Hunting

Chapter 32: Hunting (4.5K! Please follow up!)

"Hunter?"

Roland wasn't surprised that learning Basic Archery could awaken a new profession.

He merely let his gaze linger on the last line of text, his brow gradually furrowing.

"Two survival skills."

"What exactly do these survival skills entail?"

"Is it making fire by friction? Purifying water? Or identifying edible things in the wild?"

Countless possibilities flashed through his mind.

Roland looked up at the sky, which had already completely darkened. He finally shook his head gently, temporarily suppressing his chaotic thoughts.

"Forget it, I'll verify these things tomorrow."

He stretched his sore arms from practicing for a long time, carefully gathered the arrows scattered around the target, and then left the training ground.

A night breeze brushed past the manor's path. Roland suddenly remembered the information John had revealed last night.

"Right, I need to go ask Mister Bronson if he knows about the strange things happening in the Black Fir Forest."

Following his memory, Roland soon arrived at the secluded wooden cabin.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The crisp knocking sound was particularly jarring in the quiet night.

The wait was longer than expected.

When the wooden door finally groaned open, Bronson's haggard face appeared in the gap.

His eye sockets were sunken, but his eyes gleamed with an unusual light, and he exuded a sickly vitality.

"It's you, Roland."

Bronson's voice was accompanied by heavy panting.

"I remember our agreed research assistance time is in five days..."

Roland replied with a hint of apology.

"I'm truly sorry to disturb you, Mister Bronson. I just have some questions I'd like to ask..."

As he spoke, Roland suddenly sensed a familiar feeling coming from behind the wooden door.

It was the unique sensation he first felt when he awakened the Blacksmith profession and obtained the [Heart of the Furnace] trait, the first time he sensed flame.

At this moment, he could clearly perceive a fire source in Bronson's room emitting restless and agitated emotional fluctuations.

"I'm truly sorry."

Bronson's lips twitched slightly as he forced a smile.

"I'm afraid it's not convenient today, because I am currently..."

He glanced back into the room hastily, then turned back, speaking faster.

"Conducting an important research."

"How about in five days? When you come to assist me, I'll answer all your questions then, okay?"

Sensing Bronson's increasing anxiety, Roland could only nod gently.

"Okay, Mister Bronson, then I'll..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Bronson had already waved his hand and decisively closed the door.

"Cough, cough."

The force with which the door was slammed shut dislodged some dust, causing Roland to cover his mouth and cough lightly.

He stood there, recalling the unusually violent flame fluctuations he had sensed earlier, his brow furrowing slightly.

"What exactly is Mister Bronson researching?"

With a mind full of questions, Roland turned and slowly walked back towards the dormitory.

"Judging by the situation, I can only visit again in five days."

Back in his dormitory, Roland washed up briefly and then buried himself in the soft bedding.

Fatigue washed over him, and he fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, Roland was awakened by the sound of hurried hoofbeats.

He had just rubbed the sleep from his eyes when he heard a familiar voice calling from outside the door.

"Roland! Are you awake?"

"This noble young master truly has boundless energy."

Roland shook his head helplessly, tidied up his belongings, and then pushed open the door.

The morning light gently spilled onto the open space.

Darko stood before the gate with two fully armed guards, leading four fine horses.

The young noble was dressed in a snug hunting outfit, a dark green cloak draped over his shoulders. A jeweled dagger hung at his waist, and in his hands, he held two exquisitely crafted shortbows that glinted coldly in the sunlight.

"Yo! Roland!"

Darko greeted Roland enthusiastically as soon as he saw him, slinging an arm around his shoulders and steering him toward the horses.

"You're finally up! How is it, can you ride?"

Roland nodded hesitantly.

"I think I know a little."

"Perfect!"

Darko clapped his hands excitedly, pointing to a docile brown mare.

"I picked this one out especially for you. Not only is she gentle, but she's also quite steady when she runs. Give her a try!"

Although Roland had never ridden a horse since his transmigration, the original owner of this body had been a stable boy and possessed basic equestrian skills.

They weren't masterful, but they were passable.

"Alright, Young Master Darko."

After speaking, Roland followed the original body's memories and gently placed his hands on the horse's neck.

The brown mare snorted and lowered its head obediently, easing his tense nerves slightly.

"Relax, just like this."

Darko demonstrated how to mount the horse from his own saddle.

Roland closed his eyes, and the original body's memories flooded back like a tide.

The rough feel of the reins, the scent of saddle leather, the rhythm of his body swaying with the horse's movements.

He suddenly opened his eyes, placed his left foot in the stirrup, and gracefully swung his right leg over the horse's back. The entire action was seamless.

"Beautiful!"

Darko applauded loudly.

"You're more skilled than I imagined!"

Roland, however, on horseback, had no time to respond.

He was fully focused on adapting to this long-lost sensation.

His legs instinctively tightened around the horse's belly, and his hands adjusted the reins' tension.

The horse seemed to sense its rider's inexperience and took a few uneasy steps in place.

"Relax your knees."

Darko rode his horse closer.

"Let your body sway with its rhythm, like... yes, like a piece of driftwood in the water!"

Sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled shadows on the horse's back.

Riding skills from memory and actually controlling a horse were, after all, two different things.

Roland spent a long time adapting before he finally regained that subtle sense of balance.

Although his movements were still awkward, he could finally ride forward.

"Well done, Roland!"

Darko let out a loud whistle and waved his whip forward.

"Keep up with me, I'll take you to a wonderful place!"

He deliberately slowed his pace so that Roland, the beginner, could keep up comfortably.

The horses' hooves trod on the gravel path of the manor, making crisp sounds as the group gradually moved away from the estate walls.

"Young Master Darko."

Roland gripped the reins tightly, struggling to maintain his balance.

"Where are we going?"

"Hunting!"

Darko's voice was filled with irrepressible excitement. As he turned back, the sunlight caught his flying golden hair.

Roland breathed a sigh of relief at the news.

After all, Darko's fervent passion for hunting was already well-known throughout the manor.

It seems this young noble simply wants to get closer to me.

Roland mused inwardly before turning his attention back to controlling the horse beneath him.

In the Golden Valley Kingdom, even the cheapest mule was worth a considerable sum, let alone a well-trained warhorse.

Being able to practice riding for free at this moment was like a windfall from heaven.

Darko occasionally looked back, sharing interesting hunting stories, while Roland was multitasking, responding to the young master's enthusiasm while diligently practicing his riding skills.

The two guards remained silent, their vigilant gazes constantly scanning the bushes on both sides of the road.

The group left the manor and proceeded along the path to the north.

Before long, a lush, dense forest appeared before them.

"You two wait here."

Darko dismounted with agility and ordered the two guards behind him.

"Watch the horses. If anything goes wrong, I'm sure you know what the consequences will be."

"But Young Master."

One of the guards hesitated, pursing his lips, before finally stepping forward.

"The Baron ordered that..."

"I said."

Darko suddenly turned around, the warmth he had shown while talking to Roland completely gone.

His voice was now as cold and hard as iron, his eyes devoid of any warmth, as if the two men standing before him were merely replaceable tools.

"Wait right here!"

"We're so close to the manor, what danger could there be?"

"As you command."

The two guards exchanged a helpless glance and could only lower their heads in obedience.

As he turned away, Darko's previous enthusiastic smile returned to his face.

"Roland, can you shoot a bow?"

Seeing Roland nod slightly, the young nobleman thrust a shortbow into his hands without further ado.

"Then take this, Roland. I had to beg Mister Hawk for a long time before he'd make this for me."

Feeling the smooth texture against his fingertips, Roland looked down.

The bow was made of dark yew wood, polished to a mirror-like smoothness. The string was woven from top-quality horsehair, shimmering like pearls in the morning light.

The ends of the bow arms were inlaid with exquisite copper decorations, carved with the image of a soaring eagle.

"This craftsmanship..."

Roland couldn't help but praise softly.

The weight distribution of the bow was perfect. Even for a beginner like him, holding it gave a sense of natural balance.

Compared to the shortbow John had given him, this shortbow personally crafted by Hawk could only be described as a perfect masterpiece.

"Let's go, Roland. Let me tell you..."

As he spoke, Darko grabbed Roland's arm and headed into the dense forest.

Upon entering the woods, Darko immediately lowered his voice and pointed to the tracks and broken twigs on the ground.

"Look at these tracks, it's the route a wild rabbit took this morning."

He analyzed confidently and then followed the trail.

Before long, a gray rabbit feeding came into their sight.

Darko licked his lips excitedly and whispered, "How about it, Roland? Want to try first?"

As he spoke, the young nobleman drew an arrow from his quiver and handed it over.

Seeing this, Roland could only accept it helplessly.

Recalling the key points and that mysterious feeling John had taught him yesterday, he slowly drew the bowstring.

THWACK!

With a muffled thud of the rebounding bowstring, the arrow shot through the air.

The afternoon's hard practice was finally paying off.

Although it didn't hit the rabbit's head precisely, the arrow had pierced its body.

"Well done, Roland!"

Darko couldn't help but clap and cheer.

"I never expected that not only do you have outstanding talent in forging tools, but your archery is also so remarkable."

"Young Master Darko flatters me."

Roland smiled slightly, his gaze following Darko as he went to retrieve the prey, but his eyes were focused on the floating golden text before him.

[When you engage in combat with an enemy, related comprehension increases, Basic Archery gains one point of experience.]

"Shooting a rabbit also gives experience?"

Roland pondered inwardly.

"The 'Theory and Practice' trait is quite unexpected. Previously, killing ordinary kobolds yielded three experience points, while mutated kobolds gave six. It seems the experience gained is closely related to the enemy's strength."

While he was thinking, Darko returned, carrying a gray rabbit.

He drew out his arrow and said with a half-joking tone, "However, your archery is still a bit inferior to mine. For prey like this, it's best to aim directly for the head, otherwise, you'll damage the fur. I'll show you my skills later!"

As it turned out, Darko wasn't boasting.

In the time that followed, Darko perfectly demonstrated his skilled tracking techniques and exquisite archery to Roland.

Through observation, Roland found that Darko's archery skill was only slightly inferior to John's.

Considering the significant age difference between the two, the dedication of this young noble to martial arts was evident.

In less than half a day, the two had hunted over a dozen wild rabbits and two animals that resembled roe deer.

Then, they carried their heavy game to an open space by the stream.

After a simple preparation, Darko drew the dagger from his waist and skillfully skinned the wild rabbits.

Seeing this, Roland suddenly had an idea.

"Does skinning wild animals count as a survival skill?"

Thinking this, Roland approached Darko, who was processing the rabbits, and asked with feigned curiosity.

"Young Master Darko, can you teach me how to skin a wild rabbit?"

Darko looked up, a smile of approval on his face.

"Of course, Roland. I didn't expect you to be interested in something like this."

He shook the blood off his hands and crouched beside another wild rabbit.

"The key to skinning is to be precise with your cuts, following the grain of the muscles."

Darko gently made an incision on the rabbit's abdomen with his dagger.

"See, starting from here, the tip of the knife should stay between the skin and the flesh. Don't go too deep, or you'll cut the internal organs."

Upon seeing this, Roland immediately activated his [Focus] trait.

He deeply imprinted Darko's skilled movements and cutting angles into his mind.

"You try."

Darko handed him the dagger. "Remember, keep your movements steady. When you encounter fascia, use a little force to lift it."

"I understand, Young Master Darko."

Roland took the dagger, recalling the details he had just observed, and mimicked Darko's actions to make the first cut on the rabbit's abdomen.

Unfortunately, he didn't control the depth of the cut well and accidentally pierced some internal organs, immediately filling the air with a bloody smell.

"Tsk, a common mistake for beginners."

Darko wrinkled his nose, but there was no blame in his tone.

"It's okay, tilt the knife outwards a bit, like this."

He took hold of Roland's wrist and adjusted the angle.

When he made the second cut, Roland's movements were much more cautious.

He could feel the blade struggling to advance between the tough rabbit skin and the soft muscle, encountering fascia obstructions from time to time.

In some places, he applied too much force, leaving unsightly cuts on the rabbit skin, while in others, he skinned too shallowly and had to redo it.

"Slower, follow the grain."

Darko instructed from the side.

"Yes, just like that. Oh, you need to leave the skin connected to the hind legs there."

With the experience from the previous two attempts, Roland was now more at ease when he cut again. Although his speed was slightly slower, soon, a perfect rabbit skin was in his hands.

At the same time, a line of golden text slowly appeared before his eyes.

[Skinning Learned, Current Level: Lv.1]

Upon seeing the notification, Roland quickly shifted his gaze to his profession panel.

Seeing that the survival skill required to transfer to the Hunter class had changed from zero out of two to one out of two, he excitedly clenched his fists.

"It was correct after all, skinning is indeed a survival skill!"

As Roland was getting excited, Darko's praise reached his ears.

"Well done, Roland!"

Darko had lost count of how many times he had praised the young man before him today.

"Riding, archery, and even skinning – he can master them so quickly. Could it be that gifted people excel at everything they do?"

Thinking this, Darko's gaze towards Roland held even more undisguised admiration.

"Seriously, Roland, stay with me."

Before Darko could finish his sentence, a rustling sound echoed from not far away.

The two exchanged a glance, cautiously put down their daggers, drew the iron swords from their waists, and looked in the direction of the sound.

The next moment, many small figures emerged faintly from the dense forest.