Chapter 129: A Life or Death Situation
Translator: Editor:
"Habbie, watch out..." Bonder shouted out loudly with eyes turning red.
However, it was too late. A huge black wolf, which was larger and more aggressive than common wild
Wolves, nimbly escaped from the three youths' long spears before bringing one to the
ground. With only one bite, a huge gaping hole was opened in the youth's neck. But before daggers and spears could descend onto its body, the cunning wolf had already succeeded in its attack and jumped off. After that, it exposed its bloody canines and took a few steps to the side, its eyes fixed on the group of youths whose faces had turned pale.
Soon, another shrill shriek drifted from another place. At the same time, the abdomen of another youth wearing leather chest armor and holding a long spear was broken by the huge wolf's sharp claw. Immediately, the young man fell to the ground and screamed painfully. It didn't take long for his intestines to flow out with him rolling miserably on the ground, which deeply impressed everybody.
It became bloodier as they watched. But what was worse was the fear filling the youths' hearts—the fear of death!
"No, I don't want to die here. I want to go back. I want to go back to the Wild Wolf Castle. I'll never hunt for golden wolves ever again..."
Facing the constant deaths of his companions, a youth among a team of students attending this survival training collapsed spiritually. With a loud scream, he threw away his long spear, broke out of the defensive circle of the crowd, and dashed towards the Wild Wolf Castle without a thought in his head.
"Scumbag, come back…"
"Pino, you'll lose your life, come back..."
"Don't run away..."
The escaping youth was followed by the screams of his crying companions. However, the youth seemed not to have heard them. He just wanted to leave this place.
When he was more than 20 steps away, a huge wolf suddenly turned around and chased after him. Before he could make another 10 steps, the agile wolf had already caught up with him. Then all the other youths saw their companion being hit by that huge wolf.
After several shrill shrieks from Pino and terrifying sounds from the huge wolf's canines tearing off his skin and crunching bones, everything returned to tranquility. With a bloody mouth, the huge wolf returned and continued to attack the rest of the youths with the other huge wolves.
Huge wolves were far more cunning and ferocious than common wild wolves, which was also the disparity between common living beings and LV 1 living beings.
The two long spear defense circles formed by the youths had already been extremely narrowed. They dared not to casually move as the circles that had been broken by the huge wolves immediately lost two members before filling up the breach once again.
There was also one more companion still rolling on the ground and screaming miserably, but his voice was becoming weaker and weaker.
Outside the two defensive circles formed by the youths��� long spears there was fresh blood everywhere. Some of it was from huge wolves, yet most belonged to human beings. One dead huge wolf was lying between the two circles with several bloody holes in its body made by long spears. However, lying beside this dead huge wolf was a youth's corpse, not far from which was Habbie who had just been killed, the youth who was still rolling on the ground and crying in a gradually weakening voice, and Pino who had lost his breath around 30 steps away.
One dead huge wolf for almost four humans. The rest of the youths of the two defensive circles were tearing up. Some hands and feet had already started quivering. At this moment, fear and hatred was biting the youths' hearts like poisonous snakes.
During the earlier month's survival training, they had become proud inwardly. After successfully hunting common wild wolves and various other prey in the Wild Wolf Valley, they gradually forgot to be careful. Thus, after several days ago hearing the news that Blackhot City wanted to purchase goose-neck grass and golden wolves at a high price, they became spirited, as they were not satisfied with only hunting common wild wolves.
They also wanted to have a try, chance it. In their opinion, since they had more than 20 people who could cooperate well with each other using their long spears, even if they encountered a LV 2 golden wolf, they could at least safeguard themselves. If they were lucky enough, they might even be able to catch it live or pick some goose-neck grasses…
However, they didn't understand the many tragedies in this world born from 'if'.
Full of confidence, the youths set off today. Leaving the Wild Wolf Castle, they marched towards the Crescent Prairie.
After walking for an entire morning, they were over 20 km away from the Wild Wolf Castle and already could see the Crescent Prairie. However, at this moment, they were abruptly attacked by a pack of huge wolves hiding in bushes beside a hillside.
When the youths passed by, six huge wolves suddenly appeared, catching them unprepared, which resulted in wounds and casualties at almost the same moment. The youths' teams were cut off from each other by the huge wolves so that they could only fight for themselves. As expected, after a ferocious fight, the tides of battle started to favor the huge wolves.
Not until then did the youths recall the simple rules that had been imparted by their teachers at school.
First, you opponents and enemies will never appear in front of you after you have prepared well. But if they do appear after you've prepared, they might be greater in number than what you originally imagined. More than that, even if there's little chance to encounter huge wolves, you might also encounter a pack of them.
Second, for any living beings, even if there was only one level difference between them, their fighting forces would greatly differentiate from each other. Therefore, after successfully dealing with some LV 0 living beings, never regard fighting the force of one LV 1 living being as simple as the addition of that of three LV 0 individuals; after dealing with some LV 1 living beings, never consider it too easy to deal with any LV 2 living beings. Being different from the simple increase of level, their fighting force would increase geometrically by each higher level.
Third, as for battle, time is very important so ten seconds might change everything.
Sometimes, the simpler the rule was, the more miserable price one would pay before fully understanding it. The miserable result of these youths today was the price of fresh blood and lives. Due to the sudden appearance of the huge wolves, they were given even less than ten seconds to gather their long spear matrix.
If they had had those ten seconds to gather, even if they had encountered six LV 1 huge wolves, they would have never suffer such miserable casualties. The youths thought too much of 'ifs' when there are few of them in reality.
After prowling around the two circles of youths for a couple of times, the remaining five huge wolves increased their tentative attacks—they pretended to charge at them outside the killing distance of the long spears. Therefore, not until poking out their long spears did the youths realize that they were doing fake movements.
The cunning huge wolves constantly circled them while making pretend attacks. Being extremely tense, the youths would always poke out their long spears everytime the huge wolves made fake movements.
After constantly waving and poking with their long spears to drive away the huge wolves, all the youths felt more and more tired.
"Try to keep your strength and attacking rhythm, the huge wolves are consuming our strength..." Seeing through the scheme of the huge wolves, Bonder shouted loudly.
However, Bonder's warning didn't work anymore. In the other circle, seeing a youth Gradually have grown weaker, a huge wolf suddenly launched a real attack. Before the arrival of the next round of long spears, it had already seized the opportunity—lowering its body, the huge wolf immediately rushed to one side of the circle and bit that youth's shin. Along with forcing out a miserable cry, it caused that youth to fall to the ground.
"Abu..."
Seeing this, the other youths became very anxious, thrusting their long spears together towards that huge wolf which was biting their companion's shin. Threatened, that huge wolf loosened its grip and moved back.
However, when the other youths had moved their attention onto that huge wolf near the unfortunate youth, a wide loophole was opened in the defense of the entire circle. So another huge wolf seized the chance and suddenly pounced, biting another youth's leg, causing him to fall to the ground too.
Scared, the other youths then moved their long spears together towards that huge wolf. As expected, it also rapidly moved back. And so a defense circle composed of seven people immediately lost two, causing a huge opening to appear. At the same time, the other three huge wolves surrounding Bonder's circle suddenly moved back and charged at the other youths whose defensive circle was destroyed.
"No!" Bonder screamed.
Seeing the other three huge wolves charging towards them, the five youths in that circle went completely pale. It was over. It was so hard for them to fight against the two huge wolves, let alone three more...
Five huge wolves attacked seven youths, five of which were standing while the other two were lying. Due to the huge opening in their defensive circle, within seconds, nobody would be standing anymore. After this circle was fully destroyed, the other one would not stand much longer, either. This was the huge wolves' fighting tactic.
"We will fight them to death..."
Eyes turning red, Bonder tightly held onto his long spear and rushed towards the five huge wolves, regardless of any matrix or defensive circle. Compared to being miserably killed by these beasts' sharp claws after being tricked, he preferred to fight his last fight, even at the risk of losing his life faster.
Everybody had already understood that they had almost no chance to survive and return to the Wild Wolf Castle.
That youth called Abu, who had been attacked by a huge wolf and then fell down, was trying his best to turn back, picking himself up by kneeling down first. He threw down his long spear, but the moment he wanted to pull out the dagger from his waist, another huge wolf had already moved to his side and opened its bloody mouth, ready to close it around his neck...
"Abu, watch out..."
Seeing that huge wolf's intention, Abu's companions shouted loudly, but the sharp canines of the huge wolf were already so close to the youth's neck.
Yet when everybody thought it was no longer possible for Abu to escape this time, a loud swear drifted from afar.
"Beast..."
Chapter 130: Being Highly Appreciated
Translator: Editor:
Together with the angry swear was a sharp wind that nobody could clearly see. Soon after that, that huge wolf close to Abu abruptly uttered a miserable scream, its neck pierced through by a throwing lance that got nailed to the ground. After piercing through the huge wolf's neck, it even entered the ground one foot deep while its handle looked so excited that it kept quivering...
Not until then did that youth called Abu pull out his dagger. Unexpectedly, he found that the wolf was already nailed beside him.
Soon after the scream of this huge wolf came to an end, another huge wolf's miserable howl drifted over. Apparently, at almost the same time, another throwing lance fell onto a huge wolf whose eyes were fixed on the five youths.
This time, not only Bonder and the rest of the youths, but even the remaining three huge wolves were stunned.
Everybody clearly saw a black-haired youth dashing towards them from a hillside 40 m away. But the three huge wolves didn't slow down their speed. After slightly adjusting their aim, they rushed towards that youth.
"Watch out..." Bonder shouted again and chased after the three huge wolves along with the rest of the youths. In their eyes, that youth coming out from behind the hillside was in danger.
Yet everything seemed to happen in a split second. The youths chasing after the three huge wolves couldn't even believe in their own eyes.
That guy dashing towards them suddenly took out two throwing lances and immediately threw them towards two of the three huge wolves. Almost at the same moment the lances flew out, the two huge wolves were tightly nailed to the ground with less than one meter between them, leaving only one huge wolf. Seeing this, the last one quickened its pace and charged at that youth. However, the youth avoided its attack by tilting his body to the side.
Everything happened so fast that Bonder and the other students hadn't even grasped all that was happening before it was over. After flying another few steps due to momentum, the last huge wolf fell to the ground.
But, the youth kept moving forward without slowing down his speed or glancing back, seemingly already knowing that the huge wolf had died.
"Hurry up, go check your companions, save them first!"
Not until then did everybody realize what had happened. They then hurriedly turned back and went to check on their companions.
That youth who had abruptly appeared was naturally Zhang Tie!
Ten minutes later, four youths' corpses and six dead huge wolves were put in a row on the grassland, surrounded by weeping youths with red eyes. Seeing those faces as young as his, Zhang Tie was filled with a slight sadness.
It was the first time he saw his peers' bodies before him. The four dead youths looked different, the most miserable among those who'd left this mortal world being the one with eyes wide open and a face twisted after his abdomen was clawed open. He had died in unspeakable agony.
No matter whether it was in the east or the west, no culture or traditions would allow a person to leave this mortal world with eyes wide open. From Donder, Zhang Tie also knew how to pay tribute to a dead person.
"Let me have a try!"
Zhang Tie walked forward. Seeing his move, Bonder quietly stepped back.
Silently taking off the water bottle from his waist, Zhang Tie opened its lid and pulled open Billy's clothes. He started to clean the filth off his abdomen. The things flowing out of the intestines were smelly, but Zhang Tie was not afraid of that at all, neither did he feel disgusted. He only felt dejection, a dejection stemming from a fact that a small figure would helplessly have to die in this struggling world.
He thought back to his mom. Seeing Billy's tender face with a few freckles, Zhang Tie then thought about the youth's mom. He felt that Billy was another himself, a commoner who neither had obtained Castle of Black Iron nor had a chance to eat strange fruits.
The water in Zhang Tie's water bottle was soon used up.
"Anymore?" Zhang Tie asked.
Hearing his request, the other youths beside him silently passed him several more water bottles. Zhang Tie continued to clean Billy's wounds. After that, he washed off the filth from the lower hem of Billy's coat. After doing all this, he pulled out a sewing kit and started to sew up Billy's wounds.
"Brother, stand it, I do this for the first time, but I have to sew it well for you as the holes on your abdomen don't look good!" Zhang Tie told Billy under the silent gazes of the surrounding youths, whose tears were flowing down their faces.
As Zhang Tie was not afraid of doing this, his hand didn't quiver at all. He closed Billy's wound on the abdomen like he would have sown up his own clothes. After that, he washed his own hands and repaired Billy's broken clothes. Finally he had closed his wound and dressed him up.
"Brother, I've already sewed and cleaned your wounds and clothes. You look much more handsome now. Don't show your painful expression to your mom and the other family members. Just be reassured and leave. Remember to be careful in your next survival training!"
Saying that, Zhang Tie slightly covered his hands over Billy's eyes. What made everybody else amazed was that after Zhang Tie moved away his hands from Billy's face, Billy had already closed his eyes and looked much more relaxed. Seeing this, all the surrounding youths couldn't not smile.
After tranquilly putting Billy's hands onto his abdomen, hands crossed, Zhang Tie stood up.
"Here is your throwing lance!"
Red-eyed, Bonder passed a clean throwing lance to Zhang Tie. This was the last lance that Zhang Tie had used in the battle. It had been completely hidden inside the last huge wolf's mouth, including its handle. Just then, when he shifted his body, Zhang Tie had already pulled out another lance and thrust it directly into the mouth of that huge wolf.
Bonder and the other youths had finally understood the cause of the last huge wolf's death when Zhang Tie was cleaning wounds for Billy. After that, they started to pay more tribute to him. This loner who had saved everybody's lives was really great, especially his lance skills, which really startled all the other youths.
"Brother, could you tell me your name?" Bonder asked, seeing Zhang Tie taking back his lance. "Without you, all of us might have already been killed!"
"I��m Zhang Tie!"
"You are that Zhang Tie!" Many of the surrounding youths seemed to have heard his name before. They then became surprised. "You're that Zhang Tie, who had revealed Samira's status as a mole of the Norman Empire!"
Zhang Tie slightly nodded before glancing over everybody else. "What's your plan now, will you still want to remain in the Crescent Prairie?"
"Never, we've already decided to go back..." Bonder looked dejected. "We already learned our faults!"
"If you want to go back, I can accompany you back for a range in case of any more accidents!"
"Thanks!"
...
Although having decided to go back, everybody remained for a time while working together to chop off some branches and make simple stretchers, including Zhang Tie. They then put the youths' corpses onto the stretchers and prepared to take them back to the Wild Wolf Castle. The two wounded youths had also dealt with their wounds and made two crutches using some branches so they could follow the others.
Now, there were fourteen people who could move freely. They would be able to carry the four youths' corpses and six dead wild wolves by turns.
According to the rules, Zhang Tie had the right to deal with the five dead huge wolves. Nobody had a different opinion. What was more, Zhang Tie had even saved all their lives. After thinking for a while, he let them bring the dead huge wolves back to Wild Wolf Castle: one to the Brotherhood in the tree base, one to Peter in Iron Melting Workshop, one to Alice, Pandora, and Beverly, and the other two would be left to Bonder and his group.
Huge wolves were much more valuable than wild wolves. They were black all over, except for the circle of white fur over their necks which was much more valuable. Their meat tasted more fresh and delicious, not as fishy as that of common wild wolves.
As one of the best meats in Wild Wolf Castle, huge wolf meat was even more expensive than that of boars. It was even said that huge wolf meat was very beneficial to people's physiques, including Qi and blood. Therefore, it had become the brand dish in some high-end hotels and become a favorite of some rich men.
So Zhang Tie's gift was very valuable in Wild Wolf Castle. But under his insistence, Bonder's group accepted the gift out of good willingness, and started to show their awe to him.
Zhang Tie kept accompanying Bonder's group until they were about 10 km away from Wild Wolf Castle and met similar teams attending this survival training. Seeing Bonder's group's miserable situation, the other teams all came close to them to ask what had happened to them. A team of less than 30 people had also planned to have a try in the Crescent Prairie; however, after encountering Bonder's group and learning about what had happened to them, they immediately gave up their plan.
"Brother, what do you want me to say to the Brotherhood for you?"
"You just tell them, I'm fine. Tell Peter, if I obtain any more wild meat, I'll bring it back to them. Their lances are very useful. And tell Pandora, Beverly, and Alice that I'm fine and miss them very much!" Zhang Tie poured out all the words he wanted to say.
"Fine, I will!"
"Then, brothers, take care of yourselves!"
"Take care of yourself too. I'll never forget what happened today!" Bonder solemnly said while all the other youths surrounding Zhang Tie nodded and stared at him full of appreciation. Without experiencing the life or death situation, they would have never have known how valuable the savior's favor would be.
Zhang Tie smiled and waved at them before trotting away.
In the evening, Bonder's group returned to Wild Wolf Castle. Then, the entire Wild Wolf Castle became chaotic. Although four deaths made people sad and alert, compared to it, what Zhang Tie had done startled people more. An individual that could easily kill five huge wolves and save more than ten people's lives, how powerful did that man have to be? Zhang Tie's marvelous lance skills had made Bonder's group absolutely stunned.
Receiving the dead huge wolf, Barley and the other members of Brotherhood didn't look too startled. They then just continued to practice fighting skills much harder.
In contrast, after receiving the dead huge wolf, Peter and the other recluses howled for quite awhile as they were extremely excited that they could eat huge wolf meat for two consecutive days. They all expressed that they'll use all their effort to build several better lances for Zhang Tie.
After receiving Zhang Tie's gift brought by Bonder, Pandora, Alice, and Beverly became the objectives of admiration of all the other girls.
Probably even Zhang Tie had not imagined that after this event, his name would become outstanding in Wild Wolf Castle. He was beginning to be matched with Blues and Glaze, who were the most powerful people among all the students attending this survival training.
However, two days before Zhang Tie became well known across Wild Wolf Castle, Glaze had returned with a live LV 2 golden wolf. It was the first day after Miss Qili's one-month punishment to him terminated. His move shocked many people. At the beginning of the second month of this survival training, Glaze had already displayed his strength as a LV 3 warrior and became the most powerful person among all the students.
"Killing several huge wolves is nothing but bullsh*t. If Zhang Tie dares to fight Glaze, Glaze will definitely beat him ferociously in one minute, and he'll only be able to search for his teeth on the ground..." Sharlon, one of Glaze's lackeys, bragged.
Being a loner, Zhang Tie naturally couldn't hear Sharlon's instigation in Wild Wolf Castle. But even if he could hear that, Zhang Tie would do nothing but sneer Although LV 3 seemed unreachable in other students' eyes, in Zhang Tie's eyes, Glaze and his heyday would soon be a past tense...
Four days ago, after eating the Leakless Fruit, Zhang Tie had improved the light over the second burning point of his spine into cyan. Three days later, after eating another Leakless Fruit, Zhang Tie would light that burning point and become an official LV 3 warrior.
In the past week, after killing almost 15 wild wolves, Zhang Tie had condensed the Strength of Blood and the Strength of Vein in the Wild Wolf Seven-Strength Fruit, causing the first Wild Wolf Seven-Strength Fruit to be 3/7 ripe!
Becoming a loner, Zhang Tie didn't know that Glaze had already become a LV 3 warrior. After one week's loner's survival training, he had already fully immersed himself in that wind-like freedom...
Chapter 131: A Wind-Like Youth
Translator: Editor:
After departing from Bonder's group, Zhang Tie ended up today's plan for hunting wild wolves. Although he had looked very calm before Bonder's group, actually, he was not that calm inwardly. It was also Zhang Tie's first time to seeing his peers die in front of him. Or maybe they were also the first casualties in this survival training.
It was told by teachers at school that above 70% of casualties in survival training happened on the second month after it started. This was because after one a month's time in survival training, the horny students became much braver than before, although their fighting force didn't improve that fast, easily causing tragedies.
Zhang Tie wandered on the path of the Wild Wolf Valley while thinking about the bloody wounds, which reminded him of the survival rules in this world—even the lowest level disparity would lead to a life or death situation and further cause mixed emotions in the weaker party's family members. Four families, four mothers and many relatives of the four youths would feel extremely dejected due to the huge wolves this noon.
Zhang Tie could imagine how grieved the families would be after learning what had happened to their kids. His own family members had experienced the same grievance. Although his eldest brother had died on the battlefield many years ago, its impact on his parents was ever lasting.
'Fist skill is namely power. When one exerts their utmost effort, one will obtain the essence of the skill!'—the general outline of Iron-Blood Fist flashed across Zhang Tie's mind. He had a new understanding of this sentence. The route the Fibonacci Golden Numerical Array pointed at was not a path of evolution, but a path of power based on real force. The greatest and ultimate power in this world was the power to determine others' life or death, and the power to beat others into hell.
'The second Snade and Huck will never be allowed in my life', Zhang Tie told himself. 'Besides myself, nobody else is allowed to determine my destiny.' Thinking this, he quickened his pace...
Ten minutes later when Zhang Tie passed by a river, a red-eyed wild wolf abruptly jumped out of the reeds and rushed Zhang Tie. Almost the moment the wild wolf left the reeds, a lance had already fallen from the sky and nailed it to the ground. Zhang Tie dashed past it without even a bit of deceleration. Without even glancing at his victim, he passed the wild wolf, just pulling out his lance and putting it back into this lance container before continuing on his way...
"Who's that guy?"
A hunting team composed of eight or nine students widely opened their eyes at the sight of what Zhang Tie had done. Just now, when the wild wolf had jumped out, they even wanted to shout out to warn him. Unexpectedly, before they could scream out, everything had come to an end.
Not until Zhang Tie had long disappeared did that group of people arrive at the wild wolf that had been nailed to the ground. After checking it carefully, they all took a deep breath. Judging from the wound on the wild wolf, they realized that the lance must have entered its body from beneath the neck and exited from the back of its heart, causing a sec-kill. It was really great. Was that a coincidence? They felt really lucky today as they put away the dead wild wolf.
"Can we just do this?" one of the people in the group of students asked.
"If he felt this wild wolf was valuable, he would have stayed. Do you think a man who can easily kill a wild wolf would treasure a dead wild wolf?"
Hearing his words, everybody else nodded.
"Let's go, brothers, it's not early today, this wolf is enough for us to eat for two days..." the leader said, waving his hand.
"Who's that man? I've never heard of him before!"
"Trust me, such a sharp guy would never be unknown. We will know who he is if we casually inquire about other people in Wild Wolf Castle!"
...
Zhang Tie kept running at a medium speed. He had already learned how to run in the first week when the survival training started. If he ran too fast, he could not continue it for long. Besides high consumption of physical strength, if he ran too fast, he might also miss something, especially changing terrains in hills, which might hurt him later by preventing him to make the most correct response to some incoming crisis.
In contrast, if he ran too slowly, his moving range would be extremely limited, which might also cause him to miss something. Especially for loners who needed to hunt for prey by themselves like Zhang Tie, if he always stayed in a small area, he might do nothing but wait for starvation as he would have fewer chances to find any prey.
Therefore, for a loner, the most proper running pattern was at a medium speed which would enable one to keep running for one to two hours without feeling fatigued, and enable one to get familiar with the surrounding environment and terrain by running as well as expanding the moving range. In other words, running at a medium speed could help to exert the utmost fighting force every time and then respond to some emergencies without feeling too tense.
Besides running speed, Zhang Tie also learned how to breath while running. It took him one week to master this medium-speed moving skill at his most proper rhythm. Now, Zhang Tie could keep running at such a speed for one hour on rugged mountain roads while retaining his maximal fighting force.
He felt that this kind of running was like a vocabulary 'cruising speed' that was used to evaluate the performance of an aerocraft called plane taught by science teachers at school. Zhang Tie had already mastered the skill of 'cruise control' during the first week upon starting the loner's survival training. His 'cruising speed' was about 15 km per hour. He could kept running at this speed for about 1 hour while still maintaining his maximal fighting force.
Ha! Wasn't it interesting? He had become a plane himself!
He was lucky just now and killed one more wild wolf, indicating that the wild wolf seven-strength fruit was that much closer to becoming ripe. Thinking of this, Zhang Tie accelerated.
He really enjoyed the feeling of free running in the valley. During his previous fifteen years, Zhang Tie had lived a boring life in Blackhot city. Besides going to school, he would be either at Donder's grocery store or home. During that period, he had not experienced such a freestyle.
Simply by running like this, Zhang Tie felt pretty happy. If he could stick to it, he would prefer to keep running like the wind for the rest of his life. This way, he could go wherever he wanted, letting the motherland move under his feet. He would prefer to keep running freely like this without caring about anything else so that he could view the scenery of the whole world.
By free running in the valley alone, Zhang Tie felt that he had fallen in love with the loner's survival training.
When the fiery sun's glow appeared in the west sky, Zhang Tie finally arrived at the place which he had named as his 'No.2 base' after over one hour's running.
This was a natural mountain cave, over 10 meters above the ground. Its inclination downwards was about 80-90 degrees. A pile of vines hung down from the top, allowing one to climb onto the mountain cave along the stones and bulges by holding onto them.
The mountain cave was more than 20 km away from the Wild Wolf Castle. This place was a bit farther than where he had met Bonder's group yesterday. More than 10 km away from the other side of the cave was the Crescent Prairie. The space between the ranges on both sides of the Wild Wolf Valley abruptly expanded greatly here, like an opening door.
One week after he started his loner's survival training, Zhang Tie's moving range gradually increased and grew closer and closer to the Crescent Prairie.
When he arrived beneath the mountain cave, Zhang Tie looked around, seeing no one. He then pulled the vines and climbed onto the entrance of the mountain cave. When he reached the entrance, Zhang Tie squatted to carefully check those scattered leaves from the vines and some broken stones on the ground for roughly 20 seconds. After that, he stood on tiptoes and carefully walked in by stepping only in specific locations
Those items on the ground were not traps, but a 'wild mark system' used by pioneers. Once anybody had entered the entrance after Zhang Tie left, through that 'wild mark system' that seemed a disorderly scattering, Zhang Tie would know of it. This was a trick that pioneers usually used in the wild. A set of 'wild mark system' could reveal a lot of information.
Many pioneer teams added secret languages and signals in the 'wild mark system' that could only be understood by their own. Sometimes, a withered twig, several leaves, and broken stones scattered casually on the ground—in insiders' eyes—would contain dozens of messages based on their location and the direction they were facing. They might also be used as an early warning device like how Zhang Tie was using them. As long as anyone had entered, he would know.
After checking it, Zhang Tie did nothing else but sat down on a stone at the entrance of the mountain cave. In the breeze, he stared at the sunset far in the distance The setting sun was really beautiful. Before this loner's survival training, Zhang Tie had not seriously watched it. However, these days, he would always sit calmly somewhere and watch the sunset in the skyline until it fell behind the mountain and disappeared.
This was another reason for why Zhang Tie came to like the loner's survival training. Besides free running, he could also calmly sit anywhere he wanted and enjoy the beautiful sunset without worrying about being pointed at and called an idiot by surrounding horny students.
'The world has its own beautiful scenery!'—this was Zhang Tie's feeling when he was enjoying the sunset.
'I wonder how long dad and mom haven't enjoyed such a beautiful sunset.'
Thinking of their increasingly white hair due to hard work every day, Zhang Tie vowed that when he was rich he would definitely buy a big house just for them. That big house will contain two huge balconies, one to the east so that his parents could enjoy the first wisp of sunlight when they woke up; the other to the west so that they could enjoy the beautiful sunset sitting on a very comfortable huge chair on sunny days.
Previously, Zhang Tie might not have been able to make this dream come true even if he used up the rest of his life. However, now he understood that once he had enough power, he will definitely let his parents live such a pleasant life.
Although he could not make it at LV 2, what about LV 3? LV 4? LV 5? LV 6? LV 7? LV 8? LV 9? LV 10? His elder brother had told him a LV 10 military official in Blackhot city was qualified to be allocated with an independent villa...
Oh, and that appointment with Miss Daina!
...
When the sun finally set, the afterglow in the skyline also gradually dissipated. Several aboriginal residents of the mountain cave—bats—flew out and started their nightlife.
Zhang Tie then entered into the deep of the mountain cave where he could access the Castle of Black Iron and improve his strength using another method. As he had killed five huge wolves today, Zhang Tie knew that a new Trouble-reappearance Fruit would have formed on the small tree. He had concluded in the past few days that once he could kill more than three wild wolves or huge wolves, he could get a new Trouble-Reappearance Fruit on that very day.
He had eaten four Trouble-Reappearance Fruits these days, enabling him to choose eight Trouble-reappearance scenes and activating over 23 wolf souls [1] at once, 22 of which had wild wolves and one a huge wolf. Little by little he started to discover more and more secrets about the Trouble-reappearance Fruit...
After eating the third and the fourth Trouble-reappearance Fruits, Zhang Tie had found that the fruits actually contained two elements, namely Trouble-reappearance scene and wolf souls. He could allocate the wolf souls at his own will and arrange them in his designated Trouble-reappearance scene.
After activating them, they would fight him. The two elements of Trouble-reappearance Fruit could be joined or separated at his will. Each Trouble-reappearance Fruit would bring him two more elements that could be used to further improve his fighting skills, namely fighting environment and fighting objectives.
The Trouble-reappearance Fruit was really great. It was simply amazing. After practicing in Trouble-reappearance Fruit, Zhang Tie felt his fighting and killing skills were rapidly improving.
After killing five huge wolves today, he couldn't wait to try fighting six huge wolves and 22 wild wolves at the same time in the Trouble-reappearance Fruit…
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[1] Zhang Tie named it himself.
Chapter 132: An Unexpected Accident in The Trouble-reappearance Scene
Translator: Editor:
After entering the Trouble-reappearance Scene, at the sight of roughly 30 wolves, including 6 huge wolves and 23 common, at least 2 of which were head wolves, Zhang Tie became somewhat regretful. He knew that he would definitely die miserably this time.
Before entering, Zhang Tie had chosen the riverside where he had killed the latest wild wolf. Almost the second Zhang Tie entered the Trouble-reappearance Scene, the 30 wolves rushed out of the reeds, exposing their canines at Zhang Tie.
While the pack of wolves rushed towards him, Zhang Tie threw six lances with both hands, like a lightning bolt. In a split second, two huge wolves and four wild wolves were pierced through by his lances and fell down.
Originally, Zhang Tie intended to aim for the six huge wolves. Of course, it didn't precisely mean that he had failed to hit them. Unexpectedly, when he threw out his lances towards the six huge wolves, the surrounding wild wolves dashed ahead and stopped the lances for the huge wolves using their own bodies. So he only hit two huge wolves, while the other four lances were caught by the four wild wolves.
Seeing such an emergency, Zhang Tie was really startled. He then instantly realized that the wild wolves which he had been fighting with these days were becoming smarter and trickier. It seemed that he was not the only one who could improve his fighting and killing skills. The wolf souls inside the Trouble-reappearance Scene had also improved, which was finally shown today.
The only thing in the wolves that remained unchanged was the endless hatred in their eyes.
After throwing the six lances, Zhang Tie immediately turned back and exerted his utmost efforts to escape. He wanted to try whether a LV 2 warrior could gain a beacon of hope from the remaining pack of wolves. If he only fought them at the risk of his life, he would definitely die. This time, being akin to the scene when he was chased by the seven wolves on the grassland, the only factors that he could use were environment and terrain.
Zhang Tie then escaped closely followed by the pack of wolves. He ran so fast, yet the huge wolves could run faster. He didn't move more than 50 m by the riverside when he felt wind behind his head. Twisting his body, Zhang Tie immediately pulled out his dagger from his waist and thrust it towards the abdomen of the huge wolf charging at him from behind.
Huge wolves' strength and aggressiveness could never by matched by common wild wolves. If it was a common wild wolf, Zhang Tie could have easily finished this counterattack without even decelerating. However, it was a huge wolf whose strength and speed caused him to stagger.
After falling onto the ground, the huge wolf even rushed two steps forward due to the huge inertia. After that, he turned back and glared at Zhang Tie, seemingly wanting to charge at him once again. However, he soon fell to the ground as Zhang Tie's thrust had completely opened his abdomen.
At the same time, Zhang Tie realized that he could not escape anymore. He understood that even if he was one level higher than the huge wolves, he could still not match speed with them. Maybe it could be feasible when he reached LV 3, but he could definitely not match them for the time being.
Although he could not really die in the Trouble-reappearance Scene, he could feel pain. So not wanting to die miserably, Zhang Tie immediately made the same choice that he would have done in the real situation if he was chased by so many wolves—he jumped into the river.
Water along the riverside was only as deep as his knees. It was muddy under his feet, so it was very difficult to walk inside. Only after two steps after jumping into the river, Zhang Tie's shoes were already stuck to the mud. Two steps more, and he could only escape on barefoot.
The wild wolves closely following him all rushed into the river without any hesitation. Zhang Tie had already predicted that. Because after he had eaten the first Trouble-reappearance Fruit, Zhang Tie had attempted to jump into the black hole many times, however, he found out that soon after he jumped inside, the wild wolves also followed him in. They would not stop chasing him until either they, or he, died. They dared to jump into a black hole, let alone a river.
Less than 10 m from the river's shore, the water level had already reached his thighs. The river was not turbulent. It flowed calmly, and so did the part which would be drowned in flood while showing itself when the water receded.
Zhang Tie turned back and found a huge wolf 1.7-2 m away from him.
Not until then had he realized that wolves could swim well.
Wolves swam using dog paddle. Zhang Tie also learned to dog paddle at school. Judging from swimming gestures, he could not even match wolves in swimming skills.
In the Trouble-reappearance Scene, a battle between human and wolves that could never be seen in reality would happen in the river.
As most of Zhang Tie's legs below his knees were in the mud, he could barely move his feet, let alone using them to attack wolves. Similarly, the pack of wolves swimming towards him were also slower due to the resistance in the water. So their largest threat to Zhang Tie became their sharp canines.
When in water, the matrix of the wolves became disordered. Seeing this, Zhang Tie burst out laughing and threw the dagger in his hand. Using a Wrestle-Hand Move from Iron-Blood Fist, he wrestled the neck of the huge wolf. As a response, the huge wolf prepared to bite Zhang Tie's wrist. At this time, Zhang Tie's two hands ferociously punched its ears like hammers, causing blood to burst out from its eyes. Even though this hurt it badly, the front paws of the huge wolf also scratched Zhang Tie's arms, leaving some bloody marks.
In only one round, both parties were bleeding.
However, the fact was that Zhang Tie acted faster. The disparity between a LV 2 warrior and a LV 1 wolf could not be easily ignored either. The moment the huge wolf lowered his head due to Zhang Tie's hammer-like punches, Zhang Tie grabbed it around its neck once again. With a sound of 'Ka cha', the huge wolf's neck was broken.
Zhang Tie loosened his grip before sinking the huge wolf into the river. Behind this huge wolf were more wolves with eyes shining red. Zhang Tie had no way to escape once again.
"Ha… ha… cool!" Zhang Tie burst out laughing. "Come on, you beasts, since I could kill you all before, I can also kill you all now. Do you want revenge? Come on!"
A battle between a human and wolves started...
In the shallow river, a pack of wolves launched a war on a person. In muddy water, Zhang Tie surged left and right using his Hammer-like Punch Move and Wrestle-Hand Move, causing bloody ripples.
Without fighting in water, Zhang Tie would have never known the difficulties of it. He felt his physical strength dissipating so fast that each move in water would consume strength numerous times greater than that required fighting on the bank. The faster he moved, the more strength he would consume due to the greater resistance in water. Each step in the deep river mud would also bring him more difficulty.
Only after 10 minutes, over 10 dead wild wolves were floating in the river. Zhang Tie had also suffered more than 20 wounds. At this time, he understood another law, even if his level was higher than that of wild wolves, his endurance could never match theirs. Each wild wolf had amazing endurance.
Gradually, he felt his hands becoming more and more clumsy, causing weaker attacking strength and speed. However, the wild wolves kept surging forward without even knowing what tiredness was, only wanting to bite him.
Seeing them so tenacious, Zhang Tie's morality and cruelty were also triggered. Gritting his teeth, he continued to fight the wolves, seemingly having fully forgotten about the increasing wounds on his body.
After staying in the Trouble-reappearance Scene for so long time, Zhang Tie found he had also gained more endurance, being able to ignore more of his pain and wounds.
Five minutes later, a few more wild wolves were killed, causing more wounds on Zhang Tie's body. Thankfully, the wounds were not fatal. By then, their battlefield had already stretched to dozens of meters along the shallow river.
Zhang Tie started to feel his hammer-like punches becoming weaker and weaker. It would take him longer to break a wolf's neck. Just now, it had taken him too long, and he couldn't respond to the wolf's counterattack timely, causing a bite on his arm from another wolf.
Pained, Zhang Tie became more ferocious. Although another wolf was hanging on his arm, he still chose to break the neck of the wolf in his hand's first before breaking the neck of the wolf on his arm.
The last ferocious attack seemed like the last bright look of a person who was going to die soon after. After taking care of the wolf hanging on his arm, Zhang Tie felt his hands becoming soft, which could not even break a noodle. At this time, another wolf launched its attack. To respond, Zhang Tie immediately lurched aside.
However, for some reason at this critical moment, Zhang Tie suddenly became stunned for a short time, during which the wolf bit Zhang Tie's shoulder, pushing him into the water, closely followed by the remaining wolves...
Half a minute later, with a sound of 'Boom', the entire Trouble-reappearance Scene dissipated into light rain before disappeared...
This was the most bloody and miserable battle with wild wolves that Zhang Tie had experienced, and it ended up with wild wolves as the winners.
Sitting under the Manjusaka Karma Fruit Tree, Zhang Tie opened his eyes like when he had entered the Trouble-reappearance Scene just now. He then raised his head and looked at the rolling colorful fog in the sky within the Castle of Black Iron with a bit of confusion, puzzlement, and even shock in his eyes!
'How could that happen...' Zhang Tie mumbled. 'How could I feel like having stepped onto a sharp thing just now? How could such a sharp thing appear in the mud of the shallow river in the Trouble-reappearance Scene? That was not necessary. Did it want to test my responsiveness?"
Zhang Tie didn't figure it out even after thinking about it for awhile. Just now, when he prepared to escape from the wolf's attack, he stepped onto a sharp thing in the mud. Because of this, he became stunned, causing him to be killed by the wolves.
What if there really was such a sharp thing in the real river? A thought flashed across Zhang Tie's mind like a lightning bolt..
Chapter 133: Searching for the Sharp Item
Translator: Editor:
"Damn, I must be mad..." On the way, Zhang Tie mumbled this sentence for more than 50 times. However, he was driven by that idea to run towards that riverside where he had killed the wild wolf yesterday.
It was the second morning, and Zhang Tie had gotten up earlier than before. Not until he had arrived at the riverside where he had killed that wild wolf yesterday did the skyline start looking a bit white. However, the valley was still a bit dim. The two moons in the sky were like two silver plates, completely round: one big, the other small. Using them as well as the stubborn stars that felt reluctant to disappear, Zhang Tie could approximately judge the paths in the valley.
At this hour, most other students attending this survival training wouldn't have even gotten up, or had just done that. With the exception of Zhang Tie, no one else would appear in this place more than 10 km away from the Wild Wolf Castle for no reason.
Zhang Tie ran over here from 'No. 2 base', getting the lower part of his trousers wet from the dew on grasses and leaves in the process.
He came here with his lance container on his back and dagger and long sword on his waist. Upon arriving, he squatted down at the riverside and carefully observed his surroundings to make sure that nobody else was around and that no dangerous aquatic beasts like crocodiles were in the river.
After that, he came to the red willow which was close to the place where he was killed by the wild wolves yesterday in the Trouble-reappearance Scene. Next to the red willow, Zhang Tie put away his lance container and hung it onto the willow. Then he undid his long sword and took off his shoes, trousers, and other clothes. With a dagger in hand, he jumped into the river, nude.
The river felt icy in the early morning. The moment Zhang Tie's feet touched the water, his whole body quivered, and goose bumps rose all over his skin.
"Damn, I must be mad..." Zhang Tie mumbled and waded towards that place where he was killed by that wild wolf in the Trouble-reappearance Scene.
As the riverbed was covered with mud, when water level reached Zhang Tie's thighs, it became very difficult to move, especially for him who waded through while searching for something in the mud using his feet.
That place was only 10 m away from the riverside. When he arrived there, Zhang Tie slowed his pace and slowly searched for that sharp item in the area. Five minutes later, he finally felt the same thing that he had encountered in the mud yesterday.
He tried to move it using his feet, but unexpectedly, it was very heavy. A part of it seemed to be buried in the mud. Zhang Tie carefully explored it using his feet and felt that is shaped like an ox-horn. However, it had to be heavier than that since he could not grab it out of the water using his feet.
Zhang Tie threw his dagger onto the bank, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath before lowering himself into the muddy water. After touching that thing using his hands, he exerted his utmost effort to pull it out.
It was very heavy, at least more than 20 kg in weight. It was a bit lighter in water, but after taking it out, the weight increased for Zhang Tie.
There was truly something in the river; and it really seemed like an ox horn! Zhang Tie's heart pounded. Before carefully observing the item in his hand, he first washed that thing in the water to make it a bit cleaner. After that, he waded back towards the bank.
When he was about to get ashore, Zhang Tie put it beneath the red willow. After landing, he found a puddle with cleaner water beside the red willow and started to clean the mud off his body. While doing so, he found two pieces of 'mud' tightly stuck to this skin, which could not be washed off. Touching them, Zhang Tie was startled by their softness. It wasn't mud at all!
He hurriedly beat them. However, he could not beat them off. He then pinched one, aiming to pull it off his skin. Unexpectedly, that thing kept sucking his skin even when Zhang Tie had extended its body to 10 cm long.
"Ah..."
Zhang Tie became restless and started to shout loudly. After increasing his pulling force, he immediately tore that soft thing off and threw it onto the ground, then did the same to the other one. Seeing them still moving on the ground while the places where he was stung had small wounds and were bleeding, Zhang Tie felt goose bumps rise all over once again.
He then instantly checked his body, especially his bottom and the surroundings of his p*nis. Thankfully, no more were found. He then hurriedly put on his clothes, finally recalling that the soft thing must be a leech. Damn, it felt more horrible being stung by leeches than being bitten by two huge wolves. These mollusks were really terrifying.
With face turning a bit pale, Zhang Tie hurriedly put on his clothes, and carrying his lance container, long sword, and dagger, took up the ox-horn-like thing from near the tree root. After confirming that nobody was around, he took a better hold of it and accelerated towards his No. 1 base.
Zhang Tie moved so fast that before dawn fell, he had already arrived at his No. 1 base. It was a mountain cave drilled by a gold-eating boa. From the natural mark system at the entrance, he knew that neither people nor animals had entered since he had left.
Reassured, Zhang Tie arrived at a hidden place inside the cave according to his memory and feeling instead of using a torch. After fixing on that marvelous arched door in his mind, Zhang Tie entered the Castle of Black Iron.
——Handsome and Magnificent Castle Lord, welcome to the Castle of Black Iron!
This was the same greetings that Zhang Tie could hear everyday whenever he entered the Castle of Black Iron. By the time the words started to disappear, Zhang Tie had already put down his equipment. Holding a strange ox-horn-like thing, he came to the side of the pond and squatted down. He then grabbed a handful of grass and started to clean the item using them.
After cleaning off the mud using crystal spring water and grass, Zhang Tie could finally see its original look.
It was an aqua blue horn as long as 40 cm, with metal texture and luster, and circles of flowing cloud-shaped floral grains. Although similar to a part of a broken spearhead, Zhang Tie could confirm that it was not an ox horn.
It was both beautiful and heavy, radiating unusual charm from its bright color and its texture or natural-born mysterious floral grains. Playing with the item in his hand for quite a while, Zhang Tie couldn't figure out what it was.
'Maybe, when I become rich and can buy a big house for my parents, I'll place it at home. Judging from its color and floral grains, it could be used as a nice ornament. Mom will love it!' Thinking of this, Zhang Tie casually threw it aside.
That was Zhang Tie's personality. If he couldn't figure it out now, he would never waste time on it as he could use this time to improve his current strength.
Thinking of how to improve his strength, Zhang Tie thought back to what had happened in the Trouble-reappearance Fruit. He could finally confirm that everything in there was real. Maybe Trouble-reappearance Scene was a mirror that could reflect everything in the real world.
And for a mirror, a tree was no different from a gold mountain as it was not creating but reflecting. Anything inside the mirror was just a projection from the real world. As such, since a weird item was in the mud in the real world, it also exited in the Trouble-reappearance Scene. That was how it went. Perhaps such a weird item was nothing different from a roadside stone or a tree in the Trouble-reappearance Scene. It just exited there, like everything else in the real world.
Thinking back to the leeches sucking his blood just now, Zhang Tie suddenly thought it through. He finally understood how Trouble-reappearance Scene worked—besides spiritual creatures, everything inside it was no different from the real world. In the Trouble-reappearance Scene, even if a single ant or leech doesn't appear, it's only because they weren't killed. Except for spiritual creatures, everything else that exists in the real world also appear in inside, even if it had not been sensed or seen by Zhang Tie.
Therefore, besides allowing Zhang Tie to fight various living beings, Trouble-reappearance Fruit also presented him with each detail of the real world, enabling him to be familiar with the 'battlefield' where he had fought the other living beings before. Thinking about it, if an item buried in the mud could be presented, then what couldn't?
Something related to the Trouble-reappearance Scene flashed across Zhang Tie's mind, yet he didn't catch it. He only felt a trembling inside for a split second. Scratching his head, Zhang Tie tried to remember it for a quite while, but failed. After that, he stopped bothering himself about it. The sudden discovery of the delicate link between Trouble-reappearance Scene and the real world was already a great achievement today, so Zhang Tie was really satisfied.
Therefore, he felt really excited and highly spirited. Before leaving the Castle of Black Iron, he realized that his body still smelt of mud and fish. He must have not cleaned it off well at the riverside. So he took off his clothes again and took another cool bath in the pond.
After cleaning himself, Zhang Tie sensed a sharp smell. Picking up his clothes, he smelled sweat on them. After counting carefully, he realized that he had not changed his clothes for over a week. Although a loner, he was still a man who had to eat, sweat, empty his bowels, and sleep. No matter how handsome the loner was, he would not look clean after wearing his clothes for over one week and would smell weird.
So if a loner didn't wash his clothes for over a month, he then wouldn't need to hunt any more as prey would have already been scared away by his weird odor from several hundreds meters away. Let alone prey, even people would prefer to stay at least five meters away from him as his weird odor would kill everything.
Zhang Tie really didn't want to be a 'loner' that smelled weird. He didn't like that, and thought that no girl would like that, either...
Thankfully, Zhang Tie had prepared more than one set of clothes and shoes for this survival training. The clean clothes were in the Castle of Black Iron at this time. Being naked, Zhang Tie lowered his head and stared at his 'fully-fledged little bird[1]'. 'Trust me, there are a great amount of girls waiting for you. For your sexy happiness, I will try my best to keep clean and cool. We will not go anywhere else this morning before washing clothes and cleaning ourselves, how about that?'
After saying that, Zhang Tie held his little bird and shook it in a lecherous way. At the same time, he changed his voice to a younger brother's. 'Fine! But I really miss Alice and Beverly these days, I want to do disgusting and terrifying things with them. I want to play with their small golden fishes[2], what should I do then?'
Zhang Tie changed to his own voice. "Trust me, as long as I grow stronger and more powerful, they will not leave me. So they'll belong to you sooner or later; their small golden fishes will also belong to you sooner or later!"
Thinking of their small golden fishes, Zhang Tie's small bird expanded immediately, seemingly waking up in a split second.
'Come on, then!' Zhang Tie changed to the same tender voice. 'I will, beauty is the source of happiness!'
After living alone for one week, Zhang Tie gradually got used to talking to himself. As long as nobody was around, he would not mind talking to his 'weird bird' to improve his own mood and relieve his tension. If he was noticed doing this kind of weird behavior by other hypocrites, Zhang Tie's pervert's and leecher's status would never be wiped off for the rest of his life. However, in the Castle of Black Iron, he did not have to worry about that at all...
[1] Fully-fledged little bird refers to his genital covered with pubic hair.
[2]Small golden fishes refer to the tongues of the girls.
Chapter 134: Marching to the Crescent Prairie
Translator: Editor:
In the next couple of days, Zhang Tie didn't obtain anything else, neither from that small tree nor the Wild Wolf Valley. His luck seemed to have been used up.
Since saving Bonder's group by killing five huge wolves, and one common wild wolf, Zhang Tie had not met even one wolf in the Wild Wolf Valley for two consecutive days. Though he met other kinds of animals, such as boars, hares, pheasants, argalis, and pangolins. He even saw a fat water badger swaggering not far from him. However, Zhang Tie didn't kill them as he was focusing on the Wild Wolf Seven-Strength Fruit, which was not even half ripe. Besides, since he had sufficient food supplies, there was no need to kill them.
Zhang Tie would never kill animals for no reason. Even if it was very easy for him to kill them—as told by his mom—he would not kill them because it was not necessary.
He could improve his strength by killing wild wolves; however, he could get nothing from killing the weak animals, even if that boar could pose a threat to him.
Several days ago, Zhang Tie had killed a huge wolf. As told by Donder, Zhang Tie had shredded its leg meat. After smoking the pieces on a pile of burning half-dried pine twigs for an entire afternoon, he hung them at the entrance of the mountain cave to dry them up.
Donder had told him that if he had no sufficient salt and spice to deal with meat, he could keep it fresh longer by smoking and drying it. Zhang Tie then tried it and testified that it was true. To tell the truth, that smoked meat of the huge wolf tasted special really and nice. Like dried meat that had been dealt with, Zhang Tie could eat these pieces directly by cutting them off. Therefore, he had enough food. What he really needed were wild wolves.
One month since the survival training started, in order to obtain more food, the other teams were becoming braver than before and were gradually venturing farther away from the Wild Wolf Castle. As a result, wild wolves' living space narrowed step by step. The number of wild wolves was also decreasing. So it became more and more difficult to hunt them. From the beginning of the survival training to now, Zhang Tie estimated that over 1000 wild wolves had been killed by people. Even if Will Wolf Castle was filled with them before, people could hardly see any now.
Because it was more and more difficult to hunt prey, the second month of the survival training was the most testing period to the students. Thankfully, Zhang Tie had left enough food for his friends to survive the rest of the training.
Compared to food, Zhang Tie feared more about Glaze's group since they might find Barley and Pandora trouble. Such a mean, vicious, and powerful guy was the most dangerous one.
Blues said Glaze was even more powerful than a golden wolf. Zhang Tie assumed that perhaps Glaze had hidden his real strength to a certain degree at school. Otherwise, he must have broken through in this survival training. Generally, he preferred to regard Glaze as LV 3 warrior. He should not view him as a LV 2 warrior any more.
Zhang Tie knew that others would also make progress, not only he alone. Nobody would remain unchanged. Even if Sharlon, Zuhair, and Garner, the lackeys of Glaze had ignited their Shrine burning point one day, Zhang Tie would not be surprised about it either.
Never imagine your enemy as kind as you; never imagine your enemy as the same one that you have always known. If you violated that law, it would be very dangerous for you.
Similarly, whether Glaze's group had known that one day after he would ignite the second burning point on his spine and became a LV 3 warrior?
Therefore, after staying in the No.2 base for another two days, namely one day before the latest Leakless Fruit became ripe, Zhang Tie made an important decision—marching to the Crescent Prairie.
This morning, after the sun set up, Zhang Tie carried his luggage and arranged his equipment before leaving that mountain cave on the cliff.
It was a sunny day with white clouds all over the sky. Based on his meticulousness as a loner and the experience that had been imparted by Blues, Zhang Tie had already explored the road last afternoon and had found a new base for himself in the border between the Wild Wolf Valley and the Crescent Prairie.
As he walked forward, the terrain of the valley became increasingly broader. At the same time, the hills inside the valley gradually became sparse, the highland in the valley also became lower. As if pressed down by an invisible hand over the valley, the shrubs and arbors that Zhang Tie could see also became increasingly lower and fewer.
In contrast, the amount of herbal plants gradually increased. Later, with the exception of a few shrubs among great patches of grasslands and hills, and the two high ranges extending from the valley, he could not even see a single tall arbor in the valley anymore. All this reminded Zhang Tie that he was still in the Wild Wolf Valley. However, the increasingly lower mountain ranges told him that he would exit Wild Wolf Valley not in the not too distant time.
Such broad terrain was most dangerous to birdies who were still warriors [1]. They could hardly escape from beast attacks since the surroundings provided little to no places to aid in escaping or hiding.
Because of this, Zhang Tie mainly chose to march along the mountain slope in the southeast of the Wild Wolf Valley. Road on the mountain slope was bad. Compared to the road in the valley, it would take him more time and strength to finish the same distance, but here one could easily find dangers in advance.
When in dangers, one could have more terrain to make use of. What made one most reassured in the simplest way was that although no tall arbors could be seen in the valley, there were still some on the mountain slopes, which could work as the best shelter for one to escape from dangerous beast attacks.
Zhang Tie had practiced climbing trees many times these days.
On the way, Zhang Tie also saw some caves made by gold-eating boas. However, compared to the amount of them surrounding the Wild Wolf Castle, the closer it was to Crescent Prairie, the fewer caves of gold-eating boas there were, indicating that they posed weaker threat to other wild beasts and various mutated living beings. In other words, more dangerous living beings would exist outside. Not only dangerous living beings, even if the amount of common wild wolves would gradually increase.
Naturally, the prairie was the hunting field of wolf packs!
On the way, due to perfect vision angle from the mountain slope, Zhang Tie saw more and more wild wolf packs in the valley far in the distance, 2-3 at least, 10 at most. This made him highly spirited. He felt that the first ripe Wild Wolf Seven-Strength Fruit was greeting him.
'All the strength of a wild wolf!' Zhang Tie already heavily drooled inwardly.
"Help...ah..."
When Zhang Tie was less than 1 km away from the base that he had chosen after trekking for an entire morning, a wind from Crescent Prairie brought a shout for helps and groans into Zhang Tie's ears. In the beginning, he thought it was just his imagination since he had not met a person the entire morning. But several steps further, Zhang Tie heard the voice once again. This time he realized that it was not his mind playing tricks on him, but a real voice coming from up ahead.
"Hel...p..."
Zhang Tie immediately pulled out of a lance from his lance container. Bowing his body, he became careful and walked forward stealthily. Less than 20 m ahead, he saw the guy who was seeking help in a weak voice.
At first sight, that guy was lying on the ground, but Zhang Tie didn't go there. Instead, he squatted down and carefully searched the surroundings to confirm that there were no traps or ambushes set, and that the guy was not pretending to be wounded. Only then did Zhang Tie stood up and ran towards him.
Since he was born, Zhang Tie had seen many unlucky guys. However, this one today must have the worst luck of them all. Even Doug was not this unlucky. How bad did one's luck have to be that he would step onto a bear trap set by another person.
On the grassland at the foot of the mountain ahead, a pioneer was lying on the ground while a basin-sized bear trap was gripping his left shin. As a result, bloodstains could be seen everywhere on the ground and his trousers. Some of them being from that unlucky guy, while the rest were from two wolves lying dead on the ground.
Zhang Tie walked over and found that guy was still with closed eyes, face as white as paper. He was at the edge of spiritual collapse, only having the last breath to say 'help...' using all his efforts and groan once in awhile.
Firstly, Zhang Tie checked the blood stains on the beast clip and his wounds. Judging from the dark blood stains and gore, Zhang Tie knew that it had happened more than ten hours ago. That unlucky guy's shin was directly broken by the bear trap, while the two rows of saw teeth were tightly biting into his flesh. At the sight of the wounds, Zhang Tie was really shocked.
After checking his wounds, Zhang Tie moved his eyes onto the two dead wild wolves. After simply touching their stiffness, Zhang Tie only gained more proof for his initial thought—this unlucky guy was lying here since last night.
Zhang Tie could even imagine what had happened here at that time—that guy must have wandered into the Wild Wolf Valley last night out of some reason and absent-mindedly stepped onto such a disgusting bear trap. As a result, he fell down and screamed miserably, which attracted the two wild wolves. Thankfully, he killed them. After that, he just lay on the ground overnight. Fortunately, he was still alive until now, although only with the last wisp of breath.
Zhang Tie looked around and found nobody else. That guy just lay there alone. At the same time, some black points were flying high in the sky, eagles or vultures.
If he didn't save him today, this guy would hardly live through tonight. He might be eaten before dusk. On the way here, Zhang Tie had seen more than one wild wolf wandering around. Judging from this guy's current situation, he would definitely be killed by another attacker, whoever it was.
"Hel...p..." almost in a coma, that guy mumbled once again. Wordless, Zhang Tie scratched his head and glanced at that 20 or so years old face again. He then thought back to how his mom had cried at the sight of the photo of his eldest brother and sighed. 'I will help you...'
After taking off his luggage and lance container, Zhang Tie put them on the grass to the side and carefully helped that guy sit up. He kept the stranger's upper body straight and let him sit close to his legs. After that, he carefully took away the dagger from the guy's hand. He didn't want to be scratched by accident when the guy regained consciousness. If that happened, he himself would be the most unlucky guy.
After one night's struggle and losing a great amount of blood, that guy looked like white paper, and his lips were covered with white rips like crops that had not been watered for several years. Lifting him up with one hand, Zhang Tie took off his kettle from his waist and opened its lid. He then moved that kettle close to that guy's mouth and let him sip a mouthful of water.
The water inside the kettle originated from the quality mountain spring in the Castle of Black Iron. This was the best water that Zhang Tie had ever drunk since he was born. It was crystal clear, sweet, and smooth. From the moment he drank a mouthful of this kind of water, he had kept drinking it the past few days.
Only ten seconds after sipping a mouthful of water, that guy's vitality and instincts seemed to have been reawoken. He started to murmur out of consciousness, "Water… water… water..."
Zhang Tie then slowly fed him more, afraid of him suffocating if he took too much. After drinking several mouthfuls of water, the guy's throat started to quiver. Then, he started to drink faster. Not until he finished drinking half of the water in the kettle did Zhang Tie move it away from his lips, waiting for him to recover his physical strength and consciousness.
Only after one minute, did this guy finally open his eyes. After glancing at Zhang Tie, he immediately closed his eyes. More than 10 seconds later, he opened his eyes once again. Meeting Zhang Tie's eyes once again, he slowly uttered in a hoarse voice, "Thank you..."
Seeing that guy recovering his consciousness a bit and already knowing that Zhang Tie had helped him, Zhang Tie finally let out a sigh. If he could wake up, everything could be easily dealt with. Besides opening his eyes, judging from his raising chest, this guy could also breathe a bit more smoothly now. So his life might have been saved.
Like teachers had said, water was really the source of life which could never be replaced. Without water, no living beings could survive.
Letting him sit against his leg, Zhang Tie planned to let him recover his physical strength for a bit.
Only after two minutes, the guy seemed to have recovered some more.
"Do you have some more water..."
Zhang Tie then passed his kettle. This time, the guy could already hold the kettle by himself. While he was gulping down the water, Zhang Tie flicked the kettle at the guy's waist over. The empty sound drifted in his ears, making him speechless again—what an unlucky guy! After finishing drinking his water, he then stepped onto a bear trap, and had struggled for the whole night. No wonder he was so thirsty.
[1] One is a warrior until LV 6. After that, he would be a fighter, then a knight.
Chapter 135: Saving People
Translator: Editor:
Sitting on the ground, the guy soon bottomed up Zhang Tie's kettle. He didn't mind that. While the guy was heavily breathing after drinking up the water, Zhang Tie found he was even a bit younger than he had speculated before. The dirt covering his face and the mustache that had not been shaved for many days caused him to look several years older. Actually, he was just a bit older than 20 years old.
After taking his empty kettle back, Zhang Tie asked, "Can you eat something now? I think it would help you recover as soon as possible!"
Hearing this, the guy nodded and started to reach for something at his waist. Seeing him taking out compressed dried rations from his small leather bag, Zhang Tie stopped him. "Eat mine. Compressed dried rations cannot provide you enough heat. It could never match meat. Can you sit up by yourself now?"
The guy nodded and struggled to sit up, supporting himself by placing his hands on the ground. During this movement, he slightly moved the bear trap that had bitten onto his shin, and cold sweat could be seen once again forming on his forehead. However, he gritted his teeth and remained silent.
Seeing him gritting his teeth and sitting up alone, Zhang Tie nodded inwardly. One who dared to wander in the Wild Wolf Valley at midnight truly was a tough man.
"Sit here, I will give some food for you!"
After saying this, Zhang Tie walked towards the bamboo-woven cage that contained the dried meat of the huge wolf.
When Zhang Tie turned away, the eyes of the guy sitting on the ground immediately became sharp. He rapidly peered at the dagger that had been thrown aside by Zhang Tie and glanced over Zhang Tie with alert eyes. During this process, he took in every details about Zhang Tie, including his age, height, physique, clothes, weapons, and his luggage that contained his sleeping bag. Nothing on Zhang Tie could escape from his eyes. After doing this, the guy winked, seemingly thinking about something. After that, he slumped down while the alertness in his eyes disappeared.
Zhang Tie, who had turned away to get food for him, didn't know the thoughts that had flashed across the man behind him.
The dried meat of the huge wolf was put into a bamboo-woven schoolbag-sized food container that could be fixed on his waist, which was a necessity in survival training in the wild. The cages were woven by girls in the Wild Wolf Castle using bamboo and reeds, which worked the best. Although Zhang Tie could access the Castle of Black Iron at any time, he didn't want himself to look too special. So for basic belongings and food, he preferred to carry them on his person. Even in the wild, Zhang Tie didn't like to casually access Castle of Black Iron without necessity, since it would increase the risk of exposing his biggest secret. Additionally, his strength could increase by carrying these items with him.
Zhang Tie took out a smoked jerky of the huge wolf. The guy didn't pick at the food, nor did he say polite words. Instead, he directly took it and engulfed it. After that, he rested for another several minutes, during which he greatly improved both spiritually and physically.
"Thank you for saving my life. If not for you, I would have hardly survive this night!" Although still weak, the guy still seriously stared at Zhang Tie with his cyan eyes. "Please let me know my savior's name!"
"I'm Zhang Tie!"
"Are you a student attending survival training in the Wild Wolf Valley?"
"Yes!" Zhang Tie looked at him, not feeling it improper to tell him his status as a student attending the survival training. Since there were many students attending the training all over the Wild Wolf Valley, it was no secret. "What's your name?"
"I'm Salvey!"
"Few people are as unlucky as you!" Zhang Tie looked at the bear trap on Salvey's shin. "How do you feel now? Have you recovered a bit? I cannot open it by myself. I'm afraid if I can't open it and let it close up again, you will suffer a greater pain. It seems like you've already tried it by yourself..."
Salvey's pale face looked a bit embarrassed. "It would take a LV 5 strength to open it alone, my strength is not big enough..."
Last night, Salvey had already tried twice to open it by himself. However, the result was the one that Zhang Tie had mentioned. He could not open it and had no choice but to let it close up again, only causing him to suffer more pain.
"There are too many pioneers coming to the Crescent Prairie to hunt for golden wolves and pick Goose-neck Grass. There's no way to know who had set the bear trap here!" Zhang Tie looked at Salvey full of sympathy. "Are you here to hunt golden wolves and Pick up Goose-neck Grass too? Why did you come over here to the Wild Wolf Valley? There are no golden wolves or Goose-neck Grasses here..."
After going blank for seconds, Salvey replied to eliminate Zhang Tie's doubt, "It was dark, and I wasn't familiar with the terrain..."
Zhang Tie didn't doubt it after hearing the explanation. If it was not for the two items, why else would anyone wander into the Wild Wolf Valley and the Crescent Prairie? Picking up wolves' sh*t? Blues said many pioneers had arrived at the Crescent Prairie these days and Salvey must be one of them.
Based on his own life experiences, Zhang Tie didn't realize that Salvey was escaping from his doubt. So he thought that Salvey had just admitted his purpose here.
After resting for a couple of minutes, Salvey's face regained some color. He nodded towards Zhang Tie to indicate that he was ready to open it together with Zhang Tie.
"You don't need to rest more?" Zhang Tie asked, a bit worried about him.
"No more, this time, we two might be able to deal with it..."
"Fine, hope we can succeed..."
On the steel bars with saw teeth on both sides were a row of round holes. Such a design was to relieve the weight of the bear trap, and was convenient for one to open it. Since Salvey had expressed that he could do it, Zhang Tie said nothing more.
He then held the bear trap using his hands, allowing Salvey to move his foot to another direction and lift up his knee so that they could use their efforts to open it together. After inserting their fingers into the round holes, they exchanged glances and nodded at the same time.
"After I count to three, let's do it together..." Zhang Tie said.
Salvey nodded and took a deep breath.
"One… two… three… Go!"
The two used all their strength to pull the bear trap open, and the saw teeth started to leave Salvey's shin.
When the saw teeth were pulled out of Salvey's wounds, Zhang Tie felt Salvey's body quiver all over. At the same time, Salvey's strength became weaker, causing the bear trap's force on his side to increase abruptly.
Zhang Tie instantly shouted, "Stand it, come on..."
Zhang Tie's face turned red while Salvey's face increasingly turned paler. Sweat drops formed on their foreheads at the same time. Soon after that, the huge mouth of the bear trap slowly opened again.
"Right now..."
When Salvey's shin could be fully pulled out of the beast clip, without Zhang Tie prompting, Salvey used his last energy to pull his leg back and get it out of the huge mouth of the bear trap. After that, they loosened their hands at the same time. With a sound of 'Ka', the bear trap closed once again.
Just after such a short exercise, the two were so tired that they sat on the ground, breathing heavily. The jaws of this bear trap were really powerful...
The moment the trap left Salvey's shin, the wounds torn open by the saw teeth bled once again. However, this time, the blood looked a bit dark. After tearing off the part of trousers covering Salvey's shin, Zhang Tie found that the lower part of Salvey's shin was swollen like a turnip and looked black and shiny due to the gore. After poking it using his finger, Zhang Tie found that the pioneer didn't feel it at all.
Salvey also noticed this. He tried it by himself and realized that he could feel no pain on the shin beneath the wounds. Naturally he knew what this meant; his face twitched once again.
"If we don't deal with it at once, your shin might have to be cut off then..." Zhang Tie solemnly said to Salvey.
Salvey's eyes became brighter hearing Zhang Tie's words, and he hurriedly asked, "You could deal with it..?"
"I've heard about it from others. As it will touch your broken bones and wounds, it might be very painful. I don't know if you'll be able to stand it or not..."
"Come on..."
Salvey gritted his teeth.
"Fine, you have to stand it. In your case, it's more important to make your blood near the wounds flow smoothly than wrapping them. I have to let the dead blood flow out in case of further damaging your shin..."
Zhang Tie couldn't be sure of success, but Donder had told him that this was the only method at this time. Yet, it was really his first time attempting something like this.
Salvey nodded seriously.
Zhang Tie pitched the part beneath Salvey's knee using his hands and pushed downwards along the wounds like pushing out milk...
The moment Zhang Tie increased his strength, Salvey's eyes popped out. After a loud scream, he stopped Zhang Tie. "Wait for a moment, please.."
Zhang Tie looked at him and stopped...
Salvey heavily gasped for air, a bit embarrassed. "Can you fetch me a stick so that I can bite into it..."
30 seconds later, Salvey bit into a stick fetched by Zhang Tie. Seeing Salvey having prepared, and nodding, Zhang Tie continued.
This time, Salvey didn't scream, instead, his whole body started to tremble repetitively and twist like a fish thrown onto a stone to dry under the sunshine.
No matter what, Zhang Tie didn't stop, since his actions wouldn't kill the pioneer. So although he was a bit hesitant at the beginning, he moved faster and more ferociously as time went by. Several minutes later, the blood in Salvey's shin could finally, smoothly flow downwards, and looked normal. However, Salvey looked as if he was scooped out of water—wet all over.
"Is it done?" Salvey asked when he felt Zhang Tie stop. He felt like he'd just survived hell itself.
"It's done..."
Zhang Tie patted his hands.
Hearing the words, Salvey revealed a brilliant smile of one who had survived a great trouble.
"I've finished the preparations. Now we'll officially start it..."
Hearing Zhang Tie's words, Salvey rolled up his eyes and fell backwards.
"Ah, why did you pass out..."
'You really have poor willpower!'
Zhang Tie shook his head and started to recover Salvey's senses in his shin. First, he still needed to eliminate the dirty blood in the shin, only then could the fresh blood flow in, and Salvey's shin start recovering. Together with fresh blood would be fresh energy and nutrients that could recover vitality in the muscles and nerves.
He could push away the dirty blood like how he pushed milk. However, Salvey's wounds were above his shin. Therefore, the dirty blood could not flow out by itself—just like a dead pond. Over one night, it might have already conglomerated in the vessels of his shin, causing it to be more difficult to push it upwards.
Thinking of Donder's guidance, Zhang Tie then took out his dagger and opened two wounds of medium depth along the direction of muscle fibre in Salvey's shin before starting to push hard on his shin. With his efforts, the black, dirty blood started to constantly flow out of the wounds on Salvey��s shin.
At first, the dirty blood being pushed out was black, then it turned purple-black, purple-red, and finally recovered to normal red. At that time, the black, bright swollen shin also gradually recovered to normal due to Zhang Tie's hard work.
After all this, Zhang Tie pulled out some his medicine for healing wounds and pasted it onto Salvey's injuries.
Stimulated by the medicine, Salvey gradually woke up. Opening his eyes, he saw Zhang Tie still working on his wounds; while the lower part of his shin felt a bit painful. Salvey almost started crying. It was the first time he thought that it was very nice to feel pain.
...
Twenty minutes later, Zhang Tie re-embarked on his path. However, this time, compared to that one hour ago, he had a companion—bad luck Salvey.
Salvey was both weak and embarrassed. Jumping on one foot, he supported himself with a branch fetched by Zhang Tie with one hand while the other was wrapped around Zhang Tie's neck.
The two slowly walked towards the border between the Wild Wolf Valley and the Crescent Prairie. Salvey said he had several more companions in the border, so he only requested Zhang Tie to accompany him back to his base.
Now that Zhang Tie had saved his life, he naturally would not just leave him alone, especially since the man could not even move freely. With the belief to be a good man and help people for as long as it was necessary, Zhang Tie gritted his teeth and carried his luggage once again. He promised Salvey to send him back to his base to meet his companions. According to him, they were just 3-5 km away from Zhang Tie's base.
'It won't take me too long time to come back after sending him back to his base.' Thinking this, Zhang Tie agreed and considered it a good way to become more familiar with the surrounding terrain.
Chapter 136: An Almost Death
Translator: Editor:
They started during noon and finally completed the less than 10 km journey right before sunset.
Due to Salvey's weakness, they had to rest several times on the way. If it wasn't for the items Zhang Tie had to carry, he would have taken Salvey on his back. He still considered it for a couple of times.
Besides Salvey, Zhang Tie had without hesitation taken that bear trap. He had put it onto his package which added more than 5 kg to the already sizable weight on his back. Seeing the metal contraption, Salvey kept gritting his teeth.
Zhang Tie asked Salvey whether he would take the bear trap himself. Naturally, Salvey was not able to take it, so, Zhang Tie owned it. Facing the pioneer's dubious eyes, he had explained that he could obtain about 20 silver coins by selling it in Blackhot City. Hearing his words, Salvey didn't doubt him but felt speechless.
In truth, Zhang Tie admitted it only to himself but he was actually thinking about setting up Glaze and his lackeys using this bear trap. Salvey's poor look brought an evil scene to his mind—Glaze or one of his lackeys gripped by those metal jaws like Salvey had been, and rolling around on the ground. If it happened, Zhang Tie would feel much better. So he decided to carry it on his back.
The distance they had to travel tested Zhang Tie's endurance more than his physical strength.
When they reached the foot of the mountain, they moved only a bit faster than a tortoise. Thankfully Salvey expected to soon meet his companions around here, so except for necessary short rests, he had no mood to do anything else. Additionally, they weren't unfortunate enough to meet any beasts on the way, enabling them to arrive at the base where Salvey's companions stayed before sunset.
The base was on the other side of the range which extended out of the Wild Wolf Valley. If this range of dozens of kilometers in length was regarded as a bitter gourd, on the top of this bitter gourd would be the border between the Wild Wolf Valley and the Crescent Prairie. Zhang Tie stayed on the left side atop this bitter gourd while Salvey's companions stayed on the right top-side of this bitter gourd. Once passing through the top of the bitter gourd, the two places were not far from each other.
...
"The birch forest in front is where we should meet up..."
Pointing at the birch forest on the hillside ahead, Salvey increased his pace with one arm over Zhang Tie's neck. Seeing the target, Zhang Tie also let out a sigh, thinking about being able to come back to his own base before dusk.
After entering the birch forest with Salvey for less than 50 m, Zhang Tie abruptly felt goose bumps all over his neck. Without hesitation, he immediately rolled away.
The moment Zhang Tie rolled away, a blade flashed through the air, passing the place where he had stood moments before. There was a shadow sliding down from a birch. Realizing that he had not hit Zhang Tie, he chased after him, aiming to attack him once again.
"Stop, Miller..!" Salvey shouted out loudly.
With the luggage on his back, Zhang Tie's flexibility was restricted. That shadow moved faster than him.
So overburdened, Zhang Tie moved like a tortoise. After two rolls on the ground, he pulled out his lance, but that guy's blade had already come close to his neck. If it wasn't for Salvey who had shouted "Stop..!", Zhang Tie believed he would have definitely had his neck sliced. Looking at his lance, he found that he could at most pierce through his opponent's abdomen. The outcome would be that the shadow guy would be heavily wounded, yet he himself would have kicked the bucket.
That guy called Miller had never imagined that Zhang Tie could respond so fast. He didn't consider that Zhang Tie might be able to pull out his lance and prepare to pierce through his abdomen by the time he moved his blade close to his neck.
The moment Salvey shouted, the two people stopped at the same time. The tense atmosphere eased down somewhat. However, Zhang Tie and Miller goggled at each other without putting their weapons down.
Only after a few seconds, Zhang Tie's back was drenched with sweat. After Huck and Snade, this was his second time coming this close to dying.
"Brat, I will count to three. If you don't put down your weapon, my bow will definitely open a big hole in your neck, cooling you off..."
20 m away, another person in a gray cloak stood up from the shrubs with a bow in hand, an arrow nocked and ready to go. The sharp triangular arrowhead was targeted at Zhang Tie's neck from 20 m away.
Zhang Tie felt goose bumps all over his neck once again.
"Harley, put down your bow. He saved me, so I let him accompany me back. Without him, I might not have even been able to return..." After saying that, Salvey shouted at Miller again, "Miller, you motherf*cker, before you chop people, won't you tell me first!"
After exchanging glances, Miller and Harley seemed to notice the wounds on Salvey's shin and that crutch made of a branch. They then moved away their weapons.
"Hey, brat, it's really surprising how fast you moved!"
Miller laughed out loudly without caring about what he had almost done to Zhang Tie just now. Putting the long machete back into its holder, he then stretched out his hands towards Zhang Tie who was still lying on the ground. Zhang Tie didn't pull on his hands but picked himself up from the ground without saying anything. Seeing this, Miller just shrugged his shoulders.
During the short time of their confrontation, more than ten people rushed out of the birch forest with weapons in hands. Supported by his clutch, Salvey immediately moved forward and murmured something to one of the group of people while pointing at Zhang Tie. Hearing his explanation, they then put their weapons back and walked peacefully towards Zhang Tie.
Since the group of people had rushed out of the birch forest, Zhang Tie's eyes jumped. Although they looked like pioneers, he felt that it wasn't true. He didn't know how, but he felt that these people were dangerous as their alert and wondering eyes made him uncomfortable.
"You saved Salvey?"
A 30-odd years man walked towards Zhang Tie, as he put away his weapon. The newcomer looked thin, with an unclean beard. He had a pair of sharp, eagle-like eyes. They reminded Zhang Tie of the magistrates squatting in the corners of the walls near the railway station of Blackhot city, fixating their eyes on those orphans who only focused on passers-by's purses on their waists.
This made Zhang Tie uncomfortable too.
"Yes, I saved Salvey." Saying this, he put away his lance.
"Few students dare to come to the Crescent Prairie for survival training!" the man noted, trying to figure out who Zhang Tie really was.
"There are three students from the Wild Wolf Castle who dare to attend the loner's survival training here, and I am one of them!" Zhang Tie replied with some pride.
At the same time, he noticed that the man walking towards him exchanged glances with Miller, who slightly nodded, seemingly admitting Zhang Tie's strength.
"No matter what, since you saved Salvey, we should thank you!" The man slightly changed his attitude. "What do you need? If you have any wishes, just tell us, we will try our best to satisfy you!"
The man spoke so directly.
"No need. Salvey has returned to your place, so I will leave then!" Zhang Tie refused his proposal and looked at Salvey again. "See you next time!"
Knowing Zhang Tie was going to leave, Salvey opened his mouth, yet didn't utter a sound.
Waving his hands, Zhang Tie then strode out of the birch forest. Under the other people's gaze, he started to trot along the path he had come from. Those people just silently watched him disappear before moving away their eyes.
"Trust me, as long as he's in Blackhot city, you'll have a chance to thank him..." the archer Harley, who was standing nearby, comforted Salvey by patting his shoulder.
After moving back his eyes, Salvey revealed a smile.
"Head, this brat is not bad; he responded so fast. But he's narrow-minded..."
Hearing Miller's judgment, Salvey glared at him once again. "If he hadn't responded fast, he'd be long ago chopped down by you!"
That man with a pair of sharp eyes like those of an eagle kept watching Zhang Tie until he disappeared in the distance. He then turned back and asked, "Salvey, how about it now?"
Salvey knew that the man was not concerning about his wounds. Hearing his words, he said nothing else but pulled out a metal cylinder from his coat and passed it over.
"I've already mapped the terrain of the Wild Wolf Valley and figured out the situation there. The team of soldiers residing in the Wild Wolf Castle have already left one month ago. Therefore, the Wild Wolf Castle is the base of a group of boy scouts. There are less than ten people above LV 6 in the castle. The highest fighting force is below LV 9. The fighters are all teachers and instructors from the schools in Blackhot City.
Additionally, the city-defense equipment in the Castle can only perform to 40 percent of its maximal force under the manipulation of the students. The predominant boiler in the castle has not been used..."
Hearing Salvey's information, that man opened the metal cylinder and took out the map inside. He nodded slightly, then put the map back and immediately declared several orders without in the blink of an eye.
"You have five minutes to prepare, we'll move at once..."
Hearing his order, everybody hurriedly moved.
"Doge, prepare the message falcon to connect with the headquarters. Zola, check horses..." After saying that, the man remembered Salvey's wounds. He glanced at the injured leg roughly bound by twig-made splints and asked Salvey, "Can you still ride?"
"Yes..." Salvey replied with gritted teeth.
The man nodded.
Five minutes after Zhang Tie had left the birch forest, more than ten horses galloped out of the place. After a short while, they had already disappeared in the horizon northeast the border of the Crescent Prairie...