Chapter 333 - 216: The Aftermath of the Outburst

Chapter 333: Chapter 216: The Aftermath of the Outburst

Dizzy.

The world was spinning.

His head was splitting.

With a deep frown, Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes. All he saw was darkness.

He didn’t dare shake his head. He’d been in similar situations many times before. It often happened after napping for too long in the afternoon, and the symptoms usually wouldn’t fade until he woke up the next morning.

This sort of thing was usually caused by sleeping in the wrong position, constricting his blood vessels, or napping for too long at the wrong time, leading to a lack of oxygen in the brain and triggering dizziness.

He struggled to prop himself up, slowly sitting up before glancing at the time.

A little after four in the morning.

Once he sat up, he realized half his body was practically numb. He couldn’t feel his right arm at all.

"A proper bed really is important. Guess you can’t cut corners on sleep."

He gave a wry smile and rested for a moment. Once his body gradually returned to normal, he picked up a banana leaf, walked over to the earthen wall, and sat down, planning to lean against it and doze off again.

He had toiled all day in the wind and rain yesterday. If he didn’t get a good night’s rest, it would definitely affect his performance for the next few days.

’Even if my head is still spinning, I have to force myself to sleep. Once I’m asleep, the dizziness will stop. Maybe when I open my eyes again, the symptoms will have eased up a bit.’

The charcoal fire had nearly died out. Only a faint ember remained, hidden within the blackened husks, giving off a weak glow.

As he leaned against the wall, a damp chill seemed to emanate from within it. It was the moisture and cold that had seeped into the soil after the downpour.

With no other choice, Lin Chen pulled his jacket tighter, drew his knees up, and wrapped his arms around his chest to conserve as much body heat as possible.

He wasn’t sure how long had passed. In a daze, he thought he heard someone calling his name.

His eyelids, heavy as lead, struggled for a long time before he finally managed to pry them open a crack. He looked up at the person before him, but in the dim light, he could only make out a vague silhouette.

"Lin, it’s me, Ariana."

The woman, dressed in a white lab coat, frowned. She took a forehead thermometer from her medical kit and scanned his forehead.

"39.3. You have a fever. A high one."

’A high fever?’

The words instantly cleared the fog from Lin Chen’s mind. He raised a hand to feel his own forehead.

Burning up!

He sucked in a sharp breath. ’This is trouble!’

Not only had the dizziness not subsided, but his entire body felt limp and strengthless. His throat was parched, and his overall condition couldn’t be worse.

He was the type who almost never got sick. At most, he might catch a cold for a few days during the change of seasons. Even that minor ailment had all but vanished since he’d moved abroad.

’Of all the times to get a high fever, why now, during the competition?’

He struggled to get up, but Ariana firmly pushed him back down.

"The best thing you can do right now is nothing. Don’t do anything except use the bathroom and drink water. And stick to coconut water or boiled water. If possible, eat some fruit and protein. You have to keep your nutrition up, or you won’t last twenty-four hours before you’re forced to withdraw."

Ariana never expected that Lin Chen, the man who seemed as tough as iron, would face such a major crisis on day ten—during the competition’s second medical check, no less.

This was a high fever. A prolonged fever could cause brain damage. He had to bring it down, and quickly.

But the competition rules were strict. She was only allowed to conduct medical checks, not provide any treatment. She could only intervene if a contestant chose to withdraw, or if their condition deteriorated to the point where they were no longer lucid.

But that would also mean disqualification.

It wasn’t just her. Robert, Daniel, and Hei were all gathered nearby, watching the weakened Lin Chen with worried expressions as he leaned against the wall.

He was a fan favorite. If he was forced to withdraw this early on, the show’s ratings for the season would be cut in half.

"Lin, you have to find a way to bring your fever down, and fast. Even a slight drop in temperature would be a good sign. I’ll be back in twelve hours to check your temperature again. If it hasn’t gone down, you’ll have to seriously consider withdrawing."

Ariana put the thermometer away. She wanted to say more, but with the cameras on them, all she could do was sigh and turn to leave.

This was one of the measures in place to prevent the production crew from interfering. They had a strict rule that all interactions with contestants must be fully captured on camera, ensuring there was no possibility of cheating.

After they left, Lin Chen glanced at the time again.

Just past seven in the morning.

A wry smile touched his lips. He didn’t rush to move. Instead, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and assessed his body’s condition while quickly analyzing his next steps.

’In my current state, I’m completely weak. The only thing I can probably do is walk, and not even quickly. I don’t know if I even have the strength to open a coconut.’

’No, I have to open the coconuts, no matter what. Replenishing my electrolytes and fluids will help bring my temperature down.’

’As for food... the mango tree is too far. I’ll just grab a ripe pineapple from out back. But what about protein?’

In his current state, the half-hour walk to the cave would feel like crossing an insurmountable chasm. If he slipped while crossing the stream, he’d be in real trouble.

But if he didn’t go to the cave, heading to the beach to forage for protein was even more out of the question.

Even if he managed to find something, he wouldn’t have the energy to start a fire and cook it. It was safer to just get the cured meat he already had.

’Thank god I loaded up on carbs and protein last night. Otherwise, I’d be in even worse shape right now.’

Using the wall for support, he struggled to his feet. He then rummaged through his bamboo basket and pulled out the two coconuts he had brought back yesterday.

He swung the bamboo knife with all his might, but after a few hacks, he had only managed to leave two shallow dents in the green husk. On a normal day, two swings would have been enough to shave off an entire layer.