"Rufus, can I borrow your knife?" Perry walked towards Rufus, his eyes focused, and extended his hand to ask for his knife.
Rufus was slightly stunned, but then handed the knife to Perry with a bit of curiosity on his face. "What do you want this knife for?" he asked.
Perry took the knife and answered without hesitation: "I want to cut sleepy mushrooms."
"What?!" Rufus' face suddenly showed a shocked expression, "Why? Is it for revenge?" He stared at Perry in confusion, thinking that this behavior was really strange.
Perry was amused by this question and shook his head. "No!" He retorted, and couldn't help thinking, how could Rufus have such an outrageous idea? "I just read the information about this mushroom. Although I am still awake now, I will fall asleep again soon. The sleeping fumes emitted by this mushroom may make Toto and I unconscious for at least three days."
"Three days? That's not a short time." Rufus looked solemn, "What does this have to do with cutting it with a knife?"
"Of course it is related." Perry explained patiently, "The sleepy mushroom itself actually has an antidote. I need to cut off its mushroom head and eat it to detoxify."
Rufus still leaned there without moving: "I see. But I am not interested in plants, I can't help you."
"It doesn't matter, I can do it myself." Perry nodded, turned around and walked back to the sleepy mushroom.
He squatted on the ground and carefully pulled the sleepy mushroom out of the soil. Every subtle movement seemed extremely cautious, and he carefully examined the texture on the mushroom head. In the weak light, he saw some light blue carving marks, representing the harmful parts of the mushroom body. He hesitated for a while and gently put the mushroom back on the ground.
"No, this one no good." Perry whispered to himself. He patiently continued searching until he finally found a specimen with a more uniform deep blue pattern among the mushrooms. Its blue color was darker and lacked any light blue carvings. Perry pulled it up and checked the mushroom head carefully, finding that the carvings were minimal there as well.
"This is it." He said to himself, and finally chose the right mushroom. He carefully cut off the mushroom head and placed it on the cloth beside him to avoid touching any poisonous parts.
The light in the cave was dim, and he couldn't see the details clearly, so he decided to take the mushroom back to the river. The light there was better, allowing him to handle these delicate tasks accurately.
"Now I need to clean up the poisonous parts." Perry took a deep breath and began to scrape off the light blue part of the surface of the mushroom head with a knife. He was as careful as peeling an apple, but he didn't expect that the light blue part was actually liquid! As the knife moved, the liquid spread along the surface of the mushroom and infected more areas.
"Oh no, hy didn't the notes mention that it was liquid?" Perry frowned, feeling anxious. He quickly rinsed the knife in the river, watching as the liquid's color faded from dark blue to light. Not daring to hesitate, he cut away the contaminated parts, ensuring the remaining mushroom cap was unaffected.
The system's little blue orb floated by his ear, reminding him, [Host, try removing the blue parts without cutting into them.]
"This is such a hassle," Perry sighed in frustration. He knew that any mistake could ruin his efforts, or worse, make the detoxification even more dangerous. So, he spent extra time inspecting every inch of the mushroom cap's surface, repeatedly confirming that no pale blue liquid remained.
It was a painstaking task, and sweat began to bead on his forehead. The once whole mushroom cap was now cut into tiny fragments. Perry wiped away the sweat, breathing heavily. He knew he had to be flawless this time, or he'd face the consequence of a three-day coma.
"These should be safe now," he muttered under his breath. Only two small square pieces of deep blue mushroom flesh remained—the clean pieces he had painstakingly selected. Just then, the system's little blue orb floated in front of him again, gently blinking.
[Host, time remaining: 20 minutes. ]
Perry knew that the remaining time was running out, so he moved faster and carefully wrapped the selected mushrooms with cloth to ensure that they would not be contaminated or mixed up. The next task was to cook these mushrooms to ensure that they were safe to eat.
"Now, I need to cook these things," Perry said, staring at the mushroom flesh in his hand. His mind raced, but he was at a loss. So, he called out to the system in his mind, "System, how should I cook this? Any suggestions?"
The system's voice rang calmly in his ear, [Host, the task requires simple cooking. I suggest roasting them over a fire. This method will preserve the mushroom's medicinal properties to the greatest extent.]
"Sounds good." Perry breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with satisfaction. This concise and clear method was just what he wanted, and he didn't have time for complicated cooking.
He was about to start when Rufus came over and saw that Perry had already processed the mushrooms. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "You've already processed it, what are you going to do next?"
"I'm going to just roast it." Perry answered without hesitation, "Do you have fire?"
Rufus was about to answer, but suddenly stopped and moved his ears slightly. They heard footsteps at the same time, and saw Larkin appearing from nowhere, holding a few papaya-shaped fruits in his hand, and walked towards them with a proud face.
"Hey, Perry, you woke up so quickly!" Larkin said, while holding up the fruit in his hand to show off, "Look what I found - Gogo Water!"
Perry, curious, took one of the fruits and felt its thick, smooth exterior. He shook it gently, and the sound of sloshing water inside was clear. Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, "What's Gogo Water?"
Larkin chuckled, as if presenting a treasure. "Gogo Water is a type of fruit containing the purest spring water. It's common in the market, but very expensive. And it's super refreshing to drink."
Rufus' curiosity was immediately aroused. Without saying a word, he twisted the fruit stem and took a sip. He immediately exclaimed, "Wow! It's really refreshing, just like drinking iced spring water!"
Perry also opened the fruit like Rufus and took a sip carefully. The cold liquid quickly spread in his mouth, and the light sweetness made his eyes brighten. He felt that his whole body was relieved by the coolness, and even the tension just now was slightly reduced.
At that moment, a detailed description of the Gogo Water appeared in front of Perry's eyes:
[Item: Gogo Water
Grade: C
Attributes: None
Introduction: It looks like papaya, with thick and smooth skin and emerald green color. It grows in a humid environment and only bears one fruit on each tree. The inside of the fruit is filled with pure and cool mineral water.
Function: After drinking, it can quickly reduce body temperature and keep the body cool. It is especially suitable for use in high temperature environments.
Warning: No matter how long the water is boiled, the water temperature will never exceed 10 degrees. ]
"So, this fruit is really that special." Perry thought. The unique properties of the Gogo Water amazed him, especially the cooling function, which seemed perfect for hot summer days. He glanced down at the Gogo Water in his hand—a truly unexpected find.
Just then, Larkin noticed the mushroom next to Perry and furrowed his brow, asking in confusion, "What are you doing? Why are there mushrooms here?"
"I'm going to roast this Sleepy Mushroom because it can help dispel the sleepy smoke I've inhaled," Perry explained, a note of hope in his voice. He glanced down at the still-sleeping Toto and added, "Maybe after roasting it, Toto will wake up too."
Larkin's eyes flashed with curiosity after hearing this, and she moved closer to get a better look at the mushroom in Perry's hand. "I see. You learned this from Grandpa Harden's notes, didn't you?"
"Yes," Perry nodded. He had learned a lot of strange and fascinating facts from Grandpa Harden's notes, particularly regarding the properties of various plants. He had doubted those records initially, but now he could only hope they were accurate.
Rufus saw them and stood up, brushing off his pants. "Then I'll go find some branches to make a fire. I want do some exercise." With that, he set Toto's portion of Gogo Water aside and reached out to Larkin. "Let me borrow your knife."
Larkin raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Don't you have a knife? Why do you need mine?" Her tone carried a hint of reluctance, as if she was hesitant to part with it.
Rufus chuckled, a bit helplessly. "I already lent mine to Perry. Just lend me yours for a moment. Don't worry, I'll be very careful with it." His tone was earnest, like someone asking a hesitant friend for help.
Larkin sighed, her gaze shifting between Rufus and Perry before finally relenting. She handed over his knife, muttering softly, "Alright, just don't lose it. I just bought it." It was clear she cherished the knife.
Rufus accepted it with a grateful smile. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of it." He turned and left, heading outside to gather firewood.
Perry looked at the mushroom in his hand, mentally calculating how to roast it to preserve its detoxifying properties. He carefully cut the mushroom into pieces suitable for roasting, then walked to the river to wash them clean. He skewered the pieces onto small sticks, making them easier to cook.
A few minutes later, Rufus returned with a large bundle of branches. He stacked them neatly, pulling some dry leaves from his pocket to use as kindling. However, just as he was about to take out matches, Larkin raised a hand and murmured, "Parvum Ignem." A small flame leapt from her fingertips, landing on the dry leaves and setting the woodpile ablaze.
"Wow, Larkin, you're amazing!" Perry was wide-eyed, witnessing such magical power for the first time. The sudden appearance of the flame startled him, but he was more intrigued than afraid.
Larkin's face reddened slightly as she waved a hand modestly. "It's nothing, just a small spell." Her voice was shy, as if trying to downplay the unexpected display of magic.
Rufus, eyes wide, couldn't help but ask, "When did you learn that spell? I don't remember them teaching that at our school."
"Well…" Larkin's expression became awkward, her gaze shifting as if deciding whether to tell the truth. Eventually, she sighed and lowered her hand. "I learned it from Henry. He used that spell when he passed by my house once, and I secretly memorized it."
"You actually copied someone else's spell!" Rufus looked at Larkin, half amused, then turned to Perry with a regretful expression. "Perry, if it bothers you, I can scold her for you."
Perry was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and shook his head. "It's alright, I don't mind." He didn't know much about magic, but it seemed that magicians weren't particularly favored in this world.
"You're really a nice guy." Larkin seemed surprised by Perry's easy forgiveness. Feeling grateful, she couldn't help but develop a slight fondness for him. "I thought you'd make a fuss—most magic apprentices are very petty."
"It's just a simple spell," Perry shrugged, unwilling to dwell on the matter.
[Host, you have 10 minutes.]
Perry snapped back to reality, realizing he needed to hurry. He placed the skewered mushrooms over the fire, carefully controlling the flame's temperature to avoid burning them.
As time passed, the air was filled with a rich aroma of roasting mushrooms. The scent spread through the night breeze, carrying a hint of grilled meat that was mouthwatering.
Perry couldn't resist taking a small bite, his eyes lighting up instantly. This simple roasting method turned out to be surprisingly delicious—the mushroom's outer layer had become crispy while the inside remained tender and juicy, carrying a natural sweetness and a unique aroma.
"Who would've thought that this mushroom would taste so good," Perry marveled.