King of the Wilderness

Chapter 361: Chapter 219: Guarding a Miracle (Part 2)

”Beep—38.7℃.”

”Temperature is normal, very healthy.” He quickly entered the data into the recorder.

Next was the heart rate and blood oxygen. This measurement was a bit tricky, requiring December to remain relatively calm.

He took out the custom-made ear clip pulse oximeter for animals. The clip was small, just enough to clip onto the edge of December’s ear.

The little guy was unhappy with the ”little clip” suddenly attached to his ear and immediately started shaking his head, trying to fling it off.

”Hey, don’t move, don’t move, it’ll just take a second.” Lin Yu’an steadied its head with one hand while holding the recorder with the other, his eyes fixed on the numbers starting to appear on the screen.

The heart rate readings fluctuated rapidly between 140, 135, and 150, clearly due to the little guy’s nervousness.

Lin Yu’an waited patiently, gently stroking its chin with his fingers to help it relax.

Finally, after a few seconds, December seemed to get used to the foreign object on its ear and gradually calmed down.

The heart rate reading on the screen stabilized at 125 beats per minute, and the blood oxygen saturation displayed as 98%.

”Heart rate 125, blood oxygen 98%, hmm, for an active cub, this heart rate is a bit fast, but it’s entirely within the normal range. Blood oxygen saturation is ideal.” He muttered as he entered the data.

The most challenging part was measuring weight and length. He first tried to place December directly on the scale, but the little guy wouldn’t cooperate at all. Just as he was put down, he immediately twisted to climb off, making stable readings impossible.

”Alright, it looks like direct measurement isn’t going to work.” Lin Yu’an shook his head helplessly.

He glanced at December, already playing with a red rubber ball, smiled at the camera, and said, ”This little guy is too energetic. Forcing a measurement would only scare it. We’ll have to wait until it falls asleep to measure weight and length.”

After saying this, he put the electronic scale and measuring tape away again, marking the currently impossible-to-measure data items on the electronic recorder as ”pending.”

Then he began to write a preliminary behavioral log summary for the afternoon:

”The cub is in excellent spirits, very energetic, with increased interaction with humans. It shows vigilance towards the new environment (snowstorm).”

”However, emotions are stable within the safe shelter. During afternoon playtime, it has shown initial hunting instincts like pouncing and tearing.”

After completing all of this, he finally felt his stomach growling. He’d been busy for most of the day and hadn’t had a chance to eat lunch.

Lin Yu’an carried December back to its wolf-skin bed, and the little guy immediately started playing with the red rubber ball again. Meanwhile, Lin Yu’an began preparing his dinner.

He chose not to deal with the Snowshoe Rabbit and only wanted a simple, quick meal that would also provide lots of calories.

He took down a fillet of lake trout that had been dried over the Crossbeam of the shelter.

After a few days of drying, the surface of the fillet had formed a slightly hard outer shell, locking in most of the internal oils and moisture.

He cut a thick piece of the fillet, threaded it onto a sharpened stick, and roasted it over the hearth’s embers.

Soon, the fish fillet began sizzling on the fire, and the oils concentrated during the drying process were quickly drawn out by the high heat.

Occasionally, a few drops of fish oil would fall onto the charcoal below, sparking small flames and releasing a rich, smoky aroma.

The surface of the fish became charred and crispy, while the inside remained moist and tender. This was an extremely primitive cooking method and the best choice for replenishing energy.

Lin Yu’an ate the grilled fish in large bites, feeling the high protein and fat provide a sense of fullness and warmth, quickly replenishing the energy he spent building in the snow today.

December seemed to be drawn by the intense aroma of the grilled meat, first pausing its play with the ball, though still holding it, then lifting its little head to watch him.

It then ran to his feet, looking up with its trademark pitiful eyes.

”No, you definitely can’t eat this, little one.” Lin Yu’an chuckled, tearing off a small piece of the fish’s tender, uncooked inner flesh, cooling it down before offering it to its mouth.

This piece of pure, unseasoned fish was a small reward for its ”uncooperative medical check-up” today.

December instantly extended its pink little tongue, sweeping it away in one go, contentedly chewing it up. However, that wonderful taste was all too brief.

When the last hint of the fish’s fresh aroma faded from its taste buds, the little guy licked its nose, eyes like black beans full of yearning.

It didn’t beg as eagerly as before but instead tilted its furry little head, making a soft whimpering sound from its throat.

It seemed to be silently asking in its gentlest manner, ”Really... can’t have just one more bite?”

Lin Yu’an understood all its emotions, felt his heart soften, and laughed as he rubbed its little head, gently saying, ”That’s enough for today, little glutton.”

The comforted little creature then contently lay down, curling up at his feet like a warm snowball.

Seeing it settle down, Lin Yu’an started cleaning up his tools and added enough logs to the fireplace to ensure warmth throughout the night.

Outside, the wind continued to howl furiously, and the thuds of large piles of snow sliding off the roof could be heard, but inside the shelter, it was as warm as spring.

December seemed to have regained some energy, abandoning the rubber ball it had grown bored of, redirecting its ”attack target” toward Lin Yu’an.