This was not only because of the pitiful deer carcass that had been half-eaten, but also because it was too quiet around; even the thunderbirds that used to hop around in the grass were nowhere to be seen.
Only four hunting dogs moved silently.
They no longer ran around as freely as before, but instead moved forward slowly, their bellies almost touching the snow and their limbs crawling.
The lead dog, Caesar, even tucked its tail, which was usually held high, between its legs.
This is not fear, it is absolute caution.
The team maintained this suffocating silence and advanced about a hundred meters.
A huge Sigirau spruce tree blocked the way.
The tree was as thick as three people could hug, but at this moment, its rough, thick bark looked as if it had been brutally plowed by some blunt object, a truly pitiful sight.
Wood chips flew everywhere, revealing the pale yellow, fresh core inside, the sap not even having had time to freeze.
Five scratches, each two inches deep, snaked down from the top, carrying a chilling aesthetic of violence.
Su Wei stood under the tree, tilted his head back, and his pupils behind his goggles contracted slightly.
The highest scratch mark was more than 3.5 meters above the ground.
This means that the bear, standing on its hind legs, could easily reach a second-floor window of an ordinary residential building with a casual swipe of its paw.
"This is our opponent."
Black patted the scratch, his rough fingers tracing the splinter, his tone devoid of emotion.
"This is not merely marking territory, but a display. It tells all living things that enter this area that it is the king."
Su Wei didn't speak, but his tactical gloved hand instinctively reached for his waist.
His attention was focused on what was in front of him.
With a slight thought, the familiar interface unfolded before his eyes.
[ Hunting Module LV1: Tracking Assistance, Enabled.]
In an instant, the once dark and monotonous snow forest world changed.
Countless pieces of messy background information were quickly filtered out.
On the trunk of that enormous spruce tree, tiny details that were normally imperceptible to the naked eye were now emitting a faint golden light.
A few coarse, brownish-red hairs were deeply embedded in the crevices of the bark, marked by the system with a prominent, bright halo.
Su Wei leaned closer for a look.
The hair was as thick as steel needles, and even had a layer of oily sheen.
More importantly, a line of light blue text quietly appeared in their line of sight.
[Target locked: Kodiak brown bear (male, adult).]
[Estimated weight: 600kg - 630kg.]
[Status Analysis: Extreme hunger, endocrine disorder (failed hibernation), mild rage.]
[Trace generated approximately 43 minutes ago.]
[The tracking path is now highlighted.]
Forty-three minutes.
Su Wei's heart skipped a beat.
This time difference was even shorter than Black had predicted.
It's right in front of us, it might even be watching us.
Su Wei's palms were sweaty as he gripped the Ruger Super Redhawk revolver. The heavy weight of the large-caliber pistol was his only solace at that moment.
" Su Wei, based on your assessment, how old were the tracks left by this brown bear?"
Black suddenly turned to look at Su Wei and abruptly asked.
Old Kash abruptly stopped in his tracks, turning to look at Black and Su Wei, his eyes filled with astonishment.
He didn't understand why they would ask Su Wei.
It's worth noting that Su Wei, like Aruk, had only recently become a professional hunter.
Even so, in the eyes of a true hunter, he was nothing more than a novice.
Although Aruk had previously told Old Kash about the terrifying tracking abilities of the Su Wei.
But did Old Kash actually only believe one-third of it?
Oh, no.
Actually, it's only one-fifth.
After all, Aruk tends to exaggerate almost everything.
But now, with Black suddenly asking Su Wei, things are different.
Could it be that Su Wei's ability is truly as Aruk described?
Now, Old Kash was curious.
Su Wei took a deep breath and stepped forward.
He touched the terrifying claw marks with his hand; only by getting closer could he truly feel the horror of this behemoth.
"Based on the shape and depth of the claw marks, it can be determined that this giant beast is currently in a frenzied state. Under normal circumstances, its claw marks would not be this deep."
"Because this is just a territorial assertion, and only when a brown bear is in a state of agitation would the claw marks appear messy and deeper."
"Besides that, there were hair residues..."
Aruk stood aside, watching Su Wei Wei's continuous analysis, completely dumbfounded.
He turned to look at Black, who was nodding slightly from time to time, and saw the astonishment in his father's eyes.
He was almost 100% certain that what Su Wei said was true!
"That's right, your skills haven't declined." Black's lips curled into a slight smile, and he pointed in a direction. "This way."
The group continued forward, each step taken with extreme caution.
However, Old Kash's surprise at the Su Wei never dissipated.
They hadn't gone far when Caesar suddenly stopped by a clump of bushes, his black nose sniffing frantically, a low growling sound coming from his throat.
Black strode over and used his bloodied hunting knife to clear away the snow beneath the bushes.
A steaming mass of excrement came into view.
Not yet completely frozen, it had a sickly dark green color that stood out starkly against the pristine white snow.
Black didn't mind the filth; he used the tip of his knife to pry open the clump of filth and examined its contents closely.
There were no bone fragments or minced meat.
It was all withered grass roots, undigested berry seeds, and a lot of coarse fiber.
"Did you see that clearly?"
Black turned his head, his sharp eyes sweeping over Su Wei and the approaching Aruk, finally pointing to the tip of the excrement.
"It just ate a deer, but its droppings are full of grass roots."
"What does this mean? Does it mean it has indigestion?"
Aruk was somewhat stunned, and asked with a pale face.
"That means it's been starving for a long time, it's gone crazy with hunger."
Old Kash took over the conversation; this usually cheerful old hunter now had a face so gloomy it could drip water.
"A normal bear will eat a lot of high-calorie meat and fish before winter, turning itself into a round ball and covering itself with a thick layer of fat in preparation for hibernation. At that time, their feces are full of grease and bone fragments."
"But this one..."
Old Kash pointed to the thick, leaden clouds in the sky and sighed.
"The unusual extratropical cyclone a while ago brought an early blizzard that blocked the roads and froze the fish passages."
"It hasn't stored enough fat, so it can't sleep."
Black stood up, flicked the filth off his knife, and added coldly, "A male bear that hasn't slept but has been awakened by hunger will eat anything that moves in its path to survive. Grass roots, tree bark, carrion, its own kind, or even a person."
"It's three times more dangerous than usual now."
"Because it's not just about protecting food, it's about survival."
[Received Brown Bear Experience from Hunting Master Black. Hunting Module Experience +18.]
The system notification sounded at the right time, but this did not make Su Wei feel at ease.
The air seemed even colder.
Hunger is the most terrifying driving force in the wilderness.
In the system's view, a broken golden band of light extended from the pile of excrement, passed through the dense hemlock forest, and pointed to a depression with complex terrain ahead.
That's below Eagle Beak Cliff.