Li Ling and her companion were soaking in the pool, feeling incredibly comfortable.

Before long, Liu Ruoxi came over carrying a wooden tray. Liu Ruoxi first handed the tray to Li Ling, then took off her clothes and pants and went into the water with them.

Although Liu Ruoxi went into the water, she basically stayed there, just soaking in it. Occasionally, she would reach out and pick up a piece of dried fruit, eating it while watching Li Ling and Liu Ruoling play and frolic in the water. Little did she know, the two women gave her a look and pulled Liu Ruoxi in as well.

At this moment, Liu Ruoxi seemed to unleash her true nature. She played and frolicked with them, splashing water, tickling, and chasing each other. She had a lot of fun.

Even Wang Lun inside the house could hear the three of them. He smiled and continued idly. After all, there really wasn't much to do right now. There were some things he couldn't do, though. For example, he couldn't add a wall around the pond shed because Li Ling and the others were playing in the water. Or he couldn't go searching for supplies in the wild because there wasn't enough time. So, he could only idly count the dried fish hanging above his head again.

The four of them were having a great time, living such a comfortable life, but the other participants weren't so lucky. The sweltering heat made finding food much more difficult. Those with provisions in their camps were fine; they only needed to find enough to last a day. But those who didn't have enough to eat each day were in dire straits. In this hot weather, food spoiled very quickly. Fresh wild vegetables couldn't be preserved for long either. Drying them could extend their shelf life, but how could they preserve food when they didn't even have enough for themselves?

So they have to spend more time finding food. The hot weather means they need to drink more water, which requires more firewood to boil water. Of the remaining contestants, practically none of them will choose to drink raw water unless they are extremely thirsty.

However, boiling water increases the workload. Finding food also requires time, which means longer outings. This increases the risk of heatstroke. For these reasons, many contestants have experienced heatstroke symptoms. Some are mild, some are severe. Those with severe symptoms are simply relying on luck; with good luck, they recover after a few days of rest. With bad luck, they have to withdraw. But it's almost the end of the second month, so those suffering from heatstroke these past few days are just enduring it, planning to withdraw once the deadline arrives.

The other contestant had no choice but to accept it, because while money was important, their conscience and bottom line were even more important. Even Zhang Shengnan showed symptoms of heatstroke.

After all, Wu Jing and Zhang Shengnan went to the grasslands almost every day, where there was absolutely no shade, making it even more sunny. Zhang Shengnan gradually accumulated heatstroke symptoms under these conditions until she eventually developed them. Fortunately, Wu Jing noticed in time, immediately ending the day's hunting activities and returning to camp.

Then Wu Jing let Zhang Shengnan rest at the campsite. She herself went to find some wild vegetables nearby. Combined with the meat they had eaten earlier, this would last them a long time. During this time, Wu Jing also built a water storage pond at the campsite. They already had two, one for their daily water use and the other for the animals. Wu Jing planned to use this one as a reserve. After all, when Wu Jing went to fetch water, she noticed that the stream's flow had decreased. Fearing the stream would dry up, Wu Jing was both storing water and searching for a larger water source.

The other contestants on the island didn't seem to notice the reduced water flow in some streams, nor did they plan to store water in advance. Wang Lun and his group were also unaware of this, but they inadvertently built a huge water reservoir, enough for the four of them to use for a long time.

Wang Lun noticed that Liu Ruoxi had been gone for over an hour, and it was almost four or five o'clock. So he told them it was about time to get up, and that they shouldn't stay in the water too long, or they might catch a cold.

Li Ling and the other two listened to advice. Soon, they returned one after another. However, all three had pale skin and wet hair. Wang Lun told them to move closer to the fire pit and dry their hair.

Wang Lun helped Liu Ruoling dry her hair. Once her hair was dry, the three of them had mostly regained their composure. Then, Wang Lun sat down and said to them, "I plan to go out again tomorrow to explore the surrounding area. Autumn is almost here, and I want to try to find as much as possible so we can have a good winter." Seeing that Wang Lun had made up his mind, Li Ling and the other two could only agree. But this time, they wouldn't allow Wang Lun to act alone.

Wang Lun hadn't originally planned to act alone this time. After all, the last time was an accident. When they learned that Wang Lun was going to take someone with him, Li Ling and Liu Ruoling both wanted to go with him. Liu Ruoxi also wanted to, but she didn't have the stamina, so she didn't join in, secretly determined to manage all the affairs within the camp.

Wang Lun looked at Li Ling and Liu Ruoling, and ultimately chose to go with Liu Ruoling. There were two reasons: first, Liu Ruoling's menstrual period started earlier than Li Ling's, making her safer; second, Liu Ruoling possessed a mystical archery skill, something Li Ling lacked. In terms of physical condition, Liu Ruoling was slightly better off. Of course, Liu Ruoling also had her weaknesses; she wasn't as rational as Li Ling. As an Aquarius, Li Ling's rationality always prevailed, something Wang Lun knew.

After deciding who would be going out, they began preparing their belongings. While preparing, Wang Lun took a shower to wash away the day's sweat.

Back inside, Li Ling and the others had already prepared everything for their trip. Everything that needed to be packed into their baskets was already there. The water bottle was also placed in a prominent spot, ready to be filled with water and put in the basket the next morning. After finishing this, they began making the pottery blanks, while simultaneously placing yesterday's blank into the hearth to fire the pottery jars.

Wang Lun also brought three more short spears; more would be too heavy, less would be useless. Liu Ruoling carried five alloy arrows and ten wooden arrows. Of course, both of them needed to carry a suitable long spear. As for knives, Wang Lun carried a large machete, and Liu Ruoling carried an entrenching tool, which was basically enough for their needs.

After finishing the clay blanks, Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi began preparing dinner. Although they had played in the water all afternoon, they were quite exhausted and hungry. Besides, the earlier they ate, the earlier they could rest. Tonight, only Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi would be taking turns keeping watch. They figured they could use the time after dinner to rest early so they could switch shifts in the middle of the night.