At this moment, within his perception range, a huge dark red cursor slowly moved to the bottom of the ice cave.
That was the strongest signal of the day.
The cursor moved very steadily, completely undisturbed by the swarms of small fish darting around it.
This is a mature, giant Arctic grayling.
Su Wei steadied his breathing and gently placed his fingertips on the taut fishing line.
He could sense that the big fish was observing his lure.
It circled the metal sheet twice, but hesitated to take a bite.
What a patient opponent.
Su Wei slowly loosened the spool, allowing the lure to drift down weakly.
One centimeter.
Two centimeters.
Just as the lure was about to touch the bottom, the fish moved.
There was no probing, no hesitation.
It swallowed the entire hook whole and then abruptly turned and swam towards the deeper water.
The ice fishing rod was instantly pulled into a terrifying semicircle.
Click.
The carbon fiber grip made a crisp sound.
Su Wei's eyes widened, his body leaned forward, and his center of gravity lowered.
The force of the big fish flowed along the fishing line, causing his arm to tremble violently.
This weight far exceeds that of the rainbow trout from before.
He could feel the fishing line rubbing intensely against the edge of the ice cave.
If not handled properly, the fishing line will break within tens of seconds.
Su Wei suddenly pulled up the fishing rod, shifting it to the left and right, using the angle to try and avoid the sharp edges of the ice cave.
The fish underwater were struggling desperately.
Its force was immense, pulling Su Wei half a step onto the ice.
Su Wei gritted his teeth, his palms turning red from being rubbed raw by the handle.
Laying out the lines.
Retract the line.
They went back and forth for a full five minutes.
Only when the opposing force gradually weakened did Su Wei begin to quickly reel in the remaining fishing line.
One last hook!
Whoosh!
A huge Arctic grayling was thrown onto the ice, its towering dorsal fin particularly eye-catching.
It was a whole size larger than a regular fennel, measuring nearly 65 centimeters in length.
The purple scales reflected a peculiar luster in the sunlight.
[bite!]
[Catch an elite Arctic grayling (8.4 lbs) and gain a significant experience boost!]
[ Fishing Module Experience +50.]
[Current progress: Fishing Module LV1 (72/100)]
Su Wei squatted down, breathing heavily.
The cold air, when inhaled, caused a stinging sensation in my lungs.
Looking at the fish scattered all over the ground, he felt much more at ease.
These were the food he craved, his hope for survival.
Su Wei began packing his equipment.
He threaded the three larger fish through their gill covers with braided thread and tied them together.
The remaining small fish and three-spined fish were put into a collapsible bucket.
Cotton Candy crouched in the snowdrift, guarding the giant fennel fish, her eyes filled with longing.
Su Wei picked it up and put it on his shoulder.
"Let's go home, I'll make you fish soup."
He lifted the heavy catch, the cold braided rope digging into his palm.
Although the weight is a burden, it's something that gives me peace of mind right now.
Su Wei was about to turn around and walk towards the wooden house in the distance.
Just then, the Cotton Candy suddenly perked up its ears.
Its body tensed instantly on Su Wei's shoulder, and it let out a low, sharp cry.
This is a warning cry.
Su Wei immediately stopped in his tracks.
He instinctively lowered his body and squinted at the opposite bank of the lake.
On the edge of the forest on the other side of the glacial lake, the light was dim.
It was a vast, dense coniferous forest, with snow clinging to the branches.
Amidst the pale whiteness, Su Wei saw a series of black shadows.
The shadows were slowly moving out from the depths of the forest.
They moved very lightly, trudging through the knee-deep snow.
The shadow was very large.
There were at least a dozen of them, forming a blurry line.
Fine snowflakes began to fall from the sky, obscuring most of the view.
Su Wei could sense that those things were approaching the lake.
In this season, few living things dare to move around extensively after a blizzard.
The first thing that came to his mind was the Kodiak brown bear.
But the shadows were at the wrong height, and they were in groups.
Could it be a moose?
Or perhaps a lost herd of reindeer?
However, these two herds of deer do not actually exist on Kodiak Island.
So, what could it be?
Su Wei held his breath, one hand resting on the hilt of the self-defense dagger in his pocket.
In the frigid wilderness, these suddenly appearing dark figures could be food, or they could be unknown dangers.
The dark figures stopped in the open area at the edge of the forest.
The leading black figure slowly turned its head and looked at the lonely figure in the center of the lake.
The snow was falling heavier and heavier.
The scene in Su Wei's vision gradually blurred.
He gripped the bucket full of fish tightly, his body tense and motionless.
The leading black figure let out a low roar in the wind and snow.
The sound traveled along the flat ice surface.
Su Wei's hair stood on end instantly.
That's the call of a deer.
Chapter 48 The Return Journey, The Unexpected Roosevelt Deer!
The cry echoed across the vast, frozen lake, its gentle sound tearing through the howling blizzard.
Su Wei maintained his half-squatting posture, his muscles tense, his right hand, gloved with windproof gloves, gripping the hilt of the knife at his waist.
Even through the swirling snow, the characteristics of the sound were clearly discernible.
The voice was high-pitched and deep, carrying the wild charm typical of a male beast proclaiming the existence of its pack.
A dark figure emerged from the woods at the edge of the field of vision.