Aoyama stared at the virtual panel in front of him, his eyes quickly scanning through the information displayed on it.
[Name: Aoyama]
[Unlocked Abilities: Hercules (Ant Eggs), Environmental Adaptation (Darkling Beetle)]
[Ability Details]
[Hercules (Ant Eggs): Muscle explosive power increased to 47 times normal.
Bone density has been strengthened simultaneously, allowing the body to safely withstand the recoil caused by this strength.]
[Environmental Adaptation (Darkling Beetle): The immune system has been significantly enhanced.
Temperature regulation ability has improved, greatly increasing resistance to extreme climates such as high temperatures, low temperatures, humidity, and dryness.
(Basal metabolic efficiency optimized, allowing energy to be extracted from food more effectively.)]
The slight curve at the corner of his mouth refused to disappear.
He had strength now, and he had resistance.
The next step would be checking out the shipwreck.
“Aoyama-kun.”
Kasumigaoka Utaha’s voice came from beside him, carrying a hint of teasing amusement.
“How long have you been standing there smiling at empty air?”
“Your expression tells me that whatever happened just now, the result must have been a huge success, right?”
Aoyama came back to his senses, and the virtual panel vanished.
He turned his head and saw Utaha leaning against a nearby tree trunk, her arms crossed as she tilted her head and studied him.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering tiny specks of light across her black hair.
“It was indeed a huge success.”
Aoyama brushed the dirt from his hands and stood up.
“My body’s ability to adapt to the environment will improve significantly from now on.”
“Even if we encounter more storms, I won’t get sick so easily.”
Utaha straightened up and walked over to him.
“That’s great.”
“Now I won’t have to worry about you collapsing.”
“Because…”
She turned her head slightly, the light reflecting in her red eyes.
“Being alone on this island and trying to survive…
just imagining it is terrifying.”
“You were never alone.”
After saying those words, Aoyama did not wait for her response.
He turned around and continued walking forward.
“Hm?”
Utaha stood there for half a second, staring at his back.
She blinked lightly, then followed after him.
The two continued south along the mountain.
Aoyama deliberately slowed his pace.
Instead of only focusing on flipping over rocks and searching for insects, he began paying more attention to the plants around them.
The rainforest had far more edible resources than he had expected.
The difficult part was knowing where to look.
“This can be eaten.”
He crouched down and pushed aside a patch of low shrubs, revealing several green plants with thick leaves underneath.
The surface of the leaves was smooth, with tiny serrated edges along the sides.
Under the sunlight, they reflected a faint oily sheen.
“What is this?”
Utaha crouched beside him and leaned closer.
“Wild amaranth.”
“The young leaves can be stir-fried.
After cooking, the texture is similar to spinach.”
Aoyama pinched off several tender leaves, smelled them carefully to confirm they were safe, and placed them into a leaf bundle inside his backpack.
Utaha copied his movements and picked a few leaves herself.
She turned the wild amaranth leaf over in her hand several times before quietly muttering,
“In a supermarket on the island, a bunch of amaranth costs 300 yen…
and now we can just pick it anywhere?”
Aoyama glanced at her.
He did not say anything, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
They continued forward for a while before Aoyama discovered a patch of wild wood ear mushroom growing near the roots of a large tree.
The dark brown fungi pushed out from cracks in the decaying wood, overlapping one another.
Their edges curled slightly, and they looked remarkably fresh.
“This can be eaten too?”
Utaha came closer with the curiosity of a child discovering something new.
“Yes.”
“After washing and cooking them, the texture is crisp and smooth.
They’re also rich in nutrients.”
Aoyama carefully picked them one by one and placed them into his backpack.
He gathered around twenty pieces, leaving behind the smaller ones so they could continue growing.
Even in this situation, he maintained a sustainable rhythm of collecting resources.
“Aoyama-kun really knows a lot.”
Utaha stood beside him with her hands behind her back, tilting her head as she watched him work.
“How many different fields did those documentaries you watched cover?”
“Most fields.
Added together, I’ve probably watched over ten thousand hours.”
“…No wonder you can throw a steel bar so accurately.”
“That was talent.”
“Mm-hm.”
Utaha did not argue.
She only gave a soft hum, seemingly accepting his explanation.
After walking for a while longer, Utaha suddenly pointed toward a low bush ahead.
“Aoyama-kun, look over there.”
Aoyama followed the direction of her finger.
The shrub was about waist-high, with branches covered in dark purple fruits.
They were about the size of grapes, with a faint white coating on the surface.
The branches drooped under the weight of the fruit, showing that there were quite a few of them.
“Wild grapes?”
Utaha walked over and carefully examined them.
Aoyama approached as well and inspected the fruits.
Their shape and color were indeed similar to wild grapes.
The skin was smooth, and when he gently squeezed one, he could feel the soft, juicy flesh inside.
He picked one and held it near his nose.
A faint fruity scent mixed with a slight fermented aroma reached him.
“These should be wild mountain grapes.
They’re edible.”
He bit into one.
A burst of sourness spread across his tongue, followed by a faint sweetness afterward.
Seeing that he was fine, Utaha picked one as well and placed it in her mouth.
Her brows immediately tightened, and the corner of her mouth twitched uncontrollably.
“So sour…”
“They’ll become sweeter after they ripen.”
“If we leave them for another two days, they should taste much better.”
Aoyama picked the ripe fruits from the branches one bunch at a time, carefully placing them into his backpack.
Although the wild mountain grapes were sour right now, they were rich in vitamins and sugar, making them an excellent source of energy in the wilderness.
Utaha still disliked the taste, but she continued helping him collect them.
Her fingers moved skillfully as she picked the dark purple fruits one by one and dropped them into the leaf sheet Aoyama had spread open.
Her movements were much faster than he expected.
Aoyama looked at her curiously.
“How are you so skilled at this?”
Without looking up, Utaha replied,
“My hands are dexterous.
Typing novels trained them.”
“…Writing novels really does improve finger dexterity.”
“That sounded like you were mocking me.”
“No.”
“Good.”
The two of them picked most of the ripe fruit from the shrub, adding another heavy bundle of wild mountain grapes to their supplies.
Utaha straightened her back and stretched her slightly sore shoulders.
Her black hair swayed with the movement, the tips brushing against the pale skin of her neck.
“Aoyama-kun.”
“Hm?”
“That ability of yours…”
She paused.
“Besides insects, does eating other things work too?”
Aoyama thought for a moment before answering.
“In theory, yes.”
“As long as it’s a living organism, there should be a corresponding effect.”