King of the Wilderness

In the accompaniment of the wild wind and distant wolf howls, he and Martha celebrated their victory and life in the most primal and fervent way...

And shortly after that hunt, Aliya and Kley, the twin siblings, were born into this world.

The corners of Robert’s mouth involuntarily curved into a gentle arc.

He seemed to return to those passionate youthful years, and the Ruger M77 in his hand seemed to transform into the old companion that had accompanied him in conquering the wilderness.

And the elk in the scope merged into one with the huge moose from back then.

All his tension and distractions dissipated in this warm memory.

All that was left was the purest focus and calm of a hunter.

He slowly placed the pad of the first joint of his index finger gently on the cold trigger.

Then, in the moment when he exhaled his last breath and his heartbeat entered a brief moment of calm...

Just like more than forty years ago, under Martha’s loving gaze.

He pulled the trigger.

"Bang——!!!"

A dull yet penetrating gunshot sounded like a thunderclap, instantly tearing through the silence of the entire valley!

yards away, the sleeping King, at the moment it was hit by the bullet, its massive body gave a violent shudder, as if struck by an invisible mighty force!

It didn’t even have time to emit a mournful cry before it tried to struggle to stand.

But the bullet that accurately shattered its spine had completely destroyed its central nervous system.

It only futilely kicked its hind legs twice before it collapsed like a landslide, crashing heavily into the snow, raising a cloud of snow mist.

No more sound.

The distant herd of does, startled by the sudden gunshot, scattered and fled, disappearing into the dense forest.

And on the hillside, only the fallen elk remained, with its massive antlers still pointing skyward like a crown!

The gunshot echoed through the valley, resonating for a long time.

Bo, Kley, and Sean, who were on the other side of the ridge, sprang up from the snow the moment they heard the gunshot!

"It’s Dad’s .375!" Kley was the first to recognize it, his voice full of tension and anticipation, "Just one shot! Did it succeed?"

"Let’s go, let’s head over there, success or not, the prey has already been startled." Bo was the first to run toward that area.

And on the hillside, everyone quickly moved forward, gathering around the fallen giant beast.

Even though it had fallen, its massive body and those magnificent antlers still exuded an awe-inspiring regal presence.

Robert slowly crouched down, gently stroking the cold and thick antlers with his calloused hand.

His eyes held no hunter’s frenzy of harvesting prey, only a complex emotion of fulfilled lifelong desire mixed with reverence and emotion.

"I did it... Dad..." Robert murmured to himself in a voice only he could hear.

Wyatt and Garrett came forward, firmly patting their father’s shoulder, their eyes full of inexplicable pride.

At this moment, Bo, Kley, and Sean also came running breathlessly from the other side of the ridge.

When they saw the prehistoric-like giant beast in the snow, they too were deeply shaken.

Lin Yu’an then took a certified professional measuring tape from his backpack.

"Come on, Dad," he handed the tape to his eldest brother Wyatt, "let’s see just how great this King is."

A coronation ceremony full of ritual began on this silent snowy plain.

Under everyone’s orderly cooperation, they began a very rigorous, albeit unofficial, B&C on-site preliminary measurement.

Eldest brother Wyatt took on the role of the main measurer. He knelt in the snow, his expression as focused as a surgeon performing a precise operation.

"Main beam length, left, 62 and 8/2 inches. Right, 61 and 8/5 inches." His voice was clearly audible in the silent valley.

Third brother Bo took out a waterproof notebook, meticulously recording every piece of data, playing the role of recorder.

"First tine (G1), left, 18 inches; right, 17 and 8/4 inches."

"Second tine (G2)..."

Main beam length, the length of seven points, circumference at four locations, maximum inner width... dozens of complex data points were precisely measured and clearly recorded.

Throughout the process, no one spoke, only Wyatt’s voice announcing the data and the rustle of Bo’s pen on paper.

When all the data had been measured, Bo entered them into the B&C score calculator on his phone.

Everyone held their breath, gathered around, nervously staring at the small screen.

After a moment, a number appeared on the screen.

"428 and 3/8..." Bo’s voice carried a hint of incredulous tremble.

"Final Score, 428 and 3/8 inches!"

This number exploded in everyone’s ears like a thunderous bolt!

"We... we seem to have broken Wyoming’s historical record!" Wyatt was the first to exclaim in surprise, his normally composed face now filled with ecstasy!

The historical record for typical elk hunted by rifle in Wyoming is 427 points! They have created a new history for the entire state!

"Yeah!!!!"

Garrett and Kley couldn’t restrain themselves any longer, erupting into a thunderous cheer!

They hugged each other, vigorously patting each other’s backs, sharing this monumental glory worthy of the record books! Even the usually calm Sean had a genuine smile on his face.

Lin Yu’an stood aside, smiling at everything.

He knew that from today, the McKinley family’s wall of honor would have a new, most dazzling trophy, one that every visitor would envy.

As everyone was still immersed in their joy, Robert slowly stood up and walked directly to Lin Yu’an.

He looked at his son-in-law, his voice hoarse with emotion.

"Lin..."

He extended his hand, no longer simply patting the shoulder as before, but gave Lin Yu’an a firm hug.

"Thank you." he said heavily, each word full of strength, "Thank you, child. It was you who helped me fulfill the biggest dream of my life."

He released the hug, his hands still firmly on Lin Yu’an’s shoulders, his gaze indescribably sincere.

"This glory does not belong to me, it belongs to you. This is your land, this Divine Beast was yours to claim."

"You’re the one who generously gave this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to an old man like me."

"Not only did you give me a trophy for the ages, but you’ve given the entire McKinley family the highest honor!"

In the face of such solemn and heartfelt thanks from his father-in-law, Lin Yu’an didn’t respond with customary remarks like no thanks necessary or it was my duty.

He simply looked into Robert’s eyes with a sincere and empowering smile.

"Dad," his voice was calm, but each word was crystal clear, "we are family."

He paused, then continued, "A family’s dream is my dream. Seeing you happy is my greatest reward today."

"As for this honor," he glanced at the vast range of mountains in the distance, "it belongs to the McKinley family, and also to the Giant Stone River."

"And today, we’ve merely made sure that what rightfully belongs there is displayed on our home wall."

These words, devoid of any emotional overtones, were full of irrefutable power and a sense of belonging.

Robert was moved by these words, seeing in this young man before him eyes devoid of self-promotion or formality, only genuine affection for family.

He seemed to understand why his daughter Aliya was so devoted to this man.

He didn’t say more, just firmly patted Lin Yu’an’s shoulder again, all unspoken words included in this powerful gesture.

Then, he turned to face the others, a hearty smile back on his face.

"Alright, boys!" he called to Wyatt and the others, "Don’t just stand there grinning like fools! Let’s get to work! Let’s bring this King home with dignity!"

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(Haha, please vote for me, please vote~~ The elk antlers are really beautiful.)