Planning a new campsite without surveying equipment meant they could only rely on visual observation from a high vantage point.

The most suitable location was Beheading Cliff. It was located at the edge of the Snow Mountain Range, and from its peak, one could get an unobstructed view of the entire Glacial River Beach.

At Khilla’s command, the White Wolves galloped, pulling the sleds across the Glacial River Beach and stopping at the foot of Beheading Cliff’s rear slope.

Nash took out a rope, first securing it around David’s waist. Khilla and Nash then tied the other two ends to themselves.

With one in front and one behind, the two of them started climbing the mountain, pulling David along.

The steep slope was covered in snow and loose rocks. Fine gravel was buried beneath the snow, making it easy to slip.

They weren’t carrying heavy loads this time, only pulling David, who felt lighter than a feather. For Nash and Khilla, the climb was much easier than when they had installed the satellite equipment.

In less than half an hour, the three of them reached the summit of Beheading Cliff.

The mountain wind howled past, cold and sharp. Khilla and Nash were drenched in sweat, but David had it worse. For the latter half of the climb, he was basically dragged up by the other two.

Once at the top, he wore an expression of utter despair, collapsing onto the frozen ground and gasping for air.

"Buddy, you really need to work out!" Khilla shook his head helplessly. It was rare to see a man so frail.

David didn’t even have the strength to roll his eyes, merely muttering, "I... I already did my best..."

Nash woodenly patted David’s shoulder. "Eat more meat!"

The mountain wind grew fiercer, making the three men’s clothes flap noisily.

After a good while, David finally recovered some strength and slowly got to his feet, but he was still wobbly, as if a gust of wind could knock him over again.

Nash and Khilla shook their heads and supported David, one on each side. They walked him to the cliff’s edge. David took out a paintbrush, held it up in front of him, turning it horizontally and then vertically, muttering incomprehensible technical terms.

"Okay, let me sit down."

The two gently set David down again. He immediately sat cross-legged on the ground, placed a drawing board on his lap, and began to sketch the scene before him with intense concentration.

Seeing David’s serious, engrossed expression, Nash and Khilla couldn’t help but look at each other and smile.

The mountain wind continued to blow fiercely, whipping David’s hair around, but he was completely unaffected. The pencil in his hand moved ceaselessly, outlining shapes on the drawing board.

After a long time, David finally stopped drawing. He let out a long breath, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

On the drawing board was a pencil sketch of the Glacial River Beach.

Khilla leaned in for a closer look.

Although the sketch was simple, it vividly outlined the entirety of the Glacial River Beach.

The surrounding Snow Mountains rose and fell, enclosing the Glacial River Beach in the middle. The lines of the winding Frozen River were smooth, and the terrain of the beach was uneven, forming small dunes in some places and sunken ice pools in others.

He had even drawn the mossy area and the location of the tribe’s Fire Seed.

David used his pencil to draw a horizontal and a vertical axis on the sketch, then drew a circle at the location of the tribe’s Fire Seed.

"Boss, this is the location of the geothermal moss clusters. In front, the two Melting Ice Rivers converge, forming a Highland wedge that juts into the beach. I think this is the most suitable place to build the log cabins for our camp."

"The main problem now is whether the geothermal fire will have any adverse effects. If the range of the underground natural gas leak expands, long-term residence could cause unforeseeable harm to our health." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Absolutely no problem, I can guarantee it. A survey team has explored this land. The geothermal fire is caused by shale gas seeping out from a tiny fissure in the rock layer thousands of meters underground, which was formed by geological shifts. Once it leaks out, it ignites and evaporates, so it won’t have any effect on people."

As he spoke, Khilla used his finger to draw a large circle over the river beach on the map, encompassing the entire area.

"According to the survey team’s analysis, the entire river beach is within the shale gas area. In the future, the permafrost of this whole frozen beach will melt due to the rising temperature. You need to consider if building the camp near the geothermal fire is appropriate."

Nash stood to the side, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

’When did a survey team ever come to the camp?’

But the doubt vanished in an instant. ’If Khilla says there was, then there was. I can’t question Khilla.’

Hearing Khilla’s explanation, David’s gaze remained on the drawing board. He then looked up at the location he had chosen, repeating this several times. He scribbled various complex formulas on the board before finally nodding in confirmation.

"It’s perfect. According to my calculations, this alluvial fan has an area of 0.6 square kilometers. That’s enough space not just for a few log cabins, but for a small town."

"Great! It’s settled then." Khilla clapped his hands. "Let’s go down to the new campsite and plan the positions for the log cabins."

’We still have to go down?!’

David, who had just been the picture of a professional, heard they had to go down and glanced at the steep cliff. His heart instantly started racing, and he collapsed to the ground in a heap.

...

By the time they had finished planning the locations for the log cabins, the sky was darkening. The once-azure heavens were gradually being swallowed by darkness, and the afterglow of the sunset, like a thin golden veil, cast a soft halo over the continuous stretch of snowy mountains.

The White Wolf sled pulled the three of them back to camp.

Tom and Yves were chopping wood. Erica, who was hiding in a corner of the camp building a snowman, shrieked with excitement when she saw the White Wolf Pack return and quickly took out the frozen musk ox meat she had prepared.

Hearing the shouting, Maria came out of the bus, beaming. "Dinner’s ready. We were just waiting for you."

They unhooked the harnesses from the White Wolves and let them return to the forest to rest.

Khilla called everyone into the bus. Seeing Erica’s disappointed expression as she stared wistfully in the direction the White Wolf Pack had gone, he sighed helplessly.

"Time to eat. Tomorrow, when we’re chopping trees, I’ll have Nash take you to their den."

"Okay!" Erica immediately jumped up happily, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Seeing her instantly regain her energy, Khilla’s lips curved into a slight smile. "But you have to be good and not run off."

Erica nodded her head like a chick pecking at rice. "I promise I’ll be good!"

Everyone filed into the bus.

The small, narrow living area was packed. A long grill pan sat on the fireplace, and a few pieces of fat were sizzling and slowly melting under the high heat.

On the small dining table, platters were piled high with musk ox meat, cut into slices or chunks depending on the part.

Fresh lettuce leaves were placed directly in a wicker basket. In front of each person was a plate with dipping sauces.

’Hey!’

’Isn’t this a Chinese-style self-serve barbecue?’

Khilla looked at Jenny in pleasant surprise. She smiled slightly, the scar on her face twisting with the movement.

"The restaurant where I used to work hired a Chinese chef once. I learned how to make Chinese barbecue from him. I saw we had the seasonings in the kitchen, so I decided to make it."

Khilla eagerly picked up a plate of meat and poured it onto the grill pan. The aroma of cooking meat instantly filled the air.

Smelling the fragrant meat, everyone stared eagerly at the pan, wishing the meat would cook faster.

Jenny skillfully flipped the musk ox meat on the pan, placing the cooked pieces onto a communal platter.

Quick as a flash, Erica speared a piece of grilled meat with her fork and popped it into her mouth. It was so hot she practically shot up from her seat, making everyone burst out laughing.

"That’s not how you eat barbecue." Khilla stood up with a smile, took a lettuce leaf, and spread it open in his hand. He then picked up a few pieces of grilled meat, dipped them in the sauce, wrapped them in the lettuce, and presented it to Tammy, the youngest one there.

Faced with the lettuce-wrapped meat from Khilla, Tammy was at a loss. She glanced down and then up in a panic, like a startled rabbit.

Khilla said gently, "Tammy, don’t be afraid. It won’t taste as good if it gets cold."

Tammy hesitated for a moment, then carefully took it and took a small bite. Her eyes lit up instantly. "Thank you!" she said shyly.

Seeing Tammy’s adorable reaction, everyone’s laughter grew even heartier.

Khilla wrapped another one and handed it to David. The kid had an eating disorder, so Khilla intentionally spoke in a gruff voice, "Kid, if you want to live on the Tundra, you have to eat more meat. Eat up!"

"!!!"

David stared at the lettuce-wrapped meat. Eating lettuce was fine, but meat... just the smell of it made his stomach churn.

Khilla didn’t really have a good solution for the psychological issues affecting David and some of the others, like his anorexia. Mental illness wasn’t a physical ailment, and Witchcraft wasn’t a cure-all; it couldn’t treat matters of the heart.

Right now, the only treatment was to frequently visit the tribe’s Fire Seed.

The Fire Seed could soothe inner turmoil and unease.

Once the log cabins were built, they would live right next to the Fire Seed. Under its light, their wounded bodies and minds could be healed.

"Go on, eat it. It tastes great!" Jenny encouraged him softly, like a big sister.

"It’s really yummy," Tammy said in a small voice.

"Be a man, buddy!"

"You can do it!"

"Eat!"

Spurred on by everyone’s encouragement, David brought the lettuce wrap to his lips. He carefully took a bite and chewed slowly, his body tensed, ready to bolt outside and throw up at any moment.

But the next second...

David realized that the urge to vomit, which usually came whenever he ate meat, had now vanished without a trace. His eyes widened in astonishment. He chewed a few more times, then swallowed.

"I... I actually ate it!" David said in disbelief, his face full of joy.

Everyone was happy for him and they all started cheering.

Khilla clapped David on the shoulder. "See? It wasn’t that hard. You just have to get used to it slowly."

David nodded repeatedly, picked up the rest of the lettuce wrap, and devoured it in a couple of bites. Then he eagerly reached for more meat.

Khilla, standing beside him, quickly stopped him. "Slow down. You’re just starting to eat again. Eat more lettuce, and put the meat down!"

Next, Khilla gave a lettuce-wrapped meat to Yves, Jenny, and Erica as an official welcome to the Crown Territory.

"Buddy, you don’t have any booze here!" Tom pouted. Just eating meat felt like something was missing.

Khilla smiled, got up, and stepped out of the bus. He returned a moment later, having pulled some beers he had chilled in the snow.

"Barbecue and beer, a life with no regrets. Come on, let’s get wild!"

Tom’s eyes lit up. "Buddy, did God say that? Those are some fine words!"

"I want some too!" Erica snatched a bottle of beer, opened it, and chugged a big mouthful. She let out a satisfied burp. "I freaking love it here!!"

The other four nodded in agreement. It was only their first day, but they could already feel that the Crown Territory was different.

There was no violence, no discriminatory gazes, no coldness or alienation like in the city.

Here, the relationships between people were so pure and sincere.

Everyone helped each other and shared their happiness, as if all their troubles had been buried under this pristine white snow.

"Yeah, this place is practically heaven," Jenny said with emotion.

"Once we’re settled, I want to bring Little Rose over too," Yves said, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Mmmph, so good!" David mumbled, his mouth stuffed with lettuce-wrapped meat.

Khilla raised his beer. "Come on, a toast to our new life!"

Everyone responded enthusiastically. Beer bottles clinked together with a crisp sound, and laughter echoed inside the bus.

...