The clay bowl blank felt cool to the touch. It was only roughly shaped.
Looking at the prompt on the screen, Chuck couldn't help but sigh at the complexity of pottery making.
If firing a small clay bowl was already so difficult using the bonfire, the clay pots and water vats were definitely out of the question until a proper kiln could be built.
For now, he decided to at least make one clay bowl for himself and one for Julia.
This would solve the immediate problem of boiling water and cooking some food.
He consumed another portion of clay to synthesize a second Clay Bowl Blank, then placed both into the red-hot bonfire, adding a few more logs.
Fortunately, while Chuck had been busy during the day, Julia seemed to have independently gathered a lot of firewood from the nearby jungle, stacking it in a corner of the cave. So, even though it was pouring rain outside, the fire inside the cave remained warm and fierce.
Using a bonfire to fire pottery was a desperate measure, but Chuck had no better option at the moment and could only pray for success.
Chuck glanced sideways and saw that the foreign woman's breathing had become steady, suggesting she was already deep asleep.
A warm smile appeared on his face.
It was truly fortunate to have encountered such a companion after being stranded.
Luckily, by carefully controlling the fire and trying to ensure the bowls received even heat, after a long three hours, two somewhat ugly, but functional, clay bowls were finally formed in the fire.
He brought in a bamboo tube full of collected rainwater from outside the cave and successfully boiled two bowls of hot water. The process was smooth; the bowls managed to boil the water without sustaining any damage.
With this, the pottery plan had achieved its initial success.
Satisfied, Chuck rested by the firelight, listening to the rain outside the cave, and drifted into a deep, exhausted sleep.
The next morning, Chuck was awakened by a commotion.
He jolted and sat up abruptly, seeing the golden figure kneeling beside the bonfire.
"...Julia?"
Noticing his movement, the foreign woman turned her head, her delicate face showing a sweet smile.
"Hey, you're awake."
Chuck rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"Mhm."
"What's the plan for today?"
Hearing the foreign woman's question, Chuck stretched his stiff neck, and his mind gradually cleared.
"Today…"
They had bowls, and water resources weren't an issue right now. So, the highest priority was definitely the hunting plan that was postponed yesterday.
"Let's go into the jungle and try to take down that wild boar."
"Okay."
The foreign woman responded casually, the smile on her face fading to a neutral expression, seeming somewhat distracted.
Chuck didn't pay it much mind and got up to leave the cave.
He washed his face by the sea and stretched his stiff body. Perhaps because he had relieved his tension yesterday, Chuck felt especially refreshed this morning.
It seems men are better off when they fuck more often, regardless of what they're fucking.
But just as he returned to the cave, Chuck's appetite was suddenly piqued by a delicious aroma.
It was the smell of fresh protein, carrying a faint salty tang of the sea.
Seeing him return, the foreign woman kneeling by the fire smiled again. "Hey, come have something to eat."
"What are you making?"
Chuck saw her holding a stick, stirring something in a clay bowl over the fire. He subconsciously swallowed and climbed into the cave, moving to her side out of curiosity.
Julia smiled and pointed at the bowl in front of her.
"I woke up early. I saw those two bowls you finished firing last night and thought I'd look around to see if I could find anything to cook."
"Got lucky. Found some mussels and small crabs near the reef."
As she spoke, she judged the food was ready. She carefully removed the clay bowl, full of soup and seafood, from the fire, placing it on a palm leaf, and handed it to Chuck.
"You must be tired of two days of wild fruit and coconut. Let's change things up today."
Taking the steaming bowl of seafood from Julia, and seeing the mussels and small crabs packed inside, Chuck was momentarily stunned.
For the past two days, his attention had been entirely focused on the critical water issue, leaving all food collection to Julia, which he hadn't paid much attention to.
He hadn't considered that the nearby reef area was an excellent source of food.
And Julia hadn't overlooked it.
Chuck picked up the steaming bowl of seafood. Using a stick Julia handed him as cutlery, he started eating the savory dish.
The soup, however, was not the bland taste he expected from just boiled seafood. It had a faint, appealing aroma!
Having not eaten a proper meal in two full days, Chuck couldn't stop himself, quickly slurping down the entire bowl of seafood medley.
Seeing Chuck put down the bowl with satisfaction, a pleased look appeared on the foreign woman's delicate face, and she asked with a smile, "How was the taste?"
Chuck paused, then nodded. "It was delicious. But why does it taste so good?"
The flavor was nothing like plain water boiled with seafood.
"Because I added a little wild ginger and lemongrass."
Julia extended her slender finger, pointing to the palm leaf nearby, which she usually used to collect wild fruit. It was currently holding various green plants, none of which Chuck recognized.
"Honestly, the plants on this island are richer than I thought. If we look carefully, we might even find wild potatoes or radishes."
Chuck was surprised by Julia's comment.
The herbs for his wound yesterday, too—it seemed the foreign woman was quite knowledgeable about wild plants.
He couldn't help but ask, "How do you know all this?"
"Uh, because my university major was Botany? Did I not mention that before?"
Hearing Julia's answer, Chuck suddenly understood.
That was quite a surprise.
He looked at the foreign woman, raised his hand, and gently stroked her fluffy blonde hair, teasing with a smile, "Looks like you're not entirely the ditzy white girl I had you pegged as, huh?"
"What the fuck???"
Julia raised her small fist and hit Chuck's abdomen again, which he easily caught.
But after the playful sparring, Julia suddenly withdrew her hand, slowly lowered her head, and looked at the firelight, speaking softly.
"I can collect food like this every day from now on."
"Add that to the wild fruits, we have water, and we have food… So, wouldn't it be nice to just keep living like this?"
"Chuck, you really don't have to take the risk."
As she spoke, her voice carried a hint of fear.
Seeing her distressed state, Chuck's heart softened.
He leaned forward and gently pulled her slender shoulder into an embrace.
"Don't worry, Julia. I have a lot of confidence. We'll definitely get better and better."
But his words didn't calm the foreign woman; instead, they agitated her further.
She suddenly raised her hand and tightly grasped Chuck's collar, her eyes locking with his, faint tears visible.
"No, I don't need to get better and better!"
"Goddammit! I want us to survive together, we should live through this, and we should leave this place together!"
Julia was clearly emotional, her voice beginning to tremble, her eyes growing wetter.
Chuck was touched by her words.
Her sincerity was genuine, completely devoid of pretense, and her words caused Chuck to feel a rush of emotion.
When was the last time someone cared about him this much?
In the past two days, the foreign woman had never made any demands of him, nor had she tried to take advantage of him.
She consistently considered both of them, putting all her effort into their shared survival, without a hint of calculation or falsehood.
Chuck couldn't resist any longer. He leaned in and forcefully kissed the foreign woman on her tearful, wounded expression.
Lip met lip abruptly.
Julia's jewel-like pupils contracted sharply, and her long, pale-gold eyelashes trembled slightly.
She pushed Chuck away symbolically a few times, but her soft body gradually relaxed.
[Julia's Trust Level in you has increased by 3 points! Current Trust Level: 40 (Intimate)]
The screen appeared before Chuck's eyes. A lingering tear rolled down Julia's cheek, and she gave up resisting, allowing Chuck to dominate the kiss.
Tongue met tongue, intertwining.
The foreign woman's lips were soft with a hint of coolness, like jelly.
As Chuck freely indulged, his hands slowly moved up her slender waist, finally resting on her breasts. He grabbed them without hesitation, kneading them in his palm.
"Mmm…"
As if in response, Julia let out an alluring whimper from her nose, her breath growing hotter. Her slender forearms, no longer resistant, gently wrapped around Chuck's neck.
She started responding with a passionate but clumsy enthusiasm.
For a time, the sound of their kissing echoed unabated.
After an unknown duration, both were on the verge of hypoxia and reluctantly broke apart.
But because the kiss had lasted so long, a few thin, viscous threads stretched between their lips as they separated.
They formed curved bridges between them before slowly dropping.
Julia raised her beautiful eyes, her cheeks completely flushed, and asked softly with a slightly husky, seductive voice.
"Hey, I never said you could kiss me."
Chuck smiled. "Couldn't help it. So what if I did?"
The foreign woman gave him a playful glare.
"So, it seems you prefer my lips today?"
Chuck chuckled softly.
"I suppose you could say that."
"In that case…"
The foreign woman suddenly leaned in close to Chuck's ear and whispered softly.
"Chuck, since I can't talk you out of it, then go and take care of that wild boar for me right away! Let me see your truly manly side!"
"If you can do that, tonight I'll…"
The foreign woman stopped abruptly, then pulled back, her wet eyes looking at Chuck flirtatiously.
She gently opened her small mouth, extended her pink tongue to lightly lick her red lips, then slowly raised a slender middle finger to her mouth.
Pop.
The suggestion was undeniable.
Chuck prepared himself, taking the spear and tools he had made yesterday, and left the cave.
It was cool this morning, and he felt energized. He needed to get the most important task done first.
Then, he could thoroughly enjoy the sexy foreign beauty tonight.
He returned to the jungle, first arriving at the outer water puddle clearing.
Seeing that the puddle, which they had previously emptied, was now refilled with clear rainwater, Chuck felt his confidence increase.
When their gathered rainwater ran low, they could return here to resupply. It was like a half-natural reservoir.
But that wasn't the focus today.
Chuck left the spear there and continued forward.
He walked past the water puddle and the fruit bushes, soon seeing the two slender bamboo stalks he had used for traps yesterday.
He meticulously set up the two rope snares using the same steps. To ensure everything was perfect, Chuck personally tested the traps again before confidently continuing.
The path through the thorns and branches had been cleared, allowing Chuck to penetrate deep into the jungle unhindered, eventually reaching the mud pool near the stone wall fissure again.
The familiar sound of snoring reappeared ahead. Chuck held his breath, bending low as he crept forward.
The wild boar's silhouette finally came into view again.
It was still lying in the mud, taking a nap.
Why is this thing so sleepy? Is it a wild boar or a koala?
Despite his inner complaint, Chuck was grateful.
A sleeping wild boar offered a perfect opportunity for a preemptive sneak attack.
If he could strike a severe blow to the boar at the start of the hunt, he might not even need the rest of his preparations!
Chuck reached for his waist, and the familiar stone axe was back in his hand.
He slowly stood up, raised the stone axe slightly, and fixed his eyes intently on the wild boar napping in the mud pool ahead, his focus absolute.
Chuck had never thrown a weapon before, so he had no confidence in his aim.
This attack was essentially a lottery ticket.
If he succeeded, great. If not, he would proceed with the main plan.
He concentrated and calmed his mind. Without dawdling, a subtle feeling of readiness surfaced. Chuck immediately raised his arm and threw the axe, then cleanly turned his back and sprinted away along the original path, without even bothering to check if the axe had hit!
The next moment, an angry squeal of a wild boar erupted from behind him. Chuck's heart leaped with joy.
It hit!
He didn't know if the axe had struck a vital spot, but either way, running back to the trap location was absolutely the correct move!
He ran wildly. Sure enough, the same muffled thudding sounds as last time followed him. In a flash, he reached the bamboo grove at the edge of the water puddle clearing.
Chuck crouched down in two steps, grabbed the spear from the ground, then stabilized his stance, turned around, and nervously faced the jungle behind him…
Two days of preparation hung on this one moment!
Would he be gored by the boar, or would he kill it for meat, and return to the cave tonight to enjoy a barbecue and the foreign woman? It all came down to now!
The squealing, mixed with the sound of snapping branches, grew closer and closer.
Finally, the bristly wild boar burst into view before Chuck!
The stone axe Chuck had thrown was embedded perfectly in the creature's ass—no, its rectum.
The boar screamed and charged recklessly toward Chuck!
In that moment, Chuck realized the scream contained not just rage, but unbearable pain…
His focus was pushed to its absolute limit. He instantly made his judgment and decisively took one step to the left!
The boar's charging path shifted subtly because of this…
And that was precisely why it ran straight into the trap Chuck had prepared!
As the boar's hoof landed heavily on an inconspicuous stone on the ground, a snap was followed immediately by the sound of air being violently displaced!
The thin bamboo pole, bent almost to the breaking point, suddenly sprang back. With powerful force, it instantly cinched the vine snare perfectly around the boar's belly, flipping the entire animal onto the ground!
A fresh wail echoed through the jungle. The boar lay sideways on the ground, struggling desperately.
Chuck's eyes were wide. He seized the opportunity, lunged forward in two steps, tightly gripped the spear in both hands, found his mark on the boar's head, and stabbed down with all his might!