Chapter Eight: The Coastal Highway

Based on his experience in the game, as long as he followed the railway beneath his feet to its end, there should be a small cabin nearby. Sure enough, after walking for less than fifteen minutes, Qin Fei spotted a clearing stacked with timber, and beside it stood a solitary cabin.

In the game, these piles of wood were just decorative background elements, impossible for players to use for making fires. But Qin Fei was no longer in the game; these timbers were now entirely his to use. He gathered as much as his backpack could carry, stopping only when he exceeded his weight limit and could no longer fit any more.

By then, dusk had settled in. Qin Fei entered the cabin, placing the maple saplings, reindeer hide, and intestines—items that needed to dry indoors—onto the floor. After drinking some water, he lay down on the bed to rest.

His backpack held only one packet of military rations. Given his current food scarcity, he would have to ration it carefully. Tonight, he would sleep hungry.

He planned to search the cabin more thoroughly for supplies in the morning, once daylight came. Although he possessed a kerosene lamp, kerosene was a precious, irreplaceable resource, so he dared not use it recklessly.

The next day...

[You have survived: 5 days, 3 hours, 22 minutes]

Upon waking, Qin Fei immediately felt soreness throughout his body, his strength depleted. This must have been due to yesterday’s excessive exertion, compounded by eating nothing at all—a simple case of hunger.

He pulled out the last packet of military rations from his bag and broke the seal. These were the specialized rations of the Maple Leaf Nation’s Marine Corps: two small bread-like cakes, a packet of biscuits, and a sealed pouch of soybeans.

The beans were coated in semi-solidified fat, and among them Qin Fei could see bits of pork, resembling baked beans with pork. Though the rations were North American, the ingredients list was written in Chinese.

On a wooden shelf in the room, Qin Fei found a tray. He poured the pork-baked beans onto it and ate them heartily with the two bread cakes.

Hmm... tangy and sweet, with a North American flavor.

Any canned food was a delicacy to Qin Fei, for canned goods carried a salty taste, far superior to unsalted grilled venison, grilled lake whitefish, or cattail stems. So far, he had not found even a single packet of salt.

Half-satiated, Qin Fei put away the remaining packet of biscuits from the rations. He began to search the cabin carefully for supplies.

[Water Purification Tablets: A packet of tablets for purifying water, prevents illness from drinking raw water]

[Worn Thick Wool Sweater: Thick, knitted wool sweater, warm even when wet]

[New Brimless Knit Cap: Brimless knit cap, Maple Leaf Nation style]

Inside, Qin Fei found two pieces of clothing, both practical for him. Especially the new brimless knit cap, which would keep his head warm. His homemade cloth headscarf had nearly fallen apart over the past few days.

Donning the new clothes, Qin Fei headed down the mountain, keeping a careful eye on his surroundings. He was searching for birch saplings.

Along this mountain road by the Coastal Highway, there should be some birch saplings, but without a map, Qin Fei had no idea where to find them. All he could do was walk and look, hoping luck would favor him.

Fortunately, he encountered no blizzards or wolves, and the descent was smooth. At the foot of the mountain, he came upon a cluster of seaside cabins and went inside to scour for supplies.

Inside these cabins, there was an abundance of fabric—so much that, if collected, it would last two hundred days of survival. Qin Fei planned to settle permanently on Rabbit Island along the Coastal Highway, which was nearby. So he left the fabric in the various rooms, rather than burdening himself with it all.

Loading all that fabric into his backpack would be too heavy, and he might soon come across even more valuable items to carry.

Each cabin’s bathroom had a toilet, and nearly every toilet’s tank was full of water. The rooms maintained temperatures above freezing, so the water hadn’t frozen.

In most of North America, tap water is safe to drink, so even water from the toilet tank—if one can stomach the thought—is perfectly hygienic.

Mindful of his weight limit, Qin Fei only took some of the water.

Aside from abundant fabric and water, food was dreadfully scarce in these cabins. In one kitchen, Qin Fei found a can of butter frozen solid, a small box of seasoned salt, and some barbecue spices.

He also found a longtail bass in a cabin’s refrigerator. The fish had already rotted and stank, utterly inedible, and was crawling with white maggots.

Seeing the maggots wriggling on the decaying fish, Qin Fei was genuinely surprised. To see maggots thriving on carrion in such a frigid environment was a tremendous boon.

These maggots were valuable resources for him. Eaten directly, they could provide plenty of protein; used as bait, they’d serve well for sea fishing.

All the cabins were built along the coast, and the nearby sea was covered in thick ice, dotted with several ice-fishing shacks.

With enough fuel, Qin Fei could fish in these shacks without worrying about the cold.

Near the edge of the coastal cabins, Qin Fei found an outdoor workbench with a small blue toolbox placed atop it.

Beneath the workbench lay a steel saw.

Qin Fei was overjoyed. For a survivor in the wilderness, tools were far more important than food.

With this little toolbox and steel saw, once the maple saplings were dry, Qin Fei could begin crafting a hunting bow.

Scouring the houses along the coast took Qin Fei another whole day.

He ate nothing all day, as his remaining provisions amounted to just a packet of biscuits, which he needed to save until tomorrow.

After spending the night resting in the coastal cabin, Qin Fei set out for Rabbit Island in the center of the sea, not far away.

Except for some wild rabbits, there were no predatory animals on Rabbit Island, making it very safe. Below the island, on the ice, there was an ice-fishing shack.

Whether setting traps for rabbits or fishing, the convenience was unmatched.

Qin Fei planned to settle temporarily on Rabbit Island. With sufficient supplies, staying for a hundred or two hundred days was entirely possible.

The ice on the seashore offered a wide, unobstructed view, except for some mist. The sea breeze stung Qin Fei’s cheeks.

Suddenly, a reindeer charged straight toward him.

Was this deer out of its mind?

Qin Fei stared in bewilderment as the reindeer galloped at him.

Behind it, a gray wolf was hot on its heels, swiftly closing the distance.

Reaching the reindeer, the wolf leapt onto its back, biting down on its neck.

The reindeer let out a pained wail and collapsed onto the ice.

The wolf pinned it firmly, and after a brief struggle, blood pooled on the ice beneath the reindeer, which soon lay still.

Once the reindeer was dead, the gray wolf glanced back at Qin Fei, growling menacingly—an obvious warning to stay away from its prey.

Qin Fei, having eaten only half a packet of military rations in two days, was ravenous. His eyes gleamed.

Ignoring the wolf, he fixed his gaze on the dead reindeer, refusing to leave.

Venison brushed with butter, roasted and sprinkled with barbecue spices—surely a delicacy... No, even eaten raw, this venison would be a feast.

Thinking this, Qin Fei drew his dagger from his backpack, gripping it tightly, and swallowed hard.