Since he was mentally prepared, Chuck felt a surge of satisfaction rather than surprise when the basic blueprint triggered. He scanned the details, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Stone bricks again.
The Tier 6 housing upgrade required a massive amount of stone bricks, and now this "Simple Latrine" called for them too. As the most common material in modern construction, stone bricks were clearly going to replace wood as the primary building block for his base's evolution. Between the hundred needed for the latrine and the two hundred for the stone house—three hundred total—it was no small task.
The problem was that Chuck hadn't yet figured out the method for mass-producing them.
Looking at the pit he had dug, Chuck deliberated for a moment before sticking several wooden poles around it as a warning so no one would accidentally fall in. He then returned to the stone terrace. With about three hours left before dusk, he needed to figure out how to acquire stone bricks so he could start production the next morning.
Strictly speaking, bricks weren't a foreign concept to Chuck. He had been using his furnace for a long time, built primarily from mud bricks (a mix of silt and sand) and refractory firebricks (quartz sand and clay). However, while those were perfect for a furnace, they were insufficient as structural building blocks for a house.
He had considered using the firebricks, but the process was a logistical nightmare: trekking to the riverbank for sand, heading to the swamp for silt, filtering quartz, washing clay, settling the suspension, synthesizing them at the workbench, and finally firing them in a kiln. It was too much effort for too little yield.
Is there a more efficient way?
Chuck's gaze drifted to the massive piles of stone leftover from excavating the artificial cave. There were piles of relatively soft limestone and harder quartz sandstone. The answer was obvious. The most direct way was to quarry the raw stone and carve it into shape.
As long as he had the tools, Chuck could use the [Multi-Recipe] function and its DIY options to craft anything. He selected a large chunk of limestone and a piece of quartz sandstone, placing them into the workbench along with a bronze wedge.
The recipes triggered immediately. Chuck scrolled down the list until his eyes lit up.
[Limestone Brick]: Bricks made by crushing, cutting, and polishing natural limestone. Poor waterproof and anti-corrosion properties, but easy to shape, good insulation, and bonds well with mortar. Suitable for interior walls. Material: Limestone, Bronze Wedge. Crafting Time: 30 minutes per unit.
[Quartz Sandstone Brick]: Bricks made by crushing, cutting, and polishing natural quartz sandstone. Weather-resistant, waterproof, and high compressive strength, but difficult to process. Suitable for load-bearing walls, roofs, or exterior layers. Material: Quartz Sandstone, Bronze Wedge. Crafting Time: 2 hours per unit.
Chuck felt a rush of excitement. This was similar to the distinction between soft wood and hardwood. One was easy to gather but lower quality; the other was a pain to process but lasted forever. The blueprints didn't specify which type to use, meaning the choice was his.
If he used only limestone, the construction would be fast, but the quality would be questionable. The best approach was a composite: quartz sandstone for the structural load-bearing and exterior waterproofing, and limestone for the interior insulation and bonding.
Not bad at all...
Moving from wood to stone was a pivotal step in island survival. Chuck used his seven synthesis queues to start the process. After thirty minutes, a limestone brick appeared on the bench—roughly a foot wide and a meter long. Because it was cut with a bronze wedge, the surface was rough but flat. It was heavy, and the realization hit him: he needed three hundred of these. This was going to be a monumental project.
Two hours later, the quartz sandstone brick finished. But as Chuck reached for it, a notification made him freeze.
[Quartz Sandstone Brick x1: Synthesis Complete] [Tool: Bronze Wedge - Destroyed]
Chuck scratched his neck, staring at the shattered remains of his tool. Quartz sandstone was so hard that a single brick had completely exhausted the durability of a bronze wedge. Even with recycling, the loss rate was over 30%. If he tried to build the whole house this way, he'd run out of copper before he finished the first floor.
"Bronze... is this your limit?" Chuck sighed. It was time to enter the Iron Age.
Entering the Iron Age meant upgrading the furnace and finding iron ore. But with evening approaching, that would have to wait until tomorrow. After cleaning himself up, Chuck walked into the artificial cave.
Compared to yesterday, Valentina showed little change other than some cracked lips from dehydration. For a warrior used to the battlefield, a day without food or water was a common hardship. Chuck wasn't trying to break her body; he was trying to break her spirit by proving she had zero value to him.
The moment he appeared, Valentina stood up, her emerald eyes fixed on him with unprecedented intensity.
"Wait!" she barked before he could say a word. "I... I have something to say!"
Chuck raised an eyebrow. This was the first time the silver-haired Russian had initiated communication. He stayed by the cave entrance, silhouetted against the fading sunset. "My patience is at its end. Keep it brief."
"One last time!" Valentina's voice lacked its usual rage; it was replaced by a desperate, firm resolve. She was a proud warrior who would never give up on hope or life. If she couldn't beat him, she would keep trying—and if he wouldn't give her another chance, she was willing to pay any price. Even if that price meant becoming a "stable girl" like the other women.
But first, she had to try one more thing. "One last time. I challenge you."
"A nice thought, but I decline," Chuck said, turning to leave. He was disappointed; he thought she'd come up with something better than the same old bullshit.
But her next words stopped him in his tracks.
"One last time. If I lose... I will be your woman."
Valentina spoke without hesitation, stripping off her fiber tunic to reveal her lean, muscular physique—a body as sleek and powerful as a female leopard. Her high, firm breasts with pink nipples contrasted with her shredded six-pack abs in a display of incredible athletic beauty.
Chuck frowned, keeping his face neutral while inwardly celebrating. His psychological pressure had finally pushed her exactly where he wanted her.
"What does that mean?" Chuck asked, hands in his pockets. "If you're going all-in, define the stakes. What does 'being my woman' entail? Specifically?"
"My body is yours to use however you want," Valentina said, her voice clear and devoid of shame. "I will obey every command except a command to die. But... every seven days, you must let me challenge you again."
"Deal."
Chuck didn't hesitate for a second. This was even better than he had envisioned. It was the perfect "training" cycle. If she wanted to keep her weekly hope alive, she had to fulfill her end of the bargain as his "woman."
Given how incredibly sensitive her "loser's body" was—and her natural, suppressed instinct to please—it wouldn't take long before she was conditioned into a muscular, obedient bitch. Her "hope" would become the very chain that kept her under him.
"Then let's start!" Valentina's eyes blazed with battle-lust.
"Whoa, what's the rush?" Chuck stopped her with a hand. He walked out and returned a moment later with food and water. "Eat, drink, and get some rest."
He set the supplies down. "Tomorrow afternoon, I'll come back. I'll unlock your chains and fight you fairly, man to woman. But if you lose..." Chuck leaned in with a predatory grin. "You're going to lie down, spread yourself open, and guide me inside you yourself. Understood?"
Valentina clenched her fists. This time, there was no outburst of rage. She took a few deep breaths and nodded.
"Fine!" This was her last stand. She would bet everything on tomorrow.