Then she took the homemade feathered dart, inspecting the arrowhead of the damaged feathered dart tied to the head. At the tail, she used the knife tip to carve a shallow indentation just big enough to latch onto the spear thrower's hook.

This brand-new "weapon system" was completed, yet filled with uncertainty.

She walked to a relatively open area outside the shelter, continuing to use the previous snow mound as a target.

Taking a deep breath, she hooked the stick that served as a "javelin" at its tail onto the spear thrower, leaned back, and swung her arm forward fiercely!

"Whoosh—"

The javelin flew from her hand; the first attempt was far from perfect. Though its flight was still somewhat wobbly, the accuracy was significantly better than her bow and arrow, possibly because the thrower suited the homemade feathered dart's weighting.

She retrieved the javelin and tried again, repeatedly throwing, retrieving, and then throwing again, feeling the energy transfer from her body to her arm, then extending through the leverage to the javelin's tip.

The snowfield bore rows of footprints and javelin marks of varying depths, recording her transition from clumsy to skilled.

Kelly panted heavily, a slight smile finally appearing on her face.

Now she knew the effective range of this weapon was about ten to fifteen meters; beyond that, the accuracy sharply declined. Moreover, its power was far greater than she had expected!

Confidence finally returned to her body. Now she pinned all her hopes on this ancient tool.

Holding the whole new "weapon system" of a spear thrower and a wooden feathered dart as a "javelin," she once again entered the perilous forest.

She understood that she must find an opportunity before her strength ran out.

Moreover, she could no longer pursue the distant shooting of over a dozen meters, as before. She had to get close, close enough to use this primitive weapon for a fatal strike.

Fortunately, dusk was the peak period for birds to feed before returning home.

She lurked at the edge of an open area for a long time, so long that her limbs became numb again.

Just when she was about to give up, a pure white rock Thunderbird appeared on the nearby snowfield, pecking at the tender shoots under the snow.

The distance was about twenty meters; with a bow, this was an excellent range. But with a spear thrower, it was still too far, too risky.

Kelly didn't move; she became a true stone, merging with the earth.

She controlled her breathing, suppressing her heart's frantic pounding from excitement and hunger.

The Thunderbird seemed oblivious to danger, stepping closer and closer to her hiding place.

Fifteen meters... twelve meters... ten meters!

Now!

Kelly's movements were smooth and filled with primal power! Without the slightest hesitation, she suddenly exerted strength from a squat, leaning her body forward, swinging her arm back, and flicking her wrist!

The wooden stick serving as a javelin, propelled by the spear thrower, shot out like being released from a slingshot, with a low, air-piercing noise!

"Thud!"

A dull, reassuring sound echoed!

The wooden stick, at a range of ten meters, struck the Thunderbird's body with irresistible force!

The massive impact force flipped it directly onto the ground; its wings flapped futilely twice before falling silent.

Success!

Kelly's taut nerves snapped completely at that moment! She didn't immediately go forward to retrieve her spoils but collapsed like a puddle on the spot, gulping the cold air, tears uncontrollably streaming down.

They were not tears of sadness, but tears of ecstatic joy from surviving calamity and climbing out of the abyss of despair!

She scrambled to the still-warm Thunderbird, cradling this hard-won prey in her arms like the world's most precious treasure.

She didn't rush back to camp; what she needed most now was immediate energy replenishment.

With the hunting knife, she deftly slit open the Thunderbird's warm chest and belly, her fingers precisely probing, bypassing the delicate ribs and first finding the still neurotically twitching heart.

It was only thumb-sized, deep red like a warm life crystal. Without hesitation, Kelly used the knife tip to cut it off, then closed her eyes and put it whole into her mouth.

The warm, bloody taste and firm texture exploded between her teeth, a surge of pure primal energy instantly coursing down her throat!

She could even feel the last warmth of the Thunderbird's life directly converting into her heat. She didn't stop; her second target was the dark red slippery liver.

This truly was the treasure, a vitamin-rich energy block, the best antidote to prevent scurvy on this land of only ice and snow. Unlike the tight heart, the liver was soft and slippery, with a stronger metallic bloody scent.

The taste could make any civilized person gag on the spot, yet Kelly's body was greedily rejoicing!

Of course, it was not tasty, even somewhat disgusting; as the heart and liver slid down her esophagus into her stomach, heat and nutrition, like two streams of warmth, simultaneously infused her nearly depleted body.

The burning sensation in her stomach was slightly soothed; the dizziness in her brain began to fade; her body started to feel a long-lost fullness and warmth.

She leaned against a tree, chewing extremely slowly, releasing every bit of energy, savoring the taste of life!