Fumiya Jin and Nijika had already eaten their fill before coming back.
Besides, they would definitely have to go back to the forest again, so they could eat another meal and gather more then.
So, Fumiya Jin held nothing back and gave all the blueberries from his pockets to the chubby guy, the black man, and the madam.
As for the fleshy-faced woman...
Perhaps because she had just been relentlessly picking a fight with Fumiya Jin, she was now in an awkward spot and couldn't quite bring herself to ask him for blueberries.
Just then, seeing that Fumiya Jin had finished distributing his share, Nijika immediately took out some blueberries from her own pocket. "I have some more here."
The moment the fleshy-faced woman saw the handful of blueberries in Nijika's hand, she rushed over and reached out to snatch them. "Then hurry up and give them to me."
Seeing this, Fumiya Jin's expression darkened.
He lunged forward in a single bound and summoned his weapon.
This time, he didn't activate a skill or unsheathe the blade; he struck directly with the scabbard.
"Smack!—"
The fleshy-faced woman's hand, just about to grab the blueberries, was struck squarely by the scabbard.
"Ah!!!"
She cried out in pain and retracted her hand.
Looking down, she saw the skin on the back of her hand was split open, with trickles of fresh blood seeping out.
The fleshy-faced woman gasped, looking at Fumiya Jin furiously. "Are you crazy? Are you trying to kill me?"
"If I really intended to kill you," Fumiya Jin said, staring at her coldly, "the blade I brought down wouldn't have been in its scabbard."
The fleshy-faced woman suddenly recalled Fumiya Jin's terrifying destructive power from when he was cutting down trees yesterday...
Trees thicker than a bowl were sliced in two with a single strike.
She didn't think her wrist was much sturdier than a tree.
The fleshy-faced woman trembled slightly, gritted her teeth, and said, "Then why did you strike me? I just wanted some blueberries!"
Fumiya Jin scoffed. "You call that wanting some? You were snatching them."
"Is there a difference?" the fleshy-faced woman retorted stubbornly.
"Of course there is," Fumiya Jin said. "What's yours is what she gives you. What she doesn't give you, you can't take by force."
He glanced at everyone, including the other three who were eating blueberries, and said, "I want everyone to be clear about this. The only reason you have blueberries to eat is entirely thanks to Miss Pudding. If she hadn't risked her life to use her ability, the two of us might have died surrounded by snakes. In that case, forget blueberries—we wouldn't have even brought back news of a freshwater source. So, any normal person should know what to do right now, shouldn't they?"
The chubby guy and the other two were stunned for a moment.
"Thank you, Miss Pudding," the madam was the first to react, speaking to Nijika with a solemn expression. "And you, Doctor. Thank you both for your help. If I have the chance to get out of here alive, I will be sure to reward you handsomely."
The chubby guy and the black man were slower to react, but with the madam setting an example, they quickly followed suit in thanking Nijika and Fumiya Jin. After all, the pair had brought them a chance at survival, so their gratitude was quite sincere.
"You really... don't have to be so formal," Nijika was still a bit thin-skinned and felt embarrassed being thanked so profusely.
Fumiya Jin, however, felt it was only natural. He turned his head to look at the last person, the fleshy-faced woman.
"And you?"
"Seriously? Is all this necessary?" The fleshy-faced woman looked mortified, still unable to swallow her pride.
"Fine if you don't want to eat," Fumiya Jin nodded. "Pudding, let's go."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait! I was wrong!"
The fleshy-faced woman was already desperately hungry and thirsty, and the sight of the blueberries was driving her mad with craving.
Seeing Fumiya Jin was really about to cruelly take them away, she instantly caved. "Thank you! Can't I just thank you? I was wrong, I was wrong, give me some!"
"Alright, alright, here you go." Nijika was still kind-hearted and willing to accept even such a perfunctory thanks, handing her some blueberries.
"This is a bit few... How about some more...?" The fleshy-faced woman was still not satisfied, but she didn't dare try to snatch them again.
"I still need to share some with them; there are three of them over there," Nijika said. With that, she took the remaining blueberries over to the madam and the others.
The fleshy-faced woman was resentful, but after getting a look from Fumiya Jin, she could only lower her head and silently munch on her blueberries.
...
After distributing the blueberries, Fumiya Jin and Nijika had to prepare to enter the forest again.
Before that, Nijika needed to rest.
But there was only one large rock on the beach, and the shaded spot was mostly occupied by the curly-haired man, leaving no place for them to rest.
So Fumiya Jin, carrying a blue laundry detergent bottle and a red gasoline can—the two largest-capacity water containers among the marine debris—led the girl to the shade at the very edge of the woods.
The temperature here was still high, but at least they were out of the sun. The risk of snakes was also relatively low.
"Hey, Doctor..."
"Hm?"
"You don't have to specifically point out my contribution next time, you know? It's kind of embarrassing." Nijika scratched her cheek. "It wouldn't have mattered if you didn't say anything, right?"
"That's where you're wrong," Fumiya Jin said, looking at Nijika. "It's very important."
"Why? So that... they would thank me?" Nijika was slightly taken aback.
"That's only a small part of it... After all, not everyone repays kindness, and even if they thank you, they might not save you when danger strikes," Fumiya Jin explained. "What's more important is to seize the right to speak. You have abilities, you made a greater contribution, so you should have a greater say and leadership role to influence the team's decisions. That's how it should be, and it's better for the entire group. Otherwise, if a capable person like you contributes silently without letting others know what you've done, and as a result, an incompetent person like that fat woman takes charge and leads everyone in the wrong direction, wouldn't we all be doomed?"
"Eh, eh, eh... Is that how it is?" Nijika fell into thought. After a long moment, she finally nodded. "That seems to make sense."
"You have to remember this: when you make a contribution, you should let others know," Fumiya Jin said. "After all, this is the Samsara Game. In a place like this, excessively pure kindness and silent, selfless devotion just don't work."
"Okay," Nijika nodded. "I'll remember that."
As they spoke, Fumiya Jin found a tree that had been cut down the day before—a trunk about a meter high was left here.
Moreover, the shade from several nearby trees also covered this spot, so it wasn't exposed to the sun.
This made the trunk quite suitable for resting against—after all, there wasn't dense foliage directly overhead, only a few branches extending from neighboring trees. You could see at a glance if there were any snakes, greatly reducing the risk of one falling on your head.
Fumiya Jin checked the surroundings and, seeing no sign of snakes, pointed to the trunk for Nijika. "Sit down and get some sleep against it. The temperature's still a bit hot, but we'll have to bear with it."
"What if a snake slithers out from inside?" Nijika sat down against the trunk, but she felt uneasy.
"I'm here. If a few stray venomous snakes show up, they'll just be instantly killed by me," Fumiya Jin said. "So, rest easy. I'll protect you."
Hearing this, Nijika froze for a moment.
The last few words, in particular, gave her a small, indescribable sense of joy.
It was like a princess in a fairy tale fantasy, receiving a vow of lifelong protection from her handsome and gentle knight.
"Okay, then I'll meditate for a while," Nijika nodded and was about to close her eyes.
"No, not meditate," Fumiya Jin immediately shook his head. "Sleep."
"Eh??"
____
Hello! Walnut here! Or... Miku Dayo in this case heheh...
Unfortunately, I had 2 stories deleted from my main account, "Walnut-chan," and I decided to post them here on this other account... I'm counting on your support to recover what we've lost!
🔥 40% OFF to celebrate 2 new stories! 🔥
We've just launched 2 new stories, and we want you to join us! Take advantage of the 40% discount to become a member.
When you join, you get instant access to:
✅ Over 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Exclusive content and updates!
Plus, your support unlocks bonuses for the entire community. Our goals are still active:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 55 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
Secure your spot with the discount and get access to everything right now:
👻 P - Walnutchan