Chuck hadn't tried to approach the wolves since the first time he ascended the cliff and spotted their tracks on the rocky beach, but he hadn't avoided the confrontation mentally.
Defeating the wild beasts entrenched in a certain area to get the 'Flower of the Other Shore' they guard, and thus gaining the qualification to access new areas and resources.
This fact had been personally verified by Chuck multiple times.
But even after taking several potions, his physical and mental stats had been boosted by 40%. If Chuck were to face a pack of fierce wolves, he honestly felt that even if he fought with all his might, and even if he was lucky enough to win, he wouldn't have much good skin left on his body.
This was not an exaggeration. While a single wolf isn't overwhelmingly strong, their group coordination is terrifying. Facing a wolf pack's encirclement, it was nearly impossible to completely dodge.
And once one wolf latched on, the others would swarm him in the next second…
So, for the past few days, whenever Chuck had a spare moment, he had been pondering:
How could he single-handedly deal with a pack of wolves and ensure victory while paying the minimum price?
This question was finally answered not long ago.
—Fire.
Fire is the source of life, humanity's good friend, and the first step toward civilization. Similarly, when needed, it can also become a deadly weapon.
The most despairing situation for a person of flesh and blood facing a pack of wolves is being surrounded. But what if that person held several Molotov cocktails in their hands?
Wolves have dense fur, which easily sticks to flammable materials, and they are inherently afraid of flames.
Moreover, once one is killed or severely injured, the other wolves would likely hesitate or retreat. Even if they didn't retreat, he could use the spreading fire to continue maneuvering or keep throwing more cocktails until the wolf pack completely scattered, making it easy to pick them off one by one!
When wolves are no longer in a pack, they are just large dogs.
It was a pity that Chuck wasn't the Troll blocking the bridge without a wooden float, with infinitely refreshing Molotov cocktails on a cooldown timer.
To get this on a deserted island, he had to figure out how to make them himself or synthesize them using the Workbench.
First, the container for the fire bottle must break easily upon impact, preferably with a splash effect, making clay pottery the most suitable choice.
For the fuse, he could use the strips of cloth Julia tore from her clothes to bandage his wounds, which he had kept all along.
The most uncertain part for Chuck was the flammable material inside.
Chuck currently had a good amount of rendered lard, which, if heated and melted, would barely serve as a decent fuel.
But frankly, Chuck was reluctant to use it.
Lard was an indispensable material for cooking and making soap. Chuck currently had no other way to acquire it, so every bit used was one less bit available. Unless he could find no substitute, Chuck wouldn't use it lightly.
So, on this deserted island, what else besides animal fat could serve as fuel for a fire bottle?
Chuck wasn't an expert in making Molotov cocktails.
But that was okay; he had an "ace up his sleeve."
He took a portion of clay from his stock and synthesized a "Small Clay Pot Embryo" in the Workbench, much smaller than a regular clay pot. Chuck had already fired two of these, using them as small medicine jars for the Scorpion Potion and Snake Bile Potion.
They were suitable for use as a fire bottle this time.
Since the size was quite small, the firing time was also very short. Chuck soon filled the fired small clay pot with a small amount of melted lard, then dipped a cloth strip into it.
This was his initial design for the Molotov cocktail.
After completing these steps, Chuck immediately put it into the Workbench.
As always, the synthesis hint was omniscient and forthcoming with Chuck.
[Synthesis Tip: Simple Molotov cocktail made with a small clay pot, wild boar grease, and cloth strip. However, it lacks sealing, and using it risks injuring yourself more than the enemy.]
[Improvement Suggestion: To secure the fuse, prevent liquid leakage, and prevent the fuel from scattering during the throw, the Molotov cocktail needs to be sealed. Also, animal fat has low burning efficiency and insufficient lethality. Consider using liquefied resin as a substitute, with a small amount of grease added as a combustion aid for stronger adhesion and greater lethality.]
I see!
I have to say, the Workbench big brother is the best! A simple two lines of text instantly enlightened Chuck, making his eyes light up.
In short, he needed to add liquefied resin to the pot and seal the opening?
How convenient!
The next step of the house upgrade also required resin to reinforce the roof with tiles!
His spirit uplifted, Chuck returned to the house and rekindled the fire.
He now had the answer to what he needed to do next.
After breakfast, Chuck took his tusk spear as usual, stored the tools usually tucked into his waistband directly into the storage space, and was about to head out for exploration.
But a minor incident suddenly occurred.
"Oh, shit!"
Hearing a cry of alarm from beneath the stone slope platform, Chuck immediately tensed up, stood up, and rushed out of the wooden house, looking toward the forest below the stone slope.
"Julia!"
But when he clearly saw the situation, the tension on his face dissipated, replaced by a look of astonishment.
The bombshell, who was returning from gathering firewood in the morning, holding a bundle of branches, was only wearing her pale purple lace bra on her upper body.
The white T-shirt she was wearing had now turned into a large patch of torn fabric hanging on a tree branch behind her.
Julia's small face was full of frustration and displeasure. She immediately turned and kicked the tree hard, only to bend over in pain. Then she looked up, pouting pitifully at Chuck on the platform.
"Darling, I have nothing to wear!"
Chuck couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He first set down his spear, then quickly walked down the platform to Julia, who was crouched on the ground looking depressed. He looked at the slightly swaying torn clothes behind her, then slowly leaned over and gently stroked the bombshell's head to comfort her.
"It's okay. If it's gone, it's gone. I'll figure it out. Let's go back first; don't catch a chill so early in the morning."
"…M-hm."
Julia nodded miserably, then carried the firewood and walked onto the platform, her spirits low.
Chuck walked over to the tree, retrieved the completely torn white T-shirt hanging on the branch, and held it in his hand, a hint of emotion surfacing on his face.
Although the T-shirt was ragged, he could still clearly see that the hem was significantly shortened and jagged.
The first time he ventured deep into the jungle and encountered a wild boar, his shoulder was grazed by a tree branch in the jungle. Julia had used her own clothes and the herbs she found to bandage him then.
He hadn't expected that T-shirt to meet its end by a tree branch today…
Even though it was ragged, it was Julia's clothing and precious cloth, so he certainly couldn't just throw it away. Chuck neatly folded the torn T-shirt and placed it in the storage space. Since it was very light, it barely took up any room.
So, what would Julia do now without clothes?
To be honest, it wasn't just Julia; the clothes and shoes of the Gu mother and daughter, and even Chuck himself, were noticeably more worn than when they first landed on the deserted island.
It probably wouldn't be long before they, too, would be ruined.
On this deserted island, a well-fitting piece of clothing was essential for both sun protection and warmth.
Chuck hadn't overlooked clothing, an important element of survival, but it had been relatively less important compared to food, water, and shelter.
Now that the three major survival elements were essentially met, clothing became an urgent issue to be solved.
Returning to the stone slope platform, Chuck walked straight to the burning kiln, picking up a pile of long, dry strips from the corner beneath the cliff.
These were the fibers from the Sago palm trunks left after washing and extracting the starch.
Chuck had been piling them on the stone slope platform, never using them as fuel. After another round of rain from a storm, the starch inside had completely vanished, leaving only the tough fibrous tissue.
Making clothes from trees might require some imagination.
But Chuck didn't need it.
Again, he had an "ace up his sleeve."
He put the dry palm trunk fibers into the Workbench. Sure enough, the helpful Synthesis Hint once again validated his idea.
[Synthesis Tip: Dry and tough fibers that can be woven into crude twine, lighter and tougher than vines. However, using it to make clothing might be too coarse. It is best to soften it by boiling it in water first.]
Looking at the text on the light screen, Chuck nodded in understanding.
Making clothes by weaving fiber ropes was feasible, but it seemed he had overlooked the comfort level of the resulting garment. Fortunately, the Synthesis Hint reminded him of this.
Chuck made a trip to the sea, collecting a large amount of seawater in the empty clay pot and bamboo tube, then called Gu Yitong and assigned her the task of boiling the fibers.
Gu Yitong, judging the work to be simple enough for her to handle, nodded cooperatively.
"I understand."
After making the arrangements, Chuck returned to the wooden house.
He saw the bombshell, only wearing a bra, sitting alone on the edge of the bed, seemingly a bit downcast.
This surprised Chuck.
For so many days, the bombshell's personality had always been passionate and cheerful. She rarely showed signs of distress in front of Chuck.
He hadn't expected a mere piece of clothing to affect her so deeply?
Could that T-shirt have some special significance to her?
Chuck thought this, his expression becoming serious. He walked slowly to the bedside, sat next to Julia, and gently put his arm around her slender, soft waist.
Julia, only wearing a bra, still had that soft, smooth skin. Feeling Chuck's familiar scent, she turned slightly and leaned against his shoulder.
"Are you sad about your T-shirt?"
Chuck turned his head, kissed Julia's smooth forehead, and asked with a caring smile.
To his surprise, Julia blinked her long golden eyelashes and shook her head slightly.
"What are you talking about, Darling? It's just a piece of clothing."
Uh…
Chuck was momentarily stunned, then nodded in agreement.
Well, then why the long face?
But Julia spoke again quickly.
"I'm not sad. I just suddenly feel…"
She paused mid-sentence, then continued in a tone full of frustration.
"I suddenly feel like I'm useless… like I can't help you with anything at all."
Useless?
Hearing those words, Chuck's brow furrowed abruptly. He turned his head to look at Julia in his arms.
He finally vaguely understood why Julia suddenly felt this way.
Starting from when the two of them relied on each other and supported each other, struggling to survive on this deserted island, Julia certainly wouldn't have felt this emotion.
But now, Chuck had the Gu mother and daughter by his side. Although Julia didn't mind him having a harem, and their relationship hadn't been affected, in her eyes, objectively speaking, she was no longer the indispensable "partner" she once was to Chuck.
The things she could do could be replaced by Gu Yitong or Gu Mòmo. So, even though she didn't want it, anxiety still grew little by little.
Finally, it erupted completely on this ordinary morning, triggered by a minor setback.
Chuck finally understood the reason for her low spirits and couldn't help but shake his head with a laugh.
Ultimately, this was all just her overthinking.
Setting aside objective factors that she didn't know about, such as Julia's exclusive perk and the queue slots she provided to the Workbench. Purely emotionally, as the woman who had supported Chuck every step of the way, Julia had become Chuck's most important spiritual pillar.
If she weren't here, why would he have worked so hard to study the cheat system, upgrade the house, and find ways to improve their lives?
This silly girl…
Chuck raised his hand, gently caressed her soft cheek, then pinched her chin, turning her beautiful face toward him with a slight force.
"Although you should know this, it seems you won't believe it unless I say it out loud."
"So I'll say it once. Listen carefully."
As Chuck spoke, his other hand unexpectedly slipped into the bombshell's pants. A mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"Even if you become a useless woman who only eats and sleeps from now on, I will still take care of you."
"Of course, the condition is that you must let me use this every day."
Then, in her astonished blue pupils, he gently pinched the small bean hidden in the jungle and slowly began rubbing it.
Julia's cheeks instantly flushed. Her red lips parted slightly with a seductive moan. Her slender waist restlessly twisted, and the trace of annoyance between her brows gradually dissipated.
She bit her lower lip, and a passionate affection surged back into her blue eyes. She flipped over and straddled Chuck's thighs, unhooked the pale purple lace bra behind her back, and her pair of round jade rabbits sprang out.
She casually tossed the cover onto the bedside. Then, her high, upturned nose touched Chuck's. She met his eyes, exhaling warmly, and laughed in a husky whisper.
"Fuck… wouldn't that make me truly your little whore?"
Chuck unbuckled his belt, guided his long spear, and expertly aimed it at the wet, warm entrance of the cave, grabbing a full jade rabbit without hesitation.
"Haven't you always been?"
With that, he thrusted up with his hips.
"Oh—"
The familiar intense sensation and the instantaneous collision that hit the bottom made the bombshell's pupils tremble. Her delicate body arched back, her jade feet curled, and her abdomen convulsed. It took her a while to recover from the intense initial penetration.
Her eyes were like water. She tightly hooked her hands around Chuck's neck and spoke in a sweet, husky voice.
"Oh my God… I wish I could be fucked by you like this for a lifetime."