My and Their Anime-Style Otherworldly Survival Adventure

Jiu Xiao smiled and shook his head. He knew his own limitations. He could fool his friends, but he couldn't fool himself too.

After breakfast, the two began packing their belongings. They were going to travel together today, so they could help each other if they encountered danger. Sania's Rubik's Cube proved particularly useful during their exploration, helping them avoid at least 80% of the dangers.

Jiuxiao carried an axe on his back, which was already tied to both sides with rope. The previous method of tying it with plastic bags had been removed because it wasn't secure. There was a roll of rope in the trunk, and Jiuxiao had brought the rest of the rope for this expedition, along with empty cola bottles, mineral water bottles provided by the system, and a 500g bag of salt.

Finally, looking at the rocket launcher on the ground, Jiu Xiao fell silent... To bring it or not to bring it, that is the question. After all, this thing is not light, and most importantly, neither Sania nor Jiu Xiao currently has enough magic power to sustain their physical enhancement for an extended period.

Moreover, Jiuxiao wouldn't use this thing, and Sania needed to use her magic to explore the Rubik's Cube, so the two discussed it and finally decided not to bring it.

This time, they decided to explore inland in search of water and bamboo. They followed the animal trails, observing their surroundings as they went, trying to find clues about the water source in the smallest details.

As time passed, the sun rose higher, its rays filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows on the ground. Soon, a forest appeared ahead. Before entering the forest, Jiu Xiao cut two suitable wooden sticks, each about two meters long, and sharpened the ends, one for each of them. This provided them with basic self-defense tools.

As the saying goes, "An inch longer, an inch stronger," but while an axe is good, its attack range is too short.

Upon entering the forest, Jiuxiao led the way, with Sanya close behind. Jiuxiao discovered that the trees in the forest were exceptionally large, so large that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they blocked out the sky! Moreover, there was no path at all; in many places, it was difficult to even find a foothold.

If it weren't for the fact that one of them was a soldier and the other had a system, and both were physically fit, they would have been too exhausted to walk long ago. Even so, their pace was still very slow, and they had to mark the trees as they went to avoid getting lost.

The marking method involves making a large X on the tree with charcoal; it's simple but effective.

Since there was no water or food, the original plan was to do a quick exploration and then return to camp, but Sanya's exploration magic suddenly reacted.

As they walked, Sania suddenly tugged at Jiuxiao's sleeve. Jiuxiao turned around, about to ask a question, when he saw Sania make a shushing gesture.

Sania gestured for Jiuxiao to lower his head and whispered something in his ear.

"My exploration magic is working. There are two fast-moving targets ahead, about two hundred meters away."

Can you identify what kind of animal it is?

Sania shook her head and said, "No, but what can be confirmed is that the targets are not small, probably the size of a tiger or a cow."

Upon hearing that it might be a tiger, Jiu Xiao immediately tensed up. He had seen tigers at the zoo in Japan before. Although they were caged tigers, the title of king of beasts was well-deserved. Just looking at their long fangs was enough to make one's heart tremble. He really didn't know how Wu Song had managed to defeat one of those creatures.

Is it really possible for an ordinary person to defeat something that is about three meters long, weighs about 400 kilograms, and travels at 50 to 60 kilometers per hour with their bare hands?

Although Jiuxiao had doubts, he quickly regained his composure. He knew that in this unknown forest, any panic could lead to unpredictable consequences. He whispered to Sania, "We have to be careful. If it's a tiger, we can't confront it head-on. We need to find a secluded place to observe the situation before deciding on our next move."

Sania nodded, and just as the two were preparing to use the trees as cover to gradually move away from the two targets, Sania spoke again.

"The target has moved in the opposite direction. Ah, it's out of reconnaissance range."

Sania looked at Jiuxiao and inquired about the next course of action.

Jiu Xiao thought for a moment. "A man can't get rich without unexpected wealth, and a horse can't get fat without night grazing." It seemed there were likely predators chasing after their prey. Following them might yield some bargains, even just scraps. But the thought of the girl following him on this adventure made him hesitate.

Seeing that Jiuxiao hadn't made a move, Sania took the initiative to speak, "What's wrong, Jiuxiao? Should we chase after them and take a look? Or should we give up this exploration?"

Upon hearing this, Jiuxiao shared his thoughts, concerns, and potential dangers with Sania. Sania replied that with her own exploration magic to assist her, and if she was careful, there shouldn't be any major problems. Even if she couldn't win, she could always climb a tree.

At this point, the system also issued a new task.

[Have a prey larger than one meter in size within 24 hours. Reward: Essential Handbook for Transmigrators.]

Upon seeing this task, Jiu Xiao's eyes lit up, and he had no choice but to follow along.

Jiuxiao took a deep breath, casting aside his hesitation and fear, and looked at Sania, saying, "Alright, Sania, let's follow. But be careful, keep your reconnaissance magic active at all times, and retreat immediately if anything seems amiss."

Jiuxiao's tone was firm and steady. He checked his belongings and then carefully followed with Sania.

After walking a few hundred meters, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a vast expanse of jungle. Sanya then pulled Jiuxiao back to safety.

"there."

Looking in the direction Sania was pointing, Jiuxiao still couldn't see anything.

There's nothing there. Should we move closer to that side?

"Perhaps our target isn't far away; we just stopped in that direction."

"Then we need to be even more careful. Without the cover of the trees, we'll be easily exposed."

Sania nodded, closed her eyes, and focused her mind again, searching for her target with all her might. She cautiously advanced while probing, and soon Jiuxiao spotted a wounded tiger and a wild boar lying at its feet, its life hanging in the balance.

The two hid silently behind a patch of weeds, trying not to make any noise so as not to disturb the tiger ahead.

There was a large gash on the tiger's belly, presumably caused by the tusks of a wild boar.

The tiger appeared exhausted from its injuries, but its sharp eyes still vigilantly scanned its surroundings to ensure no other threats approached. The wild boar lay motionless a short distance away, clearly lifeless.

"Jiuxiao, what do you think we should do next?" Sania asked softly, her voice trembling slightly.

“I think there’s a chance, but we have to be very careful. The tiger is injured now, which is a good time for us to strike. But let’s not rush it, let it bleed a little longer.”

After a while, the tiger didn't eat. Instead, it slowly lay down and licked its wound. And surprisingly, the bleeding actually started to stop.

Seeing this, Jiu Xiao's heart sank. "Why don't you just die already? This puts me in a difficult position." It seemed this was going to be a protracted standoff, but Jiu Xiao didn't have the time to waste.

Jiuxiao quickly began to think of a solution, and suddenly a brilliant idea came to him. He came up with a relatively safe method, and after telling Sania about his plan, the two of them quickly put it into action.

Jiu Xiao took out his phone, set an alarm for an hour and a half later, and turned the volume up to the maximum. Jiu Xiao and Sania planned to circle around behind the tiger. When the alarm went off in half an hour, the tiger would definitely be distracted by the alarm. At this time, Jiu Xiao would quickly approach the tiger from behind and use magic to strengthen his body to throw the axe with all his might. As long as he got close enough, he would definitely be able to seriously injure the tiger.

Half an hour later, the alarm clock rang, and as expected, the tiger's attention was completely drawn to it. Jiu Xiao and Sania had also arrived early and were lying in wait about 200 meters behind the tiger. When the alarm clock had completely drawn the tiger's attention, Jiu Xiao slowly approached the tiger from behind.

When he was less than fifty meters from his target, Jiu Xiao suddenly sprinted forward, channeling all the magic power within his body. On a whim, Jiu Xiao decided to imbue the axe with fire magic, and with just a thought, he succeeded.

Just as the tiger noticed the movement behind it and prepared to turn around, it was too late. At this point, Jiuxiao was less than thirty meters away from the tiger.

A regimental commander surnamed Li once said that even a woman could easily cross that distance.

With all his might, Jiuxiao unleashed an axe, wreathed in flames, hurtling towards the tiger. It's as if he stepped in dog poop today; the axe struck the tiger squarely on the forehead as it turned.

It all happened in a long story, but in reality, it all occurred in an instant. The tiger, struck by the flames, let out a painful roar and rolled around on the ground. Although the tiger had thrown the axe away, the flames on it ignited the fur on its head.

Sensing its life was threatened, the tiger no longer cared about its prey and fled towards the forest. With such severe injuries, it was uncertain whether the tiger would survive. Jiuxiao silently prayed, 'I hope it never encounters me in its next life, Amen.'

Tiger said, "The workers aren't completely dead yet."

Not feeling sad for a moment because of the tiger's departure, Jiu Xiao and Sania, who rushed to the wild boar carcass next, smiled at each other.

Sania was so excited that she hugged Jiuxiao tightly.

"We did it!"

"Sanya shouted excitedly, her face beaming with the joy of victory," Jiuxiao exclaimed. He also smiled, knowing that their success was not only due to their courage and wisdom, but also to their seamless teamwork and a touch of luck.

After the initial excitement subsided, Sania quickly released Jiuxiao, knowing the proper distance between men and women. Jiuxiao, blinded by victory, paid no heed and quickly began considering his next move.

“Sanya, we need to hurry. The commotion we just made might attract more wild animals.” Jiuxiao said as he dragged the wild boar to a more secluded thicket, preparing to butcher it. Sanya stood guard nearby, ensuring their safety.

Chapter Nine: White, everything can be white!

Jiu Xiao carefully examined the wild boar's condition and found that apart from a penetrating wound on its neck from a tiger bite, there were no other obvious injuries. Moreover, the wild boar's blood had not clotted, and the carcass was still warm.

Jiuxiao made a simple tripod, dug a small pit under it, and then tied the wild boar's two hind legs together. He asked Sanya to help him hang the wild boar upside down on the tripod to bleed it.

The advantage of doing this is that it reduces the gamey smell of wild boar meat, and the wild boar blood flows into the dug pit and seeps directly into the ground, making it easier to remove traces later. While the wild boar was being bled, Jiu Xiao also cleaned up the blood from the area where the tiger and wild boar had been.

Theoretically speaking, this territory belongs to that tiger. Now that tiger is seriously injured, and its survival is uncertain, the territory is safe for the time being. However, it's always better to be safe than sorry; caution is never a bad thing.

After cleaning up the bloodstains, Jiu Xiao collected his previous mission reward. In an instant, a wealth of knowledge flooded his mind. This transmigrator's handbook was quite something; it contained a vast amount of knowledge, from farming and hunting to metallurgy and construction, and even knowledge about manufacturing firearms and artillery.

'I've struck gold this time,' Jiu Xiao thought to himself with glee. The system had finally been reliable for once.

After draining the wild boar's blood, Jiu Xiao began the dissection. Although the Transmigrator's Handbook, a reward from the system, contained detailed dissection knowledge, he could only think of it; his hands couldn't do it. It took Jiu Xiao over an hour, stumbling and fumbling, to finally complete the dissection of the approximately 200-pound wild boar.

Except for the pig's heart and liver, all the other internal organs were buried in a pit. Internal organs spoil easily and are difficult to handle, so Jiu Xiao wasn't too bothered to throw them away. Jiu Xiao kept the wild boar hide, made a frame to hold it open, and laid it in the woods to air dry. This stuff is quite durable and can also keep you warm, so it's a decent resource.

By the time they finished, it was already afternoon. Having worked for most of the day without a drop of water, the two of them hadn't eaten or drunk anything. Although the wild boar was butchered, it needed to be salted or smoked for long-term preservation. They didn't have enough salt for salting; Jiuxiao only had two bags of salt totaling 1000g, and they had brought a 500g bag this time. At least 20g of salt is needed for every pound of meat. Although coarse salt could be used, there wasn't time to make it right now.

A simple frame was erected, and the pieces of wild boar meat were hung on it one by one. Then the frame was placed diagonally on the ground, at what appeared to be a 45° angle, and supported by two Y-shaped wooden sticks. Some stones were then gathered to surround the two sides of the frame, and the gaps were sealed as much as possible with mud. The purpose of this was to keep the smoke from the firewood inside the space, so that the meat would be smoked evenly.

Because there was so much wild boar meat, it had to be smoked in two stages. Due to the weather, all the meat had to be smoked within 24 hours, otherwise there was a risk of spoilage.

Looks like tonight is destined to be another sleepless night. One round of fumigation will take seven or eight hours, and two rounds won't be until tomorrow morning.

Smoking meat is a skilled craft, and controlling the heat is crucial during the smoking process. Too high a heat will easily burn the meat, while too low a heat will not smoke it thoroughly. Pine and cypress wood are the best smoking materials, but they are not available at the moment, so he has to use whatever he can find. Fortunately, Jiuxiao had some experience smoking meat in China, and after a few tries, he mastered the heat control.

After mastering the technique himself, Jiu Xiao taught Sania the skills and precautions. Jiu Xiao then prepared to go into the woods to look for large-leaved plants, as the smoke rack needed to be sealed.

Wandering around the woods, Jiuxiao soon discovered a large grove of banana trees, with bunches of green bananas hanging from the branches. It was like a godsend; not only did it solve the problem of sealing the smoke rack, but it also solved the problem of food and water for the day.

He chopped down a thick banana tree with an axe, then used his magic to strengthen his body and quickly returned to the camp.

Back at camp, Jiuxiao quickly tore banana leaves off the ground and laid them on top of the smoking rack. This would both waterproof the smoke and allow it to circulate better inside. Seeing this, Sanya also sprang into action, helping to secure the banana leaves so they wouldn't be blown away by the wind.

"Jiuxiao, you are a genius!" Sania said with a smile as she worked, her eyes full of admiration for Jiuxiao.

Jiu Xiao scratched his head sheepishly, but secretly he was delighted. Recognizing someone's hard work was a happy thing in itself, especially since the other person was a beautiful girl... The combination should have been even better... emmm, it just got weird.

White, it can all be white!

After setting up the smoking rack, Jiu Xiao began to show off his knowledge again.

"Sanya, did you know that banana trees are actually edible?"

Upon hearing this, Sania looked towards Jiuxiao with a mixture of confusion, shock, and anticipation in her eyes.

"Really? How do you eat it?"

Jiuxiao picked up the axe and split open the outer layer of the banana tree, revealing the white banana core. Jiuxiao divided the banana core in half, handed a piece to Sania, took a bite of the banana core himself, and gestured to Sania with his eyes to try it as well.

Sania also opened her little mouth and took a small bite.

"Hmm~, it doesn't have much flavor, but it's very juicy and has a tender and crisp texture. I never knew this thing could be eaten before."

Jiuxiao smiled and said, "You can try dipping it in some salt; eating it like this does lack flavor."

Jiuxiao took out some salt and dipped it in the salt. Sanya did the same. Sure enough, the taste was much better after dipping it in salt.

After eating the banana core, Jiu Xiao picked a few more bunches of green bananas from the banana tree. Although they weren't fully ripe, they could still serve as a late lunch after being roasted. He gathered some firewood, rekindled a fire, and slowly roasted the bananas over it.

"Come to Sania, try this."

Jiuxiao handed a string of golden-brown roasted bananas to Sania. Sania took it, took a small bite, and then smiled with satisfaction. "It's delicious, Jiuxiao. You always find a way."

Jiuxiao said arrogantly, "That's right, don't you know who I am? You should know that my nickname is Yuan Ed Jiuxiao Stafford. Everyone who sees me has to respectfully call me Lord Ed."

Putting aside the fact that he went three days without eating nine meals, Ed Stafford is still very strong.

Although Sania didn't know the reference, she still praised in a cooperative manner, "Yes, yes, Jiuxiao is the best!"

And so, Jiuxiao lost himself amidst Sania's constant praise.

Before we knew it, evening had arrived. The first batch of meat was smoked, and looking at the fruits of our labor, we all smiled with satisfaction. Dinner consisted of grilled smoked pig heart and liver, served with banana cores—a perfect balance of protein and carbohydrates, making it a very good dinner in this desolate place.

And for a long time to come, we won't have to worry about protein sources. Wild boar, you are truly our hero!

Wild boar: "Listen to me, thank you and your whole family."

The next morning, all the meat was smoked. Although both of them were exhausted, they were still very excited. Jiu Xiao wrapped the smoked wild boar meat in banana leaves, intending to take it directly back to the campsite by the sea.

A 200-pound wild boar, after gutting and drying, weighs only about 100 pounds, which the two of them can easily carry away. Following the marks left yesterday, they returned safely to the seaside cave.

Once back in a safe area, the two relaxed and fell asleep immediately.

PS1: I got off work too late today, so I only have one chapter (2K words). Sorry QAQ

Chapter Ten: A Second Blossom

A ray of slanting sunlight fell on his face, gently waking him from his slumber. Jiu Xiao slowly opened his eyes and found Sania curled up in his arms, her warm breath hitting his chest.

Exhausted yesterday, the two unintentionally fell asleep together. Looking at Sania in his arms, a serene smile graced her face, as if she were having a beautiful dream. Jiu Xiao reached out and gently stroked the girl's porcelain-like face, like a perfect work of art, every detail so exquisite, a sight that could never be tiresome.

When the afternoon sun shone on Sania's eyes, the girl frowned slightly, as if waking from a dream. Seeing this, Jiu Xiao gently covered the girl's eyes with one hand, changing her angle to avoid the sunlight, and then quietly got up, afraid of disturbing the tranquility.

Moreover, 'Little Nine Heavens' has stood up. If Sania discovers this state, he'll have no choice but to flee the deserted island overnight. Everyone dies eventually, but not everyone should die a solitary death!

Leaving the cave on tiptoe, Jiu Xiao quickly tidied up his belongings and began preparing dinner for the two of them. After taking out a smoked pork leg from his backpack, Jiu Xiao headed towards the sea. Eating wild boar meat alone was too monotonous, and they should also replenish their fresh water supply. He might as well pick some coconuts from where they had been last time.

Riding his motorcycle, Jiu Xiao headed towards the place where he had picked coconuts last time. After picking five coconuts in the same way, Jiu Xiao went to the beach to see if he could find some seafood or seaweed.

As we all know, beachcombing is like fishing; some people can catch or find anything except fish and seafood.

Jiu Xiao rode his motorcycle to the vicinity of the camp and stopped, then walked towards the sea. He circled the beach for half a minute but found nothing. Just as Jiu Xiao was beginning to doubt his own luck, suddenly, a black dot appeared in the sky and rapidly descended towards the sea.

Seeing this familiar scene, Jiu Xiao's eye twitched.

"Not again!? Can't you come up with something new? This is the second time!"

Having learned from his previous experience of rescuing people, Jiu Xiao quickly stripped himself naked, leaving only his boxer shorts.

Just then, the black dot falling from the sky got closer and closer to the sea surface. A moment before it hit the water, a golden magic circle suddenly unfolded, stopping the falling object about a meter above the surface. Then the magic circle collapsed, and Jiu Xiao could finally see that what had fallen was a girl with golden twin ponytails.