Recognition

Amon Mountains, Wild Boar Cave.

Still seated on the bed where he had first arrived, Harry had finally calmed down. He looked up at Nord and slowly began to speak.

"Every year around this time, the stronghold takes the initiative to go hunting because there isn't enough food to last through the winter. The stronghold mainly lives off wild fruit gathered from the mountains and forests. At other times, there are endless wild fruits in the forest. Behind our stronghold is an orchard, where the fruit trees bear huge, sweet, delicious fruit."

Harry licked his lips as though savoring the taste of the fruit, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"But when the frost and cold seasons came, there was no more wild fruit to fill our stomachs. We could only hunt desperately and store up large amounts of food. While hunting, I chased my prey too far and accidentally entered a giant bear's territory. By the time I realized it, it was already too late."

Even now, a trace of fear showed on Harry's face, and his voice began to tremble.

"It... it was enraged by my intrusion. I could only run, run for my life, hoping to escape the furious giant bear. Everyone who lived deep in the mountains understood that no animal could confront a giant bear that stood four meters tall and weighed a thousand kilograms."

Ryman nodded in agreement. Although he had once hunted a giant bear, that bear had only just reached adulthood. After catching food, it had relaxed somewhat, allowing Ryman to seize an opportunity for a sneak attack and shoot an arrow through its eye. Even so, Ryman had still needed to avoid its charge and slowly wear it down until it died.

"In the end, I still couldn't escape. The giant bear caught up to me, and I had no choice but to face it. If I kept running, I would surely die. Only when I truly stood before it did I understand how overconfident I had been. It sent me flying with a single swipe of its paw. When I woke up, the giant bear had already vanished."

"When I stood up, my whole body felt like it had fallen apart. The damp ground beneath me saved my life. If I had crashed into a tree, I probably would have died on the spot. I didn't know why the giant bear hadn't eaten me, but while fleeing in panic, I had lost my sense of direction."

"I treated my wounds as best I could, chose a direction, and walked. Whenever I found something edible, I ate it. I had no idea how long I wandered in a daze—one day or two? I couldn't remember. When I woke up, I was here."

Nord and Ryman looked at each other. So he truly did not know the way. Still, there was good news: Distant Mountain Stronghold should not be too far from here. If they could find its exact location, it should only be a day or two away. But in the boundless mountains, finding a stronghold was easier said than done.

Just as Nord and the other two were at a loss, Old Mor entered the cave. After greeting Nord, he stared closely at Harry, while Harry stared back at him.

Nord also noticed that something was strange about the two men. Puzzled, he asked Old Mor,

"Old Mor, this is Harry from Distant Mountain Stronghold. Is there something wrong?"

Before Old Mor could react, Harry spoke in surprise.

"Uncle Mor, you're Uncle Mor! So you're not dead! How did you end up here?"

Emotion stirred on Old Mor's weathered face, and ripples rose in his calm eyes.

"You're Harry? Little Harry from Old Hall's family next door!"

Watching the two recognize each other, Nord felt both relieved and annoyed. He was relieved that their meeting here was fate; Nord certainly understood the meaning of meeting an old friend in a foreign place. But he was annoyed that Old Mor had kept this from him despite knowing how much he cared about the stronghold.

Seeing Nord's displeasure, Old Mor gave a bitter smile and explained,

"I really am from Distant Mountain Stronghold, but I can no longer find the way back."

"Twenty years ago, I went hunting alone and accidentally lost my way. I was still young then, and I panicked when that happened. I wandered through the forest like a headless fly. Later, I met Village Chief Colin. After he brought me to Tami Village, I realized I had already come out of the mountains."

"After that, I also searched for the way back. I searched for five years. Once, I even threw caution to the wind and wandered everywhere in the forest, hoping to find the way back just as I had found my way out. But after seven days and seven nights, I nearly died in the forest, only to end up back in Tami Village. From then on, I gave up. I had no family left in Distant Mountain Stronghold anyway, so I stayed in Tami Village and made a life there. I never told anyone about my origins until today."

After hearing Old Mor's account, Nord was at a loss for words. Distant Mountain Stronghold seemed so close, yet they could not find it, leaving him rather frustrated. At that moment, the silent Ryman suddenly spoke.

"Actually, a few years ago, I think I rescued someone who claimed to be from Distant Mountain Stronghold. But I didn't pay much attention at the time, so I never mentioned it to anyone. Later, I forgot about it."

Ryman's words filled Nord with delight, while surprise and excitement appeared on Old Mor and Harry's faces.

"What happened after that? Where is the person you saved? Why haven't I seen him?"

Old Mor excitedly grabbed Ryman by the shoulders. Even a weathered man like Old Mor could not hide his excitement. Harry stared straight at Ryman without even blinking.

"Afterward, he went back. His injuries weren't serious, and I invited him to rest in our village, but he seemed a little afraid of me and went back alone. I didn't force him to stay. Oh, what was his name... Benny. His name was Benny."

"Really? Was it really Benny? The Benny with small eyes and a slight stutter?"

Harry was so happy that he nearly jumped up. Even though it pulled at the wound on his chest, he still smiled as he excitedly questioned Ryman.

"Yes, that's right. He did stutter a little. It was him."

"Haha, I went hunting with him. We just got separated afterward. When I get back, I'll definitely give him a good scolding. He knew how much I wanted to see the outside of the mountains, yet he didn't tell me something this important."

Harry laughed a few times, his expression relaxing as he teased Benny. Old Mor had calmed down by then and lowered his head, lost in thought. Nord was pleased. This news once again proved that Distant Mountain Stronghold might be nearby. Yet such a short distance, which in his previous life could be crossed with a press of the accelerator, might in this era and this environment be like the distance between heaven and earth—a gap impossible to cross in a lifetime, just like it had been for Old Mor.

"Ryman, do you remember where you rescued him?"

"It was quite far away. That was a very deep area, more than half a day from here. I'll need to search again to find the exact location."

Nord nodded. Since they had come this far, they had to find Distant Mountain Stronghold no matter what. Starting tomorrow, he would temporarily call back Ryman's and Old Mor's two teams. Marco could remain with the newcomers, while the other two focused entirely on finding Distant Mountain Stronghold.

All four of them were brimming with confidence, as if finding Distant Mountain Stronghold would be easy. For a time, the entire cave fell silent, and no one knew what the others were thinking.

Thanks to readers 20191025122816310, Jin Jun, and Caesar Lodel for their rewards, and thanks as well to everyone else for their recommendation votes and bookmarks. If you truly like this book, please help spread the word. It is really important to me. I'm begging you all—may good people live peaceful lives.