Carried all the way, Zhang Shuguang could only marvel at how fast Mang Jiu ran—in no time, they’d gone from the cave to the seashore.

He’d thought he could walk back in an hour at most.

The result?

Forget an hour—he couldn’t make it back even if given a whole day!

Just how far was this place?

Even though the soles of this body’s feet had developed thin calluses, the itching and pain remained unbearable.

Turning his head to glance back, the blue sea and blue sky blended into a single horizon—truly a magnificent sight.

But beyond that grandeur, Zhang Shuguang only felt his legs aching to the point of collapse.

Stopping once more, he glanced at the few fish he carried in his hands, then looked up at the blazing sun overhead. Even with the sea breeze blowing steadily, the distinctive salty tang of the coast hung heavy in the air, offering no relief from the heat.

Hunger had sapped even the strength to growl from Zhang Shuguang’s stomach. He despised himself.

Why had he acted like such a big shot earlier? Wouldn’t it have been better to let someone carry him back? Sure, his stomach felt queasy from being pressed down, but that was nothing compared to this—legs aching from exhaustion, hunger pangs gone, and his whole body drenched in stinky sweat!

His expression must have been particularly grim, because Mang Jiu noticed and asked, “Are you very hungry?”

Zhang Shuguang plopped down onto the ground and let out a breath. “I thought walking back wouldn’t take too long.”

Mang Jiu: “For a sub-beastman to travel from the caves to the coast, it takes three sunrises (three days) of nonstop walking—no eating, no resting.”

Zhang Shuguang’s face twitched several times. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Mang Jiu remained impassive. “You didn’t ask. How would you know?”

“I’m not one of your tribe. How would I know?“ Zhang Shuguang scratched his head, glancing around. The forest was close by. Only now, up close, did he realize what he’d seen from above weren’t bushes at all, but trees—all shapes and sizes, tall and short, thick and thin. ”Let’s rest here. I’m too weak to walk anymore.”

Mang Jiu’s eyebrows twitched. “You plan to eat the fish here?”

Zhang Shuguang glanced at the fish by his feet. If he didn’t handle them soon, given the temperature, they’d likely start to stink shortly.

“I’ll clean the fish and start a fire to cook them right here.”

“Start a fire?” Mang Jiu finally showed surprise. “You can start a fire without fire starters?”

Zhang Shuguang blinked and uttered an “Ah.”

He didn’t understand why simply starting a fire would astonish the other so much.

Besides, he noticed Mang Jiu’s facial expressions were quite vivid—at least much more pleasant to look at than his usual detached, aloof demeanor.

“I thought you couldn’t make expressions,” he muttered, then asked, “Why are you so surprised? Striking fire with wood is simple—you just need the technique. Isn’t the grilled meat in your tribe cooked over fire?“

”It is cooked over fire. Only shamans know how to start fires. Did everyone in your old tribe know how to do it?“ Mang Jiu watched him as he casually picked up a few sticks and began digging in the ground, growing even more puzzled. ”What are you doing?”

Zhang Shuguang kept digging as he casually replied, “With all these trees and grass, we need a firebreak. This patch is the cleanest nearby. Help me gather some dry branches, grass, leaves, and dry wood.”

Mang Jiu stood beside him, motionless.

Zhang Shuguang looked up at him and smiled. ” I’ll teach you how to start a fire later. It’s super easy to learn.”

Truth be told, he was all talk and no action. He’d only ever seen videos of people drilling wood to make fire online. He’d tried it himself—something he grasped instantly but failed miserably at.

He’d rubbed the small sticks until his hands were red, yet not a wisp of smoke had appeared.

But!

This time, he was certain he could do it!

He rummaged through the memories of the minor cannon fodder and discovered that Mang Jiu’s earlier astonishment hadn’t been a joke. In each tribe, only the shamans knew how to start fires. And shamans didn’t light fires daily; instead, they preserved embers in a dry, sheltered spot, protected from wind and rain, for the tribe to draw fire from.

The tribe the little cannon fodder had belonged to was called the Curved Mountain Tribe—a small, marginal tribe on the northern edge of the Beastman Continent, with only about a hundred members. They had no shaman, so maintaining the burning fire seed consumed a lot of firewood daily. The cave where the fire seed was stored also required daily shifts to guard it, preventing the fire seed from going out.

He hadn’t realized until now how primitive life was in this strange world—no wonder they still ate raw meat.

His mind wandered as he pondered these thoughts, but before long, Mang Jiu had gathered everything he’d mentioned.

Zhang Shuguang selected dry wood chunks, gathered several sturdy branches, and added some withered, brittle weeds Mang Jiu had dragged from somewhere.

“Ready?” Mang Jiu crouched beside him. The tall, imposing man looked surprisingly gentle in that position.

Zhang Shuguang hummed in acknowledgment, picking out a hollowed-out piece of wood from the pile. He stuffed some weeds inside, then began rubbing the hard stick between his hands.

Scratch, scratch, scratch. Zhang Shuguang fixed his gaze on one spot, ensuring his hands remained steady. After drilling for five or six minutes, just as his arms ached and he considered giving up, he saw white smoke rise from the hardwood stick.

Zhang Shuguang perked up, his hands never stopping. He called out to Mang Jiu, “Quick, quick, give me that bundle of weeds! The moment of truth is here!”

He blew and blew on the bundle of weeds, huffing and puffing several times. Thick smoke billowed, and flames leapt to life.

Zhang Shuguang carefully placed the burning bundle of weeds beneath the dry branches he’d just arranged. Turning to look at Mang Jiu, he said, “Go get some more of those weeds. I’m afraid we won’t have enough to keep it burning.”

Mang Jiu nodded and turned without a word to gather more grass.

Then Zhang Shuguang watched as the man returned carrying a huge bundle of weeds.

“…Are you an idiot?”

Mang Jiu:?

Zhang Shuguang shook his head, adding more weeds and twigs to the fire before tossing in a piece of wood.

“That should do it. Is there a water source nearby? We’ll need to wash the fish.”

“Yes, there’s a pond over there.” Mang Jiu stared at the roaring fire, shock written all over his face. “You really know how to start a fire? You’re a sub-beastman. How could you possibly know how to start a fire?”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled. “You can learn too. It’d be easier with a flint. This method of drilling wood is a bit laborious. Want to learn? You saw the whole process earlier. You should be able to try.“

Mang Jiu asked nervously, ” Can I learn?“

”Why not?” Zhang Shuguang looked dumbfounded, then realized his thought process hadn’t caught up with this beastman. To them, only shamans could start fires.

“I’ll go clean the fish. If you want, you can try it. The small stick we used earlier is still usable.” Zhang Shuguang stood up, carrying several fish in his hands. He pointed at the large shark. “Let’s carry this shark back to the cave to process it. I want to peel off the skin.”

Mang Jiu nodded in agreement. Seeing Zhang Shuguang heading alone toward the water pool, he hurried to follow.

To Mang Jiu, Zhang Shuguang was now a rare phenomenon—a sub-beastman who could start fires like a shaman! Could it be that he’d actually brought back a shaman?

But shamans bore distinct facial markings. He was certain beyond doubt that the creature he’d found was indeed a sub-beastman.

Following behind Zhang Shuguang, Mang Jiu felt bewildered.

Zhang Shuguang wasn’t nearly as composed as he appeared. He sensed Mang Jiu’s deep suspicion, yet he couldn’t bring himself to abandon unconventional actions.

Regardless of whether the mobile app would assign him special missions later, the mere fact that he had to scavenge fire sources daily just to eat a hot meal meant he couldn’t possibly refrain from using his fire-making ability when he clearly possessed it.

Besides, if he couldn’t improve his basic living conditions—eating, drinking, sleeping, and personal hygiene—he’d suffocate from frustration.

As he walked, Zhang Shuguang pondered what excuse he’d use to brush off Mang Jiu if he pressed him later.

He’d come to terms with it: no matter what life he’d led before, no matter what education he’d received, given his current circumstances, he had to fight to survive. The strange resonance between himself and this body left his mind swirling with questions, but none of that mattered now.

He would use his knowledge to change his life—at the very least, to keep himself alive. This place offered none of the care and concern from his parents or older brother, or sister-in-law.

The thought of his family made Zhang Shuguang’s chest tighten even more, and his lips pressed tightly together.

He wondered if completing the tasks assigned by that app would eventually unlock a points store. Would there be tools inside that could be exchanged for time-traveling devices? He should ask about it.

With this thought, Zhang Shuguang silently commanded his phone to power on, then called out to Xiao Cai.

Xiao Cai hadn’t expected to be summoned again so soon. Despite being snapped at earlier, it was still thrilled, rapidly flashing multicolored bubble frames.

Pink bubble frame Xiao Cai: Master, your summons are the greatest motivation for Xiao Cai to keep going!

Yellow Bubble Frame Xiao Cai: Master, I’ll do anything for you—just don’t abandon me!

Green Bubble Frame Xiao Cai: Master, I’m truly incredibly useful! Use me however you like—I’ll never refuse!

Red Bubble Frame Xiao Cai: Fire-starting task completed. Gained 5% battery, current battery 42%; Gained 5 points, current points 10; Gained 100 experience points, current experience 100/300. Vegetable Species App Level 1.

Zhang Shuguang felt a flash before his eyes, then watched as bubble frames shot up one after another, halting his steps.

Mang Jiu, following behind him, halted too, puzzled by his sudden stop.

Fortunately, Zhang Shuguang was merely momentarily distracted. He quickly realized the Vegetable Seeds app on his phone was trying to curry favor with him.

Xiao Cai: Master, there’s a water pond 300 meters ahead.

Zhang Shuguang: You have navigation features too?

Xiao Cai: Master, once the Vegetable Seed app upgrades successfully, you’ll find me incredibly useful. I can detect edible materials within a 500-meter radius, help you identify various crops, and provide all kinds of recipes.

Zhang Shuguang: So anything vegetable-related is fair game? Does the points shop sell time-travel machines?

Xiao Cai: Yes, Master. So could you please work hard on the upgrade?

Zhang Shuguang: Depends on your performance. Shut down.

Xiao Cai: …Understood, Master. Chat duration under five minutes—no battery deduction.

The virtual panel before Zhang Shuguang vanished. He turned to look at Mang Jiu and asked, “Is that water pool clean?”

Mang Jiu nodded. “It’s drinkable. Wild beasts come here to drink.”

Zhang Shuguang smiled. “Why don’t you go put out that fire you started earlier? We’ll find a spot by the water to build a new one. Being near the water will be more convenient.”

Mang Jiu considered it, then agreed, “Stay right here and wait for me. Don’t move.”

After speaking, he drew two horizontal lines on the ground in front of Zhang Shuguang with his foot before turning and swiftly departing.

Zhang Shuguang glanced down at the marks on the ground, tilting his head in confusion.

What’s the meaning of this?

What were these two lines for?