Over the past day, the livestock pen managed by Janet and the greenhouse run by Julia had both been operating smoothly.
The four goats had initially struggled with their new environment, bucking and headbutting the fences as if they intended to tear the structure down. However, under Janet's expert discipline, these troublemakers had mellowed out significantly within a single day. According to Janet, once they fully acclimated over the next few days, they would begin mating. Once the kids were born, they could start harvesting goat milk and, eventually, mutton.
One thing Chuck hadn't expected, however, was Janet's reaction when he asked when they could harvest wool. She gave him a look of pure confusion, and after realizing he wasn't joking, she shook her head helplessly.
"Baby, goats aren't sheep. Their hair is coarse and stiff; it's practically useless for textiles. At best, it's used for making brushes. Are you sure you want that?"
Chuck could only scratch his head at the unexpected answer. He wasn't a professional rancher; he had assumed "goat hair" could be used for bedding. It seemed he'd been a bit naive. Still, milk and meat were the primary goals—a stable protein supply was the most valuable asset. He'd just have to find another resource on the island for blankets later.
Aside from the goats, the wild silkworms were doing well. Julia had pruned the mulberry trees and transplanted them into the greenhouse. The excess leaves were laid out neatly on wooden boards by Janet, serving as fodder for the twenty-odd silkworms Chuck had carefully collected.
Janet's exclusive bonus, [Human Rancher], differed from Yitong's primarily in its 5x yield bonus for livestock. For the goats, "yield" likely meant milk and meat. For the silkworms, it meant cocoons. Since the goats hadn't started producing and the worms hadn't spun their silk yet, the effects of the bonus hadn't manifested—but it was only a matter of time.
In the adjacent greenhouse, progress was far more visible. Under Julia's meticulous planning, the chili peppers, sugarcane, and various medicinal herbs had taken root alongside the mulberries and pepper vines. Based on this pace, Chuck would have his first harvest within a week.
However, while the farming was going well, Chuck's construction work had hit a bottleneck. To complete his "Deserted Island Farm" and the final energy cycle—the septic tank—he needed a stable source of stone bricks. Cutting them with bronze tools was a nightmare. He needed to step into the Iron Age.
The sky was clear and the weather was hot. After spending some intimate time with his two milk-scented MILFs and enjoying a leisurely breakfast, Chuck packed his gear and climbed up the stone beach.
He reached the red rock formations atop the Redstone Hills. He had failed to mine these with a copper pick, but now he had bronze. Chuck raised the bronze pickaxe and swung it down with all his might.
Clang!
A crisp sound echoed as stone fragments sprayed. This time, he left a visible mark. Encouraged, he gripped the handle and hammered away. After several minutes, he successfully pried loose a chunk of reddish ore. He tossed it into the workbench.
[Detected: Hematite Ore (20kg)] [Hematite: High-iron content oxide ore. Iron can be extracted through smelting. Iron content: 45%–50%. Ideal smelting temperature: 1350°C. Note: Smelting efficiency drops significantly below 1300°C.]
It was iron ore. But as Chuck suspected, his current furnace couldn't reach the required heat. He needed to upgrade to the [Advanced Furnace].
He checked the blueprint requirements: 5 copper pipes, 10 sandstone blocks, and 30 firebricks. The sandstone was easy, and he already knew the recipe for firebricks. That left the pipes. While he didn't have a specific blueprint for copper pipes, he could DIY a mold and cast them. They would be rough, but they would work.
The path was set: upgrade the furnace, smelt iron tools, process stone bricks, upgrade the house, and build the septic tank. Chuck felt a surge of motivation.
Time flies when you're busy. While firebricks were tedious to make, the women were already familiar with the process. Everyone pitched in. By the afternoon, the materials were nearly ready.
After lunch, Chuck took a break and headed to the artificial cave as promised. Valentina was waiting, standing tall with a face that was unexpectedly calm.
Chuck looked at her. Her wrists and ankles bore clear red marks from the chains she'd worn since her capture. On her left ankle, there were even a few small scabs from the friction. A normal person would have suffered a mental breakdown after days in solitary confinement in a dark cave. But for this silver-haired warrior from the North, it seemed like nothing more than a week-long stay at a military barracks.
Her emerald eyes were steady, but the battle-lust within them had evolved. Chuck stepped forward, grabbed her wrist, and used a tool to pry open the lock.
Clank!
The bronze chains hit the floor. For the first time in days, Valentina's right hand was free. Chuck followed with the other hand, then her legs. The fierce silver leopard was finally unshackled.
Valentina rubbed her sore skin, hopped twice to feel her newfound lightness, and let a confident smile touch her lips. Chuck's expression grew serious. He knew that even though they had a bet, the previous fights hadn't been entirely fair. The weight of the chains had hindered her. But Valentina, in her stubborn pride, had never complained. For this final battle, he wanted her at 100%.
"Ready?" Chuck took his hands out of his pockets.
"I've been ready since the moment you walked in," Valentina replied, licking her lips. She crouched low like a predator, her stance flawless. Her feet shifted slightly, ready to explode into motion at any second.
Chuck smirked lewdly. "So, you're ready for me to go inside you?"
The double entendre made her expression turn ice-cold. She didn't explode in rage this time. Instead, she whispered in a low, chilling voice, "I admit you are strong, Chuck. Over the past few days, I almost couldn't find a way to beat you."
She looked at him with a gaze that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "But you are merely 'strong.' Now, I will show you what real combat looks like."
The cave fell into an eerie silence. Chuck's heart rate quickened. He had felt this sensation before—when facing the black bear, the python, and the wolf pack.
Killing intent. Pure, unadulterated killing intent.
In this moment, the silver-haired woman across from him wasn't just a woman; she was a humanoid beast. Chuck knew that even if she was a "loser" with a sensitive body who whimpered and sprayed whenever his dragon hammered her back door, she was still a warrior who had lived on the edge of life and death. If he underestimated her today, he would lose everything.
As that thought crossed his mind, he didn't notice his own smile becoming just as menacing.
Snap.
Without a countdown, without a warning, Valentina's feet kicked off the ground, and she lunged at him like a bolt of lightning!