activa-t Chapter 6 Bear Ribs and Herbs
Chapter 6 Bear Ribs and Herbs
Geb tried several times to meditate while enduring hunger, but he simply couldn't concentrate.
Oh, I'm such a glutton!
His gaze shifted to the charred bear beside him, and he swallowed hard.
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Gebu sat at the cave entrance, flipping through the Book of Sand while grilling strips of bear meat over charcoal.
The bear had gained weight for winter, and its fat was abundant. The fat dripped down the wooden stick and onto the embers with a hissing sound. The ash gathered around the oil droplet and turned into a small black ball.
A wisp of white smoke, the smell of smoke mixed with the aroma of charred fat.
The goblin's eyes were fixed on the book, its nose twitching, and drool was dripping from its mouth.
Damn, it smells so good! I can't even concentrate on my book anymore!
He has finished reading "Basic Meditation Method" and memorized the steps. Now he is looking through "Outline of Herbalism" and "The Gift of the Forest: A Pictorial Guide to Herbs".
Geb discovered that the "Great Book Hole" system of the Book of Sand is traceable; after reading each book, it reveals several branches that can be further studied. It's a gradual process.
For example, after reading "Basic Meditation Methods," three branches automatically appeared in the Book of Sand that could be further searched: [Herbalism], [Alchemy], and [Magic Scroll Crafting].
It seems that these branches are all related to the broad category of "wizard." They are the basic skills required to become a wizard.
Gebu hadn't heard of the latter two things, but he knew a little about herbalism—the old shaman was an expert in herbs. His position as the tribe's second-in-command (actually the leader) was largely due to his monopoly on herbal medicine production techniques.
He treasured this skill and forbade anyone to touch or learn it. Even the old shaman's confidants were not allowed to easily enter his herbal workshop.
Herbalism, alchemy, and scrolls—I'll have to learn these three things sooner or later. But right now, the most practical one is herbalism.
Unlike the path of a wizard, learning these secular knowledge and skills only requires reading books and does not require meditation.
Surprisingly, Geb discovered that he didn't dislike reading; in fact, he quite enjoyed it.
The knowledge in these books is incredibly dense; every sentence brings new information. And his mind works exceptionally well; he remembers what he reads without getting tired—each sentence brings him one step closer to his wizarding dream. The thought of this excites him greatly.
These two books contain a lot of information, and Gebu felt that he would not be able to finish reading them all at once. Fortunately, the Book of Sand has the ability to record progress, which is very convenient, and he can pick it up and continue reading at any time.
Moreover, he didn't need to memorize all the potions immediately. He discovered that the more potent the potion, the rarer the ingredients required. He had seen the common herbs in the forest, but he had never even heard of the rare ones—things like Dragon's Breath Rose and Icefield Dewdrop.
Don't even think about those things. Just remember the potions you can make and use right away.
While waiting for the meat to be roasted, Gebu memorized the methods for making "calming potion" and "powerful laxative," two simple potions.
One helps me meditate, the other can be used to mess with people.
The reason for choosing these two potions is that the materials used to make them are quite common, and they can be collected by searching around the area for a while.
Luckily, I had collected quite a few junk items, and I happened to have the tools I needed for making herbs: a mortar and pestle, scissors, bottles, and a leather bag. I packed them all together to make a herbal tool bag, which I carried with me.
He placed the sirloin, which was roasted to medium-rare, aside to let it rest, allowing the residual heat to penetrate the muscle fibers and lock in the juices.
Taking advantage of this time, Gebu ran to the surrounding flower bushes and identified and collected herbs by referring to the "Herbal Compendium".
Golden daisies...they should be half-open.
Stargrass... the one with short, downy hairs and thorns is the most effective.
As a scout, Gebu's eyesight was naturally excellent; he collected a small bagful in less than ten minutes. Just as he was about to leave, seeing that it was almost time to go, he caught sight of something good out of the corner of his eye.
rosemary!
"Outline of Herbalism": Rosemary can be used to roast red meat to enhance its aroma and flavor.
The goblin picked some fresh rosemary and held it to his nose to smell its pointed leaves—it smelled like… how to describe it? Rich and warm, with an intense aroma of life.
Like frozen sunlight.
Gebu was quite pleased with himself for coming up with this analogy.
He returned to the cave entrance and roasted the rosemary over the fire for a while, which made the aroma of the herb even stronger.
The goblin used his bone dagger to cut strips of bear meat, took out a pinch of his treasured salt from his waist, and sprinkled it on the bear steak. White crystals melted on the caramelized bear meat, the flavor seeping into the fibers.
Gebu plucked the rosemary leaves and sprinkled them on the bear meat.
"It would be even better if there were some fresh peppercorns..." Geb thought. "Next time, for sure. Next time, for sure."
Looking at the tender, juicy bear meat before him, he was suddenly moved.
This morning, I encountered a half-elf and thought I was going to die.
And now, he is eating bear chops, studying herbalism, and preparing to embark on the path of an extraordinary wizard.
The fate of a goblin depends on its own efforts, but also on the course of history.
The one who survives to the end will definitely be Gebu!
Awoooooo!
The goblin wolfed down the bear steak, eating in a truly appalling manner. His fingers were covered in grease and juice, and his teeth were full of bits of meat as he chewed it with a smacking sound.
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After filling his stomach, in order to help himself concentrate, the goblin began to make his first potion—a calming potion.
He laid out his tools all over the floor and started working right away, taking advantage of the afternoon sun.
Crush the stems of the stargrass, grind them into a paste, and air-dry them into a green powder...
Air drying takes too long. Gebu didn't want to wait that long, so he used heat to dry the product quickly.
Hmm... it's a little burnt. Let's try again.
Gebu repeated the previous steps, patiently watching the heat carefully, and finally obtained what appeared to be a green powder.
Green? Dark green?
It looks a little yellow... but it should be fine. Next step!
Then add charcoal ash and salt. Boil, and filter three times with fine cotton cloth.
There's no fine cotton cloth, only tattered linen. Let's sift it a few more times.
After sifting several times, the linen turned black, but the juice turned green. That's good.
Let it sit in a cool place overnight until it has completely cooled down before use.
One night? That's too long.
Geb thought for a moment, then spread the boiled liquid in a shallow dish and blew on it to cool it down.
After about fifteen minutes, Gebu's breath had become sore from blowing on it, and the liquid had probably cooled to room temperature. Gebu carefully poured it into a glass bottle.
Geb held the bottle up to the sun, watching the fine, cotton-like sediment floating in the liquid.
The book didn't mention any sediment, so... it should be fine to drink it, right?
Gebu comforted himself: "Back when I was cleaning up hyena poop, I ate everything. What am I afraid of now?"
He took a deep breath and gulped it down.
It's so bitter! Ugh, ugh, ugh!
The goblin grimaced in pain; not only was his mouth bitter, but the bitterness clung to his tongue, growing stronger with each bite. He tried to pull his tongue off, attempting to remove the bitterness.
"It's so bitter!" Gebu said, pinching his ears and jumping up and down. "Slapping my tongue doesn't help."
Less than ten seconds later, Gebu suddenly felt a wave of fatigue wash over him.
Getting excited!
He quickly grabbed the book, staggered back into the cave, sat down against the rock wall, and placed the book in front of him.
Relax...
Take a deep breath...
Clear your mind...
Feeling sleepy and physically exhausted, coupled with the effects of the sedative, Gebu's vision went black within two seconds, and his head slumped down.