Dragging a heavy stalk of Sapphire Tough Bamboo, I walked back along the riverbank.
My pace had slowed, but my mood was quite good.
As I walked, I didn’t forget to continue the “Ecological Atlas” mission, my ice-blue eyes sharply scanning the vegetation along the way.
“Citrome is one, and Sapphire Tough Bamboo is another…
Hmm, I’ve already found two new crops, and I just need one more to complete the mission.” I calculated silently, my gaze sweeping more carefully between the grass, shrubs, and rocky crevices, searching for any plants that might not have been recorded.
When I reached a gentle slope not far from the cave platform, a slightly open patch of grassland caught my eye.
The soil here seemed darker and softer to step on.
A few plants with familiar shapes grew sporadically among them.
“Eh?
Are these few…
a bit different?” I stopped in my tracks, temporarily leaned the bamboo against a nearby large rock, and squatted down to observe carefully.
These plants were about half a meter tall, with thick, ridged stems that were light green.
The most striking part was their leaves: pinnately compound leaves composed of several pairs of smaller leaflets.
The leaflets alternated in size, ranging from oval to oblong, with smooth edges, clear veins, and a faint purplish tint within the green.
The overall appearance of the plants was…
very much like some kind of solanaceous plant.
A familiar image leaped into my mind.
“This looks like…
a Potato?” I murmured uncertainly.
Although the leaf shape was indeed very similar to the potatoes I knew, the color and details seemed slightly different, and I didn’t see the potato’s characteristic small white or purple flowers (perhaps the flowering period had already passed?).
To confirm, I carefully scraped away the loose soil at the base of one of the plants with my hand.
Soon, my fingertips touched several chunky, hard things.
With a firm tug, a string of unevenly sized tubers covered in fresh soil was pulled out.
The tubers were irregularly round or oval, with a light yellowish-brown skin that was relatively smooth, dotted with some light-colored “eye-buds.” They were slightly smaller than common potatoes, but their shape and characteristics were extremely similar!
“It really is something like a Potato!” I rejoiced inwardly.
This was an important staple crop!
“System, scan these tuberous plants!” I couldn’t wait to issue the command in my mind.
[ Ding~ Scan complete.
]
[ Target: Earth-Bell Tuber (common tuberous crop variant, leaning towards Earth attribute) ]
[ Detailed Data: Perennial herbaceous plant (commonly cultivated as an annual), Solanaceae family.
The underground tubers are the primary edible part.
Prefers cool climates (optimal growth temperature 15-20°C), drought-tolerant but not waterlogged-tolerant, prefers loose, deep, well-drained sandy loam.
Tubers are rich in starch, protein, and various trace elements, and can be boiled, roasted, or steamed, providing a strong feeling of fullness.
They contain a faint Earth spiritual energy, and long-term consumption has a slight effect of strengthening the spleen and stomach and replenishing the central Qi.
]
[ Planting Tips: Propagation can be achieved by cutting blocks from the eye-buds on the tubers.
Sow in spring or autumn.
Growing period is approximately 60-90 days.
Crop rotation is necessary to avoid continuous cropping obstacles and common soil-borne diseases (such as late blight).
After the tubers sprout or turn green, they may produce slightly toxic alkaloids; they must be thoroughly peeled and cooked before eating.
]
[ Special Tips: This variety has good storability and is an ideal grain reserve crop.
The Host can try crop rotation or intercropping with Jade-Needle Rice to optimize land utilization, and use their own abilities to regulate the Leyline Earth Qi to improve its quality and yield.
]
Earth-Bell Tuber!
The name is very fitting, and the effects also have the style of this world: containing faint spiritual energy, strengthening the spleen and stomach.
Moreover, it’s clearly stated to be an important grain reserve crop!
This discovery is too timely!
The yield of Jade-Needle Rice is difficult to improve in the short term, and with Earth-Bell Tubers, both the food sources and varieties can be greatly enriched, providing stronger survival security. This chapter was taken from novelping(.)com without permission.
I immediately took out my notebook and pen, squatted on the ground, and quickly jotted down: “Earth-Bell Tuber, found on the loose sandy loam of a gentle slope by the river.
The plant is half a meter tall, with pinnate compound leaves, and the leaflets are oval to oblong.
It produces pale yellow-brown tubers underground, rich in starch, and can serve as a staple food.
Prefers cool climates, drought-tolerant, and suitable for sandy loam.
Can be propagated by cutting blocks…” As I wrote, I also sketched the shapes of the leaves and tubers.
After I finished recording and just closed the notebook, the System’s notification sound rang out as expected:
[ Ding~ Daily Mission ‘Ecological Atlas’ (Record at least three new animals or plants) completed.
Reward issued: 15 System Points, Temporary Access to Simple Ecological Guide (Regional Edition) x1.
]
[ Tip: ‘Simple Ecological Guide (Regional Edition)’ has been activated.
The Host can query the basic information, distribution, and potential uses of common animals and plants in the explored area (current range: within a radius of approximately 1.5 kilometers centered on the cave) at any time through their mind.
Duration: 24 hours.
]
“Mission complete!
And a regional guide!” I rejoiced in my heart.
This temporary guide was too useful; it was like carrying a simple database around.
Next, whether searching for more resources or planning planting and breeding, it would be much more convenient.
I carefully placed the Earth-Bell Tuber’s tubers back into the soil (holding off on harvesting them for now, I would come back when I needed them), and then marked the location.
I hoisted the Sapphire Tough Bamboo over my shoulder once more, my steps becoming lighter and brisker.
Today’s harvest was quite abundant: I’d found the delicious Citrome, the versatile Sapphire Tough Bamboo, and the important staple crop, the Earth-Bell Tuber!
The daily mission had been successfully completed, and I had even obtained a practical temporary guide.
“Now, I’ve got new leads on things to eat, use, and build with,” I mused, a glint of planning shining in my icy blue eyes.
I could adjust my goals for the afternoon: first, process the bamboo and try making a bamboo frame or a bamboo bed frame.
Then, utilizing the temporary Ecological Guide, systematically survey what other usable resources were nearby…