Wilderness Survival with Druid System

Chapter 241: Chapter 64: River Ice Cracking

Yang Feng’s confusion naturally had no one to answer it.

However, the boss was very curious about Yang Feng and Jenny’s ordeal, and he asked about the incident.

Jenny said helplessly, ”We originally thought about using ice skates to glide over the ice, but we hadn’t gone far when he heard the ice cracking. We were thinking about heading towards the shore, but before we could get there, the ice shattered.”

”The two of us instantly fell into the icy hole; it was so cold! I nearly lost my ability to think, and I can’t remember the details clearly.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Feng said, ”You’re certainly unclear about this, but when we fell, you almost got swept under the ice by an undercurrent. At that time, you were clutching onto me so tightly, and I struggled greatly to take off my clothes, soaking them, and laying them on the ice.”

”After the clothes slightly froze, I pulled on them to drag the two of us up.”

The boss was quite impressed by this.

”You’re really amazing, truly a survivor.”

The boss did not hold back his praise: ”Most people in such a situation would react like this young lady here. I mean no offense, but it’s rare to find someone who can remain calm after falling into an icy hole.”

This made Jenny quite upset, though what he said was true.

Meanwhile, Yang Feng looked at Jenny with pride, then said, ”Thank you for the compliment. After we got up, our body temperatures dropped significantly, so we could only head back to town to regroup.”

The boss nodded: ”A wise choice. I welcome you to come here to adjust.”

”Normally, if one falls into a river outside, the best response is to find a human settlement and seek help. But that was the Yukon of before; nowadays, in this wilderness, such settlements are rare.”

Yang Feng nodded repeatedly: ”If we hadn’t been able to return here, I estimate that both of us would have been eliminated this time. In that extreme cold, I couldn’t even start a fire.”

After speaking, Yang Feng was about to take Jenny to find a room to rest.

But he was jokingly stopped by the boss: ”Pay up.”

”What? We stayed here just yesterday, and we’ve talked for so long, and we still need to pay?”

Yang Feng grimaced and said.

Listening to the boss boast for so long was nothing more than trying to save some money for the next town, wasn’t it?

But the boss shook his head seriously and said, ”One thing doesn’t cancel out another, pay up; it’s still the old price.”

Damn it!

Yang Feng paid up with a sullen face.

...

Over on Chen Wen’s side.

After deciding to continue ahead, the two became more cautious.

They stayed close to the shoreline as they walked.

Walking slowly like that, the riverbanks on both sides gradually rose.

Looking at the steep banks, Chen Wen clicked his tongue: ”This terrain is quite treacherous; it’s difficult whether going up or down.”

Hua Yun agreed with a nod: ”Indeed, it’s tough, but without carrying items, it’s possible to slide down from the curved area over there, like sliding on sand. The sandy soil on this part of the riverbank is quite soft.”

Chen Wen nodded slightly.

With this conversation, the two relaxed a bit.

Following the river’s path, Hua Yun planned to lead Chen Wen to avoid the confluence point and bypass closer to the center of the Yukon River.

”Pay attention from now on; we’re going to circle from the center, and we might encounter weaker ice layers.”

Hua Yun reminded Chen Wen.

Chen Wen nodded and took a deep breath as he looked at the vast, white ice cover.

Ahead.

Hua Yun used a modified snow staff—its tip tied with a bundle of animal hide—to clear the snow.

She judged the reliability of the ice ahead based on the snow color.

Chen Wen had read about this method of determining ice thickness online.

According to the data, under normal circumstances, transparent ice blocks are the thinnest.

These blocks allow light to pass through, enabling people to see inside from the outside.

When stepped on, they collapse and are extremely dangerous.

Next are the grayish-white or white, frothy ice layers, which are also fragile but somewhat thicker than transparent blocks.

This type of ice is usually about ten centimeters thick.

Light steps might be fine, but heavier steps can easily break the ice and people will fall into the water.

Unless necessary, one should avoid walking on them.

Then there are light blue ice layers.

These light blue layers are quite thick.

Typically over twenty centimeters, and they can support a person no problem.

Even a heavy person won’t break through.

As for even thicker ones, the material also mentioned green or black ice layers.

These layers are virtually unbreakable, even able to support vehicles driving over them with no issues.

Except for the hundred-ton ones.

Through the path cleared by Hua Yun, Chen Wen noticed that the ice here was light blue.

Additionally, the bubbles and pockets within the ice were very few.

It was considered a very standard thick ice block.

After scouting over twenty meters, seeing such thick ice here.

Hua Yun felt assured.

She signaled Chen Wen to pick up the pace and follow.

The duo quickly moved across the ice layer, with the reindeer trotting alongside.

But just as they had covered a hundred meters, rounding the confluence point.

Suddenly, the reindeer’s foot slipped.

With legs sprawling like an octopus, the entire reindeer crashed heavily to the ice.

”Oh dear, how did it fall?”

Chen Wen quickly reached out, pulling the reindeer up.

Though the reindeer could navigate effortlessly on the ice, once down, it wasn’t easy to stand again.

Fortunately, the snow here was thick, and with Chen Wen’s help, the reindeer stood up directly.

It shook off the snow on its body and softly called twice.

As if to complain about the snow here.

Chen Wen reached out, patting the reindeer’s chest, shaking off the last of the snow.

Just when he was about to continue, catching up with Hua Yun.

The snow crushed by the reindeer caught Chen Wen’s attention.

”Why does the ice layer here look...”

Chen Wen extended his hand, sweeping away the snow on the ice layer with his gloved hand.

Taking a closer look.

Chen Wen’s expression changed: ”Hua Yun! Be careful! The ice layer here is very thin!”

As he spoke, Hua Yun also sensed something was wrong.

The reindeer’s fall seemed to trigger a butterfly effect.

The cracking noises echoed around them.

Like demonic tentacles from nowhere, fissures spread rapidly across the ice.

”Damn! I really don’t like this sound!”

Cursing, Chen Wen squatted down, increasing body contact with the ice.

Hua Yun did the same, swiftly lying down, and shouted, ”The ice layer is starting to fracture, try to lower your center of gravity.”

”I’ll certainly lower it, but the reindeer doesn’t understand that!”

Chen Wen said, glancing at the reindeer’s feet.

The cracks beneath its hooves, just looking at them gave Chen Wen a sense of dread.

”What should we do?”

Chen Wen was a bit flustered, as this was his first time facing such a situation.

Even though he had studied self-rescue methods for this scenario ahead of time.

But Hua Yun remained extremely calm: ”Don’t panic, it’s just cracking, not breaking through yet, we’re still safe.”

”Now, lower your center of gravity, untie the reindeer’s rope, let it go ashore, along with the lynx and Golden Eagle.”

Chen Wen quickly steadied himself.

Kneeling on the ice, he slowly loosened the rope of the now agitated reindeer.

”Go to the shore, walk slowly.”

Chen Wen patted the reindeer’s back, directing it to move slowly.

As for the Golden Eagle and lynx, they took off as Chen Wen spoke.

The Golden Eagle was now hovering high up, watching Chen Wen nervously.

”Okay, now what?”