In an instant, a tide of knowledge surged forth from thin air.

The proper stance for holding a bow, the angle for applying force, the tricks to aiming with different types of bows, methods for drawing the string quickly, techniques for rapid firing...

As he slowly absorbed this knowledge, he subconsciously gripped the North American Hunting Bow at his side.

Unlike before, an incredibly familiar sensation spread from his palm.

He didn’t even need to think; his body automatically fell into the optimal drawing stance.

His right hand dropped naturally, plucking an arrow from the quiver on his back. He raised it, nocked it on the string, and drew—the entire sequence was as fluid as flowing water.

If the four steps of drawing an arrow, nocking, drawing the bow, and aiming had previously taken him four or five seconds, he could now accomplish it all in just one.

He didn’t even need his eyes for the nocking process; he could seat the arrow’s nock onto the string by feel alone. The entire time he drew the arrow, his eyes could remain locked on the target ahead.

’This is Basic Bow Mastery? It’s incredible!’

He was confident that if he encountered the wolf pack or even a brown bear again, he could cripple one of its legs with his very first shot.

A front leg, preferably.

Losing a front leg meant it couldn’t charge, its speed would be cut in half, and its courage would be swiftly broken.

The bonuses from Basic Bow Mastery didn’t stop there. It also included proficiency in aiming at moving targets, long-range accuracy, control over wind direction and speed, and an instinct for maintaining a safe distance from prey.

He didn’t know how much of an improvement higher levels of bow mastery would bring, but with just this basic skill, he was confident he could survive until the end of the competition.

’No, I have to put on a show. As far as the audience knows, I’m just a beginner archer. If my skill suddenly skyrockets overnight to the point where I never miss, it’s bound to attract unwanted attention.’

He didn’t reveal his new abilities right away. Instead, he cleverly slammed his fist into the ground a few times and said viciously,

"Damn wolves! Stealing the prey I worked so hard to bring back! I’ll get my revenge for this!"

「Inside the small wooden cabin.」

Daniel grinned and held out a hand to Robert. "He went after the wolves and even seriously injured one. You lose!"

The host’s expression darkened as he snorted. "Don’t be so hasty. It’s too early to draw conclusions. Wolves hold a grudge; they’ll be back for revenge soon. How about we make another bet?"

"Fine by me. I still bet he’ll win!"

"You have that much confidence in him?"

Robert stared at him, puzzled, then glanced back at the screen. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out where the old guy was getting his confidence.

’With Lin’s mediocre, hit-or-miss archery, he’s supposed to win against a pack of a dozen wolves?’

’What an absolute joke!’

"All right, you’re on. If you lose, not only will you treat me to a three-star Michelin dinner, but you’ll also give me half your salary!"

"Fuck! You bastard, you’re actually trying to take my money?"

Daniel’s expression changed instantly, and he let out a cold laugh. "Fine. If you lose, you give me half of *your* salary!"

He was just a wilderness survival consultant; his salary was naturally not as high as the show host’s.

What he didn’t say was that the source of his confidence was the fleeting glimpse he’d caught of Lin Chen drawing and nocking an arrow.

That kid might not have much experience with a bow, but to hone his archery to this level in just three weeks—no, one week—already showed immense talent.

Besides, that reflexive movement just now was something you couldn’t pull off without years of archery practice. Then again, some exceptionally gifted beginners could grasp the knack in a very short time.

For any skill, while diligence is important, talent is even more so.

Lin Chen was a chef, so he was already used to hard work. Now that he had talent and motivation, Daniel believed that with a period of intense practice, Lin Chen would definitely win him this bet!

But contrary to everyone’s expectations, Lin Chen—who had just had his prey stolen and been chased back in a sorry state—didn’t rashly start practicing his archery. Instead, he turned around and pulled a stockpot out of his shelter.

He propped the lamb on the same branch rack he had used to smoke fish, with its neck hanging over the edge. He placed the stockpot, filled with some fresh water and salt, underneath.

He sharpened his combat knife on a stone a dozen times, then pressed it against the tender skin of the lamb’s neck and plunged it in.

Warm, fresh blood gushed out like water from a tap. The scene was so gruesome that Lin Chen turned the camera away.

"Sheepskin is one of the best materials for staying warm in winter. The pelts from my previous kills all rotted because I didn’t process them in time. I won’t make that same mistake again."

Once bled, the lamb was decapitated and hung up. He began to cut from the neck, his blade sliding right along the line separating skin from flesh, as his left hand gripped the wool and pulled with all its might.

Perhaps because the lamb was so small, the hide came off with a simple pull, requiring very little effort. Only the legs required a bit more patience and skill, but for a professional chef like him, it was nothing.

In just seven or eight minutes, a complete lambskin had been stripped away. He stretched it out with branches and set it aside to air-dry.

Fresh hides are saturated with moisture and will quickly start to stink if not air-dried.

Once the hide was mostly dry, he would also have to scrape off the excess fat from the inner side. These deposits were the main culprits behind rotting and foul odors.

After the skinning, his work wasn’t finished.

He slit open the lamb’s belly, removed all the organs, and cleaned them.

Bacteria begin to grow in the organs about an hour after an animal’s death, and if left for too long, they start to smell of rot. To protect his hard-won rations, he had to push through his exhaustion to process the organs as well, wrapping them in leaves and placing them in a rock crevice to freeze.

In weather this cold, at least he didn’t have to worry about insect bites. That was one of the few benefits of winter.

Lin Chen slept soundly until noon.

A familiar soreness spread through his body, an ache he hadn’t felt in a long time. It was especially bad in his thighs, arms, and abs, where the pain was sharp and cramping.

Climbing a slope on soft, muddy ground while carrying seventy or eighty kilograms—even in a gym, few seasoned veterans could pull off a feat like that unscathed.

The first thing he did after waking was check on the lamb meat.

The lamb stored in the rock crevice was already frozen solid as a rock, as were the leaf-wrapped organs.

With just a wooden wall between them, the temperature difference on either side was at least twenty degrees. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

It was only then that he noticed the cracks in the cabin’s walls had been stuffed with dried grass, moss, and ferns for insulation. He figured Andre must have done it quietly while he was asleep.

’This old guy is really meticulous. Looks like it’s worth continuing to work together.’