Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)
Chapter 127 - I Need A Medic! I’ll Pay Cache!

Chapter 127: Chapter 127 - I Need A Medic! I’ll Pay Cache!

The red jasper disappeared into my storage with that familiar lack of sensation, leaving me staring at empty space where a beautiful stone had been moments before. I muttered while reshouldering my backpack.

"Now I’m just stealing random rocks. This is what my life has become."

Counting off the paces specified in the hunter’s journal from where the rock had been, I stop over a spot. Three feet down from here should be the medical cache. The folding shovel extended with a satisfying click when I pulled it out.

I aimed my phone’s flashlight at the ground to make sure there were no rocky surfaces. The recent rain had softened the soil, making the first few inches come away very easily. Dark, loamy earth clung to the shovel blade as I worked.

"At least I’m getting better at this. The handle hasn’t broken yet. Then again, I’m not trying to use it as a werewolf..."

I spoke to myself and to Vrika, who seemed resigned to my nocturnal activities. Despite its exhaustion. But I’m not asking it to transform me or particularly heal me.

This shovel was a significant improvement, creating a neat, rectangular excavation quickly. I settled into a steady rhythm of sliding into earth and flipping it out beside the hole. Pausing occasionally to check my progress with the flashlight.

< It would have been unfortunate if it filled back in with rainwater... >

Fifteen minutes of determined digging revealed the top of a metal container with a clang. Smaller than the weapons cache, but about the size of one of the large ammo boxes inside that had been.

I cleared the remaining soil carefully, not wanting to damage whatever was inside by striking it again. The container was made of lightweight alloy and sealed with professional-grade waterproof tape, the journal said. No locks, no visible traps - just thorough protection against the elements.

"I’m actually surprised he doesn’t make use of more traps. But I guess he was arrogant."

The problem now was transportation. With the big jasper occupying my Stash slot, I couldn’t simply store the cache and carry on. I’d have to physically haul everything back to where I left the shipping container.

The kit’s metal alone probably weighed at least twenty pounds - and my backpack was already loaded with tools and supplies. That’s if it would even easily fit inside its mouth... of course, Vrika seemed amused by my predicament.

"In my arms it is. Without your help. This is going to be a long walk back."

I filled in the dug up site first, scattering nearby pine needles over the disturbed earth to partially disguise my work. The trek back through the dark forest proved every bit as dull as expected, being careful not to trip or jostle the contents until I verified what they were.

By the time I reached my makeshift camp, some sweat had soaked through my wicking shirt from these exertions despite the very cool night air. I set down the cache with relief inside the container before peeling away the sealing tape.

It revealed an interior packed with militaristic effort. Every item had its designated space, secured with foam padding or elastic straps to prevent damage during moving and storage. The top layer of goods already made me exhale in relief - this being a useful find.

Medical supplies that went far beyond basic first aid. Sealed packets of ’surgical sutures’, gauze for staunching severe bleeding, antibiotics with years left before expiration, and a complete emergency surgical kit with instruments... that I couldn’t identify, but trusted were important.

"This is better equipped than anything the Duskpaw ever had."

I murmured while examining a packet of [broad-spectrum antibiotics]. The wolf spirit understood that needing such advanced medical care would mean something had gone very wrong and whimpered. But it’s better to have these things than not.

The second layer contained pain medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, and what appeared to be specialized trauma supplies. Everything was clearly labeled with usage instructions and shelf life. The hunter had been meticulous about maintaining his medical stockpile.

> But kept none of it at his hideout. A weird man. <

At the bottom lay a compact water purification system. Not just basic filters, but a comprehensive kit of tablets and chemical treatments. The laminated instruction card claimed it could process up to two thousand gallons of contaminated water before needing replacement components.

"Enough clean water for months for a single person. This old man really did think of everything. Then use nothing. I’m starting to feel suspicious again..."

Tucked beside the purification system was a small notebook. Water-resistant leather and filled with the hunter’s familiar cramped handwriting. Pages detailed medicinal plants found in the surrounding wilderness, their locations, and applications for various ailments.

Some entries were standard human remedies, but others seemed specifically researched for treating werewolves. Notes about herbs that could ease transformation pain, poultices for silver contaminant burns, even a tea blend for calming aggressive wolves.

Altogether not something I expected him to write about. Maybe he was trying to impress someone? Or maybe what I found in his cabin doesn’t tell me everything about the sort of man he was, throughout all of his life.

The journal had painted a picture of an angry old man, but this information here could have been written when he was younger. Such contradiction was puzzling, but not worth much time wondering about. I closed the notebook and surveyed my haul.

Organizing the medical supplies inside the shipping container took time. Keeping emergency items accessible while securing the rest in another section on a different shelf was my goal. The water purification system went into an area alongside other survival gear.

"Keeping things organized now will save time later."

The hunter’s medical notebook I kept in my backpack - along with a course of antibiotics and pain medication just in case I couldn’t summon the shipping container. His insights about medicinal plants could prove valuable.

> And I might pick some up while I’m moving through here. They’ll keep in the container anyway... I think. <

I laid back out on my fleece blanket without shifting or taking off my clothes. The physical exertion had finally made me tired enough to sleep. Despite that single mysterious message still nagging at the back of my mind.

Whatever BoundaryKeeper wanted could wait until I returned to the city. Like they claimed. Right now, I needed rest.

Three more caches still awaited me tomorrow... and I had the feeling the easy ones were behind me.