King of the Wilderness

Robert looked at the mythical beasts he had only seen in dreams on the tablet, his breath becoming rapid, and his hands clenching with excitement.

Lin Yu’an watched him and extended the invitation once more, his voice filled with undeniable authority.

"Dad, these top elk today can all be your trophies, adding another achievement to the McKinley family’s wall of honor that would leave all Montana hunters speechless!"

Robert looked at his son-in-law with growing satisfaction, and the long-dormant fire of the hunter within him was completely ignited!

"Alright!" He nodded heavily, his voice resonant and filled with uncontrollable excitement, "Let’s go meet these prey!"

"Okay, let’s set off then!"

With a command from Lin Yu’an, the engines of six snowmobiles roared deeply and powerfully at once!

Under the wave of the mechanical supervisor, Murphy, this hunting party composed of father-in-law, son-in-law, and brothers-in-law stormed out of the Eagle’s Nest parking lot like an elite cavalry unit.

They didn’t choose to traverse the complex terrain of the dense forest but followed a cleared slope, directly heading towards the tributary of the Giant Stone River that had long been completely covered by thick layers of ice and snow.

The frozen river channel had now transformed into a natural white highway.

"Gentlemen, follow me!" Sean, the head of security, drove the lead snowmobile, serving as the guide for this expedition, boldly taking the lead.

Lin Yu’an gently squeezed the throttle, and the tracks exploded with powerful traction on the compressed snow surface, speeding like an arrow towards the depths of the mountains!

Robert and several brothers-in-law immediately followed, six black figures pulling out six parallel snow lines racing backward at high speed in the vast, endless world of white.

The roar of the engines shattered the silence of this frozen world.

This was a journey that could elevate any man’s adrenaline!

The tracks of the snowmobiles crunched over the thick snow, making a pleasant rustling sound.

Sometimes, they sped through narrow canyons wrapped in colossal rock walls, where ice waterfalls hung like giant swords glistening elegantly on the cliffs on both sides.

Or they entered a wide river valley basin. The endless snowfield stretched in their sight all the way to the foot of the distant mountains.

"Hey, Lin!" Second brother Garrett accelerated his snowmobile, catching up to Lin Yu’an’s side.

He pulled up his windproof visor, shouting against the piercing cold wind, "The scenery here is far more beautiful than our surroundings at the Montana Ranch!"

"If you like it, you can come again in the summer!" Lin Yu’an replied with a smile, "By then, it will be a green ocean!"

They continued upstream, with the vegetation on both sides gradually changing from low shrubs to tall and straight Douglas fir and aspen forests.

The thick snow weighed down every branch, forming natural white arches.

Occasionally, they startled a flock of grouse searching for food in the snow, the plump little creatures flapping their wings and fleeing into the deep forest in panic.

Eldest brother Wyatt remained silent, yet his sharp eyes constantly scanned the surrounding environment like a radar.

He was searching, looking for the tracks of the elk.

"Look over there!" He suddenly raised his arm, pointing to a patch of aspen on the right bank of the river.

Everyone immediately looked in the direction he pointed, only to find several trees with large areas of bark stripped away on the bare white trunks.

The fresh pale yellow wood underneath was exposed, with those marks reaching a height of at least two meters above the ground.

"It’s elk rubbing marks," Wyatt said in a deep voice, a hint of excitement in his tone.

"And judging by the height and intensity, the creature responsible for this must be quite large. We’re not far from their territory."

This discovery lifted everyone’s spirits.

They slowed down, beginning to observe their surroundings more carefully.

After traveling for about another ten minutes, the leading Sean suddenly raised his right hand, making a stop sign before gradually halting.

"Mr. Lin, Mr. Robert," his voice came through the helmet communicator, "according to the latest map, the King’s Dining Hall is right ahead in that open area."

They stopped, and in the snow ahead appeared a large area crisscrossed with tracks.

The thick snow was churned up by large hooves, revealing the frozen yellow grass roots beneath.

Countless footprints intertwined, forming a maze-like pattern.

Among them, some colossal hoofprints the size of an adult’s palm clearly demonstrated the supremacy of these creatures.

"It’s their winter feeding ground." Robert also dismounted, crouched down, and picked up a few still warm black oval droppings, smelling them at his nose.

"Very fresh." He concluded, a glint of a hunter’s light in his eyes, "They’re around here somewhere."

Lin Yu’an glanced at the GPS in his hand, "Indeed, the King’s core activity area is just beyond that ridge. We can’t ride anymore; we’ll have to go on foot from here."

He looked at everyone and gave the first command as the overall commander.

"Hide the vehicles. From now on, maintain absolute silence. We start hunting!"

No excess action was taken; everyone tacitly drove the six snowmobiles into a dense spruce forest.

After completing this, the six regathered.

Each person drew out their brightly polished, cold, and lethal partner from the gun racks beside the snowmobiles.

The faint yet crisp click of chambering echoed on this silent snowy plain.

Sean, as the guide, led the way at the front.

Instead of directly crossing the ridge, he led everyone along its side, using the terrain’s ups and downs and the cover of trees to begin downwind stealth walking.

"The wind is blowing from the northwest." Sean’s voice clearly transmitted through the radio earpieces to everyone.

"We must circle from the southeast to ensure our scent doesn’t serve as a loudspeaker announcing our arrival prematurely."

Everyone nodded, starting to follow Sean into the white aspen grove covered with thick snow at an extremely slow yet rhythmic pace.

They all wore specialized snowshoes.

The wide mesh structure distributed their weight evenly, leaving only a shallow imprint on the fluffy snow with each step, making almost no sound.

This was a process that severely tested physical strength and patience.

In the forest, sunlight was broken into countless dappled shadows by the bare branches, forming a constantly changing, almost hypnotic maze on the pristine snow.

Everybody adjusted their breathing to the calmest state, while their senses were heightened to the extreme.

Their eyes no longer looked straight ahead but continually scanned the surroundings 360 degrees, like radars, searching for any discordant signals.

After traveling for more than half an hour, Sean at the lead suddenly raised his right hand, clenching it into a fist.

This was the tactical signal for stopping and standing guard on the spot.

The entire team froze immediately, the six blending into the environment like statues, motionless.

Sean slowly crouched down, extending a gloved finger to point at a patch of snow not far ahead.

Lin Yu’an and the others immediately lowered their bodies, looking in the direction he indicated.

There on the seemingly flat snow was a subtle sunken circular depression.

"It’s a bedding mark." Sean’s voice sounded through the earpiece, tinged with solemnity, "And there’s more than one. Look around; this is a temporary rest spot."

The group immediately began to observe closely, and indeed, surrounding the first bedding mark, they gradually discovered four or five more of varying sizes.

Eldest brother Wyatt also crouched down, gently touching the edge of a bedding mark with his finger.

"The snow is still loose; it hasn’t crusted over." He whispered decisively, "They haven’t left here long. We’re very close."

Robert observed the depth of the bedding marks and surrounding traces, adding,

"Judging by the distribution of the bedding marks, this is a stag with its harem. They rested here for a long time and were very relaxed."

This discovery made everyone’s heart rate involuntarily quicken. The prey was nearby!

——————

It’s the last day~~ Requesting one last vote~~