Rangga kept his body low as he slowly crept forward.
Only a few steps now separated him from one of the wild chickens. He glanced at the stone spear in his hand.
"...Ah."
He shook his head.
"Nah... I'll just smack it."
He flipped the spear around, gripping it by the stone tip so that the wooden shaft became an improvised club.
When he judged the distance to be close enough—
Whack!
The blow landed squarely on the chicken.
Cluck! Cluck!
The impact startled every animal gathered around the stream.
The deer instantly bounded into the bushes.
The wild boar spun around and bolted away.
The remaining chickens scattered in every direction, flapping wildly into the undergrowth.
Only the one Rangga had struck continued flailing on the ground.
A few seconds later, it stopped moving.
Its body gradually emitted a soft glow before transforming into a single dressed chicken carcass, feathers gone but the skin still intact.
Rangga smiled in relief.
"There we go... Not much, but it'll do."
He picked up the chicken meat, and the boat storage window appeared once again.
Would you like to store this item in your Boat?
53 / 100
Rangga immediately selected Yes.
The chicken dissolved into particles of light and disappeared.
54 / 100
"Done."
He looked back toward the stream.
Every animal had already fled.
"Well... Guess they're all gone."
Rangga crouched by the water's edge and scooped up a handful of water with both hands.
Although he was still slightly hesitant, the thirst that had been bothering him for so long won out.
He decided to drink before continuing his search for resources.
After quenching his thirst, Rangga wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stood up.
He watched the stream flowing toward its source.
"...Maybe I'll just follow the river upstream."
Holding his spear tightly, he began walking along the riverbank, staying alert with every step.
A few minutes later, something caught his attention.
In the distance stood a massive pile of rocks, with the stream flowing out through the gaps between them.
Rangga immediately stopped.
Around the rocks wandered more than a dozen of the same Mechanical Compsognathuses he had encountered earlier.
The little creatures paced back and forth, occasionally letting out metallic humming noises.
Rangga froze.
"...I'm screwed... Robot dinosaurs again. Is this their nest or something?"
Before he could back away, one of the Mechanical Compsognathuses turned toward him.
Skreee!
The mechanical cry caused the entire group to turn and look at him.
More than a dozen pairs of glowing red eyes locked onto Rangga.
Cold sweat trickled down his temples.
"...I'm dead."
Instinctively, he prepared to turn and run.
But before he could take a single step, the Mechanical Compsognathuses panicked first.
Skree! Skree!
They immediately scattered into the bushes in every direction, disappearing within seconds.
Rangga could only stare.
"...Huh? So they really aren't aggressive... They're actually scared of me?"
He finally released the breath he'd been holding.
After making sure none of the creatures returned, Rangga cautiously approached the large rock formation.
As soon as his eyes settled on the rocks, the golden screen appeared again.
Large Rock Deposit
Description: A natural rock formation that serves as the primary source of construction materials. Besides producing stone for building, large rock deposits also have a chance of containing metal ores such as copper ore, which can be used for smelting and technological advancement in later stages.
Weakness: Can be mined with a pickaxe.
Drops:
Stone
Copper Ore
Rangga nodded slowly as he finished reading.
"So... this is a mining site."
He tightened his grip on the stone pickaxe.
"I need stone... There's still a lot left to build back on my home island."
Without another thought, he swung the pickaxe.
Clang!
Clang!
Crack!
Stone fragments flew with every impact.
Occasionally, shattered pieces glowed before transforming into collectible materials.
Time passed.
The sun climbed higher into the sky while Rangga continued mining without stopping.
Crack!
Suddenly, the wooden handle of his pickaxe snapped clean in two.
Rangga stood there for a few seconds before letting out an irritated sigh.
"Damn it... Broke again."
He tossed the broken tool into the bushes.
The remains vanished beneath the leaves.
A sizable pile of mining materials now lay scattered across the ground before him.
Rangga sat on a nearby rock to catch his breath before taking a few sips from the little water left in his bottle.
Once he had recovered, he began transferring all of the mined materials into the boat's storage.
One by one, they dissolved into light.
35 Stone
10 Copper Ore
Everything was stored successfully.
Rangga glanced at the storage display.
The capacity was now almost full.
"...Almost out of space."
He quietly exhaled while looking toward the path leading back to the beach.
"That should be enough for today."
Without lingering any longer, Rangga picked up his remaining stone spear and stone knife before making his way back toward the boat to return to his home island.
On that very same day, countries around the world began receiving the first shipments sent by their Pioneers.
In the courtyard of the Garuda Nation's Presidential Palace, enormous quantities of unfamiliar plants suddenly materialized, filling the designated delivery zone established by the Administrator.
President Prabu and General Suryo stood several meters away, observing the security operation.
General Suryo pointed toward piles of broad-leafed plants and clusters of small purple fruits.
"These were sent by Deri, sir... He gathered them after returning from a swamp island."
President Prabu examined the unfamiliar vegetation.
"Is it safe to eat?"
"It's still being studied, sir. The research team isn't ready to reach a conclusion."
Around them, researchers dressed in full hazmat suits carefully transferred ancient ferns, wild figs, and unfamiliar berries into sterile containers.
Each sample underwent radiation scans, toxin analysis, and testing for potentially dangerous microorganisms.
"Make sure no one touches anything without authorization."
"Yes, sir!"
Meanwhile, similar scenes were unfolding across the globe.
In the Sakura Nation, the palace grounds became covered with thousands of freshly caught fish.
Officials rushed to transport the seafood into refrigerated trucks before its quality declined.
In the Snow Bear Nation, mountains of chicken and wild boar meat appeared at the designated receiving site.
Soldiers and logistics personnel immediately worked together to move the shipments into the national food reserves.
Inside one of the rooms in the military housing complex, Putri remained seated before the screen displaying her brother's live broadcast.
Rangga was now aboard his boat, sailing back toward his home island after spending the entire day gathering resources.
The breakfast plate on the table was finally empty.
After falling asleep from sheer exhaustion after crying through the night, Putri had eventually agreed to eat after repeated encouragement from the officers looking after her.
Her eyes were still swollen.
But her tears no longer flowed as heavily as they had yesterday.
Hugging her knees, she continued watching the screen.
"Hang in there, Mas... Come home... I'll stay strong here too."
She wiped away the fresh tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
"I'll eat lots of food... So when you come home... I'll be healthy."
The female officer standing quietly by the door smiled faintly as she watched the change.
At the very least, the little girl had begun to find hope again.
Meanwhile, on the screen, Rangga continued sailing across the endless sea, completely unaware that back on Earth, his only little sister was doing her best to become stronger—just like him.