Boar

Nord returned to his room and took out his Heraldic Armor from the inventory. This Heraldic Armor still fell within the category of light armor: a thin layer of Leather Armor inside, a simple layer of Chainmail over it, and an outer robe bearing the crest of the Aisala Family.

Overall, it looked quite impressive. Its protective capabilities were fairly high, and it was not especially heavy to wear, so it did not interfere with normal walking or running.

Unfortunately, there was no mirror here. Otherwise, he could have properly admired how he looked in full armor. But Nord's eyes shifted as he came up with an idea.

He picked up the Leather Armor he had changed out of yesterday, opened his 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 people in the house were at the construction site.

He walked over and opened the door, only to see Nord standing outside in high spirits. He wore black-and-white Heraldic Armor, with an eagle spreading its wings emblazoned across his chest. A pair of sharp eagle eyes stared fixedly at him. The hem of the outer robe fell just above his ankles, and he wore a pair of gleaming black cowhide boots. With a one-handed Knight Longsword hanging at his waist, Reed failed to react for a moment. Was this still the Lord Nord he knew?

Seeing Reed's reaction, Nord understood that his outfit must have looked good. Feeling a little pleased with himself, he kept his face calm and said to Reed:

"This is the Leather Armor I changed out of. I'll give it to you. Will it be convenient for me to enter the mountains tomorrow wearing this Heraldic Armor?"

"Thank you for your reward, Lord Nord."

Reed accepted the Leather Armor and could hardly bear to put it down. Nord had bought this piece in Beron City. Its craftsmanship was excellent, its design quite novel, and its defense was no worse than the system's reward. It also looked much better, especially in line with Reed's tastes.

"No problem, Lord Nord. We'll only be walking around nearby tomorrow, so there won't be any danger. I often sneaked in there myself. And your Heraldic Armor really looks imposing!"

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Nord told Reed to make preparations for tomorrow, then turned and returned to his room. Reed immediately put on the Leather Armor and ran downstairs to show it off to Art and his sister.

The sun set and rose, and in the blink of an eye, a new day arrived. When Nord came downstairs, Ryman and the others had already been waiting for a long time.

When they saw what Nord was wearing today, they were all taken aback. Dressed in Heraldic Armor, Nord looked full of bearing and increasingly like a noble.

Ryman did not say much. After seeking Nord's approval, he led everyone out. He planned to enter the mountains from the northwest, circle around two large peaks, then return from the northeast side of the village.

Looking at the dense forest ahead and the thick trees all around, Nord was rather curious. Before entering the woods, the hunters sprinkled some powder over themselves. According to Ryman, it came from a unique plant of the Amon Mountains called the Bauhinia Flower. After its flowers and bark were dried and ground into powder, it could repel mosquitoes and insects.

After hearing that, Nord had Ryman introduce the various plants in the forest along the way. Whenever Ryman did not know or understand something, he asked Old Mor. Before long, Old Mor was the one explaining things to Nord while Ryman kept watch over their surroundings.

Old Mor truly deserved to be called the village's most experienced old hunter. Nord discovered that Old Mor not only knew the names and characteristics of every plant, but also understood their various uses extremely well, as though he had spent his entire life in the mountains.

With Old Mor's explanations, Nord gradually gained a deeper understanding of the mountains. This really was a treasure trove, making him even more determined to develop the Amon Mountains.

Take the Bauhinia Flower, for example. It was actually a low-growing tree that grew along the outskirts of the Amon Mountains. Because its blossoms were purple and it mostly grew among brambles, it had been named the Bauhinia Flower.

The powder mentioned earlier was essential for hunters entering the mountains. Not only could it repel snakes and insects, but it also had some detoxifying effects. Therefore, before developing the mountains, Nord planned to stockpile a large amount of Bauhinia Powder. Relying solely on hunters to gather it would not be enough. Perhaps he could transplant the scattered Bauhinia trees into one place and build a Bauhinia Garden dedicated to producing Bauhinia Powder.

Just as Nord was thinking it over carefully, Ryman ahead signaled for everyone to be quiet. Upon seeing his gesture, the hunters lightened their steps and slowly moved to Ryman's side.

It turned out that a group of wild boars was foraging not far ahead. Leading them was a massive boar weighing more than four hundred kilograms. Its dark body gleamed, and two huge tusks protruded from its mouth. It was using its snout and tusks to dig up the ground, seemingly searching for food.

Around the massive boar were three smaller adult boars, and beside each of them trailed seven or eight piglets.

They appeared to be one large family. Whenever a sow dug up the ground, the piglets would swarm over and snatch away all the food unearthed from the soil. The sow did not get angry and simply continued searching for food nearby.

After assessing the situation, Ryman turned around and carefully said to everyone:

"Looks like we're lucky today. We ran into an entire family of wild boars. There usually isn't such a big haul around here. Good thing there are so many of us today. Two or three people couldn't handle this situation."

"Lord Nord, should we make a move?"

"Since we've come across an opportunity like this, we certainly 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 in a semicircle and crept toward the wild boars.

Nord and Reed remained where they were, hiding behind a tree and silently watching them hunt.

Just as Ryman and the others crept closer, the huge boar seemed to catch the scent of danger. It raised its head and surveyed its surroundings.

Ryman and the others understood that they could not get any closer. They decisively drew their bows and shot at the massive boar. But aside from Ryman's arrow, the others only pierced its hide and did not inflict any deeper wounds. Only Ryman's arrow truly enraged the boar.

The huge boar let out a roar, lowered its tusks, and charged at Ryman. It was only one boar, but its massive size gave it the momentum of an army charging across the battlefield. Even standing at a distance, Nord could seemingly feel the ground tremble beneath every one of its steps.

Even Ryman was somewhat nervous in the face of such a situation. He took a deep breath, pulled his longbow to its limit, and fired an arrow with all his strength. Then he pressed tightly against the large tree behind him and stared at the boar charging straight at him.

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

The boar suffered a grievous wound and let out a miserable cry. Blood and flesh blurred across its entire dark, fat face, yet it did not stop. Fierce light shone from its remaining eye, and with its two enormous tusks jutting from the corners of its mouth, it charged at Ryman with a savage visage. Ryman, however, stood there blankly, as though he had been frightened senseless by the boar.

Thanks to Prince Baiyu and Mr. Cheng Who Makes Money for their rewards yesterday, and thanks as well to all the old friends for your recommendation votes. Let me tell everyone something: because of contract-related issues, this book can no longer be seen on the newcomer rankings. It may not be updated until next week, so the current number of favorites is rather awkward. Before signing, it was growing faster than it is now. At present, there are only about ten new favorites a day. There are quite a lot of recommendation votes, though, and many of those voting are familiar faces. Thank you all for your continued support. I hope everyone can cast your recommendation votes for me, and I also hope to see some new friends. Things should probably improve next week. Keep it up!