What is that?
Lin snapped his gaze toward the cave entrance. The roar, tearing through the dark night and the curtain of rain, originated from somewhere on the island. In the silence of the night, it sounded particularly loud and distant.
Sakura looked out as well, her expression equally grim. This wasn't the cry of a wild beast—it was the howl of a Honkai Beast.
There are Honkai Beasts on this island?
Honkai Beasts don't only appear in human settlements; they can be born in remote, unpopulated areas as well. However, for a Honkai Beast to exist by chance on such an isolated island was quite unexpected.
"Judging by the direction, it should be the western part of the island," Lin determined, gauging the source of the sound.
They were currently on the eastern part, meaning an entire island lay between them and the source.
"...Let's go look for it tomorrow."
Lin and Sakura needed to assess the beast's class. If they could eliminate it, they would. After all, Honkai Beasts are capable of "evolution." Over long periods, they adapt to their environment. While a lower-class beast won't evolve into a higher-class one, a Honkai Emperor would still be a troublesome opponent.
To be shipwrecked and encounter a Honkai Beast—should they call this luck good or bad?
After agreeing on tomorrow's direction, Lin and Sakura prepared to rest and conserve their energy. Lin caught sight of Sakura clothes, which were clinging to her skin. In this dark, damp cave, they would never dry naturally. Even if a MANTIS didn't care about the environment, it would still be incredibly uncomfortable and likely prevent her from resting properly.
He thought for a moment and then said to Sakura, "I'm going out for a bit."
"Now?" Sakura looked at the torrential rain outside, which "pouring" didn't even begin to describe. "What are you going to do?"
"Find materials to build a fire."
Before Sakura could say another word, he had already dashed into the rain. He vanished in the blink of an eye, before she could even reach out a hand...
In a storm like this, looking for materials to start a fire?
Sakura shook the water from her fox ears and stared into the deep darkness outside the cave.
After about half an hour, a figure drenched from head to toe returned. He moved back into the cave as quickly as he had left, dropping a bundle of items onto the ground: some stones, wet branches, and strips of tree bark.
But these... they were all wet. They didn't have any tools to start a fire; how was he going to do it?
Sakura held back her question. She watched Lin stack the stones into a small hearth, place some wood inside, pick up a branch, and use a sharp stone to shave off the outer bark.
Wait?
As the soaked outer layer was stripped away, Sakura was surprised to see that the interior of the branches was actually dry.
"Rotten wood on the forest floor will be soaked, but the inside of standing branches remains dry and can be used to start a fire," Lin explained, having already shaved four branches. "And the inner bark of certain dead trees is also dry once the outer layer is removed. It can serve as tinder."
"It's best to use resinous dry wood, like pine."
Sakura realized that Lin had spent his time out there searching for these specific items. He had likely been scouting the dark environment for usable wood, and harder-to-find materials like dead inner bark had taken longer.
Lin used the remaining hemp rope and a branch to make a tension tool, then tied it to a sharpened stick. He aimed the tip at a small notch carved into a larger piece of wood filled with dry bark and began a bow drill fire.
While everyone knows the concept of starting a fire with friction, it isn't actually that easy; it requires a high degree of technique, patience, and stamina. Sakura had seen Lin do this before and couldn't help but marvel at his versatility. He seemed to know how to do everything. Who else would prepare for being stranded in the wilderness by learning how to make a fire by hand?
It felt like he was the kind of person who could survive in any environment without ever complaining...
"What were you and Elysia planning during the King's Game?"
The sudden question caught Sakura off guard, snapping her out of her daze. She looked at Lin in shock. "You knew?"
It would be stranger if I didn't.
Lin didn't know Sakura specific cheating method—it was highly likely she used raw ability, specifically absolute speed, to swap the cards—but he was more curious about why she had cooperated with Elysia.
"It's nothing. When Elysia and I were discussing something, she said it could be accomplished through that game. She organized everyone, and I helped her arrange the order of the Kings."
It was more or less what Lin had guessed. As for what Sakura wanted to do... Lin decided it was best not to pry.
"You should avoid participating in pranks with her. She's thick-skinned, and you never know when she might sell you out," Lin said, somewhat annoyed. "She spends a quarter of her life thinking up pranks and the other three-quarters executing them."
"Plus, she's not afraid of retaliation. If anything, the more you resist, the more energized she gets. I tried to distance myself from her at first, but the things she did only got more and more ridiculous..."
"..."
Sakura sat on the ground, hugging her legs and watching Lin talk in the dim cave. She remained somewhat silent.
"Lin... when you talk about Elysia, you seem quite happy..."
"No way. Even Kevin talks more when she's mentioned," he replied nonchalantly.
Through Lin persistent efforts, a small spark finally ignited. He carefully moved it into the stone hearth, added bark, and kept blowing on the embers. Finally, a bright and warm flame flared up in the cave. Sakura eyes lit up, and she felt her body warm instantly—a cozy heat that seeped from her skin into her core.
It was only then that Sakura saw Lin was covered in mud, turning him into a "mud man," likely from splashing through the storm during his search. And then she remembered: Lin had no external physical sensation. That meant... he had gone out and found all this just for her.
"Take off your clothes," he said to Sakura.
"Huh?"
"What is it?" Lin was a bit confused by her startled reaction; Sakura was usually a calm person. "They'll dry faster over the fire. And wearing wet clothes will cause your body temperature to drop."
"Oh..."
Sakura nodded dumbly and began to undress. Soon, she was down to her white underwear. Lin kept his back to her, and without turning his head, he tossed a few poles over. "Hang them up."
Sakura simply followed his instructions mechanically. She leaned against the stone wall, hugging herself and staring at his back as he sat by the cave entrance, lost in thought.