The world was a frozen wasteland, the cold wind biting to the bone.
Under the starlit night, the people of Harper Camp trudged arduously westward.
From No.1 Cave to No.4 Cave, it was actually less than two kilometers.
Yet even this less than two kilometers took over a hundred people from Harper Camp a full two hours to traverse.
The main reason being the snow accumulation on Redwood Ridge was astonishingly thick.
Outside the cave, even the thinnest snow was more than half a meter high.
In some places, it was five to six meters thick, and several people in the front line of robust individuals had already fallen off snow slopes and ended up bruised and disfigured.
When encountering deeper snow, the team had to stop, relying on the robust individuals at the front to physically carve a path before they could continue moving.
Additionally, the weather was cold, and visibility was poor at night.
Considering the children in the group, Bruce could only deliberately slow down the pace.
Though the pace was slow, quite a few people got injured.
But in the end, they reached their destination without any major risks.
No.4 Cave was on the west side of a small hill, with its entrance covered by dense leaves, now overlaid with a layer of snow, even crystallized with small icicles.
Some children in the group had lips turning blue from cold; Bruce picked up a stone axe, chopping through the entrance in no time and quickly organizing everyone to enter.
This cave was approximately a hundred square meters, more spacious than the previous one.
Bruce entered the cave and started a fire straightaway, then instructed Charlie to reseal the entrance.
This puzzled Charlie, as the temperature at night was higher than during the day, and the Cold Beasts were not so active; generally, there was no need to seal the cave.
However, he quickly understood.
"Everyone gather around, I have something to say!"
Bruce gathered everyone around, then pointed solemnly at the firepit and said:
"Right now, the most important thing in the camp is this firepit. It has an intimidating effect on Mimicking Monsters but also attracts Cold Beasts."
"Henceforth, regardless of whether it's night or day, the entrance must be sealed upon entering or exiting; understood?"
The previous incident in the cave where the imposter Thomas was killed and turned to ashes was witnessed by everyone, making them fully trust Bruce's words.
They all nodded affirmatively.
"Charlie, how much food do we have left now?"
Hearing this, Charlie's expression immediately turned a bit somber, replying: "We have about seven hundred kilograms of Crystal Fruit left, and only sixty kilograms of Cold Beast Meat."
Upon hearing these figures, everyone instantly became anxious.
That includes Bruce.
In such a harsh world, farming is naturally not a concept.
Perhaps it exists, but the current Harper Camp surely has no contact with it.
In Harper, including all the human camps around Redwood Ridge, the staple food is a fruit that grows on a tree called Ice Phlox.
These fruits are fist-sized, with crystalline skins, soft and glutinous inside, and a sweet taste, each about half a kilogram.
A normal person needs two a day to barely maintain subsistence.
Seven hundred kilograms sounds like a lot but is insufficient for 154 people.
Even if being frugal and giving only one per person per day, these seven hundred kilograms would barely last ten days.
Regarding Cold Beast Meat, perhaps in some large camps, they can use it as rations, but in Harper Camp, Cold Beast Flesh, like wood, is absolutely considered a strategic resource.
In this world, humans rely on Cold Beast Flesh to cultivate.
Previously, Thomas implemented a distribution system in Harper Camp.
Axeheart team members each received one kilogram a day.
Ages fifteen to eighteen could get half a kilogram every three days.
Officially that's the story, but the reality was different.
Previously, the camp had too little Cold Beast Flesh.
At least in the past month since Bruce came through, he only saw Thomas bring back one Bone Spur Frost Wolf Cold Beast, and it was just a juvenile, only a hundred kilograms or so.
With too many people and too little meat, the available Cold Beast Flesh mainly went to the offspring of the Axeheart team members.
Both Thomas and Charlie also received some before.
But Charlie gave his share to Bruce, using his brother's impending breakthrough to the Axeheart Realm as the reason.
This deepened Bruce's bond with Charlie significantly in just a month.
Despite being blood brothers,
This is a world where death can come at any moment.
Cold Beast Flesh, a type of strategic resource that can enhance power, is invaluable.
Yet Charlie was willing to give it to him, highlighting the purity of this younger brother's character.
While Bruce was pondering these thoughts, Charlie, from the rear, approached the firepit carrying a clump of azure meat.
Cold Beast Flesh is blue.
Bruce was slightly taken aback, but he quickly realized Charlie's intention.
"Everyone, I'm not going to sugarcoat it; my brother is the strongest, and now he's just a step away from the Axeheart Realm."
"I suggest we give him these sixty kilograms of Cold Beast Flesh so he can break through sooner, ensuring our camp's safety. What do you all think?"
As expected, Bruce's guess was right.
He instinctively wanted to refuse but reconsidered and remained silent.
Though it might seem selfish, Charlie's words were sensible.
Yet human nature is complex, and after Charlie spoke, the room fell silent, with no one voicing their thoughts.
Especially those, the offspring of the previous camp's Axeheart team members.
"Bruce, we trust you, but can you swear that after breaking through the Axeheart Realm, you won't leave us behind?"
The speaker was a robust young man.
Tony White, straightforward and honest.
His father, Howard White, was second only to Thomas in camp strength.
Information about the speaker flashed in Bruce's mind.
He didn't answer right away; instead, he looked around, observing the reactions of the others.
"At times like this, resources should indeed be concentrated to enhance Bruce's abilities."
"But that flesh was earned by my father's blood and sweat."
"Without Axeheart Realm combat power, we can't even collect wood, and once these three trees are gone, we'll freeze to death."
"I believe it should be given to Bruce."
"That's right, give it to him."
---
Only the offspring of the previous Axeheart team members spoke up.
From this, you can pretty much see the dynamics in Harper Camp earlier.
Thomas and the Axeheart team members were at the top, responsible for resource procurement and determining resource distribution.
Their families were the second tier, enjoying resource priority and having a say in camp affairs.
Everyone else fell into the third tier, waiting for resource allocation.
Bruce sorted out his thoughts and gently raised his hand to quiet them.
Upon seeing his gesture, everyone instantly fell silent.
Evidently, Bruce's performance during the earlier camp attack and their relocation had established his authority in their minds.
"Tony, if I intended to leave, I'd do so regardless of any oath, so I can't guarantee anything to you…"
Bruce paused after responding to Tony, before continuing with a more serious tone:
"Trust is the foundation between us. I'll say just this: if you are willing to give me this flesh, one day in the future, I will repay you a hundredfold. If you're willing, express it now. If not, I'll continue as before."
As Bruce finished speaking, silence initially filled the cave.
But soon, the first voice broke the silence:
"Bruce, I trust you."
Then came the second and the third.
"I trust the leader too."
"I, Tony, am willing to give my Cold Beast Flesh to Bruce."
"Exactly, only by strengthening the leader can we continue to survive."
---
Voices of support and trust echoed through the crowd.
A smile appeared on Bruce's face.
Receiving the chunk of Cold Beast Flesh from Charlie, a sense of determination gradually emerged in Bruce's gaze.
"In this extremely cold and apocalyptic world, only a camp built on mutual trust and genuine sincerity can truly survive, and strength will eventually follow."
---
By the campfire, everyone at the Harper Camp was either lying down or leaning against something.
A small number of the youngest ones, exhausted from the previous journey, had already fallen asleep.
The majority of the people were wide awake, their eyes fixated on the left side of the fire, at a tall man wearing only a beast skin skirt, with a bare upper body.
Looking closer, one realized that they were not staring at the man, but at the piece of meat he was holding.
The meat in the man's hand was clearly freshly roasted, still sizzling with aroma.
Almost without exception, those awake were constantly swallowing their saliva.
The man was naturally Bruce.
Having just arrived in a new environment, others might still need time to adapt, but he could not afford that luxury; he had to quickly enhance his strength and break through to the Axeheart Realm.
"Five kilograms at a time should be no problem!"
Cold Beast Flesh contained incredibly strong energy, and eating too much at once could cause someone to explode.
Bruce had eaten it before, so he understood; from his past experience, five kilograms at a time should pose no issue for him.
As the meat entered his stomach, the first wave he felt was satiety.
As the feeling of fullness continued to swell, his blood began to boil, and a strong burning sensation suddenly erupted in his abdomen.
Next, sweat began to pour crazily from his forehead, shoulders, back, lower limbs, even palms and the soles of his feet.
The muscles in his arms gradually bulged, while veins across his forehead, the back of his hands, and his legs began to protrude.
Bruce's breathing became heavy, even carrying a burning sensation.
His exhaled breath was unusually visible to all in the camp.
Suddenly, Bruce moved.
He clenched his fists, retracted them, then fiercely thrust his waist, a straight punch forward, his fists like cannonballs.
Though the punch hit nothing, the air vibrated continuously; if someone were to meet the punch, the outcome could be imagined.
"Watch closely, this is Long Fist, rising like a gale and striking like lightning, with the lead hand followed by the rear, both hands alternating as one relentless force.
Once we have enough Cold Beast Flesh, regardless of gender, everyone in the camp will practice with me."
Bruce demonstrated the Grand Ancestor Fist while explaining to the people in the camp.
Crystal Fruit can only satisfy hunger; to train, one must have Cold Beast Flesh.
It's easy to understand, eating enough just maintains basic bodily functions.
But forging the body and improving physical functions requires eating meat.
The cultivation method in this world is simple and brutal: consume large amounts of Cold Beast Flesh, and through venting, continuously absorb the flesh's energy, which steadily enhances bodily strength.
In truth, no one in the camp wants to train.
But when survival is a problem, cultivation becomes even more of a luxury.
Even now, with Thomas teaching them the Fist techniques, they could only lie quietly and listen.
It's not that they don't want to get up, it's to move less, to conserve energy.
"Charlie, was this Fist taught to Bruce by Uncle Thomas?"
Watching the still vigorous Bruce in the field, Tony showed a hint of envy and turned to ask Charlie beside him.
Charlie's face was full of pride as he whispered, "This is something my brother created a month ago. I tell you, practicing this Fist speeds up the absorption of Cold Beast Flesh energy."
Upon hearing this, Tony's pupils shrank sharply.
He had also eaten Cold Beast Flesh and knew what that meant.
Absorbing the energy of Cold Beast Flesh would increase strength, and this process is cultivation; increasing the speed of energy absorption means increasing the speed of cultivation.
"Really?"
"Of course it's true, my brother taught me, and I tried it myself."
"Great, then once we have Cold Beast Flesh, I want to practice too."
"Don't worry, didn't you hear?
My brother just said, once we have enough flesh and blood, he'll teach us."