Although it wasn't Robert's first time at Lin Chen's shelter, seeing it again, he couldn't help but marvel at its perfect insulation and wind resistance. In this competition, it was without a doubt one of the top three.
"He utilized the natural features of the rock formation, which not only eliminates the risk of an indoor fire but also provides waterproofing, windproofing, and insulation. The small space walled off with wood offers excellent concealment without being completely cut off from the outside world."
"The entrances on two sides of the rock wall offer excellent cover and give him two escape routes."
"That wooden wall surrounding the outside looks simple, but it's stronger than you'd think. And with that moat full of sharp-stick traps, it's almost impossible that any creature would be foolish enough to attack such a solid fortress."
Robert's gaze swept over the surroundings, finally landing on the roof made of waterproof tarp.
"If I had to point out a flaw, it's this unfinished half—just a triangular space covered by the tarp. But I believe that once the entire structure is complete, it will be the most perfect shelter in this competition!"
Putting everything else aside, the very fact that he had erected a wooden stake fence around his shelter and dug a semicircular trench trap was shocking enough to blow anyone away.
The production team had originally chosen Alaska as this season's location in the hopes that the five 'professional' contestants and ten amateur adventurers would create some interesting sparks.
To prevent the five 'professionals' from being eliminated too early, they needed an environment where food was relatively easy to obtain.
But what he hadn't expected was that for the Great Xia chef before him, this whole experience didn't seem like participating in a Wild Survival competition at all. It was more like he was here to hone his culinary skills in the jungle and maybe have a little vacation on the side.
"Lin, your physical condition is great. No signs of any illness. You're just a bit lacking in vitamins and fiber, and your intake of carbohydrates and fats is also insufficient. These issues won't make you sick, but they could lead to symptoms of constipation."
After her examination, the female doctor delivered a conclusion nearly identical to those received by almost all past contestants.
Receiving this kind of diagnosis basically meant a contestant had a real shot at winning the championship.
"Today is day fifteen. To be in this kind of shape already makes you a top contender. Keep it up!"
Robert held out a fist and bumped it against his. The VJ at their side finished swapping out the GoPro battery and left enough spares for three days of filming. Then, the three of them departed.
'Constipation, huh…'
Lin Chen let out a troubled sigh.
For anyone trying to survive in the wild, it was an absolutely unavoidable curse.
Without enough fats and carbs, relying solely on meat, constipation was just a matter of time.
If that really happened, he would have to find a way to solve it. Otherwise, his physical condition would deteriorate rapidly.
'No, I have to find a way to get some fat. The amount of vitamins I'm getting from just eating salmon offal clearly isn't enough. It's time to start hunting.'
The spawning salmon were only the length of his forearm. Their organs were too small to provide him with enough vitamins to stay healthy.
Besides, spawning salmon accumulate toxins in their bodies. Some even start to rot while they're still swimming. For the sake of his health, he couldn't eat too many of them.
The moment the production crew left, Lin Chen lifted the waterproof tarp to check the weather outside.
A light drizzle was still falling in the forest, but it was much better than it had been the past few days.
Even he, hunkered down in his shelter with a food supply, was starting to feel the pangs of hunger. The animals, who had no food reserves and no warm, dry dens, would be in an even worse state. They were bound to come out to forage now.
At this thought, he immediately geared up. He slung the Multi-Functional Engineer Shovel at his waist, clutched his hunting bow, and, cloaked in his raincoat, charged into the rain.
'The Yukon River has likely risen from this storm. The banks are mostly covered in ferns, and it's wet and slippery. It's too dangerous to go that way. It's better if I head up the mountain.'
He didn't act rashly. He made his choice only after analyzing the nearby terrain and vegetation.
Large berry bushes grew on the clifftop. Although he had already picked them clean, he was sure to find more if he searched further away at the same elevation.
The ceaseless drizzle quickly soaked him, but thankfully, his raincoat had a hood, so his vision wasn't affected.
It took him a full twenty minutes to climb to the top of the cliff. He first checked the area around the berry bushes and, just as he expected, found numerous animal tracks.
'These could be rabbit tracks, but rabbits don't have much fat, so they aren't my priority. Of course, if I happen to run into one, I might as well give it a shot. It's better than going hungry.'
He followed the tracks for a dozen or so meters before they disappeared into a patch of muddy grass.
He glanced around and quickly gave up on the idea of continuing his search for the rabbit.
Rabbits like to dig burrows underground. And as the old saying goes, a cunning rabbit has many warrens. There were bound to be countless entrances and exits nearby; there was no point wasting time on them here.
He didn't continue climbing to the top of the hill. Instead, he began to search laterally at his current elevation.
Before long, he discovered another patch of blueberry bushes in an area to the east.
Upon seeing this patch of berries, Lin Chen didn't approach recklessly. Instead, he hid behind a tree trunk, revealing only half his body, and scanned the bushes with narrowed eyes.
Without detailed knowledge of wild animals and birds, trying to find prey by relying on the faint clues left in the forest was unrealistic, especially with the light rain still falling.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
He patiently scanned every bush that might conceal a creature, over and over. He wouldn't mind waiting a whole day, even if he came up empty-handed.
As long as there was food here, there was bound to be…
"CLUCK CLUCK CLUCK—"
Suddenly, a few faint sounds caught his attention.
Lin Chen's spirits lifted, and he immediately looked toward the area the sound came from.
After careful observation, he finally spotted a figure amidst a few berry bushes—grayish-brown with fine white patterns.
If you didn't look closely, you would probably miss its presence entirely.
'What is that?'
Lin Chen narrowed his eyes. He silently took out a feathered arrow and nocked it. He hooked the bowstring with his index and middle fingers, drawing it back slightly, keeping his body and the bow ready for action.
He crouched low and lifted his feet lightly, moving forward one careful step at a time. He didn't even dare to breathe too loudly, afraid of startling this mysterious prey.
As he slowly closed the distance, he finally got a clear look at the creature's outline.
A round head, a sharp beak, grayish-brown feathers with white markings, a pair of folded wings, and a few flat tail feathers.
'A bird?'
'No, that's not right.'
'Birds aren't that plump.'
'Could it be... a grouse?'