A home for the first night

The dull thud subsided, and the Spotted Hyena that had launched the attack flew sideways, crashing heavily into a protruding rock at the bottom of the pit with a thud. Its limbs twitched twice, its head lolled to the side, and then it lay limp and motionless.

Lu Heng landed firmly, his knees slightly cushioning the impact. He flicked his wrist, and beads of blood from the Bronze Hunting Blade slid down the cold, hard edge, one drop after another hitting the frozen ground, spreading out a small, dark, damp patch.

The remaining Spotted Hyena in front of them all stopped in their tracks, no longer charging forward rashly. They lowered their thick necks, bared their yellowed fangs, and let out continuous low growls, while their turbid eyes occasionally glanced towards the rear of the pack.

Lu Heng followed their gaze.

The largest Spotted Hyena standing halfway up the slope was the pack leader. Unlike the other hyenas, it didn't jump around restlessly; it simply stood steadily on a rock, staring at its fallen companions, its ears slightly pressed back, revealing no emotion.

In just a few breaths, the leader suddenly raised his head and let out a short, sharp screech.

The sound wasn't loud, but it had extremely strong penetrating power, echoing throughout the empty crater.

Upon hearing the sound, the Spotted Hyena that had been surrounding the front immediately retreated. They did not turn and run away, but instead lowered their bodies, maintaining a posture ready to pounce at any moment, and retreated step by step towards the ditch. Their eyes were locked on Lu Heng the whole time, and their formation remained intact, without the slightest sign of panic or defeat.

Lu Heng gripped the knife and stood still, not giving chase.

As he watched the wild beasts retreat in an orderly fashion, a clear thought flashed through his mind.

This hyena leader is quite wise; he knows to retreat when he can't gain any advantage, unlike the wild beasts we've encountered before, who only know how to blindly charge forward and don't even know how to retreat when they're dead.

He recalled the wild beasts that had recently stormed the Shelter, charging into the gaps in the fence like madmen, one after another, until they were all trapped in the crevice between the fence and the rock wall, unable to get in or jump out, and dying inside without even leaving themselves a way out.

In contrast, this group of Spotted Hyena seemed more lively and not like fools acting purely on instinct.

Once the beasts had completely disappeared behind the trees along the edge of the pit, and even their growls could no longer be heard, Lu Heng withdrew his gaze and looked down at the battlefield at his feet.

Six Spotted Hyena lay dead on the frozen ground. Three were killed instantly by crossbow bolts and Hunting Blade, while the other three were severely wounded, lying on the ground convulsing and panting, their chests heaving violently, and they certainly couldn't get up.

He stepped forward and delivered the finishing blow to each of them.

The blade pierced the beast's body with a dull thud, and warm blood splattered onto the fabric of his trousers, carrying a slightly sweet, metallic smell. Lu Heng remained unfazed, his wrist steady, each strike landing precisely on vital points, sparing them unnecessary suffering. Only after finishing did he straighten up, wipe the bloodstains from the blade on the hem of his clothes, summon his Wristband, and donate all the beast carcasses.

A faint blue light flashed across the ground, and the several animal carcasses vanished instantly. The ground returned to its original state, leaving only a few irregular dark bloodstains deeply embedded in the cracks of the frozen soil.

Lu Heng slowly walked around the bottom of the pit again, bending down to carefully search every rock crevice, every shallow pit, and even the cracks in the pit walls. He confirmed that there was no more stardust, no more meteorite fragments, and not even a single piece of valuable ore.

The resources have been completely looted; there's nothing left to keep.

After making sure all the weapons were securely stored away, he turned and walked towards the mountain path outside the pit.

Emerging from the Meteorite Crater, the mountain path gently descended along the slope. The trees on both sides, ravaged by days of hail, had their branches broken and scattered, and many trunks were bent and their bark twisted, revealing the light-colored wood beneath. The ground was thickly covered with broken branches, shredded leaves, and shards of ice that hadn't completely melted, making a crunching sound underfoot and leaving the soles of our shoes covered in a layer of damp, cold mud.

Lu Heng walked slowly, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding terrain and trees.

He had a deep impression of this road; it was the first road he had taken when he first arrived in this world, after waking up from Meteorite Crater and fleeing in a panic.

After walking along the mountain path for about half an hour, the trees ahead gradually thinned out, and a gray-brown rock wall came into view.

There was a recessed area at the bottom of the rock wall, which was the natural cave where he had spent his first night.

Lu Heng unconsciously slowed his pace and walked to the open space outside the cave.

The ground around the cave entrance was a mess, clearly showing signs of a fight.

Several tree branches, each as thick as a forearm, were snapped off and lay askew in the withered grass, their bark bearing deep claw marks from wild animals, splinters of wood scattered about. The pebbles on the ground were scattered haphazardly, and several flat rocks were stained with dried, blackened blood, which had seeped into the cracks, leaving dark brown marks that had not faded despite being exposed to wind and sun for so long.

The grass still bore traces of being trampled, stretching crookedly towards the cave entrance.

He stood at the cave entrance for two seconds before stepping into the cave.

The cave was dimly lit, with only a beam of sunlight filtering through the entrance and falling directly onto the ground. The air carried a damp, earthy smell, mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible odor of decay, which felt cool and pleasant when inhaled.

Lu Heng stopped after taking just two steps inside.

On the shadowy edge of the inner part of the cave, lay a human skeleton.

This was the first time he had seen his own kind since he came into this world, but he never expected it to be skeletons.

He felt a dull ache in his heart, as if struck by a cold stone; he couldn't quite place whether it was fear or something else. He didn't speak, nor did he immediately approach; he simply stood by the pillar of light, his gaze fixed on the skeleton.

The skeleton was incomplete.

The left arm was completely gone, and only half of the thigh bone remained of the right calf. The broken ends were uneven, and the bone was split, as if it had been bitten off by a wild beast. In the chest area, three or four ribs were missing, and the remaining ribs were pitted and covered with bite marks of varying depths. Some bite marks were deeply embedded in the bone, with fine cracks at the edges and wide-spaced teeth, clearly left by a large predatory beast.

Not only the ribs, but also the leg bones, arm bones, and even the jaw of the skull are covered with dense, gnawing marks. The bones are grayish-white, covered with dirt and bits of grass, and the joints are worn shiny, indicating that they have been here for quite some time.

Lu Heng stood there for a moment before slowly walking over and squatting down beside the remains.

He didn't reach out to touch it, but instead leaned down slightly and took a closer look.

There were no remaining fabric fibers in the bone crevices, and no tools, backpacks, or weapon remains nearby, making it impossible to determine the person's identity, gender, or why they would venture alone into this desolate mountain cave.

Looking at the incomplete skeleton, he couldn't help but recall his first night after he transmigrated here.

It was completely dark by then, and the mountain wind was howling fiercely, chilling him to the bone. He felt weak all over, his head was spinning, and he didn't even have a decent weapon in his hand. He hurriedly crawled into the cave, feeling that he was already incredibly lucky to have a place to shelter from the wind and cold.

That night, he groped his way through the darkness and gathered a lot of dry branches and rotten leaves at the bottom of the cave, spreading a thick layer on the ground to barely insulate it from the cold earth. He then moved more Withered Branch and broken leaves to seal up all the side entrances and ventilation cracks in the stone walls of the cave, leaving only a narrow gap at the main entrance for ventilation, fearing that wild animals might follow their scent and sneak in at night.

He remembered clearly that when he finished sealing all the holes, his fingers were scratched several times by the thorns on the Withered Branch, and they were so cold that they were numb and stiff, and he even had difficulty clenching his fist.

That night, he huddled on the ground covered with rotten leaves, leaning against the cold rock wall, and stayed awake until dawn, without taking more than a few steps into the depths of the cave.

He was certain that there were absolutely no remains in the cave that night.

Lu Heng snapped out of his thoughts and stood up, supporting himself on his knees.

Most likely, after he left the cave, someone else came here but didn't make it out alive.

The exact date, the danger the person encountered—whether they were chased by wild animals or hid there injured—are all unknown.

He didn't think any further, nor did he touch the skeleton.

In this strange and dangerous world, death is nothing unusual. There's no point in looking at it or thinking about it; the most important thing is to survive.

Lu Heng turned and walked out of the cave, returning to the mountain path.

Further along the road, the branches knocked down by hail became even more blocked.

Branches of all sizes lay scattered across the road, some completely broken, crashing heavily to the ground and bending the bushes below; others clung to tree trunks, held together only by a sliver of bark, swaying precariously and creaking in the mountain wind, threatening to fall and injure someone at any moment. Some twigs and leaves were piled together, soaking in melting ice water, making them very slippery.

There's no way to walk straight across.

Lu Heng had no choice but to stop and manually clear the way.

When he encountered a broken branch that had fallen to the ground, he would reach out, touch it with his fingertips, and with a thought, store the branch in his Wristband Space. He would store both thick and thin branches; there was never too much wood, whether for starting a fire or reinforcing Shelter.

When he encountered branches that were half-hanging on the trees and hadn't completely broken off, he would draw the Bronze Hunting Blade from his waist and swing it.

The blade struck the wood with a dull thud, making his hand tingle slightly. Thicker branches required two or three consecutive cuts to break them completely, revealing fresh, light yellow wood shavings with the distinctive bitter smell of wood. After cutting them, the branches fell heavily to the ground, which he then bent down to pick up and put into his Wristband.

We just kept walking and stopping.

Walk a few steps forward, stop to cut and gather branches, clear a place to stand, and then continue walking.

The journey was arduous and slow, and it had taken a toll on his energy. Beads of sweat trickled down Lu Heng's forehead and down his jawline. His hand gripping the knife was burning from the hilt, and his breathing was heavier than before.

He didn't stop to rest, but only slowed his breathing, continuing to clear the roadblocks with his hands.

I don't know how long I walked, or how many branches I cut, but suddenly the trees in front of me parted to the sides, and the branches that had been blocking my view disappeared, revealing a clear and open vista.

Lu Heng raised his head and looked ahead along the mountain path.

The outline of the cliff in the distance was very familiar; the gray-brown rock face was steep and straight, and the recessed cave entrance in the middle of the rock face was the Stone Cave Fortress Shelter that he had painstakingly transformed.

We've finally arrived.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief, and his tense shoulders relaxed a bit.

This mountain path is a fixed route he has painstakingly repaired and cleared over the past few days. Compared to when he first arrived, wandering aimlessly through the wilderness, groping his way through the undergrowth, the path back is now much easier and safer with its well-maintained surface.

Lu Heng wiped the sweat from his forehead, sheathed the Bronze Hunting Blade at his waist, quickened his pace, and walked steadily toward the Shelter along the smooth road.