King of the Wilderness

Chapter 345: Chapter 216: An Unexpected Surprise! (10,000 Words, Double Chapter)

After confirming that this was a safe and edible thing, it no longer hesitated. With a flick of its long tongue, it rolled the small piece of fish into its mouth.

This was the first time, in a true sense, December tasted solid food. Its mouth began to clumsily move, and for the first time, the not yet fully grown sharp baby teeth found their purpose.

To it, this was an unparalleled wonderful experience. The deliciousness of the fish blossomed completely on its taste buds. A small piece of fish was quickly swallowed down its stomach, and after eating, December seemed unsatisfied.

It raised its head, looking at Lin Yu’an with clear eyes, then kept nudging its little head against his outstretched palm, its moist nose sniffing around, trying to find even the slightest trace of the fish’s scent.

That affectionate yet greedy appearance unwittingly struck Lin Yu’an’s heart.

He gently stroked December’s furry back with his other hand, whispering, ”That’s all, you little glutton, today you can only eat this much. When you grow a bit bigger, I’ll give you a whole one.”

Lin Yu’an withdrew his hand and finished the remaining roasted Red Spot Salmon. This celebratory dinner seemed exceptionally delicious because of the small sharer.

As night deepened, the wind outside the shelter grew more piercing.

Compared to the cold and frozen world outside, inside the shelter was warm and peaceful.

Lin Yu’an cleaned up the remnants of dinner and began to prepare for the night’s rest. He did not casually discard the leftover fish bones and skins but rather carefully poked them into the warm embers in the fireplace with two sharpened sticks.

”Sizzle——”

The grease and moisture left on the bones evaporated instantly when they met the searing hot coals, producing a soft crackle. Soon, the burnt smell replaced the fish’s aroma, which was exactly what Lin Yu’an intended.

This is one of the most thorough ways to dispose of organic waste in the wild; high-temperature coals completely carbonize these residues, burning them into odorless ashes, thereby eliminating sources of scents that might attract keen-sensed predators.

After doing all this, he then moved the remaining charcoal in the fireplace to one side and covered it with a thick layer of ashes, making a ”fire seed.”

The Ashes of Grass and Wood is an excellent insulator. It effectively isolates air, allowing charcoal to smolder slowly in the oxygen-deficient environment, continuously emitting weak heat to maintain the shelter’s temperature, and ensuring easy ignition of new kindling in the morning.

Then he turned his eyes towards December.

The little guy seemed abundantly satisfied after tasting its first bite of fish, and along with the high-energy ”substitute milk” it drank earlier beginning to take effect in its small stomach, it was now a bit drowsy.

Lin Yu’an chuckled, turned around, walked to the corner where he stored supplies, and retrieved the wolf pelt still carrying a smoky and bloody scent.

In past days, this wolf pelt served as a moisture-proof and cold-insulating layer under the sleeping bag. He planned to create a luxurious exclusive bed for December.

He headed to the warmest spot in the shelter, next to the side of the fireplace but at a safe distance. The floor here, warmed by the ongoing radiating heat from the fireplace stones, was dry and warm, the most stable temperature zone in the shelter.

First, he laid a thick layer of pine needles and dry grass on the ground. These fluffy plant fibers, filled with stagnant air, are excellent materials for constructing an insulating layer. Then he placed the wolf pelt fur-side up over it.

A warm, soft ”luxurious bear den” with a faint leather and smoky scent was thus born.

”Alright, December, come take a look.” He gently picked up the already drowsy little furball and placed it on the wolf pelt.

December’s four little paws first sunk into the thick, soft wolf fur, an unprecedented sensation of being enveloped in warmth and smoothness came over it.

It curiously sniffed with its nose, smelled the unfamiliar scent of another powerful predator, which not only did not scare it, but made it even more excited, rolling multiple times on the soft wolf pelt like a cat discovering a new toy.

Finally, it curled up into a nearly perfect white ball of fur, contentedly ready to sleep. Seeing that it seemed to really like the new bed, Lin Yu’an smiled in satisfaction.

He returned to the other side of the shelter and slipped into his sleeping bag.

However, just as he closed his eyes and began to drift off, a faint ”rustle” and ”click” sound pulled him back to reality.

He opened his eyes to see a white figure climbing down from the ”luxury suite.”

December wasn’t staying obediently on its new bed.

With a clear target in mind, it walked over to Lin Yu’an’s sleeping bag and began to stubbornly nudge the zipper head with its little head, trying to get in.

Lin Yu’an couldn’t help but chuckle: ”Hey, December, go back to your own bed, it’s much more comfortable than mine.”

He reached out, picked up December, and placed it back on the soft wolf pelt bed.

Upon returning to his sleeping bag and just pulling up the zipper, that familiar ”click-click” sound rang out again.

As expected, that white little stubborn one crawled over once more.

”Go back.”