.

Two days later, without any help, Sheldon roasted two pieces of meat all by himself.

One he gave to his mother Eleanor.

The other he offered to his “respected Teacher Chu Jiu.”

Eleanor, always so graceful and composed, nearly cried when she bit into the slightly-charred meat.

Chu Jiu was full of praise: “Not bad at all! Thoroughly cooked! Tastes great!”

Beaming at the praise, Sheldon once again looked like a chestnut splitting open with joy.

After finishing the meal, Chu Jiu made several more tiny aprons for the other chestnut sprites interested in cooking, then began preparing to return to Bean Village.

Just as he finished packing, Eleanor called out to him, saying she had a farewell gift prepared.

Chu Jiu expected it to be some kind of giant nut or forest specialty, but instead, the chestnut sprites brought out a bracelet sized for a human.

The bracelet was brown with green leaf decorations—clearly woven from chestnut tree branches. It looked quite ordinary.

But Eleanor’s explanation left Chu Jiu stunned—she said that any human wearing this bracelet could command a Bodo bird, just like the chestnut sprites do, making the Bodo an obedient mount.

Then, Eleanor whistled sharply—and a large bird stepped out from the woods.

“Try riding it.”

“As long as you’re wearing the bracelet, it’ll understand your commands and take you wherever you want.”

?!

With this bracelet, you can control a Bodo?!

Under Eleanor’s guidance, Chu Jiu put on the bracelet and mounted the Bodo bird. Then he tried saying, “Run forward,” and the Bodo instantly dashed ahead without any hesitation. When he told it, “Go back,” the bird made a sharp stop and thudded back to the camp.

Standing on a large rock, Eleanor nodded and smiled at Chu Jiu. “Very smooth.

From this moment on, this Bodo bird is your exclusive mount.

It’s smart, can find its own food in the forest, and knows how to avoid monsters by hiding in safe places. No need to worry about taking care of it.”

Sitting atop the bluish-gray bird, Chu Jiu was a bit stunned. “This… such an important mount, and you’re just giving it to me?”

Eleanor smiled gently again. She and her clanspeople bowed deeply to Chu Jiu.

“Compared to what you’ve done for us, this is nothing. I never imagined there would come a day when our people—my child—could once again stand before a flame and bravely use fire.”

All the little chestnut spirits called out in unison, “Thank you!”

The scene made Chu Jiu a bit flustered. His face turned red, and he didn’t know what to say.

It was Little Can, rubbing against his warm cheek with a soft “meow,” who broke the moment:
“Don’t be nervous. This is their goodwill, and it’s a well-deserved honor for you.”

Only then did Chu Jiu dismount and return the bow to these adorable spirits.

As Chu Jiu finally rode off on the Bodo, Sheldon climbed up a tree, waved his tiny arms, and shouted loudly:

“Teacher! Next time you come to the Sunny Plateau, I’ll definitely be able to cook even tastier food!
You have to come back!”

Chu Jiu turned and replied, “I will! I definitely will!”

This map is only 50% explored—of course he’d return!

The Bodo still ran swiftly and steadily.

As it carried Chu Jiu and Little Can off the Sunny Plateau, a familiar system notification rang in Chu Jiu’s mind:

[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained and successfully used a rare item—The Heirloom Bracelet of the Chestnut Spirits!]

[Only humans recognized as “eternal friends” of the Chestnut Spirits may wear this bracelet and harness the mysterious power within it to command their unique mounts—the Bodos.]

[Please make good use of this bracelet to expand more efficiently!]

So it really was a super rare item…

Before Chu Jiu could marvel further, the next message stunned him even more:

[Host has met the hidden condition: “Befriend a Spirit.”]

[From now on, any tasks completed for the Chestnut Spirits will earn Expansion Points.]

[Retrieving previously completed tasks—
Task Completed: “Heal the Chief”
Task Completed: “Let the Future Chief Face the Trial”
Task Completed: “Cook a Delicious Meal”
Task Completed: “Pass on the Flame”]

Wait… what?

“Heal the Chief” obviously referred to helping Eleanor vomit up the poisoned mushrooms. But “Let the Future Chief Face the Trial”? That must’ve been when he let Sheldon lead the way to fight the sand scorpions. That counted as a task too? And the meal he made to thank the chestnut spirits? Also a task?

And “Pass on the Flame”… was that for teaching Sheldon how to cook with fire?

All these small acts were actually hidden tasks?

Before he could wrap his head around it, the system displayed his rewards:

2,500 Expansion Points—the highest reward he’d ever received. The area’s development jumped to 7%, and Chu Jiu’s own level rose as well:

[Congratulations, Host! You are now a Level 6 Pioneer!]

[You have unlocked the “Title” system. Titles are generated based on your experiences.]

[Each title comes with unique effects. Use them wisely in future expansions.]

[Current Title: “Friend of Spirits.” When you declare your title aloud to any non-human intelligent being, their favorability increases by 10%, and you gain better insight into their desires.]

…Declare it aloud?

How exactly was he supposed to do that?

“I am Chu Jiu, Pioneer of Bean Village… Friend of Spirits!”

That just sounded way too cringe…

Chu Jiu scratched his head awkwardly and rode the Bodo toward Bean Village at full speed.

*

Four days later, at dusk.

Near the Pioneer’s Cabin.

Glup-Glup flew around the rooftop, spinning its leaf blades, checking for cracks or leaks.

Chu Jiu had mentioned that autumn was coming, and it would start raining a lot. I must make this cabin as strong as a fortress—so everyone can live comfortably!

Glup-Glup thought seriously.

Rawr Rawr Rabbit had just finished a day’s farming and was carrying fresh tomatoes into the granary.

So many tomatoes again today! Last time, Chu Jiu made tomato meat slices, and they were soooo good… I really want some!

Rawr Rawr Rabbit wiped the drool forming at the corner of its mouth. But Chu Jiu wouldn’t be back for a few more days, right…?

Just as the little bunny raised its fuzzy paws to calculate how long until Chu Jiu’s return, the ground trembled slightly. Something was approaching—fast.

A monster attack?!

Its cute, round face immediately turned serious. Its long ears shot upright, and it sprinted toward the cabin’s fence. I promised Little Can I’d protect this base no matter what!

Just as it reached the fence and puffed up to shout, Glup-Glup flew over excitedly:

“It’s Chu Jiu! I saw him! He’s back—riding a super fast bird!”

In the orange twilight, a young man could be seen far off, waving his hand toward the bunny and the little sapling: “We’re back!”

*

Dinner time.

Chu Jiu made a huge bowl of tomato meat slices for Rawr Rawr Rabbit using the freshly harvested tomatoes, raspberry juice for Glup-Glup from the berries he brought back from Sunny Plateau, and a plate of honey-glazed grilled eel for Little Can.

The little ones feasted with pure joy.

Rawr Rawr Rabbit and Glup-Glup, having gone days without fresh food, were beyond delighted. Even Little Can, who had been eating simple road meals lately, was purring contentedly.

The boy, the cat, the bunny, and the sapling chatted and laughed while they ate. By the time every bowl and plate was licked clean, the moon had already risen above the treetops.

Chu Jiu boiled a pot of water, cleaned the three little ones until they were squeaky clean, then tossed each of them into their respective nests. He then wandered into the backyard to check on the Bodo bird.

Earlier today, when the Bodo was nearing the Pioneer’s Cabin, it had been sprinting full speed the whole way, but suddenly stopped just a few dozen meters away and began flapping its wings and turning in circles on the spot.

At the same time, the system prompted:

[Detected that a magical creature is about to enter the Pioneer’s Cabin zone. Please determine whether to allow entry.]

This was the first time Chu Jiu had personally witnessed the cabin’s built-in “Repel Magical Creatures” function in action.

As he selected “Allow Entry” on the interface, Chu Jiu couldn’t help but wonder: Why had he never received any other warnings about magical creatures trying to enter before…?

Hmm, maybe it’s because the other magical creatures in this area—aside from those strange grotesque bugs—are all too low-level and non-aggressive, so they never try to approach the cabin.

After being “approved for entry,” the Bodo let out a loud cry, lifted its neck, and continued striding confidently into the safe zone around the cabin.

From that moment on, it seemed the system could recognize the Bodo’s special status. The blue-gray bird had since ventured into the forest on its own to forage and then strolled back to the yard without any further alerts from the system.

Now, the Bodo was comfortably nestled in a corner of the yard—just as Eleanor had said: the Bodo didn’t need to be fed, could find food on its own, and would choose safe places to rest. At this moment, the yard of the Pioneer’s Cabin was clearly the safest spot around.

After confirming that the Bodo was fine, Chu Jiu stretched lazily under the moonlight and mentally went over the urgent tasks ahead.

First up: processing all the cotton into batting and then sewing it into quilts.

Second: assigning Rawr Rawr Rabbit to plant more cotton.

Those two things would have to wait until tomorrow. No matter how much of a capitalist he might be, it just wouldn’t feel right to make Rawr Rawr Rabbit work a night shift now.

However, the third thing needed to be done now—logging the journal.

Since the video mirror had mysteriously broken last time, Chu Jiu hadn’t recorded a single log entry for nearly a month.

It wasn’t until the return trip that the system finally prompted him:

[Video recording device repaired. Host should resume log recording immediately.]

So much had changed on this patch of wasteland over the past days—the cabin had been upgraded, a new underground cold storage and a granary had been added. He had also discovered all kinds of rare materials, including precious cotton…

All of this was worth documenting!

Chu Jiu walked back inside, pulled out the small video mirror, and prepared to begin.

*

Arsa Star.

When He Fang received the message [Live signal has reappeared. The spacetime rift has reopened.], even though he had weathered many storms alongside Marshal Lu, he still found his palms slightly damp with sweat from nervousness.

Fortunately, they had been well prepared.

According to Lu Qingyan’s plan, a “Probe” was loaded into the teleportation device and sent to the designated coordinates via artificially synthesized psychic energy.

As the percentage of the teleportation progress climbed on the screen, beads of sweat gathered on He Fang’s forehead. He silently prayed: No glitches, please no glitches…

Like the boy suddenly cutting the livestream. Or the spacetime rift abruptly closing—which would render the probe’s coordinates useless.

Or worse: the Zerg noticing the anomaly and laying a trap…

Even more terrifying: what if the Zerg realized the boy’s livestream had exposed their location, and retaliated by harming him?

Without realizing it, the previously skeptical Deputy He had gone from suspecting the boy to worrying about his safety.

Several minutes passed.

Everything was progressing smoothly.

The boy, who hadn’t live-streamed in quite a while, seemed to be in good spirits today. He smiled into the camera as he shared stories about his latest expedition.

The probe’s transmission reached 100%.

Images began to appear on the screen—real-time footage transmitted from the probe at the target coordinates.

As an advanced observational device, the probe was actually gathering and transmitting comprehensive data from its surroundings. The screen displayed only a simplified portion of it for human viewers.

He Fang instinctively stood up, eyes locked on the screen.

It appeared to be nighttime in that world.

Moonlight shone brightly.

So, just like Planet Arsa, that place also had a satellite orbiting the planet.

Under the moonlight were clusters of small buildings and narrow paths.

Major Chen Mo, another officer involved in the surveillance operation, whispered, “Is this… a human residential area? A village from ancient times?”

He Fang frowned. “Looks like it.”

Like most in the Empire, He Fang and Chen Mo had only ever seen such structures in history lessons.

And not modern history—this was the realm of myth-like “ancient history,” from tens of thousands of years ago.

The probe slowly adjusted its angle.

In one corner of the village stood a wooden signpost, etched with foreign characters still pending translation.

The probe floated toward the sign.

Beyond the signpost was a pitch-black forest. On the forest’s edge stood a wooden building with faint lights glowing from the windows.

That building—could it be the boy’s home? The source of the psychic signal?

The probe gradually crossed over the signpost.

Almost there—almost!

Soon they would finally get a clear look at the boy’s actual surroundings.

Were all his strange tales metaphors, or just ordinary parts of his daily life?

Was there something lurking behind him—like the sinister Zerg?

He Fang held his breath.

But in the very instant the probe crossed the sign, a small golden object suddenly appeared out of nowhere right in front of it!

In a flash, the connection was severed. The screen went black.

Equipped with intelligent analysis and threat evasion systems, the probe didn’t even have time to react, let alone transmit any final image—it lost all functionality instantly.

He Fang was drenched in cold sweat. Chen Mo gasped, “What was that? Did we ‘startle the snake’? Is the enemy preparing to strike?”

But on the other side of the “livestream projection,” the boy seemed blissfully unaware, happily showing off the cotton he’d collected.

Marshal Lu Qingyan, who had been silent this whole time, skipped all analysis and calmly gave his conclusion:

“No.”

Looking at the ever-composed Marshal, both He Fang and Chen Mo relaxed slightly.

“Should we continue monitoring?” Chen Mo asked. “Or pause operations for now?”

Lu Qingyan replied:
“Continue monitoring.”
“But next time, don’t use synthesized psychic energy to send the probe.”
“Use mine.”

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