124: Chapter 124 Preparations for Battle in the Cave

Lin Ye returned to the cave and knocked three times at the entrance.

From inside, Zhao Mengmeng's vigilant voice immediately rang out: "Who is it?"

"It's me."

It was quiet behind the ice door for half a second, followed by the sound of moving ice blocks.

Zhao Mengmeng pushed open the gap and saw Lin Ye dragging a large bag of meat behind him, her eyes lighting up instantly.

"You went out to scout the path, and you happened to restock while you were at it?"

Lin Ye tossed the rock goat meat into the cave and shook the snow off his shoulders.

"Ran into a herd of goats. They were quite enthusiastic and insisted that I stay for a meal."

Zhao Mengmeng lowered her head to inspect the meat; seeing the intact hind legs and sheepskin, she couldn't suppress a smile.

"This kind of enthusiasm can happen more often. You don't look right; did you run into trouble outside?"

Lin Ye entered the cave and blocked the opening with the ice blocks again.

He sat by the fire pit and took a few sips of hot water first.

"I saw the center of the Level 4 Floating Island."

The fire pit crackled once.

Zhao Mengmeng looked up at him: "What's in the center?"

"A Giant Tower."

"How big?"

"I can't see the top; it pierces into the upper clouds."

"Then, are we going?"

"Yes. But not now."

Zhao Mengmeng let out half a sigh of relief: "When are you planning to move?"

"The seven-day cooling period is almost over. We'll stock up on dry rations in the cave first—roasting meat, rendering oil, and processing hides. We'll set off as soon as the snow stops."

Zhao Mengmeng stared at the bear meat strips over the fire pit.

"This cave is quite warm, and there's water. Can't we just stay here?"

"Short-term, yes. Long-term, no."

Lin Ye pointed toward the cave entrance.

"The violent bear is dead. The vacancy in this area will be filled by other predators. The smell of blood can mask things for a while, but not for long."

"Besides, the Giant Tower is too conspicuous. Anyone who can make it to the Level 4 Floating Island will likely head that way as soon as the wind and snow stop."

Zhao Mengmeng understood.

The Giant Tower wasn't scenery; it was a resource point.

It might even be the path to higher levels.

If they didn't move, others would.

"Got it. A head start doesn't guarantee a win, but falling behind definitely means getting beaten."

Lin Ye nodded: "So we won't rush the first wave, but we can't delay too long either."

Zhao Mengmeng dragged the rock goat meat to the side of the fire pit and rolled up her sleeves.

"Fine. You keep an eye on the outside, leave the cave to me. Drying meat, rendering oil, whittling arrows, scraping hides—I'm going to battle this pile of meat until the end today."

Lin Ye glanced at her.

"Don't wear yourself out. If you collapse, I'll have to be responsible for flipping the meat."

Zhao Mengmeng sneered: "Don't worry, I'll definitely roast you before I die."

The cave became busy again.

Zhao Mengmeng hung the rock goat hind leg on the wooden rack and cut the bear fat into small pieces, tossing them into an aluminum pot to render slowly.

White oil soon covered the bottom of the pot.

The fragrance was thick and cloying.

She used a dagger to whittle dead branches.

There were quite a few dry branches dragged back from the violent bear's nest.

She picked out the ones of suitable thickness and whittled them into wooden arrows.

The arrowheads were not only sharpened but also carved with barbs.

"Without iron arrowheads, they won't pierce thick skin, but they're enough to poke eyes, throats, and soft bellies."

As she spoke, Zhao Mengmeng split shallow grooves at the ends of the arrows and tied them with shredded tree bark fibers.

Lin Ye watched for a while.

"Don't make the arrow shafts too long, the crossbow slot won't be able to hold them."

"I know. I've tested it."

Zhao Mengmeng picked up a semi-finished arrow and gestured with the crossbow.

"Don't always think I only know how to eat. Back in the ruins, if I had had twenty more arrows, not a single one of those scavengers would have been able to get near the stairwell."

As she said this, her fingers gripped the wooden arrow, the barbs honed to a cold, glistening edge.

Lin Ye didn't say anything more.

He spread out two rock goat hides and used a bone shard to scrape off the remaining fat.

Then he picked out the pieces of internal organs with gray spots and threw them directly into the depths of the drainage trench.

Zhao Mengmeng watched him throw away meat that could be eaten without asking a word.

She was already used to it.

If Lin Ye said it was dirty, then it got thrown away.

Around noon, the sound of the wind outside died down a bit.

Rows of meat strips were piled up beside the fire pit.

Bear meat and goat meat were hung separately, with flat stones underneath to catch the dripping fat.

Zhao Mengmeng poured the rendered bear oil into hollowed-out bone tubes.

The bone tubes were rough, but they could be sealed with snow for preservation.

Once solidified, this white oil would be the lifeline for marching across the snowfields.

Lin Ye ate a few pieces of hot meat and rested against the black rock for fifteen minutes.

When he opened his eyes again, he picked up the Fire Axe.

Zhao Mengmeng looked up: "Going out again?"

"Checking a different direction."

"You just got back, do you really think of yourself as a mountain patroller?"

"The wind and snow have weakened, so prey will come out too. I'll get more clean meat before other things occupy the cave entrance."

Zhao Mengmeng pushed the dozen or so freshly whittled wooden arrows toward him.

"Take a few. Don't mind that they're ugly; they hurt just the same when they stick in."

Lin Ye took six and stuffed them into the side pocket of his backpack.

"Don't open the cave entrance too wide. If the warning line vibrates, listen for the direction first."

"Don't waste arrows on small things. If it's something big, calling me won't help; just retreat directly to the hot spring cave chamber."

Zhao Mengmeng cursed: "Can you say something auspicious for once?"

"Auspicious."

Lin Ye pushed open the ice door and slipped into the wind and snow.

This time, he headed for the northwest side of the cave.

The black rocks were denser, and giant dead trees were toppled in patches.

The surfaces of the tree trunks were covered with a blue-white frozen crust.

The wind drilled through the rock crevices, emitting sharp, short whistles.

Various footprints were scattered beneath the snow layer.

Slender, heavy, dragging marks.

The storm had covered most of them, but the new and old could still be distinguished.

Lin Ye touched an indentation.

The edges weren't frozen solid; it had been left very recently.

He didn't pursue directly but circled the black rock forest to secure an escape route.

His left eye opened briefly.

More than thirty meters away.

Two bright red lights were moving along the roots of the dead trees.

They were quite large.

The gray spots were sparse.

The pollution was low.

Lin Ye closed his eye and pressed forward, hugging the rock wall.

...

Meanwhile.

On another blizzard-swept highland of the Level 4 Floating Island.

Russia Challenger Ivan was squatting in an ice pit.

One shoulder was bare, and his body was only wrapped in torn animal hide.

His beard was covered in white frost.

Outside the pit, three snow-spine wolves were circling.

They had been lured by the smell of blood.

In the center of the ice pit hung a dripping liver of an exotic beast, with broken bones scattered underneath.

Ivan's left arm hung at his side, and he had deliberately left the wound unbandaged.

The Russia livestream chat was scrolling frantically.

"[Ivan is using himself as bait?]"

"[This guy used to be in the polar rescue team; he could lie in the snow for three hours at minus fifty degrees.]"

"[There are no weaklings among those who can make it to the Level 4 Floating Island!]"

The first snow-spine wolf leaped into the ice pit.

As soon as its paws hit the ground, the sides of the pit collapsed.

Bone spears buried under the snow sprang up, piercing directly through the wolf's belly.

The second one turned to run.

Ivan exploded into action.

His bare shoulders and back smashed through the wind and snow; he swung a stone hammer with both hands, crushing the wolf's spine in one blow.

The third one bit his arm.

Ivan shoved his arm deep into the wolf's mouth, and his right hand thrust a bone knife up through its lower jaw into its brain cavity.

Blood sprayed all over his face.

He sat on the wolf carcass, panting twice, and draped the animal hide back over his shoulder.

He turned his head to look into the depths of the wind and snow.

"There's something over in the center."

The Russia livestream chat went quiet for a moment, then the whole room erupted.

The storm was pushing all the survivors who had managed to stay alive in the same direction.

...

Inside the black rock forest belt.

Lin Ye stopped behind a broken giant tree.

Up ahead.

Two exotic beasts over three meters long were gnawing on the frozen ground.

Their backs had short, hard snow-thorns, their heads were flat, and their limbs were sturdy.

The light screen popped up in his right eye.

[Snow-Armor Badger]

Lin Ye raised his right arm.

Three anchor points shot out silently, locking firmly onto the ground.

The Nano-wire spread out without causing the slightest disturbance.

He threw a piece of bloody goat bone he had brought with him.

Snap.

The bone hit the ground.

Both Snow-Armor Badgers turned their heads at the same time, their throats emitting growls of competition for food.

The one on the left lunged forward, and the one on the right followed to snatch it.

They collided.

Lin Ye pressed down hard with his right hand.

The Dark Weaver engine made a soft sound.

The two Snow-Armor Badgers didn't even manage to finish their roars while fighting.

Their forelimbs snapped.

Their torsos collapsed.

Hot blood splashed, reddening the snow surface.

Lin Ye waited for twenty seconds.

No other red lights approached.

He pulled out his dagger and sliced open the badgers' bellies.

The fat layer was thick enough to be troublesome.

Clean, with firm meat.

Cutting the meat.

Skinning.

Removing the polluted internal organs.

There were no superfluous movements.

Lin Ye used the Dark Weaver to tie the meat into three bundles, wrapping the hides on the outside to prevent freezing.

He turned around.

Dragging all the top-tier supplies from the two medium-sized exotic beasts, he walked toward the cave in the wind and snow.