Testing the arrows
After cleaning up the leftovers from dinner, the cave returned to its tranquil state.
The Geothermal module continuously outputs a constant temperature, drying out the dampness brought back from the forest during the day. The bed, covered with thick bedding, is flat and soft, and the warmth steadily envelops the small Shelter, isolating it from the cold wind and the deep darkness of the snow outside. Lu Heng sits cross-legged on the bed, clearing his mind of distractions, and practices the Tiger Breathing Technique over and over again.
Breathing in and out, the rhythm is even and slow.
He didn't take the Tiger Bone Wine orally as usual. After several trials, he understood his body's tolerance level. The medicinal wine was potent when taken orally, mainly for short-term effects; for daily maintenance and strengthening muscles and bones, the external application method was much gentler and more suitable for long-term nourishment of the body.
Unscrew the sealed wine jar, and a strong, pungent medicinal odor slowly dissipated into the cave.
Lu Heng poured out a small portion of amber-colored liquor from his palm and carefully and evenly applied it to his neck, shoulders, back, limbs, waist, and abdomen. The cool liquor instantly exploded with a fine burning sensation upon contact with his skin, and the tiny streams of heat penetrated into his flesh through his pores, causing his skin to quickly heat up.
The skin and flesh were burning hot, but the deep bones were quite the opposite.
A cool, refreshing sensation slowly crept along my bones, a contrasting sensation of heat on the outside and cold on the inside, intertwining and colliding, gradually spreading throughout my limbs and bones. The tension and soreness accumulated from chasing, climbing, and running all day were gradually broken down and dissolved. There was no stinging pain throughout, only a sense of grounded relaxation after my muscles and bones had been completely stretched.
After applying the medicinal wine, Lu Heng lay back down on the thick quilt. His muscles completely relaxed, and all the fatigue accumulated over the past few days surged up. A heavy drowsiness overwhelmed him, and he soon fell into a peaceful sleep without any dreams.
The next day, as dawn broke, the continuous snowfall gradually subsided. The swirling snowflakes became sparse, the snowfall slowed, and visibility in the forest was much clearer than in the previous days.
Lu Heng opened his eyes and woke up feeling light and relaxed, with no stiffness or sluggishness in his muscles and bones. The lingering warmth and sensation of the medicinal wine still faintly remained in his muscles and limbs. He got up, put on his full set of protective gear, raised his hand to summon his Wristband, and opened the public chat channel.
The Seven-Day Trial has come to a complete end, and the seal on the outer perimeter of the forest has been completely lifted.
The entire snow-covered forest has been completely revitalized. The number of resources that can be collected in the wild and the number of wild animals that can be hunted have increased dramatically, and the entire forest has become bustling with activity.
The atmosphere in the channel is completely different from that during the trial.
There were no overwhelming cries of despair or urgent calls for help flooding the screen. The message push was smooth and orderly, with each latest update clearly listed, showing the real situation of survivors in various places.
The long ordeal depleted the food reserves of most people. After the snow stopped and the wind subsided, countless people were forced to leave their Shelter and venture into the mountains to forage for food and fight for their lives.
Some were lucky enough to slowly explore the edge of the woodland, cautiously hunting alone and successfully catching small wild animals, enough to make up for several days' worth of food. Their words were filled with the relief of surviving a close call.
Many people were equipped with only a meager amount of gear for self-defense, underestimating the ferocity of wild animals after the ban was lifted. Many comments were filled with deep sorrow, recording the tragic scenes of failed hunts: fighting wild animals alone, accidentally having their flesh torn by sharp claws, their bodies scratched by fangs, and fleeing back to the Shelter in a sorry state with serious injuries, desperately seeking basic anti-inflammatory and hemostatic medicines.
What's most disheartening is that many frequently active accounts have completely disappeared recently.
Every movement on the screen feels incredibly realistic. With more prey and greater chances of survival, the deadly dangers lurking in the forest have also increased exponentially.
Lu Heng swiped his finger across the screen, quickly scanning all the messages, and made his own judgment.
My warehouse is currently well-stocked, but relying on reserves is not a long-term solution. With wild animals now widely active, it is the best time to go out hunting, replenish our stock, and solidify our supplies.
Fasten all the equipment buckles on his body, sling the quiver over his shoulder, and hold the brand-new Giant-Feather Crossbow in his hand. Lu Heng walked to the cave entrance, moved aside the layers of blocking stones, and stepped out of the Shelter.
The forest was crisp and dry in the early morning. The biting wind had lost its chill of the night, but it still made my face feel tight. The entire snowfield was silent, with only the soft rustling of falling snowflakes.
Lu Heng walked slowly along the perimeter of the Shelter. After walking more than a hundred meters, a series of clear wild boar hoof prints emerged on the smooth and clean snow.
The footprints were solid and deep, with broad outlines, indicating that the wild beast was quite large. Some of the footprint edges were lightly covered by the thin layer of snow that had fallen the night before, so the marks were not fresh, but they were not completely old either. This was enough to show that this group of wild boars had been wandering back and forth in the woodland outside the base recently.
What reassured him was that the animal tracks across the entire snowfield deliberately avoided the mountainous areas.
No footprints approached the hollow in the mountain where he was hiding.
The camouflage barriers, scent concealment, and surrounding terrain that he had painstakingly set up in the early stages all proved effective. His Shelter remained perfectly hidden among the snow-covered forests, never discovered by any roaming wild beasts.
Lu Heng lowered his body, slowed his footsteps, and steadily followed the direction of the hoofprints. The snow was soft, and his footsteps were silent. Using the cover of the scattered trees, he stealthily made his way into the depths of the forest.
After chasing for several hundred meters, clear sounds finally appeared in a clearing in the woods ahead.
Three Tusked Wild Boar were rooting in the snow, searching for food. A large, adult boar led the way, its long, protruding tusks menacing, its thick, coarse fur, and its fierce, robust body a familiar species that he had hunted before. Two smaller sows followed closely behind, their heads buried in the thick snow, searching for grass roots and insects beneath the frozen ground.
The three creatures were focused on finding food, completely unaware of the figure lurking in the shadows.
Lu Heng stopped and hid behind the thick tree trunk, his eyes calm.
This field combat exercise is a perfect opportunity to thoroughly test the true power of the newly acquired Giant-Feather Crossbow.
His chest tightened slightly as he circulated the Tiger Breathing Technique to steady his breath, his mind completely focused. He raised his hand to draw the bow, nocked the arrow, and locked his aim. The bowstring was pulled back to its full length, the taut bow brimming with power, his gaze fixed on the boar's shoulder blade.
Loosen the string at the fingertips.
The arrow shot out with incredible speed, almost silent at close range, and hit its target with pinpoint accuracy.
The Giant Feather Arrow possessed extremely powerful penetrating force, instantly piercing through the wild boar's thick hide and muscle texture, penetrating its entire body.
A muffled roar suddenly erupted, and the massive boar's body trembled violently before crashing heavily into the snow. The remaining two wild boars, utterly terrified and driven by their wild instincts, dared not look back. They decisively abandoned their companion and dashed madly into the depths of the dense forest, disappearing without a trace in an instant.
The forest instantly fell silent again.
Lu Heng waited a moment, confirming that the fallen boar had completely stopped struggling and was dead, before slowly walking forward. He raised his hand to summon the decomposition interface on his Wristband and started the decomposition process on the boar's carcass.
Thick fur, fresh meat, and fatty textures were systematically peeled off and stored one by one, and finally, a dark-colored, ordinary-looking Energy Core floated down from mid-air.
Holding the slightly cool core between his fingertips, Lu Heng was certain that only this basic Energy Core could be produced.
The Flesh Core is quite rare to obtain; it's usually obtained from regular wild boar prey and is unlikely to condense and generate.
He muttered to himself, "Indeed rare."
After all the supplies were packed up, they were all sealed and stored in the Wristband warehouse.
Lu Heng did not choose to return to the Shelter immediately. He looked up and scanned the scattered animal tracks in the snow around him, intending to follow these scattered footprints to explore the area and thoroughly understand the activity patterns of wild animals in the woods in front of his home, and eliminate all potential dangers around the Shelter.