King of the Wilderness-Chapter 46: A Glimmer of Hope, Burn the Boats!

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: A Glimmer of Hope, Burn the Boats!

Forty-six days.

A night of wind and rain, Lin Yu’an spent it narrating and reminiscing.

Yesterday had already recorded enough "showing weakness" footage, today after recording a bit more of it, it was time to record footage of renewed vigor!

When the first glimmer of morning light tore through the thick fog, the sound of rain outside the shelter finally ceased.

Lin Yu’an also turned on the fixed camera to record.

"The rain has finally stopped, but this damned weather is still not suitable for going out to fish from the boat."

He looked at the distant lake surface still roiling with waves and shook his head helplessly.

"It seems that today’s food acquisition is still a big problem, repairing the fishing net will take more time."

He began attempting to whittle wood in a corner of the stone house to distract himself.

Lin Yu’an panted and sat down by the stove in frustration, his voice a bit hoarse.

"The situation...is worse than I imagined. I really can’t concentrate right now, I need to keep myself moving."

He unconsciously touched the small cross pendant on his chest, a protective talisman from Aliya, and a source of his strength.

"Yes! I can’t give up yet! It’s far from over!"

A glimmer of light reignited in Lin Yu’an’s eyes!

Fortunately, the cold wind outside had somewhat weakened, and he forced himself to get up and, braving the cold wind, checked the miniature traps set around the shelter again.

But unsurprisingly, the traps were still empty.

In such stormy weather, even the usually active small rodents didn’t want to come out and move.

"Looks like I’ll have to try my luck further afield."

Lin Yu’an slung the bow and arrow over his back, ready to venture deeper into the forest once more.

He suddenly remembered the squirrel hole where he had only taken half of the nuts before.

So he decided to start recording new materials from that squirrel hole!

Feeling a bit excited, he immediately got up and walked in the direction of that squirrel hole.

Arriving before the familiar tree hole, he cautiously peered inside, the hole was still quiet with no signs of squirrel activity.

He reached into the tree hole and groped around for a moment, his face breaking into a look of delight!

"Still here! They’re all still here!"

He excitedly scooped out the plump pine nuts and hazelnuts, precisely the half he had deliberately left behind!

"Great! It seems the squirrel really forgot about this place, or...it met with some misfortune?"

Lin Yu’an silently apologized to the squirrel that might no longer be around, then carefully packed these precious nuts into a bag.

Returning to the shelter at noon, Lin Yu’an laid out all his food on a clean stone slab.

A few last pieces of smoked fish, and the handful of nuts just obtained from the squirrel hole.

"This is all my food. Tonight I’m going to eat all of it to replenish enough energy."

"Today, no matter the weather, I shall hunt without considering the consequences!"

He placed the stainless steel pot over the stove and poured in the remaining half bowl of beaver oil.

Once the oil was hot, he slowly fried the smoked fish.

Then he added the cracked pine nuts and hazelnuts into the pot, stir-frying them with the smoked fish.

Under the lard’s infusion, the nuts quickly emitted a rich aroma, their surfaces turning golden and glistening.

As this "hodgepodge" containing all his food was completed, the entire stone house was filled with an invigorating fragrance!

Lin Yu’an picked up a piece of fish coated in oil and nut crumbs, took a deep breath, and solemnly put it into his mouth.

The richness of the lard, the crunch of the nuts, the smokiness of the fish, multiple flavors burst on his taste buds, bringing an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

He ate quickly, thoroughly cleaning out the bowl along with every last drop of oil.

A surge of warmth arose from his abdomen, reigniting the fighting spirit within him!

When Lin Yu’an felt his strength slowly return, he geared up and headed toward the forest once more, planning to go a bit further this time.

He carefully searched the area where he had previously found signs of large animals.

Aside from branches knocked down by the storm and some washed-out unrecognizable old tracks, he found nothing.

But not far from this area, on the muddy shallows by the lakeshore, he vaguely saw a series of clear prints!

"Are those...hoof prints?" Lin Yu’an’s heart skipped a beat, a rush of ecstasy washed over him!

Ignoring the muddy ground, he quickly ran to the lakeshore shallows, squatting down to carefully examine the hoof prints.

The hoof prints were not large, but their distinct shape, deeply sunken edges, clearly belonged to a hoofed animal!

"Definitely hoof prints! And judging by the size and spacing, it could very well be a deer!"

"Great! It must have come out after the storm to drink water and search for food by the lake!"

Lin Yu’an quickly determined the direction the hoof prints left—heading straight into the water!

Observing carefully, he confirmed that the tracks did indeed lead into the water, looking up he saw the small island about 200 meters from the shore, and instantly understood!

"So that’s it! This critter swam to the island!"

Lin Yu’an’s eyes lit up, the fire of the hunt burning even more fervently within him!

He never expected that what began as just filming some revitalizing footage would lead to such an incredible opportunity!

The "Pioneer" canoe, which seemed useless due to the storm, now became his only hope!

Although the wind and waves on the lake were slightly less than at their peak, standing on the shore, he could still feel strong gusts whipping up small waves, and the lake surface was not calm.

Traversing the 200-meter stretch of water in his canoe still carried significant risk.

"This will be a true adventure; the lake’s wind and waves haven’t completely died down, and it’s uncertain if the Pioneer can withstand such strong waves."

"If I capsize, in this icy water, hypothermia will be my greatest enemy."

"Therefore, before setting off, I must prepare for the worst, at least ensuring I don’t sink immediately upon capsizing."

He immediately returned to the shelter; it was still early, and his gaze swept over the large waterproof mountaineering backpack he carried.

Lin Yu’an’s eyes brightened, "Got it! This waterproof backpack, if filled with some lightweight and water-resistant materials, could make a decent temporary lifebuoy!"

He quickly sprang into action. First, he temporarily removed some unnecessary items from the backpack, then sought appropriate stuffing.

"What I need are materials with low density or those that can trap a significant amount of air."

He first thought of the dried reeds he had previously collected and aired out.

Gritting his teeth, he dismantled the reed curtain at the door, stuffing handfuls of dry reed stalks into the waterproof backpack, their hollow structures providing some buoyancy.

Next, he looked at his -30°C rated goose down sleeping bag. Although reluctant, in a life-or-death moment, he discarded such hesitations.

He stuffed the entire sleeping bag into the waterproof mountaineering backpack, whose inner and outer layers had good waterproof properties.

The fluffy down trapped within could encase air to provide flotation, ensuring this makeshift flotation device could hold for ten minutes should he fall into the water.

Finally, he repeatedly rolled up the backpack’s opening, sealing it thoroughly with parachute cord and the backpack’s built-in buckles to ensure its waterproof property.

A bulging makeshift "waterproof backpack lifebuoy" was thus crafted.

"This simple flotation device might not match a professional life jacket, but in a critical moment, it can buy me precious survival time!"

(Requesting monthly tickets, requesting monthly tickets, requesting monthly tickets!)