Passing the Trial

Lu Heng kept a close eye on the giant beast's shifting center of gravity, seizing every fleeting opening as he slowly approached.

The Hunting Blade hovered at his side, his breathing was steady, he didn't rely on brute force, but patiently sought the right moment to strike.

The wind and snow howled, and the tug-of-war between man and beast had only just begun.

The arrow wound in the belly of the Mirror-Image Giant-Antlered Deer was still there, its flesh turned outwards, and the continuously flowing hot blood soaked through its thick fur, which condensed slightly into thin ice in the sub-zero temperature. The wound that pierced its body made each step slightly hesitant, and its huge body could no longer start and stop at full speed. Every turn, every time it lowered its head to gather strength, would reveal a brief void in its center of gravity.

The excruciating pain completely unleashed its ferocity.

It repeatedly lowered its head, spread its huge, branching antlers, and locked its dark, beastly eyes on Lu Heng, constantly shifting its position in small increments, trying to force an opportunity for a head-on confrontation. Heavy beasts rely most on brute force charges; if they can land a single hit, they can end the battle instantly.

Lu Heng was perfectly clear-headed and didn't give it the slightest chance.

He trudged lightly through the snow, his movements unhurried and deliberate, always staying out of the Giant-Horned Deer's blind spots and turning angles. He was neither impulsive nor greedy, maintaining a safe distance and calmly observing every detail of the deer's body, patiently wearing it down.

The wind swept across the open snowfield, swirling up fine snowflakes that felt icy cold on people's faces.

However, Lu Heng was fully protected by his armor, and his mind was completely focused on the giant beast in front of him. The cold outside did not disturb his rhythm at all.

After several tugs of the gunpowder, the Giant-Horned Deer became increasingly agitated.

Repeated missed attacks, continuous blood loss, and constant exhaustion gradually caused its originally steady, power-building movements to become chaotic. It no longer carefully adjusted its angle, but suddenly pushed off the ground and charged straight in, its massive body carrying the cold wind as it savagely crashed down, seeking only to crush the opponent with brute force.

This charge was swift, but it also created a huge opening.

Lu Heng's eyes remained calm; he had been waiting for this moment of impatience.

Just before the deer's body was about to strike, he suddenly lost his footing and slid sideways to avoid the head-on impact.

The Giant-Horned Deer charged forward at full speed, unable to stop its momentum. Its massive body staggered forward two steps, its center of gravity completely shifting to its front legs, exposing its chest and abdomen, and its muscles momentarily stiffening.

The momentary stiffness is fleeting, yet deadly enough.

Lu Heng took a step forward, closing in close.

The Hunting Blade in his palm flashed with a cold light, and swiftly and cleanly sliced into the wound left by the arrow. The blade cut through the flesh and blood vessels, and warm blood gushed out instantly.

Don't be greedy with multiple strikes; once you've achieved your goal, retreat immediately.

Once, twice, three times.

He repeated the simplest and safest tactic of kiting and maneuvering, seizing every opportunity to finish off the beast when it faltered. In this long war of attrition, there were no thrilling or life-threatening battles, only absolute patience and composure.

The Giant-Horned Deer's vitality was gradually worn away; its movements became increasingly sluggish, and the force of its collisions grew weaker with each impact.

With its final turn and repositioning, its limbs trembled slightly, its head drooped limply, and it could no longer muster any momentum to charge forward.

Seeing this, Lu Heng stopped trying to beat around the bush.

He stepped forward steadily, locked onto the weak spot where the beast's neck met its torso, and with a flick of his wrist, the Hunting Blade fell steadily.

The crisp sound of meat being shredded mingled with the wind and snow.

The massive body of the Mirror-Image Giant-Antlered Deer shuddered violently, then collapsed heavily onto the thick snow, completely exhausted.

The fierce glint in his eyes completely vanished, his limbs ceased their struggle, and he became utterly still.

The next second, the massive beast's body emitted a dense array of shimmering white light.

There were no remaining corpses, no bloodstains. The body of the Black Iron Tier trial beast slowly faded, decomposed, and dissipated in the cold wind, as if data had been reconstructed.

As the white light faded, a thin card floated silently in the center of the snow.

At the same time, the Wristband lit up with a blue light and a mechanical beep sounded.

[Day 1 objective of the Seven-Day Trial completed]

[Successfully offset the penalty of a temperature drop of -10 degrees Celsius that day]

[Trial Reward: Simple Firewood Stove x1]

Lu Heng raised his hand and pinched the card that had drifted down in front of him.

With a light touch of the fingertip, the card instantly melted, and a small stone stove model fell into the Storage Slot.

He clicked on the item details.

[Simple Firewood Stove: Can be freely placed in Shelter, the bottom can be filled with Withered Branch and firewood, it has a built-in fire-gathering and heat-locking effect, smokeless heat gathering, greatly improving heating and cooking efficiency]

Lu Heng looked at the introduction and felt a faint sense of emotion.

It's not exactly a rare or exceptional item, but it is certainly practical.

He had previously built a simple earthen stove at the Shelter, which was crude, leaky, consumed a lot of firewood, and didn't retain heat well. With this standardized stove, cooking, heating, and keeping warm at night will be much easier.

That's just how the world is.

Strength and weakness are determined by fate, while rewards and punishments are determined by the system. The rules are the most important, and the fist is the strongest. Ordinary people can only follow the rules and do their best to earn a little convenience for survival.

He raised his hand to brush the snow off his shoulders and back, then bent down to shake the snow off his trouser legs and shoes, and straightened his Hunting Blade and protective gear.

After getting ready, Lu Heng looked up at the entire snow-covered mountain forest.

The heavy snow covered all the trees, turning the world into a white expanse. The mountains and forests were quiet and vast, with a clean and beautiful landscape.

But the more serene the scenery, the more mixed feelings it evoked in people.

In these pristine and beautiful mountains and forests, every day, in every place, battles and desperate struggles unfold. Born into this world, to survive, one has no choice but to raise a blade again and again and do the most brutal things; there is no other option.

Lu Heng exhaled a puff of white breath and then looked away.

Having successfully completed today's trials and weathered the first wave of the cold snap, this is already the best outcome. No amount of supplies can compare to the safety of our lives; surviving this natural disaster is the most important thing.

He turned around and followed the footprints he had come from, steadily making his way back to the Shelter.

The entire mountain forest was completely silent; all the wild animals had retreated to their dens to avoid the blizzard, and only the howling wind and the silent falling snow could be heard.

Step by step, we trudged through the thick snow, and today's life-or-death struggle came to an end.