It wasn't top of the line, but it was solidly made, and its wind resistance was good enough for Kodiak Island.
Su Wei felt a pang as he paid.
Just like that, another big chunk of the two thousand-odd dollars he had worked so hard to earn was gone.
With a debt of $160,000 hanging over him, he had to count every penny he spent.
He had to earn those three hundred-odd dollars back in the mountains, and double them!
Su Wei was quiet on the way back.
He had to make money from those mountains as soon as possible.
Otherwise, never mind paying off his debt-he could barely keep himself afloat.
By the time he returned to the cabin, it was already dark.
The temperature outside had dropped another few degrees.
As Su Wei carried the tent, the white vapor from his breath turned to frost almost instantly.
He was tired and hungry.
Instead of resting right away, he deftly lit a fire in the fireplace.
Then he went into the kitchen.
For a simple dinner, he used the leftover beef and potatoes, added some onions, and stewed a pot of steaming meat soup.
When he had finished the last bit of bread, dipping it in the broth, he leaned back on the sofa in satisfaction. A notification sounded in his mind, one he hadn't heard in a long time.
[Ding! Completed 10 "high-quality homemade meals" in total. Achievement unlocked: Kitchen Regular] [Life Module experience +78]
Su Wei froze for a moment.
He pulled up the system panel.
[Life Module lv1 (25/300)]
All the cleaning and cooking over the past few days had earned him quite a bit of experience without him noticing.
[Ding! Life Module upgraded to LV2 (3/300)!] [New effect unlocked: Simple Dietary Supplementation. Food cooked by your own hands will randomly grant a weak temporary buff, depending on the ingredients and cooking method.]
A new effect?
Su Wei sat up straight, his gaze fixed on the description.
He looked down at the empty plate from the meal he had just finished.
"A randomly added buff?"
This was just like a cooking buff in a game!
It might be described as "weak," but in the wilderness, even the tiniest improvement could mean the difference between life and death.
Perhaps a bowl of hot soup could help him withstand the wind and snow for another hour.
Perhaps it could help his exhausted body recover faster.
Out in the wilderness, that was a real, life-saving effect!
This module was more useful than he had thought.
Su Wei got up and began clearing away the dishes.
Cotton Candy had eaten and drunk his fill and was lying belly-up on the rug in front of the fireplace.
He looked just like an overstuffed glutinous rice ball.
Seeing Su Wei busy at work, he lazily raised a paw and waved it at the air.
On the third day, the weather forecast had called for clear skies, and sure enough, the sun came out.
The blizzard that had raged for nearly a week had finally stopped.
The morning sunlight shone on the snow, reflecting a dazzling glare.
The air was cold and crisp, making him want to breathe it in deeply.
Su Wei stood in front of the cabin and took a deep breath of the icy air.
Today was the day he headed into the mountains.
He carefully packed his newly bought tent and all his equipment into his hiking pack, checking every zipper and buckle over and over.
Finally, he slung the gleaming Browning hunting rifle across his back.
Its substantial weight reassured him.
Cotton Candy seemed to sense that it was time to leave. He stopped playing and crouched quietly at Su Wei's feet, ears pricked as he surveyed their surroundings warily.
"Ready, little guy?" Su Wei looked down and rubbed his head.
Cotton Candy tilted his head up, nuzzled Su Wei's palm with the tip of his nose, and let out a low whine.
"Let's go."
Su Wei said nothing more.
He took one last look at the cabin behind him, his only home for the time being.
Then he turned around, set off, and walked into the snow sparkling beneath the sun.
Chapter 14: Devil's Claw
Su Wei turned around and led Cotton Candy into the snow.
The conifer forest soon hid the cabin behind them, leaving only the white of the snow, the blue of the sky, and the deep green of the forest in view.
It was quiet all around.
After the blizzard, even the sound of the wind had vanished.
The air was icy, stinging a little as he drew it into his lungs.
Su Wei didn't take the main road.
He remembered an abandoned logging trail that offered a shortcut into the mountains.
Cotton Candy was much better adapted to the snow than he was.
After all, he was a fox that lived in the wild.
The little fox ran across the deep snow, his four feet so light that they left barely a trace.
Every so often, he stopped and buried his nose in the snow to sniff at something, then ran ahead again and looked back, urging Su Wei on with his blue eyes.
He scouted the path ahead and was a helpful companion.
Su Wei followed steadily behind, the huge hiking pack making every step sink firmly into the snow.
He carefully watched and listened for any movement around him.
This was his first time entering the wilderness of his own accord and fully prepared.
This time, he was here to conquer it, to make money, and to live a better life.
The Gathering Module was already active; all he had to do was keep an eye out.
After all, he hadn't come up the mountain to play.
If he could find some valuable plants, all the better.
After they had walked for about half an hour, Cotton Candy stopped beneath a snow-covered slope sheltered from the wind and barked twice at a clump of withered branches bent under the snow.
Su Wei walked over and used the butt of his rifle to brush the snow aside.
A few dark red fruits, frozen rock-hard, were revealed.
Wild rose hips.
Rich in vitamin C, they were good for preventing scurvy when fresh fruits and vegetables were scarce in winter.
Through the Gathering Module's vision, the plants gave off a faint green glow, marking them as edible.
Su Wei set down his pack, pulled out his Swiss Army knife, and deftly snipped off the fruit along with a short section of stem, then put them in a sealed bag.
[Wild rose hips successfully gathered, experience +3. Gathering Module lv1 (74/100)]
They weren't worth much, but they were better than nothing.
He shouldered his pack again and continued onward.
A bold black-capped chickadee landed on a branch not far ahead of him and tilted its head to study him, without immediately flying away.
The forest was quiet, but Su Wei didn't dare let his guard down for a moment.
The master of this land was the Kodiak brown bear.
The terrifying scene from last time was still vivid in his mind.
He didn't dare relax at will and lose the vigilance he needed.
The Browning rifle in his hands already had a .30-06 Hornady hunting round chambered.