226: Chapter 225 Overnight on the Island

"There's land over there, let's head over first!"

Lu Fan tightly gripped An Lan's hand, exerting every ounce of his strength to swim toward the small island that appeared like a beacon of hope in the darkness ahead to their left.

Along the way, their arms felt waves of soreness like a rising tide due to the prolonged, forceful paddling.

Finally, dragging their utterly exhausted bodies, they crawled onto the island's sandy beach.

[0:1:14]

Fortunately, they made it ashore before the exploration time ran out.

The moment they stepped onto the solid ground, both breathed a heavy sigh of relief, as if a thousand-pound burden had instantly vanished from their shoulders.

The island was not large, visually estimated to be about the size of five or six football fields.

A few coconut trees grew sparsely on the beach, standing like loyal sentinels quietly guarding this mysterious land.

In the center of the island was a thicket of dense shrubs and various twisted, winding trees, looking like abstract artworks meticulously crafted by nature.

By now, today's exploration time had been completely exhausted.

As the sky grew dark and night was about to fall, the two had no choice but to decide to rest on this island for the night and find a way back tomorrow.

Lu Fan noticed An Lan licking her lips and knew she was parched.

He gently patted An Lan's shoulder and said with a smile, "Rest for a bit, I'll go get you a few coconuts to quench your thirst."

After saying that, he walked toward the coconut trees.

Fortunately, these coconut trees had been blown by the sea breeze to lean to one side, making them much easier to climb.

Lu Fan reached the base of a tree, rubbed his hands, stretched his limbs, and then, like an agile monkey, began to climb using both hands and feet.

Luckily, the coconut tree was resilient enough to steadily support Lu Fan's weight.

Soon, he reached a suitable position, took a deep breath, steadied his footing, and then raised his Axe to chop forcefully at the stem of a plump coconut.

With a "thud," the coconut fell to the ground, bounced a few times on the sand, and rolled to An Lan's feet.

"Catch!"

[Wilderness Survival Announcement]

[Huaguo Player Lu Fan triggered ten thousand times rebate]

[Fresh coconut 6 * 10,000,000]

Lu Fan chopped down several more coconuts in succession before sliding down the trunk.

He picked up a coconut and struck it hard with his Axe; the shell cracked open, and the sweet coconut juice immediately flowed out.

An Lan couldn't wait to take the coconut and drank in large gulps, a satisfied expression appearing on her face.

"I've come back to life, you drink some too," An Lan said with a smile, then handed the coconut to Lu Fan.

Lu Fan took a sip and teased, "Ah, as expected, the one you've drunk from is sweeter."

An Lan kicked Lu Fan directly and feigned anger, "Nonsense, if you're not drinking it, give it back to me."

By this time, it was nearly evening. The sun was gradually sinking in the west, and the horizon was dyed an orange-red, as beautiful as a brilliant oil painting.

Lu Fan rubbed his growling stomach and said to An Lan, "Just drinking coconut juice isn't enough, I'll go find something to eat."

With that, he picked up a harpoon and walked toward the edge of the beach.

With the help of the heavenly dao prompt sound, Lu Fan discovered traces of several fish in the shallows.

He approached cautiously, his eyes fixed on every movement of the fish, the harpoon in his hand trembling slightly, ready to strike.

Once the fish were drawn in by his Animal Affinity, he found the right moment and lunged forward, the harpoon accurately piercing a fish.

"Haha, caught one!"

Lu Fan shouted excitedly. He took the fish off the harpoon and threw it into a bamboo basket nearby.

In this way, under the "protection" of his cheats, Lu Fan successfully speared several fish.

He returned to An Lan's side full of joy, only to be stumped by a problem—there was no fire, and friction fire-starting would be too much trouble.

However, after thinking for a moment, Lu Fan still felt they should eat cooked food.

"Sigh, still have to work for it."

Just as Lu Fan was about to try friction fire-starting, An Lan, like a magician, pulled a piece of Flint out of her pocket.

Lu Fan immediately threw the stick he was preparing for the fire aside and said in surprise, "I didn't expect you to actually bring Flint!"

"I had a premonition when I left that it might come in handy, so I brought it along," An Lan explained with a smile.

Lu Fan couldn't help but exclaim, "A woman's sixth sense is truly terrifying!"

With Flint, starting a fire became effortless.

Lu Fan gathered some dry branches and leaves and used the Flint to strike sparks.

Before long, a blazing campfire rose up, its warm light instantly dispelling the surrounding chill and making them feel incredibly secure.

He cleaned the fish, skewered them with branches, and set them over the campfire to roast.

As the flames licked the fish, their surfaces gradually turned golden. Oil dripped into the fire with a "sizzle," releasing bursts of tempting aroma.

An Lan watched Lu Fan with eyes full of tenderness and said softly, "Be careful, don't burn yourself."

"It's fine, just wait a moment, it'll be ready soon," Lu Fan said while constantly turning the fish to ensure every side was roasted evenly.

Finally, the fish were done. Lu Fan handed one to An Lan, and the two began to eat ravenously.

"Mmm, so delicious, this is the best grilled fish I've ever eaten," An Lan said indistinctly while eating.

"Haha, how good can it be without salt? You're just too hungry, it's psychological."

Lu Fan responded with a laugh, then took a bite of a fish himself, "Mmm, wonderful~~!"

After finishing the meal, the sky had completely darkened.

The sunset glow on the horizon was like spilled paint, reflecting off the sea surface in a dreamlike and artistic display.

Looking at the environment growing dark around them, Lu Fan decided to build a simple Shelter first so they could spend the night safely.

He picked up his Axe again, went into the woods, and cut some sturdy branches and large coconut leaves.

Back on the beach, he first built a simple frame with the branches, then layered the coconut leaves on top to make a roof that would provide Shelter from the wind and rain.

"Mission accomplished!" Lu Fan clapped his hands, looking at his masterpiece with satisfaction.

The two sat by the fire, enjoying this moment of warmth.

The sky grew darker and darker, and the stars across the sky were dazzling, like jewels embedded in a black canopy.

"Ah, the last time I saw such a beautiful starry sky was the last time," Lu Fan couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

An Lan burst out laughing, her laughter sounding especially crisp in the silent night.

After a while, An Lan couldn't help but worry, "I wonder if Da Hei and the others will go hungry."

Lu Fan comforted her with a smile, "Don't worry, we'll be back tomorrow. Besides, we prepared so much fodder before we left, and as for Da Hei, he definitely won't go hungry."

Meanwhile, at the Shelter.

Da Hei had lost his usual liveliness. He kept watch by the Shelter, occasionally howling toward the sea.

But with Lu Fan and An Lan nowhere in sight, he could only lie on the ground, letting out whimpers filled with loss and loneliness.

In the livestream room, viewers left comments one after another:

"Ah, Da Hei looks so depressed."

"Sob sob sob, unable to see his masters, Da Hei isn't lively anymore."

"As expected, dogs are the most loyal."

"Wait, Da Hei is a wolf, not a dog. Wake up, people."

"Alright students, it's science time again: how to distinguish between a wolf and a dog.

To distinguish between a wolf and a dog, look at the paws. If the pads are soft, it's a wolf; if the calluses have hardened (Japan), it's a dog.

Look at the claws. If they are sharp and keen, it's a wolf; if they are worn down and hardened (Japan), it's a dog.

Look at the skeleton. If it's flexible and agile, it's a wolf; if the bone quality has hardened (Japan), it's a dog.

Look at the fur. If it's coarse and messy, it's a wolf; if it's smooth and has been pretty (Pretty Country), it's a dog."