The next morning, the freezing wind woke Angel up. Her eyelashes were covered in frost.
She stood up stiffly and walked to the food corner. The last piece of bear meat was frozen solid.
She used a tiny bit of Fox-Fire to thaw it, forcing the foul-tasting meat down her throat. It wasn't nearly enough to fight off the cold.
The system panel flashed red, warning her that her body temperature was dangerously low.
She went to the entrance and peeked out. The blizzard had weakened, but she saw large paw prints in the snow. Carnivorous beasts were nearby.
With her Tier 1 strength, fighting an adult beast was suicide. Going out to hunt was a death sentence.
Suddenly, footsteps crunched in the snow outside. Angel grabbed her bone knife, holding her breath.
Through the gap, she saw Al Stein sneaking around, carrying a steaming package.
He called her name softly, his tone dripping with fake concern. He claimed he had sneaked out to bring her food, hoping for her forgiveness.
Angel smirked from the shadows. The system radar clearly showed a micro-tracker pheromone on Al. It was a trap.
If she took the food, she would expose Kain's location and lead Jasmine's killers right to them.
Angel stayed silent, lurking in the dark like a patient hunter.
Al shivered in the cold. After calling out for ten minutes with no response, he assumed she was already dead.
He cursed and tossed the package into the snow before hurrying back toward the clan.
Once Al was gone, Angel ignored the dangerous package and sat back by the fire, thinking.
Suddenly, a crisp "beep" sounded in her mind. A golden dot appeared on the system radar.
[Report: High-concentration Legacy DNA fluctuation detected 5 kilometers northwest. ]
However, the system also warned that the DNA source's vital signs were failing rapidly. It had less than two hours to live.
Angel frowned. A 5-kilometer trek through the snow was a huge risk for her right now. But it was her only hope.
If she could save this rare gene source, she would complete a system task and gain a powerful ally.
She didn't hesitate. She wrapped herself in all the furs she could find and tied the bone knife to her thigh.
She looked back at the sleeping Kain, silently promising to return with food and hope.
She pushed aside the rocks and plunged into the white wasteland.
The wind cut her face like a knife. The snow was knee-deep. Every step drained her energy.
Following the system's precise navigation, she trudged through the white maze, dodging several beast patrols.
An hour later, her legs were numb, and her lungs burned from the cold air. But the dot on the radar was getting closer.
Finally, after climbing a small snow dune, she smelled blood and dirt.
In a hollow ahead, she saw a pool of shocking red blood, scattered giant wolf fur, and signs of a fierce struggle.
Angel gripped her bone knife tightly and slowly approached the hollow, her eyes locked on the massive, dying figure in the snow.
