Xu Wei was clearly terrified, so I quickly pulled her to my side and patted the dirt off myself.

To be honest, I'm practically a mess right now. The clothes I'm wearing are tattered and torn, and the rabbit skin that Xiao Qiang and the others had sewn together with spider silk is still on my feet. It's been filthy for the past two days.

Xiao He and the others looked at me, and I looked at them too, and sighed.

"This is a complicated matter, but what are you doing here? In such a dark place, why didn't you use flashlights? Wouldn't that be more dangerous?"

A middle-aged man following behind me frowned and sighed after hearing what I said.

"There can't be any light in this place. There's a giant python inside. If there's light, the python will be attracted to it. Our companion was eaten by that python. Now we want to leave, but we haven't found an exit yet."

Hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Xu Wei and I weren't the only ones lost in this forest.

Although I'm not very familiar with Xiao He and his group, they are still human beings, and as long as we can communicate, things will be easier.

However, I didn't actually see the giant python they were talking about. After all, Xu Wei and I had been lost here for several days and hadn't found any trace of it.

Xiao He and the others pressed me on how Xu Wei and I got lost in this forest, and also asked where our previous companions were.

I briefly explained the situation to them, including the terrible vine.

Xiao He sighed after hearing this.

"Based on what we've learned over this period of time, those vines are most afraid of iron. I see you have this big knife, so those vines shouldn't come looking for you anymore. However, if we can't get out, we're afraid we'll become that giant python's food in the next couple of days."

The people behind him nodded, their faces showing great fear.

Xiao He had already turned off his flashlight and looked at me and Xu Wei, asking how we survived here.

To be honest, I feel a little embarrassed, but we're already stranded on this deserted island, so what's the point of talking about face?

We simply recounted how the two of us had found the wild boar to Xiao He and the others, who sighed after hearing it.

Then Xiao He took out a very small piece of compressed biscuit from his pocket and handed it to me.

“The food in here seems very important. We don’t have much left, but judging from the way you two look, you probably haven’t eaten in a long time. This one can help you fill your stomach.”

I didn't eat any of it and gave it all to Xu Wei. Xu Wei saw that my stomach was growling and I knew that this girl must be starving.

He quickly looked at her and nodded: "You eat, I'm not hungry."

Upon hearing this, Xu Wei quickly finished the compressed biscuit in just a few bites, even eating the crumbs in the biscuit bag.

We sat and rested for a while, and Xiao He asked me what my plans were.

I looked at the pitch-black sky and got a headache.

"This place is currently experiencing polar night, but I don't know much about it. Do you know how long this polar night will last before it disappears?"

The middle-aged man following behind Xiao He nodded at me.

"The polar night here should have a cycle of 15 to 20 days. It should have been about seven days ago, which means there are still 13 or 8 days left. So this is not a big deal. The only problem is that in this pitch-black night, there will be many nocturnal animals. Although there was a forest fire in this forest a while ago, I believe that these animals will not hide in the dark forever. They will eventually come out to hunt for food. The only things we need to be careful of now are the giant python hiding in the dark and all kinds of wild animals. As for food, some of these vines are edible."

As I listened to the middle-aged man speak, I felt increasingly that their purpose in coming here was truly strange.

Moreover, judging from the equipment they carried and their manner of speaking, he must have had extensive wilderness survival experience, which is why he knew that some vines could be eaten.

It seems that they have been living in this place, eating vines and hunting wild animals.

However, I don't want to ask about anything too deep.

He could only nod and ask, "Which direction did you come from?"

"We've been walking to the left, and we don't know if there will be an exit if we keep going."

Xiao He nodded in agreement: "We've actually been going in circles here. The geography is so strange. Even though we've marked the way, many of the marks don't connect. When we look back, we realize we've already been there. It's probably going to be difficult to get out now. We can only wait for the polar night to pass. But once the polar night is over, their winter should be almost over too."

Xiao He and his friends brought watches, the kind specifically designed for outdoor use, waterproof, shockproof, and very durable.

It's already past 9:00 PM. The moon has risen, and the surroundings are a little brighter.

The people next to them quietly went to cut some vines from the surrounding area, brought them back, and tore off a few pieces for me.

I put it in my mouth and chewed it, and I found that the vine was very juicy and had a slightly sweet taste.

I gave Xu Wei two pieces. After she finished eating, she felt sleepy and dozed off while lying on my lap.

Xiao He sighed, "I thought you would live well in this place, but I didn't expect it to be this difficult."

I didn't find his words funny.

"Ha, who would want to stay on such a strange, deserted island? But what exactly are you here for? Is it really just for that gold mine?"

After hearing what I said, Xiao He smiled and then shook his head.

"The gold mine is certainly important, but there's something even more important here than the gold miners, but it's probably nowhere to be found now..."

"Since you were able to come, you must have had transportation. If you can't find it, why don't you go back and come back when you're fully prepared?"

But when Xiao He heard what I said, he shook his head, sighed deeply, looked up at the moon, and had a deep look in his eyes.

He murmured, "The seasons here are unpredictable and unpredictable; there's no fixed time of day. If we miss this opportunity, we'll have to wait another 25 years... I can wait, but I'm afraid he can't..."

Xiao He spoke very softly; if I hadn't been close to him and listening intently, I probably wouldn't have been able to hear what he was saying at all.

Who exactly is this "he" that Xiao He is talking about? And why, if this place doesn't succeed this time, will we have to wait another 25 years?

It seems that their goal is not just the gold mine. Could there be something more attractive on this deserted island that makes them so desperate?