Beneath the stone platform, the narrow gap that once barely fit a single person had now been widened to just over half a meter.
It seemed that no matter how tight the gap, hammering it enough would always loosen it up.
Smack.
Another crisp slap landed on Valentina's firm, perky buttocks. The steel pickaxe in the silver-haired warrior's hand nearly swung back into Chuck's head, but she gritted her teeth and lowered it.
"Good work. I have something to ask you."
Seeing the embarrassment and annoyance in her emerald eyes, Chuck sat down on a scattered piece of limestone, looking up at Valentina without beating around the bush.
"You survived in the cave outside the jungle. Tell me, what creature rules the plains on the other side?"
"!"
As his words fell, the annoyance on Valentina's face vanished instantly.
Under Chuck's gaze, her expression shifted several times. After a long silence, she looked at him and asked in a low voice.
"You went there?"
"I took a look, but I didn't see anything," Chuck said honestly, spreading his hands.
This reckless idiot...
Valentina let out a long breath, her brow furrowing tight.
"If you don't want to die, never go near there again."
Hearing this, Chuck narrowed his eyes. As expected. He pressed on. "Why do you say that?"
"It doesn't matter," Valentina answered without thinking, making Chuck's eye twitch.
"If you managed to escape from it, let me remind you: so far, you haven't beaten me once."
Valentina gave him a unconvinced side-eye, but then her snowy face revealed an expression Chuck had never seen before.
"I did escape, but I paid the price."
As she spoke, she lifted the hem of her shirt.
Three scars marked her pale, toned abs.
Chuck was puzzled. "You got those on the plains? I thought the black bear did that."
"The bear?" Valentina scoffed. "If you hadn't stolen my kill, that black beast would have been my prey."
Chuck raised an eyebrow, noncommittal.
"But that place is different," Valentina's expression darkened. "If I had been even a second slower, I would definitely be dead... Chuck, you are strong, but even you should stay away from there."
Chuck sighed. "I thought you were a woman of few words. Why all the chatter today? So, what exactly scratched you?"
"A leopard."
Valentina lowered her shirt. Her snowy cheeks trembled slightly, and a trace of hatred mixed with deep fear appeared in her green eyes.
Chuck's expression turned serious.
As he suspected, it was a tough opponent.
Leopards and Clouded Leopards sounded similar, but the difference was night and day. Clouded leopards were small tree-dwellers; true leopards were apex predators. Their combat capabilities weren't even in the same dimension.
Chuck scratched his head. Still, he wasn't the same man who faced the bear. Leopards relied on speed and ambush. With preparation, he might stand a chance.
"I understand. Thanks."
With the answer in hand, Chuck stood up to plan his strategy.
But Valentina suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"You don't understand, Chuck."
"The leopard ambushed me, but it didn't chase me when I ran. Because right then, I heard a roar from the lake..."
Chuck looked back instinctively. The fear and hatred in her eyes had vanished, replaced entirely by terror.
"I didn't mishear it. That was the roar of the King of the Taiga!"
By the end, Valentina's voice was trembling slightly.
"King of the Taiga?"
Chuck paused, then his blood ran cold. He didn't know what "Taiga" meant specifically, but "King of the Forest" usually pointed to one thing.
Chuck's face turned grim.
"Are you saying that the plains don't just have a leopard, but deep in the plains, there is also a... tiger?!"
This time, Valentina nodded.
Chuck stared blankly, his hands dropping to his sides.
A tiger. The King of Beasts. The only terrestrial predator in ancient Chinese mythology that needed no magical modification—just a coat of white paint or a pair of wings—to become a divine beast.
Legend said Wu Song drank three bowls of wine and killed a tiger, but Wu Song was fictional. Unless that wine was spiked with super-soldier serum, it was fantasy.
"Fuck..." Chuck sighed deeply.
Big brother bringing his little brother along?
He had suspected the area was too rich for just one beast. The plains, lake, and mangrove forest were vast. Now it seemed it supported more than one predator.
The leopard that scarred Valentina likely claimed the poorer outskirts. The lush lake deep in the plains was the hunting ground of the King.
If Valentina was right, to get the plains' resources, Chuck had to kill the leopard first, then face the true apex predator at the lake.
Chuck shook his head. Looks like I've reached the final boss.
"Chuck."
While Chuck digested this, a pale hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up into Valentina's trembling emerald eyes.
"Monsters don't leave their territory." "I know." "You have enough now. Don't go to your death..."
Valentina spoke clumsily, then paused, looking at him earnestly.
"At least don't die before you lose to me."
Chuck was surprised. He thought for a moment, then reached out and tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear.
She stiffened, instinctively wanting to slap his hand away, but remembering she was his woman, she stopped. Feeling the shame of her words, she looked away, blushing.
"I won't die, because I have you."
Chuck withdrew his hand, smiling.
"Even if I go with you, against that monster..."
"I'm not asking you to come with me," Chuck interrupted firmly, patting her shoulder.
"When facing a stronger opponent, you shouldn't run. You should think about how to win. Isn't that what you've always done?"
Valentina's pupils dilated.
Chuck's smile faded, replaced by utter seriousness.
"Leaving the tiger aside for now... that leopard. Your skills let you escape its claws. Combined with my strength, we might be able to kill it."
"Teach me. And I'll go avenge that claw mark for you."
...
As expected, Valentina didn't hesitate long before nodding in agreement. Her Trust increased by a few points, also as expected.
This aligned perfectly with Chuck's initial expectations. He hadn't spent so much time and effort taming this proud warrior just for her body.
Most importantly, he wanted Valentina's battle-hardened skills.
The first combat lesson was scheduled for tomorrow morning. If it went well, training would replace his morning stretches. Weapon and armor upgrades were also on the agenda, along with countermeasures for the leopard.
Just as he had faced every other beast, he would sharpen his sword for a hundred days to use it in one.
As for the tiger... one step at a time. Predators don't leave their territory. He'd worry about that after taking down the leopard.
The afternoon passed quietly.
The workbench queues ran non-stop, and the sound of forging echoed by the furnace.
By evening, the last limestone brick was added to the inner wall, cemented by mortar. The progress bar for the Stone Tile House finally hit 100%.
With a flash of blue light, the wooden cabin transformed into a stone house.
Sturdy quartz sandstone bricks and dense limestone bricks fit together perfectly, supporting four indestructible walls and a solid roof. The hardwood beams became a mix of stone pillars and wood. Just looking at it brought a sense of security.
Chuck stood outside, admiring his work, as a screen appeared.
[Stone Tile House — Upgrade Complete! New upgrade blueprint added!]
[Blueprint: Desert Island Residence. Type: Rank 7 Upgrade Blueprint.] [Description: Based on the Stone Tile House, using stone bricks as the primary material, fully expand the house. Add a bedroom to the north and a kitchen to the west. Replace all new and existing wooden windows with glass windows, making it a true residence.] [Required Materials: Stone Bricks x200, Glass x16, Lime Mortar x10, Hardwood x10, Waterproof Resin x50, Metal Nails x30, High-Strength Wedge x1, Striking Tool x1]
Having upgraded blueprints before, Chuck quickly parsed the key info.
First, the name format changed from simple descriptions like "Shabby Hut" to "Residence." This upgrade was likely a critical node.
Second, the content shifted from "reinforcement" to "expansion." The material requirements confirmed this; aside from the new "Glass," the rest were similar to the previous upgrade, requiring 200 stone bricks.
This made Glass the key to the next stage.
"What a coincidence..."
Chuck smiled as he closed the blueprint. He had already planned to try smelting glass to solve the water issue. Now he had another reason.
...
"By the way, where did you go after graduation?"
At dinner, Chuck turned to Jiang Qi, who was chatting happily with Momo.
He knew Jiang Qi was a Clinical Medicine major at a top university. Her department's scores were a tier above others. Compared to Chuck's casually chosen major, she was a top student. Even during their relationship, she spent evenings buried in thick textbooks while Chuck played mobile games.
After the breakup, Chuck deleted her contacts. Since her program was five years, she graduated a year later than him. During his three years as a corporate drone, he occasionally wondered if she went to grad school or became an intern doctor.
But her answer was completely unexpected.
"Me? I didn't do anything."
"...Huh?"
Chuck froze, spoon in mid-air, staring at her. After a long moment, he frowned. "You mean... you're in grad school?"
"No, I didn't take the entrance exams."
Jiang Qi smiled, her cute dimples appearing.
"Literally nothing. Oh, wait, once my scholarship ran out, I worked at a convenience store for about two or three months. Aside from that, really nothing."
"If I had to say, I guess it's called 'lying flat'? Anyway, my stuff isn't important."
Chuck clearly couldn't understand this answer.
But seeing her stiff smile, he sensed she didn't want to be questioned further. He changed the topic after a moment of silence.
Dinner ended. The women cleaned up, washed, and climbed into the wooden bed, stripping off their clothes one by one.
By the flickering firelight, Chuck watched the naked bodies waiting for him. He undressed quickly, then glanced at the storage room.
On the bed that belonged to Valentina until yesterday, Jiang Qi lay quietly on her back, breathing steadily, seemingly asleep.
Whether she was faking it or truly tired, he didn't know.
"Hey, baby."
Suddenly, Chuck felt a warm, fleshy sensation against his back. A hand reached down, gently gripping his erect dragon and stroking it slowly.
Janet stood on her tiptoes, her red lips close to his ear, whispering in her husky, seductive voice.
"Later... do you need Mommy to scream a little louder?"