King of the Wilderness

She removed the remaining cooked chunks of fat from the pot, placing them on a clean piece of birch bark to cool down. Once cooked, fat is easier to preserve; as it cools and solidifies, it forms a hard shell that further isolates it from the air.

Then, she wrapped them layer by layer in birch bark, tied them with tripwire to a sturdy birch log, and buried them deep in the snow outside the shelter.

The low temperatures perfectly preserve them, though each time she needs to eat, she must laboriously dig them out from the snow and pry open the frozen birch bark. But compared to the risk of them being stolen by other animals, this trouble is insignificant.

As for the pot of fat-rich soup left behind, it was not wasted either. Seizing the moment, she drank every last drop. Each sip was liquid warmth, though the taste was not great; at that moment, it was supreme delicacy!

Now, with food in her stomach and reserves by her side, she not only survived but for the first time on this ruthless land, she possessed something that could be called ”capital.”

Tonight, she could finally have a restful sleep.

After a good night’s sleep, Kelly woke up the next day feeling refreshed. The fullness in her stomach and abundant energy made her feel like she could conquer the whole world. She hummed a tune, planning to start making new arrows today.

However, as she stepped out of the shelter to retrieve a piece of fat for breakfast, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

In the snow, a series of clear plum-blossom-shaped footprints extended from the distant woods all the way to the snow mound where she stored her fat, circled around a few times, then disappeared in another direction.

”Fox…” Kelly’s heart sank instantly. It was one or several Arctic foxes attracted by the smell.

There were signs of digging in the snow mound, but it was shallow, obviously unable to break through the frozen snow layer and thick birch bark.

But they know there’s food here; they will be back, and they might even bring more formidable predators, like wolves.

Yesterday’s joy and sense of security vanished in an instant, replaced by a feeling of being secretly watched.

She realized that this mound of fat was not only her capital but also a trouble that could attract various thieves!

However, after her initial panic, a completely different thought struck her mind like a flash of lightning.

”Wait...” She spoke to the camera, her gaze shifting from previous tension to a sharp expression filled with calculation.

”Why should I see them merely as trouble?”

”What was my biggest frustration before? It was not finding prey, wandering the forest like a fool for hours only to luckily spot a grouse. Having a bow and arrows but no target.”

”But now... the target has come knocking!” She glanced at the fox footprints in the snow, even giving a slight cold smile.

”This mound of fat, it’s not just my reserve food; it’s now become a huge bait, radiating deadly allure!”

This is both a crisis and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Kelly immediately abandoned her plan to make arrows. The urgent task wasn’t merely to protect her assets but to transform the ”side effect” of her assets into profits.

She chose not to move the fat, because no matter where it was moved, the scent would spill, which would only make her defenses stretched longer and more passive.

Kelly decided to turn passivity into proactivity, transforming the area around the shelter into a precise hunting ground, a death trap zone!

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(Good morning, brothers, a beautiful morning starts with a monthly ticket.)

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