Chapter 12 The Legendary Fire-Making by Wood-Drilling

["Are you kidding? How can a cold be fatal?"]

["Right, can't you get better without medicine in a week or two?"]

["Even for the sake of the show, you can't exaggerate that much!"]

"I'm not deceiving you,"

Bi Fang shook his head, "You all lack outdoor experience. In fact, with a little thought, it's clear that the wilderness is not like the city. Any unexpected situation here can lead to a series of severe consequences."

"Diarrhea, a common cold—these seemingly minor illnesses can become significantly more dangerous."

"A minor cold can lead to hypothermia, weakness, muscle fatigue—in this state, it will be very difficult for you to find water and food. With no replenishment, you will become even weaker. At that point, your disadvantages will snowball until all your hopes of survival are left to fate."

["Okay, you've convinced me."]

["I admit I was being superficial."]

"Remember this, should you ever find yourself in the wilderness, never overlook any condition."

As Bi Fang spoke, he picked up a sharp stone and started digging a small pit a meter away from the shelter: "To start a fire, the first step is choosing the right location."

He measured the distance from the pit to the shelter.

"This distance is just right. The heat can get into the shelter without the smoke disturbing sleep or causing poisoning due to proximity, and most importantly, it can keep wild animals at bay!"

"Night is when wild animals are most active. With a fire, we can spend a sufficiently safe night without worrying about being bitten by venomous snakes or eaten by bears."

["emmm, scaring the audience, a tradition of Master Fang."]

["It's true, before in our village, a guy got drunk and slept directly in the field. That very night a snake coiled on his chest for warmth. The next day, as soon as the guy woke up, he startled the snake and got bitten on the face. Thankfully it wasn't poisonous, or that would have been the end of him!"]

["Can you not scare us like that?"]

["But the question is, how do you make a fire? Master Fang hasn't brought anything."]

Yeah, with nothing, how to make a fire?

Many viewers were curious as to what method Bi Fang would use to start a fire.

From the beginning of the broadcast, Bi Fang's series of actions had won over the audience. Now, they were all looking forward with anticipation, not wanting to miss this opportunity.

"True, I didn't bring a lighter or flint, but even so, I have many ways to start a fire, such as fire-making by wood-drilling!"

["Fire-Making by Wood-Drilling? I always thought it was fake!"]

["I thought it was just a legend!"]

["It's like a miracle!"]

["Waiting for Master Fang to make fire, and once it's lit, rockets to send!"]

["There are so many big spenders today!"]

As the sun was about to set, Bi Fang no longer paid attention to the barrage. An instructor once said, treat your enemies with strategic contempt but tactical focus.

Although it sounded simple, the technical complexity of fire-making by wood-drilling was quite high; it had to be taken seriously.

Bi Fang scanned his surroundings and chose a few branches from a deadwood being used as a support, then found some burdock nearby and broke one.

"There are three types of fire-making by wood-drilling: the bow drill method, the hand drill method, and the pump drill method. Today, I'll demonstrate the hand drill method, which is the version most people have heard of."

"The forest here is different from swamps and rainforests. The deadwood is mostly quite dry and can be directly used. And the most important thing for fire-making by wood-drilling is to have a sufficiently dry fireboard, a harder drill, and tinder."

Placing a thicker piece of wood on the ground, Bi Fang carefully started a hole with a sharp stone, though it was not very round.

"Fire-making by wood-drilling has many details, it's not just about rubbing to generate heat. You have to start with a hole on the fireboard; the shape doesn't matter as long as the drill fits—otherwise, it'll be difficult to generate heat."

"The drill needs to be hard and smooth. In the wild, we can use our nails to test the hardness—if it doesn't mark easily, it's good to go. That's why I chose this burdock stick in my hand. It has a hard, woody stem that's very smooth after peeling, so it won't easily blister the palm."

"Lastly, we need tinder. Tinder is the most important thing; it's key to whether or not a fire can be lit. Without it, unless you were born with a Qilin Arm, it would be very difficult to ignite a fire."

As he spoke, Bi Fang rubbed the surface of a thin dry piece of wood and one end of the burdock with a stone. Very quickly, fine wood fibers fell from both, and one end of the burdock became sharpened.

His expression was serious and reverent, like an old master carving jade.

Although his Wilderness Survival Skill was powerful, this was his first time attempting fire-making by wood-drilling. Failing would be a huge embarrassment.

Not to mention losing viewers; the persona he had built as a wilderness expert would largely be ruined.

Therefore, to ensure success, the preparation had to be complete.

Bi Fang gathered the tinder into a bird's nest shape, piled it at the hole of the hearth board, then stepped on the board to keep it from wobbling. He inserted the peeled and smoothed burdock stalk, took a deep breath, and with both hands gripping the stalk, began to rotate it back and forth at high speed.

"Hiss hiss hiss!"

The friction sound of the rotating burdock was exceptionally clear.

"As long as I can create embers through wood drilling and ignite the tinder, the fire will quickly take hold."

Bi Fang rubbed forcefully, the veins on his hands standing out prominently. From an initial awkwardness, he quickly became proficient, and the rough hole in the board became substantially smoother, establishing a positive feedback loop.

"Hiss hiss hiss!"

The sound of friction was unending, but as time ticked by, not even a single spark appeared, making the audience grow impatient.

[It seems so strenuous, it's been over ten minutes, and he is sweating. Is it all a scam?]

[Master Fang living in the wilderness isn't in a hurry, so why are you?]

[Go Master Fang!]

Bi Fang was as focused as a meditating monk, paying no heed to the mocking viewers, his attention fully on the drill wood before him.

Another ten minutes quickly passed, leaving many viewers with sore eyes.

Finally, a faint, almost imperceptible burnt smell began to rise, then gradually grew more intense until billowing up as a wisp of blue smoke!

Instantly, the spirit of the audience was lifted.

[Damn, it's smoking!]

[What are you waiting for, let the gifts flow!]

[Guys, charge!]

[All my fish balls go to you]

Seeing the thick smoke rising, Bi Fang's eyes were filled with joy. He sped up again, applying greater pressure – with smoke already emerging, could the sparks be far behind?

The very next second, a few red glimmers flicked into existence.

Sparks!

Indeed!

His heart swelled with immense excitement, Bi Fang quickly lay down, gathered the tinder, and blew gently but robustly, speeding up the airflow and increasing the oxygen contact.

The blue smoke turned into thick smoke, growing denser and more voluminous, causing tears to stream down his face, yet he did not back away.

It was a race against time, success or exhaust, failure now would only make the next attempt harder.

The huge sun was about to sink beneath the forest sea, its last rays turning the clouds in the sky a fiery red, as if ablaze.

In just a few more minutes, the place would be plunged into complete darkness.

In the live stream, all that could be heard was the sound of Bi Fang slowly exhaling.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the billowing smoke, on the gathered tinder.

One second.

Two seconds.

...

The thick smoke engulfed everything, a flash of red glimmered momentarily.

[Damn, it flashed, it flashed!]

[The goods have arrived!]

Bi Fang quickly gathered together the dry leaves, watching as a small flame spread and grew larger until...

Boom!

The flame ignited.

It was at that moment, as the sun set, that an overwhelming darkness swept over the entire world, but it seemed as if in the handover of light, there was always a flame somewhere, illuminating the joyous face of Bi Fang.

[--You have obtained a Fire Rack]