Stranded On A Desert Island—Only I Have No System!

Chapter 6: Expand Long-Term Survival Path.

Ethan put a few sticks as thick as his fingers onto the fire, then gradually added some thicker logs. He needed to keep the fire going while searching for a suitable place to dig a pit.

To call it a pit was a bit much; it didn’t need to be large or deep. Just about a hand’s span deep and about half a meter in diameter. This way, the fire would last longer and it would be easier to use if he managed to find some materials for cooking later. Plus, there’d be no fear of the fire going out if a strong wind came through.

He didn’t know what the weather on this island would be like after a few days, so he planned for every possible situation in order to respond in the most optimal way. It wasn’t that he was overly cautious, but after the ship had left the mainland and there were no other islands within three hundred kilometers, things already seemed suspicious enough.

And now, not even knowing where this island was, the rescue team would surely take a long time to find them. The best thing to do now was to save himself, not just to prolong survival, but to endure under any harsh conditions and keep living, no matter what.

Even if he couldn’t leave, survival was still his goal.

And he also thought, digging a pit and moving the fire was just normal, he didn’t want to have to sit out in the sun every time he needed fire during the day.

Seeing Ethan heading toward the edge of the forest, Lucy ran after him. She watched him stand there with his hands on his hips, staring blankly for a while, then spoke up:

“What’s wrong? You’ve been standing there for minutes.”

Ethan was silent for a moment, then sighed.

“I want to dig a pit to move the fire here, and also clear a spot to rest in the shade. But I don’t have any tools, my folding knife is too small to manage these things.”

“Why dig a pit? Also, it’s actually pretty cool under the coconut trees right now. Why don’t you just go lie over there?”

Ethan was speechless for a second. He didn’t want to lie down, if this went on, they couldn’t just keep lying under the coconut grove. When night fell, wasn’t she afraid of catching a chill and dying?

“Have you eaten enough?”

Lucy was startled, then replied: “A little… I’m kind of full.”

Was Ethan trying to say she was overeating and meddling in other people’s business? Well, it was true, whatever he did had nothing to do with her; he’d already been kind enough to let her eat those coconuts, and here she was, questioning everything he did; no wonder he was annoyed.

But Ethan said, “Then, can you look for a big leaf to use as shade, then walk along the beach and see if there’s anything useful, like a big seashell, a plastic bottle… Basically, anything you think might come in handy. I’ll handle things here.”

This time Lucy was even more surprised. So it turned out Ethan didn’t think she was a bother, he just wanted to know if she’d eaten full yet, and since she said yes, he was asking her to help. He was actually quite a good person.

“Alright, I’ll do my best!”

With that, Lucy darted into the forest to find a leaf for shade, while Ethan wandered about outside, lost in thought.

He found a flat spot of earth, choosing it as a temporary resting place, close to the forest’s edge, so at night the wind wouldn’t be too strong, and snakes or insects wouldn’t come out since there’d be a fire.

Ethan found a rock about the size of his hand, with a sharp end, and started digging. After about half an hour of hard work, he managed to dig a pit about half a meter in diameter, a little deeper than a handspan. He then picked up a few rocks about the size of his fist and lined the mouth of the pit, placing two larger stones, each taller than a hand’s span, at either end of the hole. Then he added a few leaves and small sticks inside.

That was good enough for now. He ran over to the coconut grove, picked up two coconut shells, and went back to where he’d built the fire. By then, there were a few small pieces of charcoal the size of his finger, while the big logs weren’t all burned yet. He moved the big logs to the pit, then used the coconut shells to scoop up the charcoal and pour it into the pit, blowing gently. In no time, the fire flared up again.

Now there was shade here, so when he grilled the snake, he wouldn’t have to be in the sun.

He took out his knife and cut a small stick about the size of his little finger, whittled one end to a point, and ran over to the place where he’d been drying the snake.

Several hours had passed, and the snake was now fairly dry, its flesh a bit firmer. He used the pointed end of the stick to pierce the thickest part near the head, then wrapped the snake around the stick twice, skewering through the meat each time until he was done.

With that, he finished preparing the snake for roasting. He laid the stick, now strung with snake meat, across the two large stones at either end of the fire pit, turning it occasionally to keep it from burning.

Just then, Lucy came running back, carrying an empty plastic bottle, so nice, one with a capacity of up to 1.5 liters. She’d also found a large seashell, about the size of her hand.

That was quite a haul; whether the shellfish was alive or dead, it was still valuable. If it were alive, it could be food; if dead, the shell could be put to many uses. How useful it would be depends on what else he might need later.

“You stay here and help me grill the snake. I’m going over there to c***k a few more coconuts, fill them with coconut water, and we can use them as needed.”

“Alright.”

Although Lucy was terrified of snakes, she couldn’t afford to seem useless. Out here in the wild, if she were of no use, Ethan would leave her behind. This boy seemed calm, maybe not all that remarkable at first glance, but everything he’d done so far showed that his excellence had nothing to do with his brown skin.

He handled everything so methodically, every step purposeful, never wasting time or effort, a man one could truly rely on.

Thinking so, Lucy smiled dreamily. Ethan glanced over and shivered involuntarily. What’s up with this girl? Does she have a screw loose or something? Why is she suddenly smiling to herself like that?