Desert Island Survival Arc (9)

Desert Island Survival Arc (9)

At first, Zhang Heng counted the days, calculating how many remained until his return.

But later, he realized that doing so did nothing but make him depressed. The more you watched time, the slower it seemed to pass.

So Zhang Heng simply stopped keeping track of the date. When he harvested the fourth crop of potatoes he had planted, he finally heard that long-awaited notification again.

Archery skill increased from Level 1 to Level 2. View the character panel for relevant information...

Zhang Heng hurried back to his brick house, dug out the Starfish buried in a corner, and only after putting it on did he realize he had spent a full 385 days on this deserted island—more than a year.

Though he still could not compare with the famed Robinson Crusoe, it was incredible enough for a city dweller.

In fact, Zhang Heng had now completely adapted to life in the wilderness.

To make his living conditions more comfortable, his brick house and vegetable garden had both undergone two expansions. The former had gone from a single room to three bedrooms and a living room, complete with underfloor heating. The latter now produced more than he could consume. Zhang Heng chopped the excess potatoes into pieces with a stone knife and dried them in the sun, making 100% all-natural potato chips.

He had also found onions in the forest and transplanted them into his little garden. After finishing all that, he spent some time building a fishpond, a bath, and a breeding enclosure beside his house.

The fishpond held more fish and crabs than he could eat, while the "wild chicken" whose head had gotten stuck in the fence had the honor of becoming the breeding enclosure's first resident.

Zhang Heng had shot at it for a month and a half, leaving it traumatized. It had gone from a cocky big rooster that said, "I ain't afraid of anyone. If you've got the guts, just give me a quick death," to a vacant-eyed, listless old man abandoned by his children.

Zhang Heng felt a little bad about it too. He restrained his urge to eat it and penned it up instead, thinking he might get some eggs out of it. However, that dream died the day he discovered the thing appeared to be male.

Fine, he would keep it as a pet. Zhang Heng named the "wild chicken" Mickey Mouse.

Compared to fish, birds, and crabs, at least it was a little smarter. If he kept it long enough, they might even be able to interact a little.

Zhang Heng's hit rate against moving targets within ten meters had reached eighty percent, and it had exceeded fifty percent at thirty meters. After receiving the notification that his Archery skill had risen to Level 2, he knew it was finally time to set out.

So he spent ten days preparing portable food for two people, as well as a month's worth of rations for Mickey Mouse. Then he selected the toughest wood available and made two spears to use as melee weapons.

On the 401st day, when Explorer Man drifted in from the sea again, Zhang Heng paddled his homemade raft over to him.

"Thank you, my friend! Are you a native of this island? The ship I was on sank in a powerful typhoon. I was the only one who swam here, but I was completely exhausted. If you hadn't helped me, I probably would have been done for."

"..."

Zhang Heng was speechless. How did I look like a native?

He lowered his head and examined his reflection in the seawater. All right, he did look like a textbook native. He had spent too long on this deserted island; aside from his watch, almost everything he had brought with him had broken.

Still, seeing another human being was always cause for joy. Zhang Heng had not spoken to anyone in nearly a year. He was excited to see Explorer Man and handed him the wooden barrel containing fresh water.

"My name is Zhang Heng. I'm not a native here. I was shipwrecked too, just like you, but that happened a year ago."

After drinking some water, Explorer Man's complexion improved considerably. He had initially worried that this savage had rescued him to prepare dinner, but once he learned that Zhang Heng was civilized, delight appeared on his face.

"My name is Bear Buttrey. I once served in Britain's 21st Airborne Special Service Regiment, climbed Mount Everest, and eventually became a host, explorer, and author... You said you've lived on this island for a year? That's truly remarkable."

"Strictly speaking, I had two companions, but neither of them made it." Zhang Heng paused, then tentatively asked, "Do you remember the two people who fell into the sea with you?"

"What people who fell into the sea with me?" Bear did not look like he was lying. "I did try to save people when the accident happened, but then a huge wave knocked me unconscious. When I opened my eyes again, I saw this island."

"..."

Zhang Heng was not surprised by that answer, only somewhat regretful. Since Bear had no memory of either Ed or Shorts Kid, he surely would not remember drifting in the sea for a year himself.

He was rather curious how the game would patch over this bug, but it had simply played dumb and muddled through.

After paddling the raft ashore, Zhang Heng led Bear to his cabin.

"Did you build all of this with your own hands?" Seeing the tile-roofed house with its panoramic ocean view, the thriving vegetable garden, and the pond filled with fish and shrimp, Bear could not help sighing in admiration. "I don't think there's anything left for me to teach you, because even I couldn't have done better than this."

As he spoke, his gaze landed on Mickey Mouse, who was in the breeding enclosure sighing mournfully over the hardships of life, and he froze.

Zhang Heng thought Mickey Mouse's appearance had once again successfully scared someone ugly. Just as he was about to introduce them, Bear suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "My God, what am I seeing?! A Dodo Bird! There are actually living Dodo Birds in this world!!!"

This time, Zhang Heng was the one stunned.

Of course, he was familiar with the name Dodo Bird. According to records, these birds had lived peacefully on Mauritius Island in the Indian Ocean until they encountered a group of European colonists. Disaster then struck, and they were driven extinct in just two hundred years. Now, there was not even a complete specimen left.

Zhang Heng had never expected that he had casually eaten Mauritius's national bird.

But since this was a game, nothing that happened could be too surprising.

Seeing Zhang Heng's calm expression, Bear was somewhat surprised. So he kindly explained, "Dodo Birds went completely extinct in 1681. There are many theories about why: some say European colonists ate them all, some say animals brought by the colonists caused an invasive species crisis, and others say changes in the environment were to blame... But regardless, they have vanished from Earth. In 2016, a single Dodo Bird skeleton sold for a staggering five hundred thousand pounds. Your discovery on this island would shock the entire world."

Unfortunately, this was only a game world. The script outside the island was completely blank... Zhang Heng added silently. But he could not explain it to Bear like that. After considering it, he chose a more acceptable explanation. "Bear, even if these really are Dodo Birds, we need to figure out how to leave this island before we can show them to the world."

"You're right." Bear agreed. "Dodo Birds being on this island isn't good news for us. It means no one has ever landed here, and this place probably isn't on any shipping route."

"I've been on the island for over a year, and I'm already familiar with most of the outer areas. Next, I want to take a look at the island's center... Maybe I'll find a way back."

"Then let me go with you. I think I can still be of help when it comes to exploration." Bear readily agreed. "When do we leave? Tomorrow?"

"No, no... Let's wait another couple of days. Let your body recover completely. And, um... keep me company and talk with me for a while too." Zhang Heng looked at the explorer with longing in his eyes.

"???"