Starting from Robinson Crusoe

Just as Chen Zhou anticipated, the blizzard that had not undergone prolonged brewing was like a castle in the air, unable to last long.

The fierce wind was the first to die down, and the snow continued for a while longer, with the snowflakes visibly shrinking and not as densely packed as before.

As the wind weakened, the daylight outside the cave soon became visible.

The slow-paced breathing deep within the cave remained unchanged. Chen Zhou wiped his nose with the back of his hand, looked at the Long Saber flashing coldly nearby, and finally decided to spare the cave’s owner.

Although the blizzard didn’t last long and was unlikely to take his life from a hindsight perspective, staying outside throughout it would certainly have been tough.

The creature hibernating in the cave surely didn’t foresee serving a group of special guests helping them escape the blizzard.

Everything was unintentional and happened by chance.

But ultimately, Chen Zhou was still inadvertently sheltered by the cave’s owner.

Under normal circumstances, if he hadn’t filled his belly, Chen Zhou would never let go of a beast delivered right at the door. But this time, having "received a favor," he couldn’t just turn hostile immediately, so he let it be.

Moreover, this creature, most likely a Cave Bear, provided Chen Zhou with new inspiration—

Perhaps once he returned to the Shelter, he could explore along the mountainside, searching at the edge of the pine forest for the burrows dug by bears during hibernation, or sturdy large trees.

Winter had just begun, and hibernating animals had accumulated a lot of body fat which hadn’t been consumed much yet.

Originally, Chen Zhou planned to rely on fishing to acquire fat reserves—

Fish have thick subcutaneous fat, and although fish oil is rather fishy, it’s a decent source of fat.

But observing by the riverside these days, fishing at this time might be quite challenging; the weather’s too cold, and fish are hiding in deep waters. Unless using nets to catch them, relying on fishing is definitely unreliable.

Furthermore, since there are no worms to be found now, only animal entrails can be used as bait, and the strong stench of these entrails might attract hungry beasts before any fish are caught.

Compared to this, creatures like bears, Beavers, and Giant Sloths, be they hibernating or non-hibernating burrowing animals, are far more suitable than fish.

Not only because they live on land, but also because of their large size, slaughtering one would yield at least fifty to sixty pounds of fat, saving time and effort.

Moreover, long-furred animals provide not only fat but also usable fur.

Fur is also a critically needed resource for them right now.

...

Having decided to spare the beast in the cave, Chen Zhou didn’t delay.

He patiently waited for a while, confirmed that the blizzard was unlikely to return, then awoke the Saw-toothed Tiger huddling together, and led them out of the cave.

Besides wanting to quickly obtain salt rocks and complete the task to return to the Shelter, Chen Zhou’s urgency was also because the smell inside the cave was truly unbearable—

To a person with keen senses like him, the pervasive stench and fishy smell within the cave were nothing short of torture.

Perhaps the Saw-toothed Tiger was inherently adapted to such odors, but he couldn’t endure it.

...

After the blizzard, the grassland which was dominated by shades of yellow and gray was conquered by white.

A layer of soft snow covered the ground.

The wind had significantly diminished, with occasional gusts kicking up some thin snowflakes, which no longer bore the chill of the earlier snowfall.

However, Chen Zhou knew this seemingly calm and harmless scene was indeed deceiving.

People living in the north understand, it’s not cold while snowing, but it’s cold when it melts.

As the snow begins to melt, the wild will be enveloped by bone-chilling cold.

Winter days are short, and the blizzard had delayed some time. The sun was already close to setting.

Fortunately, without the wind and snow impeding sight now, Chen Zhou could see the forest and the Mound in the distance, learning from experience, he dared not linger in the open areas and hurried toward the forest with the Saw-toothed Tiger, starting a fire there.

The forest could shield against wind and snow and offered ample fuel; hiding here, even if the blizzard returned, there would at least be a barrier against the wind.

...

A post-snow outdoor stay certainly cannot be called pleasant.

After nightfall, the already cold temperature dropped further, and the temporarily paused wind started blowing again.

Chen Zhou carefully chose a spot sheltered by a few trees growing together, complemented by a cluster of leafless bushes nearby for cover.

But without a roof overhead, no matter how tightly sealed around, it couldn’t stop the wind from sweeping down unabated.

The bonfire burned brightly, and Chen Zhou threw himself into chopping firewood, tossing them into the fire.

He even pulled out several bushes, trimmed them with his saber, and stuffed them whole into the fire.

The flames were exceedingly bright, and staying close indeed provided sufficient warmth.

Yet as soon as he retreated a bit, leaving a gap for the wind between himself and the fire, it would invade mercilessly, making the warmth he had barely felt become negligible or disappear entirely.

More annoying is, the wind fuels the fire.

The perpetual wind indeed made the bonfire burn brighter, yet also accelerated the rate of fuel consumption.

Chen Zhou pulled Tiger First and Tiger Second to his back to serve as pillows, while Tiger Third stayed at his side acting as another wind-blocking wall to shield him from the other side of the incoming wind.

He dared not lie down.

Firstly, the ground was icy; lying down not only failed to retain heat but increased its consumption.

Secondly, he couldn’t sleep too deeply, needing to wake up at least six times throughout the night to continually add fuel to the fire so it could last until dawn.