253: Chapter 253 Hardships

The heat provided by fresh rabbit meat significantly accelerated his physical recovery, and he even felt the warm current of "Star Visualization" become more refined and active.

That bow also quickly transformed from an unfamiliar weapon into an extension of his limbs, and his hunting skills steadily improved during several subsequent cautious sorties.

His silent trade with the "Neighbor" also became smoother and richer because Ling Ye could steadily provide fresh or air-dried rabbit meat from his own hunts, as well as new edible plant samples he occasionally discovered.

In return, the other party provided not only steady supplies of dried meat, seeds, and beeswax, but occasionally some dried, unknown fungi, or a few fragments of Ore with strange colors that seemed to have some special use.

Although there was still no direct information exchange (the symbol game seemed to be paused), the diversity and quality of the supplies showed that the "Neighbor" utilized the resources of this wilderness far more deeply than Ling Ye.

However, this honeymoon period of the "Wilderness Alliance," which seemed to be on the right track, did not last long.

This land soon reminded them of the essence of survival in the most direct way — impermanence and harshness.

First was the weather.

After several days of relatively stable overcast weather, a violent cold front mixed with hail and freezing rain swept through these hills one night.

The wind sounded like the wailing of thousands of vengeful ghosts, and the hail beat against the rocks and earthen walls, making a dense, drum-like "patter" sound.

The temperature plummeted; although the cave was sheltered from the wind, the damp, cold air still penetrated everything, seeping into his bones.

The firewood Ling Ye had stored was quickly exhausted.

Flint was extremely difficult to ignite in the humid environment.

He curled up on his cold "bed," wrapped in all the rags he could find and that roughly tanned rabbit skin, yet he was still shivering, his teeth chattering, and his whole body stiff.

Every breath brought out white, cold air.

A needle-like stinging pain came from his old wounds (especially in his ribs).

He knew that the "Neighbor's" low shack would only be in a worse situation than his.

He worried whether the fuel and food the other party had stored were enough to withstand this sudden cold wave.

The storm lasted for a day and a night.

When the wind stopped and the rain ceased, and the leaden sky light once again covered the earth, the whole world seemed to have been ransacked.

The lowlands were flooded, the gullies had turned into muddy torrents, many plants were broken, and the ground was a sea of mud.

Ling Ye struggled to crawl out of the cave, and the first thing he did was rush to the Water Source.

The precious seeping rock crevice was still there, but the water flow seemed to have become muddier, carrying down washed-away silt.

He struggled to clean and filter it before he could get any usable water.

Then, he immediately checked the Water Source stone slab.

The stone slab was empty, washed clean by the rain.

There were no new packages, nor any traces left by the "Neighbor."

This was normal; the weather was bad, and one could not go out.

But a trace of uneasiness inexplicably rose in Ling Ye's heart.

He looked towards the southwest, where the hills appeared even more gloomy and silent after the rain.

He endured the biting cold and the stiffness of his body, shouldered his bow, took a few arrows, and decided to go check on the "Neighbor's" situation.

Not to make contact, but to confirm from afar whether the other party was safe.

This was the most basic concern between members of an "Alliance."

He followed the familiar and slippery path, cautiously creeping toward the southwest.

The ground after the rain was muddy and difficult to walk on, with every step leaving deep footprints, but he could not care about covering them up.

When he finally reached the ridge where he could see the hidden depression from afar, the sight before him made his heart sink.

That low shack made of broken canvas and branches had collapsed on one side!

It seemed the supporting branches had snapped in the strong wind, and the heavy canvas and withered branches had collapsed, completely burying the entrance of the shack.

The windbreak wall next to it had also been partially blown down, and the stones of the stove were scattered all over the ground.

The scene was in complete disarray, and there were no signs of anyone moving.

Was the "Neighbor" buried inside?

Or... had they already left?

Ling Ye did not approach immediately.

He lay behind a rock on the ridge, observing intently, while pushing his perception of the "xuanyuan ring" to the limit.

There were no energy fluctuations of life activity.

There was only dead silence, and the damp scent of mud and rotting plants after the rain.

Water had accumulated in the depression, and the canvas of the collapsed shack was soaking in the water.

He waited for nearly an hour.

He did not see any figure crawl out of the ruins, nor was there any cooking smoke or movement.

He could not wait any longer.

Ling Ye gritted his teeth, stepped out from his hiding place, gripped his bow, and cautiously approached the collapsed shack step by step.

On the muddy ground, there were only his own footprints and some small animal paw prints; there were no human ones.

He arrived in front of the shack ruins and used a long branch to carefully lift the collapsed canvas and withered branches.

It was dark inside, filled with a musty smell and the scent of damp earth.

He saw the water-soaked withered grass bedding scattered on the ground, a tipped-over, empty small tin can, some flint, some scattered tools (bone needles, stone awls), and... a small package carefully wrapped in oil paper, but it had been soaked through, and the items inside (it seemed to be dried meat?) had swollen and rotted.

There was no corpse.

No bloodstains.

And no signs of any fighting or struggle.

The "Neighbor" was not inside.

It was very likely that they had already left before the shack collapsed, or when the wind and rain were at their fiercest.

Where did they go?

Had they found a safer temporary shelter?

Or... had they met with misfortune?

Ling Ye's heart sank.

He quickly checked around the ruins.

At the edge of the depression, near a large rock, he found a trail of faint footprints heading deeper into the southwest hills, but they had been washed away by the rain until they were almost unrecognizable, and it seemed there were only footprints leaving, with none returning.

The other party had left.

Perhaps to escape the wind and rain, perhaps to look for a new place to stay, or... to deal with some other emergency.

Ling Ye stood in place, the cold rain mixing with mud, soaking his tattered shoes.

The chill spread from the soles of his feet to his heart.

This sudden "Wind and Frost" had not only destroyed the "Neighbor's" shelter but might have also broken the fragile connection and tacit understanding they had just established.

Losing this stable trading partner and potential ally was, without a doubt, a heavy blow to him.

He silently restored the overturned canvas and branches as much as possible (although it was of no use), and then, on a relatively dry stone next to the shack ruins, he left a small package of his remaining air-dried rabbit meat, carefully wrapped in leaves, along with a few of those black-brown seeds he had previously obtained from the other party.

He did not leave salt; that was his last strategic reserve.

He placed these things on the stone and weighed them down with a small pebble.

Then, he turned around and left this ruin in silence, following the path he had come.

This was the only thing he could do for now.

Leaving a little supplies to show that he had been there, and that the "Alliance" agreement was still valid, wherever the other party was, whether they were alive or dead.

On the way back to his cave, his footsteps were heavier than when he came.

The damp, cold clothes clung to his skin, bringing a biting chill.

Although his stomach had food in it, the emptiness and uneasiness in his heart were harder to endure than hunger.

Returning to the cave, he immediately started a small fire (using the last of his dry tinder and firewood), dried his clothes, and warmed his nearly frozen body.

Then, he began to re-evaluate his situation.

The "Neighbor" was missing, and the trade was interrupted.

He had returned to the state of facing this wilderness alone.

Although he had a bow and his hunting skills were improving, he had lost a stable source of information, extra supplies (such as seeds, beeswax, special Ore), and that intangible, spiritual support.

More importantly, this storm had exposed the inadequacy of his own preparations — fuel reserves, reinforcement of The Shelter to cope with extreme weather, and more diverse food storage methods (such as smoking, more thorough air-drying).

He had to act immediately:

Reinforce the cave: Check the cave entrance and top for leakage or collapse risks, and use whatever stones and mud he could find to reinforce them.

Dig a small "cellar" inside the cave for storing key supplies (tinder, salt, medicine, arrows), and cover it with stone slabs to prevent moisture.

Reserve fuel: Take advantage of the slightly better weather after the rain (though still cold and gloomy) to frantically collect all available dry wood, withered grass, and moss, and dry them in the cave for later use.

Search for more flint and reliable tinder.

Expand hunting and gathering: Under the premise of ensuring safety, expand the hunting range and try new prey (such as birds, although they are harder).

More systematically search for and test new edible plants and tubers.

Try to set up more efficient traps.

Search for the "Neighbor": Under the premise of ensuring his own safety, occasionally conduct limited, extremely covert reconnaissance deeper into the southwest, keeping an eye out for new signs, traces of activity, or new shelters left by the "Neighbor."

But never go deep into dangerous areas, and never hold excessively high expectations.

Self-strengthening: While food is relatively sufficient (for now), increase the intensity of "Star Visualization" cultivation.

Not only to repair his body but to try to further explore the potential of the "Ancient Ring" mark and the "xuanyuan ring," improving his perception of the environment and his own recovery ability and cold resistance.

The plan was cold, and the execution was difficult.

Especially in this gloomy, damp weather where everything became slow and frustrating.

Over the next few days, Ling Ye worked like a tireless worker ant, strictly following the plan.

He reinforced the cave, dug the cellar, and stored enough fuel to cope with a few days of bad weather, even if it wasn't much.

He went out hunting in the rain, only harvesting a skinny gerbil.

Most of the plants he gathered were soaked and rotted by the rain, with very few being edible.

The search for the "Neighbor" yielded nothing.

Further into the southwest, there were only more desolate, broken hills and mud, without any fresh traces of human activity.

The ruins of the collapsed shack still lay quietly in the depression, gradually merging with the surrounding environment.

The package of dried meat and seeds left by the "Neighbor" was also slowly being eroded and spoiled by the wind and rain on the stone.

Hope, like the embers in this cold wave, dimmed bit by bit in the damp, cold wind.

However, just when Ling Ye was about to accept the fact that the "Alliance" had died in the wind and rain, a turning point appeared in an unexpected way.

It was the fifth day after the storm, the weather had cleared up slightly, but it was still cold.

While Ling Ye was trying to set a new trap on a sunny, rocky slope about two kilometers northeast of his cave, he accidentally stepped on a loose stone slab.

The slab flipped open, revealing a dark, narrow cave entrance that could only fit one person.

The entrance was very deep, sloping downwards, and a gust of air with a strong musty smell, but exceptionally dry and warm, blew out from inside.

Ling Ye's heart stirred.

He probed with a stone; the entrance seemed to be a naturally formed rock crevice, but it had been artificially covered with stone slabs.

He hesitated for a moment, but that dry, warm breath had an irresistible attraction to someone like him who had been curled up in a damp, cold cave for many days.

He carefully turned sideways and squeezed in.

The cave passage was narrow and winding, extending downwards for about ten meters, and the scene before him suddenly opened up.

This was a natural cave several times larger than his, irregular in shape, but exceptionally dry!

The cave ceiling was very high, and cracks let in daylight.

The ground was dry sand, scattered with some obviously processed stone tools and pottery fragments.

In the corner, there were piles of long-withered firewood, there were smoke marks on the cave walls, and even a simple fireplace built with stones!

In a corner of the cave wall, he also found a few rusted metal cans half-buried in the soil, as well as... a few scattered, dark-colored stones with a special texture, which were very similar in texture to the Ore fragments he had previously obtained from the "Neighbor"!

Someone had lived here for a long time!

And it was very likely the "Neighbor," or someone related to the "Neighbor"!

This cave was in much better condition than his simple cave!

Dry, spacious, with a ready-made fireplace, and perhaps even hidden vents or Water Sources he hadn't discovered yet!

A complex emotion surged in Ling Ye's heart.

It was the surprise of finding the "Neighbor's" former stronghold (perhaps their backup stronghold), a slight doubt about why the "Neighbor" might have had better conditions but didn't mention it, but more than that, it was an excitement of survival.

If this cave could be cleaned up, it would be the perfect shelter he had dreamed of, capable of withstanding extreme weather like the past few days!

It was hidden, dry and warm, and structurally sound.

He immediately began to investigate carefully.

On the other side of the cave wall, he indeed found an extremely hidden, narrow upward crevice with fresh air circulation.

Climbing up the crevice for a few meters, the top was sealed by a few large stones, but the crevice let in light, clearly another exit or vent, and it likely led to some hidden location on the surface.

He even found a small bundle of iron arrowheads wrapped in oil paper, old but well-preserved, and a few bowstrings that were equally old but seemed still usable in a rock crevice!

A huge harvest!

This was not just a better residence, but possibly a treasure trove, hiding the past legacy that the "Neighbor" might not have fully utilized!

But after the ecstasy, Ling Ye quickly calmed down.

He had to be cautious.

This cave was clearly the "Neighbor's" territory (at least it once was).

Although the "Neighbor" might be missing now, occupying it casually would have unimaginable consequences if the "Neighbor" returned.

Moreover, it was unknown whether there were other dangers in the cave (such as snakes, insects, collapsed structures, harmful gases).

He decided not to move in for the time being.

But he could use this as a backup safe house and resource replenishment point in extreme situations.

He carefully recorded the location of the entrance and the internal structure, and took away a small portion of the "legacy" that looked harmless and that the other party might not immediately notice — a few pieces of that special Ore, one intact spare bowstring, and two relatively intact iron arrowheads.

He carefully restored the stone slab at the entrance, trying his best to erase the traces of his visit.

On the way back to his own cave, his mood was complicated and indescribable.

The blow brought by the wind and rain and the loss of the interrupted "Alliance" were diluted a lot by this unexpectedly discovered cave.

This seemed to be a bit of compensation from the wilderness after the "Wind and Frost," or rather, another wordless "legacy" left by the "Neighbor."

But where exactly was the "Neighbor"?

Were they alive or dead?

Why abandon this superior cave to live in that simple shack?

Was this sudden wind and rain just the last straw that broke the camel's back, or was there a deeper reason behind it?

Questions, like the still gloomy sky outside the cave, hung in his heart, lingering.

The only thing that was certain was that regardless of whether the "Neighbor" returned, he had to rely on himself to continue walking in this wilderness that had just been baptized by "Wind and Frost" and seemed to hide new opportunities.

And that bow, and this newly discovered cave, will become his new reliance to keep going.