Map Expansion

After discussing some details with Harlen, Nord returned to Tami Village the next day. Old Mor, however, chose to stay behind. He wanted to spend more time at Distant Mountain Stronghold. Nord agreed to his request, not only because of Old Mor's personal reasons, but also because Old Mor's presence would be a great help to the Distant Mountain Stronghold's reform plan. After all, Old Mor had been outside the mountains for twenty years, and he could subtly influence some people's views on the outside world.

The mood of the group was different on their return journey. Although the team was two people smaller than when they set out, everyone was in high spirits. Firstly, Old Mor had finally found his home after twenty years; even though there had been some complaints about him before, everyone was happy for him at this moment. Secondly, the hunters were thrilled because of the plan Nord had mentioned earlier—finding Distant Mountain Stronghold was crucial for Tami Village's development. While the hunters didn't understand much about development plans, they were very happy to be able to help the village and Lord Nord.

On the way back, the hunters chatted and laughed. Cindy, nestled in Nord's arms, had recovered over the past two days; its body was no longer as thin as before, and its fur had become softer and shinier. Its jet-black fur glowed like gems. Seeing the joyous expressions of the group, the little creature seemed to be infected by it, leaping out of Nord's embrace.

It landed nimbly on the ground and joyfully ran around everyone's feet. Since the hunters all knew the little mountain cat was Lord Nord's pet, they were afraid of accidentally stepping on it, and they also harbored a certain fear of Black Mountain Cat.

Especially the hunter who had Black Mountain Cat sneak up on him that night—if Ryman hadn't acted decisively, he might have died under Black Mountain Cat's claws. Seeing the little cat hopping around his feet, he remembered the fear of being dominated by Black Mountain Cat that night. Instantly, the cheerful atmosphere turned tense, and everyone became cautious.

Cindy seemed to sense the change in atmosphere, looking up at everyone innocently, its crystal-clear eyes full of confusion, and letting out a soft "meow."

"Meow~"

It was as if it was asking, What are you all doing? Keep having fun!

Of course, the hunters didn't understand what Cindy was saying and instinctively moved away from it. Feeling the absence of a joyful atmosphere, Cindy seemed a bit dejected. It scurried over to Nord, then easily climbed up Nord's Heraldic Armor outer robe, which hung down to his ankles, and settled on his shoulder.

Nord reacted a moment later, surprised that Cindy had such a skill. He was a bit worried it would fall from his shoulder, so he slowed his pace and held out his right hand to steady it. But seeing Cindy squatting steadily on his shoulder, not swaying with his movements, Nord relaxed. It truly is a spirit of the jungle; even a one-month-old kitten has such excellent balance.

As Cindy squatted on his shoulder, looking left and right, Nord also adjusted his steps to walk more steadily. And inadvertently, Nord discovered that the System's map had expanded.

The fog covering the area north of Wild Boar Cave, South Boundary Mountain, and Distant Mountain Stronghold had dissipated. The terrain and features within this area were now clearly visible.

Nord pulled out his hand-drawn deerskin map from his embrace and compared it with the System's precise map. Looking at the crooked lines on the deerskin map, it did bear some resemblance to the actual map. Nord felt a sense of relief, thinking he hadn't completely failed his P.E. teacher after all.

Estimating from the map, South Boundary Mountain was about seventy to eighty kilometers from Wild Boar Cave, and from South Boundary Mountain to Distant Mountain Stronghold was another twenty to thirty li. Adding in the mountain travel, the fastest route from Distant Mountain Stronghold to Wild Boar Cave would still take at least two days.

Before he could figure out why the map had expanded, Nord realized that a long-stalled daily quest had been completed yesterday.

[Daily Quest: Find the Stronghold]

[Quest Description: Many strongholds are hidden within the Amon Mountains, but due to the obstruction of the great mountains, you cannot easily find them. This not only tests your patience and persistence, but luck is also very important. Hurry and go search; you will unveil the mysterious veil of the Amon Mountains.]

[Quest Reward: EXP x500, Linen Fabric x100, Gold Thaler x100]

[Quest completed, rewards issued.]

Nord had almost forgotten about this quest. When he received it over half a month ago, Nord was a bit conflicted. The rewards were indeed generous, but the difficulty of the quest was also high, and he didn't know when it would be completed. Moreover, if the time spent on this quest were used to complete other simpler quests, the rewards would certainly be much more. Nord was clear-headed about this calculation.

However, the System didn't give Nord the option to choose; once it was given, it had to be completed, otherwise there would be no next quest. So, for a long time, Nord had put this quest out of his mind. If he hadn't just noticed the map update, Nord wouldn't have realized the quest was completed.

Since the rewards were in hand, Nord didn't plan to dwell on it too much. It was all in the past, and getting the rewards was good news. With a joyful heart, Nord couldn't wait to return to Tami Village. He wondered how his Manor renovation was coming along. He was still on the road, but Nord's heart had already flown back to Tami Village, to his "big villa."

Two evenings later, the group finally returned to Wild Boar Cave. The outpost hadn't changed, but the staff remaining there were pleasantly surprised by Nord's sudden return.

Since Nord had dispatched a portion of the guard team to search for Distant Mountain Stronghold with him, the outpost was currently understaffed, with only two hunters left to stand guard each night.

In the lonely cave, two people sat facing the bonfire in solitude. Outside the cave, it was pitch black, with occasional wolf howls, creating considerable psychological pressure on the hunters.

With Nord and the others returning, the cave suddenly became lively. The hunters eagerly shared the good news of finding Distant Mountain Stronghold and their journey experiences with their companions.

Nord, holding a curious Cindy, sat in front of the bonfire, listening to the hunters boast to each other. He didn't join their discussion, just quietly watched their boisterous chatter.

Although the hunters were uneducated and lacked descriptive words, and sometimes their speech was disjointed, it didn't stop others from listening with great interest. Occasionally, other hunters would add a remark. Nord couldn't help but sigh, Simple people living simple lives find happiness more easily. Sometimes, the more one knows, the harder it is to experience the taste of joy.

Lately, every night, Nord felt a sense of melancholy, though he didn't know where it came from. Looking at the bright moonlight streaming through the cave entrance, Nord shook his head, no longer dwelling on it. No matter what, things had been good lately, and he should try to be happy.

Looking down, Cindy was intently watching the hunters chatting lively by the bonfire, as if it could understand them. Its small ears twitched occasionally, making it very cute.

Nord ignored them, set Cindy down, and quietly went to his bed to rest. He was quite tired from the two days of travel. Soon after lying down, Nord fell asleep. In a state between sleep and wakefulness, Nord felt something jump onto him.

My apologies to everyone, I didn't realize there were so many typos before. I'm working hard to reread the previous chapters carefully. If you spot any, please feel free to mark them for me. I'm prone to missing things on my own, so thank you all for your support.