In the unusually silent forest, Athir stood there, holding a green solid in his right hand.
The green solid was dug out from the body of the green-eyed snake. It looked like stone and was stained with green snake blood. It looked a bit disgusting.
Looking at the green snake stone, Athir stood there and thought for a while, then wiped off the snake blood on it, and after confirming that it was non-toxic, he pinched a little bit and put it in his mouth.
"Ding! Effective substances detected. After swallowing 100 pills, your physical fitness will increase by 0.1."
The message in his mind made Athir's face light up with joy.
"How many of these snakes are there around?" Athir thought for a moment and asked the hunter who was following him.
The middle-aged hunter in the fur robe was stunned, as if he didn't expect Athir to ask this question. Then he quickly responded, "There are many green-eyed snakes around here, and you can often see them. But if you want to find more, you have to go deep into the forest, which is where these snakes live."
He looked at the snake stone in Athir's hand and asked tentatively, "Do you want this kind of snake stone? If you want it, I can get some for you."
Athir turned around and looked at him in surprise: "Is there such snake stone for sale around here? Isn't it said that green-eyed snakes are highly poisonous?"
"Although this green-eyed snake is poisonous, its meat is very delicious, and its snake stone is also a very valuable medicinal material, so experienced hunters often come to catch it."
The middle-aged hunter explained to Athir, "If you are willing to pay a high price, there are many experienced hunters around here to serve you. I believe you will be able to catch some soon."
"Then thank you for your help." Athir did not hesitate much about this matter. He agreed to the proposal after thinking about it.
One hundred snakes is not a small number. If Athir relies on himself to catch them, it would take him a long time to get them all. It would be a good thing if someone could help with the purchase.
They talked for a while and soon reached an agreement. Athir offered a high price of one gold coin per snake and asked the hunter to help buy it.
Life is not easy for common people in this world. One gold coin can support a family's basic survival for a month if they live frugally. But it is definitely a high price for hunters.
As the heir to the barony, Athir received money from his servants every month to support his life, but it was only about a hundred gold coins each month.
The deal was reached, and the hunter on the side was very happy, and several followers around him also had envious expressions on their faces.
It is foreseeable that when this hunter trades with others, he will definitely take a commission from that gold coin.
But Athir didn't care about that, it was human nature. He just wanted the materials he could get, and he didn't want to ask how he got them.
"Okay, we've finished checking this area, let's go to the next place."
After searching carefully on the spot, Athir looked around and spoke to the other people behind him.
After searching for such a long time, there was nothing special except for some traces of mountain bears in the surrounding area.
According to the analysis of the chip in his mind, these traces were basically from one or two weeks ago. Given the roaming nature of mountain bears, they might have already run off to other places.
Atier led his men back to where the horses were tied before, ready to go and have a look elsewhere.
As his arm gently stroked the black horse, Athir's eyes suddenly focused, and the sound of the mechanical chip in his mind began to ring.
"Ding! Unknown breath molecules detected, analyzed to be adult male humans, quantity is three."
"Someone just came here!" Athir's mind was shocked, and he subconsciously looked to the right following the direction of the chip analysis.
On the right, there is a patch of grass with low plants growing lushly in it. It looks very natural, without any trace of human intervention.
However, this was only a superficial disguise. After analysis by the chip, it was found that there were shallow traces of trampling in the grass and trees, as well as strong scent molecules that spread all the way into the distance.
After discovering this, Athir's expression remained unchanged, and his gaze quickly shifted to a few horses, as if he had just glanced at them casually.
However, his right hand was quietly placed on the cross sword at his waist, and he felt a little hesitant.
This hesitation did not last long. Soon, he made a decision in his heart and naturally put down the cross sword held in his right hand.
He was not the original owner of this body, nor was he a die-hard fan of Count Polya, and he had no intention of dying for him.
Ordinary tasks are fine, but this kind of life-and-death battle is of no benefit to Athir.
Athir quietly stroked the black horse under him, but secretly used a chip to detect the condition of the horse.
This was just to be on the safe side. Although they didn't want to fight to the death, the other party might not be aware of this and might take advantage of their absence to do something.
"Ding! The horse is in good physical condition and has no abnormal reactions."
The chip in his mind prompted him to do so, which made Athir feel a little relieved.
"Let's go."
He mounted his horse, as if he had discovered nothing, and walked forward with a few people behind him, preparing to patrol and investigate the next location.
After waiting for a while, they confirmed that Athir had left. Three people walked out from the bushes near the original place.
They were wearing emerald green tights and were quick and agile in their movements. In this area, they were difficult to be spotted because of the cover of the surrounding scenery.
"Why didn't you kill them just now?" Looking at the direction of Athir and the others in the distance, a bearded man among the three people was a little puzzled and asked a young man next to him.
The young man was also wearing a green tight suit, but he looked much more handsome than the bearded man, and his expression was very calm.
"These people are here to investigate the situation in this area. If we take action, it will arouse their suspicion no matter what, and it is very likely that our arrangements during this period will be exposed."
"And even if we really do it, with just the three of us, it's not certain who will be the winner in the end."
After the explanation, the young man looked in the direction where Athir and others were going away, and said with a serious expression.
"No way?" The bearded man said in disbelief, "Just a few ordinary people and a noble child who is still breastfeeding in a woman's arms? I can kill them all by myself."
"That's not an ordinary noble kid." At this time, another person spoke up with a serious look on his face: "That's Athir Fakus, a famous knight genius in this area."
"This is not a boastful genius, but one who has truly fought in the battlefield. I heard that he was about to reach the standard for promotion to knight half a year ago, and it is estimated that he is not far from activating his life seed now."
At this point, a hint of fear appeared in the man's tone: "With this kind of strength, unless a real knight comes, it is impossible to keep the other party, let alone the three of us."
"Okay, let's stop here for today. The most important task now is to set up the forward base so that we can receive the follow-up personnel."
············
When three people appeared from behind, Athir was leading his men back the way they came.
Because it was almost noon, the sun was very big in the sky.
After observing for a while, Athir ordered the group to find an abandoned village and rest there for a while.
After entering, Athir tied up the horse under the shade of a tree, then walked in and looked at the scene inside.
It is said to be an abandoned village, but in fact the buildings here are still very new, and some places are not seriously covered with dust. The signs of habitation are very obvious, and it seems that someone lived here not long ago.
This was actually one of the villages that was massacred by the mountain bear some time ago.
There were damaged and collapsed buildings everywhere, as if they had been hit by a giant beast, and they looked shattered. In some corners that were not easy to clean, there were some dried bloodstains that had not been cleaned up, adding a subtle bloody feeling to the whole scene.
Standing in this place, Athir glanced around vigilantly. His good vision and the prompts from the chip in his mind enabled him to easily detect any signs of error around him.
After confirming that there was no hidden danger, they found a place to rest for a while.
The hunter nearby skillfully found some usable kitchen utensils here, such as a large pot and some tableware, which could be used on the spot after a little cleaning.
The others also went up to help skillfully. Soon, in a house that was still intact, a large pot was filled with thick soup. A little bit of meat aroma continued to waft out of it, making the people around swallow their saliva.
The soups contained some of the prey that Athir and others had caught before, including the green-eyed snake, which was also skinned and put in, and boiled with other ingredients.
As per custom, an attendant handed the best snake meat to Athir, then sat there silently, looking at Athir eagerly.
"Let's use it together." Looking at the eyes of the people around him, Athir said casually.
The people around him finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took their cutlery to prepare for dinner. However, they were still very careful not to disturb Athir.
After lunch, they rested for a while and then prepared to leave and patrol the next location.
Before leaving, Athir suddenly frowned, as if he had noticed something.
The mechanical sound of the chip sounded in my mind.
"Ding! Known scent molecules detected, analyzed to be an adult male, quantity three."
The sound of the chip prompt temporarily stopped Athir's forward movement.
(End of this chapter)