Heading out again

Once he left the swamp, the damp, cold stench of sludge gradually thinned in the forest's dry, icy wind.

Lu Heng gripped his newly crafted wooden spear in one hand, its tip angled down to lightly touch the ground, and made his way steadily back toward the cave.

The bright midday sunlight had completely faded. The light throughout the forest was dim and gray, with heavy clouds hanging low over the treetops. Cold wind swept through gaunt branches and swaths of withered yellow weeds, stirring a continuous, faint rustling.

Temperatures had been dropping rapidly lately. The chill crept straight into his neck and the backs of his hands, and every gust made it feel a little colder. His white breath dispersed in an instant, and the flesh of his fingertips had stiffened with cold. The signs of a precipitous temperature drop were already plainly visible.

He deliberately kept his center of gravity low as he traveled, constantly scanning the roadside grass, the shadows behind trees, and blind spots in low-lying ground.

The image of the venomous lizard ambushing him from beneath the swamp water was still etched in his mind. A mere moment of carelessness had nearly gotten him killed in one strike. In this wilderness, beasts that fought head-on were never the greatest concern. The real danger was hunters lurking in the dark, choosing moments of exhaustion to ambush their prey.

On today's trip to the swamp, he had secured all the chest supplies and various herbs. If he lowered his guard on the return journey and came to grief, all his days of risk and effort would have been wasted. That was a price he could not afford.

A thick layer of dead, rotting leaves covered the ground, soft and silent underfoot. Lu Heng lightened his steps, stopping every few paces to hold his breath and listen closely to the forest.

There was only the rustle of wind and the faint crackle of dead leaves around him, with no beasts growling or unusual movement in the grass.

He avoided the wet, muddy hollows beside the path and followed the familiar route. Without any scares or danger along the way, he reached the cave entrance safely.

A heavy stone slab blocked the entrance to keep out the wind and cold.

Lu Heng hooked his fingers around the slab's edge and slowly shifted it aside just far enough for one person to pass. He slipped in sideways, then pushed the slab back, leaving only a narrow crack for ventilation and shutting out the cold wind pouring in from outside.

The howling wind and the forest's noisy movements were instantly shut outside.

The cave's interior was dry, its stone walls free of moisture and dampness, with none of the swamp's lingering rotten, fishy mud stench. Sheltered from the wind, with a steady temperature, quiet and concealed, it was the safest refuge available to him now.

Lu Heng propped both his wooden spear and the Iron Axe on his back against the cave's side wall. He brushed the sludge and bits of dead grass from his hem and trouser cuffs, then sat down on the flat stone floor. With a thought, he summoned his bracelet's storage interface.

A pale blue screen lit up. Two sealed cans of fresh fruit juice and two individually wrapped portions of jam bread sat neatly inside, all supplies obtained from the Black Iron chest in the swamp lair.

As he stared at the cleanly packaged food, Lu Heng's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

For all the days since he had arrived in this survival world, every meal had consisted of roasted wild game and dry wild roots, with no seasoning or sweetness. His taste buds had long been subjected to bland food. Now, looking at the sweet, refreshing drinks, he felt an instinctive craving rise within him.

He took out a can of juice. Its body was plain and undecorated. He twisted open the top with his fingertips, and a light fruit fragrance slowly spread, mellow rather than sharp, with just the right sweetness.

Lu Heng lowered his head and took small sips. The sweet, refreshing juice slipped over his tongue and down his throat into his stomach.

The tension and exhaustion built up from staying alert throughout the journey and fighting in the swamp were slowly soothed by that touch of sweetness. Warmth rose in his chest and belly, and his nerves, taut for days, finally settled.

He finished the can of juice, leaving a sweet, refreshing fragrance on his lips and tongue.

He took out the jam bread next and tore open its sealed outer wrapper.

The bread's crust was soft, and the aroma of wheat mingled with natural fruit fragrance wafted toward him. He took a bite, and plump pieces of fruit broke apart inside. It had a substantial yet soft texture, without the strange artificial flavoring of cheap convenience food. Besides filling his stomach, it left his mouth full of fresh flavor.

After slowly finishing the food, Lu Heng settled his mind and looked at the freshly picked wild berries in his storage slots.

These berries were juicy, but he had no means of preserving them. Even with temperatures falling in the forest, they would still ferment and spoil after a few days.

The ready-made drinks had a longer shelf life and were easy to store and keep. There was no need to use up the berries by juicing them now.

He immediately decided to eat the berries first, then juice them as needed afterward, minimizing needless waste of supplies.

With that settled, cold air kept drifting through the cave from the crack at the entrance, gradually deepening the chill inside.

The cold wave would give him no time to adjust. A precipitous temperature drop could strike at any moment.

Lu Heng stood and carried every animal hide he had accumulated from hunting during this time over to the cave's stone bed.

Patiently, he spread the hides flat and layered them one by one. The thick fur blocked the cold seeping up through the stone bed from the ground, preparing in advance for the coming sharp drop in temperature.

By the time he had laid out all the hides, the chill in the cave had grown even stronger.

Lu Heng took out his lighter and ignited the small, dry twigs piled inside the cave.

Orange flames slowly rose, and the firewood crackled faintly. Warm light filled the cave, gradually driving away the surrounding chill.

Leaning against the stone wall, he watched the dancing flames. His brow drew together slightly as concern arose within him.

Everything burning now consisted of small, soft branches gathered from the forest. Their wood was loose-grained, burning extremely quickly and providing heat for only a short time.

Once the cold wave fully arrived and wind and snow blocked the forest paths, leaving him unable to go out for materials, this soft firewood would never sustain all-day fires for warmth and roasting food.

His stock of slow-burning hardwood firewood, essential for winter, was woefully inadequate.

This was the most urgent problem before him.

Lu Heng closed his eyes and leaned against the stone wall, using the fire's warmth to recover the strength spent on the trip to and from the swamp.

After a brief rest, much of his physical and mental fatigue had faded. He looked up toward the crack at the entrance. The daylight outside had grown exceedingly dim, and it was already afternoon.

The wind outside was growing fiercer, and the branches of dead trees shook violently. From deep in the distant forest came a short, low beast's roar, swallowed by the wind a moment later.

Hidden currents were already stirring in the forest, and the weather was deteriorating far faster than he had initially expected.

The food, firewood, and cold-weather supplies he currently had could barely sustain him in the short term. They were nowhere near enough to see him safely through the cold wave and winter.

There was no room for further hesitation.

While snow had yet to seal off the forest and no extreme natural disaster had struck it, he had to head out as soon as possible, cut hardwood firewood in bulk, gather food and herbs for winter, and make up every shortfall in his supplies.

When it came to survival, the more supplies he had, the more confidence he could have in staying alive.

Lu Heng straightened and adjusted his clothing, then picked up the wooden spear by the side wall. He carefully checked the spear shaft for cracks and the Iron Axe's blade to see how securely it was attached, confirming that both weapons were intact.

With all his preparations for going out complete, he raised his hand and looked toward the gray light at the entrance. Delaying no longer, he prepared to enter Frost Forest once more and gather the supplies essential for winter.