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

[Feeding Log: Earthworms x4]

Current progress: 4/30

[Effect Preview: Body regeneration, efficient transformation? (Earthworm) - Continued consumption of similar food ingredients is required to complete activation.]

Aoyama's eyes lit up: "Is this the body regeneration I'm thinking of?"

If so, he decided to spend all his time today looking for earthworms.

After all, that's body regeneration!

Chapter 56: That's a pretty cool line, is it for building a harem? [Image]

Qingshan squatted on the wet mud, rolled up his sleeves, and searched through the damp soil with his hands.

There are a fair number of earthworms, but it takes some time to collect thirty.

Grabbing the slippery body, he quickly pinched it and pulled it out.

A dark red earthworm wriggled in the sunlight before he tossed it into a wide leaf bag beside him.

“Article Twenty-Seven,” Qingshan counted softly, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He shook the mud off his hands and continued searching.

This layer of humus soil is moist, fertile, and well-shaded—it's practically a paradise for earthworms.

Thirty is enough.

Aoyama stood up, rubbed his knees which were a little numb from squatting, and walked to the campfire to skewer the earthworms with a thin stick.

To be honest, this doesn't look very appetizing.

"It's all for the sake of power..."

After baking for a few minutes, the outer skin was slightly charred and curled, emitting a smoky aroma similar to roasted mushrooms.

Aoyama took a bite; it was a bit chewy, and tasted like roasted shiitake mushrooms with a slightly earthy flavor.

He ate it without changing his expression.

Articles 28, 29, and 30.

As he swallowed the last roasted earthworm, Qingshan closed his eyes, feeling the changes inside his body.

A few seconds later, a semi-transparent virtual panel appeared in front of his retina, with a faint green glow at the edges.

[Feeding Log: Earthworms x30]

Current progress: 30/30 (Completed)

[Extraction Scope: Earthworms - Fragmentation Regeneration/High-Efficiency Conversion]

[Draw probability: 50% each]

[Ability extraction in progress....]

"They're here!"

Aoyama held his breath.

The sound of my heart pounding echoed in my ears.

He stared at the line of text, feeling as if time had stretched out countless times in that moment.

"Severed body regeneration... severed body regeneration... it has to be severed body regeneration..."

He was chanting wildly in his mind, like someone rolling dice at a gambling table.

Both abilities in the ability pool are good, but the ability to regenerate severed parts is obviously more tempting.

That's an ability on par with limb regeneration!

The virtual panel flashed twice before finally settling.

[Feeding Log: Earthworms (adults) x30]

Current progress: 30/30 (Completed)

[Ability Unlocked: Body Regeneration]

【Effect: Allows you to store enough energy in your body in advance, and consume the corresponding energy to regenerate and repair according to the severity of the injury】

The more severe the injury, the longer the regeneration process... Regeneration cannot be completed if energy reserves are insufficient.

In an instant, Qingshan felt a warm sensation spreading through his limbs and bones, like a gentle breeze.

The feeling was incredibly comfortable; every cell seemed to be cheering and jumping for joy. The muscles, which had been slightly tired, were now full of strength again.

"I feel very comfortable."

He spread his palms out and looked at his fingers.

There seems to be a subtle, indescribable change taking place: the capillary network under the skin is becoming clearer, and the connections between cells are becoming tighter and stronger.

"This feeling...is amazing!" Aoyama clenched his fist, his knuckles making a soft cracking sound.

He could clearly feel that the cells had become stronger and the tissues were more resilient.

If previous external wound regeneration only allowed the skin to heal quickly, then current body regeneration gives the body a more advanced recovery ability.

"Store energy in advance, and consume it according to the severity of the injury..."

Aoyama repeated the instructions on the panel in a low voice, "So, as long as I have enough energy stored in my body, even if I lose an arm, it can grow back?"

Although it's a bit of an exaggeration, it's not impossible according to the panel's description.

"The more severe the injury, the longer the regeneration time."

"If it's just a superficial injury, with the help of wound regeneration, it can probably heal in a few minutes."

"But if a bone is broken or an internal organ is damaged, it will take longer and require more energy."

"So the key is to store up energy regularly."

"The more you eat, the more reserves you have, and the more likely they are to save your life in a critical moment."

Aoyama stood up and stretched his limbs.

The transformation brought about by the regeneration of severed body parts is comprehensive. He can feel that his reaction speed and muscle explosiveness have been subtly improved.

Although the improvement is small, in this dangerous world, every little bit of progress is useful.

He thought to himself, "I'll try my best not to get seriously injured. It will hurt, and it will take time to recover. In this godforsaken place, time is life."

"Could we create a mechanism that shields us from pain?"

After a moment's thought, Qingshan extinguished the flames.

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed in the direction where he had killed the chimpanzee.

"Go check if those people are still alive. They could help me collect insects and animals."

The road beneath my feet is becoming more and more familiar.

Passing through an old tree, climbing over a moss-covered hill, I secretly stirred the snow...

However, when Aoyama stood on the top of the slope and looked down, he stopped in his tracks.

In that open space, not even the carcass of a chimpanzee could be seen.

It was spotless, as if it had been licked by something.

"Dried by the storm?"

Aoyama's gaze slowly swept across the entire open space.

The carcasses of the chimpanzees he had killed all disappeared.

"Or were they dragged away by predators?"

He took a few steps closer and checked the surroundings.

There were numerous drag marks on the soil, as well as claw marks from some large animal.

The claw marks were much larger than chimpanzee footprints and surprisingly deep, sinking two or three centimeters into the soil.

"Tsk."

Aoyama stood up, his brow furrowing slightly.

"It seems there are quite a few wild animals around here. More than a dozen corpses were emptied in just a few days."

He stroked his chin, his gaze lingering for a moment on the obvious marks on the ground:

"It's either a group activity, or it's something so big that it can drag several of them away at once."

"But, do such large creatures really exist?"

He didn't dwell on it for long.

That's how the food chain works; who doesn't eat the meat of a dead animal?

As long as those things don't cause him trouble, he's too lazy to care who dragged the corpse away.

"I hope he's still alive."

Qingshan changed direction and headed towards the valley.

Watanabe said they would set up a temporary camp in the valley there.

Although he didn't intend to take these people as his subordinates, they were at least kindred spirits with whom he had exchanged a few words.

After walking for about ten minutes, he saw the valley.

Then he frowned and stopped.

"He's still dead."

Qingshan stood at the entrance to the mountain pass, his gaze fixed ahead.

His expression remained unchanged, but his right hand, gripping the hilt of the machete, unconsciously tightened its grip.

Three mutilated corpses were hanging from a horizontal branch of a large tree.

A breeze blew by, and the corpse swayed gently.

He still remembered Watanabe's clothes from the mountain—a dark gray hunter's jacket, now torn to shreds.

The body's left arm was missing, and jagged bone fragments were exposed at the break, along with dense bite marks.

The younger corpse next to it had its legs gone below the knees, its chest cavity hollowed out, leaving only a skeletal outline.

The others were basically in a similar predicament.

Aoyama stood there for a few seconds.

His breathing was steady, and his heartbeat did not accelerate.

He had long since passed the stage of feeling disgusted by such a scene.

Aoyama speculated: "Could it be... that the chimpanzee came back to take revenge?"

"Or maybe the chimpanzee's carcass attracted a lot of predators, and they were touched?"

He slowly walked into the ravine, remaining vigilant, his eyes scanning the canopy of every tree and every clump of bushes around him.

With its full vision activated, it monitors everything around it from every angle, leaving no blind spots.

There was no ambush.

The valley was very quiet, so quiet that the only sound was the wind rustling through the leaves.

Aoyama walked to the big tree and looked up at the corpse hanging on a horizontal branch.

They must have died about a day ago; the blood on their wounds had dried to a dark brown, and flies buzzed around them.

"It's a pity. I was originally planning to give you a task and help you out while I was at it."

"If it can't hold, then there's nothing we can do."

Qingshan lowered his gaze, calmly contemplating the situation.

"True strength lies in one's own strength."

"Saving them once doesn't mean you can save them for life."

After all, she wasn't his woman.