Black Mountain Cat

Early morning, Wild Boar Cave.

Nord slept deeply. He had studied the map until late last night and gained quite a bit from it, leaving him excited and unable to fall asleep for some time. He imagined what his strategy for developing the mountains would look like, with Ryman's earth-shaking snores ringing in his ears. He did not know when he had finally fallen asleep. When he woke up, he was the only one left in the cave.

Opening his eyes, he saw jagged rocks hanging from the cave ceiling like downward-pointing swords. The sight gave Nord such a fright that all drowsiness vanished. He hurriedly got out of bed. How had he not noticed them before? They were terrifying. Once he stood up, he realized the rocks overhead were actually very solid; they only looked dangerous when he was lying down. He resolved to have someone remove them later. Who could stand waking up to that sight every day? He was not King Goujian of Yue, sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall every day to steel his resolve.

When he stepped outside, the hunters had already finished training and were busy with other tasks, such as fetching water. Quite a few people would be stationed at Wild Boar Cave over the next few days, so they truly needed to prepare plenty of supplies. For water alone, they had to go to the small river west of Wild Boar Cave, then fill the large wooden barrels at the Wild Boar Cave outpost for everyone's use.

Having risen far too late, Nord began his daily training without the slightest embarrassment. By the time he finished, he saw Ryman and the other two returning through the outpost gate, carrying several pheasants and rabbits.

"Lord Nord, you're up. We went out for a stroll and got lucky today—we caught a few small game animals. We'll treat you in a bit."

"You came back at just the right time. I came to a few conclusions yesterday. I'll tell you about them later."

As he ate the roasted rabbit in his hand, Nord could not help grumbling inwardly. Abel's cooking really was far superior. Seeing the expectant looks in Old Mor and Harry's eyes, he told them about his conclusions from last night.

"Really, Lord Nord? How certain are you? Let's start right away."

The moment Nord finished speaking, Harry grew impatient. Though he was nearly thirty, he was still as restless as a teenager. Whether it was because he had lived cut off from the world or simply his nature, Ryman, who was a few years older, seemed exceptionally composed by comparison.

Old Mor was just as anxious inside, but he shot Harry a glare, signaling for him to finish eating first.

"Lord Nord, Harry grew up deep in the mountains and does not understand etiquette. Please do not take it to heart."

Nord quickly finished the rabbit in his hand and did not take Harry's offense to heart. He was not one of this era's arrogant nobles who believed themselves born superior to others. Besides, Harry had not meant to offend him, and Old Mor had already reprimanded him. Nord simply went along with it and played the kind one.

"It's all right. Harry is only anxious, and it isn't a serious mistake. But if it had been some other noble, they might have already cut out your tongue."

Nord gave Harry one last scare. Sure enough, Harry jumped, his face turning pale as he instinctively covered his mouth. Nord had only said it casually, but Ryman and Old Mor knew that offending a noble was a grave matter. Viscount Ollie Crison had tortured quite a few commoners who offended him.

Old Mor sternly lectured Harry nearby. Once Ryman had arranged the outpost's affairs, Nord and the others set off again.

For the next half month or so, Nord spent every day in the forest. During the day, he explored the woods; at night, he returned to review their findings. As they pushed deeper and deeper, the time required grew longer and longer.

Now, a single trip took two or three days. Since they had to prepare food and drinking water, Nord and the others could not remain in the forest indefinitely. They had to return to Wild Boar Cave for supplies and to ease their minds, especially the latter.

Staying in the forest for too long, surrounded by an unchanging environment and daily fruitless efforts, would place shackles on everyone's minds. Nord understood this all too well. So part of his daily work was comforting everyone, reviewing each day's findings, and fully learning from previous experience and mistakes. He could not let them lose confidence or hope.

This time, Nord and the others had already been in the forest for three days. It was not that they had not gone back; they had entered the depths of the mountains now, and the journey here 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 brambles while climbing mountains and crossing ridges. Covering twenty or thirty kilometers a day was already quite good.

But their efforts had not been without gains. After more than half a month of work, the map on the animal hide had extended far north from Wild Boar Cave. They had also gradually become familiar with the routes they had traveled back and forth. The fear of being in unfamiliar woods had faded, and they felt more at ease.

This search for a route took them particularly far. Including the road they had covered before, they had already walked for three days. Before night fell, Ryman decided to find a place to spend the night. Everyone skillfully built a campfire—some chopped wood, others boiled water—with a proficiency painful to behold.

After dark, everyone sat around the campfire. Even though Nord gave them encouraging speeches every day, the mood was still inevitably somewhat low. Especially after night fell, people's hearts became more vulnerable, just as some people cried at night because of loneliness.

Nord took a bite of roasted yam and drank soup made from wild vegetables, beginning his routine task of steadying morale and summarizing the day.

"As of today, we've come very far. I believe Distant Mountain Stronghold may be close at hand. There's a saying in my hometown: when one has traveled a hundred miles, ninety miles is only halfway. It means—"

"Watch out!"

Ryman, who had been listening beside Nord, suddenly roared. He grabbed a half-burned log from the fire and hurled it into the darkness.

Nord and the others were startled by Ryman and all looked in the direction he indicated.

The burning stick traced a brilliant arc through the air. Then a piercing howl came from the darkness.

"Meow—ow—"

Everyone focused their eyes and saw a pitch-black shadow flash past. In the dark forest, a pair of emerald-green eyes stared at them. In the blink of an eye, they vanished back into the darkness.

"Black Mountain Cat!"

"It's a Black Mountain Cat!"

Old Mor and Harry spoke in unison. Afterward, they looked at each other, and smiles appeared on both their faces at the same time. Nord and the others were confused. Was the Black Mountain Cat the animal in the darkness just now? What was there to be happy about?

"What kind of animal is a Black Mountain Cat? Why have I never seen one in the forest? It moved without making a sound. I almost failed to notice it."

Confusion appeared on Ryman's face. In all his years in the forest, he had never come this deep into the mountains. This was his first time seeing such an animal, while the smile on Old Mor's face had yet to fade.

"That thing is called a Black Mountain Cat. I haven't seen one in over twenty years either. These animals come out every night and silently hunt their prey. They are especially fond of firelight in the dark. Back when Distant Mountain Stronghold had few people, no one dared show any firelight at night, afraid a Black Mountain Cat would sneak into their homes. The adults in the stronghold used Black Mountain Cats to frighten children, saying that disobedient children would be eaten by them at night!"

A delighted smile appeared on Nord's face as well. He understood Old Mor's unspoken meaning.

"You mean..."

Thank you all for your recommendation votes, bookmarks, and suggestions. The advice from readers about the characters' dialogue and behavior, Troop Type combat strength, the Territory Construction Panel, and adopting the strengths of similar novels has all been very useful. I have taken it all to heart and will gradually improve in the future. I hope everyone will continue sharing and supporting. Many thanks!