On some of the roots exposed above the water, there were also many creatures with strange patterns—he couldn’t tell if they were snails or some kind of whelk.

In the darkness not far away, the tree frogs began their nightly concert once more.

There was plenty of prey to be caught, but he knew it was basically impossible with his bare hands.

’Right, my Happiness Points...’

Suddenly remembering he’d just earned three points, he quickly pulled up his panel. Sure enough, his points had accumulated to fifteen, enough to exchange for a new piece of knowledge or an ability.

’Based on my current understanding of this area, I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I can recognize the more common species. There’s no need to exchange for knowledge-based information right now. A skill would probably be more effective.’

’But what ability should I get...’

He stared at the skill names in the exchange list. ’I’ll ignore weapons like axes, daggers, and short knives for now. Tools can wait, too. That leaves tree climbing, swimming, diving, rowing, blowgun, throwing, and slingshot... I feel like tree climbing and the last three would be the most useful for me at the moment.’

Since this was the tropics, coconut trees were an essential part of the environment. They would be his only source of safe water for now.

But coconut tree trunks are smooth, making them nearly impossible to climb bare-handed without special tools or years of practice.

The Blowgun, Throwing, and Slingshot skills were all fundamentally similar. The blowgun and slingshot both required crafting tools, which was a bit of a hassle.

’So, is it tree climbing or throwing...’

He hesitated for a moment, then decisively chose to exchange for Basic Tree Climbing Mastery.

[Successfully spent 15 Happiness Points to exchange for Basic Tree Climbing Mastery]

Unlike before, a massive amount of information didn’t pour into his mind. Instead, only a few key techniques and essential movements were deeply imprinted in his memory.

After running through it just once in his head, an uncontrollable wave of confidence surged within him.

Whether it was a coconut tree, a pine tree, or any other kind of tree, he was confident he could climb to the top, given enough time.

However, there was one unexpected key point: the issue of limb strength and core stability.

Climbing a tree bare-handed was a true test of one’s limb strength, requiring you to use your core to stabilize your body and continuously ascend.

’Let’s go. I’ll head back to rest first, then find a coconut tree to try it out.’

He decided not to wander around anymore. Soaking in the cool seawater for too long could lead to hypothermia, and wrinkled skin was more prone to getting scraped. He needed to get ashore as soon as possible.

Carrying his heavy spoils, he returned to the shelter, crawled inside, and pushed the wooden door back into place.

Although the average temperature here was over twenty degrees Celsius, each contestant was still equipped with a jacket, mainly for sun or insect protection.

He spread his jacket open over two branches to let it air out as much as possible. He set his boots and socks to dry nearby and set an alarm for four hours.

Not even two minutes after lying down, the sound of steady breathing could be heard from within the dugout pit. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

...

"BEEP BEEP BEEP—"

The moment the alarm rang, Lin Chen’s eyes shot open and he bolted upright.

Used to waking up early from his past jobs, he normally never needed an alarm. He would always wake up naturally a few or even ten-odd minutes before it went off.

The fact that he was now reduced to needing an alarm was proof that he was utterly exhausted.

"It’s day three of the Panama survival competition. Five in the morning, and the sky outside is still dark."

He crawled out of the pit. His socks were still cold and damp, and his boots were about the same. The jacket, on the other hand, was a bit better.

"Alright, let’s head to the beach and see if the tide has gone out. I don’t have many tasks today, but they’re especially important."

Gathering food, securing a water source, and making fire!

As for improving the shelter, that would have to wait until after these three things. If there wasn’t time, he’d just put it off.

[Good morning~]

A few scattered greetings floated across his watch screen. He smiled slightly. "Good morning, everyone. Up so early? Heading to work?"

[Nope, it’s Sunday. No work.]

[I went to sleep when you did last night. I just wanted to wake up early to see what kind of food you can find on the beach.]

[Are we getting any jungle cuisine today? It’s torture not being able to watch you cook. I’ve lost my appetite.]

"I’m so jealous of you all. You get to lie around comfortably at home without having to work, while I’m here starving."

He sighed and continued, "I’m going to try and make fire today. Hopefully, it’ll work. If not, I’ll have to fill my stomach with mangoes and coconuts. There’s no better alternative."

[How are you going to make fire? With a bow drill?]

[You don’t even have a bowstring. I remember the success rate for hand drills is really low.]

"Yes, fire by friction. There’s also a method using a vine. I’m going to try the vine method first, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll consider a drill."

"Of course, I can’t use a hand drill. The speed is too slow and it’s not stable enough. Although I don’t have a bowstring, I can use other things as a substitute, like the tough bark from a Mulberry Tree or something similar."

While chatting with the audience, he had unconsciously arrived under the massive mango trees.

He looked up, staring at the green mangoes hanging from the branches. After hesitating for a good while, he decided to replenish some of his sugar intake first.

Carbohydrates are the body’s primary fuel, and mangoes are undoubtedly among the fruits with the highest sugar content. They would make a perfect breakfast.

’If I had chosen the throwing mastery instead, could I just pick up a rock and knock a few down?’

From the ground, the mango branches looked quite thin. Besides, ripe mangoes can fall on their own. Perhaps just hitting a branch would shake it enough to make a mango drop.

It was just a passing thought. In terms of getting water, the tree climbing mastery was definitely more useful.

The century-old mango tree had a thick, rough trunk. Its bark, like that of most common trees, was covered in cracks and bumps. The trunk was relatively straight overall, without many extra branches low down.

"I’m going to see if I can climb it."