Chapter 639: City and Wilderness (Part 1) (Patreon)

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Before setting foot on this island, Schiller had observed it from a distance. This island, situated close to Mexico, had a moderate-sized landmass compared to the larger islands nearby.

However, it had a significant feature that set it apart - it was far removed from all the surrounding islands, far beyond the reach of any human swimmer.

This could truly be called a remote island in the middle of the sea, complete with white sandy beaches, coconut trees, seabirds soaring around the island, and, most importantly, the scorching sun that seemed to be omnipresent.

In the tropics, seasons hardly made a distinction. So, even though it was only April, the searing sun hung high overhead, casting an overheated warmth on all the creatures here. As Arthur walked along the beach and ventured into the tropical jungle, he couldn't help but envy Schiller, who had brought along a black umbrella.

Now he understood the purpose of the umbrella Professor Schiller had with him. It not only shielded against rain but also provided shade from the sun.

However, it was evident that Schiller's umbrella was a single-person one, and even if he were willing to share it with Arthur, it wouldn't cover both of them. So, Arthur stopped and said, "Professor, please wait for me a moment. I'll make an umbrella."

Schiller halted, not quite understanding what Arthur intended to do. Arthur dashed to the side of a tree.

The tree looked peculiar - not tall, but with a thick base, and it bore numerous fan-shaped leaves. Its overall appearance was circular, and each leaf was composed of many green strips. As Arthur climbed the tree, he remarked, "This should be a type of palm tree, though I'm not sure of the exact species."

He climbed the tree, plucked a few leaves, straightened the green strips, and began weaving.

Despite his tall and robust appearance, Arthur's weaving skills were impeccable. He quickly intertwined three fan-shaped leaves, forming a peculiar-shaped straw hat. He explained, "Bruce Haven's children all learn this skill. Besides palm leaves, we can also use dried seaweed and tree bark that can be cut into fiber."

Arthur placed the hat on his head, and the two continued walking deeper into the jungle, gradually moving away from the beach. The landscape here resembled a tropical rainforest, with dense vegetation and towering trees. Many tree leaves almost blocked out the sunlight, providing some relief from the scorching heat but replacing it with oppressive humidity, making one's skin feel uncomfortable.

Fortunately, after Schiller arrived for his vacation, he had changed out of his conservative suit. He now wore shorts and a T-shirt, topped with a short-sleeved jacket, making him better suited to the environment.

As for Arthur, he didn't hesitate to take off his shirt, returning to the posture of a fisherman on the boat. He casually broke off a frond, using its base as an improvised walking stick, and proceeded forward, wading through the terrain.

At the highest point of the island, there was a cliff. Descending along the gentle slope of the cliff, they reached a clear, babbling stream. Various rare and flourishing plants, uncommon in gardening, grew in the small crevices between the rocks.

Among the branches of the shrubs, a small bird with colorful feathers fluttered its wings and hopped from one bush to another, pecking at the lower part of the flowers as if searching for fruit...

Suddenly, a streak of light shot through the air, startling the birds and butterflies in the bushes. With a thud, an arrow embedded itself in the ground. Nearby, a rather large lizard darted into the underbrush and disappeared in an instant.

A sigh echoed from a distance, seemingly expressing disappointment over a failed hunt.

Schiller's leaf-wrapped shoes entered the flowing stream, and he reached down to grab the arrow, attempting to pull it out of the soft soil. Unfortunately, the stone arrowhead, not firmly attached to the shaft, came loose and fell off as he applied slight force.

The person holding the arrow stood up. His upper body was clad in an unusual garment made of palm leaves, but the palm leaves were secured with white fabric, with intricate patterns, likely from a shirt. From the smoothness of the fabric, it appeared to be an expensive one.

His lower half consisted of shorts made from suit pants, with palm leaves bound around the shoes and lower legs. The shoe soles were also wrapped in thick, green strips that appeared to be from the same plant as the palm leaves Arthur had used to make his hat.

Looking higher, he had a slightly rugged, unshaven face, with his eyes hidden behind a cluster of leaves.

His head was covered with a very rough hat made from banana leaves, concealing his entire upper face, but traces of sunburn and peeling skin were still visible around his lips and neck.

He attempted to break the arrow with a hard twist, but his weakness prevented him from succeeding.

Under the palm leaf coconut leaf-made clothing, white fabric wrapped from his left shoulder to under his armpit, then wound several times around his chest, bearing bloodstains. Clearly, this person had been injured recently and was currently in a weakened state.

Suddenly, his ears twitched, and he quickly crouched and dove into the thicket, squatting next to a lush plant. Through the plant's leaves, he saw two figures approaching.

His eyes widened in astonishment, and he was about to rush out but hesitated for a moment before crouching back down, squinting at the two approaching individuals.

Arthur dipped his feet into the clear stream, rinsing off the sand he had brought from the beach. He remarked, "The fact that this person has been able to survive here for so long suggests that there must be a source of water. If we follow the stream upstream, we're bound to find his trail."

Schiller didn't object, but he kept some distance from the stream as he looked ahead.

As they ventured deeper into the rainforest, they encountered a greater variety of animals - colorful birds with vibrant feathers, nameless frogs, lizards darting across their path, and seabirds soaring above...

Here, life teems with vitality, yet it is also exceptionally perilous. Blistering heat and humidity are not the deadliest aspects of this place.

Standing in the center of the stream, Arthur came to a halt and said, "I hear the whales calling..."

They squinted their eyes, focused their minds, crouched down, and immersed their hands in the stream, sensing the information transmitted from the sea.

"Oh no, we need to find him quickly. The schools of fish are warning me that a storm is approaching!" Arthur's tone turned grave, and he added, "I've read about it in a fishing magazine; Caribbean Sea is prone to storms. The climate here is similar to Mexico's, and tropical storms can strike anytime..."

Schiller, while grasping the concept of storms, perhaps envisioned something akin to a rainy night in Gotham, but Arthur dismissed his notion. He said, "Tropical storms are entirely different from regular storms..."

"Tropical storms possess immense destructive power. Everything in their path turns into chaos. Even though we won't be blown away like in a tornado, we must be cautious of the danger that collapsing vegetation can bring..."

"In a storm, even a palm leaf swept up by the wind could become a deadly weapon."

Hearing this, Schiller hastened his pace even more. While he might not face a life-threatening situation in the storm, it was easy to imagine being battered like a dog without a safe shelter once the tempest hit.

Schiller had come for a vacation, not to experience the brutality and mercilessness of nature. He simply wanted to find the unfortunate person quickly and repair the ship to leave.

However, it seemed that fate had different plans.

In just under a minute, the sky darkened abruptly. The blazing sun, once overhead, disappeared without a trace as dense rain clouds obscured all sunlight. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and as the wind rustled through the towering trees, it carried the distinct, earthy scent of damp soil.

Just as Schiller was about to disperse into the grey mist to conduct a wide-scale search, Arthur suddenly halted and turned his head to gaze at a thicket nearby. Schiller heard him say, "Don't hide; I see you!"

"Don't come any closer!"

A figure emerged from behind the thicket, holding a homemade bow and arrow. The arrowhead looked rudimentary, as if it were on the verge of falling off the shaft at any moment.

Schiller studied the person before him. Although more than half of his face was concealed under palm leaves, it was evident that the exposed skin on his hands was smooth and well-cared-for. His fingers did not resemble those of a fisherman; he appeared to be a well-off individual.

Arthur was taken aback by his appearance. After all, he had only heard a somewhat dubious story from the fish, and he had never encountered a real-life Robinson. Suddenly, Arthur realized something and said, "No, stay calm. We've come to rescue you..."

However, the person in front remained wary, still aiming his bow at the two of them. He asked, "Are you part of the group from earlier?"

"Relax; don't be nervous," Schiller approached and spoke.

The person first glanced at Schiller but eventually fixed his gaze on Arthur. Arthur said, "I'm a fisherman from Brooklyn..."

Afterward, he glanced at himself, his excessively robust physique and the tattoos on his arms seemed to suggest he wasn't a good person. Arthur sighed and looked at the person in front of him, saying, "Whether you believe it or not, we are indeed here to rescue you."

"How did you get here?" the person asked.

"I sailed here," Arthur replied, "We took a plane to California and then, after landing in Coastal City, we took a boat..."

The person seemed even more cautious now, and he said somewhat disdainfully, "You sailed from California to here? Do you think I'm a fool? Do you know how far that is?"

"Uh... I'm actually quite skilled at sailing, and the seawater helps me. Um, you should put down your bow and arrow. A storm is approaching, and we need to find shelter quickly, or there will be danger!" Arthur tried his best to communicate with the person, but it was clear he wasn't very adept at it, and the other person grew increasingly wary.

Schiller put away his umbrella and poked Arthur with its tip, saying, "You mentioned on the plane that you have some other abilities besides talking to fish. How about demonstrating one?"

Arthur hesitated for a moment and said, "Well, I can't really control it very well, but... alright, watch closely..."

With that, Arthur extended one hand, closed his eyes, furrowed his brow, and concentrated hard. The person on the other side didn't know what he was up to and took a slight step backward.

But soon, a surprising scene unfolded. The water in the creek began to rise slowly, and a water dragon emerged from the stream, forming a shield around Arthur.

Arthur opened his eyes, exhaled, and with a wave of his hand, the shield turned back into ordinary water droplets, sprinkling onto the ground.

Feeling the coolness brought by the splashing droplets, the man on the other side finally looked up, removed his palm leaf hat, and stared directly at Arthur, asking, "Who are you, really?"

"I've told you, I'm a fisherman. But I'm naturally able to communicate with marine life. I heard about your situation from a school of fish. We've come to rescue you..."

Schiller interrupted their conversation, looking up at the sky filled with dark clouds and flashing lightning. He said, "Let's go quickly; the storm is approaching."

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 640: City and Wilderness (Part I)