Chapter 468: Found It

Chapter 468: Found It

"I underestimated how many we'd need. I thought a few small bottles would do, but now we need a whole bunch, like a dozen or even more," Lila explained.

Lila and I managed to collect the liquid in several small bottles.

We quickly made our way back to the cave.

By the time we got back, it was almost dark outside.

Inside the cave, two bonfires crackled and popped.

The bonfires looked especially lively in the darkness.

One fire bubbled with sugar water, while the other sizzled with a mix of wild boar and bear meat, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma.

Whenever I was away from the cave, one or two of the women always waited for me at the entrance.

This time, it was Ciara who greeted me at the entrance.

"Hey, welcome back," Ciara said softly, giving me a warm hug.

She then called out to the women inside, "Michael's back."

Upon hearing this, Janna, Selene, Electra, and Clio rushed out to greet me.

I was the man these women relied on in this cave.

Their dependence on me felt even stronger in this setting.

Stronger than the usual reliance between men and women in the city.

Ciara and Janna hugged me and guided me into the cave, checking on my well-being.

As we walked through the jungle, I noticed my clothes were torn, and I was covered in yellow soil from the cliff.

"Are you okay?" Ciara asked, concerned.

When Ciara wasn't around, she kept her distance, but when she was with me, she stuck close, even more than Janna did.

"I'm fine, found what we were looking for," I reassured, pulling out the small bottles we collected.

The women gathered around to inspect.

Lila and I enjoyed the sugar water and roasted meat.

Janna and the others examined the white liquid in the bottles.

"Can we eat this?" Janna asked, making me chuckle.

To my surprise, Janna dipped her finger in and tasted it. "It's a little bitter."

She made a face, causing everyone in the cave to burst into laughter.

"Roast it, you'll see," I suggested.

Janna and the others used tongs to roast a bottle over the fire.

By the time Lila and I finished eating, the roasting was done. We shared some sugarcane and made red sugar water, warming us up.

I realized that people needed both salt and sugar.

Different flavors brought happiness and comfort.

The bottle under Janna's tongs was completely charred. The contents inside puzzled the women. After I gestured, Janna took the bottle off the fire and peered inside eagerly. "This is..."

Janna exclaimed in surprise. Ciara and Selene leaned in too. The poor lighting in the cave made it hard to see, so they wiped off the charred residue to reveal what was inside.

"It's cotton!" I revealed, showing the cotton-like material inside the bottle.

I had touched it on the cliff, and it felt like cotton, but I hadn't tested its absorbency or its effect on the skin yet.

I planned to conduct some experiments once back in the cave.

"Michael, you're incredible!" Janna exclaimed, rushing over to hug me from behind and planting a kiss on my neck.

"You're something, Michael. Ciara made the right choice following you," Ciara added with a smile.

"Definitely," I replied, feeling proud.

I gestured for them to start the experiments.

"Let's test its absorbency. If it works well, two of you can try it tonight."

"Try it?" Selene and the others looked puzzled.

"It means wearing it to see how it feels on the skin," I explained, making the women blush.

I started the experiment slowly with a cup while Janna shared some island news.

She mentioned that Angus, Skinny, and Barry were gathering sanitary pads.

Skinny and Barry didn't collect much, but Angus found several in the first aid kits.

"They might be able to make four or five pads like the ones we gave this morning," Janna informed.

"Four or five," I mused.

I hoped the experiment would be successful, and this material could be used for making sanitary pads.

"If it works out, I could make twenty to thirty sets with the mature plants on the cliff," I thought excitedly.

The absorbency test went well. This material could absorb more water than regular pads.

After the experiments, I had the women in the cave start sewing. They made two pads for my women to try out.

If the results were positive, we would head to the cliff tomorrow to collect more.

"Oh, in the middle of the island..." I shared about the giant monster bear in the center of the island while picking my teeth with a bear claw. The women seemed surprised to hear about it.

"So those monsters are hiding there," the women exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, the biggest one should be there too," I said, feeling curious.

"A 9-foot-tall giant bear, probably few people have ever seen one." With these thoughts, I quietly lay down on the bed.

In the distance, my women chatted and worked under the firelight, sewing the pads. Some of the women who were intimate with me occasionally gave me suggestive looks.

Selene and Lila glanced at me, especially Lila, whose gaze became more intense.

Electra and Clio observed and nudged Lila, encouraging her to take action.