Howling / Making a Fire

Lin has encountered countless bizarre events, and the various anomalies caused by the Honkai are numerous. The environment of the large-scale Honkai alone is enough to make people feel like they have stepped into another world.

But none of the previous times had ever puzzled Lin as much as this one.

He went to bed after playing games with others last night, but when he woke up this morning, he found himself lying in the wreckage of a ship, dressed in tattered clothes, on a strange island.

Lin was not frightened by the current situation. Instead, he calmly observed the situation and quickly grasped some of the details.

First of all, the shipwreck that looked like it had been torn to shreds was indeed theirs, and the details of the hull were the same as those Lin remembered.

Secondly, this island is very likely not their destination, the Nameless Island, but another one, which can be known by observing the position of the sun.

At last...

Lin watched as a series of footprints on the beach led towards the island. After a moment's thought, he followed the footprints.

The ship was severely damaged, with only scattered wreckage remaining. The entire main body had disappeared, and it looked as if something had smashed it in the middle.

Aside from that one footprint, Lin didn't see any other traces, and he didn't have a communicator with him, so he had no way of knowing the situation of the others.

However... the Flame-Chaser of the Firemoth went on vacation and encountered a shipwreck, resulting in the complete annihilation of the entire army.

... It sounds absurd, like Herrscher drowning.

Because it was impossible, Lin didn't take it to heart. His priority was to find someone who had drifted with him.

Perhaps that person also realized that someone would be looking for her, so she left traces along the way to find her location, and Lin found her very easily.

A girl with animal ears on her head squatted by the clear stream, cupped the water in her clean hands, took a sip, and nodded gently to confirm that it was fresh water before standing up.

She turned around and found Lin standing behind her. She paused for a moment, but then nodded calmly to Lin.

"Have you found anyone else?" Lin pushed aside the drooping branches and walked to her side, squatting down by the river.

Compared to simply checking whether the water is drinkable, Lin can discover much more through this stream. By examining the distribution of freshwater in the area, he can deduce most of the topography and wildlife distribution areas.

"No."

Lin didn't say much. He then asked Ying if she had a communicator, and received a negative answer.

So, their current situation is that they are on an unnamed island in the southeast of the Mu Continent. The ship has vanished, leaving only some useless wreckage. They have no way to contact headquarters or other people, and the others do not know where they are.

The good news is that the island has fresh water, animals, and plants, so at least they won't starve.

Excellent! Next, they might grow barley and rice on this island, make their own tools and pottery, raise goats to breed, build country villas and farms, and live a rich and simple life here. Then they might discover the traces of cannibals and save one who was about to be eaten at a cannibal feast, naming him Friday. They might also help a captain who came to the island quell a sailors' mutiny and finally return to society after 35 years.

This experience will be written into a novel as a legend, and then it's hard to tell whether it should be called Robinson Crusoe or Robinson Crusoe.

Of course, that's almost impossible. If the Fire Moths discover that important personnel are missing, they will definitely send out a rescue team. At best, they will stay on the island for a few days and then be taken back.

"Let's set up camp first. I saw some tracks of wild animals. It would be better to choose a location away from the settlement."

They were not afraid of wild animals; in fact, their physical abilities far surpassed those of almost all wild animals on land. However, being harassed by wild animals would be a very troublesome matter.

Having worked together before, the two were quite efficient and coordinated. In less than half an hour, they found a spot and built a simple campsite using ship wreckage, trees, and stones. They found some edible mushrooms, started a fire, and roasted them.

At this point, neither of them realized how naive their thinking was...

Chapter 145 Roar

Just when you think things are going to get better, life slaps you in the face and tells you, "Fuck you."

After a full day of searching, Lin and Ying found no trace of anyone else. The island was also exceptionally large, and a day was far from enough to explore the entire island. Lin estimated that they hadn't even explored a quarter of it. As darkness fell, they had no choice but to return to their camp to rest.

Is there such a large, unnamed island in the southeastern sea area of the Mu Continent...?

The unique island weather makes the temperature here much higher than the Headquarters Base, which has internal regulation. This is nothing to Lin, since he doesn't even feel it, but it's a bit uncomfortable for Ying. She has a good tolerance, but this is not a mission, and this kind of purely unlucky experience can only make people feel painful.

Even though they had chosen a relatively dry place, there were still mosquitoes bothering her, especially her long, thin ears, which had a lot of nerves inside. If a flying insect accidentally got in, it would make her tremble.

Lin added some damp wood to the fire to make it burn a little longer. They didn't need much light or warmth, but this would deter wild animals to some extent, and if there were other people on the island, they could see their fire.

"Crackling sound".

The fire crackled with the sound of burning firewood, and the atmosphere in the camp was just like when they first formed their team—nothing special, just familiar strangers sitting together, passing the time.

As Sakura groomed the fur on her ears and stuffed her animal ears with cloth, she would occasionally glance at Lin. She felt that this feeling was not bad at all; this person was always so calm, making everyone who was with him feel the same peace.

"Is everything alright on Ling's end?"

Just as Sakura's thoughts were wandering, Lin suddenly asked a question. Sakura came back to her senses and said softly, "It's okay. I told her that if I don't contact her for a long time, it means I'm doing a job where I can't contact others."

Sakura's lies are so casual, it's fortunate that Rin never thinks of Sakura in a bad light, and hasn't discovered Sakura's problem yet.

Lin was unusually talkative today. He was making his own fishing rod by the firelight. The only thing he found in the wreckage of the ship was hemp rope, which was just right to make a fishing rod. As he wound the line, he asked, "After the Honkai, have you thought about what you want to do?"

"Do what?"

Sakura never imagined that one day she would become a half-human, half-beast Flame-Chaser, a killer who used to live on the edge of a knife. No matter which version of her she was, she was an existence that the normal world could not accept.

Recalling the conversation with the person who came to pick her up after the mission, she lowered her head blankly and remained silent.

Does a real monster have the right to think about the future?

The flickering firelight danced on her face.

"I want to build a cemetery in the future to commemorate those who died in the Honkai."

The cold tone made her look up. Lin looked at her calmly, then looked up at the starry sky. "It would be too sad if no one remembered them."

His expressionless face conveyed a profound sorrow and compassion for humanity.

"...I don't know either."

This made Sakura feel even more ashamed; she couldn't even find a direction for her future life.

"I'm actually a little envious of you."

"Um?"

Lin said something unexpected, which made Ying look at him strangely.

"Before you find your own goal, there is already someone who can support your belief." Lin straightened the fishing line in his hand and tested the feel of it. "It took me a long time to find my future, and it took me a long time... to find the person who can support my belief."

"It will probably take an unpredictable amount of time to reach the future I want."

So you're actually envious of her in that aspect...?

Sakura knew a little about Lin's situation. He didn't join the Fire Moth out of hatred for the Honkai, but he also didn't have anyone he could call family. He was all alone from the beginning, wielding his sword solely for the goal of protecting humanity.

Was he such an empty person before?

"Would you be interested in becoming a gravedigger in my cemetery someday?" Lin asked a strange question.

"I?"

"I will pay your salary."

"... It's not about salary."

If one day the Honkai disappears and they return to normal life, Sakura and the others' characteristics as Flame-Chaser will become obstacles to their return to normal society. Therefore, Lin thinks that being a gravedigger in the cemetery, where they won't have frequent contact with other people, should be better.

Moreover, Lin had a premonition.

When the Honkai disappears, what will happen to the remaining Flame-Chaser, the Moths of Flame, who possess superhuman strength?

Will Sakura and her friends become heroes for humanity? Or...?

"If that day ever comes..." Sakura's eyes filled with longing.

She longed to take Rin to the amusement park again, to live carefree with her, without having to hide, without having to kill anyone, and without having any expectations of her anymore.

At that time, Sakura will tell Rin the whole truth.

"Splash!"

Suddenly, a downpour drenched Lin and Ying without warning, extinguishing the fire that Lin had planned to burn all night.

"..."

"..."

The weather on the island is unpredictable, and there's not much they can do but temporarily find a place to shelter from the rain.

Fortunately, there was a cave not far from them, and they immediately hid inside. Now they didn't have to worry about the dampness anymore, since they were both soaked to the bone.

Unfortunately, restarting the fire was very troublesome, since wet firewood is not easy to light, especially since Lin was using a fire-making method involving friction.

"It seems the rain won't stop tonight." Lin stood at the cave entrance, smoothing his slightly long hair back to reveal most of his face. He deduced that the rain was unlikely to stop, but fortunately, this cave was not the type that sinks inward to collect water.

When he turned to speak to Sakura, he noticed she was staring at him. He asked, "What's wrong?"

"Uh... no, it's nothing."

"..."

Sakura is still as enigmatic as ever.

Sakura was actually looking at his face. Although she had seen it several times before, he now had a handsome new hairstyle, and he really did look...

She suddenly noticed a small, almost invisible tuft of white hair at the end of Lin's long hair, which he was sweeping back, and asked in confusion, "Lin, your hair..."

"Oh, I dyed my hair."

"..."

Lin is still as enigmatic as ever.

Suddenly, a deafening roar rang out from the darkness.

"Howl--------"

Chapter 146 Starting a Fire

This is?

Lin suddenly looked outside the cave. The roar that tore through the darkness and rain came from somewhere on the island, and it was even louder and more profound in the quiet night.

Sakura also looked out of the cave, her expression equally solemn.

This is not the cry of some wild beast, but the howl of Honkai Beast.

Are there Honkai Beast on this island?

Honkai Beast don't only appear in human settlements; they can also be born in places where people rarely go. However, it's quite unexpected that Honkai Beast would exist so accidentally on such a secluded island.

"Judging from the direction, it should be the western part of this island." Lin Cong its direction.

They were currently on the eastern side of the island, meaning they were separated from the island by an entire other island.

"... Go look for it tomorrow."

Lin and his team need to determine the level of this Honkai Beast. If they can eliminate it, they should do so as well, since Honkai Beast also have the concept of "evolution." After surviving for a long time, Honkai Beast will modify themselves according to the environment. Although it is impossible for a lower-level Honkai Beast to evolve into Upper-class Honkai Beast, the Honkai Emperor is still a rather troublesome existence.

I never expected to encounter Honkai Beast after being stranded on an island. Is this good luck or bad luck?

After discussing their route for tomorrow, Lin and Ying decided to rest and conserve their energy.

Lin inadvertently noticed that Ying's clothes were sticking to her skin, damp and clinging to her skin. In this dark and humid cave, they would never be able to dry naturally. Even if Flame-Chaser could disregard the environment, he would still feel extremely uncomfortable and probably wouldn't be able to get a proper rest.

He thought for a moment, then said to Sakura, "I'm going out for a bit."

"Now?" Sakura looked at the torrential rain outside the cave, a downpour that defied description. "What are you going to do?"

"Find the materials to start a fire."

Before Sakura could utter another word, he had already rushed into the rain and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Sakura hadn't even had time to extend her hand...

How do you find materials to start a fire during a heavy rainstorm?

Sakura shook the water off her animal ears and gazed into the deep darkness outside the cave.

About half an hour later, Sakura saw a figure, soaking wet, return to the cave as quickly as he had left, and then throw the things he was carrying onto the ground.

Some stones, wet branches, and some bark.

But these things... are all wet, and they don't have any fire-starting tools. How are they going to start a fire?

Sakura stopped asking her questions. She watched as Lin used the stones he had found to build a small stone stove, put some firewood inside, and then picked up a branch and used a sharp-edged stone to scrape off the outer bark.

Huh?

After peeling away the soaking wet outer bark, Sakura was surprised to find that the inside of the branches was actually dry.

"Rotten wood in the forest will fall to the ground, and the inside of the upright branches is dry and can be used to start a fire." As Lin said this, he had already cut four branches. "There is also the bark of some dead trees. After peeling off the outer bark, the inner bark is also dry and can be used as tinder."

"It's best to use dry firewood rich in oil, such as pine."