Within minutes, Calvin regained fifteen HP.
Now with a little over thirty HP, he was no longer in a critical state.
At the same time, he understood a crucial mechanic, the "critical injury" state.
When HP drops below 20%, a player enters this state, suffering major reductions in attack speed and defense.
That explained why Calvin's final three strikes had so easily taken down the savage.
"Let's go, Charlotte. It's too dangerous on the island. Head for the edge. If it gets worse, we'll return to the platform and get out of here," Calvin said calmly.
Despite everything that had just happened, only about two hours had passed.
There were still three hours left for exploration.
Calvin first looted the savage's belongings:
[Obtained: Bow ×1]
[Obtained: Arrows ×12]
[Obtained: Savage's Clothes ×1]
Naturally, the savage's clothes were nothing but tattered rags from his body.
A thought struck Calvin. If the savage was chasing him to kill and eat him, then could he eat the savage instead?
He vaguely remembered a game with a two-word title before he transmigrated, where you could eat savage.
He raised his Crimson Iron Sword. Under Charlotte's horrified gaze, he chopped off the savage's limbs one by one.
[Obtained: Savage's Arm ×2
Edible. May cause mild poisoning.]
[Obtained: Savage's Thigh ×2
Edible. May cause mild poisoning.]
"Poisoned, huh? Then forget it."
Calvin shook his head,
But still kept the limbs. If he couldn't eat them, maybe he could sell them on the trade market.
"Let's go, Charlotte," Calvin called out.
Charlotte froze for a moment, then nodded. She glanced at him with fear but quickly looked away,
supporting him as they left side by side.
During the walk, Charlotte used her healing gloves on Calvin again once the cooldown ended.
After about three rounds of healing, they finally made it back to the beach.
What they didn't know was that just thirty minutes after they left,
a large group of savage suddenly appeared. Each holding a torch.
Leading them was a monstrous one in iron armor, face twisted with rage.
Had Calvin and Charlotte stayed any longer, they might not have made it out alive...
Back on the beach,
they found that where the coconut trees once stood, there were now stumps, scattered wood, and two coconuts.
Calvin now had over seventy HP.
He patted Charlotte's head.
"Not bad, Charlotte. Who knew a tiny thing like you could work so hard?"
[Obtained: Wood ×13]
[Obtained: Coconut ×2]
"Of course! The moment you entered the forest, I started chopping trees nonstop!"
Charlotte crossed her arms proudly.
Clearly, Calvin's praise made her quite happy.
"My Charlotte is amazing."
Calvin pinched her cheek playfully.
"Pfft! Who's your Charlotte?"
Her face turned pink. She suddenly remembered the moment she had fallen into his arms earlier and felt incredibly embarrassed.
"Oh? Is that so? Then why were you hugging me so tightly just now?"
Calvin teased, eyeing her delicate face with amusement.
He had a feeling Charlotte didn't just see him as a friend...
"Ugh! You perv!"
Charlotte snapped.
She started hitting him lightly with her fists.
Though Calvin was still hurt, Charlotte's low attack stat meant she couldn't hit hard.
Her punches felt more like a massage.
Honestly, her little hands were so soft, Calvin could hold them forever.
Seeing him close his eyes in enjoyment,
Charlotte's blush deepened.
"Ew, you creep. What are you enjoying so much?"
She could tell he was savoring it, so she gave him a mischievous glance and her soft, boneless little hand suddenly darted under his arm for a gentle tickle.
Calvin jerked in surprise.
His silly reaction made Charlotte cover her mouth and giggle.
"Pfft..."
"Charlotte, you little rascal! Shouldn't you be giving this wounded guy a proper massage?"
"Massage yourself dumbass!"
Calvin used a dagger to open a coconut. He happened to be a bit thirsty, so he drank some of the juice.
After drinking more than half, he suddenly noticed Charlotte nearby, pouting and looking at him with a look of disdain.
"I'll leave the rest for you," he said.
"I'm fine. I'm not thirsty. You're the one injured. Rest on the beach and drink some coconut juice. I'll go chop more trees," Charlotte replied, still pouting.
She quickly grabbed the wooden axe and began hacking at a half-cut coconut tree.
Watching her work so hard, Calvin fell into thought.
Though Charlotte looked delicate and usually acted a bit spoiled, when it truly mattered, she didn't act like a princess.
She worked when it was time to work, acted when it was time to act.
She had been scared when they first encountered the Blue Wolf, crouching down in fear but that was human nature.
Besides… people grow.
Calvin watched her serious expression and the way she tirelessly chopped the tree. Her body slightly trembled now and then, and her cheeks were flushed red...
"Having a loli like her as a teammate isn't bad at all," he thought.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Charlotte suddenly looked a bit flustered.
"Calvin, can you not stare at me? I don't like being watched while I'm working..."
"Your figure's so good, how could I not look?"
"You..."
Charlotte glared at him, a hint of teasing anger flashing through her captivating eyes.
She knew exactly where his eyes had been.
"Unbelievable..."
She felt utterly embarrassed. It was as if she were dancing naked in front of him.
An hour later, she finished cutting the rest of the tree, yielding six pieces of wood.
Calvin casually collected them.
Charlotte quickly trotted to another coconut tree about 50 meters away.
From chopping trees and running earlier, her sweat had soaked her neckline, revealing flawless curves.
Just as she sighed in relief, Calvin suddenly showed up again and laid down beside her, casually watching her work.
Charlotte was speechless. Calvin was like clingy gum that wouldn't go away.
But since he was injured and weak, she figured she had to tolerate it.
There was no use in arguing, so she decided to just ignore him.
If he wanted to watch, let him watch... after all, they were close.
She thought shyly to herself.
Another hour and a half passed.
Suddenly, the coconut tree above her shook. Maybe from her chopping, or just by chance and a coconut dropped, hitting Charlotte square on the head.
[Player Charlotte was hit by a coconut. -10 HP.]
A huge bump swelled on her head.
"Ow ow ow! That hurts! Calvin, touch me!
Wait no. Use the healing gloves and touch me!"
Realizing the awkwardness of her words, she quickly corrected herself.
Calvin immediately got up.
Being hit by a coconut was no joke. It dealt as much damage as an arrow.
He took the healing gloves she handed him, put them on his right hand, and gently touched the bump on her head.
Then, with his finger, he poked right at the top of the swollen bump.
Charlotte, who had started feeling better, suddenly felt a tingling pain shoot through her skull.
Lying on Calvin's lap, she stared at him speechlessly.
"Can't you just heal me properly?"
"I am touching your head, aren't I?"
"..."
Charlotte sighed.
Calvin was great at everything except when he decided to act like a troll.
Still, thinking back to how badly he'd been hurt earlier, and how he risked his life to fight the savage for her...
She didn't feel like arguing anymore.