"A termite nest!!!"

Daniel started, then nodded in understanding. "So that’s it. They’re actually termites. That makes perfect sense."

"For people like us, who’ve had specialized wilderness survival training, there are actually many ways to deal with termites."

"But the fact that he chose to abandon this spot means he probably doesn’t know how to handle these troublesome pests."

"That basically confirms his identity. He’s most likely a local, someone who lives far from any city."

As he analyzed the situation, his gaze swept over the surroundings before suddenly landing on the scattered islands across the water.

"I’ll venture a guess: he’s likely one of the native inhabitants of the San Blas Islands over there, maybe here on vacation. Or, he could be a migrant who came from the south, crossing the Dalian Mountain Range."

Regardless, Lin Chen was the one who lucked out.

Smoking them out could destroy the entire termite colony in a very short time. With the added effect of tobacco, most pests like mosquitoes, snakes, and ants would stay away from the area.

The only potential problem was that he would need to build a new shelter.

The termites could be exterminated, but the ground beneath had been hollowed out, and the topsoil couldn’t support too much weight.

It wasn’t just Daniel; Andre was now also dying to see Lin’s big discovery.

Even though there were a lot of supplies over there, he had his pride. He would never steal another person’s resources.

Unless he was on the verge of starvation, of course. That would be a different story.

He was here to compete with Lin Chen. What kind of skill was stealing someone else’s resources? It would only tarnish his reputation and image.

The coast was rich with resources, so he wasn’t worried about survival. The only thing he lacked was a bit of excitement.

’I’m bored anyway. I’ll go over to Lin’s place to see what’s going on, kill some time, and scout the terrain while I’m at it.’

"There are no issues. You’re in very good physical condition."

Ariana packed up her tools, peeled off her disposable gloves, and nodded at him.

After all, the competition had only started five days ago. Contestants normally packed on fat by eating a lot before the event, so such a short time would have no negative effects on their bodies.

Besides, with Andre’s skill, he’d had food every single day and hadn’t gone hungry once. The check-up even showed he was a little on the heavy side.

"The routine check-ups for this competition are no longer on a fixed schedule. We’ll decide when to visit based on our observations. You can just go about your normal activities; don’t worry about when we’ll show up."

"Alright, that’s even better."

Andre nodded. That way, he wouldn’t have to wait around at his shelter for the production team, which would save him several hours.

"Are we done? If so, I’m heading out."

With that, Andre waved, went back to grab his basket, and headed straight in the direction of Lin Chen’s shelter.

’I don’t know where Lin found the cabin, but it definitely isn’t in my area. I just have to search in the opposite direction.’

’If I remember correctly, there’s a stream over that way.’

’This time, I’ll check out the other side of the stream.’

...

"Should be about done, right?"

Lin Chen stopped fanning and dismantled the smoke-blackened banana leaf pipe above the fire.

He dug open the termite nest below, and thick plumes of smoke billowed out, carrying waves of rising heat.

As he turned over the soil, countless black dots the size of rice grains were revealed to the naked eye. They were the termites, smoked to death inside the nest, their bodies scorched black.

He didn’t know how deep the nest went. He just kept stabbing his bamboo knife into the earth, then wiggling it up, down, and side to side.

Every few movements caused a section of soil to collapse. Soon, a half-meter-deep pit had formed where he stood, and it still felt like he hadn’t reached the bottom.

’This pit... what should I do with it?’

’In construction, you usually have to dig a pit for the foundation first. That’s how you build a solid, stable structure.’

’But I’m not building a skyscraper. There’s no need to go to all that trouble.’

He mulled it over for a moment, then had a sudden flash of inspiration.

"I’ve got it!"

"I can use this as a cellar! A storeroom! It saves me the trouble of digging one myself!"

’The smoked soil will act as a natural insect repellent. I can burn another fire at the bottom of the pit, spread some wood ash around, clear out the excess dirt, and just carve out some stairs.’

’People have been digging cellars since ancient times. It’s cool and refreshing underground, especially in hot weather—a perfect, naturally refrigerated storeroom.’

’I just need to build a new shelter right on top of it. That way, the cellar will be protected from the elements. Yes, yes, this is a great idea.’

’There are all sorts of resources nearby. This is without a doubt the best area for survival.’

’The only difficult part is figuring out how to transport the lumber here.’

’Based on the tools I have and the materials around, only bamboo and Light Wood are really suitable for building a shelter.’

’Both of those materials are on the hillside near my old shelter, and there’s no way to avoid the trip between here and there.’

’Oh well, I’ll just take it slow. I’ve got nothing but time, anyway. It’s worth it, even if it takes half a month or a whole month to build a permanent shelter.’

’Until the shelter is habitable, I’ll just keep living in my old cave. That saves me from having to expand it. I’ll just make do.’

He patiently kept digging, bit by bit, until his bamboo knife plunged into the earth and the resistance changed. The previous looseness was gone, replaced by a feeling of solid obstruction.