Water is important!
Water is important!
As long as there was a possibility that the animal was still nearby, I had no choice but to change direction.
The probability of a direct encounter was slim, but variables could exist anywhere.
Because my body had changed, my stride had become shorter, and I had taken a slight detour due to an unexpected variable, so more time had passed than I thought before I could finally arrive near my destination.
A stone mountain towering in the center of the island.
Water flows from high places to low places.
This meant there was a high probability that a water source existed near this kind of terrain.
A valley.
A spring.
Or even a small stream.
And judging by the size of the droppings I had discovered on the way, it was highly likely to be a fairly large animal.
At least medium-sized?
Any living creature needs water.
It's one of the most important elements for life.
The fact that an animal that size was living here.
That probably means there's water somewhere on this island.
I adjusted Baby in my arms again.
"Let's go."
Nalleum.
From behind, Yerin's drooping voice could be heard.
"Do we still have to go further...?"
"Yes."
"...I want to go home."
The deeper we went into the jungle, the more sweat kept dripping from my forehead.
My throat was getting drier too.
On the other hand, Yerin's condition was more serious.
"Haa... Heok...."
Perhaps because she doesn't usually exercise, her steps were almost at a staggering level.
I glanced at the water bottle in her hand.
It was completely empty.
"Water, you already drank it all?"
"I said I was thirsty...."
I was speechless for a moment.
She drank a 1 million won bottle of water just because she was thirsty?
This won't do.
Somehow, I don't think it's a good idea to bring her along.
Her stamina is weak.
She whines too much.
Most of all, her movements are sluggish.
While pondering how to ditch Yerin, I spotted a patch of damp mud terrain on one side of my vision.
"Oh."
Jilcheok.
The sole of my safety boots sank slightly into the damp mud.
"What is it?"
Yerin, who had followed behind, asked with a disgusted face.
Instead of answering, I scooped up a handful of mud with my hand.
Cheolpeok.
And just like that, I started slathering the mud thickly onto my face and the nape of my neck.
Yerin's expression instantly soured.
"What are you doing?!"
"Mud can be used as a substitute for sunscreen. You can also hide your body odor from animals with a keen sense of smell..."
"...Huh?"
I nonchalantly rubbed the mud onto the back of my hand as well.
"It's not for nothing that primitive people went around with mud on their bodies, you know."
Actually, applying mud can block some ultraviolet rays.
It's especially effective when applied to skin not covered by clothes.
Truly eco-friendly sunscreen.
Moisture slowly evaporated from the damp mud smeared on my skin.
It felt like the simmering heat was cooling down a bit.
"Haa... it's cool."
I narrowed my eyes with a face full of satisfaction.
Truly, this is nothing short of paradise on earth.
Indeed, humans are animals that adapt to their environment.
Yerin was watching me like this with a fed-up face.
"...Reels-nim."
"Yes."
"Does that really work?"
I calmly nodded my head.
"It blocks UV rays and it's cool. It's good for the skin."
And I slightly lifted the remaining mud on my hand to show her.
"Shall I apply it for you?"
"...Huh?"
"I'll do it for free."
Yerin's expression instantly hardened.
"I said I hate it?!"
"Why? It's cool."
"You can just apply sunscreen, not mud."
"We don't have sunscreen, you know."
"..."
Yerin glanced at the drone filming us. Then she instantly changed her expression.
She stared at the camera with alluring eyes.
She even slightly pouted her lips while making a suggestive voice.
"Oppang-ie deul~"
Here she goes again.
Yerin cupped her cheeks with both hands and whined.
"Yerin's skin stingy, so it's apoo... Hinghing...."
Wiing~
The drone zoomed in close on her face.
"I said the sunlight is too strong here. What if Yerin's skin gets damaged! Hinguhingu."
Dding!
Immediately, a sound effect rang out. And from far away, in the direction of the cruise ship, one drone started flying over quickly.
"Thank you oppang-ie deul~ I love you~ Chu!"
It really comes right away.
The drone plopped a small box down in front of Yerin.
Yerin opened the box as if she had been waiting.
Inside.
There was one luxury sunscreen.
I could only admire her skill at scamming viewers.
Just how much money do female streamer fans have?
A price tag appeared in the air.
【Premium Sunscreen: 5,000,000 won】
"...Crazy."
Five million won for one sunscreen?
I'd rather just put on mud.
Yerin started squeezing sunscreen onto her face as if it were only natural.
Seukseuk.
"Ah~ Finally, I feel like I'll survive."
As she meticulously applied sunscreen to her face, she glanced at me and slightly raised the corner of her lips.
"Shall I apply it for you too, Reels-nim~?"
"Is it free?"
"Free if you sign a slave contract."
"Shireoyo."
"It's a joke."
Yerin chuckled and waved her hand.
Watching her, I thought to myself.
'No, it's not like you're some kind of cheat mode.'
If you have money, the drone brings you items right away.
Is this really survival?
Of course.
Considering the insane price of 5 million won for one sunscreen, it's not entirely advantageous either.
'Is this person really a fool?'
She spent 6 million won on sunscreen and water.
You wouldn't even spend 6 million won on a trip to Europe.
I looked down at the mud on the back of my hand.
Right now, no matter how you look at it, the damp mud is more effective than sunscreen.
Because it slowly cools down my elevated body temperature.
I shook my head and stood up.
"Now let's go find water."
"Seriously, aren't you going to apply sunscreen? I said it was a joke."
Yerin waved the hand holding the applied sunscreen at me.
"Later. Seeing this mud here, I think there's a high chance water is nearby."
Damp ground.
High humidity.
All good signs.
I slowly looked around.
"Let's split up and look."
"...Huh?"
"It's faster that way."
Like a puppy about to poop, Yerin's expression froze.
"Splitting up to look is a bit..."
"Why?"
"I'm scared to wander around alone, I said."
"Don't go far, just look around nearby."
"...Heuuum."
Yerin thought for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. Then she grabbed my arm and gave me repeated instructions.
"Seriously, if you find water, you scream right away, okay? You can't run away alone?"
"Yes."
"Seriously, if you run away, I'll follow you for the rest of your life and curse you."
"Yes yes."
"I see that insincere answer."
I half-listened to Yerin's words and started pushing through the surrounding bushes.
The smell of damp earth was getting thicker.
But strangely, I couldn't hear any water sounds.
If it were a valley, you should at least hear the sound of trickling water...
"...Hmm."
I slowly started circling around the rocky mountain.
If water flows, it leaves a trace.
I have to find that.
Sagak.
The sole of my safety boot crushed damp fallen leaves.
The humidity was getting thicker.
Good.
There's definitely water somewhere around here.
The problem is it's not easily visible.
"Haa... Heok...."
From afar, I heard Yerin's breathless voice.
"Reels-nimmm... aren't you going too far...?"
"Just a little more."
"I've already heard that over five times."
I lightly ignored what Yerin was saying and pressed my hand against the surface of a rock.
It's cold.
And damp.
I slowly lowered my gaze.
One side of the ground was slightly sunken, and unknown footprints were stamped here and there.
The footprints varied from small to large.
Traces as if someone had repeatedly stepped on them.
"An animal trail?"
The paths frequently used by large animals are bound to be hollowed out like this.
And.
Animals gather where there's water.
I moved my steps again, following the traces.
The slope was getting steeper.
The ground was also slippery.
Jilcheok.
Mud clung to the soles of my shoes.
At that moment.
Tok.
A single cold water drop fell onto the back of my hand.
"...?"
I slowly raised my head.
Between the gaps in the rocks, one very thin stream of water was trickling down.
@
[Dawktah-nim has become a mudman]
Writer: (118.02)
(GIF of Reels covered in mud)
No, seriously, has she become a native? LOL
└ Nong lolololol
└ With the lizard too, she seriously looks like a tribe member
└ Shouldn't she put mud on Baby too?
└ Lizards regulate their body temperature well on their own
└ Look at Yerin's expression, completely rotten lol
└ Why use sunscreen? Just put on mud~
[Yerin blew 5 million won on sunscreen lol]
Writer: (223.17)
Is it true that one sunscreen cost 5 million?
Streamers have zero concept of money, I swear.
How can you buy that at that price;;
└ If you add the bottled water, it's 6 million lol
└ I'd rather save that money and buy a tent
└ But from a female streamer's perspective, her skin is her livelihood, so it can't be helped.
└ If her skin gets damaged out there, the blow will be big even when she returns to streaming
└ Agreed
└ Watch Reels and learn, just put on mud
└ Maybe because her remaining funds are 0 won, isn't it forced saving mode?
└ Even if they tell her to put on sunscreen, she'd refuse herself lol
[Those Nongnongdan beggar bastards are watching for free again lol]
Writer: YeocamLover
Is it true that Reels can't even buy water
and has to put mud on her skin? lol
It's so pitiful, I'm tearing up
└ Yeah, your female streamer had 5 million evaporate~ Burp!
└ The 5 million won sunscreen is a bit legendary though
└ Nongnongdan has no money so they can't even sponsor, you know.
└ Free-loading eyeballs lol
└ No but seriously, Reels' sponsors aren't coming in
└ To begin with, the item prices are too expensive so you can't bring yourself to send them
└ I tried to chip in 50,000 won but I gave up
[But Reels' instincts seem freaking amazing]
Writer: (175.61)
Sees the mud and immediately judges that there's water nearby
There's a reason she's a veteran survival gamer, for real.
Honestly, I thought she'd be eliminated right away in one day, you know?
I think she'll unexpectedly hold out for a long time.
She won't win, though.
└ So there was a reason she was circling the rocky mountain
└ It gave me chills how she judged it was an animal trail by seeing the sunken ground.
└ But why did she touch poop with her bare hands...
└ Survival ability MAX
└ Social ability KIN
└ Yerin's mental is slowly cracking
└ She said she'd follow her for life if she runs away alone, she's a yandere
└ Reels' answer was so soul-less, it pissed me off lol
The Streamer Gallery.
Originally, it was burning hot with talk of the deserted island, but.
Now, there was practically nothing but talk of Reels.
A GIF of her crying while getting a shot.
A GIF of her wandering around holding a lizard.
A GIF of her touching excrement.
A GIF of her smearing mud on her body.
Every time a Trending Post about Reels went up, the view count skyrocketed like crazy.
And before anyone knew it.
The share of Reels, which had accounted for 30% of the gallery,
had started to exceed 50%.
NoTube comments.
Live chat.
Even community reactions.
It was all Reels talk only.
And there was one man quietly watching this scene.
Community nickname.
Nongnongnongnongnong.
Without a word, he opened the donation window.
And.
He wrote a number in the amount field.
【10,000,000 won】
A whopping ten million won.
The man smirked.
"Never disrespect the Nongnongdan again."
Click.
The donation button was pressed immediately.