Chapter 286 - 286 143

Words : 1461 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

286: 143. Survival on a deserted island 286: 143. Survival on a deserted island Lu Li looked down, his muscle contours clear and distinct, his skin fair, wearing an amulet around his neck, nothing seemed related to dirt. Without minding, he continued to wring out his shirt, then threw it to the ground, letting the shirt pick up the dry grit. The shirt would be uncomfortable to wear, but it was the only way to keep it dry quickly. Lu Li took off the two Spirit-Calling Guns and placed them on the protruding rock, then dealt with his trousers in the same way to dry them, before rolling around on the beach a few times to get his body dry. Putting on clothes that made his skin protest, the temperature was no longer falling away. Lu Li felt his body temperature gradually recovering. However, in at most half an hour, he would have to take them off to remove the grit, or he might chafe his skin. He looked at the palm of his hand again, the edges of the wound swollen white from soaking, a sandpaper-like sting coming from the wound. This, however, stopped the wound from becoming inflamed or further infected. Raising his head to gaze into the distance, the gloomy sky and sea stretched endlessly, but Lu Li could see slender, illusory blood-colored tentacles falling from the far horizon, hanging towards the ground, pointing out the direction for Lu Li. That was the only upside of the Blood-Colored Tentacles. Before setting off, he had studied the map and thought for a moment, recalling the name of this island: Seaview Cliff. Before the disaster of the black night, during the sailing era, this small island about 80 nautical miles from the Ailen Peninsula was the outermost island, with people stationed here to guide passing ships. Now, it is still the outermost island of the Ailen Peninsula—the unreachable island. If someone had once been stationed here, perhaps they would have left something behind. Lu Li looked up towards the edge of the rock wall, his view blocked by the jutting rocks. He said to the figure at Windbreak Point, “I’m going to look for food and water sources on the island, and you... what’s your name?” Lu Li still didn’t know the name of the woman in the black robe. “A name is just a code,” said the woman in the black robe indifferently. “So I can call you anything?” “Mmm-hmm.” “Friday, after wringing out your clothes, gather some firewood and start a fire, if you know how to,” Lu Li said, then turned away and walked off. Barefoot on the soft sands, Lu Li went around the rock wall to the right side of the island. Sharp distinctions between the colors of gravel and soil were evident, and the ground was covered with dead grass and shrubs. The presence of plants meant there was a water source. Walking cautiously on the visible soil, Lu Li avoided the lush withered grass and stepped into the Withered Forest. As he moved away from the coast, the sound of the waves became nearly imperceptible, and a silent stillness replaced the surrounding environment. No insects or bird calls, no signs of life. A few dozen meters into the Withered Forest, Lu Li paused briefly to look around. The landscape was monotonous, but atop the highest part of the rock wall, a dark brown corner of a wooden hut stood out. There was a cabin on the cliff. Lu Li turned towards the cliff and followed the irregular, craggy rock wall to the back, where he found a relatively gentle path that led to the top. A hundred meters away on the cliff top, a lonely wooden hut stood on the highest point. Walking along a road still marked with tracks, Lu Li moved towards the cliff top. The sea breeze, which had temporarily vanished within the forest, reemerged, fluttering his shirt. The view from the cliff top was wide and clear, offering a vista of the entire island and beyond. This was why the wooden hut was built here, and why the island was named Seaview Cliff. Lu Li stood in front of the cabin door. Due to the constant sea breeze and dampness, the wooden boards had a layer of stain-like light grey crystallization on the exterior. He pushed open the door, and the smell of old, damp rot wafted out, along with a certain kind of discomforting presence. Lu Li drew the Spirit-Calling Gun, but then he holstered it back in an instant. With his flashlight lost, he could only rely on the old method to sense his surroundings. He didn’t feel any malevolent presences; the cabin was safe. Stepping into the cabin, the floorboards creaked with a teeth-gritting sound. The decor resembled that of a hunter’s cabin, with a fish specimen of an inedible tuna hanging above a single bed on the wall. In the fireplace, only ashes remained, with an empty pot hanging off to the side and a few logs piled nearby. Under the window, next to the door, a dining table was cluttered with an oil lamp, matches, and dinner plates. Only a layer of dark remnants of food was left on the plates, and three opened, empty cans were scattered on the floor. In one corner, a wooden box neatly held four unopened cans. Considering the time when the deep sea became dangerous and the night calamity arrived, the cans had been here for at least half a year. If the world’s canning standards were sufficient, they might still be edible. Even if they weren’t, the cans could be a good way to hold and boil water. Lu Li walked to the corner, picked up a can from the box; the outer paper label had been eroded away by the environment, leaving only the corrugated iron can. After putting the remaining three cans back on the dining table, Lu Li walked to the window and pulled out a pair of leather ankle boots from under the bed. The boots were a few sizes too big for Lu Li’s feet, but that was better than being too small. Shaking out non-existent dirt from the soles of the boots, Lu Li put them on, and his footsteps changed from silent to a dull thumping. Approaching the wardrobe, a stronger musty smell wafted out of its cracks, as if something inside was rotting. But there was no stench of decay. Creak— He opened the wardrobe door and a rich, damp musty smell spread out. Lu Li took a step back, looking at the few clothes hanging inside covered in large disgusting mold spots; no one would want to wear them. Lu Li closed the wardrobe door, cutting off the moldy smell akin to damp wood inside. This place could serve as a temporary resting spot. Lu Li thought. With all the elements for survival at hand, broad visibility, and a conspicuous exterior, this resting spot could allow them to wait for the investigators’ rescue. Armed with matches and cans, Lu Li was about to walk outside when, in a fleeting glance, he thought he saw a humanoid shadow on the wall, uncertain if it was an illusion. Lu Li didn’t believe in illusions, so he stopped in his tracks and stood at the door, scanning the room once more. The room, saturated with a damp smell, was no different from before—quiet and long deserted. Perhaps it was just a figment. Leaving the cabin, Lu Li didn’t immediately depart from the cliff. Instead, he walked to the most open view—where surprisingly, there was a deck chair and a few empty bottles. Before the calamities and dangers emerged, the person stationed at Seaview Cliff seemed to have leisurely enjoyed the beach and wine while reclining in the chair. Lu Li noted a spot in the heart of the island that seemed to be a water pool and then climbed down the rock face. The return journey took him less than half the time it took to get there. Clanging and jingling with cans, Lu Li returned to Windbreak Point and tossed the cans into a depression. The woman in black robes looked up. Somehow, her robe was completely dry without any sign of wrinkles or sand. Lu Li handed her his uncomfortable shirt, “Deal with this for me.” The woman in black took the cans, ignoring Lu Li’s gesture, “Has someone been here?” “There was.” Lu Li patted off the sand from his shirt and upper body, and was about to tell the woman in black about the cabin he had found on the rock face. But he changed his mind.

Chapter 286 - 286 143

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