Comic strip: Survival on a deserted island, surrounded by heroines

She stared wide-eyed at the pheasant lying unconscious on the ground, then turned to look at the green hills.

The latter was walking over unhurriedly, bending down to pick up the trophy.

The long sword on the ground was picked up, and the white down feathers stuck to the blade were wiped off on the grass nearby.

"Aoyama-kun, you really always surprise us~!" Kasumigaoka Utaha's voice rose a notch.

"Just basic operation."

"..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha took a deep breath and walked over to look at the plump pheasant in Aoyama's hand.

Its tail feathers are long and its belly is bulging, clearly indicating that it is an adult rooster, weighing at least two or three pounds.

"Dinner's taken care of." Aoyama weighed the pheasant in his hand and smiled slightly.

Kasumigaoka Utaha shook her head, gave him a complicated look, and then couldn't help but smile.

"Never mind, I'll get used to it sooner or later... After all, Aoyama-kun is still evolving."

"This is not evolution, this is talent."

"Uh."

Aoyama tied the pheasant's legs with vines and hung them on the side of his backpack, then the two continued walking back.

It was still early, but my backpack was already packed with things.

Wild amaranth, wood ear mushrooms, wild grapes... plus that plump pheasant, today's harvest can be described as quite bountiful.

On the way back, Kasumigaoka Utaha walked beside him, her steps much lighter than when she came.

She occasionally reached out to part the drooping vines, and sometimes picked a pretty leaf to twirl in her hand. She seemed much more relaxed than she had been in the first few days after waking up.

"Aoyama-kun, don't you think..." she suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of thoughtful softness.

"What do you think?"

“We’re walking through this forest, carrying our bags, looking for food, digging for wild vegetables, hunting pheasants…” She paused, turning her head to look at him, “It’s a bit like living a very primitive life?”

"No cell phones, no internet, no homework, none of the troubles of modern life are there."

Aoyama said, "There are new worries, like what to eat tomorrow?"

"Yeah, what do you want to eat?" Kasumigaoka Utaha chuckled softly.

"But at least we don't have to worry about dinner tonight."

Although the smoked crocodile was alright, it was a nice change of pace.

When we returned to the shelter, the sun was setting in the west, and the light became soft and warm.

Aoyama put down his backpack and took out the contents one by one.

The wild amaranth was washed in the stream and set aside, the wood ear mushrooms were soaked in water, the wild grapes were placed separately in a cool place, and the pheasant was prepared to be cleaned and roasted over a fire.

Kasumigaoka Utaha squatted by the stream to help him wash vegetables, her fingers soaking in the cool water as she carefully scrubbed the mud and sand off each wild amaranth leaf.

Her profile was bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, her eyelashes casting soft shadows beneath her eyes, making her appear serene and focused.

"Kasumigaoka-kun".

"Ok?"

"You're getting more and more skilled."

She carefully stacked the washed vegetable leaves one by one on a clean stone.

"After all, I've seen you pick them so many times."

"And you taught me to choose tender leaves and remove the old ones."

Qingshan watched as she neatly arranged the vegetable leaves and nodded: "You learn very quickly."

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked up at him, her lips curving into a gentle smile, carrying a hint of her unique composure:

"If I don't learn faster when I'm with Aoyama-kun, I won't be able to keep up with your pace, right?"

Aoyama didn't respond, but he did slow down his handling of the pheasant.

He cut open the abdomen with a knife, carefully removed the internal organs, washed the abdominal cavity in the stream, then pierced the chicken's body with a sharpened twig and placed it on the rekindled fire.

The flames licked the surface of the chicken, and the oil quickly seeped out, dripping into the charcoal and splashing up tiny sparks.

The aroma filled the air, carrying a rustic yet enticing caramel scent.

"It smells so good!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha sat opposite the fire, her knees curled up, her chin resting on her arms, watching Aoyama rotate the tree branches to heat the chickens evenly.

Her gaze shifted back and forth between the flames and the green mountains. She remained silent for a long time, finally whispering:

"Aoyama-kun, thank you for taking me out today."

"Ok?"

"I've been cooped up in the shelter these past few days, and although it's warm... I still really want to go outside for a walk." Her voice was soft, enveloped by the firelight and the crackling of the firewood.

Qingshan flipped the pheasant over so that the other side would also be heated evenly: "You've just recovered from your illness, and appropriate exercise is good for your recovery."

Kasumigaoka Utaha lowered her head and muttered, "Although the island feels unfamiliar, with Aoyama-kun by my side... it doesn't seem so scary."

Aoyama paused in turning the tree branch, then looked up and glanced at her through the flickering flames.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was looking down, fiddling with the fallen leaves on the ground. Her black hair fell down, covering half of her face, making it impossible to see her expression.

He didn't say anything, but simply tore off a piece of the golden-brown, crispy chicken leg, wrapped it in clean leaves, and passed it across the fire.

"Eat it while it's hot."

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked up and took the leaf containing the chicken.

Her hand paused slightly when it touched his fingertips, then she lowered her head and took a bite of the hot chicken, the oil melting on her tongue.

"...It's delicious." Her voice was muffled, a little oil glistening at the corner of her mouth, but her eyes crinkled into a smile.

Aoyama tore off a piece of chicken breast and sat across the fire, chewing it slowly.

As dusk settled, the setting sun cast long shadows of the two people as it slanted in from the entrance of the shelter.

Their voices could be heard from time to time.

"Kasumigaoka, would you like some wild grapes?"

"Damn it!!!"

Chapter 16: Are there still experts?

late at night.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was awakened by a sudden burst of human voices.

The sound came from the direction of the stream, indistinct yet clear, penetrating into the shelter.

She opened her eyes abruptly. In the darkness, the firelight had dimmed considerably, leaving only a few dark red embers faintly glowing in the ashes.

The green hills have awakened.

He was crouching at the entrance of the shelter, listening intently to the sounds outside.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds, casting a cold, white edge on his features.

He held the long sword in his hand, its blade gleaming faintly in the shadows.

Aoyama turned and glanced at her, his voice low: "Someone's coming."

"..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's sleepiness vanished in an instant.

She subconsciously reached for the signal pistol in the side pocket of her backpack, her fingers gripping the cold metal handle, her palms sweating.

She took a deep breath, forcing her voice to remain calm: "...What are you going to do?"

"You stay here and don't move."

After saying this, Aoyama's figure disappeared into the darkness outside the entrance of the shelter.

His footsteps were silent, like a cat blending into the night, and he kept even the sound of his footsteps on the fallen leaves to a minimum.

"Green hills..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha sat alone in the darkness, the sound of her heartbeat amplified several times in her ears.

She stared in the direction Qingshan had left, her fingers gripping the signal gun tightening and loosening repeatedly.

She knew that Qingshan possessed superhuman strength, but she had no idea how much that strength could be used against an unknown enemy.

"...Come back safely, Qingshan," she whispered, her voice so soft that only she could hear it.

..

At this moment, the three men by the stream were completely unaware.

They sat on a flat rock by the stream, a simple torch stuck in the damp soil beside them, its light illuminating their tired yet somewhat smug faces.

The leader was a burly man wielding a machete. Several old scars ran across his muscular arms, indicating that he had survived in the jungle for quite some time.

"The people in that settlement probably can't even get food now," the burly man said gruffly, turning on the kettle and taking a sip of water.

"When we were moving our things away, the old man knelt on the ground and begged us to leave some behind, tsk..."

"They're just a bunch of idiots," the lean man with the backpack replied, patting the bulging bag beside him.

"Anyway, the last person to survive on this island relies on their fists and brains."

The man holding the composite bow stood silently to one side, his eyes scanning the shadows around him warily.

He was more cautious than the previous two, and never completely let his guard down.

"There's actually a composite bow?"

In the darkness, Qingshan hid behind a thick tree, his eyes fixed on the three of them.

His hand holding the long knife was steady, and he regulated his breathing evenly, preparing to kill the man with the composite bow the moment they lowered their guard.

But he didn't have time to move.

In the shadows deep within the dense forest, something even darker than the night suddenly moved.

"...There are more experts?"

Aoyama's pupils suddenly contracted.

The shadow moved faster than he could perceive.

"Whoosh—!"

Almost at the same instant, he heard a dull thud.

The man holding the composite bow turned around to draw it, but as soon as he raised his arm, a pair of claws covered in dark scales pierced through his side.

Blood splattered in the moonlight, and before he could even scream, he was dragged into the darkness.

"what--!!"

The burly man suddenly stood up, holding his machete in front of him, his pupils contracting sharply.

The lean man pulled a short knife from his backpack, and the two stood back to back on the rocks by the stream, their trembling shadows stretched long and short by the firelight.

"What is that?!"

"Get out here!" the burly man roared, his voice rough and filled with barely suppressed fear.

At the same time, a huge, dark shadow silently descended from the treetops.

With his physique strengthened, Qingshan caught a glimpse of its general outline in that instant.

"What the hell?"

Its body, about two meters long, is covered with dark brown scales. Its hind limbs are thick and powerful, while its forelimbs are short but end with three sickle-shaped claws.

Its head is streamlined, and its mouth is filled with interlocking sharp teeth that gleam coldly in the moonlight.

"That's... a dinosaur???"