King of the Wilderness

The plane landed in Nain, a small Inuit town at the northernmost point of Newfoundland and Labrador Province, Canada.

As Lin Yu’an stepped out of the cramped cabin, a cold current mixed with the salty sea breeze and glacial air, even fiercer than in Alaska, instantly filled his lungs.

The air was as piercing as shards of glass, invigorating his spirit.

This was the last station of civilization on the way to the Frozen Throne.

The person who came to pick him up was his long-time friend, the executive producer, Mark.

”Lin!” Mark gave him a strong hug, patting him heavily on the back.

”You look even more robust than when you were at Chilco Lake! I’ve heard you’ve built a beautiful log cabin in Alaska.”

”You too, Mark, it seems you’ve been working hard in the gyms of Los Angeles,” Lin Yu’an replied with a smile, lightly punching his shoulder.

”Let’s go, first to the base.” Mark led him to a pickup truck belonging to the show crew.

”According to the rules, you need to undergo a three-day quarantine and final preparations.”

”This time is different, Lin. The contestants we’ve invited, each one of them is here for your ’Season 8 Champion’ title. You’ll be the target of everyone.”

Lin Yu’an’s expression remained unchanged: ”I understand, Mark, and I’m looking forward to competing with them!”

In the town’s only modest wooden-built hotel, Lin Yu’an, carrying his expedition backpack, walked into a narrow corridor. He was assigned to a simply furnished room.

As he was looking for his room number, a door beside him opened.

A woman with long hair and a unique aura stepped out, wearing a homemade deer hide vest, her eyes serene yet full of wisdom.

Their eyes met, both slightly taken aback.

Lin Yu’an instantly recognized her—Vonia Siton, the runner-up of Season 6, a true master of traditional crafts.

Vonia also recognized him, offering a friendly smile and a nod as a greeting, then heading straight toward the stairway.

No extra pleasantries, the initial meeting between strong individuals was filled with silent appraisal.

Lin Yu’an found his room and put down his gear.

Instead of resting, he took out the Damascus Hunting Knife handcrafted by Old George and the Arkansas Stone given by Stan and began a meditative sharpening process.

The fine grinding stone gently slid over the hard blade, producing a calming ”scratch... scratch...” sound.

He needed this process to quickly get into the right mindset.

When he finished, the knife’s edge exhibited a nearly invisible white line, gleaming with cold brilliance.

The next morning, the six legendary contestants were summoned for the first time to the show’s temporary conference room.

This was their first formal meeting and the location for the final gear check and safety briefing.

The room was simply furnished, with a large long table, six chairs, and several already-on cameras around.

When Lin Yu’an opened the door, there were already five contestants in the room, and he immediately felt the oppressive atmosphere.

Executive producer Mark clapped his hands, a characteristic smile on his face, breaking the silence as everyone gathered.

”Alright, everyone, now that we’re all here, welcome to Labrador!”

”Before we announce the final rules, we have some time. I know many of you are meeting for the first time. So, I suggest everyone introduce themselves first.”

”Kelly, would you like to start? Tell everyone who you are, where you’re from, and why you’ve returned this time.”

Kelly raised her head, revealing her signature, sun-like smile: ”Hi, I’m Kelly Russell, 31 years old, a contestant from Season 7, lasted 89 days, but was forced to withdraw due to severe frostbite on my toes.”

”I’m back because I love this life, and I want to see what gifts nature will give me on this new land.”

Mark turned his gaze to Vonia: ”Vonia, you’re one of the strongest female contestants in the history of Alone in the Wilderness. Tell everyone your story.”

Vonia opened her eyes, her voice gentle yet powerful: ”I’m Vonia Siton, 45 years old, lasted 73 days in Season 6.”

”I’m a practitioner of primitive skills, adept at using animal hides and bones to create warmth and tools for myself. I’m here to see if, on this harsher land, my skills can take me further.”

”Michelle.” Mark turned to another woman.

”You’re from Maine’s snowy world, where the environment is quite familiar to you.”

Michelle Finn’s response was full of confidence: ”I’m Michelle, 47 years old, a contestant from Season 8, lasted 63 days. Cold is my old friend, and last time, I missed the endpoint due to a small mistake.”

”I’m back to correct that mistake and take what belongs to me.” She glanced at Lin Yu’an, her eyes full of challenge.

”Speaking of mistakes.” Mark looked at the youngest contestant with the sharpest gaze.

”Colton, as the youngest hunter among us, what do you have to say this time?”

Colton tightened his grip on the recurved bow, his battle intent unabashed: ”I’m Colton Rollins, 23 years old, a contestant from Season 8, lasted 59 days. Last time, I was too young and made mistakes I shouldn’t have.”

”This time, I’m more prepared. My bow and traps will be more deadly than before! My goal is only one—to become the final winner and take away 500,000 US Dollars!”

Amos adjusted his glasses: ”I’m Amos Rodriguez, 40 years old, lasted 58 days in Season 7. I’m a retired special forces soldier and a primitive skills instructor.”

”For me, this is not just a competition, but a deep spiritual journey. I want to validate the knowledge I’ve acquired on this land.”

Finally, all the spotlights focused on Lin Yu’an.

The atmosphere in the room became somewhat subtle at this moment. He was the only real champion here.

Mark also sensed this atmosphere, and with a slightly teasing and provocative tone, he said, ”Alright, Lin, our only champion.”

”You’ve already taken a million US Dollars and built your own kingdom in Alaska.”

”Tell these people who want to challenge your throne, why are you coming back? Is it because your fireplace at home isn’t big enough?”

Mark’s joke elicited a slight chuckle, but the gaze of all the legendary contestants remained as sharp as a knife, staring at Lin Yu’an.

Lin Yu’an slowly stood up. Unlike the others, he did not explain his philosophy, goals, or his mental journey.

He just calmly scanned the room, then, in an extremely flat tone, said something that plunged the entire room into dead silence.

”I am Lin Yu’an.”

”The champion of the eighth season.”

”Survived for 93 days at Chilco Lake.”

”During that time, I hunted a mule deer and a full-grown black bear.”

No adjectives, no emotions, just a string of undeniable facts.

93 days, this number, had already surpassed everyone’s records.

In the history of ”Alone in the Wilderness,” contestants mostly drove off, avoided, or in extremely passive situations, defended against bears.

But to have successfully hunted a full-grown black bear like Lin Yu’an, he is the only one!

In that moment, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

”The reason I’m back this time is simple.”

”I’ve returned to accept your challenges.”

”The throne is here; bring it on!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room fell silent.

The cameraman and Mark exchanged glances and saw the uncontrollable excitement in each other’s eyes! They knew that the effect they wanted had been achieved.

A true king had issued his kingly declaration to all challengers!

”Very good.” The executive producer Mark was very satisfied with this answer.

He stepped forward, continuing to control the situation: ”So, welcome back, all you legends!”

”Each of you left last time with regret. Thus, we have established this ’Frozen Throne,’ giving you a chance to prove yourselves again!”

”Now, let’s announce the final rules...”

He paused, his tone becoming extremely solemn: ”But this time, the rules are more brutal than ever before.”

”Your only goal is to be the last survivor and win the final prize of five hundred thousand US Dollars!”

Mark added: ”If, on the fiftieth day, there is more than one contestant surviving, they will split the prize! But believe me, winter in Labrador will not make this happen easily.”

”However, if anyone refuses to split the prize, the two will enter a playoff. If after 15 days there is still no winner, it will be forcibly ended.”

”The show will compare contestants’ physical data with the first day’s data; the one who has lost the least weight, or is in the overall best health, will win.”

Then Mark continued: ”You are all experienced experts, so I won’t waste words, we only look at the data.”

He pointed at a weather report on the iPad: ”Your deployment time is early November, meaning you will have no acclimation period and go directly into early winter in Labrador.”

”First, the temperature.” He tapped the screen.

”Within a week of deployment, the average nighttime temperature will stabilize at minus fifteen degrees, and according to historical data, you will face sustained low temperatures below minus thirty degrees in December! But that’s not the scariest part.”

His finger moved across the map to the vast Labrador Sea.

”The scariest part is the wind. This is the North Atlantic storm corridor, with constant, over sixty kilometers per hour cold winds being commonplace. With wind chill, the sensory temperature of minus fifteen degrees can easily drop below minus thirty degrees.”

”Any exposed skin can suffer severe frostbite in just a few minutes! Your shelters will constantly face the most rigorous tests.”

Upon hearing this, even Michelle Finn from Maine, her expression became grave; she knew the severity of wind chill.

”Secondly, food procurement. By early November, plant-based food on land will have disappeared entirely, and the activity of most small mammals will drastically decrease. How effective your tripwires are will entirely depend on luck.”

He pointed at a seawater temperature chart: ”Your best hope is in the water. But by mid to late November, the surface seawater temperature of the fjords will approach freezing.”

”There will start to appear large amounts of drift ice and pancake ice on the sea surface, which means your stinging net and fishing lines will constantly be at risk of being entangled and cut by ice blocks.”

”And when the bay finally freezes over completely, your water-based food activities may come to a complete halt!”

All the legends present became extremely serious, especially the contestants with stinging nets, their expressions turned for the worse.

————

(Once again asking for monthly tickets, hoping to reach 6600~)

(Thank you, brothers, for your support, I look at every single monthly ticket.)