Distant Mountain Stronghold

Inside the dim cave, orange flames flickered. The cave was incredibly quiet, with only the crackling of burning tung oil wood and the echoing footsteps of Nord and his companions.

Having not been there for several days, the cave had been furnished with some new items. A wooden table and chairs were all there, and even the bonfire area was simply encircled with stones by everyone.

By the dim light of the flames, Nord carefully observed the mountain dweller lying on the bed. His hair was dishevelled and dirty, and his pale complexion could not be concealed by his grimy face. Fortunately, his breathing was stable, and from his robust physique, it was clear he was strong and healthy.

The wound was on his chest. According to Marco's description, the shape of the wound suggested it was caused by the claw print of a ferocious animal, most likely an Amon Giant Bear. However, it was incredible that this person was still alive. When Ryman and the others found him, he had already lost too much blood and was unconscious, and there were no traces of a giant bear in the vicinity.

The man's clothing was entirely made from animal furs, strongly resembling the attire of wildmen in movies Nord had seen in his previous life. Even impoverished Tami Village had merchants arrive annually, and while their clothes might be ragged, they were clearly woven linen. Just by looking at his attire, one could see the signs of isolation from the world.

"How long has this person been unconscious?"

"We don't know exactly how long. It's been about four or five hours since we found him. He lost too much blood and was also hungry, which is why he's unconscious. Luckily, we bandaged his wound and fed him some wheat porridge, so his condition stabilized. It's mainly because he has a strong constitution; he should wake up soon."

Nord nodded and turned to look at the nascent stronghold, smiling as he spoke to Ryman:

"It's changed a lot since I was last here a few days ago."

"Lord Nord, you haven't been here for a week. Every day, besides training and patrolling the forest, we spend our free time improving this stronghold. We never thought about it before, but now it seems having this stronghold makes hunting much easier. We're not afraid of spending the night in the forest anymore. The brothers really like it here; they work harder than they train. They've made this their second home."

"It's good that you like it. Is everything alright in the nearby forest?"

Ryman scratched his head, thinking back carefully over the past few days. He realized he had been completely focused on renovating the stronghold and smiled awkwardly.

"We've been busy renovating the stronghold these past two days. We just patrol within ten li of the Wild Boar Cave every day and then come back. We haven't encountered anything unusual, and we've only caught two or three prey. Until today, when we found this person."

Nord wasn't surprised by Ryman's answer. Before, Nord himself had enthusiastically patrolled every part of the forest, only to discover that this area was indeed monotonous, with not many wild beasts. Encountering a large group of wild boars on the first day was indeed a stroke of luck.

Moreover, Nord also found that even when he reached the System's map boundary, the fog covering the map wouldn't dissipate. This bothered Nord a bit; it seemed he would need to find other ways to expand the map.

After exploring all the areas displayed on the map, Nord didn't instruct the guard's hunters to investigate the unknown territories. Since he couldn't reveal more of the map anyway, there was no need to waste manpower. So, Nord arranged for Ryman and two others to train the newcomers and patrol the forest, leaving this area to them.

It wasn't until today, after discovering this wildman, that Nord entered the mountains again. As Nord was talking with Ryman, perhaps he disturbed the wildman.

The wildman frowned tightly, coughed a few times, and slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was filled with confusion. He tried to sit up but pulled at the wound on his chest, grimacing in pain.

Nord and Ryman, sitting nearby, also noticed the situation on the bed. They exchanged glances but didn't speak, choosing instead to observe the man's reaction after waking up.

The wildman gritted his teeth and managed to sit up, surveying his surroundings. He turned and saw the two men sitting nearby, then looked down at the bandaged wound on his chest. A flicker of understanding passed through his eyes, and he looked at Nord and the other with gratitude.

"Thank you for saving me. I'm Harry from Distant Mountain Stronghold. May I ask which stronghold you're from?"

Hearing that the wildman was from Distant Mountain Stronghold, Nord's heart stirred with excitement. I've searched high and low, but it turns out I didn't need to look far at all. I've finally found you! It's time to take the first step in the plan to develop the mountains.

"This wild... Harry... your name is Harry, right? I am Nord Isaac, Viscount and Lord of Isaac Territory in the Amon Mountains."

Nord took another careful look at Harry. His sharp hairstyle, bright eyes, and fashionable, natural wild animal fur clothing made Nord grudgingly accept his name, Harry. Luckily, his last name isn't Potter.

Harry's eyes were filled with confusion. Viscount? Lord? Did I come out of the mountains? When Harry was a child, he heard the elders in his stronghold say that outside the mountains, everything was ruled by nobles. They had exquisite clothes, delicious food, sharp weapons, and so on. As a child, Harry longed for the outside world, but as he grew up, he gradually understood that some things don't go as you wish.

"Did I... come out of the mountains? How far is it from here to Distant Mountain Stronghold?"

"You're still in the mountains, but it's not far from outside the mountains anymore. I've never heard of Distant Mountain Stronghold, so I don't know how far it is."

Harry's eyes held both surprise and fear. Surprise that his childhood dream had come true, that he had come out of the mountains. As he grew up, Harry had searched for a way out of the mountains more than once, but each time he returned empty-handed, gradually giving up hope. He never expected this accident to fulfill his dream. Harry also felt some fear in his heart, having stumbled into this unfamiliar place. The surprise was followed by fear—fear of the unknown.

"You haven't heard of Distant Mountain Stronghold? Can I still go back?"

As Harry thought, his expression became agitated. Ignoring his wounds, he jumped off the bed and ran out of the cave.

Nord and the other man quickly followed, finding Harry standing outside the cave, holding his chest wound, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.

Although the forest might appear monotonous to outsiders, those who lived deep in the mountains understood that the forest conveyed a lot of information. For instance, Harry could tell at a glance that he was probably a great distance from Distant Mountain Stronghold. The types of trees around were different; he had never seen such trees near his stronghold.

Seeing Harry in this state, Nord could only try to comfort him. After all, Harry was crucial to the success of Nord's strategic plans.

"Harry, first, let your injuries heal, then consider other matters. I'm also very interested in your stronghold. When you're ready, I'll send people with you to find Distant Mountain Stronghold. Think carefully about how you got here. With your injuries, you couldn't have traveled far, so you might find your way back soon."

Harry was somewhat unresponsive to the initial comfort, staring blankly into the distance. But upon hearing the last two sentences, a spark gradually returned to Harry's eyes.