Harem Survival System: Stranded On An Island With Beautiful Women
Chapter 38: Tearing Apart The Wood

Chapter 38: Tearing Apart The Wood

The next morning, the boys woke up to the sound of shuffling feet and hushed voices outside their tents.

Lucas groggily sat up, rubbing his sore arms.

Every muscle in his body felt like it had been wrung out and left to dry. Yesterday’s labor still clung to his bones, making him want nothing more than to roll over and go back to sleep.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.

"Rise and shine, boys!" The Math teacher’s voice boomed across the camp, followed by a few groans from different tents.

Lucas could hear Leo muttering something under his breath from the tent beside his, probably cursing the early wake-up call.

Reluctantly, he forced himself up and unzipped the tent flap, stepping into the early morning light.

The cool air helped ease his drowsiness, but it did nothing for the deep ache in his limbs.

Around him, the other boys were sluggishly emerging from their tents, stretching their sore bodies with varying degrees of reluctance.

Oliver, still half-asleep, yawned loudly and mumbled, "Man, I swear if we’re getting up just to do more work, I’m gonna lose it."

"You and me both," Leo added, stepping out and rolling his shoulders with a wince.

The boys barely had time to get their bearings before the PE teacher clapped his hands loudly, gathering everyone’s attention.

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" he announced. "I know yesterday was rough, and I pushed you all pretty hard, but cutting down that tree was necessary."

Lucas exchanged glances with Leo, who gave him a look that screamed, ’Yeah, but did you have to push us that hard’?

The PE teacher, seemingly oblivious to their exhaustion, continued, "That being said, we’re not done. We still have to break down the wood and prepare the rafts. That means more chopping, more lifting, and more sweat. So I hope you all got some decent rest last night."

Oliver immediately threw up his hand. "Uh, question! Can we at least eat first? You know, before we start hacking away at more trees like a bunch of crazed lumberjacks?"

A few of the other boys muttered in agreement, their stomachs growling as if to emphasize the point.

The PE teacher, however, only shrugged. "You’re men. You don’t need breakfast to do a little hard work."

Leo scoffed, crossing his arms. "Says the guy who’s probably had a nice warm meal already."

That earned a few chuckles from the boys, but the PE teacher wasn’t having it. "Less complaining, more moving. Grab your axes and let’s get to work."

Lucas sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. He wasn’t looking forward to another grueling day, but he knew they didn’t have much of a choice.

The rafts were essential if they wanted to have a steady food supply, and unless someone miraculously built a boat out of thin air, this was their only option.

One by one, the boys reluctantly grabbed their axes. Lucas could see the hesitation in some of their faces, but nobody dared voice their complaints any further.

As they made their way to the worksite, Oliver walked beside Lucas, shaking his head.

"This is how people in horror movies die, you know? Tired, hungry, and forced to do backbreaking labor."

Lucas chuckled. "Yeah, well, if a ghost or some island monster comes after us, at least we’ll have axes to defend ourselves."

Leo groaned, swinging his axe over his shoulder. "Great. Instead of escaping this place, we’re just gonna turn into a bunch of muscular, half-starved lumberjacks. I can see the headlines now."

Their grumbling was cut short as they arrived at the site where yesterday’s massive tree lay waiting. Now came the hard part: breaking it down into usable pieces.

The PE teacher clapped his hands again. "Alright, listen up! We need to chop this thing into manageable parts. I’ll show you how we’re going to do it, so pay attention."

He then grabbed his axe and positioned himself near the thickest part of the trunk. With precise movements, he raised the axe high above his head and brought it down with a forceful swing.

The sharp blade bit into the wood, sending small chips flying.

"See that?" he said, straightening up. "That’s how you cut efficiently. No sloppy swings, no wasting energy. Focus your strength and let the axe do the work. Now, pair up and get started!"

Lucas exhaled, gripping his axe. As much as he wanted to drop dead from exhaustion, he knew they had to get this done.

He turned to Leo, who had already claimed him as his partner with a simple nod.

"Guess we’re stuck together, huh?" Leo said with a smirk.

Lucas shook his head. "You say that like you wouldn’t have picked me anyway."

Leo grinned. "Alright, you got me there."

The boys positioned themselves near one section of the tree and got to work.

The first few swings were clumsy, their movements sluggish from fatigue, but as they settled into a rhythm, the work became easier — or at least, slightly more bearable.

Minutes stretched into an hour, and soon the sun climbed higher, beating down on them with relentless heat.

Sweat dripped down Lucas’s face, and his arms burned from the repetitive motion, but he pushed through it.

At one point, Oliver dropped his axe dramatically and flopped onto the ground. "Okay, time out. If I don’t drink something, I might actually pass out."

The PE teacher sighed but relented, gesturing toward a small duffel bag he had brought with him. "Fine. Take a short break. There’s water in there — grab a can and drink up."

The boys didn’t need to be told twice.

They swarmed the duffel bag, each grabbing a can of water and guzzling it down like it was the last drink they’d ever have.

Lucas cracked open his can and took a long, refreshing gulp. The cool liquid soothed his parched throat, and for a brief moment, he actually felt human again.

Leo sat down beside him, sighing in relief. "You know, I take back what I said earlier. This might actually be worse than horror movies."

Lucas raised a brow. "How so?"

Leo waved a hand dramatically. "Because at least in horror movies, when you die, it’s quick. This? This is just a slow, painful death by manual labor."

Lucas laughed, shaking his head. "Come on, man. We’re almost done. Just a little more, and we’ll be finished."

Oliver, sprawled out on the ground, groaned. "You keep saying that, but I feel like we’ll still be here ten years from now."

The boys chuckled, their spirits lifting slightly despite the exhaustion.

After a few more minutes, the PE teacher clapped his hands again. "Break’s over! Back to work!"

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