King of the Wilderness

A hunting arrow was strung, the arrowhead specially designed for hunting birds and other small prey, ensuring maximum preservation of the meat’s integrity.

His target was not limited to a single species but included all living creatures in this transitional zone between the coniferous forest and tundra that could provide him with precious fat and red meat.

”This seemingly lifeless snowy forest is actually full of hidden vitality,” his breath quickly dissipating into the air.

”In winter, most mammals reduce their activity to conserve energy.”

He moved with a nearly soundless stealthy step, mentally listing the most realistic prey for the day.

”So, the active hunting targets must be focused on those few cold-resistant, relatively active species.”

”First, is the birds.” He lowered his voice, his pupils slightly contracting, and began to carefully scan between the treetops and the snow-covered ground.

”There are mainly two types of grouse in this forest.”

”The rock Thunderbird and its close relative, the lyrebird; they’ve donned pure white winter plumage, retaining only some black around the eyes and the tips of their tail feathers, perfectly camouflaging against the snow, making them incredibly difficult to spot.”

”They prefer ground activity, searching for plant buds exposed beneath snow blown open by the wind. Spotting them is almost purely a matter of luck and their footprints left in the snow.”

”And the second kind...” His gaze focused intently on the lower branches of the spruce Tree, where the light was dimmer.

”Which is also my main target today, the spruce grouse. They are completely different, being one of the few grouse that do not change to winter plumage, still bearing mottled dark feathers like tree bark and moss.”

”They spend most of their time perched on the branches of the spruce Tree, feeding on the nutritionally poor spruce needles, developing a habit of minimal activity, making them an expert at static camouflage and a sedentary bird.”

”Finding them tests the purest eyesight and unparalleled patience.”

”Next, is the only mammal still highly active in the snow, the snowshoe Rabbit.”

”They don’t hibernate, and their fur has turned white, but they are extremely alert, with large ears like radars constantly moving, highly sensitive to sound. Trying to shoot a running snowshoe Rabbit in the forest with a bow and arrow is nearly impossible.”

”The only chance is to ambush them while they are still and gnawing on willow or birch bark.”

”Lastly, there is a more cunning opportunist—the red fox.”

”They also do not hibernate, relying on their excellent hearing to catch voles moving beneath the snow that is several dozen centimeters thick. That iconic high leap and plunge into the snow while hunting is their most focused and vulnerable moment.”

”If I encounter a fox in the midst of hunting, I might have a chance to successfully kill it!”

After constructing this winter hunting map in his mind, comprising ”grouse on the trees, snowshoe Rabbits and Thunderbirds on the ground, and the moving red fox,” Lin Yu’an’s senses were heightened to the extreme.

He no longer just stared fixedly at a single point; his vision became broad and fluid.

Carefully discerning any unusual protrusions and outlines on the tree trunks with his central vision, while using his peripheral vision to catch any movement on the snow different from the wind-blown snowflakes.

He also allocated more attention to his hearing, deliberately slowing his breathing, calming his heartbeat, and listening carefully to every sound in the forest beyond the wind.

What he needed to do was to discern the ”noise” created by any prey activity from the monotonous symphony of nature’s notes.

For instance, the ”crunch, crunch” sound when a snowshoe Rabbit gnawed on tree bark, or the rustle of spruce Tree branches as a grouse moved on them.

It was an extremely tedious and mentally exhausting process—the forest was silent, with only his own breathing and the occasional soft sound of the wind through the treetops.

Countless times, Lin Yu’an mistook a strangely shaped burl for a target.

Suddenly, to his right-front, roughly thirty meters away on an old spruce Tree, a silhouette slightly different in texture from the surrounding environment, with a somewhat rounded outline, caught his full attention.

That shadow sat quietly on a thick branch covered with snow, almost merging with the part where it joined the trunk.

If it weren’t for his exceptionally sensitive ”Sixth Sense,” anyone else would have mistaken it for a normal broken branch or tree shadow.

Lin Yu’an immediately took a deep breath, slowly moved his body, leaned against the trunk of a tree in front of him, using the trunk as cover, and raised his recurved bow.

He pulled back halfway, relying on muscle memory to find the most familiar and stable cheek touchpoint as an aiming reference.

The sharp arrow was steadily pointing at that small, almost indistinguishable black silhouette.

Just as he was about to release, the shadow seemed to sense something and moved slightly, revealing a small head!

This was the perfect opportunity, the final window! Lin Yu’an dared not wait any longer; his fingers instantly released!

”Thoom!”

The bowstring sounded with a dull thud! The hunting arrow shot forth like a black lightning, precisely tearing through the thirty or so meters distance!

Time seemed to slow at that moment, the black arrow tracing an almost invisible straight line through the air, precisely striking toward the vague silhouette.