A Spirit Beast's Skeleton-Now That's a Find

"Our top priority today is still finding materials to start a fire, so we won't take yesterday's route. We'll go the other way."

"Whoever stays outside should keep collecting straw."

"Also, don't waste the snake head and organs left over from last night. Tie them to vines as bait and see if you can catch any shrimp or crabs."

"I'll evaporate some seawater for salt later. If we catch shrimp and crabs, we can make shrimp paste and crab paste that'll keep for a long time."

Who said reading novels was a waste of time?

If Chu Xiu hadn't read so many Desert Island Survival novels, how would he know so much about surviving in the wild?

[Shui Bing'er has developed a slight dependence on you. Bond Value +10]

[Current Bond Value: 20]

[Ning Rongrong's feelings for you have deepened. Bond Value +5]

[Current Bond Value: 40]

Chu Xiu was assigning the day's tasks when two notifications sounded in his mind.

He could understand Ning Rongrong's Bond Value going up.

But what was going on with Shui Bing'er?

Chu Xiu glanced at the two women. Ning Rongrong made no attempt to hide the affection and admiration in her eyes when she looked at him.

Her Bond Value was only at 40, yet her feelings were already so obvious.

Clearly, Ning Rongrong wasn't one to hide whom she loved or hated.

Shui Bing'er, on the other hand, looked perfectly composed. Nothing in her expression suggested she had any feelings for Chu Xiu.

But the Deserted Island Martial Soul's notification couldn't be wrong.

So the lovely Bing'er keeps it all bottled up?

Chu Xiu teased her mercilessly in his head, but he kept a straight face as he continued, "That's everything I can think of for now. If you have any other suggestions, speak up."

"No objections here."

Qian Renxue was the first to respond.

"None from me either."

Shui Bing'er had already begun to depend on Chu Xiu, so she was naturally willing to follow his lead.

Ning Rongrong stretched and flashed a bright smile. "Since everyone agrees, let's get going. I can't wait to try out my new shoes."

Chu Xiu and the others looked down and noticed that Ning Rongrong had wrapped tough leaves around her feet.

The leaves were large and sturdy, with a texture a little like leather, though they weren't nearly as soft.

She had wrapped them around her feet and tied them at the ankles with vines, making herself a simple pair of shoes.

"Want some? I can make a pair for each of you. Except the old woman."

"As if I'd want any," Qian Renxue snorted.

They were just leaves. It wasn't as though she couldn't make her own.

Chu Xiu thought for a moment before saying, "I'll pass. The leaves won't stay snug against my feet, so they might just get in the way."

Shui Bing'er had been about to accept, but after hearing Chu Xiu, she realized the leaves might hamper her movement too.

So she said, "Rongrong, you're afraid of bugs, so you wear yours. We'll let you know if we need any later."

"Fine by me. Saves me the trouble."

Ning Rongrong shrugged, looking entirely unconcerned.

Ning Rongrong and Qian Renxue were the ones heading into the forest today. Neither could stand the other. Ning Rongrong took the lead as soon as they entered, while Qian Renxue deliberately hung back behind Chu Xiu.

Caught between two beautiful women, Chu Xiu felt both helpless and secretly pleased.

This time, they headed in the opposite direction from yesterday's Wild Apple grove. Finding materials to start a fire was one goal, but more importantly, Chu Xiu wanted to see if they would encounter another Mutated Plant.

They had come across two Mutated Plants yesterday. Both had been mortal-grade, but that suggested there might be plenty more on the island.

Yet they walked all morning, until the sun was directly overhead.

They didn't encounter a single Mutated Plant.

"It's noon. Let's eat some fruit first," Qian Renxue said as she came up beside Chu Xiu.

They had each brought fruit into the forest this time. Going all the way back to the beach whenever they wanted to eat wasted too much time.

"All right."

Chu Xiu nodded, then called to Ning Rongrong up ahead, "Rongrong, stop there. Let's eat something and take a break."

He had barely finished speaking when Ning Rongrong cried out.

Chu Xiu's pupils contracted, and he rushed to her side.

"What happened? Did something bite you again?"

"No. Look!"

Ning Rongrong's face was deathly pale. She pointed to a crooked tree a dozen or so meters ahead. A stark white skeleton hung from one of its lowest branches.

"Be careful. Stay behind me."

Chu Xiu walked forward, with Ning Rongrong and Qian Renxue following him.

When they reached the tree, they saw that the skeleton belonged to some kind of beast. It measured over two meters from head to tail. Alive, it must have been bigger than a tiger.

Something had bitten a hole through its skull, and the branch had entered its head through that hole.

The Spirit Beast had been hung in the tree and eaten bit by bit.

"Judging by the shape of the bones, it looks like a Netherworld Wolf," Qian Renxue said. Her broad knowledge had quickly given her an answer.

Ning Rongrong had heard of the Spirit Beast too. She swallowed nervously. "No way. Aren't Netherworld Wolves dark-type Spirit Beasts? What would one be doing near the sea?"

Chu Xiu had studied under Yu Xiaogang for years, though much of his learning had been self-directed.

As it happened, he knew about Netherworld Wolves. He had even tried to absorb one's Spirit Ring once.

Chu Xiu touched the bones. A chill that seemed to reach his soul made him shiver.

"It is a Netherworld Wolf. Judging by its size, it was only a pup, no more than three hundred years old."

Qian Renxue nodded in agreement:

"A three-hundred-year-old Netherworld Wolf wouldn't be much of a threat outside. But we can't use our Martial Souls here. If we ran into one, we'd have almost no chance of escaping."

Qian Renxue's Angel Martial Soul had a holy attribute that was especially effective against dark creatures like Netherworld Wolves.

Outside this place, she wouldn't have worried about one even if it were thirty thousand years old, let alone three hundred.

But this was Survival Island.

Without their Martial Souls, humans had no natural advantage over Spirit Beasts.

"This Netherworld Wolf is dead, but that means an even stronger Spirit Beast is still alive. Should we keep going?" Ning Rongrong had calmed down. She lowered her voice as she asked Chu Xiu.

Qian Renxue also looked to him for an answer.

Chu Xiu shook his head:

"To be safe, we shouldn't explore any farther."

His strength had nearly doubled, but even with the crude stone spear in his hand, he couldn't be sure he could defeat a Netherworld Wolf.

And there was more to it than that.

Hunting a Spirit Beast and hanging it in a tree to eat was the habit of a feline Spirit Beast called a lynx.

Among Spirit Beasts of the same age, felines were almost unbeatable.

Lynxes ranked among the strongest feline Spirit Beasts in combat. Even wolf packs would steer clear of them.

Chu Xiu wasn't arrogant enough to provoke one without his Martial Soul.

"But this trip wasn't for nothing. This Netherworld Wolf skeleton could be incredibly useful to us," Chu Xiu said, his eyes gleaming.