Wild Boar

Nord returned to his room and took out his heraldic armor from his inventory. This heraldic armor still fell within the category of light armor—a thin layer of leather armor inside, plus a simple layer of chainmail, and over it all, an outer robe emblazoned with the Aisala family crest.

Overall, it looked quite impressive, with decent defensive capabilities. It wasn't particularly heavy to wear and didn't hinder normal walking or running.

It was a pity there was no mirror here, or else he could have admired his own armored appearance. But Nord's eyes flickered as an idea came to him.

Picking up the leather armor he had changed out of yesterday, he opened the door and headed toward Reed's room.

Reed had just returned to his room when he heard a knock at the door. Somewhat puzzled, he wondered who could be looking for him—most of the household was already at the construction site.

He walked over and opened the door, only to see Nord standing outside, radiating vigor. He wore black-and-white heraldic armor, with an eagle spreading its wings emblazoned on his chest, its sharp eyes fixed intently on him. The hem of the armor's outer robe reached just above his ankles, and on his feet were a pair of shiny black leather boots. With a single-handed knight's longsword at his waist, Reed was momentarily stunned—was this still the Lord Nord he knew?

Seeing Reed's reaction, Nord understood that his outfit must look quite impressive. Feeling a hint of pride, he kept his face calm and said to Reed:

"This is the leather armor I just changed out of. I'm giving it to you to wear. Will it be convenient for me to head into the mountains tomorrow in this heraldic armor?"

"Thank you for your gift, Lord Nord."

Reed took the leather armor, unable to put it down. This armor was one Nord had bought in Beron City—excellent craftsmanship, a very stylish design, and defensive power no worse than the system's rewards. On top of that, its appearance was even more appealing, perfectly suiting Reed's taste.

"No problem, Lord Nord. Tomorrow we're just wandering nearby—nothing dangerous. I've sneaked in there plenty of times. And your heraldic armor really is imposing!"

Seeing that his goal was achieved, Nord instructed Reed to be ready tomorrow, then turned and returned to his own room. Reed immediately put on the leather armor and ran downstairs to show off to Art and his sister.

Sunset gave way to sunrise, and soon a new day dawned. When Nord came downstairs, Ryman and the others had already been waiting for some time.

Seeing Nord's attire today, everyone was taken aback. Wearing the heraldic armor, Nord exuded an air of authority, increasingly resembling a true noble.

Ryman didn't say much. After seeking Nord's instructions, he led the group out. Ryman planned to enter the mountains from the northwest, circle around two large peaks, and return from the northeast side of the village.

Looking at the dense jungle ahead and the thick trees surrounding them, Nord felt a flicker of curiosity. Before entering the forest, the hunters sprinkled some powder over themselves. According to Ryman, this came from a unique plant in the Amon Mountains called Bauhinia. The flowers and bark of this plant, dried and ground into powder, were effective at repelling insects.

Hearing this, Nord asked Ryman to introduce the various plants along the way. When Ryman didn't know or wasn't sure about something, he would ask Old Mor. Eventually, it became Old Mor explaining things to Nord while Ryman kept watch over their surroundings.

Old Mor truly lived up to his reputation as the most experienced old hunter in the village. Nord noticed that Old Mor not only knew the name and characteristics of every plant but also understood their various uses thoroughly, as if he had always lived in the mountains.

Through Old Mor's explanations, Nord gradually gained a deeper understanding of the mountains. This place really was a treasure trove, strengthening his resolve to develop the Amon Mountains.

Take Bauhinia, for example. It was actually a low-growing tree that thrived on the outskirts of the Amon Mountains. Because its flowers were purple and mostly grew among thorny thickets, it was named Bauhinia.

The powder mentioned earlier was a necessity for hunters entering the mountains. Not only did it repel snakes and insects, but it also had some detoxifying properties. So Nord planned to stockpile a large amount of Bauhinia Powder before developing the mountains. Relying solely on hunters to gather it wouldn't be enough. Perhaps he could transplant the scattered Bauhinia trees together and create a Bauhinia Garden dedicated to producing Bauhinia Powder.

Just as Nord was deep in thought, Ryman ahead signaled everyone to be quiet. Seeing Ryman's gesture, the hunters softened their footsteps and quietly gathered around him.

Not far ahead, a group of wild boars was foraging. Leading them was a massive boar weighing over 400 kilograms, its pitch-black body gleaming with a sheen. Two large tusks jutted from its snout as it used its nose and tusks to root through the ground, seemingly searching for food.

Around the big boar followed three smaller adult boars, each accompanied by seven or eight piglets.

It looked like a whole family. Whenever a sow rooted up the ground, the piglets would swarm in, snatching away whatever food was unearthed. The sow didn't seem to mind and continued foraging nearby.

After assessing the situation, Ryman turned and said cautiously to the group:

"Looks like we're in luck today—we've run into a whole family of boars. Normally, we don't get such a big haul around here. Good thing we have plenty of people today; two or three of us wouldn't be able to handle this."

"Lord Nord, should we make a move?"

"Since we've come across this opportunity, of course we can't let it pass. Besides, I'd like to see how you hunt."

After receiving Nord's approval, Ryman, Old Mor, and the other six hunters quietly spread out, forming a semicircle as they crept toward the boars.

Nord and Reed stayed where they were, hiding behind a tree, watching the hunt unfold.

Just as Ryman and the others were stealthily closing in, the big boar seemed to sense danger and lifted its head to scan its surroundings.

Seeing this, Ryman and the others knew they couldn't get any closer. They quickly drew their bows and shot arrows at the big boar. But aside from Ryman's arrow, the others only pierced the boar's hide, failing to inflict deeper wounds. Only Ryman's arrow truly enraged the beast.

The big boar let out a roar, lowered its tusks, and charged at Ryman. It was just one boar, but its massive frame gave it the momentum of a thousand troops. Standing at a distance, Nord could almost feel the ground tremble with every stomp of the boar's hooves.

Even Ryman felt a bit tense facing such a situation. He took a deep breath, pulled his longbow taut with all his strength, and loosed a heavy arrow. Then he pressed himself tightly against the large tree behind him, staring at the boar charging straight at him.

Two arrows struck the boar's head in succession. One hit its right eye with precision, but lacked enough force to pierce through the skull. The other slammed heavily into its forehead with a loud thud, only to be deflected by the boar's skull.

Wounded severely, the boar let out a pained scream. Its dark, fat face was a bloody mess, but it didn't stop. Its remaining eye gleamed with ferocity, and with its two large tusks at the corners of its mouth, it charged at Ryman with a hideous expression. Ryman, however, stood frozen in place, as if stunned by the boar's charge.

Thank you to Prince Baiyu and Mr. Cheng Who Makes Money for yesterday's tips, and to all the old friends for your recommendation tickets. Let me share something with you—due to contract issues, this book can no longer be seen on the various newcomer charts. It might not show up until next week's update. So the current collection count is rather awkward; it hasn't grown as much as before signing. Now it's only ten per day. The recommendation tickets, though, are quite plentiful—many of them are from familiar faces. Thank you all for your continued support. I hope you'll keep throwing your recommendation tickets my way, and I'd love to see some new friends too. Next week should be much better. Let's go!