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

Kasumigaoka Utaha walked around the fire and cautiously approached the crocodile.

Even in death, the crocodile's ferocious head, dense fangs, and rough scales still exude a primal sense of awe.

Her gaze fell on the steel bar that ran through her jaw, then slowly turned toward Qingshan.

"Which steel bar did you use to nail it in place? How far away was it?"

"Seven or eight meters, I guess."

"..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha remained silent for a full five seconds, then straightened up, crossed her arms, and tilted her head to examine Aoyama for a long time.

“Aoyama-kun…” she began, her tone regaining its familiar languidness, but the last syllable rose slightly, carrying a hint of barely concealed curiosity, “I’m becoming more and more certain that something’s wrong with you.”

"Yesterday you were memorizing English words in the classroom, today you can use a steel bar to accurately blow a crocodile's head off from seven or eight meters away."

"Tell me honestly, are you possessed by some kind of wilderness survival god?"

“I’ve seen Bear Grylls’ survival documentaries.” Qingshan squatted down by the fire without changing his expression and began to process the crocodile.

“Bear Grylls? But you don’t see people throwing steel bars to smash crocodile heads in survival documentaries, do you?” Kasumigaoka Utaha also squatted down, hugging her knees, her red pupils dancing in the firelight, reflecting an orange-red glow.

Aoyama didn't answer. He took out the broken ballpoint pen from his backpack, removed the refill, leaving only the hollow plastic barrel, and then carefully sharpened one end to use as a simple peeling tool.

He first cut open the softer scales on the crocodile's abdomen, then sliced ​​along the midline to reveal the pinkish-white muscle and internal organs inside.

The stench of blood filled the air, mingling with the smoke from the campfire.

Kasumigaoka Utaha wrinkled her nose, but surprisingly didn't look away.

She even moved forward half an inch, watching Qingshan's technique intently.

"Have you ever handled animals before?"

“No.” Aoyama deftly pulled out a string of internal organs, rinsed them clean with stream water, and placed them on a large leaf. “But I’ve watched the instructional video.”

"...How many instructional videos make up your life?"

"most."

After all, many 'movement instructors' are his favorites.

With a calm expression, Qingshan cut off two thick strips of crocodile tail meat, skewered them with a sharpened twig, and placed them on wooden forks on either side of the fire.

The meat sizzled the moment it touched the flames, and fat seeped out from between the fibers, dripping onto the charcoal and splashing up tiny sparks.

The aroma began to spread.

A unique aroma, somewhere between chicken and fish, with a smoky, charred scent characteristic of barbecue, permeated the air under the stone eaves.

At that moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha's stomach made a very untimely noise.

She remained unfazed: "That's the stomach cheering for newly discovered food."

Aoyama didn't reply, focusing on turning the tree branch to ensure the meat was heated evenly.

The firelight illuminated his profile, outlining the sharp lines of his jawline. The sweat had dried, leaving only faint salt stains.

About twenty minutes later, the surface of the meat turned golden brown, the edges were slightly charred, and oil continued to seep out from the surface.

Aoyama poked the thickest part with the blunt end of a steel bar to make sure it was cooked through before handing the first skewer to Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"Be careful, it's hot."

Kasumigaoka Utaha took it, blew on it, and then carefully took a bite.

Her eyes widened slightly, and the change in her expression in that instant was very subtle, but Qingshan still managed to capture it in the firelight.

"...It's surprisingly delicious." She swallowed it before speaking, her voice tinged with surprise. "It's much better than I expected. The meat is very tender, a bit like chicken but more springy."

"Crocodile meat is never bad." Aoyama took a bite himself, and his breath hitched because it was so hot, but it was indeed delicious.

High-temperature roasting removes the gamey smell of wild meat, leaving only a rich meaty aroma and a perfectly crispy texture.

Although hunger played a part in it, it still tasted delicious.

[Feeding Log: Crocodile (juvenile) x1]

Current progress: 1/10

[Ability unlock countdown: Requires consuming a total of 10 juvenile crocodiles]

[Random unlocking abilities: stealth, visual protection, antibacterial immunity, armored defense, pressure sensing, and bite.]

[Note: This ability will continuously strengthen as you consume foods of the same origin.]

Looking at the panel thoughtfully, Aoyama said, "Ten crocodiles can randomly unlock a special ability..."

"Ants are only as strong as one Hercules, how come there are so many crocodiles?"

"Could it be because I've been eating worker ants?"

"It seems the queen ant only has one ability, which is to be very prolific. If I eat her, will I be able to unlock 'fertility'?"

"..." Thinking of this, Aoyama dared not recall that scene.

He had made up his mind that he absolutely could not eat the queen ant!

The two sat by the fire, eating in silence for a while, the campfire crackling and occasionally sparks flying into the night.

Kasumigaoka Utaha finished the whole skewer of meat, picked at her teeth with a thin twig, then leaned back against the stone wall, looking up at the night sky outside the stone eaves, fragmented by the tree canopy.

"Aoyama-kun, what are the plans for tomorrow?"

Aoyama was processing the remaining crocodile meat, wrapping the uneaten portion in large leaves, preparing to hang it in a well-ventilated place to smoke and preserve it.

Without looking up, he said, "Find the highway."

“We fell down from the cliff, and the school bus’s trajectory was traceable.”

"As long as you go around that cliff and follow the ridge, you'll most likely find the location of that road."

"Once you're on the highway, you can flag down a car and ask for help."

"Can you tell which way to go?" Kasumigaoka Utaha turned to look at him. "In this dense forest, you can't even see the sun clearly."

"It's just going around it, the general direction is fine." Qingshan hung the wrapped crocodile meat on a horizontal tree branch and patted the grease off his hands.

Kasumigaoka Utaha chuckled softly: "So reliable, my great adventurer Aoyama."

"Just stay close to me tomorrow."

She flipped the notebook to the page she had just written on and glanced at it again by the firelight: "I've finally found a companion who can hunt and knows the way, I'm not going to be stupid enough to run around aimlessly."

Aoyama glanced at the notebook in her hand: "What were you writing just now?"

"The beginning of a new chapter in the novel."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's tone was calm: "A lonely girl and a boy got lost in a dense forest, and the boy suddenly displayed superhuman strength... Guess how the story will unfold?"

"...When will you be able to write some normal romance novels?"

“Normally, romance novels are so boring. The male protagonists in my stories usually have some secrets that no one knows.” She closed her notebook, her red pupils flickering in the firelight, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on her lips.

Aoyama didn't continue the topic. He added a few more pieces of thick firewood to the fire, and the flames rose again, dispelling the chill that had gathered after nightfall.

"Coo coo~~~"

"Giggle~~~"

The forest is very noisy at night.

The chirping of insects blended together, rising and falling in waves, with the occasional cry of an unknown bird in the distance before falling silent again.

Further into the dense forest, the faint sounds of large mammals moving about could be heard.

It could be a wild boar, or it could be a deer.

"..."

Kasumigaoka Shiwa shrugged and moved half an inch closer to Aoyama without making a sound.

Aoyama noticed her actions but didn't point it out.

He evenly spread the hay and fern leaves that Kasumigaoka Utaha had collected on the ground at the innermost edge of the stone eaves, pressing them down layer by layer until the entire ground was fluffy and soft.

“Sleep here.” He pointed to the straw bed that had been laid out. “It’s on the inside, so the heat from the fire can radiate over here, and the stone eaves can block the dew from above.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha stood up and walked over, stepping on the grass. The soft texture made her raise an eyebrow slightly.

Then she sat down, stretching her legs out, revealing her fair calves and the scabbed bloodstain beneath her torn skirt.

"Aoyama-kun, what about you?" Her voice was lowered in the firelight.

Qingshan laid out a simple straw mat on the other side: "You go to sleep first. I'll keep watch for the first half of the night, and you can take over for the second half."

"Ah."

Kasumigaoka Utaha lay down, facing the fire, her long black hair spread out on the dry grass, the firelight giving her features a warm glow.

She was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

"By the way, Aoyama-kun."

"Ok?"

"You brought back two condoms filled with water during the day. There should be several left in the box, right?"

Aoyama was adjusting the position of the fire when he heard this, and paused for a moment: "There are still six left."

"Hmm—!" Kasumigaoka Utaha drawled out the last syllable, her red pupils staring straight at him in the firelight.

"If Aoyama-kun wants tonight... that's fine too~."

"After all, we have condoms. In this desperate situation, enjoying life while we can is also a way of living."

As she spoke, her tone remained calm, but her eyelashes trembled slightly, the subtle tension perfectly concealed by the light and shadow of the campfire.

Aoyama added the last piece of firewood to the fire, then straightened up and glanced at her expressionlessly.

"Kasumigaoka, it's best for us to conserve our energy before we have enough supplies."

"What's more, we walked at least ten kilometers today."

After Qingshan finished speaking, he sat down with his back against the stone wall, placed the steel bar horizontally within reach, and slowly closed his eyes.

For a fleeting moment, he was indeed tempted.

“…”

Staring blankly at the green mountains where people were resting with their eyes closed, Kasumigaoka Utaha was lost in thought.

Kasumigaoka Utaha remained silent for a while, then chuckled softly.

"Qingshan-kun, you're still as upright and reliable as ever..."

She turned over, turning her back to the green hills, but the "thank you" she had always wanted to say lingered on her lips before she finally didn't say it.

The warmth of the campfire enveloped her body, and the softness of the hay quickly made her sleepy.

Before long, her breathing became steady and long.

"Hey...."

Aoyama opened one eye and, after confirming that Kasumigaoka Utaha was asleep, finally relaxed his shoulders.

The firelight danced on his face, and the night wind rustled through the bushes.

He reached out and clenched his fist in the darkness; the overwhelming sense of power still permeated every muscle fiber.

"Tomorrow, we need to find that highway carefully."

Chapter 5: Did you put your hand in the wrong place?

As the first rays of dawn pierced through the tree canopy, the green mountains opened their eyes.

The fire had burned out, leaving only a few dark red embers that glowed faintly in the ashes, emitting their last warmth.

Kasumigaoka Utaha is still asleep.

She was lying on her side, her black hair scattered messily on the hay, one hand curled up beside her cheek, her lips slightly parted, her breathing steady and long.

The collar of her school uniform shirt was slightly open because of her sleeping position, revealing the delicate lines of her collarbone, which glowed with a soft skin tone in the morning light.

"..."

Aoyama looked away and stood up quietly.