Returning home with a mountain of loot, the women cheered at the sight of the catch.
Who on this deserted island wouldn't love clucking chickens?
Eggs were excellent whether fried, boiled, or baked. Chicken meat, whether fried, stewed, or roasted, was delicious.
The happiest among them was Janet.
Being thoroughly fucked by Chuck in the shed that morning hadn't exhausted the mature mare. After a brief rest, she resumed work like everyone else.
Seeing the duo return with live chickens, Janet didn't worry about the increased workload. Instead, she screamed in surprise, took over immediately, and began arranging the birds in the shed, eager for them to start laying eggs ASAP.
"Oh my God, you actually caught chickens!"
"Uh, didn't you say you wanted them?"
"Huh? Did I?"
Janet froze, looking at the pheasant in her hand, trying to recall. She was baffled.
She had indeed thought about adding livestock to the shed, bored with the dumb goats. Chickens were a great choice. But she didn't remember asking Chuck.
Did I talk in my sleep?
Anyway, chickens were good news. Whether now or back on her Canadian ranch, bringing in new livestock was always the busiest time.
Watching Janet carry the struggling birds inside, Chuck turned to the greenhouse. He found Julia harvesting mulberry leaves and handed her the rice seedlings.
With dirt on her exquisite face and hands, the blonde mare was shocked by Chuck again.
"Darling... sometimes I really think you're like that big blue fat cat."
Big fat cat?
Chuck frowned.
Sounds harmless, but why did it feel like slander?
"You mean Doraemon."
Chuck wiped a smudge off her face, smiling. Julia clapped her hands, nodding furiously.
"Yes, yes! Why couldn't I remember his name? I loved watching it in China as a kid."
"It's a Japanese anime. From Kaede and Kaoru's hometown."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Julia blinked in surprise.
"I always thought it was Chinese!"
Chuck wasn't surprised by her patchy memory.
Unlike China, permeated by Japanese ACG culture, North America had a robust entertainment industry early on, making penetration harder. Loser protagonists like Nobita were also culturally jarring there.
Anyway, correcting the name was necessary.
"It's a robotic cat."
"Oh, right, robotic cat! Darling, you're so smart!"
"...I think I get what you mean."
"Hehe, because you always pull out exciting things. Like there's nothing you can't get~"
Julia stood up, pressing her soft knee unceremoniously against Chuck's crotch. Her long golden lashes fluttered, eyes teasing.
"Like you have a pocket full of treasures in your crotch!"
Uh...
Chuck was amused. Organizing his thoughts, he smiled meaningfully.
"True. I do have a big treasure in my crotch..."
He pulled the hot mare into his arms, kissing her soft, sweet lips.
She moaned, leaning against his chest, letting him take what he wanted.
While kissing and fondling her, Chuck's mind turned.
Julia's unintentional joke hit close to his secret.
He did have a hidden "pocket," though filled with precious resources and tools, not Doraemon gadgets.
Her observation came from witnessing his miracles daily.
Pop. Their lips parted.
Chuck looked down at her, smiling.
"So, I want to plant rice nearby. Is it feasible? What do we need?"
Blushing, Julia picked up the seedlings, thought seriously, and answered.
"Mmh... theoretically feasible. But given our water usage, planting rice might be a stretch."
As an observer, Julia hit the nail on the head.
Rice paddies need constant fresh water. Even with a glass collector like the salt fields, evaporation loss would be massive. With new chickens and upcoming lambs, water demand was rising.
Opening a paddy now was indeed a stretch.
Chuck frowned, stroking his chin in thought.
Food was solved. Now, the bottleneck was water.
Distillation and rainwater collection were temporary fixes. To truly improve life, solving the water issue was the next hurdle.
If he had built near the lake or jungle, water wouldn't be an issue. But he chose the safe, elevated stone platform, accepting water scarcity as the tradeoff.
Now, he had to fix this flaw. He needed an inexhaustible water source for the platform!
Once solved, bathing, drinking, irrigation—everything would be covered. Life quality would skyrocket.
But how?
A plan long brewing in his mind surfaced.
River Diversion.
Initially, he chose distillation for efficiency, as diversion seemed like a massive engineering feat.
But now, diversion was the only solution. He had to face it to progress.
Seeing Chuck zone out, Julia knew he was in thinking mode. Smiling, she turned back to her work without disturbing him.
To divert water, he needed a source.
The only river flowed west from the volcano, branching in the tropical jungle—one branch to the lake, one to the southwest bay.
Being an island river, the flow wasn't huge, but the humid climate kept it constant.
The issue was efficiency and feasibility.
Water flows downhill. The jungle and bay were lower than the platform. Pumping water uphill risked interruptions if the flow decreased.
Having lived with shitty property management cutting water on whims, Chuck refused to accept outages on his island.
So the source had to be upstream.
The Volcano Area.
High elevation. North, not west. Climb the Red Stone Hills, find the river's source on the volcano, and divert it.
But the problem was...
Chuck's frown deepened.
He didn't know the volcano's situation, but he knew an obstacle blocked the path to the summit.
That giant bird!
Though he killed the tiger, that bird was the largest beast he had seen. Its oppressive aura rivaled the tiger's.
It was likely a Lord-Class beast too!
But killing the tiger revealed the next objective.
Head north, kill the bird, conquer the volcano, find the source, and bring water home!
With the west conquered, exploration had to turn north.
What lay beyond the volcano?
Were there other survivor settlements?
Unknowns meant risks.
Fortunately, no one needed saving this time. No shadow of death chased him.
He could slow down. Improve life quality, train his body and skills, forge new gear, discuss tactics with Valentina...
Only when fully prepared would he challenge the northern boss!
...
With time on his hands, Chuck revisited shelved projects.
Most importantly: Housing Upgrade.
After upgrading the shelter to a residence, he unlocked DIY blueprints. But expansion wasn't a priority then.
Now, with food and water stable, no emergencies, and an extra Essence Potion as insurance...
Expanding the living area to improve quality of life was worth the effort.
There was another reason.
Before the island, Chuck worked out—cardio and functional training, keeping him lean and athletic.
Now, after potions, his body was worlds apart from his mortal self. But he found himself relying too much on this pure, burden-less enhancement.
Like Peter Parker destroying door handles and alarm clocks after gaining powers, Chuck experienced loss of control.
Before the tiger fight, sparring with Valentina helped him control his power. But after the latest boost, daily life rarely required full power.
Unfamiliarity with his strength resurfaced. His high mental stats stabilized it, but future battles required better control.
His solution: build a spacious functional area using blueprints.
A Gym!