Lin Qianyi's heart beat a little faster.
As expected, the trial missions weren't just welfare handouts just surviving the environment wasn't enough.
He knew there had to be hidden dangers buried in this place. If one of them blew up, it could spell disaster.
Luckily, so far, only he had noticed this issue. The others hadn't thought much of it. If tensions flared and Zhou Yun lost control, casualties would be inevitable.
He needed to keep this secret hidden. And he had to ensure Zhou Yun and Su Mandong didn't clash further. Su Mandong was in a bad state, so he could help take on some of her work to lower her survival pressure. If necessary, he could even give her some mushrooms to increase her favorability.
In short, the team must stay harmonious.
Also, it was unclear if Rena had any issues. The girl was too introverted. It was already day five, and they had exchanged fewer than thirty words. She might be hiding something too.
...
Despite the swirling thoughts, the day's work had to go on.
Due to Su Mandong's slacking, Lin Qianyi had to pick up the slack.
He tried to help with her tasks as much as possible.
He Yanghui assigned them to make more ropes, cut down some trees, and weave fishing traps as well as build a small wooden raft.
Living by the sea meant relying on the sea.
To truly store large amounts of food, they had to depend on the ocean.
The marine ecosystem around the island was relatively rich, with plenty of fish in the sea.
But they lacked proper fishing tools.
Fish traps could catch fish near shore, and the raft would allow access to deeper waters.
He Yanghui could even dive underwater later to explore.
The raft could also help them go around the island more easily, avoiding steep inland paths.
Thanks to the mushrooms, Lin Qianyi was fully satiated and had recovered significantly.
Su Mandong leaned against a tree, looking weak and lifeless.
Rena had a bit more energy, but not much.
The negative effects of hunger were starting to show.
Their food-gathering had actually gone relatively well but there just wasn't enough.
Who could get full from a few tiny crabs and some shellfish?
Coconuts were in short supply, so He Yanghui had started rationing them.
Each person could only have one in the morning to raise blood sugar and provide a little nutrition for the day.
Only He Yanghui and Zhou Yun, who were responsible for foraging, were allowed to eat a bit more. Lin Qianyi, Su Mandong, and Rena had to reduce their intake, just barely meeting survival needs.
Just like that, most of the day passed.
He Yanghui and the others returned with some food, and Lin Qianyi had picked up two fish and some shells.
Their exploration area had expanded, confirming the island was quite large though the exact size was still unknown. Clearly, there were plenty of animals on it.
Even medium-sized mammals.
He Yanghui had found signs of them.
They just couldn't catch one yet.
That night, Lin Qianyi left the team under the excuse of washing up and headed to a secluded spot.
Knowing there was a hidden threat among the group, he decided to secretly "cheat" a bit.
At the beach, he took off his clothes, summoned a Sapling of Marrow-Cleansing Grass, and bit off a small piece, returning the rest to his storage.
The grass's effects kicked in almost immediately. Within three breaths, his body heated up, and his blood circulation sped up.
Thanks to his [Medicine Effect Amplification] trait, even a sapling could rival 60-70% of a mature Marrow-Cleansing Grass.
"This one bite cost at least fifty or sixty thousand!" Lin Qianyi muttered.
As he spoke, he began a series of complex yoga-like movements, combined with rhythmic breathing.
"Three Treasures Auspicious Exercise"
Every child in the Federation had to learn this foundational technique from an early age.
It greatly improved digestion, absorption, and energy conversion boosting the "three treasures" of essence, energy, and spirit. In theory, it could help a person reach their full potential.
Equivalent to achieving an interference value of 80.
In this world, "interference value" referred to how much impact one material could exert on another.
Though the calculation wasn't fixed, a higher value generally meant higher energy or combat power.
Barehanded vs. using a weapon clearly different effects despite the same force.
Lin Qianyi's new body had decent flexibility. Of the 48 movements in the exercise, he completed 15 in one go.
That was impressive beginners usually only managed five or six.
As he exercised, his energy burned rapidly, and his hunger increased quickly.
This showed that the movements were working.
Five minutes of these exercises equaled one to two hours of intense workout.
And they stimulated the body more deeply one or two months of this could match years of normal training.
Lin Qianyi sighed in relief. He had worried that laws of this new world might nullify the techniques he knew.
Since they worked, everything was fine.
He casually took three mushroom slabs from his storage, grilled them, and ate them.
His hunger bar rose, and his stamina recovered.
The grass's effect continued. He trained for 15 minutes and reached the 24th movement before the internal heat subsided.
A light red, oily grime emerged from his skin not very smelly impurities being expelled.
Compared to when he took it in his original body, this one had barely any filth. Back then, the gunk had been black, smelly, and many times thicker.
After washing up, Lin Qianyi felt significantly lighter.
Despite its name, Marrow-Cleansing Grass didn't just cleanse marrow it reforged the body.
For an ordinary person who hadn't reached their physical limit, it was a powerful aid for body refinement.
At 500,000 per plant, three doses used properly could perfect one's foundation.
Just like his original body in the main world reaching theoretical human limits.
Of course, one of his two plants had been low-grade, and he relied heavily on trait boosts.
Most others wouldn't have those resources they'd have to rely on talent and hard work.
In the Federation, unfairness was just out in the open.
After all, it's unrealistic to expect fairness in a society where individuals wield overwhelming power.
Lin Qianyi touched his stomach. Previously soft, his abs now had visible definition. His body looked more balanced and toned.
The Marrow-Cleansing Grass had clearly pushed his physique to a higher level.
If not for strict Federation regulations, his low status, and being a minor he would've bought seeds of all kinds of extraordinary plants. He wouldn't be limited to just the Marrow-Cleansing Grass.
Feeling he had reached his absorption limit, Lin Qianyi dressed and returned to camp.
He hadn't been gone long no one noticed.
...
Time passed into Day 6.
They weren't so lucky the sky began to drizzle.
Thankfully, they had prepared in advance. The fire wasn't extinguished, avoiding unnecessary trouble.
Their firewood was protected under the lifeboat and stayed dry.
Due to the rain, He Yanghui decided not to go exploring. Instead, Lin Qianyi and Zhou Yun stayed in to fish and rest.
With the three men gone, Su Mandong and Rena were left in deep silence.
At first, Su Mandong tried chatting, but now, she had no strength to talk.
Rena too she began to doubt whether they would make it out alive.
She missed her mom.
She missed her family's hot pancakes.
"Sister Su… do you think we'll survive this?" Rena asked blankly.
"I don't know…" Su Mandong replied weakly.
A few days ago, she might've given some encouragement. Now? She didn't have it in her.
They sat in silence.
Things weren't going as smoothly as they'd hoped.
Hunger had broken through their mental defenses.
All Su Mandong wanted now… was a full meal.
Thinking back to her days of dieting and weight control, she could slap her past self.
"Avoid oily food? That was just stupid!"
Now she craved high-fat, greasy food.
Suddenly, Su Mandong looked toward He Yanghui's sleeping spot.
There was dry grass there, and some stored items.
She suspected… the bread was hidden underneath.
Unable to resist any longer, she got up and started searching his area.
"Nothing? How can there be nothing?" she murmured, confused.
"Sister Su… Uncle He didn't give permission. This isn't right…" Rena said nervously.
"I'm starving. You don't know how hard this is. They barely give us anything how is that enough?!"
At that moment, Su Mandong abandoned all sense of propriety. After searching fruitlessly, she lay on the ground, exhausted her gaze drifting to the lifeboat that covered their firewood.
Her reasoning kicked in.
He Yanghui didn't want them to sneak food but he also wouldn't risk it being ruined or stolen by wild animals.
So he must've stored it with other valuable resources.
Either with the water or with the firewood.
She lifted the lifeboat.
Under the kindling were nine loaves of bread.
To her surprise, He Yanghui hadn't eaten any secretly. That caught her off guard.
Still, she immediately tore open one and stuffed it in her mouth.
Rena spoke up
"Sister Su… this really isn't right…"
But even as she said it, she was clearly tempted.
Su Mandong tossed her a loaf.
Rena instantly went quiet.