King of the Wilderness

Chapter 700: Chapter 332: The Cunning Crime Syndicate! (Part 3)

”No, Captain.” Lin Yu’an shook his head, pointing to the almost pitch-black darkness and increasingly thick fog around them, his tone grave, ”We’ve lost our greatest advantage—visibility. Tracking them has lost its meaning.”

”In this environment, let alone tracking, we can’t even see the path beneath our feet. If we rashly pursue them now, it’s not capture, it’s suicide.”

Lin Yu’an glanced at Yang Zhen’s watch, the hour hand had just pointed to 5:45 in the afternoon.

”Captain, the cloudy sky combined with dense fog has made it dark at least an hour and a half earlier than we expected. The temperature is also dropping rapidly. If we don’t find shelter and make a fire, all of us are at risk of hypothermia.”

Yang Zhen was silent; he could feel the icy fog piercing through his combat uniform like countless needles. He knew every word Lin Yu’an said was true.

The burning battle intent of catching up with the enemy, amidst the cold reality and absolute darkness, was quickly cooled down.

As a commander, he absolutely cannot gamble with the lives of his brothers on an uncertain result.

Yang Zhen’s voice carried a strong sense of reluctance, but more than that, the calmness of a commander, ”Everyone, cease pursuit! Move immediately into defensive stance! Teacher Lin, you’re responsible for finding a suitable shelter for camping in the shortest possible time!”

”Yes!”

With an order, the squad’s action targets instantly switched. The tension of pursuit temporarily faded, replaced by a sense of urgency, a race against time and the cold.

They must establish a warm and safe camp in this perilous dark jungle.

”Everyone, follow me! Move upwards!” Lin Yu’an didn’t hesitate, immediately pointing out the direction, ”Dense fog and cold air will gather in the lower valleys, we must quickly climb to mid-mountain to find a dry location and avoid moisture traps!”

The seven immediately changed direction, no longer following the creek bank, but began to climb the side slope. Their movements were swift and orderly, this time the purpose was no longer tracking, but survival.

During the climb, Lin Yu’an entered a multitasking mode.

While using his rich geomorphology knowledge to look for the orientation of rock faces that might hide rock shelters or caves, he constantly issued commands: ”Xiaowang! The fallen tree to your left, cut several sections from the core part to bring along! It’s the best kindling!”

”Did everyone see those pine trees? Collect the driest pine needles accumulated beneath them! The more the better!”

”Captain, on our route, don’t miss any branches that appear dry! We need a lot of fuel to fight this cold and wet night!”

Yang Zhen immediately turned his orders into tactical instructions, conveying them to every soldier. Thus, this elite pursuit squad instantly became an efficient fuel collection team.

Each person’s tactical backpack was secured with several segments of precious dry wood on the outside, or filled with easily ignitable pine needles and wood shavings in spare pockets.

After climbing approximately a hundred meters in elevation, Lin Yu’an’s steps finally halted. He pulled apart a banana leaf covered with water droplets; the sight before them gave everyone a sigh of relief.

It was a massive rock face towering dozens of meters high, and at the mid-to-low part of the rock face was a naturally inward-curving, semi-open rock shelter.

”This is it!” Lin Yu’an’s voice carried a hint of relieved joy, ”The perfect A-level shelter! Windbreaker, dry, with a natural cover, and only one front to defend!”

The squad quickly entered the rock shelter, the ground beneath their feet was dry sandy soil, starkly contrasting the wet and cold mud outside akin to another world.

Yang Zhen didn’t hesitate at all, immediately starting to issue commands. His voice echoed in the spacious rock shelter, sounding concise and full of strength.

”Squad leader, Xiaowang, perimeter guard! Others, start the fire immediately!” 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

The warriors sprang into action; two quickly set up at the perimeter of the rock shelter, using rocks and trees to construct mutual frontal and hidden guards to guard against potential threats hidden in the fog.

Meanwhile, Lin Yu’an, along with Yang Zhen and the remaining soldiers, immersed themselves in the task of igniting the fire of life.

Lin Yu’an went to the cleared ground center, piled the dry pine needles and wood shavings collected on the way together, and expertly built an internal hollow kindling stack with small dry branches.

Just after finishing all this, he took out his Fire Starter Jar made from Wood Hoof Fungus from his backpack, ready to start a fire when...

”Whoosh—poof!”

A soft noise, an orange-yellow flame suddenly lit up in front of him.

Lin Yu’an was stunned.

Looking up, he saw Captain Yang Zhen squatting in front of him, holding a windproof lighter that exuded a metallic texture, looking at him with a gaze mixed with appreciation and a hint of teasing.

”Teacher Lin,” Yang Zhen’s lips showed a relaxed smile for the first time, ”Survival expert, your Fire Starter Jar is indeed an artwork, but on the battlefield, efficiency is life, use this.”

As he spoke, he brought the flickering flame close to the kindling stack Lin Yu’an had carefully built.

The dry pine needles caught the open flame, instantly igniting with a loud roar! The blazing flame rose up greedily scorching the surrounding dry branches, producing reassuring crackling sounds!

Lin Yu’an looked at the easily ignited bonfire in front of him, then at the ancient Fire Starter Jar in his hand still emitting residual warmth, momentarily caught between crying and laughing.

He shook his head, carefully put the Fire Starter Jar back in his backpack, genuinely lamenting, ”Modern civilization indeed has its reason.”

Yang Zhen chuckled, patting his shoulder: ”No. The most reliable reason is always the skills mastered within your own mind.”

The flames burned fiercely, their glowing light illuminating the entire rock shelter, thoroughly dispelling the wet cold and darkness brought by the thick fog.

The fire was lit, but the defensive fortifications weren’t completed.

”Fire alone is not enough,” Yang Zhen’s expression grew serious again, ”We need a physical barrier.”

He ordered: ”Groups of two, search fifty meters outward from the camp, collect any dry, thorny, tangled branches and vines, the more the better! Pile them all in front of the camp, construct a circular barricade!”

”Yes!”

The warriors immediately got up, turned on their tactical headlamps, and two bright beams pierced through the thick fog, disappearing into the dark jungle.

They soon returned dragging large bundles of dry branches and thorny vines, stacking them in front of the camp entrance in the seemingly chaotic manner Lin Yu’an had taught them, partially supporting and hanging them.

A dozen minutes later, a waist-high circular barrier of thorns fully locked the entrance to the rock shelter, leaving only a narrow passage guarded by a warrior.

Having done all that, the seven could finally sit around the bonfire, taking a short breath.

The atmosphere remained grave, yet in the glow of the fire and the layers of defensive structures, each heart was filled with a sense of safety known as the battlefield.

——

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