In the following days, at the maximum body limits, Bruce regularly consumed five kilograms each day, and indeed, his strength increased steadily.
Before the camp was attacked, his basic strength was already four thousand kilograms.
Over the next five days, his strength increased by nearly a hundred kilograms each day.
Harper Camp's tool for measuring strength was a set of brown circular wooden stakes.
There were twelve stakes in total, five of one hundred kilograms, two of five hundred kilograms, and five of one thousand kilograms.
Everyone in the camp watched Bruce measure his strength each day.
From the first day's 4100 kilograms to the seventh day's 4900 kilograms.
The crowd's enthusiasm grew, and as they looked at the sealed entrance, a glimmer of hope gradually rose in their eyes.
In the past, when Thomas and the Axeheart team were present, the entrance could be opened in the evenings for ventilation.
Now sealed year-round, they felt even more stifled.
Critically, the Crystal Fruits were running low.
Even with minimal rationing, there were only about seven hundred kilograms.
Among 154 people, over 500 kilograms had been consumed in seven days.
The remaining amount was not enough to last three days.
All their hopes could only be pinned on Bruce.
So on the evening of the eighth day, when Bruce approached the brown stakes,
Everyone's gaze focused intently on him.
Fully aware of the camp's situation, Bruce understood their feelings.
He said nothing, quietly stacking the five one-thousand-kilogram stakes together.
Slowly crouching down, he wrapped his arms around the bottom stake.
Taking a deep breath, he began to exert his strength.
Five thousand kilograms is a weight unimaginable to the average person.
But for the people in this world, five thousand kilograms is just a basic requirement.
Lifting a five-thousand-kilogram object doesn't necessarily imply only a force of five thousand kilograms can be exerted.
Take Thomas, whose basic strength was over seven thousand kilograms.
But, as Bruce observed, when Thomas swung his axe, the force was definitely over ten thousand kilograms.
Force depends on personal technique, physique, and even the situation, but basic strength doesn't lie.
Why does one need over five thousand kilograms of basic strength just to log outside?
Bruce had already asked Thomas this question.
Thomas didn't answer; he merely tossed him a stone axe and told him to chop down a tree.
The trees retrieved by the Axeheart team from the outskirts of Redwood Ridge.
At the time, Bruce's basic strength was just over two thousand kilograms, and when he chopped down, his tiger's mouth cracked, his elbow joints even fractured directly.
Understand that these trees were chopped down by Thomas and the Axeheart team outside and brought back to the cave.
They had been left for days, with the crystallized outer bark already dissolved.
A basic strength of two thousand kilograms couldn't even break the surface.
Bruce immediately realized that both people and trees capable of surviving in such an extremely cold environment cannot be judged by common sense.
Besides, a glance at the towering forests on the side of Redwood Ridge reveals that, compared to humans, these trees actually thrive better.
"Five thousand kilograms is only the first step!"
Bruce shouted lowly, eyes wide with determination.
He forcefully exerted his strength upwards, muscles all over his body bulging, and his blood seemed to boil.
Under the hopeful gaze of everyone in the camp, the five one-thousand-kilogram stakes slowly lifted off the ground until they were raised above Bruce's head.
"Brother, you've broken through."
"Head, strong!"
"Five thousand kilograms, hahaha, the leader is amazing."
"Bruce, you've reached the Axeheart Realm."
Bang…
Bruce dropped the stakes onto the ground, causing a loud boom, then turned back to look at the crowd, finally showing a long-missed expression of relaxation.
"Once it's dark, I'll go out to find Crystal Fruit!"
---
The Harper Camp has finally birthed a new Axeheart-grade combat power.
The mood of the people immediately improved quite a bit.
Bruce's mood, needless to say, was even better.
He initially thought it would take more than ten days, but he broke through in just eight days, showcasing the potential of his body.
As nightfall approached, Bruce didn't delay.
He walked over to the firepit and, under the astonished eyes of the crowd, pulled out a charred stick from within.
The stick was entirely pitch black, about half a meter long, thin at the bottom and thick at the top, with the thick end having a white tip.
Small Torch: For every 10 units of wood burned in the firepit, one can be generated, and it can be carried with you, similar in function to a small bonfire.
The special function of the small bonfire remained despite spending eight days in the cave, using the wood sparingly, but in total, they burned 13 units, thus generating one torch.
Since he had to go out, it was natural to make thorough preparations.
Its function is similar to a small bonfire, meaning it has the effect of deterring and wounding deceitful monsters.
However, it also attracts Cold Beasts.
Soon, it was completely dark.
Bruce tied the torch to his back with a rope, fastened two hand axes to his waist, and then pulled a three-meter-long stick from the side of the camp wall.
Peering through a fingertip-sized gap in the cave entrance to look outside, he confirmed it was entirely dark.
Bruce then turned back and gave Charlie a final reminder.
"Remember the code I taught you. I will return before daylight. Once I leave, seal the entrance immediately. If anyone comes, if they can't match the code, no matter who it is, do not reveal yourself, understand?"
Having experienced the massacre just eight days ago, Charlie was all too aware of the importance of Bruce's instructions and nodded firmly.
Bruce didn't say much more and tore open a gap to slip out directly.
Charlie swiftly sealed the entrance but, through the last sliver of a gap, saw Bruce's departing figure, a trace of worry in his eyes.
---
Just how large Redwood Ridge is, not even Bruce, nor Thomas, knows.
The Harper is, after all, just a small-sized camp.
Though they've been exploring consistently over the years, their range of activity is primarily the slope east of Redwood Ridge.
Mostly revolving around the six caves there.
The approximate range is about a five-kilometer radius.
The most crucial area within these five kilometers is the periphery of Redwood Ridge to the west.
For no reason other than the sheer number of trees in Redwood Ridge.
Not only are there many, but they also crazily extend outward.
It should be that, with nine human camps surrounding Redwood Ridge and continuous Axeheart over the years, it should naturally shrink.
However, as per Thomas's observations, not only has Redwood Ridge not shrunk, but it has been continuously expanding outward over these years.
The trees grow larger and more numerous.
The rapid growth of resources is beneficial to humans.
But the problem is, these trees are not just resources for them.
They are equally critical to the Cold Beasts.
Most Cold Beasts reside in the trees.
Apart from hunting, Cold Beasts also enjoy consuming the fruits from the trees.
So the expansion of Redwood Ridge is, in fact, quite deadly for the surrounding camps.
As the trees constantly extend, the activity range of those Cold Beasts get closer to the neighboring camps, increasing the danger for humans.
Of course, these are not matters for Bruce to consider at this stage.
Though it was nighttime, the snow covering the ground moderately maintained visibility.
Unconsciously, he had reached the edge of Redwood Ridge.
In sight, ancient trees that could be considered towering giants in his past life seemed sparse and ordinary here, even small.
Upon a brief glance, even the thinnest trees on the outer edge had diameters of three to four meters, with lengths of thirty to fifty meters found everywhere.
The inner trees were more terrifying, with diameters of five or six meters, even exceeding ten meters; looking up, the tops could not be seen, reaching unknown heights.
On the snow-covered giant trees, thousands of sharp icicles hung, combined with drifting snowflakes, forming an exquisite and unparalleled ice-snow scene.
However, at this moment, Bruce was not in the mood to appreciate this.
After a long search, he selected a tree three meters thick.
Bruce nervously approached, brushed away the snow on the surface, revealing a layer of ice crystals beneath, and under the ice crystals, the tree bark faintly glinted with a red light.
Seeing the red light, he looked up and scanned the treetop carefully.
After confirming nothing was there, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"Red Frost Tree, there should be no Cold Beasts residing here."
As per Thomas, the eastern edge of Redwood Ridge has the most Red Frost Trees.
Due to the fragility of Red Frost Tree branches and the large size of Cold Beasts, they seldom choose to dwell there.
Differing from Red Frost, the Gold Frost Tree, yellowish in appearance, has very sturdy branches, and thick trunks, making it a favorite for Cold Beasts, who frequently rest atop them at night.
Additionally, some Cold Beasts even nest and dwell there.
Considering the Gold Frost Tree's limited numbers, Cold Beasts stable enough to reside there usually possess considerable power.
Bruce marked the small Red Frost Tree with his hand axe, memorized the route, and continued deeper.
The camp's food and wood supplies were nearly depleted.
Leave this tree to chop down upon the return journey; the urgent task is to find Crystal Fruits.
"Ice Trees favor sunlight and grow faster in brighter locations; they typically grow in more open areas."
Recalling the features of Ice Trees, Bruce surveyed the forest, selecting a tree after confirming it was free of any threats, and climbed up.
The tree's surface, coated with snow and ice crystals, was not only bone-chilling but also extremely slippery; after exerting much effort, Bruce finally reached the top.
Upon reaching the treetop, the view indeed improved greatly.
Soon enough, Bruce spotted an open area about two to three hundred meters to the west.
"The eastern edge of Redwood Ridge, 800 steps, belongs to our Harper's territory.
If you ever join the Axeheart team, remember this rule well; if you cross into someone else's territory recklessly and get killed, you can't blame anyone but yourself."
Recalling Thomas's previous words, Bruce leaped off the tree and headed toward the open area to the west.
Eight hundred steps roughly equate to a distance of a league.
The open area belongs to Harper Territory, so crossing over shouldn't pose a problem.
Theoretically, given how crucial of a resource the Ice Tree, capable of producing staple food, is, the camp should remember its location, saving the trouble of finding it each time.
In reality, they did remember.
But the sudden demise of Thomas and the Axeheart team was unexpected.
There were originally thirteen individuals capable of venturing out from the camp, and most knew the Ice Tree's location.
Unexpectedly, before they had a chance to inform Bruce, all thirteen perished.
Thankfully, the tree wasn't far; Bruce found it without much difficulty.
Though he was eager for food, Bruce approached cautiously and calmly.
As he passed each tree, he thoroughly searched the treetop with a careful gaze.
Though it was nighttime, the typical resting time for Cold Beasts,
it didn't mean they wouldn't wake up.
Up to now, Bruce hadn't seen a Cold Beast, only learning about a couple from conversations between Thomas and the Axeheart crew.
Although he hadn't seen any alive, based solely on the amount and frequency of Cold Beast Flesh acquired when Thomas was still around, he could deduce that their power was undoubtedly fearsome.
Thirteen Axeheart-grade individuals took a month to successfully hunt down a single juvenile Bone-piercing Frost Wolf.
That already spoke volumes.
Bruce had to be cautious; with his current strength, encountering a Cold Beast likely spelled death.
Luckily, the journey went without a hitch.
After more than an hour, Bruce finally reached that open area.
Upon reaching the destination and looking forward, Bruce's face immediately lit up with joy.
Amid the open ground, a forty-meter-tall, silver-coated towering Ice Tree stood quietly, densely packed with Crystal Fruits dangling above.
"Luck is truly on my side; this would likely weigh over a thousand kilograms."
Bruce did not let the joy overcome his senses and directly climbed the tree to pick the fruits.
Instead, he first chose a nearby Red Frost Tree and climbed to the top.
There, he meticulously observed the crown of the Ice Tree.
Upon this inspection, his expression darkened considerably.