Wolf mom had eaten half of an Arctic Hare, which was quite a relief for her stomach that hadn’t had any nutrition for days, even though it was just a hare pup weighing around four or five pounds. She felt a bit better.
Although she wanted to finish the remaining half of the Arctic Hare, Wolf mom restrained herself. She secretly saved it for Lucas and Wolf sister in a corner where no other wolves could see.
“Awroo.”
Wolf mom let out a low howl, quietly informing Wolf sister and Lucas.
“We're really full.”
Lucas, who had been watching from the side, couldn't help but sigh in his heart as he looked at the remaining half of the Arctic Hare that Wolf mom had saved. He hadn't expected her not to finish it.
He also hadn't expected to be so moved by the maternal love and affection among animals. In his previous life, he never truly experienced much familial love, despite never lacking food or clothing. After all, his parents were always busy with the company and rarely cared about him.
In this life, although he was reborn as an Arctic wolf, the past month spent with the wolf pack made him genuinely feel the care from Wolf Father and Mother.
Especially earlier, when Wolf mom and Wolf Dad thought something had happened to the pups in the cave, they seemed almost insane, which deeply moved Lucas.
“Sigh!”
Thinking about this, Lucas looked up again at the stubborn Wolf mom, who had saved the only bit of food for him, and sighed. But deep down, he knew he had to strive to evolve. First, he needed to ensure his own survival, so Wolf Father and Mother wouldn't have to risk their lives for a bit of food.
He aimed to become the true King of the Arctic, the Arctic Wolf King at the top of the food chain.
With a heart full of hope for the future, Lucas lay down beside Wolf mom, preparing to sleep and regain his strength for hunting tomorrow.
......
The next day.
As soon as Lucas woke up from his sleep and opened his eyes, he noticed that Wolf Father, Wolf Mother, and the other adult Arctic wolves were already gone from the cave. It was clear that they had gone out early to search for food again.
He stretched lazily and then, still a bit drowsy, got up.
After getting up, he saw that Wolf sister, Cousin, and the lone pup were still sound asleep. The saying about mammal pups being heavy sleepers wasn’t false.
Lucas walked out of the cave and looked out at the snow-covered Arctic. It was probably around ten in the morning, yet the sky over the Arctic continent had only a faint glimmer of light. The winter and the night here were longer than anywhere else, and at times, Polar Night would occur.
“Awroo!”
Lucas let out a long howl towards the vast and empty Arctic. He knew that he would have to survive here for a long time.
After the howl, Lucas felt his stomach growling with hunger again. He was now fully adapted to his identity as an Arctic wolf and to the life of surviving on raw flesh. And perhaps because the taste buds of an Arctic wolf are different from humans, he actually found the raw meat quite delicious.
“Should I go hunt some more Arctic Hares?”
“But the evolution value from eating Arctic Hares is already negligible, so there's not much motivation left.”
After thinking for a while, Lucas decided to go for a walk first. If he couldn't find any other prey, he would have to hunt a few more Arctic Hares.
He walked step by step in the snowfield of the Arctic. The wolf's sense of smell was very keen. It didn't take long before Lucas picked up a scent of blood from the air.
“Hmm? Something’s up!”
He immediately became fully alert. He crouched down in the snow, moving cautiously towards the source of the scent. His pace was slow but very careful. After all, he was still weak.
Caution is the parent of safety, and it's always wise to be careful.
After about ten minutes of slow progress, he finally reached the source of the scent of blood. The smell was very strong, indicating that a fight had occurred recently. If much time had passed, such a strong scent of blood would have already attracted many carnivores.
Lucas stopped, hiding behind some dense underbrush, and looked out into the distance. Soon, he saw the source of the scent of blood.
It was a reindeer carcass!
Species: Arctic Reindeer (male, deceased).
Level: 7.
Vitality: 1050.
Stamina: 75.
Strength: 53.
Defense: 39.
Speed: 60.
......
This Arctic Reindeer was at level 7, higher than Wolf Dad. Normally, it would take the entire wolf pack to hunt such a target. But now, this male Arctic Reindeer, with a level as high as 7, had been killed so easily.
The reindeer carcass didn’t even show many bite marks, only blood still flowing from its neck and limbs. The blood hadn’t fully coagulated yet, indicating it had only died a few minutes ago.
“Hmm? What kind of animal could take down such a male Arctic Reindeer so easily? Could it be a polar bear?”
Hiding behind the underbrush, Lucas speculated. In the Arctic, only the undisputed ruler, the polar bear, could kill an Arctic Reindeer so effortlessly.
But Lucas found it puzzling that there were no traces of a bear having been here. Besides, if it were a polar bear, it wouldn't leave the carcass behind.
Lucas was confused. After carefully confirming that the surrounding environment was safe, he cautiously approached the Arctic Reindeer's carcass.
The carcass was huge, weighing at least two or three hundred pounds. Even the entire wolf pack couldn't finish it in one meal.
“Hmm?”
Upon closer inspection, Lucas quickly noticed something odd about the carcass. The antlers and the reindeer penis were gone, as if someone had cut them off with a knife. The cuts were clean, which couldn't have been made by animals tearing at it.
“Could it have been killed by humans?”
Lucas was startled.
When antlers haven’t fully calcified, they’re called velvet antlers. Velvet antlers are a valuable medicinal ingredient, and many people are willing to pay a high price for them. As for the reindeer penis, it’s an excellent ingredient for making medicinal wine.
Upon further inspection of the fatal wound on the reindeer's neck, Lucas realized it was indeed a deep, bloody hole. From a human perspective, this kind of wound was definitely caused by firearms. This reindeer had been killed by humans, which explained why only the most valuable parts—the antlers and the penis—were missing.
“Gasp!”
Lucas gasped as he came to this realization. It seemed that the Arctic wasn’t as safe as he had imagined. Not only did he have to constantly face the risk of food shortage, but he also had to deal with these poachers!
The sense of danger rose sharply in his heart. He had to accelerate his evolution.
Without further hesitation, Lucas began to feast on the Arctic Reindeer’s carcass. The reindeer hadn’t been dead for long, and its body hadn’t yet stiffened. He tore a piece of meat from the less fatty, tender chest area.
“Ding! The host has consumed Arctic Reindeer meat and gained 3 evolution points.”
As soon as he took a bite, Lucas's eyes lit up.
Three evolution points!
The Arctic Reindeer meat truly lived up to its name.
