Red Sour Fruit

In the silent mountain forest, Old Mor sat before the campfire, a nostalgic look and joyful smile on his face as he told everyone stories about the Black Mountain Cat and Distant Mountain Stronghold.

"So, if we encountered a Black Mountain Cat, then we weren't far from Distant Mountain Stronghold. In all my years in Tami Village, I never once saw any trace of a Black Mountain Cat. Distant Mountain Stronghold... I'm back."

By the end, Old Mor's voice had become very soft, as though he were muttering to himself. His eyes had lost focus as well, and no one knew what he was lamenting. Perhaps this was the timidity one felt on nearing home.

Ryman stared unblinkingly in the direction the Black Mountain Cat had gone, apparently deeply impressed by this creature he had never seen before. When Old Mor fell silent, he asked him gravely.

"Do you think it'll follow us?"

Hearing Ryman's question, Harry's expression changed. The smile froze on his face, and he answered with a twitch of his lips.

"Black... Black Mountain Cats hold grudges terribly. Whenever our stronghold encountered one, we'd shout loudly to scare it off..."

Old Mor gradually came back to himself. Hearing Ryman's question, his expression turned unpleasant. He picked up where Harry had left off and answered him.

"That beast is extremely vengeful. Once you hurt it, it'll follow you around and wait until you lower your guard before launching a sneak attack. People from the stronghold rarely provoke it, unless they don't plan to spend the night in the mountains."

"No wonder I had the feeling it was still nearby."

Old Mor and Ryman exchanged a glance, then nodded gravely. A bitter smile appeared on Old Mor's face.

"Looks like neither of us can rest tonight. If we only let them keep watch, the Black Mountain Cat might slip up on us."

"Then the two of us will take watch tonight. I'll lead the first half of the night, and you'll lead the second. We must protect Lord Nord's safety."

"No problem. Who would've thought that, right at our doorstep, we'd provoke this beast? The world is unpredictable."

Nord had been thinking about what to do next. By all rights, they were already close to Distant Mountain Stronghold, so they should push on and find it. But now that they had provoked the Black Mountain Cat, they likely would not have a peaceful night. If they failed to find Distant Mountain Stronghold within two or three days, the Black Mountain Cat might wear them down in the mountains.

After calculating things over, Nord made up his mind. His left hand stroked the one-handed Knight's Sword at his waist as he calmly looked at Old Mor and Harry, speaking in a tone that allowed no argument.

"Logically speaking, we should head back tomorrow. But since Distant Mountain Stronghold is nearby, there's no reason for us to give up halfway. However, since we've provoked the Black Mountain Cat, we won't be able to rest properly at night. So we'll search for another two days. Just two days! If we still can't find it after that, we'll return to rest and regroup, then come back another time."

Knowing that Lord Nord was mainly saying this for his benefit, Old Mor sighed and prepared to rest. He still had to get up for the second watch, so he needed to conserve his energy now. Hopefully, they would find Distant Mountain Stronghold tomorrow.

The night had grown deep, and the surrounding forest was utterly silent. Even the calls of wild beasts could no longer be heard. Yet as Ryman sat beside the campfire, he could sense that some creature was still watching them from the darkness, waiting for them to let down their guard.

The next day, Nord slowly opened his eyes. After more than half a month of sleeping rough, he had already adapted to using the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed. At first, he had been unable to sleep all night on the damp ground, but now he could fall asleep the moment he lay down.

Seeing Old Mor and Ryman sleeping beside him after just finishing their watch, Nord could not help moving more quietly. The next few days would be hard on the two of them, unless they could find Distant Mountain Stronghold quickly.

Would it really be that easy? Nord could not help missing the satellite navigation from his previous life. If he had that thing, he would probably already be at Distant Mountain Stronghold, eating meat by the mouthful and drinking liquor by the bowlful. Huh? It seemed this world did not even have alcohol. At least, Nord had never seen it in Beron City. He had never heard of beer, Baijiu, or Red Wine. Wouldn't that be another great business opportunity?

Nord got up early, breathing in the fresh air as he thought of ways to make a fortune and earn countless Gold Thalers every day. Then a bite of hard bread brought him back to reality.

Once he was a little more awake, Nord instructed the hunters who had not stood watch to pack their belongings carefully and not disturb the others' rest. Once they woke up, they could set off.

Before long, Ryman and the others woke one after another. After eating something simple, they set out once more in search of Distant Mountain Stronghold.

They had not gone far when Harry and Old Mor found a new clue.

Nord and the others stood beneath a fruit tree. Compared with the tall trees around it, this fruit tree seemed somewhat short, but its trunk was exceptionally thick. Its branches were laden with bright red fruit, some of which were crystal-clear and very beautiful. A few, however, had small holes in them, as if birds had pecked at them.

"Lord Nord, look. This is called Red Sour Fruit. It's full of juice and tastes a little sour. Some children from the stronghold like to eat it, but it doesn't fill you up."

"Is this also a fruit that only grows near Distant Mountain Stronghold?"

"Yes, Lord Nord. I've only seen it at Distant Mountain Stronghold. I don't know whether it grows elsewhere."

Old Mor introduced the fruit to Nord while Harry quickly climbed the fruit tree, picked several fruits, and brought them before Nord.

"Lord Nord, have a taste. Red Sour Fruit is my favorite. It's sweet and sour, and it tastes best at this time of year. It isn't as sour as it was a while ago. Every year when I go hunting, I bring some home for my child. The little one is four or five years old and keeps baring his teeth from the sourness, haha."

Nord picked up a fruit and examined it. As expected, it was crystal-clear and beautiful. It had a thin red skin, and after peeling it, the flesh inside was pale green and translucent. Nord found the flesh somewhat familiar.

He popped one into his mouth. It was indeed sweet and sour, with a flavor somewhat similar to grapes. Nord felt a complicated emotion rise within him. He had been fooled by the fruit's appearance. What Red Sour Fruit? This was just a giant grape! And it tasted even better than grapes. With Frost Season arriving, sugar had gradually accumulated within the fruit, making it sweeter and more delicious.

"Are there many of these fruit trees around Distant Mountain Stronghold?"

"There aren't many in Distant Mountain Stronghold itself, but there are quite a few in the nearby forests. It's mainly children who like eating this fruit, so I never paid much attention to it."

As Nord asked Harry about the fruit trees, Old Mor also picked up a fruit. Looking at the familiar fruit, nostalgia appeared on his face. He took a bite, and its sweetness reached his heart.

Nord looked beneath the fruit tree and saw several small saplings growing here and there. They had probably sprouted naturally after fallen fruit landed on the ground. That meant the trees would not be difficult to transplant. The mountain people might not think much of them, but people outside might see them differently. Never underestimate something just because it seems ordinary.