King of the Wilderness-Chapter 39: First Encounter with a Grizzly Bear!

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: First Encounter with a Grizzly Bear!

On the 42nd day in the wilderness, Lin Yu’an found himself with abundant food supplies and a good mindset.

Currently, he still had some smoked fish, about a pound of smoked beaver jerky, and the jerusalem artichokes were completely consumed. If he rationed his food, it could last for another five days.

So, the recent plan was to catch fish, taking advantage of the weather before it got too cold and the river froze, putting in overtime to fish and catch more.

Fortunately, today was another calm day, the sun reflecting a shimmering light off the surface of Chilco Lake, a great day for boat fishing!

"I’ve completed repairing the stinging net. Today, I plan to set it in the lake again and hope for new surprises!"

Lin Yu’an pushed the Pioneer into the water, bringing along the repaired stinging net, anchor stones, and marker buoys, skillfully paddling to the area where he had set the net yesterday.

This time, he chose a slightly different location than yesterday, one that he sensed with his "Sixth Sense" might have schools of fish passing by.

The process of setting the net was the same as yesterday, but with experience, his actions were more skillful and efficient.

Soon, that invisible "underwater Celestial Net" was once again silently erected at the bottom of the lake, waiting for its prey.

"The fishing net is set, and next, taking advantage of today’s good weather, I plan to try my luck at another distant river bay to see if I can catch some big ones."

That river bay wasn’t too far in a straight line from where the net was set, but separated by a promontory jutting into the lake, requiring quite a bit of time to circle by land.

Now, with a canoe, he could easily reach that river bay that was only visible to the eye by water route.

Lin Yu’an turned the canoe towards the other side of the lake and paddled towards the river bay.

He dared to venture into the unknown area, guided by his Sixth Sense, which helped him detect danger signals in time.

Under his control, the Pioneer glided lightly across the lake.

As he slowly entered the river bay littered with rocks and fallen trees, Lin Yu’an immediately slowed down and vigilantly observed his surroundings.

The underwater environment here was indeed complex, but it also meant there could be large fish hiding.

He selected a spot approximately thirty or forty meters from the shore, with moderate water depth, ready to start fishing.

As soon as he cast the first line, his lure gently dropped into the water, attention focused on the movement transmitted by the fishing line—

Lin Yu’an’s Sixth Sense suddenly emitted a strong signal of danger!

Looking in the direction of his perception, on the bank covered with dense bushes across the river bay, a massive, brown silhouette was slowly emerging from the forest!

Lin Yu’an’s pupils instantly contracted! It was a Grizzly Bear!

It was a large adult Grizzly Bear, but it didn’t seem to notice Lin Yu’an, floating on the water in a canoe.

Instead, it sniffed around the shore, occasionally using its huge paws to push aside obstructing bushes.

Lin Yu’an’s heart was already in his throat! He stopped all movement, even intentionally slowing his breathing, lest he disturbed the behemoth!

Instinctively, he checked the large-caliber bear hunting pistol in his space!

"Hey guys... I’ve encountered a big one..."

Lin Yu’an’s voice was pressed extremely low, almost a whisper, as the action camera on his chest recorded the thrilling scene!

He was even prepared to throw the camera into the water immediately if necessary, then retrieve the weapon from his space for self-defense.

Fortunately, the canoe he was in was still a safe distance from where the Grizzly Bear was on the shore.

Moreover, this river bay was quite a distance by water from his shelter, so there was no worry about the shelter’s scent attracting the bear directly.

The Grizzly Bear lingered on the shore for a while, seemingly uninterested in anything particular, it raised its head, its deep-set little eyes casually scanning the lake’s surface.

It seemed to catch sight of the small canoe and the silhouette on it, floating on the water.

It paused for a moment, exchanging a brief glance with Lin Yu’an.

At that moment, time seemed to freeze!

Lin Yu’an could clearly feel the powerful aura emanating from the great beast.

Surprisingly, the Grizzly Bear just stared at him quietly for a while, then turned slowly and disappeared back into the dense forest.

"Whew—"

Not until the Grizzly Bear’s figure completely vanished did Lin Yu’an let out a long breath, his heart still pounding wildly, with beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

"This creature’s presence was overwhelming! Lucky it wasn’t interested in me, or maybe it was too far away, not seeing me as a threat."

After this thrilling encounter, Lin Yu’an lost the desire to continue fishing.

He now knew this area was indeed within the Grizzly Bear’s range, and each visit here must be approached with greater caution. Or perhaps he shouldn’t return here at all!

He remained quietly on the lake for a while, trying to calm his nerves.

However, the next few hours seemed as though luck had been scared away by the Grizzly Bear. He tried various fishing spots, different lures, and techniques but caught nothing.

Evidently, his Sixth Sense could clearly feel fish activity underwater and even vaguely see their silhouettes swimming, yet these cunning creatures refused to bite.

Shaking his head in mild frustration, Lin Yu’an muttered, "How strange... can’t catch fish even in a fishbed?"

As dusk gradually approached, Lin Yu’an realized it was another fruitless day for fishing.

Yet again, he caught nothing, having to pin his hopes on the net he set last night.

He turned the canoe around and started heading back to the river bay where the net was set.

Just as the canoe paddled over a shore littered with rocks, his attention was suddenly drawn to an unusual sight on the bank.

On the bankside, not far from the water, a few thick, dark-colored logs were arranged in a clearly man-made structure, jutting crookedly towards the water.

"Hmm? What is that?" Lin Yu’an paddled the canoe closer out of curiosity.

He saw it clearly; it was a wooden fishing platform!

The logs had been smoothed and rounded by the lake water, showing the patina of long-passed years, yet the human-made traces remained clear.

"Someone has been here before? And built a fishing platform?"

This discovery instantly made him forget the frustration from the fishing failure earlier!

He carefully examined the dilapidated platform and the surroundings. The current here was relatively calm, the underwater seemed to have plenty of rocks and weeds, indeed a suitable fishing spot.

"Look what I found! This fishing platform looks quite new; I wonder who left it here."

"If the weather is as good tomorrow, I will definitely come and explore around here!"

With his mind made up, he plans to come back tomorrow for a thorough exploration of this area, curious if there would be any new findings.

Lin Yu’an paddled back to the area where the net was set.

The process of retrieving the net was once again full of surprises. Although not as dramatic as the first time, he successfully caught two rainbow trout, each weighing around two pounds.

"Not bad! Seems like there are plenty of fish in this water!" Lin Yu’an contentedly placed the fish into the boat’s hold.

Returning to the warmth of the stone shelter, Lin Yu’an began to process the fresh catch; the fish caught the day before had already been smoked into jerky.

He decided to try a new taste tonight—trout fried in beaver oil.

He scraped a large chunk from the stored beaver fat and placed it into the hot stainless steel pan. As the temperature rose, the beaver oil quickly melted, releasing a rich, fatty aroma.

Placing the cleaned rainbow trout fillets into the sizzling oil, the fish skin immediately contracted and produced a pleasant frying sound.

He carefully turned the fillets to ensure they were golden brown on both sides, finally adding a pinch of salt.

Using homemade chopsticks, Lin Yu’an picked up a piece of fish that was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, placing it into his mouth.

The fish skin was crisp and aromatic, the flesh tender and fresh, while the unique rich flavor of beaver oil elevated the fish’s taste to a new level.

"Mmm—! Delicious!"

Lin Yu’an sighed with satisfaction, "Frying fish with beaver oil is indeed a unique flavor, tonight I’ll have just one, saving the other for breakfast tomorrow."

As he enjoyed a delicious dinner, feeling as if he were on vacation, Lin Yu’an began planning in his mind the exploration of the abandoned fishing platform and its surrounding area the next day.

Now, he was particularly curious about who built that fishing platform.