First Encounter
A short while later, an island began to emerge on the horizon.
As the boat drew closer, its outline gradually sharpened until the shoreline finally came into view.
"So... that's the island?"
The boat continued gliding forward on its own before slowly coming to a stop at the beach.
The moment the hull scraped against the sand, Rangga jumped ashore.
He immediately scanned his surroundings.
No other boats.
No signs of people.
Only a silent beach and a tropical forest stretching out before him.
Rangga retrieved all of his equipment from the boat—the stone axe, stone pickaxe, stone knife, and stone spear.
Then, with cautious steps, he ventured onto the island.
Not far from the shore, his attention was drawn to a tall coconut tree laden with fruit.
A golden screen appeared once more.
Coconut Tree
Description: A tropical tree that produces coconuts as a source of water and food. Besides yielding wood when cut down, it provides fruit that is valuable for survival.
Weakness: Can be felled with an axe.
Rangga looked up at the coconuts hanging from the tree.
"...If I cut it down... will the coconuts disappear too?"
He glanced from side to side as if expecting someone to answer.
The island remained silent.
"Ah... whatever. Let's just find out."
He set his spear, pickaxe, and knife on the ground.
Gripping the stone axe with both hands, he began striking the trunk.
Thack!
Thack!
Thack!
After several swings—
Craaaack!
The coconut tree toppled over.
The instant it hit the ground, the trunk glowed softly before transforming into two logs.
Meanwhile, three coconuts dropped onto the sand and remained there.
A broad grin spread across Rangga's face.
"Nice... They didn't disappear."
He quickly picked up one of the coconuts.
Before he could place it into his bag, a blue screen appeared before him.
Would you like to store this item in your Boat?
Storage Capacity: 0 / 100
[Yes] [No]
Rangga frowned.
"Store it in the boat?"
Curious, he selected Yes.
The coconut instantly dissolved into particles of light and vanished from his hand.
The storage counter changed.
1 / 100
"Huh... That's convenient. It teleports straight there?"
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Without wasting time, Rangga stored the other two coconuts along with the two logs.
The storage counter changed again.
5 / 100
Rangga rubbed his chin while glancing toward the boat resting on the shore.
"Oh... so each item takes one storage slot."
"That means... my boat can only hold one hundred items."
He turned his attention toward the forest ahead.
There were plenty of trees, but they weren't densely packed, leaving narrow paths winding deeper inside.
He picked up all of his equipment once more.
"...The trip here took about an hour."
"So there should still be around nineteen hours before this island sinks."
His grip tightened around the stone spear.
"Alright."
"First, I'll look for food... and see what else this place has."
Step by careful step, he entered the forest.
Several minutes passed without incident.
Only the rustling leaves and the distant sound of waves filled the air.
Then—
Rustle...
Rustle...
A noise from the bushes brought Rangga to an abrupt stop.
His entire body tensed.
Slowly, he set the axe on the ground and gripped the stone spear with both hands.
His breathing became shallow.
"...What was that?"
He remained perfectly still.
His eyes stayed fixed on the gently swaying bushes.
A few seconds later, something emerged.
It stood no taller than a house cat.
Its shape resembled a small dinosaur, yet its entire body was made of metal, with mechanical joints moving smoothly with every step.
Its eyes glowed a faint crimson.
A soft mechanical hum came from its jaws.
Rangga could only stare in disbelief as the golden screen appeared.
Mechanical Compsognathus
Description: A small mechanical dinosaur roughly the size of a house cat. Usually lives in groups and is generally non-aggressive unless threatened.
Weakness: The optical sensor on its head is extremely fragile.
Drops:
Mechanical Radar
Synthetic Fiber
Rangga remained frozen as he read the information.
The Mechanical Compsognathus let out a shrill metallic screech.
Skreeee!
The next instant, it turned around and dashed back into the bushes.
Only then did Rangga realize he had been holding his breath.
His legs suddenly gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground as cold sweat trickled down his temples.
"...Holy shit... Was that a dinosaur? What kind of island is this? Why the hell are there robot dinosaurs?"
He remained seated for several moments, staring at the bushes where the creature had disappeared.
Several minutes passed, but the Mechanical Compsognathus never returned.
Slowly, Rangga stood up, his eyes still fixed on the bushes.
"It... wasn't aggressive, right?"
He cautiously looked around, making sure nothing else was watching him.
Silence returned.
Only the wind stirred the leaves.
"Should I go deeper into the forest...?"
He bit his lip while staring at the narrow trail disappearing among the trees.
A few seconds later, he shook his head firmly.
"No... No, no... I have no idea what's hiding in there."
He didn't have enough information yet.
If that little dinosaur lived in groups, there was every chance that larger ones lurked deeper inside the island.
Rangga let out a slow breath.
"I'd better stick to the edge for now."
He picked up his stone axe again and began following the forest's perimeter, cutting down every tree within easy reach.
Thack!
Thack!
Thack!
The sound of the axe echoed through the trees.
Every so often, Rangga would pause to listen carefully, making sure nothing was moving in the bushes again.
Time continued to pass.
One tree after another along the forest's edge fell, while the pile of logs stored in his boat steadily grew.
Crack!
Suddenly, the handle of his stone axe split apart.
The stone head flew off and dropped onto the ground.
Rangga stared at the broken tool with an irritated expression.
"Damn it... It broke already."
He let out a long sigh before opening the boat's storage interface.
Storage Capacity
53 / 100
"Already half full."
His gaze drifted toward the deeper part of the island—the place he had avoided all this time.
"...Should I go in? But that thing hasn't shown up again... So what do I do?"
He looked around.
Nothing but trees remained.
His only axe was broken.
Finally, he sighed in resignation.
"...Guess I'm going in."
He tossed the broken axe aside without another thought.
Gripping his stone spear tightly, tucking the stone knife into his belt, and carrying the stone pickaxe in his left hand, Rangga began making his way deeper into the forest.
Several minutes later—
Babble...
The sound of flowing water brought him to a stop.
"Water?"
Rangga immediately turned toward the sound.
Keeping low, he quietly crept toward its source while constantly watching his surroundings.
The last thing he wanted was to stumble upon a much larger mechanical dinosaur.
Not long afterward, a narrow stream came into view.
It was only about half a meter wide, with crystal-clear water flowing gently between scattered rocks.
Several animals were drinking at its edge.
A deer.
Several wild chickens.
And a wild boar.
Rangga frowned.
"Huh... Real animals?"
The golden screen appeared once again as his gaze shifted from one creature to another.
Chicken
Description: A wild bird that provides both meat and eggs. Naturally cautious, but easily startled and quick to flee.
Weakness: A fragile body that can be brought down with a well-placed attack.
Wild Boar
Description: A large wild mammal that provides an abundant amount of meat. Becomes highly aggressive when threatened.
Weakness: The head and neck are more vulnerable to attacks.
Deer
Description: A swift and agile herbivore. A source of high-quality meat, but extremely difficult to hunt.
Weakness: Easily startled by sudden sounds or movement.
"Meat..."
Without realizing it, Rangga swallowed.
It had been a very long time since he'd tasted meat—even back on Earth.
His eyes shifted toward the stone spear in his hand.
"Hmm... I'll go for the chicken first."
"The deer is way too fast."
"And there's no way this stone spear is getting through a wild boar."
Holding his breath, Rangga slowly crept toward one of the wild chickens.
His grip on the stone spear tightened.
Only a few steps now separated the amateur hunter from his very first prey.