Infinite Hunter

Chapter 7 Search

Hunting a wild boar like this without a gun was a serious problem. The contraband hunting knife Cheng Yijiu had purchased might be fine for skinning, but stabbing a wild boar to death? He felt it would be easier to stab himself. Cheng Yijiu had no long-range weapons at hand, so if he wanted to kill the wild boar, he would probably have to rely on traps. Fortunately, he had exchanged a roll of high-strength steel wire this time, which he could use to make a trap.

Hunting large wild boars weighing hundreds of pounds can be done with a hunting rifle or a small sling. However, no matter which method is used, the first thing to do is to find the wild boar and the paths it often walks. Cheng Yijiu is no longer a novice. He has also carefully studied those hunter notes. Although they are not yet practical, he at least knows the habits of wild boars - that is, wild boars have a habitual path.

Wild boars don't easily venture into unfamiliar territory. When they move through their herd's territory in the mountains, they typically follow designated paths and generally avoid venturing outside of them. This habit isn't unique to wild boars; many wild animals share this tendency—even humans are accustomed to following main roads. The small paths carved by people in lawns and greenery also demonstrate this animal habit.

Therefore, if traps or snares were to be set, they had to be set along the animal trails—in fact, when hunting wild boar, the ambush should also be near the trails. Therefore, Cheng Yijiu, a freshly minted hunter, had to first locate the wild boars, then try to understand their movements, and then finally set the traps. When setting the traps, one also had to consider removing the scent. Wild animals are very cautious and will almost certainly flee at the first sign of an unfamiliar scent, especially that of iron or humans.

So Cheng Yijiu started looking for wild boars. Of course, he couldn't just search like a headless fly, because he didn't have a hunting dog. So he could only carefully observe the tracks on the ground and try to find the wild boars along the animal trails. This was very dangerous. Let's not even talk about what would happen if he ran into a group of wild boars - this adventure didn't say that there were only wild boars and no other animals. The wild boar trails might also be used by black bears, and there was even the possibility of encountering Siberian tigers. After all, who knew what year it was now, and it was even hard to say whether this place was a "place" or on Earth.

Originally, Cheng Yijiu wouldn't have noticed these things. He could have been quite relaxed. However, after reading those hunter's notes, his mind became calmer, so he was now paranoid and fearful with every step he took. Ignorance is bliss. Originally, he thought tigers were just big cats, black bears were no taller than a human, and that he could just play dead when encountering a brown bear—he even thought his military coat would be enough to withstand these beasts. But now, after reading so much, even if he didn't have a direct experience, he had a better understanding of the seriousness of the situation.

If he encountered a tiger, it would be game over if Cheng Yijiu didn't run. If he encountered a black bear, he might be seriously injured if he didn't run. A brown bear? Playing dead was absolutely not an option; it was better to run and try his luck. If he encountered a wild boar... perhaps climbing a tree in time would be a way to survive? In short, Cheng Yijiu pulled out his hunting knife. Although it had a 20-centimeter blade, he had no confidence at all.

Cheng Yijiu stretched his stiff fingers around the hunting knife. From the nervousness, they were numb and cold. If things continued like this, it would be disastrous if something happened. Stiff hands and feet would hurt him, so while he had nothing else to do, he decided to stretch them out. The weather was nice and the temperature was comfortable. Although it was only around 10 degrees Celsius, it wasn't cold in the sunshine. While stretching his fingers, he began to look around to relax.

It seemed that luck was still on Cheng Yijiu's side. When he stood up and looked to his left, he saw figures moving between the trees on the slope and in the valley below. Cheng Yijiu's eyesight was quite good, and he could clearly see that these animals were several wild boars. The wild boars lowered their heads and were digging at the ground. The wind was blowing upwards from the valley, so Cheng Yijiu was downwind and the wild boars didn't notice him. "The straight-line distance is at least 200 meters, and the drop is about 60 to 70 meters."

Cheng Yijiu frantically pulled binoculars from his field bag and began observing the wild boars below. He gulped as he looked at the boars. "One of them must be over 800 kilograms, right?" Among the herd was a male, incredibly large with a white mane on his back. "There are no young boars here. It seems it's breeding season, no wonder a male has joined the herd. And judging by the mane on his back, this large boar must be old."

Of the wild boars below, this large boar was probably the only one that met the "mirror boar" requirement. The sows were much smaller, but this old boar's body was indeed oily, a mixture of mud and pine resin condensed into a hard shell-like substance. At this distance, Cheng Yijiu felt that even with a hunting bow, he would probably have difficulty killing this wild boar. Since Cheng Yijiu was a combat expert, he naturally had experience with bows and arrows. To shoot a wild boar like this at this distance, he would probably need a 70-pound hunting bow...

As for a gun, an ordinary hunting rifle wouldn't be enough; a single shot wouldn't kill it. He'd have to use a slug, or of course, an M500 revolver at close range would work—but Cheng Yijiu didn't have either. So he had to set a trap, and it depended on luck whether it would snare the boar and not the sows... He looked at the high-strength steel wire in his hand. "Is this thing really secure? Will it bite through?" Cheng Yijiu pondered.

It can only be a combination of multiple strands, but while doing this, Cheng Yijiu must track the group of wild boars, see their movement routes, and then set a trap.

Making a snare is quite simple: bend a loop, fasten it with a slipknot, and secure the other end to a tree or boulder, something the prey can't pull away no matter how hard they try. The more the snare struggles, the tighter the knot tightens. Unfortunately, wild boars have thick necks and large heads, making them difficult to trap in mid-air. Hunting wild boar with a snare is also quite dangerous. In winter, perhaps the low night temperatures and the bleeding caused by the snare rupturing blood vessels will help the hunter kill the prey.

But in this situation, Cheng Yijiu was certain that even if he could harness the wild boar, he would still need to use his hunting knife to complete the final blow - so he actually needed to find a way to turn the hunting knife into a spear, turning the dangerous knife hunting into the relatively less dangerous spear hunting. All of this work required him to first track the wild boars, and he could do it by the way.

Chapter 8: Luck

If you were to make a sheath out of high-strength wire, you'd need something to eliminate the odor. Cheng Yijiu found oak nuts, crushed them with the handle of a knife, and then rubbed the wire sheath with the starch from the crushed nuts. The remaining wire was also used to tie the hunting knife to the tree trunk, creating a spear.

Hanging the finished harness around his waist, Cheng Yijiu carefully tracked the wild boars before him. Wild boars have poor eyesight, but their sense of smell and hearing are incredibly strong, far superior to humans. So, Cheng Yijiu took advantage of humans' relatively superior vision and followed the herd from a distance.

First, you need to determine the wild boar's route, and then set up the trap—all of this is explained clearly in the Hunter's Notes... Of course, the easiest way is to use a hunting rifle, but Cheng Yijiu doesn't have one. He now regrets forgetting about hunting bows. Modern hunting bows, whether American or compound, are just as powerful as hunting rifles at a certain distance when equipped with lethal arrows.

"Damn, hunting rifles are out of stock, but bows and arrows are sporting goods, so individuals are allowed to buy them..." Then he thought of modern hunting crossbows, which, compared to the less stringent gun control regulations, can be purchased covertly. If bows and arrows require practice, crossbows are much easier to use.

Unfortunately, he hadn't thought it through at the time, but now there was nothing he could do. After all, many ancient people used hunting spears to hunt wild boars. The worst that could happen was that he had to be more careful... Cheng Yijiu also swallowed his saliva. Hunting wild boars with hunting spears... As a fan of ancient armored combat, he knew how to use a spear or a short spear.

"Although it's not a four-meter-long spear for fighting in formation, it's equivalent to a spear that a person can just touch the tip of when standing upright and stretching out their hand. It can be regarded as one of the most flexible weapons in individual combat." Cheng Yijiu tried hard to cheer himself up, and at the same time, he tried hard to find a suitable tree trunk - it should be of the right length, thickness, and straight.

It took Cheng Yijiu most of the day to track the wild boars. Combined with some experience from his notes, he almost figured out the routes the wild boars used to appear - it seemed that this made things easier for him, because ordinary animal paths are not so obvious.

He used the teeth on his hunting knife to saw down a tree trunk that he had his eyes on. Thanks to his training with weapons, he managed not to rub his hands - he wore gloves, then split one end of the trunk, inserted the hunting knife into it, and then tied it tightly with short pieces of wire. A simple hunting spear was completed.

Only humans, armed with spears, could truly become the terrifying upright apes that reign supreme at the top of the food chain. Holding the spear, Cheng Yijiu gained some confidence. Since the wild boar had returned to its nest marked by the dung heap, Cheng Yijiu quickly ate and drank water, preparing to set his trap.

He had no experience in setting traps, so he could only rigidly follow the hunter's notes to place them at the tree roots and grass nests at the height and slope of the tree trunk, which was probably the wild boar's head. This way, the wild boar's foot would be trapped as soon as it stepped in, and even if it lifted its foot to move forward, it would not be unhooked without being touched like if it were lying flat.

After setting numerous snares along the wild boar trails he had passed during the day, he crushed up the food he had brought with him and scattered it near the snares. Then he climbed up a tree, tied himself with a rope, and tried to fall asleep.

The next day, at dawn, the sound of wild boars grunting could be heard. Cheng Yijiu did not stay near the animal trail, but chose to climb up a tree in the distance. Now he took out the telescope and began to observe. Sure enough, the wild boar was tempted by the aroma of food and gradually walked over.

The difficulty here was also reduced, otherwise the food he spread out that night would have been eaten by rats or other nocturnal animals. Furthermore, he hadn't seen any animals other than wild boars so far, so the difficulty was also greatly reduced by the professional level... Otherwise, he would have faced wolves, leopards, and even tigers.

The wild boars were indeed trapped, but the largest male was fine. Several females were trapped. Cheng Yijiu was also in a dilemma. If the male boar hadn't been trapped, he wouldn't have been able to kill it alone. This wild boar weighed over 300 kilograms, and Cheng Yijiu was even worried that if he stabbed it with his spear, it would break and he would be killed by the wild boar...

However, there was no other way now. The sow was trapped, and the male might not escape. Cheng Yijiu now felt that it would be better to fight it seriously. Unfortunately, he only made a spear out of a knife, otherwise he could try throwing a javelin. Spears were actually also effective against wild boars, especially modern hunting knives, which could easily penetrate a wild boar's skin and flesh...

The problem was that there were no hounds to help control the boar. This kind of spear hunting required hounds, so all they could do was wait and see if the situation changed. Cheng Yijiu had food and water, and no time limit, so they could just wait and see if anything changed.

After a long wait, one of the sows, whose neck was trapped, had already died, while the one trapped by its hoof was injured and bleeding profusely, lying on the ground grunting. The male boar kept circling around, grunting. Cheng Yi had been holding onto the tree for a long time, but suddenly his hands and feet went numb, and he lost his grip and fell down. But there was no need to worry, as they were still a few hundred meters away, and it was still up the mountain.

The problem is that falling from a height of more than ten meters above the ground does not seem to be a good thing. There is a high possibility of death anyway. When Cheng Yijiu fell hard, he found himself falling on the carpet.

Indeed, he had returned to the room. "Back already? I've succeeded?" The man was a bit confused, but he had basically thrown away his weapon again. The computer showed that it was indeed a success, and the wild boar didn't necessarily mean a male boar. However, a message made him alert, "Novice test passed, protection period ended. Next time you will enter the 'real' world, please be fully prepared."

Cheng Yijiu was speechless. This successful adventure only gave him 300 points, still not enough to buy a gun. However, he had already thought it through. "First, I'll use my savings to buy a hunting bow. It's better than using a spear to kill wild animals." Cheng Yijiu didn't want to work anymore. He had saved a little over the years, so it seemed he had to find a way to make money from this system.

If he continued working, he wouldn't have time to familiarize himself with hunting techniques—his next real adventure wouldn't be until seven days later...and that would be a truly dangerous challenge. "I need a light, stab-proof vest, and then a hunting bow—at least hunting wild boar or black bear should be safer. Right now, the most important thing is to master the bow and arrow."

Chapter 9 Going Abroad

Crossbows are powerful and easy to aim, but they're controlled items. If caught by the police, the consequences are the same as if you were carrying a gun. So, the only option was a bow. And with a bow, there were choices—an American hunting bow or a compound hunting bow? Cheng Yijiu researched it and decided he didn't need rapid fire, but accuracy and power—and that was undoubtedly the compound bow. A compound bow with a pulley system was the best choice.

However, compound bows have one problem: they're expensive, significantly more expensive than American hunting bows. For Cheng Yijiu, who hasn't found a way to make money from hunting, this is a major problem. Currently, his entire net worth is probably just over 30,000 yuan. He has no car, no house, and no wife, but he does have his parents back home. If he were to buy a suitable compound bow now... he'd probably lose half of that 30,000 yuan, making life difficult.

"Computers, computers, how am I supposed to make money?" Cheng Yijiu muttered to himself in front of his computer, but nothing came of it. So he went up to look at the stuffed beasts hanging in the living room—just two wild boar skulls, one with a piglet, the other a sow. It was truly embarrassing... "Hmm, wait... what's that?" Something flickered beneath the sow's head. Cheng Yijiu leaned over to examine it, only to discover a line of words, metallic fonts reflecting in the light. "Commission 700 yuan?" he read.

It turned out there was a bounty for hunting. He immediately went to look at the boar, and sure enough, there was a line of smaller words underneath: "Commission five yuan." Cheng Yijiu climbed down the ladder, thought for a moment, and returned to his computer—sure enough, the word "extract" appeared on it. With a click of the mouse, seven pieces of red paper and five coins appeared on the table. A large poster also appeared on the wall of the first-floor lobby.

"WANTED... A bounty order? But what the hell is that? It doesn't show the target. But it does have a price tag... Oh, this first one is directly worth 1.5 million. Okay, I can pretty much confirm this is the target of my future adventures." Cheng Yijiu shook his head and pocketed the 705 yuan. His next move was to resign and see if he could find a way to survive.

At this time, he received a letter stating that his study abroad visa had been approved. He could use his passport and visa to travel to the United States to enroll in a second-rate program at a low-end university. "How did it get approved? When did I apply for a visa? That must have been years ago, right?" Cheng Yijiu was puzzled and could only attribute it to this so-called system.

However, his 30,000 yuan savings was only enough to buy a plane ticket, and might not even be enough to pay for tuition. But that wasn't the problem. The question was whether he could survive in the United States. Cheng Yijiu thought about it and it was not a problem. Although there would not be much money left after buying the plane ticket, it seemed that his accommodation and food were free. In fact, he might be able to get weapons in the United States. It would also be more convenient to practice shooting and learn hunting, right?

China's strict gun control policy is a good one, but it's not ideal for Cheng Yijiu right now. So, should he still keep the compound bow? It seems like buying a used Winchester hunting rifle would be cheaper than buying a bow, and certainly better. Cheng Yijiu practically danced at the thought—he'd completely forgotten about the mandatory nature of this system. He'd initially resented it, but now he'd gotten used to it.

Since I can't escape it, I might as well enjoy it. But think about it, what's the point of having a shopping function on my computer? Is there a hidden trick? I can buy guns in the US, so why would I need to buy them on my computer?

Cheng Yijiu called his parents and told them that he was going to study in the United States - his father immediately laughed at his son, "You have been working for several years, and you are still studying? There is no hope for you to get in." As the saying goes, no one knows a son better than his father. Cheng Yijiu was indeed not going to study... However, his mother was very worried that her son would not be able to adapt to the climate in the United States, but she firmly believed that her son could not get in, and she directly said that the old man was crazy and did not believe in his son.

Since Cheng Yijiu hadn't asked for money, the two elders assumed he was truly going to get an education—he hadn't dared to reveal his actual major, instead lying about it. However, the plane ticket and visa were genuine; he had sent them to his parents via WeChat—and then they received a text message saying an extra 30,000 yuan had been added to their bank account... After all, they were his parents.

The resignation process was quick. In today's society, most office workers aren't essential. Super-skilled office workers are a rare breed, the kind bosses crave. Cheng Yijiu's kind are plentiful. After receiving his severance pay, Cheng Yijiu began packing up—clothes and other belongings he no longer needed, discarding what needed to be thrown away or donated. The only items he kept were his appliances and the armor he used for tournaments. That was just a laptop, a game console, and a stack of CDs.

The journey to the United States left Cheng Yijiu with a sore back, the kind anyone experiences after a ten-hour flight. Not everyone can afford business or first class. After landing, he had to make a layover. While his English was decent, Cheng Yijiu still struggled. After much hardship, he finally arrived in the early hours of the next morning—a small city, a place inland and slightly closer to the sea, teeming with rough-hewn Americans...

He then witnessed the strange American scene he had seen on television and online—a significant proportion of people walking down the street were carrying guns, a perfect example of the concept of universal armed conquest, with some even carrying more than one weapon. Gun stores were plentiful here, but Cheng Yijiu couldn't buy any right now—as a foreign student, he didn't have a gun permit, so gun stores wouldn't sell him guns, and he couldn't even get a gun—it would be a felony and punishable by death.

This man, a good man for most of his life, couldn't find a way to sell illegal guns. On the contrary, the places where these guns were prevalent had very strict qualification regulations. All of this depended on when Cheng Yijiu could get a driver's license. He would then need a student hunting permit, fill out a form, and attach a copy of his passport before he could buy a gun. It was all quite convenient, so Cheng Yijiu gave up the idea of ​​buying an illegal gun.

Anyway, he bought a bolt-action rifle, so he didn't need a gun license - unless he also bought a semi-automatic rifle or a pistol. Renting an apartment in this small place was quite cheap, so Cheng Yijiu went to apply for a driver's license immediately after renting the apartment...

This chapter has not been reviewed and approved#Vv6n

This chapter has not been reviewed

Chapter 11 Begins

Following the owner's hand, he saw a Winchester Model 70 in a cardboard box on the counter. The walnut handguard and stock were still patinated—actually, Cheng Yijiu had misjudged it; it was just oil and wax. The entire gun had been meticulously maintained and oil-sealed, and the owner had just wiped off the excess oil as a favor.

Many of the owners and regular customers of this kind of gun shop are gun enthusiasts, and helping customers clean the guns they are about to pick up is considered a kind of obligation, and this gun is such a case. "How about a final safety?" The owner pointed to the pistol on the counter and motioned Cheng Yijiu to take a look.

"The last safety... Boss, it's a pity I'm not eligible to buy a pistol yet - but if these five bullets haven't killed the prey, I don't think I'll need any last-minute safety." Cheng Yijiu said with a smile. The middle-aged white men all made exaggerated expressions, "Hey, man, are you going to hunt a grizzly bear?" Another voice sounded, "I think he's going to hunt a Tyrannosaurus Rex, hahahahahaha."

These guys were all quite experienced hunters, and their banter made Cheng Yijiu laugh. Indeed, compared to them, he was just a younger brother...

After paying nearly $4,000, Cheng Yijiu got the gun and a discounted gun maintenance kit back—the price was more than enough to buy a semi-automatic rifle or an automatic rifle, and enough to turn an AR series rifle into a Christmas tree. But after all, this gun was practically a collector's item...

"We don't have much money left. We have to find a way to make some... We only have a little over a thousand US dollars on hand now, which is enough for one or two months, but we can't go on like this - if we go out to work, we won't be able to spend time training." Cheng Yijiu said goodbye to those people and left, relying on the second-hand car he bought when he came to the United States to return to his rented place.

For him, it didn't matter what kind of place he lived in—after all, it was the same two-story house. So Cheng Yijiu had already decided that once he had some money, he would buy a trailer. Following the good example of African Americans in the United States, living in a trailer wouldn't be so bad...

If Cheng Yijiu wanted to make money, he did have some illegal ways—he could try to ship cigarettes and aged liquor from China to the United States. There were shops in Chinatown that bought these goods, and tax evasion could bring huge profits. However, he couldn't scale up, as doing so would have the IRS and FBI coming after him. So, he couldn't ship much, and could only earn a pittance—but he had one advantage: he'd never be caught at the border.

But that was a matter for the future. Right now, he needed to learn how to shoot, hit his target, and maintain his firearms. Weapons needed to be calibrated, as the gun shop owner had taught Cheng Yijiu. "First, learn to adjust your sights according to distance, buddy," the owner had advised. Distance measurement was also a problem, so Cheng Yijiu had brought a pair of compact aluminum binoculars from China—antique-style, but with fine-scale lens markings. While they might not be perfectly accurate, they were more than adequate for hunting.

The fact that a telescope of this quality can be purchased at this price in China is truly remarkable, as China is truly a leading industrial nation. This thing is not prone to scratches or bruises, and the aging effect is quite good. It is also fairly waterproof and fogproof—as long as you don't intentionally drop it in water, a little rain or something shouldn't be a problem.

Cheng Yijiu found a hillside behind his rented house. This place was sparsely populated, and his small house was only one story high, without a basement. It was considered one of the worst wooden houses in the US, so the rent wasn't high. The nearest neighbor was only three or four hundred meters away. He had to drive to get to the university, and it would take at least half an hour... and that was even though there were almost no cars on the road, so he could pedal as hard as he could—but there were still police cars waiting in ambush.

In the backyard, Cheng Yijiu set up the bottles and the target, marked the distance with a ruler, and began practicing how to use and calibrate his weapon. He'd learned all this knowledge from the books in his study, and now he had to put it into practice. He pulled the bolt, snapped the clip onto the magazine, and with a slight pressure of his thumb, he pushed five rounds into the magazine. Then he removed the clip, pushed the bolt forward, and twisted it—bullets loaded.

Chinese people are very likely to have a talent for shooting. In the past, Cheng Yijiu had only touched guns in video games, at most playing with a water gun... and then a water gun. But after buying a gun in the United States, he was able to pick up the gun and fire it in a very realistic way - then aim at three points and fire.

The muzzle of the gun was raised, and his shoulder was hit. It hurt a little, and he was not used to the recoil at first, but he could accept it. Soon, Cheng Yijiu became quite good. At least he would not miss the target. When shooting at bottles and targets at a distance of 50 meters, he could basically hit them accurately.

Then, at 100 meters, Cheng Yijiu instinctively shifted his aim upwards a bit—he knew that the trajectory of a bullet wasn't a perfect straight line, but a parabola. He'd calibrated his aiming point at 50 meters, and then did the same at 100 meters, becoming accustomed to it.

As the distances grew, the better the marksman, the more bullets he needed. The same was true for the natural marksman like the Chinese, though perhaps they needed fewer bullets. He had originally had over a thousand dollars, but in the blink of an eye, it was almost gone... Unless he could get the "bounty" or manage to return home and bring back some cigarettes and alcohol to sell in Chinatown, he would probably be "living on dirt" from now on.

In fact, Cheng Yijiu was not going to starve to death. After all, the food was free, so he spent most of the cash on him with bullets...

The next adventure is already flashing on the computer, prompting that it must be entered in twenty-four hours.

Cheng Yijiu had a good sleep, ate and drank his fill, put on his hunting suit, and checked if he had forgotten anything. "The backpack contains dry food and water - points can be used to buy high-calorie dry food, and you can drink as much water as you want. Then there are water purification tablets, disinfectant ointment, bandages, and hemostatic agents. I also brought a simple single-person tent and a down sleeping bag. I also brought a knife, fishing line, a needle, and of course a lighter. Most importantly, I have the binoculars around my neck, the gun and tool kit are also in place, and there are the last thirty bullets in the bullet box. Add the five rounds in the magazine, and that's a total of thirty-five rounds. Should that be enough?"

Cheng Yijiu felt a little regretful. He'd been so busy shooting these past few days that he'd used up so many bullets that there wasn't any left in his bag. But getting familiar with gun maintenance and cleaning was a good thing. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, donned his deerstalker hat, let out a long breath, and pushed open the door...

Chapter 12 Luck

Pushing open the door, Cheng Yijiu stepped into the leaf-covered mountains. This time, his target seemed to be wild boars. "Looks like I'll never get along with wild boars again!" He spat. As a new hunter, even with two previous experiences, he still wasn't used to it. This time, it was a formal hunting adventure—meaning it would be the real, normal wilderness, with more than just wild boars appearing.

"Deer, wild boar, leopard, wolf, tiger... they could all appear," Cheng Yijiu said to himself, reminding himself to be careful. Now that he had the equipment, it would be much easier to search for prey—a monocular was a great tool, allowing him to observe from a great distance. Cheng Yijiu was now standing on the ridge, observing through the monocular. "This is probably Northeast Asia, right?" Cheng Yijiu thought.

The hunter stood on the ridge, telescope in one hand, calmly and carefully searching, especially the mountainside and valley. Soon, he put down the telescope and began to move along the ridge. Along the way, Cheng Yijiu carefully checked for animal trails—wild animals, especially wild boars, tend to follow the same trails. So, if he found a trail, he could basically locate his prey.

"I haven't spotted any wild boars yet, but I've spotted some deer..." Cheng Yijiu muttered. He even spotted some plump birds darting through the bushes. However, he didn't want to shoot—after all, he was on a mission, and he wasn't particularly interested in hunting. He'd been taught and conditioned by society to observe wildlife with binoculars, not rifles—in other words, Cheng Yijiu was a wildlife conservationist.

Wild animals are generally afraid of people, so Cheng Yijiu wasn't too worried about running into a ferocious beast head-on. However, if he ran into an Asian bully at close range, Cheng Yijiu would be dead without a pistol. The weather was neither too hot nor too cold, suggesting autumn. Walking along the ridge and enjoying the breeze was truly pleasant. And Cheng Yijiu did eventually find his target.

Just two hundred meters below him, the wind blew up from the valley, revealing the traces of a herd of wild boars. "About six or seven... one of them is a large boar. Wow, it's really huge," Cheng Yijiu muttered silently, observing the situation below. He also had to pay attention to his surroundings, as there were probably many predators eyeing the wild boars... It would be unfortunate if he accidentally bumped into Brother Huapi.

It was now almost certain that it was Northeast Asia. After all, after three consecutive wild boar hunts, Cheng Yijiu had a good understanding of Northeast Asia's vegetation. The boar below was huge, very large, probably weighing around 500 kilograms. At this distance, shooting it would require a bit of luck for Cheng Yijiu—he wasn't a gun-wielding Redneck, and his only experience was shooting fixed targets. Killing this wild boar with one shot wasn't going to be easy.

But the Winchester M70 in his hand was incredibly accurate, so Cheng Yijiu wasn't worried at all. This mission was surprisingly simple. It seemed this so-called "system" wasn't just a welfare system, was it? You see, there were houses, free food, and even side hustles, like bounties for killing prey... This system was truly a blessing. Initially, Cheng Yijiu had thought himself unlucky, but now he felt quite fortunate.

But he hasn't thought about what to do if he has a woman and wants to live with her in the future?

For now, we had to shoot that big boar first. Cheng Yijiu lowered the gun from his back, the first round already loaded. He knelt on one knee, using his knee and elbow as a fulcrum to hold the M70 rifle steady and began to aim. At this distance, using a scope was actually better; aiming with a ruler was basically a matter of wit—a seasoned expert could say they were aiming correctly, but a newcomer like Cheng Yijiu could only say they were gambling.

Normally, one should close within a hundred meters before aiming, but Cheng Yijiu didn't quite understand. Furthermore, shooting at a fixed target gave him a strange confidence. A wild boar at two hundred meters might appear any size through a telescope, but with a mechanical aiming gun, it's incredibly small. It's practically a mystery—hitting it would be a miracle. It wasn't that Cheng Yijiu didn't want to close, but it was simply that this place wasn't easy to descend. If he missed, he'd be tumbling all the way down—the ridge here was surprisingly bare of trees and shrubs. Or rather, the trees and shrubs were on the other side of the ridge, leaving this side with nothing but rocks and sand.

So, a 200-meter fight was a must. Besides, it wasn't like he only had one bullet... Cheng Yijiu steadied his breathing, and of course, his hand. The triangular structure gave the gun a stable fulcrum, but as a novice, Cheng Yijiu's breathing still caused his wrist to tremble, and of course, the muzzle to shake. After aiming for a while, Cheng Yijiu felt that it was about right. If he continued aiming, his gun would shake even more, and who knew where the bullet would go.

At a moment when he felt confident, Cheng Yijiu pulled the trigger. Luckily, he'd gotten used to the recoil by then, and with his shoulders firmly planted, he pulled his body back slightly. The gunshot wasn't loud, but the powerful rifle round had already been fired. Cheng Yijiu pulled the bolt, and a cartridge case flew out. The next round was loaded, and then Cheng Yijiu flicked his right thumb, engaging the safety.

He picked up the telescope and began to observe the situation below. As expected, the bullets flew off to who knows where—that's what happens when you don't have a scope... The wild boars had already let go of their hooves and ran away. Cheng Yijiu smiled bitterly and could only observe and chase them from the ridge, trying to catch the wild boars and see if he could close in before shooting. This was a physically demanding job. If Cheng Yijiu wasn't young and fond of martial arts and had been exercising all year round, he really wouldn't be able to handle it.

Even so, it was a struggle. Cheng Yijiu had no training for moving quickly in mountainous forests, and his experience was limited, so he wasn't very fast, and ended up losing track of the wild boars. Fortunately, he knew where the wild boars were heading, and if he searched carefully, he'd be able to find them—wild animals don't move aimlessly; they always follow food and water. But luck seemed to have eluded Cheng Yijiu, and he searched for hours without success.

It was almost dark, and we had to make plans for how to spend the night.

Chapter 13 Shooting

How to spend the night? In this wild forest, even in summer, a fire is built to drive away wild animals and dry the ground to radiate heat to maintain body temperature. Even in summer, the night in the forest can cause hypothermia and harm the human body.

So Cheng Yijiu began diligently collecting dry wood. Since he played martial arts as a hobby, he had good physical fitness, and there were many dead trees in the forest, so he pulled back a lot of firewood by breaking and kicking them. Then, he piled the firewood according to the methods he had read in the wilderness survival textbooks and ignited the dead branches with the kerosene lighter he brought with him.

As it got dark, the temperature in the woods dropped rapidly. Cheng Yijiu, who was wearing hunting clothes, even felt a little cold. At this time, the burning fire and the placed reflective panels made the place where he was suddenly warm. However, Cheng Yijiu still found a moisture-proof mat and put on a blanket.

He placed metal cans on the fire and began to boil water and heat canned food, including some dry rice. As the water began to boil, the aroma began to spread - Cheng Yijiu's rifle was beside him, and of course he was ready to fire at any time - the wild boar might not come yet, but it was very likely to attract a bear.

After all, this was an official mission, and the area was already normal nature. "Eurasian wild boar, and looking at the forest species here—it's undoubtedly in Northeast Asia. This distribution area overlaps with that of black and brown bears, so there's no telling if a bear might show up," Cheng Yijiu muttered.

As the water churned, the dried rice expanded rapidly, absorbing the fat from the canned meat. Then, the sealed dried vegetables Cheng Yijiu had added also expanded, and the stew was about to be perfectly cooked. Cheng Yijiu's cans were small, 250-gram cans of meat, perfect for one meal—and the metal cans were biodegradable, making them environmentally friendly.

A handful of rice and a matchbox-sized amount of compressed vegetables were heated and blended in a titanium cashew-shaped field meal. The heat whetted Cheng Yijiu's appetite, and he took out a spoon and fork and prepared to dig in. Meanwhile, filtered stream water had already boiled in a tableware jar. Cheng Yijiu prepared to cool it down before pouring it into his water bottle and water bag.

Cheng Yijiu sat on a moisture-proof mat, took off his shoes, and stretched his feet toward the fire to warm them up, of course drying his socks at the same time. He also placed his shoes facing the fire, letting the reflected heat dry the insides of the shoes. He had deliberately chosen a spot at the base of a towering tree; the forked roots formed a nice recess to block the wind.

After finishing the food and washing it with hot water, Cheng Yijiu straightened the wire on which the empty cans were hung, and then he fell into a sleep in a daze.

After a good night's sleep, Cheng Yijiu woke up to the condensation on the muzzle of the rifle in his arms dripping onto his face. The fire had only embers left. "Not bad! The method of stacking firewood I learned from the book is really effective. I did a good job, and I deserve praise." The embers were whitish, so there was probably still heat underneath. So Cheng Yijiu took out a rice ball wrapped in tin foil and placed it among the embers, adding some firewood. So, not long after, he was eating the hot meat floss rice ball, and then took a big gulp of cold water. After cleaning his mouth with chewable waterless mouthwash, Cheng Yijiu resumed the pursuit.

Wild animals actually move in a fairly regular pattern—especially herds of wild boar. Unlike carnivores that roam their territory, wild boars follow fixed routes. Therefore, Cheng Yijiu didn't need to search everywhere; he only needed to stake out the area where he had spotted the wild boar yesterday. However, this time, he'd have to get closer, preferably within a hundred meters. For a novice, aiming beyond a hundred meters would be quite unsatisfactory—even with the best guns.

Cheng Yijiu carefully descended the mountain, fearing he would miss a step and fall down - if he did, it would mean the end of his life. A lone human hunter is like a carnivorous beast, unable to get hurt - otherwise he would die.

Cheng Yijiu gradually approached the bottom of the valley where he saw the wild boar yesterday from the downwind side, found a big tree, climbed up the tree and covered his body with branches, and then began to wait - for this, he even tied himself to the tree with a belt to prevent himself from falling, and by the way, freed his hands so that his arms would not be too tired to move before the wild boar arrived.

The rifle in his hand had already been loaded with bullets again. Cheng Yijiu half-closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing to stabilize it.

This wait lasted from about nine o'clock to two o'clock in the afternoon. If the wild boar still didn't appear, Cheng Yijiu would probably have to end his wait and go collect firewood to prepare for the night. But his wait seemed to be paying off. The bushes ahead began to shake, and a small striped wild boar suddenly broke through the bushes and crawled out from underneath.

Cheng Yijiu slowly raised his gun and used the branches in front of him to support it. His breathing became slow and long, and he was mentally and physically prepared to shoot. Soon, a herd of wild boars appeared. Cheng Yijiu felt very lucky that he had waited for wild boars instead of deer or other animals. If it was a bear, Cheng Yijiu would probably have to shoot, but the mission would most likely be delayed for another day.

The terrifying Homo erectus, armed with a gun, was the most formidable hunting beast on the planet, and Cheng Yijiu was now aiming for the large boar in the herd. He was currently about four meters above the ground, about fifty meters from the herd—a very close distance. The wind was blowing towards Cheng Yijiu, so for now, there was no need to worry about being spotted by the wild boar—wild boars had poor eyesight but excellent hearing, so Cheng Yijiu had to be very gentle.