"Poliwag, poliwag…" Poliwag obediently stayed by Reiji's side after finishing its meal, not rushing to train.
The wait was long, and still feeling exhausted, Poliwag yawned deeply and dozed off at Reiji's feet.
Seeing this, Reiji simply laid Poliwag down properly, letting it rest without disturbance. He quietly resumed watching the fishing float, waiting for a bite.
But something was strange today—the float hadn't budged at all. The sea was calm, and the air was eerily still. Not even a breeze.
That was when a huge shadow suddenly fell over Reiji…
Noticing how dark it had suddenly gotten, he looked up—and only then did he realize something was wrong.
The blue sky and white clouds were gone. In their place was an endless stretch of black storm clouds.
"Clouds? Storm clouds?" Reiji muttered as he stared upward. Looking further into the distance, all he could see was more black clouds—no end in sight.
The sunny day had disappeared. The sky had grown dim and oppressive, weighing down on him like a blanket. Even breathing felt harder.
As he stared at the massive storm front, a grim expression crept across his face.
The thing he least wanted to see was now happening.
Of course, he had joked about it before—who doesn't love endless blue skies? Even if it's hot, anything's better than wind and rain. But now…
Whoosh… whoosh…
The weather had turned. It really turned. Just as he feared.
The once calm sea now rippled with wind and waves, and they were clearly growing stronger.
Reiji quickly reeled in his line. The fishing trip was over. No wonder the float hadn't moved—turns out the fish had all gone into hiding.
Putting the rod away, he gently shook Poliwag awake.
"Poliwag, time to wake up. It's going to rain soon."
"Poli…?" Poliwag had been sleeping soundly, only half-awake when Reiji called it.
Still drowsy, Poliwag saw Reiji heading back and simply followed along.
Back at the shelter, it noticed Reiji digging a hole and curiously waddled over to observe.
Reiji was burying plastic buckets and foam boxes, setting them in the sand away from the shore in hopes of collecting rainwater later.
He even buried his stored freshwater—topped with foam boards and weighed down with stones to prevent them from being blown away.
Once the makeshift rain catchers were set, Reiji dismantled their basic shelter. Judging from the size of the storm, it wouldn't hold up in the coming wind and rain.
Rather than let the materials be swept away, it was better to disassemble and reuse them after the storm.
To avoid running out of dry firewood, he wrapped some up with the shelter's old tarp, then layered waterproof plastic around it to keep the core dry.
To prevent it from getting blown away, he piled rocks on top—pressing it all down tightly from end to end.
Next, he dug another pit beside the secured firewood, where he buried his old fishing rod—his faithful companion.
He wrapped his lighter in waterproof plastic and buried it as well.
Even the precious Huazi cigarette pack he never smoked (just sniffed) got the same treatment—wrapped in plastic and hidden underground.
Finally came the keychain and his folding knife. The rusty keychain wasn't much use, but the stainless steel knife was buried without wrapping.
The metal cup, flat-bottomed pan, and the stew pot he found earlier were all buried too.
So were the hourglass, hammock, and plastic basin.
After scanning the area to make sure nothing useful was left behind, he filled the pit and covered it with a wooden table he'd found, then weighed that down with stones.
Only then did Reiji clap his hands clean, ready for a brief rest.
But he couldn't stop yet—the wind was picking up. This was the first strong wind since he'd arrived on the island.
When he looked out toward the sea again, the sky was almost entirely covered by black clouds.
Rumble… rumble…
The darkest clouds were moving toward him fast. Closer, heavier, darker. He could even see flashes of lightning within them and hear the muffled thunder above.
These were all signs.
Signs that the storm was about to break.
It might seem overly dramatic to some—preparing like he was about to face an army. But he knew better.
This wasn't just rain. This was a coastal storm. And if you didn't prepare, you could die.
The oppressive clouds loomed ever closer. Reiji got moving again, using everything at his disposal—plastic sheets, torn fabric—whatever could protect him.
Because hypothermia was real.
Even a novice survivor like him knew that staying soaked for long enough could kill you.
He didn't know how long the storm would last, but he knew he needed to stay warm and dry.
Grabbing the old rags he hadn't used for the shelter, he wrapped them around himself—arms, legs, feet, everything.
Then he tied them in place with cord, twisting them tight like a cocoon.
Next came the waterproof plastic—wrapped over everything. The fabric kept him warm, and the plastic kept him dry.
He even made a hood, covering his head so that only his eyes, nose, and mouth were exposed.
Finally, with his body fully wrapped, the rain began to patter on the plastic.
Drip, drip… drip, drip…
The storm had arrived. Rain fell through the leaves, then hit the ground.
But he wasn't done.
He strapped the life preserver he'd found around himself, slung the thick rope over his back, and picked up a plastic bottle of boiled water.
This water might be his only clean drinking source for a while.
Rumble… rumble…
The thunder grew louder. The rain heavier. The storm… had truly begun.
(End of Chapter)
[+50 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]