Culinary God in Wilderness

"So many?"

Lin Chen himself hadn’t expected that just smearing some mud and tying down a parachute could bring him a full 3 Happiness Points.

’No, that’s not right. The prompt clearly mentioned reinforcing the shelter. My upgrades to the fence over the past few days were probably counted in as well. After all, I can sense the changes in my own state of mind.’

Without hesitation, he immediately spent 15 Happiness Points to redeem the [Complete Collection of Outdoor Tools], which he desperately needed.

Unlike the frenzied tide of knowledge that had flooded his mind when he redeemed the mushroom and plant encyclopedias, this time, the knowledge transfer was over in an instant.

He could feel that a lot of new information had clearly been added to his mind, but in terms of sheer volume, it seemed to be less than a tenth of the previous two combined.

’A wooden dining table, wooden stairs, wooden shelves, a simple wooden cabin structure, a two-story cabin, a simple fence, a wooden clothes-drying rack, a wooden smokehouse... ’

As he did a quick mental scan, the production processes and required tools for each item emerged in his mind.

Besides these shelter-related items, he could now also craft simple tools like axes and hammers from stone and wood.

Even the basket he had previously woven from leaves would be a piece of cake for him now.

’So wild wheat can be used for weaving. But it seems to use up a lot of cordage. The steel wire fishing line I have is limited in length, so I should avoid using it unless it’s for crafting essential items.’

In addition to the steel wire fishing line, he also had a roll of line for weaving a gillnet. However, because Red Salmon were so abundant in the Yukon River, he had no use for it at the moment, so he’d just tossed it in his bag and forgotten about it.

Compared to the steel wire fishing line, a gillnet was a god-tier fishing tool. It could very well become the lifeline that helped him survive the winter.

Furthermore, the knowledge he’d redeemed also included methods for crafting various other essential outdoor items, such as bamboo products, bark products, simple traps, and more.

All these items shared a common characteristic: they were simple and could be made with very few tools.

’The things I need most right now are a basket for carrying goods and a barrel for storing water indoors. Using the parachute to collect water is just a stopgap measure. Once the rain stops, that water will be exposed to the open air and will definitely attract a lot of bugs.’

The rain was too heavy now, making it inconvenient to go out and gather the necessary materials.

After some thought, with the cabin filled with steam, Lin Chen stripped off all his clothes, tossed a handful of cedar and fir needles into the pot to simmer, and then rushed outside to shower in the rain.

When he came back inside, he didn’t pause for a second, grabbing the pot of hot water and rushing back out again.

"This kid, taking a bath in a downpour. He’s got some real guts!"

Robert stared speechlessly at Lin Chen’s camera feed. The frame only captured the lower half of the entrance, so all you could see was someone going in and out, but nothing else.

"His plan is brilliant. He’s taking full advantage of the rain, not only reinforcing his shelter walls and storing enough water, but even washing himself and his dirty clothes."

Daniel gave a thumbs-up, not bothering to hide his admiration for the young man from Great Xia.

"His shelter is very warm right now; the indoor temperature must be at least thirty to forty degrees Celsius. With that hot, antiseptic cedar water, it’s almost impossible for him to get sick."

"If he can solve the food problem for the winter, then I’m ready to declare him a top contender for the championship!"

"Indeed," Robert couldn’t deny that point. His gaze swept over the feeds of the other contestants. "Compared to everyone else, his life is just too comfortable."

"Before seeing it with my own eyes, I never would have thought a foreign chef could do better on Wild Survival than experienced survival experts. It’s just incredible."

"Look," Daniel said, pointing to the feed in the bottom-left corner. "It looks like this downpour has shaken a lot of the contestants, especially the women who like to stay clean."

Robert stared at the feed, which also only showed a pair of lower legs. He glanced at it for a moment before sighing and shaking his head.

"Ivan might have a lot of wilderness survival experience, but she’s overlooked a very serious detail: this is autumn in Alaska."

"Your body certainly generates heat when you bathe in cold water, creating the illusion that the temperature isn’t that low. But once you’re done and resting back in the shelter, that chill will creep into your body along with the damp air, leading to a cold and fever."

"She doesn’t have a well-insulated shelter like Lin’s. A cabin built just from logs is very drafty, and it’s not suitable for building a fire inside. It looks like she’ll be paying the price for her choice very soon."

"That’s right," Robert agreed with a nod. "Women generally find it harder to endure the torment of not bathing than men do. Plus, they have long hair, which means it takes longer to dry than a man’s, greatly increasing the chances of getting sick."

"On that note, I have to praise the carpenter. He’s well aware of the pros and cons of a log cabin. He actually gave up his specialty and chose to build his shelter out of stone instead. It seems he also came well-prepared."

"The contestants this season are all very cautious. It’s already the twelfth day, and no one has been forced to tap out yet. I hope Ivan isn’t the first."

"No, I think the butcher is the most likely to be the first."

"Oh?"

"His specialty is butchering animals. From his performance these past two weeks, he’s not good at hunting or shelter building. Theoretical knowledge is just that—theory. It’s a whole different story when you have to do it yourself."

"I’ve heard that butchers carry a strong scent of blood, and animals are especially sensitive to that smell."

"Exactly. He’s like a human-shaped wolf. That’s why he’s had almost no opportunity to catch any prey all these days and can only rely on catching fish to survive."

"Oh? Look, Lin’s back. Let’s keep watching and see what measures he takes after his bath."

「On screen.」

Lin Chen’s feet quickly entered from outside and disappeared off to the right. Not long after, the camera began to shake and then quickly rose higher.

A handsome, youthful face appeared in the frame. His soaking wet hair was plastered to his head, with drops of water still dripping down.

Lin Chen casually shook his head, ran a hand through his hair a few times, and walked over to sit by the fire.

"You know, bathing in a downpour was a childhood dream of mine, but my parents always stopped me, saying I’d catch a cold. I never thought I’d get to fulfill this long-forgotten wish in a forest in Alaska."

"Gotta say, showering stark naked in the middle of the forest... it’s a pretty unique feeling."