From Robinson Crusoe

The snowstorm arrived much faster than Chen Zhou had imagined.

Almost two minutes after he summoned the three saw-toothed tigers back, goose-feather-like snowflakes, accompanied by a gale, swept in from the distant mountain peaks.

What was just a withered, yellow grassland in the field of vision has instantly turned into a chaotic expanse of white.

Hey~
Tiger Two roared uneasily and hid behind his eldest and third brothers.

Chen Zhou tightened his fur coat, pulled his simple fur hat down, and stood in front of the three-headed sawtooth tiger.

At this point, no matter how good his eyesight is, he can't see more than 5 meters away and can only rely on his memory to determine the direction.

The snowflakes landed on Chen Zhou's dry, stiff fur, and because of the cold, they did not melt, turning him into a "snowman".

The temperature kept dropping, and even the three-headed saw-toothed tiger behind Chen Zhou turned white.

As Chen Zhou headed towards the woods he remembered, the howling wind filled his ears, and he couldn't help but glance back at the riverbank—

The campfire was roughly there when we set off.

However, at this moment he could see nothing but dense wind and snow blowing diagonally from the sky.

The fluffy white snowflakes were arranged so tightly that they seemed to form a river, surging rapidly, while the wild grass on the ground was being buried at a visible speed.

The bonfire on the riverbank may have been extinguished long ago, and thin layers of ice may have formed on the river, constantly being broken...

"Damn it, what kind of weather is this?"

A layer of frost clung to his eyelashes, blurring Chen Zhou's vision. He quickly turned his head and called out to the three saw-toothed tigers, afraid they might fall behind.

……

Braving the wind and snow, after walking towards the woods for about five or six minutes, Chen Zhou suddenly noticed that the terrain beneath his feet was slightly raised, which was different from the terrain he remembered.

"broken!"

Chen Zhou's heart tightened. He knew he had gone astray, which meant he might not be able to reach the cover within the expected time.

He tried to recall the terrain near the riverbank, attempting to determine exactly how far he had strayed from the right path.

However, when he arrived, he only took one route, wanting to get to the river as quickly as possible to replenish his water, then make a fire and rest. He didn't know much about the surrounding terrain and didn't even take a second look at it.

Moreover, due to the wind and snow, visibility was greatly reduced, and landmark plants on the ground, such as tall grass and continuous stretches of river willows, were all obscured by the snow. Relying solely on the slightly undulating ground beneath his feet, he had no way of knowing where he was going.

At this moment, Chen Zhou, who had always been confident in his outstanding memory, was unusually flustered.

The blizzard was getting worse. Although it came suddenly and probably wouldn't last long, he didn't dare gamble on the "what if".

Being in a prehistoric world, with its climate having been interfered with by the Time and Space Administration, the chances of a sudden blizzard turning into a snow disaster are not zero.

If he cannot find shelter from the snowstorm soon, no matter how much stamina or strength he possesses, he will be devoured by the merciless nature.

Frostbite alone could kill him.

Thinking of this, Chen Zhou couldn't help but reach out and press his chest. He felt a solid texture under his fur coat, where the regeneration potion was stored.

The medicine offered him some comfort—

Even if they reach the end of their rope, as long as the medicine hasn't worn off, they can always have another chance.

Right now, the most important thing is to find the right direction and then keep going firmly. Even if you only find a small hill, it's better than staying in one place and waiting to die.

……

We trudged through the wind and snow, stepping on the gradually rising land.

At this moment, Chen Zhou finally understood the despair of those extreme deep-sea diving enthusiasts who were lost in the abyss.

Now, the white walls of snow all around are like the dark sea, and this vast grassland is like the boundless ocean.

The rapidly dropping body temperature was like oxygen being slowly depleted from an oxygen tank. When the body temperature reached its lowest point and the oxygen was exhausted, it meant that his life was coming to an end.

As a northerner, Chen Zhou was very familiar with the power of blizzards—

In a blizzard at around -30 degrees Celsius, if you only wear a waterproof jacket instead of special clothing for extreme cold, your extremities will become numb from the cold in just ten minutes in an unprotected environment.

After about twenty minutes, when the body surface temperature can no longer be lowered, the core body temperature will also decrease, leading to muscle stiffness, at which point there is a risk of amputation.

After thirty minutes, severe symptoms of hypothermia will appear. People who are not physically strong and are not adapted to the extreme cold will become confused or go into shock. Then, those who collapse in the wind and snow will suffer organ failure and death.

During this process, it is also important to avoid sweating and getting covered in snow.

Sweating accelerates heat loss, causing hypothermia to occur earlier, and snow also accelerates the loss of body temperature.

For Chen Zhou, he might only have twenty minutes to find shelter from the wind. Even if he could hold out longer, after half an hour, his condition would be severely deteriorating. Even if he found shelter, his limbs might have already been frostbitten and necrotic, especially his ears, fingers, and toes, which are most vulnerable to injury.

He didn't want to waste the precious regeneration injections here, so he not only had to move forward, but also observe carefully and make accurate judgments.

If he had just a little bit of luck, perhaps he could have pulled off this "escape show" in the snowstorm.

……

After walking over a small hill, just when Chen Zhou thought the hill would continue to rise and provide shelter from the wind, the terrain suddenly began to extend downwards again.

Feeling extremely disappointed, he could only continue forward.

The snowstorm was so fierce that even the three furry saw-toothed tigers began to tremble.

Even the most resilient creatures of the North must succumb to the tyranny of nature before reaching adulthood.

Where is the forest?

Where is the earthen slope?

Even a big rock would be fine!
A loose-fitting fur coat can only provide wind protection and warmth under normal circumstances, but it is completely useless when encountering a raging blizzard like this.

The wind seemed to have a mind of its own, sneaking in from the neck, from the cuffs, from the unbuttoned front of the shirt, and from the back.

The combat uniform worn under the overcoat was chilled by the wind, making him feel as if he were naked, with a chill running from the back of his neck to his heels, and goosebumps rising all over his body.

In a daze, Chen Zhou even felt his heart begin to convulse from the cold, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Time seemed to drag on endlessly; he had no idea whether a few minutes or a dozen minutes had passed.

Chen Zhou had no idea how many mounds had appeared under his feet. Just when he thought it was another scam, Hu Da Wa, who was right behind him, suddenly sounded a warning.

If Tiger Cub encounters an animal much larger than itself or a carnivore that clearly intends to attack in the wild, it will growl softly.

Chen Zhou thought the three little ones couldn't hold on any longer and was about to turn back to comfort them when he saw Hu Da Wa leading his two younger brothers and running into the snowstorm without a care in the world.

"Eh!"

I never expected that these guys, who usually seem so well-behaved, would cause so much trouble, especially at crucial moments.

Fearing they might get lost in the blizzard, Chen Zhou called out to them as he chased after them.

The three-headed saw-toothed tigers were short and much smaller than Chen Zhou due to the wind and snow. They stayed close behind Chen Zhou the whole way, conserving a lot of energy, and when they started running, they were surprisingly fast.

Chen Zhou chased after them very quickly. He originally thought that the saw-toothed tigers were frightened and were trying to escape to a safer place. However, after running for a while, he found that the little guys were not running blindly, but were running purposefully down the side of the slope.

The little saw-toothed tiger, its back covered in ice and snow, stopped after running a short distance.

Chen Zhou followed them closely, but also stopped moving forward.

By this point, even if the saw-toothed tiger stopped leading the way, he would be able to tell exactly what was wrong—

A strong, fishy stench, mixed with the unique smell of wet fur, permeated the surroundings.

The smell was so strong that it seemed to relentlessly assault his nostrils, even amidst the wind and snow.

"roar~"

Tiger Cub and his two younger brothers were shivering from the cold. Tiger Cub let out another roar, as if urging Chen Zhou to hurry up and act.

Following the scent further down the slope, past the side of the earthen embankment, a ditch suddenly appeared ahead.

There is a huge black hole in the ditch; it is a cave.

There was hardly any wild grass around the cave entrance, and even the snow was scarce. A warm breath, mixed with animal excrement and the smell of wild animals, wafted out.

"Is it the den of cave bears that hibernate?"
Or some other ferocious beast?

Chen Zhou cautiously approached the cave entrance.

The warm air emanating from within brought him a long-lost sense of warmth, even though the air was only one or two degrees Celsius and even though it carried a nauseating stench. Compared to the nearly minus thirty degrees Celsius wind and snow, it still seemed so comforting.

At this critical juncture, even if there was a bear in the cave, or even a reinforced platoon of saw-toothed tigers living inside, Chen Zhou would still have to go in—

For him, tangible enemies are far easier to deal with than intangible ones.

At least the wild beasts wouldn't make him feel powerless.

……

Drawing his knife ahead of time, bending slightly, and lowering his pace, Chen Zhou plunged into the cave.

The three-headed sawtooth tiger followed him and disappeared into the dark place.

Having grown up with others since childhood, both Tiger Big Brother and Tiger Second Brother consciously shut their mouths and remained silent.

As for Tiger Three-Wa—

It has always been the most obedient animal, and this is especially true after surviving a near-death experience. It is like a sensible child, rarely making a sound even when playing around, let alone disturbing the hunt.

……

The cave was dark inside, and the walls were covered with claw marks left by animals digging the cave. Some rough, brownish-black hairs remained on both sides.

Chen Zhou had thought the cave was very spacious, but he didn't expect that the further he went in, the narrower the passage became, to the point that he gradually couldn't straighten his back, and the long knife in his hand also seemed to be in the way.

"If this continues, what if we encounter a ferocious beast that awakens inside? We won't be able to fight back properly, and the situation will be disadvantageous for me..."

Fearing that he would run into a wild beast, Chen Zhou dared not go any deeper.

In open areas, ordinary wild beasts, even those as ferocious and large as the Giant Bear with Fine Teeth, cannot do anything to him, because he is fast enough to crush them. With the help of his weapon, as long as he concentrates and carefully dodges, he can basically win without taking any damage.

Especially when wielding a long weapon, even a mammoth would be no match for him.

But fighting in open spaces is one thing, while fighting in such cramped terrain is quite another.

Here, if the beast keeps charging forward and he can't retreat in time, he can only confront it head-on. In terms of strength, he may not be a match for the beast, and in terms of defense, without thick fur, he is far inferior to the beast.

Besides, there haven't been any conflicts yet, so it's not like we're going to fight to the death.

The wind and snow are heavy outside, so I'll borrow your nest to shelter from the wind. I'll leave naturally when the wind and snow stop, without disturbing your hibernation. It's a win-win situation.

……

Before venturing into the deepest part of the lair, Chen Zhou stopped in time and squatted down against the cave wall.

Seeing this, the three saw-toothed tigers following behind him stopped advancing, sat upright in a row, and stuck out their tongues to lick the melted snow water from their paws.

The cave was filled with the stench of wild beasts, which made them instinctively uneasy, but Chen Zhou's presence made up for it.

The sawtooth tigers deeply trusted their "leader," and Chen Zhou never lacked a sense of security where he was.

……

The wind blowing outside the cave sounded like the roar of ten thousand wild beasts in unison.

The snowflakes pouring into the cave brought a chill, and Chen Zhou rubbed his numb face with his hands to get the blood flowing.

Before they knew it, the snow on the surface of the serrated tiger's fur had almost melted.

Their lanugo hadn't fallen off yet, and their fine fur formed a natural hydrophobic layer, preventing snowmelt from seeping into their bodies. However, the tips of their hairs, which weren't strong enough, were crushed by the water, making them look disheveled and showing no trace of the fierce young beasts they once were.

The man and his three beasts waited quietly, waiting for the wind to subside and for the clouds to exhaust their last bit of strength.

Having endured walking in the wind for so long, the sawtooth tigers were exhausted. Tiger Two, who was usually the most energetic, was the first to doze off, and then lay down on the ground to sleep without a care in the world.

Sleepiness seemed contagious, causing Tiger Big Brother to doze off as well. Only Tiger Third Brother remained awake, forcing himself to stay awake with his eyes half-closed, occasionally peeking at Chen Zhou as if seeking some kind of spiritual comfort.

Chen Zhou stuck the knife into the ground, blade facing inwards, and used one hand to rub Hu Sanwa's wet head.

"It's okay, go to sleep."

As soon as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly became tense—

Deep inside the cave, the previously steady breathing suddenly quickened and became somewhat rapid.

"Isn't it said that hibernating animals have very low alertness?"
How could I wake it up even when I was speaking so softly?

Gripping the hilt of his knife and standing up, Chen Zhou was prepared for a fierce battle. The sounds coming from inside the cave had changed again—

In addition to the increased breathing frequency, there were also sounds of teeth grinding and hair rubbing against the ground. These sounds lasted for more than a minute before the breathing returned to normal.

Chen Zhou, who was listening intently, then realized that the cave owner had turned over.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, sat back down on the ground, turned his head to look at the snow outside the cave, which had weakened somewhat, and then looked at the three little ones huddled together. In a daze, Chen Zhou felt as if he had returned to his childhood.

The winters back then also had similar wind and snow. In winter, we would hide indoors and vaguely look at the outside world through the frost-covered windows.

A warm, even scorching, stove was burning, and the boiling water in the kettle on the stove made a noisy sound.

On the kang (heated brick bed), the big yellow cat lay comfortably on its back, purring softly.

The cartoons on TV were a bit noisy...

The scene was somewhat similar to the present, only lacking a bit of comfort and a sense of security. (End of Chapter)