King of the Wilderness

Chapter 433: Chapter 242: Super Defense Matrix

Lin Yu’an glanced at the watch Emily gave him; nearly three hours had passed. The sky outside had started transitioning from a pale bright blue to a deep indigo.

He picked up the blade blank with tongs and placed it into the nearby cooling sandbox, his tone showing a trace of reluctance, ”It’s getting late, I need to go back. Aliya and the others must be worried.”

”Yes, the forest isn’t safe after dark,” Old George nodded, approving of his family-minded attitude.

He looked at Lin Yu’an, his serious face full of unconcealed satisfaction, ”Kid, you did well today. A hundred times better than I expected.”

Old George walked to the other side of the workshop, picking out two rattling bundles covered in rust and dirt from a pile of debris.

They were eight massive wolf traps, made of heavy steel, with sharp sawteeth that made one shudder just by looking at them.

”Take these home first,” Old George’s tone was as flat as if he were handing him a few potatoes.

”The two large ones are ’bear traps’, incredibly strong but use them sparingly, they’re prone to causing unintended harm. The other six are specifically for wolves and wolverines, remember, when burying the traps, don’t leave any human scent.”

”Thank you, George,” Lin Yu’an solemnly accepted these heavy steel defenses.

”As for the blade blank you forged,” Old George pointed at the sandbox, ”leave it here for now; come by tomorrow, and I’ll teach you the next steps, annealing, polishing, and quenching. That’s the crucial part that decides whether a piece of iron becomes scrap or treasure.”

”I understand.”

Lin Yu’an carefully tied the eight traps onto the rear rack of the snowmobile, then bid farewell to Old George.

”See you tomorrow, kid,” Old George stood at the workshop door, hands behind his back, watching him.

”See you tomorrow, Uncle George.”

Lin Yu’an mounted the snowmobile, glanced back to see Old George still standing there, his silhouette resembling a silent statue in the warm glow of the workshop’s stove.

He twisted the throttle, carrying the heavy gains and even heavier sense of responsibility, racing towards home.

On the way, Lin Yu’an felt uneasy inside. After Old George’s wife passed away from illness, on this vast and lonely land, the old man seemed to have only the blazing workshop and cold steel for company.

He imparted all his skills so completely to a young man from a foreign land whom he’d only known for a short time. Was there perhaps a hint of unacknowledged longing for inheritance and resignation to loneliness behind this deep friendship?

The homeward road seemed darker than on the way there. The snowmobile’s headlights were turned to their brightest, a white beam piercing the darkness, illuminating the narrow snow path ahead.

He stayed highly alert, constantly watching for any suspicious movements in the forest. Those traps could become the first line of defense for his family tonight.

By the time Lin Yu’an returned home, night had fully fallen. The warm glow of the cabin lights seemed like the only beacon in the storm, guiding his return.

He parked the snowmobile, carefully unloaded the eight heavy animal traps.

Aliya and Emily heard the sound and immediately opened the door.

”You’re back! What took you so long? Did you get the stuff?”

”Yes, six wolf traps, two large bear traps.” Lin Yu’an placed the traps on the wooden porch floor, causing a dull metallic clatter.

Aliya looked at the menacing steel creations in his hands, ”Let’s eat first, the food is still warm.”

In the warmth of the cabin, the family sat around the dining table. Dinner was a creamy mushroom soup and toasted bread, made by Aliya herself, filling the air with enticing aromas.

Lin Yu’an told the two women he came back late because he was learning forging from Old George. The women showed expressions of understanding and support.

After dinner, the children were settled into bed, Lin Yu’an brought the eight animal traps to the fireplace in the living room.

”We need to plan carefully,” he looked at his two wives, his expression serious.

He spread out a map of the surrounding terrain, clearly marking the cabin, chicken coop, barn, and the nearby treeline.

”Traps are double-edged swords,” Lin Yu’an’s voice was deep and clear, ”They can protect us or injure us, even Whiskey and Honey. So we must establish strict rules.”

”Only on ’must-pass routes’,” he pointed at the map where the narrow passages lay between the chicken coop and the treeline behind, wolves are clever and will definitely use trees and terrain for cover. These routes are their most likely infiltration paths.”

”And mark them well,” he looked at Aliya and Emily, speaking word by word, ”Every trap spot must have a marker only we understand.”

”For example, tie a red cloth strip on the adjacent tree. We each must memorize every location, as if remembering our own names.”

Aliya and Emily nodded solemnly.

”Alright, let’s get started,” Lin Yu’an stood up.

He took a pair of thick deerskin gloves from the storeroom, then repeatedly smoked them with pine needles and birch bark, to thoroughly mask the human scent.

He put on the gloves and began inspecting each of the traps.