The beginning
The hailstorm lasted all day without stopping for a moment.
Fine, hard ice pellets kept falling, striking the cliffs, fences, and Withered Branch branches in the forest, creating a cacophony of crackling sounds that filled the entire valley. Exposed to sun and rain, coupled with days of hail, the forest was no longer as lush as it once was; slender branches had all broken and fallen to the ground, which was covered with broken ice, rotten branches, and wet mud. The scene was one of utter devastation, a heavy chill pressing down on the entire landscape.
The standoff outside the Shelter has remained at a stalemate until now.
Jackals, wolves, and wild dogs still occupy various areas outside the fence.
Normally, they would be mortal enemies, fighting over territory and food, and would inevitably engage in fierce battles whenever they met. But today was completely different. The three parties did not invade each other's territory, each occupying a small area, loitering and guarding it at a distance. They neither charged nor retreated, but simply stared intently at the Shelter on the cliff, their silence eerily unsettling.
Lu Heng leaned against the second-floor railing, quietly looking down at the woodland below.
He had absolutely no idea what these beasts were planning.
It was impossible to guess how long they intended to linger, whether they would disperse in a few more hours, or whether they planned to keep watch day and night. The other side made no explicit moves throughout, remaining silent and dormant, its thoughts hidden in a deathly stillness.
Prolonged passive attrition is too unpredictable.
Since we can't see through the other party's plans, we can only strengthen our own defenses and plug all potential loopholes so that we have enough confidence to deal with them whenever they attack.
Lu Heng withdrew his gaze, turned around and walked down the second floor, heading straight to the workbench inside the room.
He was already familiar with all the operating procedures of the equipment and needed no further adjustments. He took out the ordinary iron ore stored in his Storage Space, filled it all into the raw material tank of the workbench, opened the preset animal trap processing blueprint, and started the processing program.
The workbench operates smoothly, with fully automated processes including shaping, grooving, tooth fastening, and reinforcement of locking springs.
Lu Heng waited quietly by the side, occasionally making minor adjustments to the parameters to ensure that each finished product was of uniform specifications and sturdy in structure. The low hum of the machine gently drowned out the continuous hail outside, and the atmosphere inside was calm and peaceful.
After a short while, ten standard animal traps were finished and neatly stacked on the workbench.
With its dark, heavy iron body, sharp and taut locking teeth, and sensitive and stable trigger mechanism, it is the most reliable standard trap.
Lu Heng looked down and checked the area, roughly comparing it with the surrounding terrain. It seemed sufficient to cover the main road where wild animals often appeared.
But he did not let his guard down.
Survival can never be achieved by simply "getting by".
He mentally reviewed the entire fence line, including the main entrance, the ramps on both sides, blind spots at corners, and low-lying dead corners in the forest, checking and sorting them out bit by bit. He quickly discovered that there were two low-lying hiding spots that were in blind spots and not covered by the main road, making them easy targets for wild animals to use as ambush points, which ordinary traps could not cover.
Lu Heng then took out his treasured Frost-Patterned Iron Ore, filled it into the workbench, and switched to the fine processing blueprint.
The texture of the Frost-Patterned Iron Ore is more special, requiring higher processing precision. He fine-tuned the forging and quenching parameters on the workbench and patiently waited for the process to complete. Compared to ordinary iron ore, these two finished products take longer and have completely different textures. The iron body has subtle cold-patterned patterns, and its hardness, locking force, and impact resistance far exceed those of ordinary animal traps. They are specially designed to guard key blind spots.
Two cold-patterned animal traps were set, bringing the total number of new traps to twelve.
Including the old animal trap that was originally buried at the main entrance of the Shelter, the entire outer defense line has exactly thirteen trap locations.
After finishing the process, Lu Heng put away all the traps, raised his hand to lift the thick wooden board above his head, and pushed open the door to step into the hailstorm.
Ice pellets pounded against the wooden planks, the dull thuds continuing, and a chilly wind carrying moisture swept over him. He moved slowly along the outside of the fence, precisely setting up traps according to the terrain.
Ordinary animal traps were evenly deployed along the main thoroughfare, covering all regular routes; two hidden, low-lying blind spots were secured with two cold-patterned animal traps, specifically addressing defensive weaknesses. Finally, the old traps at the main gate were reviewed, with the old and new locations complementing each other to form a double interception zone.
Each trap was shallowly buried under wet mud and withered grass, its appearance concealed and natural, revealing no trace of human intervention. At the same time, the triggering structure was completely exposed, so that as long as a heavy object stepped on it, it could instantly lock the target in place.
Once the perimeter was set up, darkness completely enveloped the night.
A heavy night enveloped the mountains and forests, and the hail and rain continued unabated. The dim darkness compressed all visibility, and the forest was pitch black, making it impossible to see the movements of the surrounding beasts. Only scattered, low roars could be faintly heard, proving that the wild animals had not yet left.
Lu Heng returned to the second-floor platform and sat quietly to observe.
The defense line was already closed, with thirteen traps scattered throughout, covering all passageways, blind spots, and detours of the fence. Even if a wild beast charged rashly, the first wave of attackers would inevitably be severely injured and intercepted by the traps. Even if a few individuals managed to break through the outer perimeter, they would be completely exposed outside the open fence, with no place to hide in his superior view.
With the terrain, defenses, and traps all in place, he had done everything he could to prepare.
All that's left is to wait.
The long standoff was tedious and exhausting.
Outside, only the incessant sound of hail could be heard. The mountains and forests were deathly silent, and the beasts lay dormant, without the slightest movement. The combined mental and physical exhaustion from days of labor and the recent setting of traps gradually began to rise. His highly tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and a heavy drowsiness kept creeping in.
Lu Heng leaned against the railing, slowing his breathing and barely maintaining a basic state of alertness.
His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and his consciousness gradually faded. The continuous sound of hail in his ears was like monotonous white noise, repeatedly urging him into a drowsy state. He kept staring at the dark treeline, but finally, unable to resist extreme exhaustion, he leaned against the railing and slowly fell asleep.
Deep in the mountains at night, with the wind and rain still raging, the entire Shelter was enveloped in tranquility.
After an unknown amount of time, a shrill, mournful howl of a wild beast suddenly ripped through the deathly silence of the night.
The piercing, desperate sound pierced through layers of hail and rain, suddenly pouring into the Shelter and instantly waking Lu Heng from his deep sleep.
The drowsiness in his eyes vanished instantly, his mind cleared in a flash, and without the slightest hesitation, he raised his hand to turn on the Wristband and retrieve the real-time monitoring footage of all the Scrying Bug.
In the pitch-black forest, countless shadowy figures suddenly erupted.
The jackals, wolves, and wild dogs that had been lying in wait all day came out, no longer hesitating or hiding. Taking advantage of the late night when people were tired and visibility was poor, all the wild beasts exerted their strength at the same time, charging, leaping, and pouncing wildly towards the entire fence.
The long-planned sneak attack finally erupted in the dead of night.
Lu Heng straightened up, his eyes filled with only a cold, calm demeanor.
He reached out and took down the Giant-Feather Crossbow hanging on the wall, placing it steadily on the second-floor platform.
Hailstones rained down, and darkness enveloped the valley, signaling the start of a nighttime beast horde attack that had been stalemate for a day.