Clang. Clang. Clang.
The morning sun after the storm spilled over the pebble beaches and rolling hills. A faint scent of sulfur drifted from the direction of the volcano, while in the distance, a flock of wild goats wandered lazily along the ridges.
At the base of the Red Stone Hills, the rock wall that once shimmered with metallic luster was now a jagged mess of gouges. Chuck swung his bronze pickaxe tirelessly, each strike rhythmic and powerful. Chunks of ore fell with every blow, vanishing into his storage space.
In truth, maintaining bronze tools didn't require a massive amount of ore. Take the pickaxe, for example: when it broke, Chuck simply tossed the head into the furnace for re-smelting. He could recover about 70% of the alloy, meaning the net loss was only around 30%. Because of this, despite breaking countless tools while excavating the cave, Chuck had only needed to visit the Red Stone Hills three times in the past five days.
Through his gathering, he had discovered a natural pattern: tin and chalcopyrite often appeared together in a ratio of roughly 1:5—the exact proportion needed for bronze. It was yet another convenient "coincidence" of this island.
With the first phase of the cave finished, Chuck was back at the hills, but his goal this time wasn't just more tools. As he had planned, his basic survival needs were met. Now, it was time to focus on long-term sustainability and quality of life: the farm, the well, and the high-level blueprints.
Among the unlocked blueprints, several remained unfinished: the Advanced Furnace and Tiled House (Level 5), the Stone Fireplace (Level 4), and the Improved Water Tower (Level 3). The most critical were the Level 5 projects. The furnace represented a massive leap in technology, while the house meant a total upgrade in living standards.
However, both required materials that Chuck found troublesome. The copper pipes for the furnace weren't in any of the clay molds he had discovered so far, leaving him clueless on how to cast them. As for the resin needed for the tiled house, he had used up his entire supply from the single dipterocarp tree in the southwest cove to craft the wolf-repelling torches. His surveys confirmed there wasn't a second one in the explored areas.
So, where else could they be?
The answer lay to the west, in the tropical rainforest. Back when he stood beneath the cliffs of the southwest cove, his Botany Master perk had given him a clear sense that more of those trees existed within the black bear's territory. Not to mention, that forest was likely the most biodiverse area on the island—essential for finding crops for his farm.
The goal was clear: Kill the bear.
Defeating predators to unlock new regions was a pattern Chuck had followed since day one. But this time, the enemy was on a completely different level. He needed to forge a set of weapons and armor that would allow him to go toe-to-toe with an apex predator.
Once his storage was full of copper and tin, Chuck felled a redwood tree, as per his routine, and hauled it back to the stone platform. The bronze axe was a total upgrade over the old flint ones; its sharp edge and heavy head made short work of the timber. By now, he had a significant stockpile of hardwood on the platform, ready for fuel or furniture.
As he reached the platform and stacked the new log, a burst of noisy laughter drifted out from the cabin. Chuck paused, his brow furrowing slightly.
Over the past few days, the atmosphere among the women had shifted from tense to harmonious. This was largely thanks to Julia's sunny, extroverted personality. Even with the language barrier between her and Kanae, the two often communicated through gestures, leaving them both in fits of giggles.
A harmonious harem was a blessing for Chuck, so the laughter wasn't what bothered him. It was the fact that, buried within the voices, there was a tone he didn't recognize. With his heightened mental attributes, the difference was unmistakable.
He put away his tools and walked toward the cabin, curious. Did someone get a sore throat?
As he neared the door, the chatter became clearer. He could easily identify Julia's voice, but surprisingly, she was speaking rapid-fire English. A second later, the stranger's voice responded—also in English, with a relaxed, melodic laugh.
They were having a full conversation.
Chuck reached out and pushed the wooden door open with a slow creak. The conversation inside stopped instantly. The women gathered around the table turned their eyes toward him.
Chuck's gaze swept the room. Elena, Momo, Julia... and finally, his eyes locked onto a stunning woman in her early thirties.
She had wavy, wine-red hair, snowy-white skin, and features that looked remarkably like a more mature version of Julia. But what truly struck Chuck was her sheer presence. Three letters flashed across his mind in bold: B-I-G.
If Julia was a standard beauty, this woman was the "Big Mac" version—a literal Amazonian. Her massive, heavy breasts threatened to burst the seams of her damp grey tracksuit. Her shoulders and arms were visibly more athletic and toned than the average woman's. Her ass, pressed firmly against the wooden chair, looked like two massive mounds of muscle and curves, and her thick, powerful thighs filled out her loose sweatpants with an intimidating, voluptuous contour.
Even sitting down, Chuck could tell she was tall—likely taller than Kanae, somewhere between 177-180 cm.
A real Western thoroughbred, Chuck thought.
He locked eyes with the red-haired woman, noticing the curiosity and scrutiny in her gaze. Because the atmosphere was so peaceful, he didn't feel any immediate threat, just confusion. Who the hell is this?
After a brief silence, Julia jumped up from her chair and ran toward him with her usual enthusiasm. "Darling!"
Chuck opened his arms, catching the blonde as she lunged into his embrace. He gave her a long, sweet kiss before turning back to the stranger. "And this is...?"
"Darling, can you believe it? It's my Aunt! I found her in the jungle this morning while I was gathering wood. I was in total shock!"
Aunt??
Looking at Julia's excited, beaming face, Chuck looked back at the red-haired woman. She was currently leaning over, whispering to Elena—the only other woman in the room who could remotely rival her in terms of "assets."
"Elena, is this the young man you all were talking about?" the woman asked in English.
"Yes," Elena replied with a gentle, adoring smile toward Chuck.
Janet arched an eyebrow, then turned back to meet Chuck's gaze. Her red lips curled into a smirk as she stood up gracefully, rounded the table, and walked over to him. She extended a pale, elegant hand.
"Hi, handsome. How's it going?"
"Uh..." Chuck's English was rough, but he knew the basics. He shook her hand and replied with the confidence of a middle-school textbook. "I'm fine, thank you, and you?"
The moment their palms met, Chuck froze. Despite her beauty and mature elegance, her palm was remarkably calloused—rougher than his own. And now that she was standing, he confirmed her height: at least 177 cm. She was a powerhouse of a woman—busty, wide-hipped, and tall.
Janet let out a chuckle at his "plastic" English and looked at Julia, who was still clinging to Chuck's arm.
"I'll translate for you two!" Julia chirped.
Over the next few minutes, the three of them navigated an awkward "meet the parents" vibe. Chuck learned her name was Janet Alvarez, the younger sister of Julia's mother. Alvarez was Julia's mother's maiden name.
According to Janet, she had moved to the same town as Julia's family a few years ago. She had remained single and was very close to Julia; despite being aunt and niece, their small age gap made them feel more like sisters.
On a normal summer day, while Janet was repairing a fence in her yard, she got the call about Julia's plane crash. Devastated, Julia's mother and Janet held onto a sliver of hope. They joined a volunteer search fleet, determined to find Julia, dead or alive.
During one of the search missions, Julia's mother had stayed behind due to illness and grief. Janet had gone out with a few crew members, only to be hit by a freak, violent storm. The boat capsized in the massive waves. Janet, wearing a life jacket, struggled until her strength gave out... and woke up on a beach this morning.
As Chuck listened to the translation, he and Julia shared a look. They both knew it wasn't that simple. Different plane crashes, and now a shipwreck—this was clearly the island's supernatural "pull" at work again. But by now, they were used to it. If she was Julia's family, she was his family.
Chuck offered a kind, polite smile and nodded at Janet. His eyes, however, took another shameless sweep over the mature woman's body. The combination of her "thicc" physique, the Alvarez family's high-tier genes, and that fiery red hair made her radiate feminine hormones.
Unlike Elena's soft, gentle Eastern maturity, Janet was the embodiment of a spicy, Western MILF—a high-performance "luxury vehicle" of a woman. Chuck couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like to pin that massive, powerful body beneath him and fuck her until she broke.
Despite his carnal thoughts, Chuck was a veteran of many "battles" now. He didn't let a hint of his intent show. He kept his smile warm and turned to Julia.
"Julia, start a fire and help her dry her clothes. And make sure to tell her she can treat this place as her own home. If she needs anything, just let me know."
He didn't know how Julia had described him to her aunt before he arrived, but for a first meeting, his priority was making a good impression. The rest could wait.
Julia beamed with happiness, her blue eyes full of love for Chuck. Reuniting with family on this island and seeing her man get along with her was the best thing that could have happened. She nodded and took Janet's arm, and the two "mares"—one large, one small—began chatting in their native tongue again.
The cabin was filled with a joyful atmosphere. But as Chuck turned toward the storage room to get back to work, and Julia led Janet toward the back of the room to introduce her to Kanae and Kaoru...
The smile on Janet's face vanished. She cast a subtle, lingering glance at Chuck's retreating back, her blue eyes filled with a sharp, hidden flicker of suspicion.