Second Night
That afternoon, Rangga spent his time organizing all the resources scattered around the island.
He neatly stacked the wood, stone, copper ore, and other materials beside his hut, partly to keep everything tidy and partly to distract himself from worrying about Putri.
Once everything was in order, his attention shifted to the simple bow he had crafted earlier.
"...Well then."
"Time to practice."
He planted a wooden stake several meters away from the hut to use as a target.
Nocking an arrow, he drew the bowstring.
"...Like this, right?"
The moment he released it—
Plop.
The arrow dropped straight to the ground in front of his feet.
Rangga stared at it for several seconds.
"...Damn it. Guess I was holding it wrong."
He picked the arrow back up and tried again.
This time he managed to draw the string farther.
Whoosh!
The arrow flew forward...
...before dropping only about a meter away.
"Seriously? That's pathetic."
He retrieved the arrow once more.
Third attempt.
He pulled the bowstring back with all his strength.
Fwooosh!
The arrow shot far into the air.
Too far.
It sailed clean over the roof of his hut and disappeared somewhere beyond.
"...Well."
"There goes one arrow."
Rangga could only scratch his head.
He tried again.
This time, he slowed his breathing before releasing the string.
Thunk!
The arrow slammed directly into the wall of his hut.
Rangga's eyes widened.
"HEY! Don't collapse on me!"
He hurried over to inspect it.
Fortunately, the arrow had only embedded itself in the wooden wall without causing any serious damage.
"That was close..."
From then on, Rangga moved his practice area so he would be shooting away from the hut.
One arrow after another left the bowstring.
At first, every shot missed by a wide margin.
Gradually, they began landing closer to the target.
Soon, a few struck the wooden stake, though only near its edges.
Little by little, his movements became more natural.
He learned to steady his breathing.
He learned how much tension to put into the bowstring.
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And he learned how to release each shot more smoothly.
Thunk!
One arrow finally buried itself right in the center of the wooden stake.
A small smile spread across Rangga's face.
"There we go..."
"Now I'm finally hitting it."
He nocked another arrow.
Until the sun slowly disappeared beneath the horizon, the sound of bowstrings snapping echoed across his tiny island.
The sun eventually sank beneath the sea.
Rangga ended his practice and sat beside the campfire with a slice of mango and a pack of bread for dinner.
As the island grew quiet beneath the night sky, the Administrator's voice echoed once more.
《Day Two survival supplies have been delivered to all Pioneers.》
《2/3》
Rangga immediately looked beside him.
Just like yesterday, two bottles of mineral water and two packs of bread had appeared next to the campfire.
A small smile crossed his face.
"Now that's more like it."
He opened one bottle and drank it in a single go.
"Haaah..."
"So refreshing."
Afterward, he finished one pack of bread while eating the mango he had deliberately kept instead of sending it to Earth.
Three empty plastic bottles now sat beside him.
Rangga picked one up and turned it over in his hands.
"I'll bring this tomorrow."
"Maybe I can fill it with river water."
He carefully placed the empty bottles in the corner of his hut so they wouldn't be blown away by the wind.
As he enjoyed the warmth of the fire, he opened his island status screen.
Level 1 Island
Upgrade Requirements
50 Wood
50 Stone
150 Plant Fiber
Rangga studied it for a while.
"...I think..."
"I'll upgrade the island first."
"Then I'll see what new buildings unlock..."
"After that, I'll upgrade the boat."
The campfire continued crackling softly before him.
Above, thousands of stars illuminated Rangga's second night in a world that still held countless mysteries.
That same night, the main conference room of the Presidential Palace was once again filled with ministers, scientists, and senior military officials.
Along one wall, dozens of screens continued broadcasting the live feeds of the Garuda Nation's Pioneers as they settled into their second night.
President Prabu opened the meeting.
"What are the results of today's food inspections?"
A female researcher stood, carrying several reports.
"Mr. President, every sample we examined has been declared safe for human consumption. However..."
She paused briefly.
"Every plant and food source belongs to prehistoric species."
Several people exchanged glances.
President Prabu nodded.
"And? Anything else?"
She turned another page.
"We also attempted to germinate the seeds from the fruits that were sent."
"The results were negative."
"The seeds remain intact, but none show any signs of sprouting."
She slowly shook her head.
"It's as though their reproductive function has been completely lost."
The room fell silent once more.
President Prabu quietly wrote a note.
"Very well."
"How is the situation among the public?"
General Suryo answered immediately.
"The domestic unrest has ended, sir."
"The situation is now stable..."
"...Except..."
The President looked up.
"Except?"
General Suryo turned toward one of the officers.
"Put it on the screen."
"Yes, sir."
A new display appeared in the center of the room.
It showed the live broadcast of Dita—one of the Garuda Nation's Pioneers who had given up on the very first day.
But the focus wasn't Dita herself.
It was the livestream's comment section.
Thousands of hateful messages poured in nonstop.
"A burden on the nation."
"Why were you even chosen if you're just going to cry?"
"The Garuda Nation is full of weaklings."
The insults weren't coming only from Garuda citizens.
Similar comments flooded in from viewers all over the world.
General Suryo sighed.
"The unrest has moved to the livestream platforms."
"People from different countries are insulting and attacking one another in the comment sections."
President Prabu rubbed his temples.
"...There's very little we can do."
"Those are emotional reactions from civilians."
General Suryo nodded.
"Yes, sir."
"And how are our Pioneers doing?"
General Suryo opened the latest report.
"As of Day Two..."
"...only eighty-two Garuda Pioneers remain alive."
President Prabu closed his eyes for a moment.
"Another five..."
"They're dead?"
"Yes, sir."
General Suryo nodded.
"Some ate poisonous fruit."
"One fell from a cliff."
"And others drowned in swamp marshes."
Silence settled over the room once again.
President Prabu looked toward the screens displaying the remaining Pioneers struggling to survive.
"Immediately distribute every food shipment that has been confirmed safe."
"Give priority to the Pioneers' families."
"After that, distribute the rest nationwide through the new national relief program."
"Understood, Mr. President."
General Suryo saluted.
President Prabu returned his gaze to the screens displaying Rangga and the other survivors.
"All we can do..."
"...is keep watching them..."
"...and hope that more of them survive."
The night grew deeper.
One by one, the Pioneers entered their huts to rest after another exhausting day.
The moment each hut's door closed, the live broadcasts switched to a static exterior view.
Only the glowing campfires.
The closed wooden doors.
And, from time to time, the distant sound of waves.
The Administrator's rule remained in effect.
Nothing that happened inside a Pioneer's home could be seen from Earth.
Back at the military housing complex, Putri was already lying in bed.
She quietly stared at the screen, which now showed only Rangga's tiny hut beneath the moonlight.
Her brother was no longer visible.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Good night, Mas..."
"I'll be waiting for you to come home."
Slowly, her eyelids grew heavy.
For the first time since Rangga had disappeared, Putri fell asleep without breaking into the heartbreaking sobs that had consumed her the night before.
Not long afterward, the little girl drifted peacefully to sleep.
In two different worlds, brother and sister spent the same night holding on to the very same hope—
That one day, they would meet again.