Bright Sword Chapter - Clarification

"If, as you say, the more people there are, the better, why do you only choose a few to act?"

"Indeed, in some respects, the more people, the better, but as numbers increase, quality decreases. Furthermore, we cannot currently confirm the other party's objective. In such a situation, sharing one's individual thoughts with others carelessly easily leads to misunderstandings. You should be aware that, compared to adults, young people are completely untrustworthy. Seeing us, don't you already know this? To ensure the plan proceeds smoothly, we must be in the same age bracket and able to keep each other in check. Different professions, different ideologies, and different experiences allow us to complete tasks better. My plan's goal is very clear: to keep all my companions alive. As for others, I'm sorry, my abilities are limited; I cannot guarantee their survival. I might help those in need depending on the situation, but only on the condition that it does not threaten our own survival."

"I have nothing to say on many points, but I feel this is unfair to others. Deceiving people just to survive..."

"Wrong, you are mistaken, Freya. Only by us surviving is there a way out. If we all die for the sake of such trivial humanity, who will then reveal what happened here to the world? Who will pray for those who died? Only we—only those of us who have perceived the crisis and wish to continue living—can survive and accomplish what others cannot. This place is completely different from the reality we understand. In fact, I have discovered some strange issues that I think you should know about."

"You should also be aware that there are no more rations of water and food. The food everyone holds will last at most until tomorrow. By the day after, everyone will have to eat fruit or fish, but how many people here can obtain food on their own? Out of 340 people, only half should be able to get food with their own hands. When that time comes, everyone's mindset will change completely. No one will pity the weak. Within ten days, the number of people will decrease by about [number] or so; most will die from mental breakdown or lack of food. After thirty days, the number will be even smaller, perhaps only [number] or so. These people are those who survived by trampling on the weak; for them, there is almost no humanity left. Do you want to bet? If this expedition team doesn't find water and food, tomorrow, the sins of humanity will appear on this island!"

"Have you noticed? A key point of having fewer people is not having to worry about food and water. I am fully capable of helping you find enough food. Even if the island's fruit is eaten up, the animals are roasted, and the fish are completely fished out, I have ways to keep the five of us alive. I have just slightly grasped some of the island's conditions. If nothing goes wrong, I have ways to solve even a year's worth of food and water. This can be considered a guarantee for you to become my partners."

Ellis worked very hard to translate Zhi's words to the other three. The three listened carefully, often showing expressions of surprise, but they soon accepted the reality. Once Ellis finished, Zhi patted him on the shoulder and said, "Everyone, get some good rest tonight. We start acting tomorrow morning." Zhi turned and walked away, feeling the pressure. Some of what he said earlier was bravado; if his calculations were correct, feeding five people wouldn't be difficult, but if the island's actual conditions weren't ideal, no one could conclude what would happen then...

Zhi found a relatively cool place on the beach to rest. He hadn't slept all night and still had to prepare for the tunnel issue. After tonight, he would have at most three or four hours of rest. He had to rest now for the sake of future operations.

Zhi's resting spot was very conspicuous, and Ellis and the others found him quickly, but they had no intention of waking him.

Ellis said to Freya, "He is the most excellent wilderness survival expert I have ever seen. If we follow him, I feel we will definitely survive. Freya, don't you think so?"

Freya adjusted her glasses and said, "The term 'wilderness survival expert' is too small for him. If the facts are truly as he said, then he will become a messenger capable of changing the destinies of others..."

Ellis nodded and said, "Yes, and we are among those whose destinies are being changed by him..."

The third night on the isolated island...

When Zhi woke up, it was already ten o'clock at night. If not for the growling of his stomach, he might have slept for a few more hours. Now, most of the people on the beach were talking about something. As for what they were discussing, Zhi had no way of knowing; the language barrier was indeed not very good in some respects. However, one thing was certain: the expedition team hadn't returned to the beach, and the other companions weren't nearby. It was the best time for Zhi to act.

First, Zhi had to solve the problem of his hunger. This was very simple for him; he was fully capable of getting what he wanted to eat—fruit, or even meat.

An hour later, at exactly eleven o'clock at night, Zhi was wandering on the beach. Some people were already out of food and were trying to catch fish by the sea to fill their stomachs. This was not an easy task; on a night like this, even the shallow sea contained creatures capable of taking a human life.

"Zhi, something happened!!" A shout from behind suddenly brought Zhi, who was reminiscing, back to reality. Zhi turned around to see Ellis running over quickly.

To hide his surprise, Zhi asked casually, "What happened?"

Ellis stopped, panting, and said, "Someone discovered that those buried corpses had been dug up, and new wounds appeared on them—all with their chests pierced through by some sharp weapon. It seems you were right; there are definitely creatures other than humans on this island. Oh, right, there's also one corpse missing. Many people went to look for it, but there wasn't even a trace left!!"

Zhi had originally thought it was something major; he hadn't expected what he did last night to be discovered so quickly. He really wanted to laugh, but this way, it would be easier to make Ellis and the others believe him.

Zhi feigned shock and said, "I didn't expect them to act so soon. Ellis, I'll go take a look myself. You should get some rest early today. Tomorrow, we must find a location that can serve as a base within the day. Don't worry too much about this matter, because it is still in the shadows. We just need to do what we have to do."

Ellis felt much calmer after hearing Zhi's words. She nodded and began to chat with Zhi. They chatted for about half an hour before Ellis went to rest. Zhi had long since grown tired of the so-called small talk, as it was simply a waste of his time. What he needed to do now was ensure the final stage of the tunnel was completed.

Late at night, after confirming no one was around, Zhi entered the forest and slowly headed toward his destination. Because the corpse incident had been discovered, it was very likely that people were still moving around in the forest.

"I didn't think the corpse matter would be discovered so quickly. It seems the next step must be completed faster. There are still [number] people on the island; they are too much of a nuisance!"

"Wait, why would others discover the corpses? According to Ellis, those dead had no other relatives on this island, so who would go to the corpses for no reason? No, no, no one would go there for no reason. Could it be that someone went there for a certain purpose?"

"If I consider it this way, things become very easy to understand. Someone went there for a purpose, dug up the corpses, discovered the abnormality, and notified others."

"Because ordinary people cannot distinguish whether the soil covering a corpse has been disturbed, the matter would only be exposed if the corpses were dug up."

"Who would go to look at corpses for no reason? Could it be that someone has the same idea as me? No, impossible. If he had the same idea as me, he wouldn't notify others. This means the person who discovered the corpses has a different motive. What that motive is, I can't figure out right now, but understanding the situation to this point is enough to solve it. I'll skip looking for a base tomorrow; first, I'll find out who discovered this."

"Things are getting more and more interesting. I didn't expect the other party to show their fox tail so quickly!!"