In the Wilderness, I Am King

The warm sunlight washed over me as I shielded my eyes with one hand and squinted up at the blue sky.

My whole body ached like I'd been hit by a truck, and I felt weak as a kitten.

The pain was so bad I couldn't even sit up, so I just lay there, staring at the sky. Seconds ticked by, and then, like a light bulb going off, I suddenly remembered something and shot up. But everything around me confirmed it was all real.

I'm Kevin Smith, a regular student. I just realized something huge: After a plane crash, I ended up stranded on a deserted island!

A few minutes later, as I surveyed my surroundings, I realized just how dangerous my situation was.

I was on a beach, with nothing but the endless ocean in front of me and a thick jungle behind me.

No fresh water, no food, and no boat to get out of here.

I knew the jungle, despite the warm sunlight, could be deadly.

The only silver lining was that during my search, I found a water-damaged phone and a woman.

And I knew the woman. She was Helen Hill, the school beauty and the daughter of the richest man around, living a life of luxury.

Of course, I knew her, but she had no clue who I was, just another nobody at school.

Helen woke up around the same time and turned to look at me with difficulty.

Our eyes met, and fear slowly crept into her gaze.

Helen opened her mouth, but fear kept her silent. Her beautiful eyes turned red, and tears welled up, making her look so pitiful.

Being pampered all her life, she probably thought I'd kidnapped her.

But there was no time to explain things to her slowly.

Unlike Helen, I was raised by my grandpa, Joe Smith, in the deep mountains. I had a knack for exploring the unknown and always dreamed of a wild survival adventure.

So, after the initial shock, I quickly got my bearings.

I picked up the phone that had been drying out and pressed the power button, hoping for some useful info.

Luckily, the screen flickered to life. [June 23, 2089.]

Just as I saw the date, the phone crackled with static, and then a puff of white smoke, and it went dead.

The phone was toast, but at least I knew the date, which made drying it out worth it.

From the date, I figured I'd been out cold for a whole day and night since the plane crash.

This was good info. I could gauge my body's condition right now. Given how I felt, surviving the night wouldn't be an issue.

Suddenly, I heard the unmistakable sound of a stomach growling.

I turned to look at Helen.

Seeing me look at her, Helen seemed a bit embarrassed, not as scared as before.

I guessed she had a rough idea of our situation.

For a rich girl, she wasn't freaking out but seemed a bit calm, which made me respect her a little.

No matter what, I wasn't going to let her starve. The scariest thing on a deserted island isn't just the lack of water and food, but the loneliness.

A mental breakdown was the last thing I wanted.

Books always said women were delicate, and I couldn't let her die easily. This adventure needed Helen.

Looking at the blazing sun, I realized it was noon. Staying out in the sun too long would lead to dehydration and death, not just for Helen but for me too.

I took a deep breath and looked at the jungle behind me. It was definitely the best option.

Without wasting time, I turned and headed towards the jungle.

Just a few steps in, Helen's voice called out. "Where are you going? Don't leave me alone!"

I glanced back at her and nodded subtly towards the jungle before pressing forward, undeterred by her hesitation.

As I entered the jungle, I heard footsteps following. Dealing with smart people was nice.

Helen didn't walk right next to me but kept a ten-foot distance.

After about ten minutes, I stopped under a tree laden with fruit. The green and red orbs, round and plump, dangled enticingly.

After a quick look, I picked a fruit and was about to take a bite.

Before I could, I sensed danger. My body reacted instinctively.

I shifted slightly to the right, and a slender white hand flashed before my eyes. The owner of the hand lost balance and fell to the ground with a thud.

"It hurts," Helen cried.

Seeing her on the ground, holding her knee, and crying, I frowned. "Helen, what are you doing?"

Through her tears, Helen angrily said, "It's for you!"

"For me?"

Following her gaze, I saw the fruit in my hand.

With a smile, I bit into the fruit.

Seeing me eat it, Helen hurriedly said, "Don't eat it, it's poisonous!"

Savoring the taste, I replied with a calm smile, "Relax, it's not poisonous."

Helen looked puzzled, "How do you know?"

"I've eaten it before. It's called Crystalberry."

Seeing Helen's skeptical look, I decided to give her a quick lesson in wilderness survival. "In the wild," I said, "if you see fallen fruit that's been nibbled on and there are no dead animals around, it usually means the fruit is safe to eat."

Helen looked around and noticed that the fallen Crystalberries did meet those conditions.

Realizing her earlier actions were a bit silly, she blushed with embarrassment.

Seeing her cheeks turn red and her confused expression, I chuckled and gently patted her shoulder. "Thanks anyway, Helen."

Her ears turned crimson, and at that moment, I suddenly felt she wasn't as stuck-up as the rumors said. She was actually pretty kind-hearted.

But this incident made me realize that Helen, with her lack of wilderness knowledge, could easily get herself killed in this dangerous jungle.

We were only a few hundred yards from the coast. The sun was shining, and apart from the occasional sounds of insects and birds, the jungle was quiet, filled with the scent and calm of nature. It felt like we were just exploring, not stranded. But if we ventured deeper and lost the daylight, the jungle would probably become a lot less friendly at night.

I tossed the picked fruits into Helen's arms, and she devoured them without a second thought, hunger evident in every bite.

Once she was full and looked satisfied, I asked, "Helen, are you waiting for rescue?"

She looked flustered at my question.

"I, I don't know," she said, looking down after a moment of thought.

"I know you're smart; otherwise, you wouldn't have come into the jungle with me."

Thinking about what I needed to say next, I got serious.

"This place is extremely dangerous. It's not your cozy home or a comfortable school. One small mistake can mean death, and death is no joke."

I turned to look directly into her eyes and said, "So, Helen, if you want to survive, you have to rely on yourself."

I added, "You remember that incident years ago, right? Even after all these years, there's still no news."

Hearing about that incident, Helen's expression froze, and her eyes widened.

I think she understood that if we didn't rely on ourselves to escape, we might spend the rest of our lives here.

I looked ahead, thinking about our next moves and giving her time to process everything. Suddenly, I felt a chill down my spine, sensing danger. Before I could turn around, I heard Helen scream, "Snake, there's a snake!"

Following the sound, I saw a green-eyed snake with a crimson tongue slithering on Helen's fair leg.

Her leg already had two bite marks. I grabbed the snake just below its head and flung it about 20 feet away.

After dealing with the snake, I quickly tore my shirt into strips and tied them above Helen's leg to slow the spread of the venom.

I was puzzled and surprised. How did I miss the snake? With my wilderness survival skills, I should've noticed it. But this time, I didn't.

I frowned, looking at the endless jungle. This island wasn't as simple as it seemed.

Helen's delirious cries snapped me back to reality.

Seeing her dazed state, I realized she was starting to lose consciousness.

The cloth strip on her leg was tight, but the skin around the bite was turning blue and purple. Without hesitation, I bent down and sucked out the venom to save her life.

As more and more black blood came out, the venom was almost gone.

I kept shaking her head, calling her name, and she gradually came to.

Seeing the blood on my lips and feeling the pain in her leg reminded her of what had happened.

"Are you crazy? You could die! Why would you do this for me?" Helen said, her emotions getting the best of her, and she started to sob.

"I won't die." Seeing her wide eyes, I touched my nose and said.

It would be embarrassing to reveal that I grew up in the deep mountains, where my mischievousness led to numerous venomous snake bites. My grandpa, Joe, went to great lengths, trying various methods and appealing to many people to save my life. Due to these childhood experiences, I eventually developed miraculous antibodies.

"How can you not die? That's a Green Vine Snake!"

Seeing Helen's completely doubtful expression and her determination to die with me, I quickly pressed my hands on her shoulders. "Trust me, Helen."

As she looked stunned, I added, "Really, otherwise, I would've died from the venom long ago."

"Really?" Helen asked once more, her tone still tinged with doubt.

"Really," I replied with resolute certainty.

After calming her down, I stood up and noticed the sky wasn't as bright as before. If we delayed any longer, it would get dark.

Finding shelter was the top priority. Although I had sucked out the venom from Helen's leg, we still needed some herbal remedies to ensure her safety.

As I pondered which direction to go, Helen suddenly asked in confusion, "How do you know my name is Helen?"