While others seek survival, I engage in flirtation Chapter 10: Salt and Mushrooms

Landon and another kid, looking all freaked out by me, didn't even notice what I was holding before they took off and disappeared into the woods.

After dealing with the folks tailing us, Aimee and I headed back to camp. The ground was littered with dry leaves and branches, the fire was still going strong, and sparks were flying every now and then.

I poured some water from the canteen onto some palm leaves and passed it around to the girls. But to my surprise, they took one sip and spat it out.

"What kind of water is this? Why is it so bitter?" Ivy grimaced as she spat out the water. I took a sip myself and immediately spat it out too.

I couldn't believe it. It was supposed to be fresh water, but it tasted awful! We definitely needed to find a better water source, and fast.

I sighed. "Looks like we'll have to head back to the pond tomorrow." The water was undrinkable, but it was already late, so any trips would have to wait until morning.

"You all don't know each other yet, do you?" I asked the girls sitting around the campfire, thinking I should introduce them. But they just smiled and told me they already knew each other.

"I never thought we'd run into Ivy on a deserted island!" Aimee said, looking super excited.

It's only natural to be surprised to meet such a famous actress out here. Even I felt a bit starstruck talking to Ivy.

After chatting for a bit, our stomachs started growling. Aimee and I had been out all day without eating, and it seemed like Ivy and Margaret hadn't had much either.

"I'll pick some mushrooms!" Aimee jumped up and ran to the leather bag at the cave entrance. I had noticed it was full of mushrooms when we first got back.

"Do you know which ones are safe to eat?" I asked, frowning. I had seen some documentaries, but I wasn't confident about identifying edible mushrooms.

Aimee seemed sure of herself, saying she knew a lot about food and told me not to worry. She quickly sorted the mushrooms into two piles, tossing one pile outside the camp.

"Good thing you didn't eat these! They're not safe," she said, using a thin branch to skewer the mushrooms and placing them by the fire.

The mushrooms started to char a bit over the fire, and the girls sat around, waiting for them to be done.

While the mushrooms were cooking, I got up and went to the camp entrance. There was a smooth stone platform with a natural depression where I had poured seawater earlier. It should be almost dry by now.

The island's temperature was pretty perfect, never too hot or cold. That's why we weren't too worried about getting sick even without proper clothes.

The girls had made some simple clothes from leaves and vines, but my original clothes were gone, leaving me with just a pair of underwear.

The girls didn't seem interested in making clothes for me, though. They seemed to enjoy whispering about my physique and occasionally touching me.

No wonder gyms are always packed; having a fit body definitely makes it easier to catch a girl's eye.

I carefully gathered the salt crystals that had formed in the stone depression. With this salt, our food would taste better, giving us a bit more hope for survival.

Back at the campfire, I sprinkled the salt on the cooked mushrooms, and they immediately gave off a mouth-watering aroma.

"Smells amazing!" Margaret, clearly starving, didn't care about her image and started devouring the mushrooms.

Before long, the three girls were full and laid down to sleep. I offered to keep watch for them.

I could feel changes happening in my body. I had more energy and could stay alert with just two or three hours of sleep. My strength was also increasing, which meant something was definitely going on inside me.

But I had no idea why. All I knew was I was getting stronger.

Early the next morning, I planned to head deeper into the forest. But first, I needed to find a higher spot to get a better view of the island.

Even though there was probably a stream or waterfall near the pond, it was safer to scout things out first.

I explained my plan to the girls. Aimee was the first to speak up, saying she didn't want to go out alone with me again and accusing me of being a pervert to the other girls.

Margaret and Ivy just smiled without saying anything. I figured they all understood that on this deserted island, where survival was tough, anything could happen.

"I'll go with you." After a few seconds of silence, Ivy suddenly stood up and pointed to a peak not far from the cave. "Let's head over there."

The peak was high, with a wide view from the top, making it a good spot to observe.

I immediately agreed and got ready to set off with Ivy.

"Haven't you thought about anything else in this situation?" We had just left the camp when Ivy suddenly stopped and hesitantly spoke.

"What else?" I looked at her, puzzled.

"We're on a deserted island now, with so many girls around you, and..." She looked me up and down, giving me a meaningful smile.

"Well..." I knew what Ivy was implying.

On this deserted island, I had the conditions to make these girls do whatever I wanted. The dangers here weren't just wild animals and the night.

Other survivors were also a threat.

The mountain Ivy mentioned was relatively gentle. Although it was high, it wasn't steep. Ivy and I easily climbed to the top.

Standing at the top, we could see almost the entire island.

We clearly found the stream we were looking for.

The stream meandered, almost dividing the island in half.

The pond was not far from the stream, and finding the stream meant we wouldn't lack freshwater anymore.

Moreover, finding the stream also meant we might find new food sources.

The view from the top, although not the entire island, allowed us to roughly identify the resource distribution.

To the right of the mountain was the cave we used as our camp. It was hard to see unless you looked closely. In front of the camp was a shrubland connected to a dense forest, and beyond the shrubs was the beach.

The other side had more complex terrain, with a dense forest leading to a rocky mountain. The mountain was bare, and we didn't know what we might find there.