Temporary Shelter

The wasteland sloped gently downward. The frozen soil underfoot gradually became mixed with fallen dead leaves and decaying earth, and the trees ahead blocked much of the biting wind.

After more than ten minutes of brisk walking, Lu Heng finally reached the edge of the forest.

Stands of dead trees and low shrubs stretched before him. The woods were deep and quiet, their branches and foliage interwoven in layers. Farther in, it was dark, with no light penetrating, and he could faintly hear movements he could not identify. He stopped, not rashly taking even half a step forward.

Alarm bells rang in his mind. He absolutely could not plunge headlong into the depths of an unfamiliar forest.

The dense forest held resources that could keep him alive, but beasts and traps lurked there too. No one could say what else lay hidden inside. He had just fought a battle to the death, had only a crude stone axe, wore thin clothing, and was far from being in good condition. Recklessly venturing deeper would be no different from throwing his life away.

Lu Heng moved slowly along the forest's edge, his gaze sweeping back and forth over the surrounding terrain. His immediate priority was to find somewhere to spend the night, a temporary refuge that could block the wind and was concealed enough.

He quickly ran through the only two options in his mind.

Ideally, he would come across a natural cave.

If he could not, he would have to settle for the next best thing: climbing into the branches of a tall tree and building a nest there.

A treehouse would keep him off the ground, away from most prowling beasts, but its drawbacks were just as real. There would be nothing to block the wind sweeping across the wilderness, the temperature would drop very low at night, and he would have no way to light a fire. If the temperature fell or frost formed, frostbite would be almost unavoidable.

A cave was different. It could block the wind and retain warmth, allow him to light a fire, and give him somewhere to store supplies. It was the best option available.

But he knew full well that natural caves like that had most likely already been claimed by beasts as dens.

Tightening his grip on the stone axe, Lu Heng carefully searched the gentle slope along the forest's edge.

The trees were sparse at the edge of the forest, leaving a fairly open view. He could use them to shelter from the wind while still looking back over the wasteland at any time, leaving room to advance or retreat. For now, it was the safest area in which to move.

He avoided the prickly brambles and stepped over thick layers of dead leaves, constantly searching for hollows formed by rock faces and earthen slopes.

A short while later, a protruding rocky slope ahead brought him to an abrupt halt.

Its surface was bare earth and stone, weathered by years of wind and rain. The bottom recessed inward, forming a shallow natural cave.

The entrance was not particularly wide. It faced the wasteland, with the mountainside and trees behind it, and lay right on the forest's edge. There was no need to venture into the woods at all.

Lu Heng felt slightly relieved. The location suited him very well.

He did not approach immediately, instead standing at a distance and quietly observing it for a long while.

The ground at the entrance was dry, with no fresh animal tracks, no accumulated droppings, and no strong, rank animal stench. The weeds around it grew in natural disarray, with no signs of repeated trampling or animals lying there. It appeared that no beasts were currently living here.

Even so, his vigilance did not diminish in the slightest.

He bent down and picked up two large, hard stones, then slowly approached the entrance with the stone axe clenched in one hand.

Once close, he turned sideways and peered inside, using the daylight outside to examine it.

The cave was not deep, only a shallow hollow. Its floor was flat and dry, with enough room for him to curl up and rest and to pile his belongings. The rock overhead was solid, with no loose stones, and neither wind nor water seeped through.

The entrance offered an open view. The mountainside blocked the cold wind from the north, while he could take in every movement on the wasteland.

A very decent temporary shelter.

Lu Heng let down most of his guard and stepped inside.

The air in the cave was dry and slightly cool, carrying only the faint earthy smell of soil and stone.

On his first day in this unfamiliar world, he finally no longer had to wander aimlessly across the frozen wasteland. He had somewhere to stop and catch his breath for a while.

After confirming that the cave was safe, Lu Heng turned and returned to the forest's edge. He raised his hand. The arm that had been bitten and squeezed between the wild dog's jaws still ached and tingled in waves, and even a little exertion brought a dull pain.

He studied the nearby trees and weighed the crude stone axe in his hand. The tool was poorly made and not sturdy. He dared not tackle thick trunks, afraid that the axe head would crack or the wooden handle would break. He could only select slender young branches, enduring the ache in his arm as he swung the axe again and again.

Lengths of branches fell. He gathered them in batches, carried them into the cave, and stacked them neatly along the inside.

Then he bent down and scooped up armfuls of dry leaves and dead grass from the ground, carrying them back to spread thickly over the cave floor. The soft branches and leaves separated him from the cold stone. Lying on them would no longer leave his bones aching from the hard surface.

Once the bedding was laid, he crisscrossed thin branches across the entrance, screening off most of the opening. They could both block the cold wind and obscure the view inside. He did not seal every gap, deliberately leaving spaces for light and air to pass through.

With all the work finished, Lu Heng curled up on the thick pile of leaves. He pulled the animal hide tight around his body, its fur trapping his warmth.

The exhaustion from fighting and traveling washed over him. With dry rock at his back and a barrier of branches in front, the howling wind and the threats of the wilderness were kept outside. His nerves, taut all day, slowly relaxed. He closed his eyes and briefly enjoyed the peace.

Faint slivers of light filtered through gaps in the branches and leaves, scattering mottled spots across the back of the cave. Outside, only the gusting wind remained.

After resting for a while, Lu Heng raised his wrist and lit up his wristband.

He skipped the noisy World Channel and opened the regional interface. The screen changed, displaying: 9527 Frozen Soil Zone. This was a more localized channel covering a smaller area, with relatively more focused messages.

The page refreshed, and messages kept popping up.

"The wind outside is getting stronger. I found a dirt pit to hide in, but my hands and feet are numb from the cold."

"Has anyone found a decent hiding place? There's no way to spend the night out on this bare wasteland."

"I just spotted a few wild animals roaming in the distance. They looked vicious. I didn't dare go near them."

"I tried to start a fire and failed. The dead branches are all damp. Does anyone have a way?"

"Don't think about going far. This place is dangerous everywhere. I heard several roars coming from the direction next to me."

"I think I saw a faint light in the distant woods. I don't know whether it was firelight or something else."

Line after line scrolled past, every word filled with the fear and helplessness of people struggling to survive. Lu Heng watched in silence, without posting a word. Compared with most of those still fleeing from place to place with nowhere to stay, he already had a cave for shelter and supplies in hand. His situation was already much better than many others'.

He pulled the hide closer around himself to keep out the chill seeping from the rock, continuing to watch the information others shared about their surroundings in the channel.

Waves of hunger rose from his empty stomach. Lu Heng clenched his back teeth, opened his storage space, and took out the wild dog meat. There was no source of fire in the cave, so he could not heat or cook it.

The thought of the beast struggling and crying out in pain not long ago made his stomach churn slightly. His survival instinct suppressed his physical revulsion. He brought the meat to his mouth and bit into it. The raw meat was icy cold, rank and astringent, its texture hard to stomach. He forced himself to chew and swallow it little by little.

As he awkwardly chewed the raw meat, he scanned the constantly refreshing regional messages to distract himself from the lingering rank taste in his mouth. His gaze drifted idly over the scrolling text. Suddenly, a message that had just appeared seized his attention.