https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-61-Solitary-Journey-in-the-Wilderness/12973754/
Chapter 62: Entering the Snowplain
Chapter 62: Entering the Snowplain
After five days of continuous travel, on the sixth day, Lin Sai woke up with a different plan in mind.
Before him lay a vast, endless plain, merging with the boundless snow-covered land. In this environment, trees became scarce, and once inside, many tasks became less convenient.
Before entering this region, Lin Sai had one last chance to prepare.
Early in the morning, he caught an anise fish in the nearby river. After roasting it over a campfire and pulling its tail, the entire spine could be easily removed, making it a delicious and convenient meal.
After enjoying this brief breakfast, Lin Sai ventured into the nearby forest.
He was in search of suitable trees.
Of the three luminescent steel arrows Joel had given him, only the last one Dan had shot remained intact. One was shattered by a treant, and the other had its shaft broken during combat after piercing a body.
Lin Sai was not one to waste such high-quality weapons.
The shaft was broken, but the arrowheads were intact. He retrieved two luminescent steel arrowheads and placed them in his carry-on bag.
Crack!
Soon after, a gray-tailed squirrel in a tree caught Lin Sai's attention. Having already eaten breakfast, he had no intention of overhunting. But the oak tree where the squirrel was perched was exactly what Lin Sai needed.
"You're the one."
Lin Sai immediately approached the tree.
This oak tree was robust, tall, and full of vigor.
Even the thick branches were suitable for Lin Sai's use.
Lin Sai climbed up the tree and, with a few slashes of his knife, two branches, thick and long enough, fell to the ground.
Leaning against the oak tree, Lin Sai shaved them into straight spears, cut a notch at one end, inserted the luminescent steel arrowheads, and secured them with ropes.
Thus, two long spears appeared in Lin Sai's hands.
The luminescent steel arrows that Joel had prepared had conical arrowheads designed for piercing, so their penetration capability was not a concern.
The reason Lin Sai chose to make spears instead of arrows was that crafting suitable arrow shafts was quite troublesome. Prepared in haste, even if they could be used for shooting, they might not be accurate.
So, between arrows that were highly likely to miss their targets and simple, easy-to-use spears, Lin Sai wisely chose the latter.
With his weapons ready, Lin Sai replenished his water supply from the river.
Then, with determination, he stepped into the desolate plain.
On the barren plain, Lin Sai's pace was swift, but along the way, only a few scattered trees grew wildly. Most were short and wind-resistant, with moss growing around them.
The entire morning passed.
In this wilderness, Lin Sai saw nothing of note, and the distant snow line gradually approached.
But just as he was taking his midday break and preparing to roast a leg of ice hare, Lin Sai had barely started the fire when he noticed three coyotes surrounding him. One stood at a distance, threateningly watching Lin Sai, while the other two approached from two different directions. Throughout the process, they avoided the east, showing no intention of flanking even if their prey might escape from that direction.
This was unusual behavior for hungry wild animals.
The only explanation Lin Sai could think of was that the eastern snow line had something that threatened them, perhaps directly affecting their kind or even causing casualties, which made them act with such reverence.
As he thought, Lin Sai retrieved his bow and arrow from his bag.
In the next second, two arrows flashed by, and the coyotes approaching from the north and south immediately fell to the ground.
Lin Sai continued to aim with his bow.
The coyote on the west side was too far away, at least 70 meters or more.
His archery skills might not guarantee a hit with every shot...
"Howl!"
Under Lin Sai's aim, this surviving coyote turned and fled without hesitation.
"..."
"That's fine, I'll save an arrow."
Lin Sai shrugged and dragged back the prey that had come to him.
He now had an abundance of food, and the ice hare meat alone could feed him for more than ten days.
He didn't bother with the coyote and simply threw it into his bag, considering it done.
After lunch, Lin Sai boiled some hot water to warm himself up.
His stamina was several times that of a normal person, and with his current 15 points in Superhuman Constitution, he didn't need to worry about fatigue. The snow line, which he could only observe from a distance last night, was now right before his eyes.
Lin Sai estimated that in half an hour, he would be able to set foot in this world of ice and snow.
Moreover, the coyote he killed seemed to send a signal to this land. It informed all living creatures on the wasteland that Lin Sai, this unexpected visitor, was on his way, and throughout the afternoon, he encountered almost no disturbances.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Before the sun set, a cold wind blew in from the snowfield, sweeping across Lin Sai's face.
"Hiss—"
Although he had the Ice Hare Claw Pendant to provide cold resistance.
But as he stepped into this white, boundless world, Lin Sai couldn't help but shiver.
The previous wasteland.
It only felt desolate, and Lin Sai had even encountered coyotes.
But as he entered this snowfield, the remaining traces of life completely vanished, and even the trees covered by the heavy snow seemed lifeless.
Accompanied by the low temperature and desolation, this snowfield only gave a sense of being a sanctuary of life.
Lin Sai walked on this lifeless land.
Initially, it was fine; he was merely traveling on quiet land, and other aspects didn't affect him.
But soon, the snow on the ground became thicker.
Lin Sai tried to take out his spear and thrust it vertically into the snow.
Whoosh—
The spear instantly sank almost halfway into the snow.
The snow depth here was already close to, or even exceeded, one meter! Looking ahead, this snowfield seemed to have no end in sight, and who knew how harsh the environment would become afterward.
Lin Sai walked with one foot deep and the other shallow.
His stamina could recover, but each step was a height difference beyond his knees, which made him feel awkward and uncomfortable.
"..."
"This won't do."
Lin Sai decisively stopped.
To facilitate lighting a fire at any time, Lin Sai often prepared firewood in his bag before resting these days.
These pieces of wood came in handy now.
He took out a relatively thick but less dense piece of wood, shaved it into a flat, wide board with his long dagger, and then tied it to the bottom of his feet with a rope.
Lin Sai tested his new shoes on the snow.
This simple modification made it feel like he was stepping on two snow sleds.
The increased contact area allowed the snow to bear Lin Sai's weight, and he could finally walk like a normal person, without his body sinking unevenly into the snow like a constantly popping groundhog.
"This is more like it."
Lin Sai nodded in satisfaction and continued to venture deeper into the endless white wilderness.
(End of Chapter)
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