"Holy crap, he can actually understand us!"


    "Is he really a god?"


    "Bullshit, he''s just a charlatan at best."


    "Yeah, the dude''s only level 1. What kind of weak-ass god is that?"


    The ten seeds chimed in with their two cents.


    Hank Fowler cleared his throat. "Alright, folks, that''s enough. Let''s get you guys into your little dirt beds. You can chat all you want later."


    "Hold up, you haven''t watered us yet. How are we supposed to sprout without water?" one of the seeds piped up.


    Hank rubbed his nose. "How much water does one hole need?"


    "About a third of a bottle of mineral water," another seed helpfully offered.


    "That much?" Hank frowned.


    One hole needed a third of a bottle, so ten holes would take over three bottles of mineral water. That was a hefty chunk of his supply.


    "We''ll only need this one drink, don''t be so stingy."


    "If you water us, we can sprout by tomorrow morning. The faster we mature, the sooner you''ll reap the rewards. Surely you can figure that out."


    "We''re a worthy investment, so stop hesitating."


    "Fine," Hank nodded. He opened his backpack, pulled out three bottles of mineral water, and licked his slightly parched lips. "I haven''t even had a sip of water myself, and I have to give you guys a drink first. If you don''t show me something special tomorrow, I''m gonna kill you all!"


    "Don''t worry, we won''t disappoint you!"


    "Stop being such a wuss and get on with it!"


    "I''m dying of thirst here, get a move on!"


    Hank gritted his teeth, opened the bottles, and started pouring water into each hole, one by one.


    Soon, three bottles of mineral water were gone, just like that.


    He''d watered nine holes, leaving one dry.


    Hank grabbed an empty bottle, went into his thatched hut, filled it with water, and returned to the last hole. He then tipped his head back and chugged down two-thirds of the bottle in a few gulps.


    Gulp! Gulp!


    "Ah, refreshing!" Hank wiped his mouth and laughed heartily.


    "Human, do you have to flaunt your water-drinking in front of us? Have you considered our feelings?"


    "That''s just rude!"The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Where''s your humanity?"


    The seeds started complaining.


    "Here it comes!" Hank chuckled, pouring the remaining water into the tenth hole.


    Then, he carefully placed each of the ten seeds into their respective holes.


    After finishing, he started backfilling the soil.


    Soon, all ten holes were covered with a layer of dirt.


    Immediately, the holes filled with the seeds'' cheerful chatter.


    "So comfy!"


    "I feel like I''m back in my mama''s embrace."


    "Brothers! Let''s absorb the nutrients quickly and grow up big and strong!"


    "Grow, grow, grow... get bigger!"


    "Stealthily develop, don''t get cocky!"


    Hank paused to listen for a while, then grabbed his entrenching tool and headed out.


    The shelter was built, the seeds were planted, and the next step was to collect some thatch.


    Leaving the shelter, Hank headed straight for the east side of the island.


    During his previous exploration, he''d discovered a large patch of thatch growing there.


    The thatch grew thick and tall, each stalk reaching about two meters high.


    If he could gather all that thatch, he could make tables, chairs, beds, and even reinforce his hut.


    The thought filled Hank with renewed energy, and he picked up the pace.


    But just as he was about to reach the thatch field, he suddenly noticed two beetles next to a large rock.


    The beetles were jet black, their bodies covered in a hard shell. The surface of the shell shimmered faintly, as if carved from obsidian.


    They weren''t large, only a few centimeters long, but they gave off a sturdy and imposing vibe.


    Their heads were relatively small and conical, with two bulging eyes.


    Right now, the two bugs were huddled together.


    One in front, one behind.


    "What kind of bugs are these?" Hank wondered, intrigued. He''d never seen this species before, and his curiosity was piqued.


    "Honey, stop, there''s a human spying on us!"


    "What a jinx!"


    "Honey, let''s go somewhere else. I''m shy with him staring like that!"


    "No way, I''m right on the edge of exploding, I can''t stop now. Don''t worry about him, if he wants to watch, let him. He''ll get a good look at my virility!"


    "But he''s so big, hundreds of times bigger than us. And his eyes... they don''t look friendly. What if he wants to kill us?"


    "Don''t worry, during mating season, my body produces a deadly toxin! One bite from me, and not just a weak human like him, even a gorilla would drop dead."


    "Wow! Honey, you''re so amazing!"


    "Just wait, I''ll show you my true power in a bit!"


    Hearing that the beetle was packing poison, Hank took a few hasty steps back, a shiver running down his spine.


    Now he understood what the two beetles were up to.


    Spring had sprung, nature was awakening, and it was mating season again...


    Normally, this was just nature taking its course.


    But couldn''t they find a more private spot?


    Did they have to do it out in the open like this?


    Did they even consider other people''s feelings?


    "No manners at all!" Hank muttered, turning to leave.


    But before he''d taken two steps, he heard the beetles'' voices again.


    "Honey, the human''s leaving!"


    "I told you, he looks tough, but he''s all bark and no bite. Just a small fry, probably scared witless by my overwhelming aura!"


    "Honey, you''re so mighty!"


    "Hahaha..."


    Hank stopped dead in his tracks, his face darkening.


    All bark and no bite?


    A small fry?


    Was that how this male beetle saw him?


    Unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable!


    Hank snatched up a large rock from the ground and marched back.


    "Honey, bad news, that human''s back!" the female beetle panicked.


    "Damn it! He dares to come back and disturb my fun! I''ll poison him later!" the male beetle grumbled viciously.


    "You won''t get the chance!" Hank sneered, raising the rock and bringing it down hard on the two beetles.


    The two beetles, caught completely off guard, had no time to react. They could only watch as a giant shadow loomed over them.


    Thwack!


    The rock landed squarely on the two beetles.


    "Argh..."


    "Aah!"


    With two pained cries, the beetles were smashed into a pulpy mess, deader than dead.


    "On this island, I''m the boss. Anyone who messes with me gets squashed!" Hank declared, his gaze drifting to the male beetle''s corpse.


    This thing was poisonous, so even as a corpse, it should still be useful.


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