Honestly, sleeping in the open air wasn't all that different from sleeping in the cave. In any case, it was far from their former beds and blankets.
But after a few days, the two had managed to get used to it.
Chuck and Julia took turns getting up at night to feed the kiln. It wasn't until a pale glow appeared on the horizon that a sleepy Chuck, rubbing his aching back, slowly retrieved the clay pot that had been firing in the kiln all night.
The shape was perfect, seamlessly sealed. The light brown surface even had a slight sheen.
It looked almost as if it had been manufactured by a machine mold.
In fact, one could say that, since, apart from the raw materials, the System had done all the work from shaping to firing.
Chuck weighed it briefly; it felt substantial and the quality was undeniable.
He was very satisfied.
With this pot, cooking and boiling water would be much easier. They could cook and boil everything at once, saving effort and fuel.
But a pot was still a pot. Although its capacity was considerable, it would be used frequently, so it could only briefly serve as a water container. Fortunately, Chuck still had several portions of clay left, so he planned to take advantage of the kiln's remaining heat to fire two more clay jars specifically for water storage.
As for a water vat…
Chuck had tried that yesterday, but only received a cold "insufficient space" message. To fire a water vat, the kiln would still need to be upgraded and expanded.
It was truly a pity.
Fortunately, the kneaded clay blanks could be reshaped. If he couldn't fire a vat, two clay jars as a substitute would suffice for now.
So, the same process was followed, and the flames in the kiln roared to life again.
[Currently Firing: Clay Jar, Estimated Time: 3 hours]
The freshly-fired clay pot was put to use immediately. Chuck cooked half a pot of smoked meat and wild vegetable soup over the fire. He and Julia had a simple breakfast, pairing the soup with wild fruit.
The hot soup cooked in a large pot tasted noticeably better. The broth was more flavorful and savory. The two sat across from each other on the palm leaves by the fire, each holding their small bowl, slurping down their food.
A moment later, the foreign woman put down her bowl, let out a contented breath, and leaned back again.
"Phew—"
Her long, taut body stretched out on the leaf mat, and one of her pale, beautiful legs draped lazily across Chuck's thigh.
"Oh, right, I planted that string of taro near the mud pool yesterday. It will probably be half a year before we can dig it up again~"
Her small, delicate foot gently kneaded Chuck's abdomen. Julia spoke softly, though it was unclear if she was flirting or genuinely discussing important matters.
Chuck nodded, acknowledging her words. Then, he finished the meat soup in his bowl in one gulp.
Putting the bowl down, he grabbed her playful foot and unceremoniously began tickling the sole of her foot.
"Aiiiii, hahahaha! F-ck you! What are you doing~"
The foreign woman burst into laughter, her luscious body shaking. The small foot Chuck was holding struggled to escape, her toes uncontrollably splaying and curling. Her curvy body writhed like a caterpillar on the leaf mat.
"Who told you to be so flirty first thing in the morning?"
Chuck playfully tormented her for a moment, then released her small foot amidst Julia's slightly annoyed expression.
The sky brightened, ushering in a new day of busy work.
Handing over the chores of watching the kiln, collecting firewood, and gathering wild fruits entirely to Julia, Chuck continued methodically pushing forward with his plans.
Now that the kiln was built, it was time to construct the shelter.
After all, if the rain came and washed away the newly built kiln, all the effort he and Julia put in over the past day would be wasted.
It was perfect timing. Once the shelter was built, they could move all their belongings from the cave into the shelter, officially relocating their home base.
In the Basic Shelter blueprint, apart from easily found materials like palm leaves, sticks, and vines, the most crucial elements were the four logs required for support.
A log referred to the thickest, strongest part of a tree trunk.
Fortunately, the soil in this eastern jungle area behind the rock wall was drier, and the trees were generally thicker and taller. Chuck quickly selected four trees with roughly the same diameter that were not too far from the rock slope.
The next step involved no shortcuts.
Chuck had no choice but to use the stone axe to chop the trees, strike after strike.
Honestly, it was more exhausting than he expected.
The stone axe blade was not sharp and easily wore down, requiring him to collect materials for re-synthesis from time to time. Combined with the solid, thick logs, it took Chuck over half an hour just to chop down the first tree.
But felling the trees wasn't enough. Just like building the kiln the day before, constructing the building with the blueprint required the materials to be transported close to the build zone.
In other words, Chuck had to drag and carry all the thick, long logs up to the platform.
It was a good thing he had consumed that red potion, boosting his physical fitness by 20%. Otherwise, with his former physique… it wouldn't be impossible, but it would probably take half his life.
Not until he had felled all four trees, dragged and carried them to the platform, cleaned off the branches, and finally placed all the materials into the build zone.
The Shelter Blueprint's progress bar finally reached 100%!
The sun in the sky had already passed overhead.
The hard work of the morning had finally paid off.
As the last cluster of light dots dispersed, a slightly sloped Simple Shelter, supported by four logs and covered with sticks and palm leaves for a roof, finally revealed its complete form.
The shelter was about 3.5 meters high and covered an area of about ten square meters, just slightly more spacious than the cave on the South Beach.
But even so, Chuck was quite satisfied.
After all… this shelter could be upgraded later!
[Simple Shelter—Construction Complete! Upgrade Blueprints Added!]
[Blueprint Name: Eaves Water Collection Trough, Type: Tier 1 Upgrade Blueprint, Description: A simple device that automatically collects water during rain using the slope of the roof. Materials Required: Bamboo Tubes × 10, Cutting Tool, Vines × 10]
[Blueprint Name: Reinforced Shelter, Type: Tier 2 Upgrade Blueprint, Description: Doubles the size of the basic shelter structure and adds hardwood beams for greater stability. Materials Required: Palm Leaves × 40, Sticks × 20, Vines × 10, Logs × 6, Hardwood × 4]
Unlike the kiln, the shelter unlocked two upgrade blueprints at once.
However, the blueprint descriptions showed that only the Reinforced Shelter, which was Tier 2 like the Advanced Kiln, was a genuine "upgrade." The Water Collection Trough was more of a functional extension.
Even though it was functional, it was easy to see that having this thing would make collecting rainwater incredibly convenient during a storm!
And the materials were simple: just vines and bamboo tubes.
Coincidentally, over the course of the morning, the equally busy Julia had finished firing both clay jars. Each jar could hold over 15 liters of water, making the bamboo tubes previously used as containers obsolete.
They were perfect to process and use as material for the water collection upgrade.
After a quick process, a water collection trough made of interconnected bamboo tubes, with one side higher than the other, was installed on the eaves of the shelter.
With this, their new home had taken its initial shape.
Sitting cross-legged under the shelter, enjoying the hard-earned shade, a warm smile spread across Julia's face. She threw her arms around Chuck and kissed him enthusiastically.
"Chuck! You're amazing! You built this shelter so well in one morning! Mua!"
Returning the foreign woman's passionate kiss, Chuck just raised his hand, stroked her hair, and smiled without saying a word.
The shelter was good, but for now, it only looked good.
In a real downpour or a storm, this small shelter would likely still be less safe than the cave and could even collapse.
So his gaze shifted to the second upgrade blueprint.
Reinforced Shelter.
This upgrade would not only double the shelter's covered area but also add a crossbeam structure, making the whole thing much more stable.
If he could complete it, the shelter would truly become a better haven than the beach cave.
However, the materials required for the upgrade were not only greater in quantity than the basic shelter but also included one material that Chuck had absolutely no clue about.
—Hardwood.
What kind of wood would be considered hardwood?
Fortunately, when Chuck attempted to select the blueprint via the Workbench System, the System's synthesis tip provided the answer.
[Hardwood: Generally refers to angiosperm trees; the trunk wood is dense, sturdy, and wear-resistant, making it excellent for building materials. Most common in densely vegetated forests or hilly areas, with redwood and oak being the most common examples.]
Seeing this hint, Chuck instantly understood.
It looked like finding hardwood would require exploring the unknown regions of the island again.
It was a good time, too. Ever since he first stepped onto this platform, Chuck had been very curious about the view from the steep slope on the other side.
Grabbing the tusk spear, and deciding not to wear the boar cloak because of the heat, Chuck was full and rested enough to begin exploring up the steep slope.
He didn't expect an unexpected surprise to come knocking right before he left.
"…Mr. Chuck?"
A slightly awkward voice suddenly sounded from below the slope.
Gu Yitong slowly stepped onto the rock slope, her expression clearly uncomfortable. But her gaze immediately noticed the palm-leaf shelter standing on the platform.
She was instantly stunned.
…What is this?
It wasn't here yesterday!
The suddenly-appearing shelter gave Gu Yitong a strong shock.
At the same time, Chuck heard her voice and looked over, a slight smile playing on his lips. But then he turned his head and continued organizing his gear.
Seeing this, Gu Yitong's face stiffened.
Less than 24 hours ago, she had come to Chuck full of fury to demand an explanation, and ended by warning him to stay away from her and her daughter.
Yet now, she had no choice but to swallow her pride…
Gu Yitong gritted her teeth, her plump body beneath the long dress trembling slightly.
She wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave right now.
But she couldn't.
Because the only person who could help her right now was the very man she regarded as a low-class nobody.
"Mr. Chuck, I was too impulsive yesterday. I apologize to you."
Even though her initial warmth was met with coldness, Gu Yitong forced herself to step forward, bowing toward Chuck's back, her voice trembling slightly.
As a senior executive and a young, promising career woman, she had never had such a humiliating experience, not even when she first started working after graduation.
As she bowed, her pair of overwhelmingly full tits nearly ripped the fabric of her upper garment. The pale, northern hemisphere and the deep, bottomless cleavage were completely exposed.
Julia, who was eating lunch nearby, cast a curious glance, then focused on the two large lamps on Gu Yitong's chest, her eyes widening.
"My God… Big Tits?"
Chuck finally turned around and looked down at her without reserve.
"I received your apology, but I don't accept it. Is there anything else?"
His words completely disregarded Gu Yitong's dignity, making her face burn even hotter. She was furious but dared not show it. She slowly straightened up and forced herself to continue speaking.
"I came today hoping that you could put aside yesterday's unpleasantness… and help me with a favor."
"What favor?"
Gu Yitong's heart lifted at Chuck's question, and she quickly spoke: "I need some food and water, just a little! I promise I will return it to you later!"
She finished and nervously observed Chuck's reaction.
Chuck's expression remained calm. Then, he actually nodded slightly.
"Alright."
The two simple words made an expression of wild joy appear on Gu Yitong's face!
But just as she was about to thank him again, Chuck immediately followed up with the next sentence, which instantly froze the joy on her face.
"But on one condition."
"…"
Gu Yitong looked at Chuck, a terrifying premonition slowly dawning in her mind.
"What… condition?"
She asked slowly, her voice trembling. She was already afraid to hear what Chuck was going to say next.
Chuck, who had remained calm throughout, now offered a benevolent smile.
Then, he raised his hand and pointed to the ground in front of him.
"Take off your clothes, and then kneel on the ground and beg me."