American Landowners: Starting with Hunting in Alaska

Chapter 84 Blake's Fury, The First Lesson of the Law of the Jungle (Bonus Chapter)

The wind howled as it swept across the treetops.

The walnut stock of the Winchester M70 was pressed firmly against Su Wei's shoulder.

Even through the thick winter clothing, the cold touch of the gun still seeped in.

Su Wei did not fire immediately; he focused his mind and stared intently ahead.

His index finger was already pressed on the trigger, and he could clearly feel the weight of the trigger with his fingertip.

This time it's different; this time we're facing poachers!

Suwei pressed her cheek against the chin rest, deliberately slowing her breathing.

Each exhale condenses into a cloud of white mist in the minus twenty degree Celsius air, which is then dispersed by the wind.

"Gulp~"

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

Through the 4x scope, a silent birch forest stretched out before us.

The gray-white tree trunks are intertwined with branches, like a large net.

Deep within the web lies the murderer who orchestrated this tragedy.

Suwei blinked and focused his attention on the black-tailed deer that was still twitching on the snow.

This is the only clue.

Tracking Assist is now enabled!

[Target locked: Black-tailed deer (near death)]

[Path generated ————]

Countless tiny, pale golden specks of light appeared in the air.

Points of light rose from the wound on the deer's leg and converged in the air to form a straight band of light.

The light streaked against the wind, intermittently piercing the depths of that dark forest.

That was the trajectory of the bullet, and also where the killer might be hiding.

The tracking assist can currently be bound to a single prey. When enabled, it can highlight the footprints, hair, bloodstains, and other traces of a specific target within three meters.

It was an excellent tool for tracking prey, and now it's also a superb aid in pinpointing the hunter's location.

Su Wei slowly moved the muzzle of his gun along the golden trajectory, his movements very steady.

Ten meters, fifty meters, one hundred and fifty meters.

The golden thread continued behind a fallen, dead spruce tree.

There was a patch of snow-covered bushes there, a good ambush spot.

It is located upwind, backed by a steep slope, and sheltered by tree trunks on both sides.

Even with high-powered binoculars, it would be difficult for an ordinary hunter to spot a human figure in the interplay of light and shadow in the forest.

However, the gold lines generated by the system are too conspicuous, like a cheat code in a game.

"At the eleven o'clock position, at the base of a fallen spruce tree, behind a thicket of bushes."

From the carriage behind, Blake's rough voice could be heard.

Blake didn't get out of the car; he simply rolled down the window a crack and held up the MK-3 thermal imager.

The orange-red blocks jumping on the screen rendered all disguises ineffective.

He gripped the imaging device tightly with both hands, his fingers even turning white from the force.

"He's there."

Blake gave the coordinates quickly, his voice laced with suppressed anger: "He hasn't moved. He's watching us. Or rather, he's aiming at you."

Suwei sensed something was off about Blake's tone, but didn't think much of it, assuming it was just anger at the poachers.

He didn't answer or turn his head, but the crosshair was already locked on that spot.

Through the gaps in the branches, he finally caught a glimpse of an unnatural color.

It's the edge of a camouflage hat.

Although the camouflage pattern blends into the surrounding environment, the outline is still quite noticeable under the guidance of the gold lines.

The person lay there, motionless.

Su Wei's heart clenched, and he could clearly hear his own heartbeat.

This wasn't hunting; it was a standoff between two people, a death stare across two hundred meters of snow and wind.

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Su Wei's mind.

Should we fire?

At a distance of about 200 meters, there is a level 3 crosswind.

However, the .300 Winchester Magnum has a very straight trajectory; if you correct it to the right by just one mil, the bullet can penetrate the bushes and hit the person.

Even without hitting the head, a hit to the torso would instantly render him incapable of resistance due to the massive cavity effect.

But that was a person.

These are not animals that can be hunted at will.

If that shot had been fired, the situation would have been completely different.

Moreover, the other party did not make any obvious attacking moves, and did not even show their face.

What if I misjudge the situation? What if it was just an unlucky hunter passing by, seeking shelter from a blizzard?

Reason told him that anyone who appeared here at this time and remained indifferent to the horrific scene before him was most likely the murderer.

But his index finger, which was on the trigger, was too heavy to lift.

Such hesitation is fatal in the wilderness.

But Su Wei's soul came from one of the safest countries in the world, and the hurdle of killing was too high for him.

In that very second of Su Wei's hesitation...

The figure moved.

The other party was very perceptive; perhaps they noticed the abnormality of the tracked vehicle, or perhaps they saw the reflection in the sight.

The figure moved swiftly, rolling directly down the steep slope behind it, skimming the ground.

fast.

too fast.

Those tactical evasive maneuvers are something that ordinary poachers could never do.

"He ran away!"

Su Wei shouted urgently.

He only caught a tumbling silhouette and a corner of a snow camouflage suit in his scope.

Should we pursue him?

With the system's tracking capabilities, this person has absolutely no chance of escaping!

Su Wei instinctively lowered his gun and wanted to give chase.

"Get on the bus!"

A loud shout rang out from behind.

Blake had somehow thrown down the thermal imaging camera and was now pounding on the metal door of the car, making a loud "whooshing" sound.

"Get up here right now! Immediately!"

Blake's voice had lost its usual calmness, replaced by anxiety and anger.

Startled by the shout, Su Wei instantly lost his will to pursue, and a chill ran through him.

He turned his head and, through the windshield, saw Blake's gloomy face and the bulging veins on his forehead.

There is absolutely no room for negotiation.

Su Wei gritted his teeth, stopped looking at the fleeing figure, quickly put away his gun, turned around and got into the passenger seat.

"Bang!"

The car door had just closed, and before Su Wei could even fasten his seatbelt, Blake slammed on the gas.

The engine roared, but the tracked vehicle didn't catch up; instead, it shifted into reverse.

The vehicle shook violently, and using its thick front as cover, it quickly retreated into a snowdrift to the side and rear.

This is a blind spot for shooting.

Only then did Blake release his grip on the steering wheel.

Su Wei noticed that Blake's calloused hands were trembling slightly.

It wasn't because of the cold. It was because of anger.

Blake turned his head.

Those deep-set eyes were fixed on Su Wei, filled with rage.

"Do you want to die?"

Blake's voice was very soft, but the words seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"I----"

Su Wei opened his mouth, but his throat felt dry.

"Why did you get off the bus? Why were you standing on the exposed snow?"

Blake interrupted him, his tone aggressive.

"I saw that deer—" Suwei pointed out the window, his voice slightly weak, "I wanted to check on its injuries, and then—"

"And then you just stood there like a target, holding the gun?"

Blake raised his voice, spitting almost onto Suwei's face, and pointed at the grove of trees, his fingers trembling.

"Those are poachers, Suvy!"

"It's not a pheasant, not a rabbit, and not one of those paper targets you shoot at at the shooting club!"

"Those are scumbags wielding heavy rifles, blinded by rage, willing to trample on law and morality for money!"

The old hunter's chest heaved violently.

"Do you know what those two hundred meters just now meant?"

"That means he could blow your head off with a single shot if he wanted to!"

"You think this is a game? You can just reload and start over if you die?"

"Or do you really think that having that damn hunter's license makes you invincible?"