In such a frigid environment, it's impossible to survive three days and nights without food. Moreover, while the ice shelter can block some of the cold, its insulation is limited. To stay warm, hunting seals or sea lions and using their body fat as a balm is necessary.
Seals and sea lions can thrive and reproduce in the freezing polar regions, with their thick layers of fat serving as their primary protection against the cold. Li Nianlong had heard that seal and sea lion meat was delicious, whether roasted over a fire or stewed in a pot, needing only a pinch of salt to become a delectable feast.
However, seals and sea lions are relatively large, making them difficult to catch, especially elephant seals, which are the largest type within the seal family. Their distinguishing feature is the males' inflatable nose, which swells during excitement or anger. This genus includes the southern and northern elephant seals, with the largest individuals reaching lengths of up to 6.5 meters and weighing up to 3600 kg, making them the largest animals in the pinniped order.
Encountering an elephant seal in this icy environment would be quite dangerous for Li Nianlong, given his current capabilities.
Based on yesterday's experience, the species likely to be found in this icy world were polar bears, penguins, sea lions, and seals. Among these, the most threatening were the polar bears. Even the strongest man in the world would end up as polar bear feces if they encountered one, and Li Nianlong himself didn't believe he could fare well against a polar bear.
This was because polar bears possessed not only immense strength but also incredible speed. Their vision and hearing were comparable to humans, but their sense of smell was seven times more sensitive than that of dogs. They could run at speeds up to 60 km/h, which was 1.5 times faster than the world's fastest sprinter. In such icy terrain, Li Nianlong didn't think he could outrun a polar bear, and if he couldn't defeat it, he wouldn't even have a chance to escape.
As Li Nianlong searched for prey, he prayed, "Great Immortals of the Three Pure Ones, Buddha, Jade Emperor, Holy Mother Mary... anyone, please bless this poor soul! Let me catch a small seal!"
After walking about two kilometers, he hadn't come across any small seals but instead encountered a large one. Looking at this behemoth, which exceeded five meters in length, Li Nianlong felt a chill and gripped his machete tighter.
He feared what he encountered; this adult elephant seal was enormous. If it attacked, the consequences would be dire. However, Li Nianlong had his advantages too. His speed surpassed that of the seal, and he held a heavy weapon like the machete. With his strength of 150 points, a single strike from him would surely kill this elephant seal.
The elephant seal stared at this tiny creature before it, its eyes flashing with disdain. It opened its mouth and roared, its broad vocal range and immense volume causing Li Nianlong's ears to buzz. Despite this, his gaze intensified with determination, his 155-point intelligence enabling him to instantly devise a battle plan.
In the next moment, Li Nianlong began circling around the seal, maintaining a safe distance of ten meters while running rapidly, forcing the seal to spin along with him.
Li Nianlong's stamina was limitless; he could run from dusk till dawn without issue. But seals were different; continuous spinning would inevitably lead to dizziness.
Sure enough, as the seal observed Li Nianlong continuously circling it, it realized that after running just a dozen meters, it only needed to half-turn to keep pace with him. The look of disdain in its eyes deepened, but as time passed, the seal's expression changed. It was starting to feel dizzy, yet Li Nianlong showed no signs of stopping, his speed increasing all the while.
A flicker of panic and anger crossed the seal's mind as it finally understood the human's strategy. Realizing that it was headed for doom, the seal roared and lunged at Li Nianlong.
Its massive body bore down like a mountain, filling Li Nianlong with a sense of awe. He increased his speed, dodging the seal's attack.
Li Nianlong didn't rush to attack. Instead, he continued to create distance, circling around the seal. His goal today was clear: to turn the seal into a spinning top. If you can spin for four hours without getting dizzy, I'll admit defeat, but if you can't, then become my meal!
It turned out that elephant seals were not meant to be spinning tops. After just a few minutes of continuous spinning and failed lunges, the seal could take no more. With another missed attack, the elephant seal didn't rise immediately, feeling so dizzy it nearly vomited.
Li Nianlong's eyes flashed with a fierce light. Seizing the opportunity, he raised his machete high, leaped into the air, and with a mighty roar, brought the blade down with killing intent, slicing through the seal's neck.
Blood spurted, and a huge head sailed through the air. The seal didn't even have time to emit a final cry before it met its end.
With the elephant seal defeated, Li Nianlong let out a long sigh. This enormous seal could provide a skin large enough to serve as a door curtain for insulation, with extra to fashion into a simple cloak. Its substantial bulk offered thick layers of fat for body insulation, and its meat would satisfy his food needs for the next three days.
"Just need to survive three days? Watch me do it!" Li Nianlong snorted coldly, leaving the seal's head behind as he carried its body back to the ice shelter.
The seal's body was too large to fit inside the shelter in one piece, so Li Nianlong used his machete to skin it and cut the meat into chunks, storing them inside. Fearing that the remains might attract other carnivores, he dug a hole and buried them. In such freezing temperatures, the scent of blood would quickly dissipate, making it undetectable even to a polar bear's keen nose.
With shelter, ample food, and materials for warmth, Li Nianlong felt much more secure. He promptly cut the seal skin into three pieces: one to block the entrance against the cold wind, one to lay on the ground as a bed, and one that could serve as a cloak by day and a blanket by night.
With sleeping arrangements sorted, the remaining concerns were warmth and sustenance.
Li Nianlong separated all the fat from the seal's body and set it aside. Then, he stripped off his clothes and smeared the fat all over his body.
Seals surviving in the icy wilderness relied on their fat for insulation, and after applying it, Li Nianlong felt the chill significantly reduced. Putting on his thin clothes again and wrapping himself in the seal skin that doubled as a cloak, he warmed up considerably, allowing him to relax a little.
But what about the seal meat...
Li Nianlong frowned. He didn't have any tools to start a fire, nor did he have any firewood. Was he supposed to eat it raw?
Although he had lived like a wild man in the grasslands for three days, there was no shortage of materials to start a fire there. Making fire with the friction method wasn't difficult, so he had eaten cooked food those days. Now, the idea of eating raw meat was psychologically challenging.
He wasn't from Yingzhou, where people were adept at consuming raw foods that tasted decent, but Li Nianlong wasn't accustomed to eating raw things. However, considering he had three more days of trials ahead and survival without food would be difficult, he steeled himself.
Gritting his teeth, Li Nianlong put away his machete and took out his stainless-steel watermelon knife, slicing the seal meat into thin strips. Eating large chunks would undoubtedly make him nauseous, but small slices would go down easier.
He sliced nearly ten kilograms of meat, now somewhat stiff from the cold. With no better options, he picked up a piece of raw meat and forced it into his mouth, chewing vigorously.
"Mmm..." Contrary to his expectations, although the meat was a bit gamey, it didn't taste terrible. After multiple chews, an unusual sweetness emerged, and Li Nianlong managed to consume two kilograms of the meat slices in one go. He patted his belly, wearing a satisfied smile.
It seemed that surviving here for three days wasn't overly difficult. Indeed, the system had its reasons for rating this trial at Difficulty Level 20.2.
Thus, Li Nianlong spent three days and nights holed up in the ice shelter. Although carnivorous animals occasionally passed by, Li Nianlong dispatched them one by one. He also caught a small snow fox as a pet, keeping it in the shelter for company. With a thousand pounds of seal meat, the little fox didn't attempt to escape and obediently stayed with Li Nianlong for two days.
As the three days came to an end, Li Nianlong's figure flickered and vanished from the icy landscape.
"Congratulations, Host, for successfully completing the challenge! Rewarding 11,000 experience points. Experience points are full; leveling up!"