Explorer Daniel

For the past few months, the animals of Lage Forest have been unsettled by some sort of foreign "monster," to the point where even large predators like grizzly bears and cougars dare not make a move.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!

Heavy footsteps, sounding like an elephant stomping on the ground, arrived in a rapid-fire barrage. Birds and beasts scattered instantly as a tall, short-haired young man sprinted by, carrying a boulder half his height on his shoulder. He leaped over high ridges and mountain streams from time to time, even jumping high to bound between massive trees, his terrifying impact snapping one or two thinner trunks.

A wolverine, having retreated into its den, watched the monster recede. It twitched its nose and slowly crawled out; the day had just begun, and it needed to catch more prey to feed the little ones in the nest.

Given the industrial standards and construction capabilities of this era, the completion date for the underground palace and training equipment was measured in years. The first phase of the underground excavation required nearly a year, and Herbert Howlett had already deployed the maximum amount of manpower and engineering equipment within his power, striving to satisfy the depth and spatial volume requested by young Mr. Howlett.

Including the subsequent reinforcement, layout, and finishing, it was estimated that it would take over a year and a half to complete. As for the training equipment, it required time to design and test molds, mainly because that strange "iron shaft" had no mechanical template for casting, and it had to wait until the underground palace was finished to be assembled inside. The other items were relatively easier; a batch had already been cast over the past three months and was ready to be shipped to Howlett Estate in the coming days.

Therefore, James's recent training had been limited to carrying heavy boulders in the forest. The weight of the boulder he carried while running daily was about two hundred kilograms, which was his current limit. Maintaining a speed of under eight seconds per hundred meters and a vertical jump of two meters under such a load meant the terrifying power contained within him far exceeded the relatively ordinary figure of two hundred kilograms.

This high-intensity weight-bearing training proved James's correct understanding of his own condition; he clearly felt that his physical strength, endurance, explosive power, and other attributes had improved significantly.

James had once worried that his mutant genes would not only self-repair his damaged physical state but also directly reject beneficial, positive physical evolution, thereby causing his body to remain permanently solidified in a constant state.

From the initial one-hundred-kilogram load to the current two hundred, James's physique had undergone significant changes. Now, standing over one hundred and ninety centimeters tall, his body was covered in knotted muscles, and he weighed over one hundred and thirty kilograms, beginning to lean toward the build of Victor, far from his previous lean and agile cheetah-like frame.

His appetite had also increased drastically; he needed three pounds of steak per meal, four times a day. He even worried with a sense of despair about what kind of monster he would grow into once all the subsequent training plans were completed.

Victoria was the largest port and town on Vancouver Island. This island was first discovered by a Spanish fleet in 1774, and its abundant fur resources quickly attracted many explorers and traders from other European nations.

After a series of struggles, it eventually came under the control of the British Empire. The indigenous Salish, Nootka, and Kwakwaka'wakw people had lived on the island for thousands of years and still made up a significant portion of the island's population—strictly speaking, the portion consisting of low-level laborers and slaves.

In this era, the port presented a peculiar scene where the sails of wooden ships and the chimneys of giant steamships stood side by side. Steamships had not yet completely replaced old-style wooden vessels, and these wooden-masted giants that once roamed the four seas still played an indispensable role in maritime transport.

Daniel Ferrant wore a round sun hat, brown shirt, and shorts, his skin tanned a deep red.

He puffed on a pipe and leaned on a cane, watching the yellow-skinned indigenous slaves unload his luggage, shouting and cursing at them from time to time. With his unkempt yellow beard, it was hard to imagine that this weathered middle-aged man had once been a dashing, high-achieving student at Oxford College in the British Empire.

His travels in Africa during this period had made him suffer enough: unpalatable food, pestering giant mosquitoes, and deadly malaria.

He had almost died on that savage continent; the brilliance of the civilized world and the white-skinned women called him back here.

After seven or eight years of travel and exploration, he was finally a little weary. Perhaps settling down was a good choice.

Rose O'Hara, as James's personal maid, was originally only responsible for his personal life and daily routine. However, James was not a truly pampered young master who lacked physical ability, and he was more accustomed to handling daily affairs himself.

This had angered O'Hara for a long time, but James preferred to have her help him handle matters related to the family business. She would sort various letters in advance, screen documents, and organize crop statistics reported from various places.

James told O'Hara that her position was his private secretary. Thanks to their experience of studying together under Mr. Daniel, O'Hara did quite well. She didn't understand what the word "secretary" meant, but the title of "private" made her truly happy for many days.

As usual, after James finished an overly hearty breakfast, he began handling affairs in the study at nine o'clock. O'Hara would organize the latest news and information from various places and bring coffee to his desk.

James was very efficient; he would basically arrange matters for all locations after lunch. In the afternoon, he would mostly go to supervise the construction of the estate's basement or go to the factory to discuss the casting problems of his pile of strange objects.

O'Hara was flipping through the letters and telegrams received that morning when she suddenly picked up a telegram from Victoria, Vancouver Island, and quickly tucked it away, walking briskly with the coffee tray toward the study.

"Young Master! Quick! Guess who sent this telegram!" O'Hara excitedly put down the tray and circled around her young master. James looked down at the newspapers and letters from the United States that had been delivered recently, and without looking up, he said in an old-fashioned tone, "Be steady, O'Hara. You're a big girl now. Who could it be? We don't have any distant relatives."

"Look!" O'Hara wrinkled her nose and placed the telegram in front of James. A short message came into view.

"I will arrive in Edmonton the day after tomorrow to visit everyone. Daniel."

"Mr. Daniel has been gone for many years, and he hasn't even sent a letter in the last year. I don't know how he is now. He said he was going to travel and explore; he must have many interesting stories!" O'Hara chirped excitedly at James, chattering on and on, and kept wondering if Daniel would bring her a gift.

"It is indeed a surprising and unexpected piece of news." James raised the corners of his mouth and smiled happily. He respected this teacher very much. Daniel Ferrant was a scholar with a very open and relatively advanced way of thinking, which allowed him to perceive the extraordinary foresight of this child to some extent during his interactions with James.

Helpless against James's extraordinary talent, Daniel had only taught him for four years before he truly had no more knowledge to impart. He had bid farewell and left to pursue his dream of exploring the world, but the two had long since established a relationship of both teacher and friend.

"Coming from Victoria, he will definitely pass through Red Deer. Send someone to wait there in advance and escort Mr. Daniel here. There are some restless people everywhere due to the recent gold rush," James arranged. O'Hara happily agreed and immediately gave the orders.

Thinking of Daniel's arrival, a question James had been pondering recently popped into his mind. Considering this teacher who had been traveling and exploring, perhaps he could seek help and answers from him.

He lowered his head and read the newspaper carefully again, paying attention to the further deteriorating situation in the northern and southern United States. Soon, the peaceful days would come to an end. It was also time to have another good talk with Victor. This half-brother, who had grown up with him and was kept in the dark, needed to step out of the stables and the deep mountains to display his true abilities. Only, I hope Victor can hold onto his humanity and not completely turn into that vicious Sabretooth.

Regarding the questions everyone has been focusing on recently, I have opened a separate chapter in the work-related section. I will post the second chapter together so that it reads more coherently. From now on, as long as the writing keeps up, I will try to post them together.