"Get lost, you pathetic loser!"
Charlotte scowled as she spoke.
She couldn't even tell what the truth was anymore.
Was she actually fragrant or stinky?
She had clearly started to get a little turned on earlier, and then Calvin ruined it again!
What a mangy dog!
The more Charlotte thought about it, the angrier she got. She jumped on Calvin and unleashed a flurry of her "pretty punches."
Whap whap whap...
After the little massage session, Calvin lay comfortably on the wooden cube.
Charlotte was so much fun.
But don't get it twisted. It was fun in the most literal sense.
Just teasing her a bit would make her puff up with anger and then give him a massage with puffed cheeks.
His mouth was satisfied, and so was his body.
So honestly, no one could blame Calvin for always being a bit of a jerk.
The emotional value Charlotte brought was just too high...
After their little scuffle, Charlotte blushed and said to Calvin,
"C-Calvin, I'm going inside to wipe down with a wet towel. Don't peek, okay?"
"Sure. When you're done, i also need to wipe me down too. Don't use too much water though."
"O-okay..."
Charlotte glanced shyly at Calvin, then walked into the house with the towel.
After a moment's thought, she dragged two wooden cubes to block the doorway.
But that also blocked the light from the campfire outside,
Turning the wooden hut into a dark little room.
She took off her yellowed JK uniform and moistened the towel using the water collector.
She clearly remembered Calvin's warning and gently began wiping her body...
Twenty minutes later,
Charlotte put her cute and pure JK outfit back on, face red as she moved the cubes and handed the towel to Calvin.
"C-Calvin."
"Yeah, I got it. Just leave it there for a bit."
"Huh? Why?"
"Let the smell air out."
"You jerk! Loser!"
As the little girl wound up for another round of her pretty punches, Calvin chuckled and flicked her tiny nose.
A few minutes later,
Calvin wiped himself down too, and felt much more refreshed.
"I wonder when I'll finally get to take a real shower."
He sighed.
He was starting to miss life back on Blue Star.
At least there, the law and morals offered protection.
Sure, school was tough, with days full of classes, mobile games, and late-night dorm gaming but there were also random BBQ runs and peaceful walks with Charlotte...
"Oh well. At least we're a good match."
A few minutes later,
Calvin stepped out.
Charlotte was driving, and the cube was ascending at dozens of kilometers per hour.
Calvin asked curiously,
"It's so late, and there are no more fishing chances. Why are we driving?"
"Just for fun! Besides, don't you think it's weird? We didn't see any floating islands today. Maybe we were too low. I'm heading back to our usual altitude."
Calvin thought about it and realized she had a point.
Yesterday, they saw several islands.
But today, not a single one.
"Alright, you drive. I'm gonna sleep."
He tossed the used towel onto the seat,
Then lay down on a dirt cube.
Before sleeping, he glanced at the chat channel, and the conversation had taken a new turn.
[Hey everyone, have you ever killed someone in-game?]
[What are you saying? Did you kill someone?]
[I ran into another player. He looked super aggressive. I swear I didn't do anything wrong! Luckily, our cubes didn't collide. Otherwise, I'm sure he would've attacked me!]
[You guys probably don't know the game's hidden mechanic.]
[Hidden mechanic?]
[If you've ever killed someone, you'd know. No one's mentioned it in chat lately, but for your own safety, I'll spill the secret.
If you kill another player, you gain 5 attribute points. I don't need to explain how important those are.
But it only works on players from other teams.
Because cubes are randomly moving now, more players are colliding and fighting.
So for your safety, have someone keep watch at night!]
[Makes sense. I've killed 10 people and got 50 points. But hey, what's your name? No hard feelings, just wanna be friends.]
[Wait, you guys are seriously killing people for points? That's murder! And you be careful! You just told the truth, and now bad guys might target you!]
[No matter what, I'm not killing anyone. I'm a cop.]
As Calvin scrolled through the chat about earning 5 stat points,
He sighed.
"Looks like everyone knows now. Things are about to get dangerous.
Like that guy said, we'll need someone on night watch from now on.
Besides player encounters, there's still the chance of crashing into floating islands or monster clouds..."
Calvin muttered.
He had been way too careless these past few nights.
Didn't even think about keeping watch.
He told Charlotte about the new plan.
Charlotte thought it over, then nodded.
"Calvin, I agree. How about I take the first half of the night, and you take the second?"
"Okay. Let's do it. It's going to be tough, but it's for our safety..."
"Calvin, I'm not afraid."
Charlotte said seriously.
She was determined to survive.
To find her parents.
To survive together with Calvin!
Even if every other player became their enemy...
She would still carve a path forward with Calvin!
This game was clearly a battle royale.
Maybe they didn't realize it before.
But after that guy revealed the truth, it became obvious.
Strangers who meet are 90% likely to fight!
Why?
Because killing gives you points.
Points make you stronger.
Strength gets you better resources.
And better resources help you survive.
No one wants to die.
And no one would refuse a better chance at living.
Even if she never attacked others, what about the others?
So...
Charlotte clenched her tiny fists.
She was still weak right now,
But she swore she would get stronger.
Strong enough not to drag Calvin down.
——
Around 4 or 5 AM,
Charlotte stepped down from the driver's seat, dark circles under her eyes.
She laid on top of Calvin and took a short nap.
After about ten minutes,
Charlotte forced herself to stay awake and gently shook Calvin.
"Calvin, it's your turn."
Calvin rubbed his eyes. He wasn't that tired.
The little girl hadn't woken him until nearly 5 AM.
Usually, they only slept 6 or 7 hours total.
She had stayed up 4 to 5 hours by herself.
Was she only planning to sleep 2 hours?!
Calvin looked at her, speechless.
Charlotte was already fast asleep in his arms.
Calvin folded the towel and placed it on the dirt cube,
Then gently rested her head on top of it.
Once that was done,
He looked up at the grey sky and took inventory.
The food could last about another week,
But the water supply is only one liter per person per day.
There is not enough water to drink, let alone wash your face and take a bath.
"The most urgent thing is to find water."
Calvin sat in the chair, put his hands on the steering wheel, and analyzed slowly.