Reflection

As soon as he stepped out of the woods surrounded by the beasts, the tension that had been building up to its limit instantly dissipated from Lu Heng's body.

Throughout the standoff, his entire body was taut, his breath was suppressed, and his gaze, movements, and steps were all perfectly steady without a single flaw. To outsiders, he appeared calm and assertive, but only he knew that he had been risking his life to maintain that composure.

Now that they were completely out of the encirclement, a fine layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on their back, seeping down their spine and sticking to their clothes, sending chills down their spines.

The fear that followed was both direct and real.

The area surrounding the scene was filled with top predators from the heart of the Frost Forest. The Black Copper Bear, the two Dark-Spotted Leopard, and the Grayfang Wolf King —any two of them combined would be too much for him to handle. If even one of the leader-level beasts made the first move, the rest of the pack would immediately swarm in.

Without strategic maneuvering and negotiation, the outcome will only be a one-sided encirclement and destruction.

He acted impulsively, gambling with his life.

It's a gamble that these high-level ferocious beasts are mutually restraining and wary of each other, and dare not initiate a chaotic battle.

By sheer luck, the gamble paid off.

Lu Heng looked down at the carcass of the Mutant Big-Horned Deer he was dragging. The body was heavy and firm, with patches of half-dried blood frozen in the fur. The snow under his feet was hard and compacted, and each step he took only produced a dull, crunching sound as he crunched the snow. The forest was eerily quiet.

He walked a short distance before suddenly stopping.

They had completely left the territory of the ferocious beasts; the surroundings were empty and silent, and even the lingering echoes of the beasts' roars could not be heard.

Even though it was already safe, he was still dragging a heavy corpse weighing several hundred pounds along the way, which was completely unnecessary.

Lu Heng raised his hand, Wristband glowed with a faint light, instantly retracting the entire carcass of the Mutant Big-Horned Deer on the ground.

The body was suddenly relieved of the heavy load, and the muscles and bones that had been tense for days finally relaxed.

Instead of returning directly to the Stone Cave Shelter, he changed direction and took a detour to the old lair where the Blizzard Monster had previously roamed.

We walked through the forest, where there was no wind, only the occasional trembling of Withered Branch.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the lair, Lu Heng looked down to examine the makeshift warning structure he had hastily erected earlier.

It was just a few ordinary pieces of wood crossed and placed at the entrance of the cave. There was no ingenious structure or locking mechanism; it was simply placed to maintain balance. If any wild animal approached, bumped into, or pushed the door, the wood would tip over and make a noise.

At this moment, all the wood is placed upright, without any tilting or falling, and the snow on the surface is flat, without any signs of being touched, rubbed, or trampled.

The cave entrance was clean and deserted, with no strange animal footprints, no animal hair left behind, and no foul smell of other creatures.

It's clear that no living beings have approached, spied on, or occupied this place during this period.

After confirming that everything was safe and normal, Lu Heng did not linger, turned around and walked straight back to the Double-Layer Stone Cave Shelter.

The heavy stone door slowly closed and settled, fitting perfectly.

In an instant, all the subtle sounds in the forest were cut off, and the sealed stone cave became completely silent, isolating it from all unknown risks.

Only at this moment did Lu Heng truly let down his guard.

He raised his hand and took out the complete carcass of the Mutant Giant Antlered Deer from the Wristband Space, laid it flat on the stone surface of the cave, and activated the Wristband's decomposition function.

A pale blue light slowly enveloped the entire body.

Antlers, deer velvet, intact animal hide, and large chunks of fresh venison were peeled off one by one, with a faint light continuously flowing through them, until finally two core items were extracted.

A pure Energy Core, with a warm luster, imbued with the rich essence of exotic forest beasts.

There was also a complete Mutated Deer Heart, dark red in color, with firm muscle texture, clear veins on the surface of the organs, and exuding a strong vitality.

[Mutated Deer Heart]

This is a core organ exclusive to high-level mutated beasts, containing a large amount of mutated energy. It can quickly replenish the physical energy depletion after intense confrontations, relieve nerve tension, and repair hidden fatigue in the body. Long-term, moderate consumption can steadily enhance the body's resilience and endurance.

Lu Heng glanced at the entry twice and understood what was going on.

In the past, venison was already a rare and high-quality meat.

In ancient times, only nobles could eat it regularly, and it rarely appears on the tables of ordinary people in modern times. In terms of the quality of the ingredients alone, it belongs to the high-end and scarce category.

Moreover, this is a mutated Mutant Giant Antlered Deer from the core area of Frost Forest; its meat quality, nutrition, and activity level are completely incomparable to ordinary wild game.

Having just faced a life-or-death confrontation, he was both mentally and physically exhausted, and he really wanted to eat something good to replenish his energy.

Lu Heng took out a portable frying pan and a saucepan and began to process the fresh venison.

Cut thin slices of tender, marbled meat and lay them flat on a frying pan; then cut a large amount of lean meat into a pot, intending to fry and stew it simultaneously.

The only supplies stored were Coarse Salt and leftover self-heating hot pot base; there were no fresh vegetables, making the food selection extremely monotonous.

He pulled out the round-leaved Round-Leaved Creeping Vine that had been stored in the corner for a long time.

These herbs were casually picked and stockpiled earlier, originally intended for external application to relieve skin irritation and treat superficial abrasions. They had been stored unused and remained dry and intact, without any deterioration or loss of efficacy.

We're currently lacking ingredients to remove the fishy smell and cut through the greasiness, and we're too lazy to go into the mountains to find more.

Regardless of pharmacological compatibility, just use it directly.

Lu Heng casually picked out a few stalks, shook off the dust, and threw them directly into the boiling meat broth. The mild flavor of the herbs would mask the gamey smell and alleviate the heavy greasiness of the pure meat.

The fire in the stove steadily heated up, and the venison on the griddle sizzled and released its oil, its aroma slowly spreading. The broth in the pot gradually boiled as the temperature rose, and fine steam filled the entire cave.

While the meat was cooking, Lu Heng sat by the stone, quietly pondering his survival plan.

The long, heavy snowfall has completely ended, and the frozen soil in the forest is slowly thawing.

Previously, the permafrost in the entire forest was as hard as stone, making it impossible to dig. Now, the topsoil is gradually becoming moist and loose, and many areas that were previously inaccessible and uncultivable can now be entered normally.

The most crucial point is that we can finally find soil and grow vegetables.

His diet has always consisted entirely of various kinds of animal meat, compressed rations, and stored dried goods, with a long-term lack of vegetables, resulting in a monotonous taste and an incomplete nutritional structure. To stay in the forest and survive stably for the long term, he must become self-sufficient in vegetables.

However, their previous activity range was too narrow, limited to a small patch of forest around the Shelter. They searched through the shallow and middle layers but couldn't find suitable topsoil for planting.

Lu Heng's thoughts gradually became clearer.

We can no longer stubbornly defend the old areas.

We must proactively expand our exploration area, stepping out of our familiar territory and venturing deeper into the forest to explore more remote and unknown regions, searching extensively for soft, fertile land suitable for seedling cultivation and vegetable planting.

By establishing planting areas, the problem of monotonous diets and long-term nutrient deficiencies can be completely solved.

The cave was warm and cozy, filled with the aroma of meat.

While the outside world had just experienced a bloody and dangerous confrontation between a hundred beasts, the cave was unusually peaceful and tranquil.

A narrow victory, a gamble with their lives, secured a peaceful dinner and also determined the direction for their long-term survival in the new frontier.