Su Wei paid no more attention to Cotton Candy and went on spooning meat mash from the pot for himself.
Cotton Candy watched Su Wei eat mouthful after mouthful, then looked down at the portion on the ground. After hesitating for a long time, the little fox still did not dare touch it, only stretching out its neck to sniff the aroma.
Only after Su Wei finished eating did he set the empty pot aside and nod at Cotton Candy.
The little fox gave a happy yip, then rushed over and began licking it up.
[Successfully taught your beast pet a lesson. Beast taming experience +11.] [Beast taming module Lv2 (28/300)]
It was the first time the beast taming module had gained experience.
Su Wei was a little surprised, but then he felt like crying without tears.
It seemed he really had spoiled Cotton Candy too much before.
But seeing Cotton Candy like this, Su Wei knew today's lesson had worked.
Establishing rules took patience, and even more than that, it took repeating the process every day.
With food and drink in his stomach, his whole body warmed up.
Su Wei put everything in order.
He climbed into the tent and zipped it shut, leaving the cold and danger outside.
Cotton Candy followed him in and, without being told, curled up beside his sleeping bag, becoming a fluffy white ball.
The tent was small, but it was like a little fortress, reassuring in its safety.
Su Wei did not go to sleep right away.
He leaned against his backpack and closed his eyes, but his mind was racing through calculations.
The devil's claw he had gathered today could sell for more than eight thousand dollars, his gathering module had leveled up, and he had laid down rules for Cotton Candy.
But that was not enough.
Eight thousand dollars was a drop in the bucket against a debt of 160,000.
He needed to make more money, faster.
Making money by gathering mountain products depended too much on luck.
That was true even with his gathering module.
Of course, with the gathering module, his "luck" would be better.
He had found devil's claw today, but there was no guarantee he would find any tomorrow.
For a truly reliable way to make money quickly, he still had to hunt.
A single intact hide from an adult brown bear could sell for thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.
A moose's antlers and hide were also worth a lot.
His gathering module was already Lv2, but the gray [Hunting Module] still had not lit up.
According to the system's rules, he needed to complete a real hunt.
The snowshoe hare that had escaped did not count.
Besides, he had not caught it.
It had to be a successful kill, with blood spilled.
Su Wei opened his eyes and, in the darkness, ran his fingers over the Browning rifle beside him, feeling the cold, hard metal.
Tomorrow.
At first light tomorrow, he would find a suitable target.
He had to unlock the hunting module. That was his greatest asset for surviving in this wilderness and paying off his debt!
Night deepened.
Outside the tent, the wind moaned through the woods, occasionally mingling with the cries of distant beasts.
Su Wei listened closely, but his heart was calm.
He tugged at his sleeping bag, wrapping himself up tight.
Cotton Candy breathed steadily beside him.
Tomorrow. It would be tomorrow.
He would attempt a real hunt.
Chapter 17: Hunting Module Activated: The Black-Tailed Deer Challenge Deep in the Snowy Forest!
The night faded, and the first faint rays of light pierced the orange tent fabric, casting blurry patterns of light and shadow across the cramped space.
Su Wei opened his eyes. The air inside the tent was icy, and even the white mist of his breath was clearly visible.
Beside his sleeping bag, Cotton Candy was curled into a thick white ball, pressed close against his head. The little fox was breathing evenly, fast asleep.
He did not get up immediately, but lay quietly, listening to the sounds outside the tent.
The wind was light, and there was no snowstorm. That meant the weather would be good for getting things done today.
Today's goal was to unlock the hunting module.
That thought was more effective than any alarm clock.
Su Wei braved the cold and sat up, unzipping his sleeping bag as gently as he could.
He glanced at Cotton Candy. The little one's ears twitched, but the fox did not wake.
He first leaned forward and unzipped a small gap in the tent.
"Hiss..."
A blast of cold air rushed in, waking him instantly.
Outside, the sky was bright. Snow reflected a dazzling light, and the endless white forest looked solemn and dangerous in the morning sun.
He pulled his head back in, quickly put on his heavy cold-weather clothing and boots, and only then opened the tent flap all the way.
The light and cold air startled Cotton Candy awake. The fox yawned, got up from beside the sleeping bag, and shook out its fluffy fur.
Seeing Su Wei, Cotton Candy instinctively started toward him for affection.
But seeing Su Wei's serious preparations, the fox quietly sat down obediently to one side, watching with curious blue eyes.
Su Wei picked Cotton Candy up and gave the fox a vigorous rub, warming his hands against the fur.
Cotton Candy narrowed its eyes and let out a contented whimper.
After a short while, Su Wei put the fox down.
Then he continued with the same steps he had used to make the meat mash the night before.
He turned on the gas stove to heat the food, carrying out the steps for the meat mash one by one.
Finally, he put the lid on the pot and waited for it to finish simmering.
While he waited, Su Wei removed the magazine from his Browning rifle and checked the Hornady hunting rounds inside once more.
The cold metal against his fingers made him feel much more assured.
The meat mash was ready soon enough. Su Wei ate quickly, replenishing the calories his body urgently needed.
He saved a portion for Cotton Candy as well, setting it on the ground to cool.
"Eat."
Only after getting permission did Cotton Candy step forward, lower its head, and start licking it up quickly.
Watching the fox, Su Wei knew very well that its hearing and sense of smell would be an important help on today's outing.
He left his large hiking backpack and the bundle of devil's claw in the tent, taking only a lightweight assault pack containing water, a first-aid kit, ammunition, and some high-calorie dried meat.
The tent would serve as a temporary base.
Using it as a center and exploring in every direction would improve his efficiency and save him the physical effort of trekking under a heavy load.
"Let's go, Cotton Candy," Su Wei said in a low voice, slinging the rifle diagonally across his chest.
The little fox finished the last bite and immediately followed, staying close at his heels and behaving much better than yesterday.
Su Wei set off, stepping into the silent, snowy forest.
He did not choose a fixed direction. Instead, he activated the gathering module and followed the points of light that occasionally appeared.
The gathering module's Lv2 thirty-meter scanning range kept him from wandering through the forest like a headless fly.
"Beep. Low-value edible berry, bearberry, detected. Gathering it will grant 1 experience point."
Beneath a bush bent under the snow, Su Wei spotted clusters of red berries.
He stopped and picked a few.
The berries tasted sour and astringent, but they could provide vitamins.
He tossed the berries into his mouth and grimaced at the sourness.
[Gathering module experience +1.]