He had to set out.
He had no intention of continuing to hunt. For him, that wouldn't be an attempt; it would be courting death.
First, he needed to get home. Only if he stayed alive would there be a chance.
He packed everything back into his backpack, rolling up and tying the torn tent fabric as well. At least it could help block the wind.
Once he had packed up, Su Wei shouldered his backpack and leaned on his trekking pole as he trudged into the snow, each step sinking to a different depth.
The snow was above his knees, making every step especially arduous.
Su Wei breathed out a cloud of white vapor. Just walking from the campsite to the trail had drained a great deal of his strength.
His stamina had yet to recover, and his lungs still burned with pain.
Su Wei braced both hands on his knees and leaned against a tree to regain his strength.
Hunger welled up from his stomach. He was hungry.
The compressed biscuits in his backpack were his last rations; he couldn't eat them casually.
But he still had at least two days of travel ahead of him, and he had to find a suitable shelter before nightfall.
He needed to find something to eat for a quick boost of calories.
His eyes searched the snow carefully.
White was everywhere. Aside from snow, there were only bare branches.
But the original owner's pitiful knowledge of plants and animals told him that there was more here than met the eye.
He struggled along the trail for about half an hour before suddenly stopping.
Beneath a patch of shrubs bent under the snow, he spotted a speck of red.
He hurried over and pushed the snow aside with his trekking pole, revealing a cluster of red berries.
The berries were small, only the size of a pinky fingernail, and stood out against the white snow.
"Highbush cranberries..."
The name surfaced in Su Wei's mind automatically.
They were common on Kodiak Island, sour, nonpoisonous, and rich in vitamins.
They were actually a summer crop, but some remained, frozen beneath the snow.
They were also winter food for some animals.
If he had a choice, Su Wei wouldn't have chosen these.
But now, he had no choice.
Su Wei put down his backpack, knelt in the snow, and began picking the frozen berries.
The berries were icy, and his fingers quickly went numb.
But he didn't stop. Instead, he picked faster and faster.
This was the first food he had found on his own since coming to this world.
It meant calories. It meant he could stay alive.
He picked a full handful, rubbed them clean with fresh snow, then impatiently popped one into his mouth.
The icy berry melted in his mouth, and a sharp sourness made him squint instantly.
But after the sourness came a faint hint of sweetness.
It meant a chance to stay alive.
He hesitated no longer. He picked quickly, stuffing the berries into the frontmost pocket of his backpack until it was full.
Just as he zipped it shut and prepared to stop,
a clear, mechanical voice rang out in his head.
[Congratulations on successfully gathering food for the first time. Achievement completed: "First Gathering."]
Su Wei's whole body stiffened. He thought hunger was making him hallucinate.
But the next second, the voice sounded again.
[Gathering Module activated.] [Gathering Module: LV1 (0/100)] [Description: Once activated, highlights all edible plants or plants of economic value within a twenty-meter radius.]
Immediately afterward, a pale blue, translucent interface appeared out of nowhere in his mind!
Su Wei's pupils contracted sharply.
A hallucination?
No! This feels too real...
He bit his lip hard, barely managing to keep himself from shouting.
Golden finger!
This was his trump card for surviving in this godforsaken place-and even living a better life!
Chapter 2: Shelter on the ice field, a surprise windfall: chaga!
Su Wei's rapid breathing paused for a moment.
His eyes were fixed on the blue panel that had popped up before him, full of disbelief.
Golden finger!
In this world of ice and snow, this might be what he could rely on to survive!
Su Wei bit his lip hard, forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart.
Calm down!
Now wasn't the time to celebrate.
He concentrated on the pale blue, translucent interface.
The interface was simple. Across the top, a line of large characters read [Wilderness Module Loading System].
Below it was a single newly lit icon labeled [Gathering Module LV1].
There were no confusing numbers or buttons; he could understand it at a glance.
The system's function was simple: as long as Su Wei fulfilled certain conditions, he could activate the corresponding module!
That would grant him the related module functions. For example, his first gathering had activated the Gathering Module.
For him, that was a welcome bit of good news.
[Gathering Module: LV1 (0/100)] [Description: Once activated, highlights all edible plants or plants of economic value within a twenty-meter radius.]
Su Wei silently said, Activate.
Hum-
The world before his eyes changed in an instant.
In the previously all-white snow, many soft white halos appeared.
The cranberry bushes he had just picked from were surrounded by a faint glow. Though it wasn't strong, he could see it clearly.
Following the shrubs with his gaze, he saw an even weaker glow flickering beneath a fallen dead tree a few meters away.
Su Wei's heart jumped, and he immediately strode over.
He poked the snow aside with his trekking pole, revealing a small tuft of moss frozen solid.
[Name: Lichen (reindeer moss)] [Value: Edible after simple preparation. Low in calories, but better than nothing.]
An annotation automatically popped up in his mind. Simple and direct.
Su Wei turned his head and surveyed his surroundings.
Within the twenty-meter radius, most of the points of light were as weak as the lichen's. Only the cranberries at his feet shone brightest.
That meant the most useful plants nearby were the life-saving berries he had found.
Su Wei suppressed his excitement and forced himself to think calmly.
This system only provided information, not physical items.
Good.
That meant he still had to do things himself; he couldn't wait for the system to feed him.
That feeling actually made him feel more assured.
With the system, he had considerably more confidence in staying alive, but the danger hadn't passed.
It was October, and daylight hours in Alaska would be considerably shorter.