Chapter 19

Meanwhile, Jeff and Emma were in a distant location, navigating through it, with Emma trailing behind him. The journey was challenging due to the numerous obstacles.

"Young captain, what are we searching for again?" Emma asked, panting heavily.

After several hours, Jeff noticed Emma's exhaustion and decided to rest, "Anything that might be useful for our survival." he replied.

As they sat on the rock, Emma couldn't help but look at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She then tried to close the distance between them.

Jeff, seeing this, just glanced at her, wondering what she was going to do.

"Young captain," she said flirtatiously, arriving just beside him.

"Do you have any problems related to your health? This big sister is an expert when it comes to this." she whispered.

Jeff, listening to her words, nodded in understanding. "Wait, you study medicine? I thought you were a businesswoman," he replied, with a nonchalant look.

Hearing his words, and misunderstanding her clues, her eyes narrowed, "Actually, I'm better than a doctor," she continued her voice was seductive, and her fingers caressing his arm.

"Do you want to try?" she said biting her lips.

"No thank you, I have no problems with my health right now If I have, I'll tell you," He said, standing up.

"Let's continue with our journey. Since we have to go back before sundown."

Emma, who was below, was stunned seeing him stand up. His face didn't change slightly, and she couldn't help but be even more intrigued.

As they continued their journey few minutes later, Jeff made a happy expression with what he saw.

This would be a great start for him. Emma, seeing how happy he was about seeing some bamboo, was speechless.

It was just like this bamboo in front of her was a greater gift than herself.

"Why are you so happy?" she asked, with a blank face, "It's just a bamboo." she continued crossing her arms.

Jeff just chuckled as he shook his head, "It's not just bamboo, it's like striking gold out here. You can use bamboo for almost anything, like building, cooking, making tools. It's a game-changer for us." he said, his voice did not conceal his happiness.

Hearing his statements, Emma was stunned that a simple bamboo had so many uses, "Let's hurry and gather some resources!"

Then, the two went closer to the bamboo, since in front of them was like a bamboo forest. As Jeff stood at the closest bamboo, he swung the axe with full force.

[You just chopped a Bamboo. You have gained 1 experience points.]

[You just chopped a Bamboo. You have gained 1 experience points.]

[You just chopped a Bamboo. You have gained 1 experience points.]

...

The hardened body of the bamboo, transferred the force from his hands throughout his body making him shuddered. With a few like 18-20 strikes finally a creaking sound was heard as it began to fall like crazy.

[You just cut a Bamboo. You have gained 10 experience points & 3 points.]

Seeing the good amount of exp he gained, he was happy, of course. "But cutting this large bamboo is really hard," he thought inwardly.

"Also, this one is too big. How can I carry it?" He was so excited he hadn't even thought about this.

"Well, at least I gained points and exp," he muttered, consoling his idiocy.

"Young captain, look! There is some cute small bamboo here," Emma spoke aloud, which he heard clearly.

Seeing her a bit far away from him, he walked towards her as she looked at him expectantly. As he arrived, he saw her excited face up close.

"See," she pointed at the ground.

Looking at the ground, Jeff was unhappy at first. Since he called her over for just a small thing.

But after seeing it, he was also very happy, of course. "Emma, you struck gold this time," he said with praise.

What lay before him were bamboo shoots, a type of plant that is edible.

To properly remove the bamboo shoots, Jeff cut the young shoots at the base with the axe blade. He gently pulled them from the ground, trimmed away the tough outer layers, and planned to rinse them thoroughly later.

Seeing him so happy from what she'd found, she smiled gleefully, looking proud of herself. She didn't know why this little man was so happy seeing this.

"Young captain," she asked, looking at him holding the bamboo shoots, "Why do you seem so happy? Is the little bamboo really this useful?"

Jeff, hearing her question, wondered how she could relate the bamboo shoots to a bamboo. Couldn't she see that it was different? But he still explained.

"This little fella is called a bamboo shoot. They are nutrient-rich, low in calories, and high in fiber, copper, and vitamins B6 and E." He explained, as he read the sentence in his memories which he reads from a book.

"They offer health benefits like lowering cholesterol, improving gut health, and supporting weight loss. However, they need to be peeled, boiled, and cooked to remove toxic compounds like cyanide and goitrogens. They should be consumed in moderation due to potential thyroid effects," Jeff explained, finishing his thought.

Bamboo shoots are rich in nutrients but contain toxic compounds like cyanide and goitrogens. If not cooked properly, cyanide can cause poisoning, while goitrogens can affect thyroid function, potentially leading to goiter or hypothyroidism.

Cooking this reduces these compounds, making the bamboo shoots safe to eat. 

[I hope you all understand, cause shit even I don't understand]

...

Do you want to know why I know? Of course, google what else.

-Author.

...

But for Jeff, since he had a photographic memory and he was sometimes in the library, he had memorized lots of things. His mind was even the same as an archive it was filled with knowledge.

"Wow, really?" she said, not remembering about its healthy properties.

"All of these bamboo shoots are actually edible plants. That means we can eat them, right?"

Jeff couldn't help but sigh. If she really listened to her words, why can't she understand yet.

"Yes, but we must cook it properly or it may lead to poisoning," he replied.

Hearing the word 'Poison', she was a little afraid. The idea of eating the bamboo shoots made her a little scared.

Suddenly, a grunting sound pierced the air. Jeff heard it first and quickly asked Emma to hold still for a while. She also noticed the strange noise, clearly it was made by some wild animal.

Jeff then started to move cautiously towards the bamboo forest, with Emma following, fear was creeping into her. Finally, the source of the sound came into view.

"This—this is a boar. We're in luck," Jeff muttered, gripping the handle of his fire axe tightly.

In front of them stood four large wild boars, each one massive and imposing. Their bodies were covered in coarse, dark brown fur, which bristled with every movement.

The largest of them was a formidable beast, easily over four feet in height at the shoulder and significantly longer in body length. Their muscular frames were evident beneath the shaggy fur, showcasing their strength and power.

Each boar had a pair of sharp, curved tusks protruding from their mouths, giving them a fierce and menacing look. The tusks were yellowed and worn, telling their age. Their eyes were glinting with a caution as they rooted around in the underbrush, searching for food.

"And it appears to be a group of them," he said, his eyes twinkling like stars.