rubberwood?

Time waits for no one, and Cavil could no longer afford to stay holed up in the ship. Before leaving, he glanced out the window, surveying the surroundings. A thin, winding stream had dried up not far from the ship's base, surrounded by parched, yellowish land. This indicated a high evaporation rate, confirming that the area was a full-fledged desert.

In a desert environment, few creatures typically thrive. While this lowered the danger level, it also reduced the exploration value. Such was the duality of fortune and misfortune.

If possible, Cavil would have loved to pilot the ship out of this region. Judging by the cockpit's design, it likely had that capability—though it hadn't been activated yet.

Another concern was the rat-like creature he'd read about in the forum post. If those things were nearby, he'd be in serious trouble. Better safe than sorry—he'd have to stay on high alert.

With the axe and shovel in hand, Cavil pushed open the hatch and jumped out of the ship.

The moment his feet hit the ground, a strong gust of wind nearly knocked him off balance, sending a flurry of leaves flying into his face.

Cavil brushed the leaves away, about to mutter a complaint, when he noticed something damp on his fingers. Was this liquid from the leaves bursting with moisture?

[Please don't overthink it, pioneer. This is just water.]

The voice in his head interrupted his thoughts. As an advanced AI, JinAI seemed to be monitoring Cavil at all times—a thought that was both impressive and slightly unsettling.

But in a broader sense, they were more like symbiotic lifeforms.

As for why Cavil's mind wandered, it wasn't his fault. In the dry desert, water evaporated quickly. Yet these leaves, carried by the wind for who knows how long, were still moist. This wasn't just any ordinary leaf!

"JinAI, analyze this leaf."

The leaf's veins were distinct, making it easy to identify.

[Rubberwood Leaf]

[Rubberwood Trees grow in the deserts of Lithium Pool 06. Their stems and leaves have exceptional water storage capabilities.]

[If you gently press the leaf, it releases pure water. If you squeeze it hard, it secretes a sticky liquid. This is because all parts of the Rubberwood Tree contain a natural adhesive called Rubber Resin.]

[Market value: 20 credits.]

Cavil's eyes narrowed as he focused on the "20 credits" figure. Without hesitation, he began gathering all the leaves carried by the wind.

Without a backpack, the leaves were cumbersome. The Rubberwood Leaves were larger than his pockets, and while he could fold them to fit, there was a high risk of damaging them.

So, Cavil decided to return to the ship and store the leaves in the storage compartment.

This was the first time he'd seen the ship from the outside:

Aside from the damaged and defunct propulsion systems, the ship lay quietly on the ground, its underside slightly elevated. The main body was a natural metallic silver, with tinted windows that appeared black from the outside.

After storing the leaves, Cavil took the opportunity to test the central screen's appraisal function.

Following the instructions, he placed a Rubberwood Leaf into a designated slot.

The screen's appraisal results were identical to JinAI's, except for the third paragraph. It seemed the quirky anecdotes were just JinAI's way of adding flavor.

With that done, Cavil turned and headed back out to continue his exploration.

He realized the real value wasn't in the leaves he'd collected but in the Rubberwood Trees themselves. So, after leaving the ship again, he followed the direction of the wind, letting it guide him to the source of the leaves—a grove of Rubberwood Trees.

Cavil approached one of the trees, running his hand along its trunk. The surface wasn't rough at all; instead, it was smooth, almost like a protective coating (think rubber gloves). In this desert, such a plant was a rare resource. Its incredible water storage made it the ultimate survival tool—and a prime target for profit.

[Rubberwood Tree]

[The bark, trunk, leaves, and seeds hold significant value.]

[Notably, the first ship of Lithium Pool 06's initial pioneering mission landed in a desert in the southern hemisphere. As a result, the Rubberwood Tree became the first indigenous species officially recorded on Lithium Pool 06.]

[Bark market value: 200 credits/m²]

[Trunk market value: 400 credits/m³]

[Seed market value: 200 credits/seed]

This appraisal revealed a crucial piece of information: before the 300,000 pioneers arrived, there had been an initial pioneering mission. That mission, likely government-led, aimed to establish infrastructure and document unknown indigenous species.

But Cavil doubted they'd explored the entire planet. If they had, why send pioneers? Did the government officials enjoy reading the forum's negative posts? Whether they did or not, the pioneers clearly had more exploration tasks ahead.

This also meant there would be creatures JinAI couldn't identify.

With that in mind, Cavil took out his axe and began stripping the bark, making it easier to remove from the trunk. Each tree yielded about two square meters of bark.

Next, summoning what little arm strength he had (and pretending he had some hidden martial arts energy), he swung the axe at the trunk, careful not to damage the roots.

The axe's sharpness was astonishing. With a single strike, it left a deep gash in the trunk, from which water began to seep.

"Roll up your sleeves and push forward, rain or shine." Back when Cavil was studying civil engineering, he never imagined he'd be living out this old-era slogan nearly a century later.

After repeated swings, several Rubberwood Trees fell to the ground.

With the trunks severed, only stumps remained, their rings spreading outward like the marks of time.

The tree rings were distinct, indicating significant variations in rainfall. Cavil had learned this from the forum posts.

Seasonal rainfall differences caused variations in cell growth rates, resulting in alternating light and dark rings. That's how tree rings formed.

During the rainy season, the Rubberwood Trees stored water. When the dry season hit, that water became a lifeline.

Just as Cavil was about to collect the leaves, he found a real surprise hidden among them: clusters of fibrous material—the seeds of the Rubberwood Tree!

Each cluster contained at least ten seeds, meant to ensure the survival of the species. Unfortunately, they'd encountered a pioneer.

Though his arms still had some strength left, his stomach was protesting. The process wasn't complicated, but it was physically demanding. Without food, Cavil had no choice but to take his haul back to the ship and trade it for supplies in the market.

He picked up a few rocks too heavy for the wind to carry and began marking his path back, tossing them as he went to ensure he'd find his way before the star set.

The once-spacious storage compartment was now crowded, filled to the brim with Rubberwood Tree parts, leaving just enough room for one person to stand. For now, with some clever organization and using other compartments, space wasn't an issue.

But in the future, once he'd survived long enough, he'd need to settle down and expand his base.