Devouring Evolution: I Reborn as an Arctic Wolf Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Arctic Reindeer.

Wolf Mother consumed nearly half of an Arctic Rabbit; even the juveniles of the species weigh around four to five pounds.

This meal finally provided some relief to her stomach, which had been devoid of nutritional supplements for several days.

Even though Wolf Mother felt a strong urge to finish the rest of the Arctic Rabbit, she held back.

In a secluded corner away from the other wolves, she quietly put it aside for Su Lin and Wolf Sister.

"Awooo."

Wolf Mother emitted a soft howl, discreetly signaling to Wolf Sister and Su Lin.

"We are truly full."

Su Lin, who had remained by her side, stared at the half-eaten Arctic Rabbit his mother had saved, and he sighed from his very soul.

He never anticipated that Wolf Mother would leave any of the food behind.

The depth of maternal affection among animals was far more moving than he had ever imagined.

During his former life, he never lacked for clothing or food, yet he rarely experienced much warmth from his family.

His parents were constantly preoccupied with the growth of their company and seldom offered him any attention.

In this life, despite being reborn as an Arctic Wolf,

the last month spent with the pack had allowed him to truly feel the genuine care of Wolf Dad and Wolf Mom.

The frantic behavior shown by Wolf Mom and Wolf Dad earlier, fearing their cubs in the den were in danger, had touched Su Lin deeply.

"Sigh!"

Reflecting on this, Su Lin looked up at Wolf Mother again as she stubbornly reserved that small portion of food for him, and he let out another sigh.

However, he understood in his heart that he needed to push himself to evolve.

This was necessary not only for his own survival but also to ensure Wolf Dad and Wolf Mom didn't have to exhaust themselves for a mere scrap of food.

He aspired to be the undisputed ruler of the Arctic, the king perched at the pinnacle of the food chain—the Arctic Wolf King.

With these grand ambitions for his future,

Su Lin settled down next to Wolf Mother, intent on sleeping to regain his strength for tomorrow's hunt.

....

The following day.

Upon waking, Su Lin opened his eyes to find that Wolf Mom and Wolf Dad were absent from the den, and the other adult Arctic Wolves of the pack had also departed.

It was obvious they had set out early to hunt for prey.

He stretched his limbs, still feeling the lingering weight of sleep as he stood up.

Once on his feet, he noticed that Wolf Sister, Cousin, and the orphaned cub were still lost in deep slumber.

There is a solid reason why young mammals tend to be such heavy sleepers.

Su Lin stepped out of the den, gazing at the limitless white horizon of the Arctic.

It was likely around ten in the morning, yet the sky over the Arctic Continent barely showed a hint of light.

The winters and nights here are more prolonged than anywhere else on earth, sometimes resulting in the phenomenon of polar night.

"Awooo!"

Su Lin let out a long, resonant howl toward the vast, desolate Arctic wilderness.

He was well aware that he would have to endure in this environment for a long time to come.

Following his howl, Su Lin felt the pangs of hunger once more.

He had fully transitioned into his life as an Arctic Wolf, becoming accustomed to the lifestyle of devouring raw blood.

Perhaps because an Arctic Wolf's taste buds differ so much from a human's, he found that raw meat was actually quite delicious.

"Should I go out and track down more Arctic Rabbits?"

"Then again, the Evolution Points I get from Arctic Rabbits are so low now that I don't have much motivation."

After a moment of deliberation, Su Lin decided to go for a stroll.

If no other prey appeared, he would simply settle for hunting a few more Arctic Rabbits.

He trudged step by step through the snow-caked Arctic terrain.

A wolf possesses an incredibly sharp sense of smell.

Before long, not far from his starting point, Su Lin caught the scent of blood drifting through the air.

"Hmm? Something is happening!"

He instantly shifted into a state of high alert.

Following the trail of the blood scent, he crept silently across the snow.

His movements were slow but extremely wary.

After all, his current strength was still quite limited.

Safety was his priority; being careful was always the right choice.

After about fifteen minutes of cautious crawling, he finally reached the origin of the pungent metallic smell.

The scent of blood was overpowering.

It seemed as though a struggle had occurred very recently.

If more time had passed, a scent this strong would have already drawn in numerous carnivores.

Su Lin came to a halt, concealing himself behind a thick shrub while peering into the distance.

He soon identified the source of the bloody aroma.

It was the corpse of an Arctic reindeer!

Species: Arctic reindeer (male, deceased).

Level: 7.

Qi-Blood: 1050.

Endurance: 75.

Strength: 53.

Defense: 39.

Speed: 60.

...

This Arctic reindeer was level 7, making it even higher in level than Wolf Father.

Under normal circumstances, taking down such a target would require the efforts of the entire pack.

Yet here it was—a level 7 male Arctic reindeer, dead on the ground.

There were almost no signs of tearing or mauling on the reindeer's hide.

Only the neck and the limbs were leaking fresh, crimson blood.

The blood hadn't even fully clotted yet, indicating it had been killed only moments ago.

"Hmm? What kind of creature could kill a male Arctic reindeer so effortlessly? Could it be a polar bear?"

Lurking behind the bushes, Su Lin contemplated the scene.

In this region, the only animal capable of taking down an Arctic reindeer so easily was the polar bear, the undisputed dominator of the Arctic.

What confused him, however, was the total lack of bear tracks in the vicinity.

Furthermore, if a polar bear had been the killer, it wouldn't have just abandoned the carcass here.

Su Lin was baffled.

After confirming multiple times that the area was safe, he cautiously moved toward the reindeer carcass.

The Arctic reindeer was massive, likely weighing at least two to three hundred pounds.

Even the whole pack couldn't finish such a meal in one sitting.

"Hmm?"

As he looked closer, he noticed something strange about the body.

The antlers and the deer whip were missing, appearing as though they had been sliced off cleanly with a blade.

The edges of the wounds were very straight, certainly not the work of an animal's teeth.

"Could it have been hunted by humans?"

A jolt of shock ran through Su Lin's heart.

Antlers that haven't fully calcified are known as velvet antler.

Velvet antler isn't exclusive to sika or red deer; it's found in Arctic reindeer as well.

It is a highly prized medicinal ingredient, and many would pay a fortune for it.

The deer whip is also considered a premium ingredient for medicinal alcohol.

Checking the fatal wound on the reindeer's neck once more, he found a deep, narrow puncture.

From his perspective as a former human, that wound was undoubtedly caused by a firearm.

This reindeer had fallen to humans.

That explained why only the most lucrative parts—the velvet antler and deer whip—were gone.

"Hiss!"

Su Lin inhaled sharply at the realization.

It appeared the Arctic was far more dangerous than he had presumed.

He wasn't just facing the threat of starvation, but also the danger posed by these poachers!

An immediate sense of crisis flooded his mind.

He had to speed up his evolution process.

Without hesitation, Su Lin lowered his head and began to feast on the Arctic reindeer carcass.

The reindeer was fresh, and its muscles had not yet succumbed to rigor mortis.

He ripped a chunk of meat from the chest area, where the flesh was tender and lean.

"Ding! The host has consumed Arctic reindeer meat and obtained 3 Evolution Points."

With just one bite, Su Lin's eyes gleamed.

3 Evolution Points!

The meat of an Arctic reindeer was truly superior.