Chapter 2

The sound of branches snapping underfoot kept coming.

But it couldn't drown out the constant chatter in my ear. "I wanted to ask earlier, how did you know my name is Helen? I don't even know your name. You saved me, how should I thank you? My family has money, I can give you money."

"If we survive, that is," she muttered softly, then in a normal tone, "It's a miracle you didn't die. How's that even possible?"

I paused and said, "My name is Kevin Smith. Helen, if you keep talking, I'll throw you off my back."

Finally, the noisy voice in my ear went silent, and we arrived at the edge of a cliff. When I looked up, I saw a small cave about 20 feet high.

Seeing this height, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Although I felt I could climb even 50 feet, carrying an injured person on my back would be tough.

I was carrying Helen because her injured leg made her walk unsteadily, and she also complained of dizziness.

I had no choice but to squat down and carry her on my back. At her walking speed, it would be hard to find a place to rest even by tomorrow.

At the edge of the cliff, I gently laid Helen down. Spotting a sturdy vine, I scaled up to the small cave above. Once there, I secured the vine and, with considerable effort, used myself as a human ladder to lift Helen to safety.

"Kevin, you're amazing, it feels like you can do anything," Helen said excitedly.

I rolled my eyes at Helen, feeling utterly helpless against her sudden relaxation and optimism.

Looking down from the small cave, I judged that the height should be enough to keep out some reptiles.

And there were no tall trees below the small cave, so we didn't have to worry about wild animals climbing up at night.

Feeling that there was no problem, I looked into the distance and saw the sea. We hadn't walked far and were still close to the previous coast.

Calculating the time, I should be able to return before sunset, so I prepared to leave the cave.

"Kevin, where are you going?" Helen asked.

I signaled to her with my eyes and then said, "We're close to the sea. While I've still got some energy, I'll catch us some fish and shellfish."

"So we haven't walked far, but don't we still have wild fruits?" Helen propped her chin with her hand and said.

I twitched my mouth, feeling like what I said before was in vain.

But I still patiently answered, "We should make use of the resources. We need not only dietary fiber but also protein and fresh water. And do you still acknowledge what you said before about compensating me with money?" As soon as I finished speaking, I slid down the vine.

Helen hurried to the edge and shouted, "Yes, of course, I acknowledge it. You are my savior."

I put my index finger to my lips, signaling her to be quiet, and saw her quickly cover her mouth.

I then gave an OK gesture and disappeared into the jungle.

After about half an hour, I returned to the cliff cave with two fat fish and thought about how to enjoy them.

The small cave still had some wild fruits and weeds scattered around, just as I had left.

But Helen was nowhere to be seen.

In my shock, the two fat fish slipped from my hands and hit the cave floor with a thud.

'What happened? Did something happen to Helen?' To avoid falling into dangerous thoughts, I comforted myself and began to check for any suspicious traces.

The cave was small, just enough to fit two adults.

Thus, no matter how meticulously I examined the cave, there were no signs of a struggle inside, and the hanging vines remained intact.

So, where did Helen go? In her condition, she couldn't have left on her own.

I suddenly looked up at the dense jungle, and a dangerous thought crossed my mind.

No longer caring about anything else, I quickly jumped to the ground and carefully observed the traces, finding a spot with obvious signs of movement. I picked up some soil and sniffed it.

I frowned for a moment, not picking up any animal scent.

But I didn't dare to relax because unknown areas always have unknown dangers.

When I was young, Joe told me about an island where a savage tribe existed. They had lost all sense of humanity and feasted on human flesh, preying not only on the elderly but also on young outsiders, especially women, whom they called "delicious delicacies."

I hoped we wouldn't encounter cannibals.

Even I, known for my calmness, couldn't help but worry.

Following the traces, I carefully walked forward for a few minutes, straining to catch the faint murmur of distant voices.

But maybe because I wasn't close enough, the voices were muffled.

Knowing there were normal people ahead, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking around, I moved forward along the right side. As I got closer, the voices grew louder.

I even heard Helen's voice. She said, "Mary, where are you taking me? What if he returns and can't find me? You should come back with me. Seriously, he's very capable and can definitely get us out of here."

Hiding behind a tree, I looked at them.

A girl was pulling Helen's hand, with a guy walking next to them. Helen was in the middle, saying those words.

The girl ignored Helen's words and kept dragging her forward, not caring about her injured leg. She signaled the guy to help, and he got ready to step in.

Seeing this scene, I couldn't stand it anymore. I stepped out from behind the tree and said, "She said she didn't want to go. Don't you understand?"

Helen's eyes sparkled and she turned to me upon hearing my voice. "Kevin, you're here!"

The two of them also looked at me, sizing me up with a condescending gaze.

After a moment, they exchanged glances, and both sneered.

"Helen, is this the amazing Kevin you were raving about? He looks pretty basic to me." The girl said disdainfully.

The guy echoed, "Yeah, Helen, you said he went fishing, why is he empty-handed?"

After saying that, they laughed as if they had heard a joke.

I was very displeased with their words and expressions.

But I only planned to take Helen and leave quickly because the night was approaching.

We needed to have dinner and return to the cliff cave before nightfall.

Helen, hearing their words about me, angrily stopped them, "Mary, Gary, don't go too far."

After saying that, she ignored them and walked towards me.

When she reached me, she whispered, "I'm sorry! The girl is my good friend, Mary Brown. The guy is Gary Collins, Mary's cousin. We grew up together. Their families are loaded, so they could be kinda..."

"Rude." I finished Helen's sentence loudly with my own understanding.

Because we were close, even though Helen lowered her voice, they clearly heard me calling them rude. Their faces instantly twisted with anger.

They threatened, "Who the hell is this jerk, talking to us like that? You got a death wish?"

I glanced at them; their clothes hung in tatters and their faces ghostly pale, clear signs of prolonged hunger. Given the timing, it was evident they were fellow survivors from the same plane crash.

But their lips were relatively fresh, so Helen must have given them our previous fruits.

Understanding their situation, I smiled indifferently and snorted. "You? A thief who steals others' fruits, I don't even consider you a threat."

"You! You jerk!" Gary, hearing my words, cursed angrily. As an only child from a wealthy family, he had never been treated like this.

"I'll see whether your mouth is tougher than my fists." With that, Gary, his face twisted with rage, clenched his fist tightly and charged at me, aiming a punch at my face.

When he saw me standing still, his twisted smile grew wilder as if victory was already his. He shouted, "Let's see you act tough now, jerk!"

Helen, seeing this, couldn't help but shout, "Duck!"