Aoyama stared at the virtual panel before him, his gaze quickly scanning the information it displayed.
Name: Aoyama Unlocked Abilities: Herculean Strength (Ant), Environmental Adaptation (Darkling Beetle) Ability Details Herculean Strength (Ant): Muscle explosive power is increased to 47 times the normal level, with bone density strengthened in tandem.
This allows the user to safely withstand the reaction force generated by this strength.
Environmental Adaptation (Darkling Beetle): The immune system is significantly enhanced, with improved thermoregulation.
Tolerance to extreme climates such as high temperature, low temperature, humidity, and dryness is greatly increased.
(Basal metabolic efficiency is optimized, allowing energy to be extracted from food more efficiently.) The smirk on the corner of his mouth was impossible to suppress.
He had the strength and the resistance.
The next step was to check out the shipwreck.
“Aoyama-kun.” Kasumigaoka Utaha’s voice came from beside him, carrying a hint of mischievous amusement.
“What have you been grinning at the air about?” “Your expression tells me that whatever just happened, it must have been a resounding success, right?” Aoyama snapped back to reality as the virtual panel vanished.
He turned his head to see Kasumigaoka Utaha leaning against a nearby tree trunk.
Her arms were crossed over her chest as she tilted her head and studied him.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling her with fine points of light that danced across her black hair.
“It really was a resounding success,” Aoyama said, brushing the dirt from his hands as he stood up.
“My body’s ability to adapt to the environment has been drastically improved.” “Even if we face a few more torrential storms, I won’t get sick easily.” Kasumigaoka Utaha straightened up and walked to his side.
“That is truly wonderful!” “This way, I won’t have to worry about you collapsing.” “After all…” She turned her head slightly, her red eyes gleaming.
“The thought of surviving alone on this island…
it’s terrifying.” “You’ve never been alone.” Aoyama turned and continued walking without waiting for her response.
“Eh?” Kasumigaoka Utaha stood still for a moment, staring at his back.
She blinked softly, then hurried to catch up.
The two of them continued south along the mountainside.
Aoyama deliberately slowed his pace, no longer focusing solely on flipping over stones to find insects.
Instead, he began to pay closer attention to the plants along the path.
The edible resources in the rainforest were more abundant than he had imagined; they simply required a keen eye to find.
“This is edible.” He crouched down, parting a cluster of low-lying shrubs to reveal several green plants with thick, fleshy leaves underneath.
The leaves were smooth, their edges finely serrated and glistening with an oily sheen in the sunlight.
“What’s this?” Kasumigaoka Utaha also crouched down, leaning in to get a better look.
“Wild amaranth.” “The tender leaves can be stir-fried.
Once cooked, they taste similar to spinach.” Aoyama pinched off a few tender leaves, brought them to his nose for a sniff, and, after confirming they were safe, tucked them into the spare leaf-wrapped bundles in his backpack.
Kasumigaoka Utaha mimicked his actions, plucking a few leaves of her own.
She held the amaranth leaf, turning it over and over in her hand, then murmured softly, “A bunch of amaranth at the island’s supermarket costs three hundred yen…
Now we can just pick it for free anywhere?” Aoyama glanced at her without saying a word, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
After walking a bit further, Aoyama spotted a cluster of wild wood ear mushrooms growing at the base of a large tree.
Dark brown mushroom caps peered out from the crevices of the decaying wood, overlapping in layers with slightly curled edges and looking remarkably fresh.
“Are these edible too?” Kasumigaoka Utaha leaned in like a curious child.
“Yes.” “They’re crisp and smooth after being washed and cooked, and they’re packed with nutrients.” Aoyama carefully picked them one by one, placing them into his backpack.
He gathered around twenty, leaving a few smaller ones behind to continue growing, ensuring a sustainable harvest.
“Aoyama-kun, you really know a lot.” Kasumigaoka Utaha stood beside him, hands clasped behind her back, head tilted slightly as she watched his movements.
“Just how many different genres of documentaries do you watch?” “Most of them.
I must have watched over ten thousand hours in total.” “…No wonder you can throw rebar so accurately.” “That’s just talent.” “Hmph.” Kasumigaoka Utaha didn’t argue, just letting out a soft hum of acknowledgment.
After walking for a while longer, she suddenly pointed to a low shrub a short distance ahead.
“Aoyama-kun, look over there.” Aoyama followed her gaze.
The shrub was about a person’s height, its branches laden with dark purple fruit.
The berries were roughly the size of grapes, their surfaces coated in a thin, pale frost.
The branches were weighed down by the sheer number of them.
“Wild grapes?” Kasumigaoka Utaha walked over to examine the fruit closely.
Aoyama approached and took a closer look.
The shape and color were indeed very similar to wild grapes.
Their skin was smooth, and a gentle squeeze revealed the soft, juicy flesh inside.
He plucked one and brought it to his nose, smelling a faint fruity aroma with a hint of fermentation.
“They should be wild mountain grapes.
They’re edible,” he said, taking a bite.
A sharp sourness exploded on his tongue, followed by a lingering sweetness.
Seeing that he was fine, Kasumigaoka Utaha plucked one and popped it into her mouth.
Her brows instantly furrowed, and her lips twitched uncontrollably.
“So sour…” “They’ll be sweeter once they’re fully ripe.” “If we pick them now and let them sit for a couple of days, they should be much better.” Aoyama carefully harvested the ripe clusters from the branches and placed them in his backpack.
Though these wild grapes were sour now, they were rich in vitamins and sugars—an excellent source of energy in the wilderness.
Despite the sourness, Kasumigaoka Utaha helped pick a large quantity.
Her fingers nimbly plucked the dark purple berries, dropping them into the leaves Aoyama had spread out.
Her movements were more efficient than he had expected.
“How are you so skilled at this?” Aoyama asked, curious.
Without looking up, Kasumigaoka Utaha replied, “I’m dexterous.
I developed this skill from typing novels on a keyboard.” “…Writing novels does train your finger dexterity.” “That sounds like you’re mocking me.” “I’m not.” “You’d better not be.” The two of them harvested most of the ripe fruit from the shrub, adding another heavy bag of wild grapes to Aoyama’s backpack.
Kasumigaoka Utaha straightened up and stretched her aching shoulders.
Her black hair swayed gently with the movement, the ends brushing against the fair skin of her neck.
“Aoyama-kun.” “Yes?” “That…
ability of yours.
Besides eating insects, does it work on other things too?” Aoyama thought for a moment.
“Theoretically, yes.” “As long as it’s a living organism, it should have a corresponding effect.”