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

"Well, this is my first defensive ability after all, so it's not bad."

"Although it doesn't directly increase attack power, it's still very practical."

"But... I'm starting to think about becoming the Thunder King."

Aoyama is craving eel.

He stood up, gathered the crab shells around the fire, and extinguished the fire completely.

"Let's keep going."

After walking a long way, the stream became wider than upstream. The water was still clear, but the flow rate had slowed down considerably.

The vegetation on both sides has also changed. Tall trees have been gradually replaced by dense shrubs and ferns, and in some places, large clumps of reeds have even appeared.

Qingshan slowed his pace, carefully observing the movements in the water.

He soon made new gains.

In a eddy at a bend in the stream, he found several water snakes coiled in the crevices of the rocks beneath the water's surface, occasionally poking their heads out to breathe.

"Water snake..."

Qingshan stood on the shore, looking down at the several grayish-brown snakes.

"This thing looks scary, but the meat is edible."

"They're just a bit hard to catch."

He hesitated for a second, but still decided to take action.

Water snakes are much more difficult to catch than crabs.

Those guys are quick to react and agile, and once startled, they will quickly dart into deep water or hide in the crevices of rocks.

But Aoyama has omniscient vision and reaction speed far exceeding that of ordinary people.

After carefully observing the movement patterns of the water snakes for a while, he gradually figured out what was going on.

Let's cosplay as the legendary little fishman, Yuan Hua.

He picked a thick tree branch about two meters long with a forked end, and walked to the water's edge, tiptoeing.

The All-Seeing ability locked onto the nearest water snake.

The creature was coiled up next to a rock that was half-submerged in the water, its grayish-brown scales gleaming slightly in the shimmering water, its head tilted back as if it were watching its surroundings.

Qingshan held his breath and slowly raised the tree branch in his hand.

He aimed at the area behind the snake's head and slammed down.

"Hey—!"

The forked branches precisely caught the snake's neck, pinning it to the rock.

The water snake writhed violently in an instant, its body thrashing wildly on the water's surface, its scales shimmering in the sunlight.

Qingshan stepped forward, quickly reached down with his free left hand, grabbed the back of the snake's head, and lifted it completely out of the water.

"Tch, luckily I'm one step ahead."

The water snake writhed wildly in his hand, its body coiling around his wrist before loosening, its tail whipping up a spray of water.

Without changing his expression, Qingshan gripped the back of its neck, took out a branch, threaded the water snake onto it like a fish, and threw it onto the grassy bank.

"Catch a few more."

Over the next period of time, Qingshan walked back and forth along the stream, catching the water snakes he could find one by one.

Some hid under the rocks, some were coiled among the seaweed, and some tried to crawl into the mud holes on the shore; none of them escaped.

When he finished counting his spoils, there were already eight water snakes with different patterns strung on the branches.

"々｀ It's a pity that the others all ran away."

Qingshan sat by the fire, peeling and cleaning the water snakes.

He cut the snake meat into sections, skewered them one by one with tree branches, and slowly roasted them over the fire.

The snake meat slowly turned golden brown under the heat of the flames, emitting an aroma that blended with that of grilled fish and chicken, its skin sizzling with oil.

Qingshan picked up a skewer of grilled snake meat, blew on it, and took a bite.

He chewed, then nodded thoughtfully. "The texture is a bit like chicken, but more tender."

After eating eight water snakes in one go, he stopped and checked the progress on the panel.

[Feeding Log: Water Snakes x8]

Current progress: 8/20 (Incomplete)

[Effect Preview: Lurking (Water Snake) - Requires continued consumption of similar ingredients to complete activation.]

"Just one special ability?"

It's pretty much confirmed that Aoyama's skill is a sneak attack.

After all, snakes are best at tracking and ambushing.

As for venom, it depends on the type of snake.

"Let's leave it at that for now."

Qingshan looked at the sky; the sun had risen directly overhead, casting a slanted beam of light.

He calculated the time; about three or four hours had passed since he left the shelter, but the stream was still quite far downstream.

"If we encounter a water snake on the road, we can replenish it slowly."

Qingshan hung the five palm-sized turtles he had caught while catching the water snake on his backpack.

He shouldered his backpack and continued walking.

The road was much longer than he had anticipated.

The stream meanders through different forest belts, sometimes dense groves of trees, sometimes open meadows, and sometimes into a narrow canyon.

Qingshan walked and observed along the way.

He observed the terrain and vegetation on both sides to assess the abundance of resources and the level of security in the area.

"The resources are relatively abundant, but the environment is even worse than that of a shelter."

After walking for another hour or so, the trees on both sides of the stream began to thin out, and the view gradually opened up.

Aoyama could feel the humidity in the air decreasing. Although it still carried the unique scent of vegetation characteristic of the forest, the stuffy, humid air had indeed become less intense.

"Are we almost at the beach?" He perked up and quickened his pace.

But after making two more bends, the stream finally flows into a vast wetland.

The aquatic plants are lush and the reeds grow in abundance, stretching as far as the eye can see.

The clear, cool stream here branches into countless tiny tributaries, seeping deep into the wetlands, becoming murky and slow.

Aoyama stood at the edge of the wetland, his gaze sweeping across the vast expanse of water in front of him.

"It's come to an end."

He was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the horizon in the distance of the wetlands.

It was still a continuous expanse of green, with no sign of the sea.

“This stream doesn’t lead to the sea, but to a swampy wetland.” Aoyama stroked his chin, his brows furrowing slightly.

He stood still, his gaze sweeping across the wetlands into the distance.

Sunlight cast shimmering golden light on the water's surface, and the reeds swayed gently in the breeze.

Occasionally, a few waterbirds would be startled from the depths of the reeds, flapping their wings and flying into the sky.

“Wetland environments are not suitable for building bases.”

"The water is too abundant, and there will be more of it than in the forest."

“Once the rainy season arrives, this wetland will most likely be flooded.”

Aoyama withdrew his gaze and sighed, "It seems we need to find a stream near the sea again."

He found a relatively dry spot on the edge of the wetlands and sat down.

He took out his water pouch from his backpack, took a sip, and then tore off a piece of roasted dragon meat jerky and chewed it slowly.

"It's probably not that easy to find a stream near the sea."

As Qingshan chewed on the dried meat, his gaze fell on the distant horizon, and his thoughts drifted away.

"I can try a different approach."

"Walk along the beach near the shipwreck; there's a forest right next to it, so finding a stream should be easier."

"As long as there is running water and it is close to the ocean, I can establish a stable and secure base nearby."

He stood up, brushed the debris off his hands, and glanced once more at the vast wetland.

"This trip wasn't entirely fruitless; at least we confirmed the direction of the stream."

"They also unlocked the shell enhancement ability, which was a pleasant surprise."

Qingshan packed up his things and started to return the way he came.

Chapter 60: He's a man capable of hunting giant bears and dinosaurs! [Image]

Next to the shelter.

The campfire flickered with a warm light, making the surroundings dry and comfortable.

Above the smoking rack hung strips of meat, their surfaces already charred dark brown by the smoke.

Lady Yukinoshita stood beside the smoker, holding a brush made of bark fibers, cleaning herself.

Her movements were gentle and delicate, even though it was her first time doing something like this.

The soft sunlight shone on her, and her fair skin was so transparent that you could see the pale blue veins underneath.

"Mother, is this height enough?" Yukino Yukinoshita stood behind her, holding a freshly carved wooden frame in her hand, her voice clear and steady.

Lady Yukinoshita turned around and glanced at her, a slight smile playing on her lips: "A little more to the left, yes, right there."

Yukino tiptoed and wedged the wooden frame into the crack in the wall.

She was wearing her clean school uniform, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders, the red ribbons on either side swaying gently with her movements.

She was slender and straight, with a calm and serious expression.

Izumi Sagiri squatted by the fire, holding a thin twig in her hand, carefully tucking the ash from the edge of the fire to the side.

Her light blue pupils were fixed intently on the flames, occasionally squinting from the smoke, a speck of ash landing on the tip of her nose, but she remained completely unaware.

"Sawu, you have dust on your nose."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's voice came from the nearby shelter, carrying her usual languidness and nonchalance.

She leaned against the pile of fur by the wall, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders, her red pupils half-closed, as if she hadn't fully woken up yet.

"Eh?"

Izumi Sagiri paused for a moment.

He raised the back of his hand and rubbed the tip of his nose haphazardly, but instead of spreading the dust further, he left a streak of gray.

“...Now you look even more like a little kitten.” Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled, a hint of amusement flashing in her red eyes.

Shawu's cheeks flushed instantly. She lowered her head and vigorously wiped her nose with her sleeve, her voice so soft it was like a mosquito's buzz: "...It's wiped off."

Yukino withdrew her hand from the wooden frame, glanced at Sagiri, her black eyes calm and undisturbed.

But the corners of his mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly for a moment before quickly returning to their original state.

Lady Yukinoshita finished preparing the smoked meat and placed the brush on the stone slab beside her.

She took a step back, examined the smoked meat, and nodded in satisfaction.

"These meat strips should be ready to be stored after smoking them for a few more days."

"Even if we can't hunt during the rainy season, we'll have enough to eat for a long time."

As she spoke, she gently wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.