pjbooks Chapter 238 All Members Assemble, Cruel Elimination Mechanism
Chapter 238 All Members Assemble, Cruel Elimination Mechanism
Chapter 238 All Members Assemble, Cruel Elimination Mechanism
As the Boeing 747 wide-body aircraft, packed with passengers, bursts off the airport runway, the iconic, dazzling night view of Los Angeles unfolds slowly beneath its steel wings.
Ma Jieke leaned against the porthole, watching the aircraft slowly climb, passing through the entire metropolitan area, and arriving over the boundless Pacific Ocean.
More than two hours later, he was woken up by the noise from the neighbor's naughty child. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and saw the morning sun shining through the clouds.
The flight attendant's announcement revealed that the journey was now halfway complete, and they had entered Canadian airspace near the border.
Unlike the University of Tokyo, most flights in the United States do not offer free meals; passengers need to pay extra for them. The only free options are pretzels and soft drinks.
I spent $10 on a light meal, and the flight attendant brought me a bacon and egg dish, a croissant, and a meager amount of fruit for dessert.
While enjoying breakfast, take in the stunning scenery along the coast of Vancouver Island, where numerous islands, like scattered turquoise stones, adorn the emerald-colored, mysterious sea.
After flying north for some distance, the glaciers near the coastal mountains began to appear, shimmering with a magical blue-white luster under the refraction of sunlight, as if we were in an ice and snow kingdom.
As the plane entered the Gulf of Alaska, the previously scattered glaciers converged into an ice field, like a giant's silver armor, covering the rolling mountains.
Ma Jieke was fortunate enough to capture the scene of the glacier collapsing into the sea. Countless diamond-like ice fragments bloomed on the deep blue sea, which can only be described as magnificent and extraordinary.
However, once you actually enter Alaska, the visual feast that follows is upgraded once again. The snow-capped peaks of the Chugach Mountains pierce through the sea of clouds, the Coper River transforms into a winding silver dragon through the tundra, huge elk roam among the birch forests, and the water of Belle Bay gradually changes from indigo to white-blue. The whole world is immersed in the cool glow of crystal and sapphire.
Only now are these passengers, who took off from California, realizing that they have just embarked on an epic journey from the warmth of everyday life to the raw wilderness.
Finally, the plane swooped down toward Anchorage Airport and landed smoothly on the wide runway.
As the hatch opened, crisp, cold air carrying the scent of spruce and snow rushed in.
Ma Jieke couldn't help but shiver. Ignoring the strange looks from the other passengers, he turned up the collar of his military overcoat and wrapped himself up tightly.
There's no way around it; going from warm California to a snowy world is too much for anyone, no matter how good their physical condition is.
Arranged by airport shuttle staff, he boarded a luxury bus driven by a local driver along with the last nine candidates to arrive.
Anchorage is the central city of Alaska, and people usually fly there first and then take land transportation to various towns.
The scenery along the way was breathtaking: snow-capped mountains covered in silver, ice fields covered by permafrost, and oceans with large areas of drifting ice. I only wished I had another eye.
After taking photos and checking off landmarks along the way, we finally arrived at our destination—Whittier—after passing through a 4-kilometer-long tunnel.
Just as I found online, the entire town really does consist of only one building, containing 150 multi-unit apartments, which can accommodate up to 700 people.
The production team was very generous, booking out the entire venue. The top two floors of the hotel, used to accommodate tourists, housed all the contestants and staff.
Ma was assigned a single room with a view of the ocean and harbor through the window—a true ocean view room.
Since the athletes departed from different locations and took different flights, the first day was designated as the assembly day for the sake of fairness, and there were no training sessions scheduled.
After a short break, the festival organizers notified all members to assemble and, led by the town mayor himself, to visit the Begitch Building.
Ma Jie wasn't interested in this; what was so interesting about visiting a building? However, out of basic respect, he still left his warm bed and went to the reception hall on the first floor.
By now, quite a few contestants had gathered, mostly from the United States, with a few European faces mixed in, and even some Inuit people born in Alaska, which really startled everyone.
This guy grew up in the Arctic Circle, so his ice resistance should have been maxed out long ago. His hunting, building, and ice fishing skills are at least at the late-game high level. For city dwellers, this is a complete game-changer.
It is worth mentioning that the ambiguous term "Eskimo" has been replaced by "Inuit".
Because "Eskimo" is an Indigenous language, meaning "people who eat raw meat," while "Inuit" translates to "human beings."
Of course, the most dashing guy in the whole place had to be Ma Jieke. Wearing a Chinese-style green military overcoat, he walked in with an air of nonchalance, making him look like a leader inspecting the work.
Just kidding, the average temperature here is -18 degrees Celsius. If you catch a cold, it's no joke. Even with the 15% disease resistance bonus from a "healthy constitution," you still can't afford to be reckless.
Just as he was about to find a seat, someone suddenly patted his shoulder from behind. When he turned around, he saw a familiar girl's face. It was Tonya, the Russian girl he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Jack! It really is you! My God, what are you doing here?"
She hasn't changed at all; she's still a terrifying 1.9 meters tall, with her signature long silver hair, a sweet smile on her cold and beautiful face, and breathtakingly beautiful icy blue eyes.
Majek extended his hand and uttered a string of tongue-twisting names: "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Miss Donya Kirasanchivov Ivanotana."
"Ugh, why are you so serious?" Hearing herself addressed by her full name, Donya's smile deepened, and she gripped his hand tightly. "You wouldn't happen to be here for the training camp selection too, would you?"
"That's right." Ma Jie nodded. "I passed the interview in the final stage and became the last candidate."
"Haha, I passed the interview a long time ago." Knowing they had the same goal for this trip, Tonya looked at him happily: "Great, Jack! I thought it would be boring here, but I unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance. But speaking of which, isn't this our second time competing against each other?"
"Yes, the first time was in the boxing ring." Ma Jie said, a slight smile playing on his lips, looking somewhat smug.
Observing the change in his expression, Donya suppressed her smile while unleashing a strong competitive spirit: "Listen, little bear cub, I lost to you last time because the competition was inherently unfair. This time you won't be so lucky. I will become the first female contestant in the history of 'Wilderness Solitary' to win the championship by hunting a black bear. That million-dollar prize is mine."
Hey sis, the competition location hasn't even been announced yet, and you're already sure there will be bears?
Besides, how can someone make such a big promise without even passing the training camp selection?
Sure enough, upon hearing her loud declaration of war, the other contestants all turned their gazes toward her, most of them displaying disdain.
It's important to know that in the wild, size is definitely not an advantage. The taller a person is, the faster their basal metabolic rate and the faster they burn calories, and the more calories they need to replenish each day.
If food reserves are plentiful, things are fine, but once food supplies run out, this disadvantage will be amplified, which will actually be detrimental to survival in the wild.
In a previous season, a pastor, relying on his low metabolism and spiritual faith, managed to survive by starving himself and made it to the finals, successfully outlasting all his opponents.
However, Ma Jieke is quite hoping that the Russian girl can pass the training camp selection. Her other skills are not yet clear, but her physical strength is a complete numerical monster.
Once you attach [Physical Energy Absorption] to her, along with [Working Body] and the original stamina bar, she's basically a human perpetual motion machine.
[Stamina Absorption (Active)]: Marks any human within the field of vision. When the target consumes stamina, restores an equal amount of stamina to the user. Cooldown: 24 hours.
【Working Body (Passive)】: When stamina drops below 20%, stamina is restored at a rate of 10% per second to full. Cooldown period is 1 day.
Through testing, Ma Jieke also discovered that the so-called CD period of [Physical Absorption] is actually a change of the marked target, rather than a removal of the status.
Therefore, as long as Donya is consuming stamina, he can continuously replenish his stamina, and the skill effect will not be interrupted no matter where she is.
Soon, all the contestants gathered and, led by the town mayor, visited the Begitch Building.
According to local residents, they don't live in buildings from birth to death as the rumors suggest. When the weather is nice, they go out to sea to fish on yachts, hunt in the nearby mountains, and drive to Anchorage to shop at supermarkets, watch movies, and enjoy the convenience and prosperity of the city.
The building is mostly populated by elderly people and children; young people are rarely seen. After all, it's impossible to find work or a romantic relationship in such a small place.
The only entertainment venue inside the building is a bar run by Chinese people, which is also the social center of the town.
Ma Jieke ordered a cocktail and chatted with strangers about all sorts of things, quietly enjoying this peaceful haven away from the hustle and bustle of the world.
Although Donya, emboldened by alcohol, wanted to go to his room to discuss life, he politely declined.
There's no way around it, this girl is just too fierce. I played a game with her last time and she even triggered the passive effect of the "Working Saint Body". Tomorrow is the training camp day, and I absolutely cannot make such a low-level mistake.
The training camp and selection process officially began the following day.
When the bus arrived at the temporary camp outside the town, Chief Instructor Lehman Stein had been waiting for a long time.
It was called a campsite, but it was really just a few camouflage tents set up on the snow, with off-road vehicles, ambulances, kitchen trucks and helicopters parked around them.
Looking around, cedar forests and hemlock trees are the main vegetation here. They are known as the kings of frost resistance in the plant world, able to withstand temperatures of tens of degrees below zero. Therefore, they are hard and particularly suitable as building materials.
Lehman stood on a rock that rose above the ground, his sharp gaze like an icicle sweeping over each contestant.
"Good morning, guys. Welcome to the training camp selection for the tenth season of 'Living in the Wild'."
He suddenly spoke, his voice sounding extremely rough: "From today onwards, I will serve as the head survival instructor for this season. Some of you may have heard of me, while others may have no idea who I am, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that after the training camp, you will all remember me for the rest of your lives!"
"Listen up, everyone!" The tone rose again, carrying a cold and menacing air, completely different from the kind and gentle impression he had left on everyone during the previous interview.
He leaped down from the boulder and walked to the front of the group, as if reprimanding a group of new recruits: "Seven days! You have seven days to prove to me that you are not tourists, not cowards, not sissies, but true warriors capable of surviving in extreme environments. The assessment includes physical fitness, skills, and mental resilience. The entire process will be scored. The assistant instructor and I will score you based on your performance. Each assessment will be calculated separately, with a maximum of 10 points and a minimum of 0 points. After seven days, the top ten scorers will advance and officially embark on the 100-day wilderness adventure. The rest will be eliminated regardless of their ranking!"
"Did you all understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Speak louder, I can't hear you!"
"Yes, Sir!"
"Very good, without further ado, let's begin the assessment immediately." Lehman paused for a moment before formally announcing, "The first assessment is a 5-hour time limit: collect as much food as possible from the wild."
"Rule 1: No one may exceed the time limit for any reason; otherwise, they will be automatically disqualified!"
"Rule Two: Remember the list of protected animals. If you accidentally kill a protected animal, you will be fined and your test score will be invalidated."
"Rule number three: You may only act alone and may not give the food you collect to other players in any form. If you are found doing so, you will be immediately disqualified from the competition."
After the rules were announced, everyone was led into a tent to freely choose their competition equipment.
What's outrageous is that, apart from various bows and arrows, lure fishing gear without fishing rods, multi-functional survival knives, and food storage bags, the production team didn't provide anything else, not even a compass or a watch.
This means that contestants can only identify directions with the naked eye and record time by observing changes in shadows in an unfamiliar environment, which greatly increases the difficulty of the challenge.
However, the rules have already been set, so there's no point in overthinking it; everyone is on the same starting line anyway.
Ma Jie didn't rush to choose equipment. Instead, he observed his competitors and found that most of them considered fishing gear as their first choice. After all, there was a large freshwater lake nearby, which was the safest way to obtain food.
However, in his opinion, in such cold weather, fish will migrate to deeper waters to conserve their body temperature, and even if you can catch one, it will be difficult to pull it up without a fishing rod.
In addition, his strongest skill is currently [Infrastructure Maniac], followed by [Sharpshooter], so after careful consideration, he picked up a simple-looking American hunting bow.
Although this bow is not as labor-saving as a composite bow, considering the complex and ever-changing survival environment in the future, he decided to use the American hunting bow as his main weapon.
After all, composite bows rely on pulley mechanisms for operation, and once damaged, the damage is almost irreversible. However, American hunting bows have a simple structure, are only shorter than traditional longbows, and are more convenient to carry.
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