He had survived.
At least, he would survive the night.
Su Wei leaned against the cold rock wall and let out a long breath. He was exhausted.
He felt as though he could fall asleep the next second.
A sudden cramp twisted his stomach. He was so hungry he felt panicked.
He took out his small pot, scooped a handful of clean snow into it, and set it over the fire.
Once the snow melted into water, he took out the berries and tossed them into the pot.
Soon, the water turned blue-black, and a distinctive smell spread through the little cave.
Once the water boiled, Su Wei set the pot aside to cool.
When enough time had passed, he picked up the scorching pot and carefully took a sip.
The hot liquid slipped down his throat, leaving a slightly tart, astringent sweetness. His whole stomach felt warm.
A current of warmth suddenly spread through his body, driving away the chill. Even the weariness in his bones seemed to ease considerably.
After drinking the hot water, Su Wei took out a packet of crumbled compressed biscuits and ate them all with the hot water.
It was the most peaceful meal he had eaten since transmigrating.
Of course, it was also his first.
Once he had eaten and drunk his fill, Su Wei poured the remaining water into his water bottle to keep it warm and added more firewood.
When he was done, he hugged the rifle tightly to his chest and curled up beside the fire, leaning against his backpack.
The fire crackled.
Outside the cave, the cold wind howled.
Only a wall separated them, but they were two different worlds.
He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, or whether he could make it out of these snowy mountains alive.
But for now, he had shelter from the rain, a fire, food, and a system that could change his fate.
Su Wei slowly closed his eyes.
He needed a good rest tonight.
Chapter 3: Crisis Descends: The Kodiak Beast Awakens from Hibernation!
Night lay deep, and the firelight flickered.
Su Wei's eyes snapped open. The cold touch of the rifle in his arms reminded him where he was.
The wind and snow outside the cave had eased considerably, but the chill in the air was even more piercing.
Su Wei hadn't slept soundly. In a place like this, staying alert was the foundation of survival.
The firewood had almost burned out, with only the last few pieces stubbornly giving off heat.
Su Wei sat up and added several thick logs to the fire pit. The flames leaped higher again, driving away some of the cold.
He checked the windbreak at the cave entrance and, after making sure the wind hadn't blown it open, was just preparing to lie down again when an extremely faint rustling came from outside.
The sound was soft and intermittent, like some small animal walking through the snow.
Su Wei's body instantly tensed. He grabbed the Browning rifle, moved silently to the entrance, and peered through a gap in the windbreak.
The snow glowed a cold white beneath the moonlight.
At first, Su Wei saw nothing.
But the sound didn't stop. Instead, it drew closer and closer.
Su Wei held his breath and looked carefully.
His heart rose into his throat.
What could it be? A snow hare? Or something more dangerous?
The sound stopped near the cave entrance.
Su Wei could even hear faint sniffing.
He rested his finger on the trigger, every muscle in his body on alert.
If it dared to barge in, he would shoot without hesitation.
The seconds ticked by. The sniffing lingered at the entrance, but whatever it was made no further move.
Fine beads of sweat formed on Su Wei's forehead.
Waiting for the unknown was more agonizing than a direct confrontation.
After a moment, he carefully moved aside a corner of the torn tent cloth, trying to see what it was.
A fat snow hare appeared before his eyes.
"Fuck!"
Su Wei stared at the hare, a great weight lifting from his heart, and couldn't help cursing under his breath.
Hearing the noise, the hare bolted away in a rustle.
In the blink of an eye, it was out of sight.
Su Wei let out a breath. Only then did his taut nerves relax, and he leaned against the rock wall, gasping for breath.
He hadn't expected a snow hare to scare him half to death in the middle of the night.
For the rest of the night, Su Wei didn't dare sleep deeply. He merely dozed against the rock wall, keeping the rifle in his arms.
Only when the sky began to pale did he fully wake up.
He ate a few of the remaining berries, drank some hot water, and began packing his things.
The chaga was a pleasant surprise, but the road home was still long.
Su Wei had to set out as soon as possible.
He put out the fire completely and buried it in snow. After making sure it posed no fire hazard, Su Wei shouldered his backpack and walked out of the cave that had sheltered him for the night.
The morning air was biting, cold enough to make his lungs tighten when he breathed it in.
He glanced in the direction his uninvited visitor had fled the night before. A trail of tiny footprints marked the snow.
Su Wei thought no more of it. He got his bearings and continued toward home.
After about two hours of walking, the terrain began to level out, and the trees gradually grew thinner.
That meant Su Wei was making his way out of the depths of Pillar Mountain.
Having used up a great deal of energy, Su Wei found a gentle slope sheltered from the wind, sat down to rest, and took out his water bottle for a drink.
Just then, a low roar came from the dense woods not far away.
The sound was filled with violent agitation, and the hairs on Su Wei's body instantly stood on end.
A bear!
And judging by the sound, it was very close.
Without thinking, Su Wei immediately got to his feet, keeping half his body concealed behind the gentle slope as he looked over.
A huge brown bear was emerging from the woods a few dozen meters away.
After letting out a roar, it shook its entire body violently, shaking the snow from its fur.
It was a brown bear that had only just reached adulthood. For some unknown reason, it seemed to have woken early in its den.
At the sight, alarm bells rang wildly in Su Wei's mind! The hairs on his body stood on end!!
Danger! Extreme danger!!
This was a brown bear awakened from hibernation!!!
Su Wei hesitated no longer and sprinted in the opposite direction.
He knew very well what encountering a brown bear on Kodiak Island meant.
The brown bears here were an enormous subspecies. An adult male brown bear could stand over three meters tall and weigh more than six hundred kilograms.
It was an overlord of the land, capable of crushing a human skull with a single swipe of its paw.
The original body's memories told him not to confront a brown bear head-on.
His only choice was to run.
Use the gun?
At such close range, that was practically a joke.
If Su Wei couldn't kill it with one shot, he would be the one to die!
Besides, his bullets weren't specialized bear-hunting rounds.
Bullets used for large game like this needed greater power.
And the bullets he currently carried, unless they struck the brown bear's chest or heart, inflicting a fatal wound.