The failed man who climbed to the summit came to understand the reason for his previous failure.
After the rain, the sky cleared, and sunlight spilled over the lake surface. Although it was a volcanic lake, the exceptionally clear surface resembled a sheet of glass. Even though the water was incredibly deep, the scene beneath the lake was quite visible.
With just one glance, he could see the massive shadow circling at the bottom of the lake.
Obviously, if things had proceeded step-by-step—if Chuck had first figured out a way to confront and kill that giant bird head-on, and then climbed to the summit on a sunny day—he would have easily spotted the giant crocodile's existence while discovering the water source.
Naturally, he wouldn't have fallen into the fatal situation of being blocked inside the stone cave with no way to retreat.
"It seems trying to skip the boss won't work."
Chuck stood at the edge of the summit, gently patting the dust off his hands, summarizing silently in his heart.
The reason he was able to kill the tiger that way back then was, first, his methods like building the ballista and training his accuracy were originally relatively direct approaches. Landing two out of three consecutive shots on vital points also directly confirmed the tiger's death. The only place he exploited a loophole was during the final escape phase. In fact, he had originally only planned to escape to the ship, not to use that invisible "air wall."
It could be said that it was extremely lucky coincidences in all aspects that allowed Chuck's previous tiger hunting operation to succeed. It was a result that could be encountered by chance but not sought after. Therefore, from the very beginning, when Chuck wanted to replicate this fortuitous coincidence, he had already set foot on a dead-end road.
Looking at it now, this deserted island world is truly somewhat coldly harsh.
But fortunately, to some extent, it could perhaps be considered serendipity that a Ms. Question Mark helped him survive this desperate situation and gave him a "second chance." Now that all the rules of the deserted island were clear, he naturally wouldn't repeat the same mistakes.
However, Chuck had no reason to let go of the rewards he was meant to obtain.
Because it was a bright sunny day, plus this was already his third time climbing, even though the peak was towering and steep, Chuck was quite familiar with the climbing route. His ascent to the peak was swift and quiet, so much so that even though he was now standing by the summit lake, he hadn't attracted the attention of the giant crocodile at the bottom of the lake.
Chuck bent down, keeping as far away from the lake surface as possible, lightening his footsteps, and slowly approached the lakeside.
The shadow at the bottom of the lake was still moving back and forth. Chuck kept his attention focused at all times, finally arriving silently at the edge of the stone cave.
A pungent stench assaulted his face. Nearly two days had passed; obviously, the corpse had entered the decomposition stage.
Before stepping inside, Chuck turned his head again and reconfirmed the position of the shadow at the bottom of the lake.
Although the giant bird had already been killed by him, harvesting the Flowers of the Other Shore and extracting the heart this time was still perilous. If he got blocked inside the stone cave again, he would truly be dead meat.
So not only did he have to be careful, but his movements also had to be as swift as possible to avoid unforeseen complications from delays.
Stepping into the stone cave, Chuck covered his mouth and nose, passing through large swarms of flies. He went straight to the depths of the stone cave first. Behind a large patch of pungent bird droppings, just like he had done before, he picked the seven blue Flowers of the Other Shore, then turned and went to the giant bird's corpse, which was emitting a foul stench and had already started to turn black and shrink.
He held his breath, drew the short knife from behind him, bent down and squatted. He precisely sliced open the bird's chest, cleanly cutting out the heart—which was about the size of a woman's fist but emitted an unprecedentedly pure blue light. He stored it in his storage space as fast as possible, then without making any further stop, sprinted out of the stone cave at full speed.
The entire process took less than one-tenth of the time of the previous failed hunting operation. But facts proved that Chuck's guess during the previous battle with the tiger was correct.
Compared to the fierce beasts Chuck had dealt with before, these so-called lord-class fierce beasts were more ferocious and more cunning.
Despite completing the harvest at the fastest speed, when Chuck stepped out of the stone cave and saw the terrifying giant crocodile at the lakeside, its bloody maw wide open, approaching him rapidly amidst a spray of frightening splashes.
He understood that he had indeed stepped into a trap once again.
As a lord-class fierce beast, it was impossible for this crocodile not to have noticed after Chuck entered its territory. The reason it still wandered unhurriedly at the bottom of the lake was to deliberately lure Chuck into taking the bait, in order to avenge the grudge of Chuck killing its neighbor right in front of its eyes a few days ago.
Fortunately, a man cannot fail twice in the same place.
Over the past two days, Chuck had already anticipated this situation and prepared for it in advance.
The giant crocodile charging straight at him eliminated Chuck's chance to escape back the way he came like that night. Behind him, besides the stone cave, on the other side of the mountain peak, was a sheer cliff hundreds of meters high and steep, jagged volcanic rock peaks.
Crocodile in front, precipice behind. Chuck seemed to have fallen into a desperate situation again, but this time, there was no despair in his eyes.
He didn't hesitate. He immediately pulled a raincoat out from his storage space. While putting it on, he dashed madly towards the cliff behind him. Then, he actually leapt straight out, narrowly dodging the bloody maw the giant crocodile snapped viciously at his legs.
But because of this, Chuck's legs also completely left the edge of the peak, plummeting downwards.
Yet there was no fear of impending death on Chuck's face; instead, a bit more excitement shone in his eyes.
That python skin raincoat had already been put back on his body.
Only at this moment, it was no longer the simple poncho style it originally was. Fabric sewn from silk had been added under both armpits. The style, originally just draped over the shoulders, also had straps added on the inside to secure it to his limbs.
Moreover, Chuck didn't wear this raincoat draped over his back this time, but wore it entirely backward, draped over his front...
The instant Chuck leaped off the cliff and spread his arms, the entire snakeskin raincoat was suddenly ballooned by the airflow. The silk fabric patches sewn on both sides of the raincoat were also immediately pulled taut by the airflow, stretching tight from Chuck's secured wrists all the way to the sides of his waist.
Like two thin wings suddenly spreading open.
The snakeskin was inherently sturdy and flexible. Pulled by the airflow, the entire piece of leather stretched tight, its dark brown scale patterns unfurling in the wind.
All these changes happened in the blink of an eye.
From afar, it looked like a giant flying squirrel suddenly leaping out from the cliffs.
The sturdiness and flexibility of the raincoat made of snakeskin originally far exceeded Chuck's expectations... So during the time he waited for the rain to stop, Chuck came up with a somewhat crazy and somewhat thrilling plan.
Add the function of a wingsuit to this raincoat!
Flying squirrels, also known as eastern bats, although not the same species as true bats, bats basically look like winged mice anyway. To some extent, they are indeed quite similar.
And the wingsuit, formally known as wingsuit flying gear, is clothing made imitating the body structure of a flying squirrel, sewing three wing membranes between the limbs, and adding a structure filled with air chambers inside.
There was a time when Chuck was quite fond of browsing a type of first-person extreme sports videos. Paired with Haidi Shiwanmi's personal BGM, it was quite appetizing. Thus, out of curiosity, he also learned about wingsuits.
Referencing the structure in his memory, Chuck used the raincoat originally made of python skin, combined with the newly produced silk silk from home, and the DIY synthesis function of the workbench...
And crafted the "rapid means" of escaping the mountain peak in emergency situations that Chuck envisioned.
"Wooohooo—"
The howling wind yanked Chuck's hair and facial skin towards the back of his head. Chuck spread his arms and legs, the weightlessness of freefall quickly turning into an exhilarating sense of speed. The jagged rock peaks below began to rapidly move behind him, and the sea level ahead drew closer and closer.
The failed man climbed to the summit, and thus grew wings.
Don't feel regret for his exit, arriving next at the battlefield is—
Batman!
...
The island north women taking a beautiful bath on the hot spring platform were all very curious about why Chuck disappeared without a trace after climbing to the summit. But Chuck is Chuck after all. They now had to rely on him just to survive, naturally, they wouldn't dare meddle in his affairs uninvited.
Wingsuit flying is an out-and-out extreme sport. The wingsuit Chuck made from snakeskin and silk, although appearing far too crude compared to a real wingsuit, was completely sufficient for Chuck, whose physical stats could be called a mini-Superman.
Although gliding among the cliffs of the deserted island was very thrilling, during the brief gliding time, Chuck also clearly heard faint tearing sounds coming from the thin wings on both sides. So, to avoid accidents, Chuck preferred to trade minor injuries for a chance at a stable landing. He slightly accelerated his descent speed, and finally plunged headfirst into the large jungle next to the eastern beach.
Chuck's back, arms, thighs, and forehead suffered varying degrees of scratches, and his ribs also had minor fractures. But with the triggering of the passive skill "Soft on the Outside, Hard on the Inside," these injuries, which could barely be considered serious, ultimately only consumed one-third of Chuck's stamina before being completely healed.
Walking unhurriedly all the way back to the stone slope platform and arriving safely at home, Chuck completely concluded this giant bird hunting operation.
Although he couldn't retrieve and process the giant bird's corpse, honestly speaking, besides a coat of fluffy feathers and that sharp bird beak, the giant bird's flesh itself didn't have any parts worth harvesting, and its weight wasn't enough to refine an Essence Potion. So letting it rot was fine; when he killed that crocodile in the future, he could just retrieve the feathers and stuff together.
The crucial spoils were indeed these full seven blue magic potions!
Taking a quick shower to wash off the dust from falling into the jungle, Chuck impatiently placed the materials into the workbench. In the blink of an eye, seven blue pills lay quietly in the palm of his hand.
Quite some time had passed since he last took a potion, but the transformative feeling of his body receiving immense enhancement in a short period still fascinated Chuck every single time.
If it weren't for the fact that the margin of increase was gradually being diluted by his increasingly powerful attributes, coupled with the difficulty of obtaining the potions themselves, leading to longer and longer intervals between consumptions, Chuck probably really would become addicted to this feeling.
Getting a cup of cold water, Chuck returned to the dining table and sat down. He tossed all the pills into his mouth at once, then picked up the water cup and swallowed them in one gulp.
In just a moment, that soul-stirring coolness and intoxicating numbness deep in his brain surfaced, causing Chuck to involuntarily lean back in the wooden chair. It wasn't until a long time later that it gradually faded along with further, strikingly clear perception.
That light screen, which always arrived as promised, was not absent this time either.
[Number of Potions Consumed: Blue × 7]
[Congratulations! Under the effect of the potion, your physical stats have comprehensively increased by 70%! Current cumulative bonus: 220%!]
[The blue potions you consumed have met the standard, undergoing a transformative upgrade!]
[Blue Potion Exclusive Transformation — Perception Mastery (LV.4): Your mental stats have surpassed human limits, and you are beginning to gradually master the ability to use perception control. You can mobilize perception to focus on the five sensory organs, but you can only choose one sensory organ to focus on at a time. The current maximum enhancement level is (40%). Number of blue potions required to upgrade to the next level: 2/6. Please keep up the good work.]
Similar to the previous Blood Qi Mastery, with the massive enhancement of his mental stats, Chuck's already extraordinarily keen five senses were further enhanced. What followed was a denser reception of information: more sounds, visual signals, tactile sensations, even a more detailed situation of his own internal body, and vague memories hidden deep in his mind...
The influx of a massive amount of information didn't give Chuck a headache, because his cognitive abilities were also synchronously enhanced.
Chuck slowly stood up and looked around.
In the storage room, Yitong had dug out the family's needle and thread, sitting on a chair, carefully sewing and mending the clothes he had just changed out of. She suddenly drew a sharp breath and raised a finger to her mouth. Although he didn't see it, Chuck knew she had probably accidentally pricked her finger with the needle.
From the kitchen came bursts of faint water sounds, accompanied by crisp friction, and even breathing sounds. From the sound of that breathing and the amplitude of the movements, it should be Kaoru washing wild vegetables and sweet potatoes for dinner.
Intermittent sounds of chatting and laughing came from outside the house. Listening to the direction, it seemed to be near the farm sheds and livestock sheds below the stone slope platform. It seemed Julia and Jiang Qi were sharing interesting stories from college with Momo, providing a chance for virtual schooling for this poor little thing who should have been experiencing college life.
Bursts of distant and vague sounds, across such a long distance, through the slightly open window, reached Chuck's ears, yet every word was clear.
In the afternoon, there were faint sounds of chopping wood. The limestone burning in the furnace emitted a unique alkaline smell. Valentina and Kaede were also conscientiously doing the tasks at hand.
Mmh...
It seemed everything was normal.
But then again.
Where is Janet?
Chuck looked around again, not finding the person he wanted to find. But suddenly the tip of his nose twitched, and a familiar milky scent suddenly wafted into Chuck's nasal cavity, captured by his further evolved sense of smell.
So his gaze turned towards the bedroom, which should have been quiet and empty. Inside the large bed, there was indeed a sound that even Chuck almost overlooked.
It was the sound of soft mucous membrane tissue, under the lubrication of some viscous liquid, being gently rubbed with extremely small amplitude and force.
Following closely, a sufficiently clear mature, charming muffled grunt, accompanied by a whispered sentence that made Chuck raise his eyebrows, subsequently appeared.
"Ah... so painful..."
"But then again... can this really fit inside? Julia wasn't lying to me, right?"
Chuck was stunned for a moment, then an inevitable smile appeared on his face. He picked up his phone from the table and glanced at the time.
Less than twenty minutes had passed since he temporarily parted ways with the women from the north of the island.
Considering that after those women finished soaking in the hot spring and resting their feet, they would then hurry all the way here, they would probably have to wait for at least another half an hour or more.
Chuck originally intended to gather his harem at home to prepare to welcome the upcoming coolies... no, new companions.
But looking at it now, there's no rush for this moment.
Compared to new companions, Chuck was actually a bit curious. This farm mature woman, who was always hardworking and diligent on normal days, sneaking into the bedroom alone during working hours—what unspeakable, embarrassing thing was she actually doing?
So, in order to witness it with his own eyes, Chuck lightened his footsteps, approached the edge of the bedroom. Out of politeness, he coughed twice in a low voice the second before stepping into the room. Then, amidst a burst of exclamation, he unceremoniously barged in.
The scene that appeared before him also confirmed his guess just now.
"Ba... Baby?! Why are you back!"
Stepping into the bedroom, looking at the scene that entered his eyes, Chuck's pupils trembled slightly, but the curve of his lips became more distinct.
He saw that the red-haired mature mare, who was usually diligent and busy in the livestock shed until dark, was now completely naked, lying prone on the large bed. Her snowy-white, plump back arched into a tempting curve, and a pair of explosively full, snowy-white massive buttocks were raised high, completely open like two overripe, bursting peaches. The fat, beautiful cheeks of her buttocks trembled slightly due to nervousness.
And between those buttock cheeks, that originally rosy, narrow flower bud, was right now actually being blocked tightly by a sparkling silver metal trinket!
Janet looked up in panic, her brows furrowed tightly. The expression on her face was painful yet ashamed. Her red lips were bitten white by herself, fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead. She propped herself on the bed surface with one hand, while the other hand reached from behind to between her fat, beautiful buttock cleavage, attempting to cover that gleam of metallic luster, but it was completely in vain because her ass was too big.
This red-haired, white-skinned, fat, beautiful mature mare, instead of properly taking care of the livestock in the shed right now, actually hid alone on the large bed in the bedroom, sticking her big white ass up, constantly trying to shove that little metal trinket Chuck once gifted Julia into her asshole?!
Chuck took a step forward, folded his arms across his chest, and deliberately made his tone turn cold.
"In broad daylight, what are you doing, you slutty sow?"