American Landowners: Starting with Hunting in Alaska

Chapter 185 Awakening the Sleeping King of the Forest

"Clang!"

The heavy car door was pulled open.

Su Wei braced himself against the frozen-hard leather seat with one hand, and with a leap, steadily stepped into the towering Raptor carriage.

He exhaled a long puff of white breath, took off his wet work gloves, and casually tossed them onto the passenger side floor mat.

With his bright red knuckles, he quickly pressed the start button.

The engine let out a deep roar.

Shifting gears and accelerating—the actions were completed in one smooth motion.

The large off-road tires crushed the surface gravel and thin ice.

The black pickup truck, like a steel beast, tore through the dark curtain of the Arctic Circle, braving the wind and snow, and drove towards its territory at the foot of the pillar mountain.

When we returned to the open space outside the cabin, it was already deep into the night.

Su Wei jumped off the vehicle, his military boots crunching on the snow.

He went around to the back of the truck, opened the cargo bed door, and the biting cold wind immediately rushed in through the collar of his down jacket.

Five heavy military sampling bags lay inside the carriage, filled with heavy volcanic rocks and black crystal sand.

A thin layer of ice had formed on the surface of the stone, exuding the cold and salty smell of the North Pacific.

Su Wei stepped forward and gripped the handle of a sampling bag with both hands.

He took a deep breath of cold air, tensed his arms, back, and core muscles, and pulled back forcefully.

The dead weight of one hundred pounds rubbed against the floor of the carriage, making a screeching sound.

He turned around and hoisted the heavy cloth bag onto his right shoulder.

The immense weight caused his shoulders to sag slightly, and his military boots sank more than two inches into the snow.

Braving the freezing cold of minus twenty degrees Celsius, they made five round trips.

By the time he had moved all the materials into the garage, a fine layer of sweat had formed on his forehead, turning into white steam that rose above his head.

Su Wei breathed a sigh of relief and turned to walk towards the wooden house.

Pushing open the heavy oak door, the remaining warmth from the interior rushed in, shutting out the extreme cold outside.

"Eek—!"

A white figure leaped off the wool sofa; it was Cotton Candy.

The albino red fox cub excitedly rushed over, its furry body wrapping around Suwei's trouser leg.

Its chubby little head kept rubbing against his military boots, making urgent and clingy whimpers, as if accusing him of why he had been gone for so long.

Su Wei's hard facial features softened.

He didn't bother to take off his coat, squatted down, and stretched out his large, calloused hands to vigorously rub the cotton candy's soft neck and behind her ears.

"Okay, stop fooling around. I really don't have time to play with you tonight."

He whispered a comforting word, feeling the little one's body temperature, and then stood up.

After intense physical exertion and exposure to the cold, his body was extremely depleted, and his stomach was growling violently.

High-quality carbohydrates and fats must be replenished quickly.

However, he didn't have much energy to prepare a delicious meal.

We'll just have to make do with what we have.

He went to the kitchen, turned on the gas stove, and the pale blue flame licked the bottom of the stainless steel pot.

As soon as the water in the pot boiled, Suwei grabbed a large handful of thick spaghetti, snapped it in half with a "crack," and threw it into the boiling water.

While the noodles were cooking, he grabbed two ripe tomatoes and half a purple onion.

The cleaver left a blur on the solid wood cutting board.

"Dudududududu"

Amidst the rhythmic chopping sounds, the vegetables were chopped into even, small pieces.

He scooped a large spoonful of lard from the sealed jar and threw it into the pan along with the chopped vegetables.

Animal fat melts at high temperatures, making a sizzling sound.

The high temperature brings out the spiciness of the onions and the sweet and sour taste of the tomatoes, filling the kitchen with a rich aroma.

Even the cotton candy next to it couldn't help but stand up straight, clinging to the glass stand and twitching its little nose.

Eight minutes later, Suwei scooped out the pasta that was cooked to medium doneness and threw it directly into the thick red sauce.

He turned up the heat and tossed the wok over the stir-fry for thirty seconds.

Turn off the heat and plate the dish.

The entire cooking process takes less than ten minutes.

He sat down at the table with a large plate of bright red pasta, picked up a fork, rolled up a big ball, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it in large gulps.

Without chewing slowly, this is the purest form of energy intake for a wilderness hunter.

Thick animal fat, carrying substantial carbohydrates, slides into the stomach, while the sweet, sour, and spicy flavors explode on the taste buds.

The surging heat flowed through my body like a warm current, dispelling the soreness and coldness in my limbs and bones.

[Easy Food Supplement Trigger: High-Efficiency Energy. Quickly restores stamina and energy, lasting for two hours.]

While eating heartily, Suwei's brain did not stop working.

I need to prepare in advance for my work at the Old Hope processing plant tomorrow morning.

The Kodiak bear pelt, weighing over 600 kilograms, was surprisingly heavy after being soaked.

Suwei swallowed the last bite of noodles and pushed the empty plate aside.

He grabbed a tissue to wipe the grease from the corner of his mouth, then immediately got up and headed for the storage room.

Bring along the knife set that Old Hope had given you, and prepare a series of items for making the specimen.

After confirming that everything was correct, he packed all the items into a sturdy canvas bag.

After doing all this, he took a quick hot shower and set his alarm for 4:30 a.m.

The moment I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes, a faint light flashed on the system panel, and the passive effect of [Homestead Protection] quietly activated.

The gentle force, like warm water, began to repair his damaged muscle fibers and fatigued nerves.

4:30 a.m.

As soon as the phone alarm rang for the first time, Su Wei sat up in bed, her eyes showing no sign of sleepiness.

Outside the window, it was still pitch black, and large snowflakes continued to fall, merging the sky and earth into a vast expanse of white.

He put on the windbreaker that smelled of pine and gunpowder, picked up the heavy canvas bag, and went out the door.

The black Raptor pickup truck's lights suddenly blazed on, like two sharp swords piercing the sleeping darkness of Kodiak Island.

5:50.

The wheels rolled over icy mud pits, and the vehicle stopped in front of an abandoned factory in the old industrial area.

Su Wei didn't turn off the engine, keeping the car's interior heating on. He opened the car door, picked up his tool bag, and walked towards the rusty iron gate.

Even from two meters away, a pungent odor ignored the wind and snow and rushed straight into the nostrils.

That's the distinctive smell produced by the fermentation of formaldehyde, industrial preservative salts, and animal fats after they've decomposed.

Su Wei didn't even flinch, but raised his gloved right hand and slammed it against the iron gate.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A few seconds later, the door was pulled open from inside, then opened a crack.

Old Hope's deeply lined face, like a dried orange peel, appeared behind the door.

He was wearing a heavy leather apron, its surface patinated and covered with blackened bloodstains and chemical stains.

His gray hair was tied back, with a few pieces of white bone powder stuck in the strands.

"Kid, six o'clock, you're really punctual. Don't tell me you forgot how troublesome that skin is!"

Old Hope's voice was rough.

He stepped aside to make way, holding a bloodstained iron hook upside down in his left hand, its sharp barbs reflecting a cold light under the lamp.

Then, the old man turned around and strode towards the sterile work area in the center of the factory.

On the stainless steel workbench made up of two iron beds, the Kodiak bear skin lay flat.

After being cleaned with strong acid and soaked in preservative solution, the entire leather has a dark, oily brown color.

Its enormous size almost took up the entire table, and its thick fur even hung down in mid-air.

Next to the workbench stands a giant three-dimensional bear skeleton with a frame made of high-strength alloy steel pipes.

Standing at a height of 2.8 meters, its front paws are raised high.

Even just an outline, the oppressive feeling of being at the top of the food chain is still palpable.

Old Hope stepped forward and, without hesitation, used the tip of the iron hook to lift the thickest part of the bear's skin—its neck.

"This thing has been soaked in softening fluid and preservatives, it's heavier now than when it was alive. Be careful not to strain your back."

He handed the ring at the end of the iron hook to Suwei.

"You're in charge of pulling up the main axis and controlling the field, while I'll fix the force points of the limbs."

"clear."

Suwei took the iron hook and deftly slipped the widened straps under the bear skin's armpits and abdomen.

Then, he deftly stepped onto the edge of the worktable and leaped up, securing the main hook of the hand-operated hoist to the thickest load-bearing steel beam on the factory roof.

"Click".

The metal safety lock is firmly closed.

"Get ready."

Su Wei gave a low shout and gripped the metal chain of the hand-pulled gourd with both hands.

As he exerted force, the muscles in his arms suddenly tightened.

With a whoosh, the thick chain began to retract, and the heavy, acrid sound of metal rubbing together echoed in the empty factory.

The huge bear skin on the workbench was slowly pulled up and detached from the tabletop.

The pungent smell of formaldehyde preservative mixed with water dripped continuously from the rough leather seams and splattered onto the stainless steel tabletop.

The slippery, heavy feeling of falling was transmitted through the gloves to Suvi's palm.

The actual weight of the hides far exceeded expectations, definitely exceeding 150 kilograms.

Suspending such a heavy object in mid-air can easily cause the fibers inside the leather to tear if the force at the suspension point is uneven, resulting in irreversible damage.

Just then, Su Wei had a sudden thought and activated [Basic Skinning Technique LV1].

He narrowed his eyes, and in his mind appeared a three-dimensional stress limit diagram of the leather plate and the direction of every muscle fiber.

We know exactly where the strength lies and where the vulnerability lies.

His gaze was fixed on the back of the bear skin, the thickest and toughest part of the entire hide.

"Loosen the lock on your left front leg!"

He decisively gave instructions.

Old Hope was a professional and decisive man; he immediately loosened the rope that was hooked around his left foreleg.

Losing a point of support, the massive leather shifted to one side, and it looked like it was about to slip off.

That's exactly the gravity difference that Su Wei wanted!

He suddenly exerted force to the right, using the lever principle of the pulley system and centrifugal force to flip the huge bear skin 180 degrees in mid-air.

Steady, accurate, and ruthless!

The entire process was efficient and without any unnecessary delays.

The inside of the leather was fully opened, like a giant sleeve, precisely aligned with the alloy skeleton standing to the side.

"put!"

Old Hope shouted hoarsely.

With his hands bulging with muscle tension, Su Wei slowly and steadily released the chain from reverse.

The enormous bear skin, like a ghostly cloak, covered the three-dimensional model from top to bottom, perfectly.

"A dull thud, the sound of flesh hitting flesh."

The water-soaked bear skin fits perfectly with the internal skeleton, and the joints, shoulders, and neck curves match perfectly.

Old Hope's eyes lit up, and he immediately pulled an industrial-grade pneumatic nail gun from his apron pocket.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A series of deafening explosions.

Rows of three-inch-long steel nails, driven precisely into the skeletal interface hidden in the fur by his skillful hands, avoiding the direction of hair flow.

The neck and shoulders, which are most prone to slipping due to gravity, are firmly fixed to the alloy tube.

After doing all this, old Hope, slightly out of breath, stopped and threw the nail gun on the table.

He grabbed a dirty rag and vigorously wiped the sticky preservative liquid off his hands.

He took two steps back, tilted his head back, squinted his gray eyes, and carefully examined the nascent behemoth.

"You really plan to put this in that dilapidated exhibition hall that's still under construction?"

He pulled a crumpled cigarette from his pocket, lit it skillfully, and took a deep drag.

"Take my advice, this thing is too menacing. It doesn't belong to those Wall Street idiots in their bespoke suits and silk ties."

Su Wei walked to the worktable, picked up a clean towel, and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"It represents the purest and most primitive wildness of Kodiak Island."

He didn't look at old Hope, but turned his head and stared directly at the giant bear specimen that was beginning to exude an imposing aura.

"It is the cornerstone of the entire club, the core of the throne."

97

Su Wei's tone was calm, but resolute.

Those big shots who wield power in the financial center, what kind of luxury haven't they seen?

Gold, diamonds, and famous paintings are just numbers to them.

Only such terrifying creations, which transcend the rules of human civilization and are filled with a savage, murderous aura, can deliver the most direct visual and dimensional-reducing blow to them.

He wanted to use this sense of oppression to firmly hold those arrogant capitalists, who thought they were superior, under the rules of the wilderness!

Upon hearing this, old Hope's lips twitched, revealing yellowed teeth, and he gave a noncommittal laugh.

He didn't continue the topic, turned around and walked to the corner of the factory, carrying two heavy, large gray plastic buckets.

"Bang!"

The plastic bucket was slammed heavily in front of Su Wei.

Upon opening the lid, it was found to be filled with a grayish-brown, extremely viscous mud-like substance.

This is not ordinary mud, but a special muscle-filling mud made by Old Hope, which is a mixture of plant fiber, bone glue and preservative plasticizers.

"The work has only just begun."

Old Hope grabbed a thin-bladed steel pressure plate and shoved it into Suwei's hand.

"Use this to stuff the mud little by little, evenly, into the gap between the leather plate and the skeleton."

He stretched out his calloused fingers and poked the bear's chest.

"The filling must strictly follow the muscle texture of an adult brown bear when it exerts its strength! If it's not done well, this king of the forest will only deserve to be a playground toy filled with pustules!"

The old man pointed to the bear king's raised left forepaw.

"Start from there, where the deltoid muscle is!"

Su Wei's eyes narrowed, and he carried the pressure plate to the giant bear paw.

The hide of a 600-kilogram brown bear is so thick that it feels as hard as tire leather.

He used his left hand to pry open the pre-existing suture under his skin, and with his right hand, he used a spatula to scoop up a lump of sticky mud, and with a forceful push, he forced it in.

The mud felt cold and slippery to the touch and emitted a pungent chemical smell.

At first, the movements were a bit clumsy.

As the pressure plate moves through the narrow subcutaneous tissue, it constantly encounters resistance, making it difficult to push the mud to the designated muscle depression.

But he didn't get impatient.

Su Wei closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and activated the hidden passive skill attached to [Bone Cleaning LV2] - [Touch of X-ray Vision].

As his palm pressed against the hard outer surface of the bear skin again, a strange sensation flowed through his entire body.

As his fingers moved slowly, he clearly visualized the three-dimensional outline of the subcutaneous skeleton and the direction of the muscle groups in his mind!

He swept his palm across the forelimb: "This is the junction of the deltoid and triceps muscles. The fat layer is thin, and the muscle fibers are large. We need a lot of mud to thicken it and create a bulging, explosive feeling."

His fingers slid across the wrist: "This is the wrist joint; there should be less mud, and the outward protruding ridges of the wrist bones must be left!"

With the system's assistance, Su Wei's actions changed instantly.

Flowing like clouds and water, swift as lightning!

Shovel mud, insert deeply, press externally, and shape locally.

The originally shriveled bear skin miraculously bulged up piece by piece after being filled with mud and massaged and squeezed by Su Wei!

That wasn't stiff, lifeless flesh, but rather muscle lines brimming with explosive power, as if they would burst through the skin at any moment!

Every friction between the pressure plate and the inside of the leather plate, every kneading and pressing of the fingers on the outside, awakens the soul of this behemoth.

As the operation progressed, the system panel in Su Wei's field of vision began to jump wildly, and light blue notification sounds rang out frequently:

[Basic skinning skills experience +2]

[Extremely focused perception, Basic skinning experience +3]

[Perfectly fits the muscle texture, anti-corrosion treatment experience +2]

Suwei was completely immersed in this highly focused state of creation.

The noise from the surrounding blowers, the smell of preservatives, and the howling wind and snow outside the factory were all blocked out by the brain.

Time has lost its meaning.

One hour, two hours, four hours —

The mud buckets next to the worktable were all empty.

The intense physical exertion left Suwei's forehead covered in sweat.

Sweat streamed down his resolute face, splashing onto the dusty cement floor.

Maintaining the difficult posture for a long time caused his upper and lower arm muscles to feel sore and tingly.

But his hands didn't stop moving for a moment.

At this moment, his slightly rough fingers were firmly pinching the thickest trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles on the side of the bear king's neck—

Final fine-tuning is underway.

This muscle group is the soul that determines whether this brown bear can unleash a breathtaking power!

It must be full enough, and have a taut, resilient strength that is about to tear the target apart!

Su Wei gritted his teeth, and through the thick bear skin, he pushed the extremely dense mud upwards with his fingers, then pressed it down heavily with the heel of his palm!

A muscular curve, brimming with a wild and beautiful aesthetic, is squeezed out of the skin!

"Buzz"

At that very moment, a ring of dark golden light suddenly burst forth from the system panel, and a special notification popped up:

[Congratulations, host! Your high-intensity practical training has broken through the barrier. Your experience in Basic Skinning Technique LV1 is now full, and you have officially advanced to LV2.]

(0/300)!

[Unlock new core special effects: Texture reshaping!]

[Effect Description: During animal specimen stuffing and restoration, the host's fingers can subtly sense the density and pressure distribution of the stuffing, reducing the probability of internal hollowing by 80%, perfectly restoring the peak muscle tension of the organism in life at a 1:1 scale!]

[Chain Reaction: Anti-corrosion Treatment LV2 Experience Exceeds 200.]

[Branch Skill Overflow Feedback: The total experience for Crafting Module LV2 has reached the maximum, promoting to Crafting Module LV3]

(0/800)!

[Unlock new special effects and hidden attributes: Items you craft may trigger special hidden attributes.]

[Unlock Branch Skill: Master of Hide Processing (Passive). When processing high-level hides, the color and luster of the finished product are permanently increased by 10%.]

A series of upgrade notifications somewhat alleviated Su Wei's fatigue.

He stopped what he was doing, let out a long breath, slowly took three steps back, and looked up.

Just a few hours ago, that thing was just a lifeless pelt, but now it has completely changed its appearance!

His massive 2.8-meter-tall body was bulging with muscles, each bulge containing explosive power.

The thick, dark brown fur, supported by the internal material, appeared to be standing on end with each hair sticking up!

Although the eye sockets were still dark, and the fangs and tongue had not yet been installed.

But just by standing here, the savage aura of a top predator that transcends life and death has already overwhelmed us like a tidal wave!

Old Hope, who always sat in the worn-out wooden chair, had stopped smoking at some point.

He held a half-burnt cigarette butt between his fingers, oblivious to the ash falling onto his dirty leather apron.

The old man stared intently at the bear king, which seemed ready to come back to life at any moment, then turned his head and looked at Su Wei with the eyes of someone looking at a monster.

Old Hope pressed his hands against his knees, his bones cracking, and slowly straightened his hunched back.

He walked over to Suwei, raised his old hand covered in burn scars, and patted it heavily on Suwei's broad shoulder.

"Leave the rest of the finer details, including installing the custom-made glass prosthetic eye, shaping the upper lip muscles to resemble a menacing shape, and inlaying the teeth, to me."

Old Hope's voice was unusually solemn.

"You're a fucking freak. You were born for this. In your hands, even inanimate objects have a soul."

Suwei gazed quietly at the bear king before him, a creature he had personally given a second life to.

An unprecedented sense of accomplishment, mixed with dopamine, rushed straight to my brain.

This was an exceptionally large beast that he hunted down at the risk of his life.

Now, it will become the most inviolable totem in his territory in its most perfect and peak form!

The sense of creation and conquest through one's own hands is far more awe-inspiring than watching the numbers in a bank account increase.

"Come with me."

Before Suwei could finish his sigh, old Hope suddenly turned around and strode toward the private cubicle at the far end of the factory.

It was a constant-temperature room specifically used for advanced bone drying.

Old Hope pushed open the heavy insulated door, and a wave of dry heat rushed out.

On the red velvet display stand in the center of the room, the Roosevelt Deer Antlers, spanning 1.6 meters and resembling the crown of a giant beast, lay quietly asleep.