Deer in the Woods

After a busy day, Li Wei finally finished watering all three plots of farmland. The next step was to wait for several days before sowing the Winter Wheat.

Therefore, Li Wei decided to start chopping trees the next day. The good news was that Penny and the other two were making good progress. Their first steel Axe had already been forged. Seeing the excited look on their faces, he knew they had achieved a lot.

Unfortunately, this wasn't a one-star quality Axe. Even with the corresponding profession card, it would still require constant practice. Only after continuously improving their skills would they have a chance to craft one-star quality equipment.

In any case, there was nothing to envy. Doing his own job well was the most important thing.

After a good night's sleep and breakfast, Li Wei took the newly sharpened steel Axe to the forest across the stream and began the second task of the Main Quest: felling Oak trees.

The place no longer looked the same as it did a few months ago. Li Wei and Penny had chopped trees back and forth, as if they had bitten a hole in the forest.

Except for some very thick trees, the small and medium-sized ones had all been cut down.

Li Wei had initially thought about planting trees and afforesting the area next spring, but then he realized how foolish that was. This place didn't need it. Instead, it was excellent farmland.

If they dug up the tree roots and leveled the land slightly, they could probably reclaim dozens of acres of high-quality paddy fields.

The foundation of his empire!

But the workload was too immense. He suspected that even after three years, when the quest ended and he passed the game, he still wouldn't be able to accomplish it.

While thinking this, Li Wei didn't let his guard down. He continued to observe his surroundings vigilantly, because even at the edge of the forest, there could sometimes be sudden surprises or scares.

So, while he held the Axe in one hand, he held a Hunting Bow in the other, with a bodkin-tipped Feathered Arrow held between his teeth. He hadn't brought many, as these Feathered Arrows made from pheasant feathers needed to be carefully stored, otherwise they would easily become damp and spoil.

Besides, hunting was just a side activity; he couldn't forget the Main Quest.

He tiptoed through the edge of the forest, then walked several hundred meters further, ascending a gentle hill. About fifty meters away, a conspicuously red-leaved Oak tree came into view.

However, it was at this moment, perhaps due to some intuition, that he noticed a slightly different color patch in the bushes behind the Oak tree.

It was truly a color that ordinary people would easily overlook.

But Li Wei immediately realized that it might be a wild beast.

At once, he slowly put down the Axe, moved his body silently one step, and simultaneously made a preliminary estimate of the surrounding terrain and his distance to the beast.

The distance should be over forty meters, and with the cover of the bushes and other trees, he only had one shot.

Also, he still didn't know what kind of beast it was. The color of its fur blended too well with the leaves.

"Judging by the color, it shouldn't be a tiger, nor a bear, and definitely not a Wild Boar!"

"Maybe it's a deer? A Sika Deer?"

Li Wei recalled that Sam, the hunter who had been eliminated, had mentioned seeing a deer at the edge of the forest.

He relaxed his breathing as much as possible, took the bodkin-tipped arrow, nocked it on the bowstring, and then slowly moved towards the other side, trying to remain as silent as possible. He needed to get as close as he could because the Hunting Bow lacked the power to inflict a fatal wound from forty meters away.

One step, two steps. Li Wei was very calm. His heartbeat seemed to have settled down. This was one of his strengths; once he broke through the critical point, he could control his emotions very well.

It was like encountering the first Wolf by the stream. After an extreme, explosive terror, he became unusually calm and decisive.

It was also like being able to sleep soundly all night amidst the harassment of a wolf pack.

Of course, his daily practice also played a significant role.

In the blink of an eye, Li Wei had silently moved seven or eight steps, going around three large trees. During this time, the suspected deer had also shifted its position several times in the bushes. It was indeed a herbivore, as the grass under the bushes was tender.

Although the chance of success if he shot now was not small, Li Wei still calmly continued to reposition himself, looking for a better angle.

This continued until their direct distance reached about twenty-five meters. The deer finally sensed something was amiss, immediately turned, and leaped away into the depths of the forest.

Its posture was elegant, its movements swift, as perfect as a golden flash of lightning.

It was truly too fast, too agile.

In the past, Li Wei had learned from television and books that deer were fast runners, but it was only a relative concept, even vague. But at this moment, he truly witnessed how fast this deer was. It was like a chapter of life's leap, the most exquisite artwork born from nature's cruel survival game, not to be desecrated.

Those who desecrated it could only gaze from afar and sigh.

However, at this critical moment, Li Wei, as a hunter, his cautious and steady intuition gave him the advantage. Especially his silent repositioning. He had abandoned several good shooting angles before, precisely because he feared that the moment he startled the deer, its rapid movement would instantly change the previously good shooting angle.

In motion, he only had one shot.

And now, as the deer leaped away, Li Wei unhesitatingly drew the Hunting Bow to its full extent, leading the target, and shot an arrow. It struck the deer's left rib area.

But it wasn't instantly fatal. It struggled a few times and continued to flee into the depths of the forest.

Li Wei pursued closely from behind. This part required no skill; he just had to chase.

The little deer managed to escape for several hundred more meters in the forest before collapsing, its vitality astonishing.

[Your caution and composure allowed you to perform excellently, successfully hunting an adult, healthy Sika Deer. Its overall value is worthy of one-star quality.]

[You have gained 60 points of Hunting Experience.]

[As this was an unexpected gain outside of the Main Quest, the prey belongs to you. Do you wish to donate it to the family?]

[You have donated this one-star quality Sika Deer. According to the rules, its total weight is 100 jin, with every 5 jin counting as one unit. You have thus gained 20 Family Contribution Points, with your current total contribution at 103 points.]

[Note: A one-star quality Sika Deer may yield a one-star quality deerskin, but this requires a corresponding Butcher profession. This task will automatically be incorporated into the Butcher's monthly Main Quest. If successful in skinning and tanning, the Butcher will receive a reward of no less than 5 additional Family Contribution Points at the end of the month.]

Several lines of information quickly appeared, unlike the past where a notification would only appear after bringing it home.

Good. It seemed there were no other large carnivorous animals nearby. Of course, another reason might be the cooling weather, making spoilage less likely. Otherwise, in the scorching heat of summer, it would be crawling with maggots in less than half an hour.

Li Wei pondered these patterns, then stepped forward to pull out the Feathered Arrow. Looking at the gushing deer blood, he couldn't help but think of legends about drinking deer blood. So, should he take a few mouthfuls? Otherwise, by the time it was transported back, all the blood would have drained out.

However, after some thought, he decided against it. Caution first. What if there were parasites?

His Level One Awakening Health Points couldn't withstand such recklessness. Penny, that old lady-like woman, was a prime example.

After all, one of the conditions for passing this quest was to survive for three years.