After waiting for a while longer and finding no movement, Lin Yuan decided to cautiously peek out.
However, the moment he exposed even a sliver of his hood, a crossbow bolt came flying at him.
It had almost hit his hood.
If it had struck him, it would have dragged him out entirely, turning him into a lamb ready for slaughter.
Damn it, the person on the other side really wanted him dead!
Lin Yuan could only helplessly retreat behind the rock.
What to do, what to do? Lin Yuan frantically searched for a solution.
He tapped his head, and suddenly clarity dawned. He still had his advanced technology, didn't he?!
Just as he was about to retrieve it, he put it back. It was currently snowing heavily, and the biomimetic mosquitoes couldn't withstand the weight of a large clump of snow falling on them.
That idea was useless. It seemed he had to rely on himself.
Suddenly, a roar echoed from the distant forest, sounding like a brown bear.
And it sounded like a bear whose hibernation had been disturbed, otherwise, it wouldn't be this enraged.
Right!
The sound!
After so long spent on Assassin's Creed-style infiltration, Lin Yuan had almost forgotten that his hearing had also been enhanced, though not as ridiculously as Jiang Ziqi's.
"Focus, focus." Recalling Jiang Ziqi's hearing detection method, Lin Yuan closed his eyes, and slowly, he began to perceive the surrounding environment.
The joy of this discovery lasted only a second. His primary objective now was to escape this place, or to kill everyone here.
But the person opposite him was a seasoned hunter, very patient. Lin Yuan heard no sound other than the falling snow.
Either this person was very far away, or their breathing and movements were subtle enough that his current hearing couldn't separate them from the environmental noise.
Lin Yuan believed it was the latter. Judging by how deeply the crossbow bolt was embedded in the wood, the distance wouldn't be great.
It seemed he needed to lure them out.
He still had two smoke bombs left. Lin Yuan threw a smoke bomb to his left. Still, he heard nothing.
So patient!
However, Lin Yuan had already devised a plan.
While the smoke bomb on the left was rising, he removed the cloth binding his short spear, coiled it into a ball, covered it with some snow, and held it up with his hand. He exposed the cloth part from behind the rock, making a movement as if shifting to the right.
Seeing this, the person on the opposite mountain realized it might be a diversion tactic. They sealed off the left side of the smoke and moved to the right.
They had anticipated his move.
As Lin Yuan shifted to the right and threw down the cloth bundle, a crossbow bolt shot out, pinning the cloth to a nearby tree.
Seeing that he had hit cloth instead of a head, the "hunter" immediately realized, "I've been tricked!"
Lin Yuan, whose attention had been entirely focused on the opposition,'s eyes snapped open.
"Found you!"
The flashbang in his hand was instantly thrown. His astonishing arm strength, combined with years of experience in throwing projectiles, accurately delivered the flashbang into the "hunter's" hiding spot.
"Shit!"
The moment he heard the curse, Lin Yuan burst out of the smoke on the left and quickly ran up the opposite slope.
The "hunter," whose eyes and ears had been assaulted by the flashbang, was fleeing frantically up the mountain, occasionally turning back to shoot an arrow wildly, hoping to hit Lin Yuan.
But all of it was in vain. The "hunter's" physical conditioning was vastly inferior to Lin Yuan's. He was caught up in no time.
The effect of the flashbang hadn't even dissipated yet. The moment the hunter raised his crossbow, Lin Yuan punched it to the ground.
Mmmph.
Sleeping soundly.
After knocking out the "hunter" with a single punch, his body showed no unusual changes. He looked like a normal human.
"Yo, there's rope?" Lin Yuan found a bundle of rope on the hunter, which would come in handy.
After tying the man to a tree, Lin Yuan picked up a large clump of snow and rubbed it against the hunter's face.
The cold sensation awakened the unconscious hunter. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Lin Yuan, who resembled a white phantom, and struggled frantically.
Before he could let out a sound from his throat, Lin Yuan grabbed his neck.
"Shh, don't make a sound."
His cold voice was like a demon's whisper, making the hunter even more terrified. But he also managed to suppress his fearful cry.
One more word and he might die. He couldn't afford to collapse. As long as there was a sliver of hope, he had to fight for it.
"I ask, you answer. Understand?"
The hunter nodded, indicating his willingness to cooperate. Lin Yuan then released his grip and began to question him.
"What's your name?"
"Navi, Navi Camille."
"Do you know the Cult of Immortality?"
"No, I don't know."
His stuttering annoyed Lin Yuan, who gave him a punch.
"Answer seriously, and you might keep your life. Understand?"
"Understood, understood!"
"Why did you attack me?"
"I thought you were from Ivomona town! I didn't mean to!"
"Hmm?"
Camille's answer puzzled Lin Yuan. Did this person have a grudge against Ivomona?
"Who is Margaret to you?"
Lin Yuan remembered this unfamiliar name from the diary he had read.
Upon hearing this masked stranger utter his wife's name, Camille's eyes widened.
"She's my wife! How did you know her name?!"
So he was from the opposite side of the current Cult of Immortality, then it was fine.
Although Lin Yuan didn't immediately untie him, his guard had lowered somewhat.
He then conversed with Camille, learning that his family, like Trist's, had been driven out by the people of Ivomona town.
However, they were not as lucky as Trist. His youngest son had gone missing during their constant relocations.
Now, only his wife and eldest daughter lived with him. Today, they had gone out hunting, but unexpectedly encountered Lin Yuan, and mistook him for Ivomona pursuers, leading to the confrontation.
After clearing things up, Lin Yuan's hostility diminished significantly. He informed Camille about the Traveler Organization's siege of Ivomona and then released him.
"Thank you for not killing me, stranger." Camille, having narrowly escaped, took a deep breath of cold air to clear his head.
"No problem," Lin Yuan returned the rope and advised, "Don't go north in the next few days. Something terrifying will happen there, understand?!"
Although he didn't know why Lin Yuan said that, the man who could leap several meters stated it was terrifying, so it must be something he couldn't get involved in.
"Hey!" Just as they were parting ways, Camille suddenly called out to Lin Yuan and said, "If you're heading north, watch out for a tall tower to the northwest. It's still lit up at night. I found that place quite eerie and didn't dare go near it. Perhaps what you're looking for is inside."
After saying this, Camille left. He had to return quickly; this place was too dangerous. The cold weather could stop zombies, but it couldn't stop other things.
Next, he should consider going to the island. He would set off once the storm passed.
Lin Yuan was unaware of Camille's thoughts, but the information he provided was valuable.
A tower near the Cult of Immortality's stronghold that was lit up at night was indeed strange.
"It might be their communication tower. I must find a way to get there."
After watching Camille disappear from sight, Lin Yuan ate two energy bars and continued on his way.