Hunter's Perspective

Dan's mood visibly soured.

After the first trap yielded nothing, she reset it and led Linsey and Ju to the next trap site.

The result was still nothing.

Just like the last Snare Trap—or perhaps even worse.

This time, the Female Hunter found a pit trap in front of a hollow in an old oak tree. Many animals chose to shelter in tree hollows during winter, making this an excellent place to set a trap.

But at this moment, thick snow still covered the trap's surface, with no sign that it had been triggered.

This meant that no prey had passed through here at all!

"..."

Crack--crack--

Dan began cracking her knuckles, one crisp pop after another, while her eyebrows kept twitching upward.

Based on her past Winter Hunt experience.

Even if a Snare Trap failed, pit traps rarely disappointed. Yet today, two traps in a row had failed.

Dan had wanted to show off in front of the two children, but now she had no choice but to accept this failure.

She was in a terrible mood.

The three continued making their way through the forest.

The next two traps, like the previous ones, yielded nothing.

While checking the third-to-last leg-hold trap, Dan even stepped through the snow beside it, exposing the pit underneath.

This showed that rabbits or similar animals had burrowed beneath the nearby snow.

Yet they had deliberately gone around the hunters' traps.

"..."

"Alright, time to eat!"

Dan's steps were no longer as brisk as before when she finally stopped beside a clearing.

With an annoyed expression, she kicked aside the snow to reveal a patch of ground large enough to sit on. It was already noon.

The children, having trekked through the morning, needed to rest and eat to replenish their strength.

To make Linsey and Ju more comfortable.

The Female Hunter even uncharacteristically gathered some firewood and lit a fire to warm them up.

Whoosh--

The flames crackled brightly.

Linsey stared at the yellow flames before him and took out some roasted meat, biting into it.

Then his expression turned just as grim as the Female Hunter's.

Though only one night had passed, the winter cold had made the strips of meat extremely greasy, and the texture had become strange.

Linsey simply found two branches to use as chopsticks, picked up the meat, and held it over the fire to warm it slightly.

Only then did it taste a little better.

I have to learn how to cook. I have to.

Linsey secretly swore to himself.

Then, partly to ease Dan's foul mood, Linsey struck up a conversation with the Female Hunter. "Did anything unusual ever happen during hunts in past winters?"

Dan immediately caught the meaning behind Linsey's words.

The corner of her mouth curled up, pride appearing in her eyes. "Kid, do you think that's all I've got?"

"Let me tell you, even though those traps were empty, I've been tracking the target the whole time. Things are going great!"

Linsey was somewhat confused.

"We've been tracking a target?"

Dan pulled the stopper from her waterskin and took a drink before pointing toward the dense forest ahead. "A hunter's skill."

"The route we've taken has actually been constantly adjusted in subtle ways. There were several traps I didn't even check, all so I could catch the thief who stole my prey!"

Linsey immediately recalled the first Snare Trap.

Wild animals that got caught in a snare could hardly free themselves.

Combined with the marks where the rope had been bitten through and the blood that had been spilled, he immediately understood what the Female Hunter meant. "We're tracking the animal that stole the prey from the Snare Trap?"

Dan nodded.

"Who else would it be?"

With Dan's explanation, Linsey turned and looked around.

In the forest after a heavy snowfall, there were indeed traces of animal activity everywhere.

But it was difficult to tell which tracks came first, and the overlapping footprints abruptly vanished as the terrain changed.

Finding a beast that had stolen prey amid such chaotic traces was obviously extremely difficult. Not to mention that throughout the entire Winter Hunt, Linsey had never seen Dan spend any time studying these footprints.

The only explanation could be an Awakened's skill.

"I still don't understand things clearly enough."

Linsey silently sighed and adjusted his thinking.

The ingrained habits from his previous life still had him considering things according to his old way of thinking.

But this world was completely different.

Dan's actions did not appear extraordinary, but through her own skill, she had given Linsey a firsthand lesson.

Everything encountered in this world.

Could never be viewed through ordinary eyes. One had to account for the extraordinary factor of the Awakened.

"Hahaha--"

Linsey, a child, was sitting there with a serious, contemplative look on his face. After finishing her lunch, the Female Hunter could not help but laugh at the sight.

Ju, beside him, was imitating him by roasting meat over the fire. He spoke up to explain for Linsey.

"Mom's skill has undergone three sublimations."

"Even without these tracks left in the snow, she can still find prey with perfect accuracy."

Still laughing, Dan pointed at her eyes.

"To these eyes of mine, every footprint, every fallen leaf, and every dead branch on the forest floor forms a complete and clear route. As long as it hasn't been a month or two, no prey can escape these eyes!"

At that moment, the Female Hunter suddenly raised an eyebrow.

She abruptly turned to look east. Linsey followed her gaze, but all he could see was an expanse of white in the forest.

"What is it?"

Linsey asked in confusion.

But the Female Hunter did not say a word. She immediately took the bow from her back, drew it, and fired.

Whoosh--

Just like outside the church before.

Linsey only heard the arrow being fired and could not even see where it landed.

Yet the Female Hunter confidently rose to her feet and headed in the direction she had shot.

"You two wait here. I'm going to pick something up."

Dan was not gone long.

A few minutes later, the Female Hunter returned carrying a furry white fox by the neck.

That arrow had pierced straight through the animal's neck, and the terrible wound had claimed its life almost instantly.

"Look what I caught?"

Dan held the fox up and waved it about in front of Linsey and Ju as if showing off a treasure.

The fox's fluffy tail swayed from side to side like a huge pom-pom as the Female Hunter used it to tease the two children.

Linsey was naturally unimpressed and completely ignored the Female Hunter's antics.

Dan did not insist and simply turned to tease her own child instead.

Once she had grown tired of playing, she stuffed the fox into her backpack and continued giving instructions to Linsey and Ju. "Get up. Warm up a little first, then we'll continue."

Dan kicked out the burning campfire in one smooth, brisk motion, a brilliant smile still on her face.

Linsey did not even need to look at Dan's expression.

Just from her voice alone, he could tell that the Female Hunter was in an excellent mood.