To hunt an adult wild boar in a tropical island jungle required thorough preparation.
The better prepared he was, the higher the chance of success, and the less likely he would be left helpless and mortally wounded by a sudden boar charge if something went wrong.
First and most importantly: Weaponry.
The stone axe Chuck currently held was, at best, a tool, barely qualifying as a weapon.
So, the first priority was to use the Workbench to create a suitable weapon for hunting.
The classic choice from the old world: The Spear!
The wild boar attacks by charging and ramming. With a sharp spear, he wouldn't need to attack proactively. He could simply wait for the opportunity and use the boar's charging momentum to inflict a severe wound!
Chuck left the cave and immediately returned to the jungle perimeter, searching among the trees until he finally found a suitable material.
—A long wooden stick!
It was straight, slender, yet sturdy, and had decent flexibility. Although the surface was a bit rough, it felt good in his hand.
It was perfect for making a spear.
He placed it into the Workbench, and the text on the screen appeared.
[Workbench input: Long Wooden Stick x 1]
[Crafting Hint: With a simple cut and fire-hardening the tip, you can create a simple spear.]
Got it!
Following the system hint, Chuck also placed his stone axe into the Workbench, then returned to the cave to retrieve a torch from the fire pit, which he also placed on the Workbench.
[Workbench input: Long Wooden Stick x 1, Cutting Tool, Fire Source]
[Craftable Item – Simple Wooden Spear!]
[Estimated Crafting Time: 5 minutes. Start crafting?]
Chuck pressed the 'Craft' button. When the time was up, a simple wooden spear with a sharp, blackened tip and a rough, comfortable grip appeared in his hand!
He tested it briefly and was very satisfied with the feel.
With this spear, even if everything else failed and he had to face a charging wild boar head-on, he would have a fighting chance!
With the weapon sorted, next came the second priority: Traps.
If he were to venture back into the deep jungle and provoke the wild boar again, but wanted to avoid a direct confrontation immediately, the best approach would be to set up one, or even multiple, traps along the path of retreat.
When the boar was distracted and charged again, it would inevitably pass through the area where he set the traps!
The type and choice of trap was the next issue.
The simplest method was certainly the deep pit trap, but digging a pit big enough to trap a boar was a huge undertaking. If Chuck had the time to dig a deep pit in the jungle, he might as well dig himself a water well first.
In this situation, a snare trap was the best option.
All Chuck needed was to briefly incapacitate the boar.
Returning to the familiar water puddle area in the jungle, Chuck quickly found a suitable location for setting traps.
It was the bamboo grove he had previously cleared.
A few remaining bamboo stalks, too small to be useful for making tubes, had been spared his axe.
Now, they were the perfect tool for building traps.
Slender bamboo stalks possess extreme toughness and elasticity. By wrapping and securing a vine around the top and bending the stalk to the ground, a powerful spring arm could be formed.
He would then tie the other end of the vine into a 'snare loop'—a simple rope structure that tightens the more the prey struggles.
Finally, a simple trigger mechanism could be made using small stones and twigs. If the boar passed by and stepped on the stone, it would break the twig, releasing the tension in the bent bamboo and instantly tightening the snare to capture it!
The trap was easy to construct; the only strenuous part was bending the bamboo.
Chuck tried repeatedly and tested it personally several times.
Finally, after over an hour, he created two flawless snare traps, one set up on each side of the water puddle clearing.
If he could lure the wild boar here, he could use himself as bait to lead the unsuspecting boar into the traps.
Chuck crossed his arms and nodded, satisfied with the two traps he had built.
The second part of the preparation was perfectly complete.
Next came the final step: Clearing the terrain.
Given the precedent of his arm injury, Chuck didn't want to get scraped up again in a desperate retreat.
Chuck held the stone axe and carefully cleared away the various thorns and vines along the escape route he had taken earlier. He even found the broken branch that had sliced his arm, still bearing traces of his dried, dark red blood.
After half an hour, all the vines and thorns were cleared.
With this, everything was ready.
Now, it was time to hunt.
Chuck cautiously moved away from the final stretch of the path leading to the deep mud pool, returning to the water puddle clearing to make one final check of his traps before his planned action.
But the unexpected intervened.
Although there was still a long time until dusk, the light overhead suddenly dimmed.
Following this, a distant rumble of thunder slowly rolled across the sky.
Chuck looked up. A single droplet of water fell from the sky, landing on his frowning forehead.
"Damn it…"
The rain chose to fall neither earlier nor later, but precisely at the last minute before he was ready to act.
Hunting the wild boar was already a risky endeavor, and doing it in the rain would only add unforeseen risks.
If he slipped in a puddle and fell flat on his face, everything would be over.
Reluctantly, he was forced to postpone the hunt.
He reset the traps, memorizing their positions so they could be quickly redeployed later, then rushed back toward the cave as the rain intensified.
By the time he reached the cave, the rain was pouring down.
Chuck, somewhat drenched, protected the wound on his left arm and scrambled into the cave, where he was surprised to find Julia also soaking wet, shaking the water from her long hair.
Seeing him, a smile blossomed on her delicate face.
"It's finally raining!"
Chuck smiled and nodded in agreement.
Although the sudden rainfall interrupted his plan, the rain did solve their most immediate crisis.
At least after this rain, they wouldn't have to worry about water for the next few days.
The two immediately placed the pre-prepared bamboo tubes and coconut shells outside the cave, allowing them to collect the falling rainwater.
Chuck stripped off his wet outer clothes and placed them near the fire on a stick to dry. He then went to the wall to check the clay slurry, confirming that it still hadn't fully settled, likely needing another hour or two.
Fortunately, Chuck had plenty of time now.
He returned to the palm leaves near the fire and sat down, casually tossing a branch into the flames.
The second day stranded on the island seemed to have ended abruptly due to this sudden downpour.
And his gaze turned once again to the foreign woman beside him.
The white T-shirt she had modified was now quite transparent from being soaked.
Chuck, ever the thoughtful gentleman, offered a helpful reminder.
"Julia, shouldn't you take your clothes off to dry them by the fire?"