Black Mountain Cat

Dawn broke over Wild Boar Cave.

Nord had slept deeply; he'd been up late the night before studying maps and had made significant progress, leaving him feeling invigorated and unable to fall asleep right away. He'd been imagining what his strategy for developing the mountain would look like, all the while listening to Ryman's earth-shattering snores. Nord wasn't sure when he'd finally drifted off, but when he woke up, he was the only one left in the cave.

He opened his eyes to see rocks hanging like daggers from the cave ceiling, startling him awake. All sleepiness vanished as he quickly got out of bed. How had I not noticed this before? It's terrifying! Standing up, he realized the ceiling rocks were actually very sturdy; they just looked dangerous when he was lying down. He made a mental note to order someone to remove them later. Who could stand waking up to that every day? It's not like I'm King Goujian of Yue, constantly enduring hardship to strengthen myself.

Stepping out of the cave, Nord saw that the hunters had already finished their training and were busy with other tasks, like fetching water. Many people would be staying at Wild Boar Cave for the next few days, so they needed to prepare a lot of supplies. Fetching water, for example, required going to the small river west of Wild Boar Cave and filling the large wooden barrels at the Stronghold for everyone's use.

Nord, who had woken up late, began his day's training without a hint of embarrassment. By the time he finished, he saw Ryman and two others returning from the Stronghold entrance, carrying several wild chickens and rabbits.

"Lord Nord, you're awake! We just went out for a bit. We had good luck today and caught some small game. We'll treat you to it soon."

"You've returned at just the right time. I made a deduction yesterday; I'll tell you about it in a moment."

Eating the roasted rabbit meat in his hand, Nord couldn't help but grumble inwardly. It really isn't as good as Abel's cooking. Seeing Old Mor and Harry's expectant eyes, Nord still told them about his deduction from the previous night.

"Really, Lord Nord? How confident are you? Let's start now!"

As soon as Nord finished speaking, Harry became impatient. Though Harry was nearly thirty, he was as eager as a teenager. Whether it was due to his isolated upbringing or personal reasons, Ryman, who was a few years older than him, seemed exceptionally calm in comparison.

Old Mor, despite his own eagerness, shot Harry a look, signaling him to finish eating first.

"Lord Nord, Harry grew up deep in the mountains and doesn't understand etiquette. Please don't take it to heart."

Nord quickly finished his rabbit meat, not taking Harry's offense to heart. Nord wasn't an arrogant noble of this era who believed himself inherently superior. Besides, Harry hadn't meant to offend, and Old Mor had already chastised him. Nord decided to go along with it and play the good cop.

"It's fine. Harry is just eager, it's not a serious mistake. But if it were another noble, they might have already cut out your tongue."

Nord then gave Harry a scare. Harry indeed jumped, his face paling, and he instinctively covered his mouth. Nord had just said it casually, but Ryman and Old Mor knew that offending a noble was very serious. Viscount Ollie Crison had certainly inflicted much torture on commoners who offended him.

Old Mor then sternly lectured Harry, and after Ryman had arranged the Stronghold's affairs, Nord and the others set off again.

For the next half month, Nord spent every day in the mountains. He explored the forest during the day and summarized his findings at night. As they delved deeper, the time spent on each trip grew longer.

Now, each outing took two or three days because they needed to prepare food and water. Nord and his group couldn't stay in the mountains indefinitely; they had to return to Wild Boar Cave for supplies and to rest their minds. The latter was especially important.

Staying in the mountains for extended periods, with the unchanging environment and the daily fruitless efforts, could shackle everyone's minds. Nord understood this well. So, Nord's daily work included comforting everyone, summarizing the day's gains, and thoroughly learning from past experiences to ensure no one lost confidence or hope.

This time, Nord and his group had been in the mountains for three days, not because they hadn't returned, but because they had entered deep into the mountains, and the previous journey alone had taken two days.

There were no proper paths in the forest, so every step was arduous. They had to hack through thorns and climb over mountains. Walking twenty to thirty kilometers a day was already an excellent achievement.

However, it wasn't without rewards. After over half a month of effort, the map on the deerskin had extended significantly north from Wild Boar Cave. The routes they traversed repeatedly were also becoming familiar, banishing the fear of being in an unknown forest and bringing a sense of security.

This time, their pathfinding journey into the mountains took them exceptionally far. Adding to the previous three days of travel, Ryman decided to find a place to spend the night before dark. So, everyone skillfully built a campfire, chopped wood, and boiled water, their efficiency almost painful to witness.

After dark, everyone sat around the campfire. Even though Nord tried to boost their morale daily, the atmosphere was inevitably somewhat low, especially after nightfall, when people's hearts become more vulnerable, just like some might cry from loneliness at night.

Nord took a bite of roasted yam and drank the wild vegetable soup, beginning his usual routine of boosting morale and daily summary.

"As of today, we have come very far, and I believe Distant Mountain Stronghold might be close at hand. There's a saying in my hometown, 'One who walks a hundred li is only halfway at ninety li,' meaning…"

"Watch out!"

Ryman, who had been listening to Nord, suddenly roared, snatched a half-burnt log from the campfire, and hurled it into the darkness.

Nord and the others were startled by Ryman and followed his gaze into the direction he pointed.

The burning log arced through the air, and from the darkness came a high-pitched shriek.

"Meow~woo~"

Everyone fixed their eyes on it. A black shadow flashed by. In the dark forest, a pair of emerald green eyes stared at them. In a blink, they vanished back into the darkness.

"Black Mountain Cat!"

"It's a Black Mountain Cat!"

Old Mor and Harry exclaimed in unison. After speaking, they exchanged glances, and then both smiled. Nord and the others felt a little confused. Was the Black Mountain Cat the animal in the darkness just now? What's there to be happy about?

"What kind of animal is a Black Mountain Cat? I've never seen one in the mountains. It moves so silently, I almost didn't notice it."

Ryman looked puzzled. In all his years in the mountains, he had never ventured this deep. This was Ryman's first time seeing such an animal, and Old Mor's smile hadn't faded yet.

"That thing is called a Black Mountain Cat. I haven't seen one in over twenty years. These animals come out every night, silently hunting prey. They especially love the light of fire at night. When Distant Mountain Stronghold had fewer people, they didn't dare show any fire at night, fearing a Black Mountain Cat might sneak into their homes. The adults in the stronghold used to scare children with Black Mountain Cats, saying that disobedient kids would be eaten by them at night!"

Nord also smiled with joy, understanding Old Mor's unspoken meaning.

"You mean…"

Thank you all for your recommendation votes and collections! Also, thanks to the readers for their suggestions regarding character dialogue and actions, troop combat power, territory construction panels, and incorporating the strengths of similar novels. These suggestions are very helpful, and I've taken them to heart. I will gradually improve things in the future. I hope everyone will continue to communicate and support me. Thank you!