Night fell quickly.
Although the rain had stopped in the evening, Chuck had worked hard all day and had no intention of continuing to exhaust himself.
So, he simply cleaned up the standing water in the room, washed the clay pot, and restarted the fire, preparing dinner alone.
The sky outside grew darker. The fire illuminated the room with an orange glow. The three bare bodies on the wooden bed all looked quite alluring in the firelight.
After eating pancakes during the day, Chuck planned to make something easily digestible for dinner. He poured starch and water into the pot, added shredded smoked dried meat, and simmered it into a pot of slightly salty, fragrant meat porridge.
Although the taste was somewhat lacking, the ingredients were unique to the deserted island, and strictly speaking, it wasn't bad.
Chuck was quite satisfied with his cooking.
The aroma of dinner prompted the three exhausted women to slowly drag themselves out of bed. Especially Gu Mòmo, whose tender body was still weak from her first time; she couldn't even sit up straight and had to lean in Chuck's arms, enjoying his feeding service.
Chuck had no complaints about this.
Who told the little one to call him Daddy?
A warm and quiet dinner thus concluded. After eating, the three women lay down again, fatigued, and quickly fell asleep under the effect of the carbohydrates. Chuck, full of energy, took on the role of cleaning the pots and bowls after dinner for the first time.
The night deepened.
Chuck leaned by the bed, enjoying the cool night wind after the rain. While still awake before sleeping, he planned his next steps.
Today's sudden storm was a wake-up call, making him realize that even with the Workbench cheat, it was still too early to enjoy a vacation-like life on this deserted island.
The most direct lesson was the persistent standing water in the wooden house this afternoon. If he hadn't prepared firewood in advance, the storm would not have been so easy to handle.
To avoid such a predicament in the future, the solution was simply to upgrade the wooden house further.
After the previous house upgrade, the two unlocked upgrade blueprints were: one for pouring a foundation and expanding the storage room, and the other for installing a fireplace indoors.
If Chuck had completed either of these before the storm, he probably wouldn't have had to panic and use the cooking pot as a temporary fire pit.
Thinking this, Chuck's gaze turned to the two blueprints.
Of the two Tier 4 upgrade blueprints, the one for upgrading the wooden house to a bungalow likely required large amounts of logs and hard wood, plus lime mortar for the foundation. The fireplace blueprint also required the same materials, plus one new item: Quartz Sandstone.
Chuck didn't hesitate and decided to prioritize the bungalow upgrade blueprint.
Although making lime and cutting down trees were hard work, he at least knew how to proceed. However, for the two pieces of Quartz Sandstone needed for the fireplace, Chuck wasn't sure how to get them immediately.
Honestly, Chuck could probably guess where to find this stuff. Of the terrain he had explored or observed so far, only the hills near the center of the island and the volcano had abundant rocky areas.
But even if he found the Quartz Sandstone, leaving aside whether his simple flint axe could successfully harvest it, the packs of wolves inhabiting the hilly region were trouble enough.
Even Chuck, having consumed five potions, still lacked the confidence to face a wolf pack alone.
It wasn't avoidance. The hills and the volcano were rich in minerals. To mine and smelt iron in the future, he would inevitably have to defeat the wolves and conquer those two areas. Chuck naturally understood this. But rushing in unprepared after having faced near-death experiences several times was something Chuck would absolutely not do.
The wolf pack had to be killed, but first, he had to be fully prepared…
As for what kind of preparation, Chuck already had a rough idea, but he still lacked a few key conditions to implement it.
Returning to the bedside, he added some wood to the fire. Chuck yawned, then collapsed onto the large, combined bed. He squeezed Julia's soft tits with one hand and wrapped the other around Gu Mòmo's slender waist. He yawned again and slowly closed his eyes.
All in all, time to sleep.
Meanwhile, in the cave on the Southwest Beach.
As Theresa had hoped, with the help of the resin, the fire pit stubbornly burned despite the slightly damp fuel.
Branches crackled in the fire. The rising flames lit up the cave in the night. A few branches supported each other, creating a makeshift drying rack. A row of damp uniforms hung on it, slowly being baked dry.
"Hahaha, what? Teacher Theresa, you've never been in a relationship? And you're almost thirty?"
A cheerful laugh echoed in the cave. Karen, the blonde bombshell, sat cross-legged by the fire, her soft, delicate feet, painted with moss-green nail polish, crossed over her pale knees. She teased Theresa with a smile.
"Hey! Karen!"
Beside her, another short-haired, athletic girl, also wearing only underwear, whose pair of wheat-colored, massive mounds was quite eye-catching, showed an embarrassed expression. She pushed the blonde's arm, trying to stop her from talking carelessly, then apologized to Theresa.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Theresa, that's just Karen's personality."
Theresa merely offered a helpless smile and replied in slightly unfamiliar Japanese.
"It's okay, Megumi."
After finding the two girls in school uniforms on the beach, Theresa immediately checked their condition. Fortunately, they were unharmed and showed no signs of severe choking or drowning. With Theresa's help, they both woke up.
The moment the two girls spoke, Theresa realized her guess was correct.
They were indeed female high school students from Japan, known as JK (Joshi Kōsei).
Normally, communication would be difficult, but luckily, Theresa had some knowledge of Japanese.
Having excelled academically since childhood, her best subject was English. When learning languages, she had an excellent feel for the language and a very good memory.
Even during her time at the teacher's college, besides the required English, she didn't just slack off in her elective courses needed for credits. To keep things practical, she chose a minor language every year.
Hence, besides English, she had taken Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and French. While she wasn't fluent, and her accent was definitely not standard, basic daily conversations were generally not a problem.
Thus, the three quickly lowered their guard, moving from strangers to mutual testing, and then self-introductions. Just as Theresa hoped, they naturally agreed to stick together.
During this time, Theresa learned the names and basic details of the two Japanese high school girls.
The stylish girl with bleached blonde hair, jewelry, and manicure was Karen Kōno. The other, the relatively tall, short-haired, athletic girl, was Megumi Yamaji.
Both attended Aoi High School in Adachi-ku, Tokyo, and were in their third year, both 18 years old and adults. Since the Japanese high school graduation season is typically in March, they still had half a year until graduation, making them bona fide active high school girls.
They were childhood neighborhood friends who decided to travel abroad together during this final summer vacation of high school to see the scenery across the Pacific.
Unexpectedly, they encountered the plane crash.
"Ah, I never expected to meet such a mature and steady adult like Teacher Theresa here. Even though we're in this place, I feel much safer now~"
Karen Kōno said, smiling with her hands cupping her cheeks as she looked at Theresa.
Whether she was genuinely easygoing or putting on a brave face, Karen's demeanor was notably relaxed compared to Megumi Yamaji, whose face remained pale.
Hearing this, Theresa's expression grew somewhat confused.
Having new companions was certainly a good thing, but from the look of it, these two girls…
They might genuinely not have been passengers on her plane.
And since they were Japanese high school students flying from Tokyo, it was obvious they weren't on the same flight as her, and their flight paths were certainly different.
So, what was the probability of two different flights, crashing at different times and along different routes, ending up near the same deserted island?
It was almost impossible!
The more Theresa thought about it, the more chills ran down her spine.
She suddenly recalled that day when she first reunited with Chuck, and he also asked her about her flight.
She remembered that after she answered, Chuck's expression became noticeably grim.
Could it be…
Theresa's body trembled. She then sharply raised her hand and patted her cheek, forcefully driving those thoughts out of her mind.
She couldn't dwell on these things right now!
After today's storm, Theresa understood that this deserted island was definitely not a place for a leisurely life.
Even though the Southwest Bay where she was located had abundant resources, with no worries about food and water, they would still face danger during sudden severe weather like today.
In the past, when she was alone, she could endure it, but now…
Theresa looked at the two Japanese high school girls in front of her.
"Karen, Megumi, since you call me teacher, there are a few things I need to tell you."
Sensing the seriousness in Theresa's tone, Karen Kōno's smile gradually faded. She then sat up straight, like a student listening to a homeroom teacher.
Similarly, Megumi Yamaji beside her also looked at Theresa seriously.
As a teacher, Theresa most loved being looked at with such attentiveness. Feeling satisfied, she slowly began to speak.
"The situation is extremely unique right now. We are on a deserted island, and until rescue arrives, everything depends on ourselves. But I arrived earlier than you and have some understanding of this deserted island, so you must carefully remember what I'm about to say."
"This bay we are in is rich in resources and has a freshwater stream. This cave also provides shelter. We don't have to worry about food, water, or housing. So, from now on, the two of you must stick with me and stay within the confines of this bay and the surrounding jungle. You absolutely must not leave on your own and go to other parts of the deserted island, understand?"
As her words fell, a small hand shot up high, as if asking a question in class.
Theresa was amused by the gesture and nodded.
"Karen?"
"Teacher Theresa, why can't we leave this bay? Is it because the other parts of the island are dangerous?"
Theresa sighed slowly at the question.
After a brief thought, she decided it was best not to hide this matter. After all, giving them a heads-up was better than leaving them completely ignorant.
So, she carefully chose her words and answered truthfully.
"Because there are more than just the three of us on this deserted island."
At her words, both Karen Kōno and Megumi Yamaji were stunned.
"More than just the three of us?"
"Teacher, could there be… man-eating natives on this island?!"
Megumi Yamaji asked, her face pale. She naturally thought of some horror movies she had seen. A chill immediately ran down her spine, and her two wheat-colored masses trembled.
Theresa shook her head.
"They aren't natives, but… you could consider them that."
As she spoke, she recalled the decadent scene she saw on the beach that day. Her fists involuntarily clenched.
With their shameless behavior, calling them natives wasn't far off.
Theresa frowned and added.
"In short, you must never venture into other areas on your own, especially the swamp area to the north, understood?"
She had personally seen Chuck chop down a sago palm tree that day and carry it away on his shoulder.
Without a doubt, Chuck would surely return for this sago palm tree, which could provide a large amount of food!
She was already helpless concerning Gu Mòmo, but she absolutely could not let that evil man set his eyes on these two girls!
Hearing Theresa's words, Karen Kōno and Megumi Yamaji exchanged glances.
A strange look appeared in the former's eyes. The latter saw it, frowned, and froze momentarily.
Years of friendship allowed Megumi to understand that Karen was definitely plotting some mischief the moment she saw that look in her eyes.
She hesitated, but ultimately couldn't say anything.
After all, they were lifelong friends who grew up together.
And the "Teacher Theresa" in front of them was merely a stranger they had only met two hours ago.
Seeing both girls agree to her instructions, Theresa felt a lift in her spirits.
At the same time, her sense of professional responsibility as a teacher grew heavier.
She looked at the two Japanese high school girls in front of her and promised, enunciating every word.
"Don't worry. Although we are from different nationalities, here on this deserted island, your teacher will take care of you!"