Chapter 26: The Hunter's Perspective
Chapter 26: The Hunter's Perspective
Dan's mood visibly soured.
After the first trap yielded nothing, she reset it and, accompanied by Lin Sai and Ju, headed for the next trap location.
The result was once again, nothing.
Just like the previous snare trap, or perhaps even more unlucky.
This time, the female hunter found a pit trap located in front of a hollow in an old oak tree. During winter, many animals would choose to hide in tree hollows to escape the cold, making it an ideal spot to set a trap.
However, at this moment, a thick layer of snow still covered the trap's surface, revealing no signs of it being triggered.
This scene implied that no prey had passed through here at all!
"..."
Snap—snap—
Dan began snapping her fingers, her eyebrows raised in frustration.
Based on past winter hunting experiences...
Even if the snare trap failed, pit traps usually wouldn't disappoint, but today, two consecutive traps had failed.
Dan had originally wanted to show off in front of the two, but now she had no choice but to accept this failure.
Her mood was terrible.
Next, the trio continued their journey through the forest.
The subsequent two traps also yielded nothing, just like the previous ones.
When inspecting the third-to-last foot snare trap, Dan even stepped on the snow next to the trap, revealing the pit underneath.
This indicated that animals like rabbits had been digging holes in the nearby snow.
Yet, they had somehow managed to avoid the hunters' traps.
"..."
"Alright, let's eat!"
Dan's steps no longer carried the previous lightness, and she finally stopped at the edge of a clearing, looking rather annoyed.
With a kick, she cleared the snow, revealing a patch of ground to sit on, and at this moment, it was already noon.
After trekking for half the morning, the children needed a rest, and it was also time to warm up.
To make Lin Sai and Ju more comfortable...
The female hunter, for once, gathered some firewood and started a fire to warm their bodies.
Whoosh—
The flames crackled.
Lin Sai stared at the yellow flames before him, took out a piece of roasted meat, and took a bite.
Then, his expression turned as unpleasant as the female hunter's.
Although only one night had passed, the winter cold had made the meat strip extremely greasy, and its taste had become peculiar.
Lin Sai picked up two sticks as makeshift chopsticks and held the meat over the fire to heat it slightly.
Only then did the meat become somewhat palatable.
"I must learn to cook, I must."
Lin Sai silently vowed to himself.
Then, to ease Dan's foul mood, Lin Sai struck up a conversation with the female hunter:
"In previous winters, have there been any special situations during the hunt?"
Dan immediately understood Lin Sai's intention.
A smirk appeared on her face, and her proud demeanor shone in her eyes:
"Boy, do you think my skills end here?"
"Let me tell you, although these traps are empty, I've been tracking the prey, and things are looking good!"
Lin Sai was a little confused:
"We're tracking the prey?"
Dan pulled out the cork of her water flask, took a sip, and then pointed forward with her finger:
"The hunter's technique."
"The route we've been taking has been subtly adjusted all along. There are several traps I haven't checked, all for the sake of catching that thief who stole my prey!"
Lin Sai immediately recalled the first snare trap.
Wild animals, once caught in a snare, would find it difficult to free themselves.
Combined with the marks of bitten ropes and the spilled blood, he instantly understood the female hunter's meaning:
"We're tracking the animal that stole the prey from the snare trap?"
"Dan nodded, "Who else could it be?"
As Dan answered, Lin Sai turned his head and scanned the surroundings.
The forest after a heavy snowfall did show some signs of animal activity.
But the tracks were difficult to discern in terms of timing, and the footprints would suddenly disappear as they crisscrossed and the terrain changed.
Finding a beast that stole prey among such chaotic traces was a challenge, let alone the entire winter hunt, where Dan never wasted time deciphering these footprints.
The only explanation was the Awakened's technique.
"My understanding is still not clear enough."
Lin Sai sighed silently, adjusting his mindset.
The inertia of his past life's thinking made him still approach matters with his old thought patterns.
But this world was completely different.
Dan's performance seemed ordinary, but she used her technique to give Lin Sai a practical lesson.
Everything in this world.
Must not be viewed with ordinary eyes, but the Awakened's extraordinary factors must be taken into account.
"Hahaha—"
As Lin Sai pondered seriously, the female hunter who had finished her lunch couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
Instead, Ju, who was roasting meat by the fire, explained to Lin Sai:
"Mom's technique has ascended three times."
"Even without these tracks in the snow, she can precisely locate the prey."
At this moment, Dan, who was still laughing, pointed to her eyes:
"In my eyes, every footprint, every fallen leaf, and every dead branch on the forest floor form a complete and clear path. As long as it hasn't been a month or two, no prey can escape these eyes!"
Just then, the female hunter suddenly raised her eyebrows.
She abruptly turned her head to look east, and Lin Sai followed her gaze, only to see a white expanse in the forest.
"What's wrong?"
Lin Sai asked in confusion.
But the female hunter didn't say a word. She took down her bow and arrow from her back, drew it, and fired.
Whoosh—
Just like outside the church before.
Lin Sai only heard the sound of the arrow being shot and couldn't even see where it landed. But the female hunter confidently walked towards where she had shot the arrow.
"Wait here, I'll go get something."
Dan didn't leave for long.
A few minutes later, she returned with a fluffy white fox, holding it by the neck.
The arrow had pierced the fox's neck, and the terrible wound had almost instantly taken its life.
"Look what I caught?"
Dan held the fox in her hand and waved it in front of Lin Sai and Ju as if showing off a treasure.
The fox's fluffy tail swayed from side to side, like a giant ball of fur, which the female hunter used to tease the two children.
Lin Sai wasn't impressed and completely ignored the female hunter's actions.
Dan didn't insist and instead went to play with her child.
When she got bored, she stuffed the fox into her backpack and continued to instruct Lin Sai and Ju:
"Get up, warm up first, and then let's continue."
Dan kicked the burning campfire to extinguish it, her movements quick and fluid, and a bright smile hung on her face.
Lin Sai didn't even need to look at Dan's expression.
Just from her voice, he could tell that the female hunter was in a great mood.
(End of Chapter)
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