If one were to pinpoint where scorpions might lurk on the deserted island, the possibilities would be numerous. After all, these arthropods have an absurdly high survival rate.
But if forced to name one likely spot, it would probably be the rocky beach on the cliff.
Therefore, if Chuck genuinely needed to concoct the contraceptive potion, it wouldn't be too difficult. However, it wasn't a priority right now, and the sheer number of single-use potion recipes meant that studying them all would take time.
After a night of rest and recovery, while the bruising on Chuck's leg wasn't as severe as yesterday, it was still swollen and sore. Full recovery would likely take a while, meaning he couldn't continue chopping wood for the shelter's upgrade blueprint yet.
But on a deserted island, time is life. He had to find something to do.
After much thought, Chuck finally decided to go exploring.
Not to hunt scorpions, but to return to the Swampy Wetlands to process the python corpse he had desperately killed yesterday, recovering as much usable material as possible.
Chuck casually picked a long stick from the firewood pile, sharpened one end smooth with a bone knife, and fashioned a crude walking staff.
He tested it by walking a couple of steps. It certainly saved him a lot of effort. This way, he could move around more easily despite his leg injury.
He briefly explained the situation to Julia, assuring her that the trip was not an adventure, which finally put the foreign woman slightly at ease. Chuck then limped along with his staff, like an old man out for a post-breakfast stroll, slowly making his way up the steep slope.
The reason he dared to venture out despite his incomplete recovery was that Chuck had largely confirmed the activity patterns of the island's beasts.
Whether it was the wild boar by the Stone Cliff Mud Pit, the Hakimi in the Redwood Forest, or the python in the Swampy Wetlands, once Chuck eliminated these territorial animals, the entire area would no longer pose a danger from large predators.
Similarly, the wolf pack on the Red Rock Hills and the fearsome black bear hiding in the Tropical Jungle seemed unlikely to leave their respective territories, even though Chuck dared not approach them.
So, as long as he didn't foolishly trespass into their territories and confined his activities to the areas he had already conquered, he should be perfectly safe.
The facts proved Chuck's assumption correct.
The trek to the Swampy Wetlands took some time, but besides hearing a few low growls from the black bear while passing the edge of the Tropical Jungle, Chuck encountered no danger.
The Swampy Wetlands were still muddy, and it was even harder for Chuck to navigate with his injured leg. After a great deal of effort, he finally reached the python corpse from yesterday.
As expected, after nearly a day and a night, the python's body had begun to decompose.
The good news was that the snakeskin was much easier to peel off in this state. With a simple cut and a hard pull, Chuck obtained a complete python hide that shimmered with an inky green luster.
Unlike an ordinary python, this giant snake's skin was quite large due to its extraordinary size, nearly half a meter wide and a terrifying six meters long, with a smooth, tough texture and a cool feel.
He figured it would be perfect for making a rain poncho or a sleeping mat.
Chuck then overcame his disgust and meticulously separated the snake bones from the already rotting flesh.
He recalled that these bones seemed to have some medicinal value and might be useful later when synthesizing potions.
As for the remaining mass of rotten flesh, Chuck looked for a long time but couldn't find anything else usable. He wrapped the snake bones in the skin and prepared to explore the vicinity.
But just a few steps into the swamp, a strange sensation suddenly emerged.
Chuck was familiar with this feeling. It was the reciprocal bonus granted by his Workbench cheat after boosting Julia's Trust Level to 100—Master Botanist—which allowed Chuck to sense any valuable plants nearby.
This time, the sensation was warm with a hint of sweetness and a faint woody aroma. Following the direction of the feeling, Chuck looked toward a cluster of palm trees on the edge of the swamp.
What could it be?
Intrigued, Chuck leaned on his staff and cautiously approached the palm cluster.
After parting the layers of trees, a small patch of inconspicuous, low-lying trees appeared before him…
The trunks were thick and short, with branches extending upwards, but unlike typical tall and slender palms, they looked sturdy and compact, seeming rather unremarkable.
Chuck's expression grew puzzled.
It was just a few low-lying palm trees at the edge of the swamp. Why would they trigger the Master Botanist bonus?
Could there be some hidden secret in these trees?
Chuck slightly furrowed his brow.
Based on his long acquaintance with the Workbench system, his cheat would never falter at a critical moment. The information it provided was always vital, and he shouldn't dismiss it.
So, Chuck stepped forward slightly and tentatively poked the nearest low-lying palm tree with his hand.
But the moment Chuck's finger touched the bark and pressed gently, his eyes instantly widened.
What the fuck? What is this texture?
It was noticeably softer than a regular palm tree. Chuck didn't even push hard, and his thumb easily pressed a small indentation into the trunk.
A light brown sap slowly seeped out.
Chuck was stunned. He cautiously raised his hand and sniffed the sap on his finger, immediately detecting a clear sweetness mixed with the woody aroma.
A bizarre conjecture surfaced in his mind.
Could the trunk of this tree be edible?!
Chuck scratched his head, finding the idea rather nonsensical.
He had heard stories from his grandfather about the older generations boiling leather belts and gnawing on bark during times of famine, but bark aside, how could the trunk of a tree be food?
However, he looked up and saw no edible fruits growing on the palm tree's trunk or branches. Yet, the Workbench bonus continued to transmit the sensation, telling him these strange, low-lying palm trees were very valuable.
Utterly at a loss, Chuck tentatively took out his small knife and gently scraped away the bark of the low-lying palm tree before him.
The next moment, the soft, pale red interior of the trunk was exposed.
Chuck carefully scooped out a small piece. Clear, sweet sap instantly flowed from the wound, and the aroma of sweetness grew even more distinct.
He immediately placed the small piece of trunk into the Workbench to see what his Synthesis Prompt Bro thought of it.
The facts proved that there was nothing the Prompt Bro didn't recognize on this deserted island.
[Synthesis Prompt: Trunk of a Sago Palm Tree. Can be refined into "Sago Starch." Requires sharp tools to shave and grind the trunk into powder. The powder must then be placed in a container with water to settle, and the fiber removed before consumption.]
Chuck's eyelids twitched, his heart surging with shock.
"Sago Starch?"
The trunk of this kind of palm tree actually contained starch!
After realizing this, Chuck's heart was flooded with ecstasy.
Although they had an abundance of dried meat these past few days—even with the addition of Gu Yitong and Gu Momo, they still had more than half of the dried meat from the wild boar and Hakimi, enough to last them at least ten days to half a month.
But even though Julia had tried her best to prepare a variety of dishes—roasting meat, boiling soup, stir-frying with lard—they were genuinely tired of eating only meat.
Staple food was undoubtedly an indispensable part of the diet for an Asian.
Countless nights, Chuck's mind would involuntarily recall the familiar rice, noodles, and steamed buns he once took for granted. He dreamt of having a bowl of the Lanzhou La Mian from the shop near his old apartment.
It wasn't just simple nostalgia from not having eaten it for a long time; it was also the body's reaction to prolonged lack of carbohydrates, resulting in low energy and low spirits.
Therefore, if there was one thing Chuck needed most right now, it was staple food that could provide a large amount of carbohydrates.
The taro he had found earlier would take at least half a month to mature, and even after one harvest, it would require multiple plantings to scale up and provide a stable supply of carbohydrates. Chuck had expected to endure this meat-only diet for much longer…
He hadn't expected such an unexpected harvest in this swamp.
He stood under the Sago Palm, pondering for a moment, and didn't rashly start chopping the trees.
Although these Sago Palms were relatively short, their trunks were quite thick because they were rich in starch. Bringing them back would take a lot of effort, and with his current injury, he definitely couldn't do it.
He stepped back a few paces and roughly counted them, his heart growing even happier.
There were no fewer than ten Sago Palms visible in this cluster alone. Although he didn't know how much starch one trunk could yield, it was definitely a huge food supplement!
With these Sago Palms, Chuck would have ample time to cultivate his own farm, finally achieving complete dietary freedom!
So, for now, he could only focus on healing his leg injury. Then, he would try to cut down one tree and take it back for processing.
After filtering out the sago starch, he would make a delicious flatbread and eat it!
If he could add some wild boar meat, brush on some lard, and sandwich it in the bread, how fragrant would that be?
Just thinking about it made Chuck's mouth water.
Leaning on his staff with one hand, carrying the snakeskin and bones with the other, Chuck reluctantly looked at the Sago Palms before him, finally turning to head back with a hint of regret.
He was so engrossed in reminiscing about the taste of a savory meat flatbread that he completely failed to notice a crucial detail.
At the edge of the jungle deep in the swamp, a tall, slender figure had appeared unnoticed…
The figure immediately spotted his back, and surprise flashed in the eyes behind the pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
The lips, marked by a beauty spot below, parted slightly, and she muttered to herself.
"There are… other people on this deserted island?"
Returning safely to the shelter, Chuck rested briefly, then tossed the simply cleaned snakeskin into the Workbench.
[Synthesis Prompt: Tough, smooth python snakeskin. Possesses excellent waterproof properties and is very sturdy. Can be paired with common materials to create rain gear.]
Unlike the synthesis of the wild boar cloak, this time, the prompt was immediately followed by multiple Workbench recipes, and several synthesis options appeared.
Rain poncho, umbrella, rain shelter, waterproof boots, waterproof bag, etc.
In short, all waterproof tools.
It seemed that the system viewed the snakeskin as nothing more than a long, waterproof cloth…
Ultimately, Chuck chose to make a rain poncho. It was simple in its material requirement and the most suitable option. If he needed to venture out into the rain to search for someone or something again, he wouldn't have to worry about his clothes getting soaked and stripping down beforehand.
As the light cluster on the Synthesis Table glowed, the snakeskin was put to good use.
Chuck's gaze then turned to another facility he hadn't focused on for a long time.
The Kiln.
After successfully building the Simple Kiln and firing clay pots and bowls, Chuck had shifted his attention to building and upgrading the shelter. He had even used the kiln as a convenient, waterproof fireplace to heat the shelter instead of an open fire…
But the facts proved that every upgrade blueprint was vital for survival on the deserted island.
After finding the Sago Palm, Chuck planned to extract sago starch as soon as his injury healed. However, according to the synthesis prompt, the prerequisite for refining starch was to have a container where the shaved and ground trunk debris could settle.
The problem was:
The containers Chuck currently owned were too small. It would take countless settling cycles to process the debris from an entire trunk.
There was only one solution—upgrade the Kiln and fire a large Water Jar.
If he could successfully fire one or even two water jars, it would not only facilitate the processing of the Sago Palm but also solve their water storage problems permanently.
To upgrade the Simple Kiln to an Advanced Kiln, the required materials were: Clay Bricks × 20, Clay × 20, Charcoal × 10, and Lime Powder × 15.
Clay bricks and Clay were familiar; it just meant taking the foreign woman to the mud pit behind the stone cliff to dig mud, then synthesizing it with sand as usual or letting it settle with water.
The focus was on the latter two items.
As is known, wood turns into charcoal only after incomplete combustion. Therefore, it was more valuable to use the kiln to control the temperature and burn charcoal than to blindly burn wood in an open fire. As for Lime Powder, it needed to be produced by burning limestone, which contains calcium carbonate, at high temperatures to create quicklime, then slaking it with water…
In short, these were all related to high school chemistry, which Chuck had naturally long forgotten. So, this information was provided by the Workbench blueprint.
Chuck stroked his chin thoughtfully after reading the information.
It seemed that to upgrade to the Advanced Kiln, he first needed to use the Simple Kiln to fire the required upgrade materials.
That made perfect sense.
So, he called Julia over, explained his plan roughly, and she readily nodded.
Thus, the two began their cooperative division of labor, as usual.
Julia collected firewood, and Chuck went to look for limestone to put into the kiln for firing.