Distant Mountain Stronghold

In the dim mountain cave, orange flames danced. The cave was very quiet, with only the crackling of burning tung wood and the echoing footsteps of Nord and the others entering.

After just a few days away, some furniture had been added inside. Wooden tables and chairs were all in place, and even the spot for the bonfire had been simply ringed with stones.

By the faint light of the flames, Nord carefully examined the mountain dweller lying on the bed. His hair was matted and his face filthy, yet even the grime could not hide his pallor. Fortunately, his breathing was steady. Judging from his sturdy build, he had clearly been a strong man.

The wound was on his chest. According to Marco, the shape of it suggested it had been caused by the claws of a ferocious animal, most likely an Amon Giant Bear. But it was incredible that this man had survived. When Ryman and the others found him, he had already fainted from excessive blood loss, and there were no signs of a giant bear nearby.

His clothes were entirely sewn from animal pelts, making him look exactly like the wild men from films in Nord's previous life. Even poor Tami Village received merchant caravans every year. Even if their clothes were ragged, one could still tell they were woven from linen. A glance at this man's attire was enough to reveal that he had lived cut off from the world.

"How long has this man been unconscious?"

"We don't know exactly. He had already been unconscious for four or five hours when we found him. He fainted from blood loss and hunger. Fortunately, we bandaged his wound and fed him some wheat porridge, so his condition stabilized. Mainly because his body is strong, he should wake up soon."

Nord nodded, then turned to look at the increasingly developed outpost and said to Ryman with a smile:

"I haven't been here for a few days, and this place has changed a lot."

"Lord Nord, you haven't been here for a week. Every day, aside from training and patrolling the forest, we spent our free time improving this outpost. We didn't realize it before, but now that we have it, hunting is much more convenient. We also don't have to worry about spending the night in the forest. The brothers all like this place. They work even harder than they train, and they've already begun treating it as a second home."

"Good, as long as you like it. Nothing unusual in the nearby forest?"

Ryman scratched his head and carefully recalled what had happened over the past few days. He realized they had been wholly focused on improving the outpost and gave an embarrassed smile.

"We've been busy improving the outpost these past two days. Every day, we only patrolled within ten li of Wild Boar Cave before returning. We didn't encounter anything unusual, and we only caught two or three prey animals. That was until we found this man today."

Nord was not surprised by Ryman's answer. At first, he too had enthusiastically patrolled every part of the forest, but later discovered that this stretch of woodland was indeed monotonous. There were not even many wild animals. Encountering that huge herd of wild boars on the first day had truly been a stroke of luck.

Nord had also discovered that even when he reached the boundary of the system map, the mist covering it would not disperse. This troubled him somewhat. It seemed he would have to find another way to expand the map.

After exploring every location shown on the map, Nord had not ordered the guards to investigate those unknown areas. Since they could not reveal the map anyway, there was no need to waste manpower. Thus, he arranged for Ryman and the other two to train the newcomers and patrol the forest, then stopped concerning himself with matters here.

It was not until today, when they found this wild man, that Nord entered the mountains again. As Nord spoke with Ryman, it was unclear whether they had disturbed the wild man.

His brows drew together, and he coughed a few times before slowly opening his eyes. His gaze was full of confusion. He tried to sit up, but tugged at the wound on his chest, making him grimace in pain.

Nord and Ryman, seated nearby, also noticed the movement on the bed. The two exchanged a glance but did not speak first. Instead, they observed how the man reacted after waking.

The wild man gritted his teeth and barely managed to sit up. He looked around at his surroundings, then turned and saw the two men sitting nearby. Lowering his gaze to the bandaged wound on his chest, understanding flashed through his eyes, and he looked at Nord and Ryman with gratitude.

"Thank you for saving me. I am Harry of Distant Mountain Stronghold. Which stronghold are you from?"

Hearing that this wild man was from Distant Mountain Stronghold, Nord felt excited. He had searched everywhere in vain, only to find it without effort. At last, he had found him. It was time for his plan to develop the mountains to take its first step.

"This gentleman... Harry... Your name is Harry, right? I am Viscount Nord Isaac, lord of the Isaac Territory in the Amon Mountains."

Nord gave Harry another careful look. Sharp hair, bright eyes, and fashionable, all-natural wild animal fur clothing. He reluctantly accepted that Harry suited his name. Fortunately, his surname was not Potter.

Harry's eyes were filled with confusion. A viscount? A lord? Had he come beyond the mountains? When Harry was young, he had heard the elders of the stronghold say that the lands beyond the mountains were ruled by nobles. They had exquisite clothing, delicious food, sharp weapons, and more. As a child, Harry had longed for the outside world, but after growing up, he gradually understood that some things would not turn out as one wished.

"Have I come... beyond the mountains? How far is Distant Mountain Stronghold from here?"

"This is still within the mountains, but it is not far from the outside. I have never heard of Distant Mountain Stronghold, so I do not know how far away it is."

There was both delight and fear in Harry's eyes. He was delighted that he had fulfilled his childhood dream and come beyond the mountains. After growing up, Harry had searched more than once for a path leading out of the mountains, but every attempt had ended in failure. Gradually, he had given up hope. Yet this accident had unexpectedly fulfilled his dream. At the same time, Harry was afraid. He had somehow arrived in an unfamiliar place. After the delight came fear—fear of the unknown.

"You've never heard of Distant Mountain Stronghold? Then can I still return?"

The more Harry thought about it, the more agitated he became. Ignoring his injuries, he got out of bed and ran outside the cave.

Nord and Ryman hurried after him. They found Harry standing outside, one hand pressed against the wound on his chest, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.

Though the forest might look monotonous to outsiders, those who lived deep in the mountains understood that it could reveal much information. For instance, Harry could tell at a glance that he was likely very far from Distant Mountain Stronghold. The species of trees around him were all different. He had never seen such trees near his stronghold.

Seeing Harry like this, Nord could only comfort him first. After all, Harry was of utmost importance to whether Nord's strategy could succeed.

"Harry, heal your injuries first before thinking about anything else. I am also very interested in your stronghold. When the time comes, I will send people to search for Distant Mountain Stronghold with you. Think carefully about how you got here. You could not have traveled far while injured. Perhaps we can quickly find the way back."

Harry seemed unmoved by the earlier reassurances, his eyes staring blankly into the distance. But upon hearing the final two sentences, light gradually returned to his gaze.