King of the Wilderness

Mark asked curiously, ”That Arctic Fox... how did you get it? As far as I know, they are extremely cunning and rarely fall into simple traps.”

A faint smile appeared on Vonia’s face for the first time, carrying with it the confidence of a top predator who understands the weaknesses of its prey.

”It is greedy and arrogant, always wanting to steal my rabbits. So I used the rabbits’ entrails as bait and set a simple lasso trap on a route it deemed absolutely safe.”

”It came, and then stayed, and I am quite grateful to it.”

”During those days when my traps were destroyed, it almost became my only source of protein. Its fur was also very warm.”

Her tone was so calm, as if discussing a trivial matter, instinctively adjusting the fox fur collar around her neck, the motion as natural as tidying her hair.

Mark and Anna exchanged a glance, seeing the same thought in each other’s eyes.

This is a truly formidable contestant. Her strength does not come from altering nature, like Lin Yu’an creating tools with fire and iron, but rather from her being part of nature itself.

She does not fight against nature; she merely follows the laws of nature and then utilizes these laws to become the apex predator in the food chain.

The crew bid farewell to Vonia, who remained as calm as Mount Tai, and the helicopter continued south, arriving at Kelly’s camp.

Kelly’s camp was located at the edge of a relatively dense coniferous forest dominated by birch and spruce trees.

The terrain here shielded her from the brunt of most storms.

Kelly was a tall woman with long flaxen hair, her demeanor as quiet and sharp as an elf in the forest.

Her shelter was a cleverly constructed A-frame wooden hut, covered with thick spruce branches and moss.

Compared to Lin Yu’an and Vonia, who had abundant marine protein, Kelly’s food sources seemed relatively ”plain.”

In her camp, there were no piles of fish and shellfish, only a few cleaned grouse and Thunderbirds.

”The coastline here doesn’t have rich resources.”

”After the storm, I only found some seaweed and a few snow crabs. My main food still relies on this forest.”

She picked up her longbow, which she cherished like life, and stroked its smooth frame: ”Fortunately, there’s an abundance of bird resources here. Grouse, Thunderbird, they’re very wary, but with enough patience, one can always find an opportunity.”

”But patience is being worn thin.” There was an unmistakable fatigue in Kelly’s eyes.

”After the storm, the animals in the forest became unusually vigilant. I now have to spend twice as much time tracking to get one shot at an arrow.”

Moreover, she glanced at her empty quiver: ”I only have 7 arrows left. The snow lost me 3 arrows. I’ve tried making new ones with spruce wood and bird feathers, but without suitable arrowheads, they’re ineffective.”

”Every shot with my homemade arrows is a huge gamble for me.”

Kelly’s archery skills are indeed unparalleled. Mark saw her stealthy and textbook-like shooting in her footage, one arrow through the throat, never wasting a second arrow.

But when Anna checked her, she found a potential problem.

”Kelly, your weight is decreasing a bit too fast.” Anna frowned slightly as she looked at the data.

”Bird meat is quality protein, but it has too little fat. With long-term lack of fat intake, your body will start consuming its own muscle for energy. You must find a way to intake some fat.”

Kelly nodded, a hint of worry flickering in her eyes: ”I know, I’m trying to catch an Arctic Fox, but they are too cunning! Maybe I should try my luck further away.”

Mark glanced at her somewhat frail-looking body and sighed inwardly.

Kelly’s skills are top-notch, but her survival strategy relied too heavily on a single resource, making her ability to withstand risks extremely fragile.

Yet, this also directly relates to the resource proportions where she was placed, with abundant land resources and not outstanding marine resources.

After bidding farewell to Kelly, the last person they were going to see was Colton, whose situation might be worse.

Inside the helicopter cabin, the huge roar isolated everything from the outside world, and Mark took off his headphones, rubbing his somewhat sore ears.

His gaze remained on the quickly receding desolate shoreline outside the porthole.

”Now, what do you think of him?” he asked without turning to the doctor, Anna, beside him.

Anna was organizing the physiological data of the contestants she had just recorded. Upon hearing this, she looked up, knowing that Mark was referring to Lin Yu’an, and after pondering for a moment, she replied.

”Physiologically and psychologically, he is the best state among all the contestants I’ve seen.”

Her tone carried a hint of amazement: ”All of his indicators are very stable, and his mental state is remarkably healthy. He hasn’t been overwhelmed by loneliness, but rather, as you said, he has made this place his ’kingdom’.”

”He is not just enduring survival; he is enjoying creation! This mindset is terrifying.”

”Yes, it’s terrifying.” Mark leaned back in his seat, a complex smile appearing on his face.

”I insisted on inviting him to join the eighth season of Wilderness against great opposition. Now it seems it’s the wisest decision I’ve ever made. It gave him the chance to participate in the Frozen Throne again, and he’s redefining this competition.”