Wandering America: My kill threshold is far ahead

Chapter 248: A Complete Record of My Wilderness Debut

Thump thump thump... thump thump thump...

As Majek and his equipment were dropped into the designated area, the helicopter behind them took off again without stopping for a moment, roaring loudly.

The massive whirlwind created by the main propeller caused the low bushes to whistle and form concentric green ripples radiating outwards.

A few minutes later, the helicopter disappeared at the horizon. Without the noise of modern life, all that remained was the pristine tranquility and beauty of nature.

Ma Jie didn't rush to move. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. The crisp, cold air was mixed with the unique fragrance of herbs.

At that moment, he lost his last connection with modern civilization and became a special visitor to this natural oxygen bar.

The first thing that came over him was a strange excitement. This feeling of being free and unrestrained, roaming the world, reminded him of the stone monkey that sprang from the rock.

He ran and rolled around, yelling and screaming, slapping his mouth repeatedly with his hands, making strange noises similar to Tarzan's.

After a brief period of excitement, he gradually regained his composure and carefully examined the surrounding terrain and environment.

This is a very common mountain forest belt, mainly composed of conifers adapted to cold climates, such as North American spruce, balsam fir and larch. The wood has low hardness and density and is usually classified as softwood.

It also contains a lot of broad-leaved forests, including hardwoods such as poplar, birch and maple.

Such abundant forest resources are an absolute godsend for Ma Jieke, who possesses maxed-out construction skills.

It's early October now, just a month before winter arrives. Unlike Alaska's long winter, which can last seven or eight months, northern Saskatchewan is relatively mild before the snowfall.

This is a script that the production team often uses: give the contestants a development period, let them compete in speed and stockpile resources, and then when the blizzard comes, food will be scarce and travel will be difficult, and that will be the biggest highlight.

This is very similar to the level design in video games, where you need to upgrade your base, upgrade your equipment, mass produce troops and accumulate food before you can defeat the final boss.

Instead of rushing to build a temporary shelter, Ma Jieke used the [Resource Exploration] skill, adhering to the principle of using it early to reduce cooldowns.

[Resource Exploration (Active)]: Explore the nearest natural resource points (edible fungi, best fishing spots, animal dens, etc.) and permanently mark them on the map. Cooldown: 3 days.

With a 3-day cooldown period, the earlier you use it, the greater the benefit. Even if you don't go to resource points after using it, it's still worthwhile just for map exploration and marking.

Open the large map and you'll see a golden question mark lit up to the south of the woodland, indicating a distance of 3.3 kilometers.

To be honest, the journey is quite long, especially since I'm not traveling light.

In addition to the ten core pieces of equipment, there was also basic equipment provided by the production team, as well as camera equipment for recording footage, all packed into two rolling suitcases and a hiking backpack.

Due to the high starting load, most players will not venture far from the drop site, but will instead build a temporary shelter near the drop point and use it as their initial base to explore outwards little by little.

It's important to know that the drop locations are not randomly generated, but rather planned in advance by the instructors and their teams. This is done to prevent players from being eliminated immediately upon landing and to avoid players being too close together and accidentally encountering each other while playing in the jungle.

However, Majek didn't want to be a good kid. Anyway, he had a human power bank attached to him, so as long as Donya wasn't standing still and AFK, he could continuously recover his stamina.

He took the camera provided by the production team out of the equipment case, installed the battery, and pressed the power button to start recording his first action after landing.

He first composed himself, pointed the camera at himself, and put on an innocent-looking smile: "Look closely, this man is called Jack, a contestant from China."

"I've just been dropped into a pristine wilderness called Caribou Island in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Today is my first time meeting you all, but I hope you won't be captivated by my good looks. Remember, you're here to watch the show, not to chase after celebrities. Don't put the cart before the horse."

After what he thought was a humorous and witty opening, Ma Jieke fixed the equipment to his chest, flipped the camera, and assumed a first-person perspective.

I simply didn't have my other hand free, so I temporarily gave up on the handheld perspective. Anyway, there's not much to photograph while hiking, so there's no need to worry about such trivial details.

Next, he began to carry his load and trek alone through the lush primeval forest.

This process was not easy. The wildly growing tree roots, the moss-covered rocks, and the continuous vines and bushes all challenged his physical strength and patience.

However, being a little tired in order to open resource points is nothing. What I fear most is slipping and falling, since he doesn't have abilities like [Quick Healing] or [First Aid] in his skill list.

The journey of just over 3000 meters took him more than an hour to reach, but when he touched the edge of the golden question mark, he vaguely heard the sound of flowing water.

Following the sound, a small stream, a little over a meter wide, came into view, with pebbles clearly visible at the bottom.

"Luckily, family, we've found a water source. Let me take a sip and see if it meets drinking standards."

He squatted down with the camera in his hand, scooped up a small puddle of stream water, and eagerly brought it to his lips to slurp.

It's refreshingly cool and free of impurities upon entry, with a lingering sweetness unique to mountain spring water.

However, the tone suddenly changed, and the voice became serious: "The above is a wrong example. I would like to remind all outdoor enthusiasts not to be deceived by their own sight and taste. Please always regard wild water sources as unsafe water sources, no matter how clean they look or how sweet they taste. The microorganisms in the water are invisible and intangible. Blindly drinking them can lead to gastroenteritis, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and other symptoms, and may even endanger life."

"The correct procedure is to filter first, then purify, which I will demonstrate to you later."

"Now, let's follow the stream and see if there's anything else we can find."

According to the large map, this stream is located on the edge of a resource point, meaning it was discovered by accident.

After dragging his suitcase for several hundred meters, he discovered a freshwater lake, which was at the end of the stream.

At this moment, the originally bright golden question mark dimmed, indicating that the real marked resource point should be this lake. Could it be the legendary best fishing spot?

"Oh my god, family, look what I've found!" He looked at the shimmering lake and the various tree species surrounding it, and couldn't help but say, "To me, this is simply the Promised Land described in the Bible. If I build my shelter here, I can have both water and fish."

"What? You're asking me what to do if there are no fish in the lake? Don't be ridiculous, buddy. According to the data I've got, there are over 10 freshwater lakes on Reindeer Island, and more than 95% of them have fish. If you don't believe me..."

"Shh." At this point, Ma Jieke subconsciously shushed someone, though it was unclear who he was warning.

Not far from the camera, a gray wild duck was floating slowly on the lake. This was the first living creature he had seen since landing.

Before he could even open his luggage, Ma Jie picked up a pebble and tiptoed over.

Whoosh! The pebble left a trail of afterimages as it passed through the air. Just as it was about to hit the wild duck's head, the duck alertly ducked back, then quacked and ran away quickly.

Looking at the splashes and ripples on the lake, someone sighed helplessly: "Sigh, I'm a bit unlucky, family. Otherwise, I would have roast duck today. But it's okay. Since there are animals foraging here, it means there are indeed fish in the lake. Next, I need to find a suitable location to build the shelter."

After searching along the lakeshore for a while, Ma Jieke found a prime location, a place situated between a lake and a forest, with a slightly elevated elevation and a wide view.

"Family members, the location of the shelter is very important. It should be avoided to build it in low-lying areas to prevent rain and water accumulation. Don't try to save trouble by building it under big trees or rock walls. If it gets hit by branches or falling rocks, it's no joke. Also, check the wind direction. Sheltering from the wind is of utmost importance."

"Remember this rule: windward slopes are steep, leeward slopes are gentle."

As he spoke, he walked towards a small, undulating hillside. He came to the relatively flat side and estimated that it was about 50 meters from the lake shore and more than 200 meters from the stream. It was convenient to fetch water and would not be disturbed by the sound of flowing water when sleeping at night. It could be said that the planning was perfect.

First, I took off my backpack to reduce the weight, then opened my suitcase and arranged the ten pieces of equipment in order, showing them off one by one to the camera.

"This is it, family. Next, please enjoy an immersive performance showing how to quickly set up a temporary shelter. I'll leave you here for now, see you in a bit."

The camera was fixed at an angle on the ground. In the shot, Ma Jieke took off his warm coat and wielded a wood-chopping axe, chopping down a North American spruce tree that was as thick as a bowl and seven or eight meters tall.

Snap! Snap! With wood chips flying everywhere, a clean cut was quickly made.

His axe-wielding movements didn't appear laborious; rather, they possessed a tight and orderly rhythm. Each strike of the axe precisely cleaved into the previously formed groove, without any unnecessary movements.

After cutting a deep wedge into the trunk, a strong push with both hands sent the spruce tree crashing down, landing perfectly in front of the camera.

This type of wood is light in color, has a uniform texture, is lightweight, and has high strength. It also emits a faint resinous fragrance when processed, making it ideal for making roof beams, acorns, and wooden frames. It is also one of the preferred materials for soundboards of musical instruments such as guitars and violins.

Despite it being just a temporary shelter, Ma Jie didn't skimp on the materials; he opted for the classic A-frame cabin.

First, cut two short, forked logs from the fallen main tree trunk. Then, use an axe to dig two small holes in the ground and firmly fix the logs in place to serve as simple pillars for the cabin.

Then, use a handsaw to cut a straight log and place it on the Y-shaped fork of the pillar to serve as the ridge. If there are any uneven parts, use a knife to trim them little by little to ensure that it will not tilt.

Next, a large number of long tree branches were cut down and tied together with paracord to form two large wooden rafts, which were then placed against the crossbeams like building blocks to form the "wall".

Finally, cover the cabin with a waterproof tarpaulin, weigh down the bottom with a ring of stones and branches, leaving only one entrance/exit. The shelter is now complete.

When creating the internal isolation, Ma Jie put in a lot of effort, laying out three layers like a sandwich.

The bottom layer consists of neatly trimmed twigs to ensure air circulation.

The middle layer is made of scraped soft bark, which increases smoothness and comfort.

The top layer is made of a large amount of dried leaves, at least 10 centimeters thick, for filling and insulation.

The sleeping bag provided by the production team is on the very top layer.

Ma Jie lay down inside and tried it out; with his eyes closed, it was no different from a Simmons mattress.

Because he had fallen behind in his journey, it took him more than eight hours to finish building the temporary shelter.

The setting sun reflected on the lake, creating a vast expanse of shimmering silver light.

Looking at the simple little nest he had built himself, Ma Jie wiped the sweat from his forehead and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Gurgle..." Hearing the warning from his stomach, he realized that he hadn't eaten anything all day.

However, there are actually two options right now. One is to use the skill to make empty promises.

【Drawing a cake to satisfy hunger (active)】: Restores 100% of the body's required heat after activation, with a 10-day cooldown.

The earlier you use it, the sooner the cooldown period will be. While the logic is correct, a 10-day cooldown period is still too long for wilderness survival, unless you use it and stay in the shelter every day without going out, relying on the low-consumption mode to tough it out.

This goes against Ma Jieke's original intention, because he never planned to go down the starvation route in the first place. Firstly, it's not challenging, and secondly, it's not interesting. So what's the point of going on this show? Even if he makes it to the finals, the audience won't buy it, and he'll just fade into obscurity in the end.

True champions value more than just the 100 million yuan prize; they also value the show's influence. If they perform exceptionally well, even without winning the championship, they can still gain a large following and continue to provide value.

More importantly, this season of "Living Alone in the Wild" has added a live streaming mode, and MaJack doesn't want to miss his debut, so he has to go live to prove himself.

Having made up his mind, he decided to abandon empty promises and save them for the most crucial moment. He took out the signal receiver and live streaming device and clicked the start broadcast button on the screen.

After a signal search of more than ten seconds, the scene was successfully transmitted to the network platform.

At the same time, a 120-minute countdown popped up in the lower right corner of the live stream. Grace had previously said that each contestant could only stream for a limited time of 2 hours per day, and the signal would be cut off as soon as the time was up.

I thought I would watch a lot of this live stream, since it's a top-tier program, but even after half a minute of the countdown had passed, I could only see the notification that a certain user had entered the live stream, and there wasn't a single comment or interaction.

Mark, thinking it was a network lag issue, asked in a bewildered tone, "Hey guys, can you hear me? If you can, please type 1."

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