Wilderness Survival with Druid System

Chapter 281: Chapter 104: Other People’s Campsites

The two continued on.

It would usually take five days to reach the campsite, but it took them a full seven days.

The heavy snow and low temperatures made survival difficult and also severely reduced their pace.

Additionally, after the wolf attack.

The reindeer got so scared that it fled into the forest in a panic and never returned.

Chen Wen had no choice but to drag the sled by himself.

Although the sled became much lighter, it still slowed him down.

”Are we almost there?”

Chen Wen looked at the trees around him becoming sparser and asked Hua Yun.

The show’s campsite was set at an abandoned logging site.

The trees surrounding the site weren’t tall and were sparse, making it easy to identify.

Hua Yun looked at the map, then the surroundings: ”We should be close, I think this is... ”

Before Hua Yun could finish, accompanied by the cry of a Golden Eagle, Chen Wen suddenly looked up, glancing to their side: ”There’s something to the side!”

”What?”

Hua Yun was startled and looked over.

This time, what they discovered wasn’t a creature, but a makeshift shelter.

Chen Wen hurriedly dragged the sled closer.

After stopping at the riverbank, Hua Yun and Chen Wen went ashore together.

The two approached the shelter and inspected it thoroughly.

”Looks like no one’s lived here for a long time, at least not since before the heavy snow.”

Chen Wen noted.

Most of the shelter was already buried under snow.

Hua Yun checked the garbage pile at the shelter.

”The garbage pile has mostly animal bones and a small number of plastic trash, mixing things like seasonings. Seems like our people.”

Chen Wen nodded in agreement with Hua Yun’s observation.

After all, apart from them, most who venture into the wild bring portable food instead of seasonings.

”Whose could it be?”

Chen Wen said, stepping into the shelter.

Moments later, he poked his head out: ”I think I know whose it is. This should be Yang Feng and Jenny’s old shelter.”

With that, Chen Wen pulled open the door to show Hua Yun the inside.

”The mattresses are close together, apart from this couple, no one else would sleep like that.”

No fault could be found in this logic.

Hank and Ludwig were both married, obviously not into each other.

Which only leaves Yang Feng and Jenny.

At this moment, Hua Yun made another discovery.

From the bones in the garbage pile, she found some tags.

”They aren’t even pretending, these are rabbits from a farm, and there are even serial numbers!”

Hua Yun seemed a bit angry.

Hearing this, Chen Wen said: ”Could they have bought or traded for them? I remember there are farms near the two towns we passed, and the second town has three or four.”

Hua Yun rolled her eyes at Chen Wen: ”Don’t you remember the rules? We’re not allowed to barter for live animals.”

Ugh, now he remembers.

Chen Wen smacked his forehead, having been so focused on the journey that he forgot many things: ”Damn it, no wonder they moved so fast, turns out the show team was secretly helping them?”

Hua Yun sighed and said helplessly: ”Anyway, we don’t plan to continue surviving further. Just give us the prize money we deserve.”

”Aren’t we exposing the rigged game?”

Chen Wen asked Hua Yun.

Hua Yun shook her head: ”We’re still small players in this. Without a big boss to take the lead, we better not bring it up.”

Chen Wen wasn’t too concerned.

His purpose was simple; helping Hua Yun was one, earning the title was another, along with making money.

Though not a champion, the payout wasn’t too little.

But he still insisted: ”Even so, Abel better pay up!”

”This is an incredibly precious wild solitude spot! And to have it taken out of our hands, there must be extra pay!”

Hua Yun shook her head with a smile, knowing that asking wouldn’t accomplish anything if they weren’t paying up.

...

After examining the campsite situation.

The two didn’t find anything useful, so they continued onward.

But while on the road, Hua Yun remarked: ”Feels like they’ve lived here for quite some time, there’s quite a lot of accumulated trash.”

Chen Wen paused.

Lived for a long time?

”Doesn’t add up?”

”Yeah, since they’re after the championship, there’s no reason for them to stay here so long. Could it be Hank’s team’s had issues?”

Hua Yun pondered, unable to understand why Jenny’s group stayed here.

”Why bother with so much? Let’s just focus on our survival!”

Chen Wen said, suddenly hearing the Golden Eagle’s notification again.

”Humans, there’s another shelter ahead!”

Snowy Owl’s voice followed: ”And it looks a lot like the one here.”

Chen Wen looked in the direction the Golden Eagle was gliding and indeed saw a second shelter.

He exchanged glances with Hua Yun, somewhat surprised.

”This... could it be Hank and Ludwig’s shelter?”

Chen Wen said in surprise.

”Let’s go check it out.”

Hua Yun didn’t hesitate, heading straight for the shelter.

Chen Wen followed closely.

After a careful check, Chen Wen confirmed that it was indeed Ludwig and Hank’s shelter.

Because in this shelter, the moss and pine branches were separated.

And the shelter’s space was relatively large, indicative of its occupancy by two big guys.

But Hua Yun noticed something odd in the garbage pile.

She raised her head and exchanged a look with Chen Wen: ”Very strange, the garbage here is even more, almost twice that of Jenny’s place.”

Two grown men might eat more, but definitely not twice as much.

Unless...

Chen Wen scratched his head and asked: ”Did Hank and his group just stop here after arriving?”

”Definitely, otherwise there’s no way they’d accumulate so much trash!”

Hua Yun said, though she was puzzled: ”They moved fast, so why stop here? Is there something more important than the championship here?”

Something more important than a championship...

Chen Wen joked: ”Other than the Yukon’s specialty—gold, I can’t think of anything else.”

It couldn’t possibly be that the scenery’s so unique, they all plan to settle here, right?

”Strange, really strange.”

Hua Yun shook her head, dismissing the thought.

Chen Wen did the same.

It’s hard to imagine that in a speed survival race, two teams would both choose to camp for long periods at one spot.

”Anyway, since we don’t plan to fight for the championship, let’s not worry so much.”

Hua Yun looked at Chen Wen: ”Let’s go, find the show’s crew camp.”

...

After walking some distance into the forest.

The Golden Eagle and Snowy Owl easily located the crew’s camp.

They swooped down from above, cawing.

The Golden Eagle first said: ”Humans, we found the camp you mentioned, but it’s weird.”

Weird?

Before Chen Wen could think further, Snowy Owl continued: ”There aren’t more humans as you mentioned.”

What the heck?!

Chen Wen was genuinely shocked this time.

No one?

He couldn’t quite believe it, nor comfort himself, thinking: Maybe they’re inside, and the birds didn’t notice?

Chen Wen didn’t say much and walked faster with Hua Yun.

When they reached the camp, the sight left them astonished.

This was indeed the show’s campsite, and there were signs of survival.

But as of now, the place seemed deserted.

Snow had sealed this place off, with snow in front of the houses reaching about thirty centimeters deep, and there was no sign of clearing.

Moreover, there weren’t any footprints in the snow!

This was most perplexing for the two of them.

”Damn, did we stumble into some time-twisting anomaly, messing the timeline up like that tale of the chess-playing man?”

Chen Wen swallowed hard, his imagination running wild: ”Just like that story?”

Hua Yun thought for a moment, recalling the tale of the enchanted go player.

She didn’t believe in ghost stories but spoke seriously: ”Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but whatever the case, something must have happened with the crew.”

”And it’s something big!”

Chen Wen sighed, speaking helplessly: ”My luck is something else—survived three times and twice stumbled upon such eerie crews. Dammit, next time I choose a survival show, I’m definitely digging up every bit of dirt on the crew before deciding.”

Hua Yun barely smiled and said: ”If you want to survive, I can help you find decent crews.”

”But for now, let’s search this camp, see if we can find more clues or resources first.”