Chapter 35: Wolf Pack
2014-11-28
Author: Floating Tower (诸生浮屠)
The battlefield was simply cleared. The merchant caravan continued on, with Soren unable to ride due to his injuries, sitting instead on a cart transporting goods.
The mysterious woman didn’t invite him to enter the large cart; their relationship was not that close yet, but she did invite Vivian. Unfortunately, the little girl shook her head in refusal and climbed onto the cart to sit beside Soren. The group advanced quietly. The merchant guards continued to scout the surroundings, occasionally calling for people to fill in the potholes on the road. Recent heavy rains had turned these pathways into muddy trails, full of pits and puddles.
Soren was quite dirty, and Vivian was brushing off the dust from him.
In battle, one doesn’t care about appearances; rolling and dodging on the ground left him covered in dirt. Once dry, it formed clumps of mud on his clothes.
The little girl was diligently cleaning him, even rubbing her small hands together to blow off the dust.
Others were busy with their own tasks, but whenever they glanced at the two on the cart, a faint smile appeared on their lips, and their affection for them increased slightly. Especially the mysterious woman, who occasionally lifted the flap of the cart to look at them, although her gaze was mostly on the adorable little girl, as if something about her was particularly captivating. The scene was peaceful at that moment.
Soren sat cross-legged on the cart, wiping his curved blade with a rag. The blood from the burrowing worms was acidic, and if not cleaned properly, it could affect the weapon’s use. The little girl was beside him, removing the mud stuck to his clothes, and occasionally, she would pout her little mouth and blow gently. Due to the poor quality of the fabric, the dirt had seeped into the seams. Even after brushing it off, gray patches remained, which made the little girl somewhat dissatisfied.
“Use this!”
The guard captain, passing by on horseback, smiled and reached into his pocket to throw a pouch to Soren. “This is refined oil, it can maintain your weapon.”
A knife requires more than just a quick wipe and polish.
For those who rely on fighting for a living, a reliable weapon means assurance of life.
Soren smiled as he received it, using his finger to scoop out a bit of the ointment and carefully applying it to the curved blade. This refined oil can prevent the weapon from rusting, and it’s best to have some on hand before acquiring extraordinary-level weapons. Even extraordinary-level enchanted weapons require regular maintenance; it’s a matter of attitude towards combat. Soren wiped the curved blade dry before sheathing it.
Maybe because of the physical toll of the battle, or perhaps from the blood he had lost when injured, he looked somewhat weary and fatigued.
Unconsciously, he leaned back against the cart and dozed off.
The little girl kept quietly watching him; maybe she was a bit tired too, so she leaned her small head against his chest, careful not to touch his wound.
The merchant caravan kept moving forward.
Occasionally, a mounted guard would pass by the cart, making less noise, paying respect to the strong.
Soren could not necessarily defeat them in a one-on-one situation.
However, during the battle against the burrowing worms, he had already earned the respect of these merchant guards.
In truth, Soren was not asleep.
In reality, he rarely truly sleeps outdoors; most of the time, he was in a state of light slumber.
Half-dreaming, half-awake.
Even a slight unusual sound could awaken him.
He was mindful of the many dangers in the wilderness, and must remain vigilant at all times.
It was already evening.
The caravan had no intention of stopping. When Soren woke up, he found the little girl had fallen asleep against him.
He carefully pulled out his arm, trying not to wake the sleeping Vivian.
Unfortunately.
The little girl still opened her eyes, rubbing them with her little hands, and looked up, “Brother.”
“You’re awake?”
Soren smiled and nodded, gently stroking her hair. A merchant guard who had fought alongside him against the burrowing worms passed by, smiling as he tossed over a wrapped loaf of bread and a piece of meat. Outdoor adventuring doesn’t have much formality; the bread was prepared in advance, slightly hard, and the meat was cured jerky, still a bit warm from being held close to his body, making it easier to swallow.
Those who spent years traveling often kept their rations close to their chests so the food wouldn’t cool too much.
Soren broke off a piece of bread and handed it to Vivian before tearing off a slice of meat.
Since they weren’t stopping to start a fire, there was no soup; Soren swallowed the food down dry with a little water and whispered, “We’ll camp soon.”
“I’ll get you something tasty.”
They were in the wilderness.
With his skills, catching a couple of rabbits was a piece of cake, as there were many wild creatures around due to the lack of human activity!
The only hassle was that starting a fire might attract the wilderness monsters.
But with so many people around, they would be less afraid.
The little girl was not picky at all, quietly swallowing her bread.
Suddenly!
She seemed to sense something, looked up at the nearby forest, tugged on Soren’s shirt, and whispered, “Brother.”
“There seems to be something over there watching us?”
Soren, alerted, tightened his grip on the curved blade, then stood on the cart, scanning the area, but unfortunately, he saw nothing. However, based on past experience, he still managed to determine what was watching them.
“It’s fine.”
He gently rubbed the little girl’s head and slowly said, “That’s just the werewolves active in this area.”
“They must have discovered us passing by.”
“However…”
“These creatures don’t dare to attack large merchant caravans. We’ll be out of their activity range soon.”
Werewolves.
One of the common creatures in the wilderness.
They are more dangerous than goblins and dog-headed men, possessing sharp fangs, claws, and agile bodies, along with a relatively high intelligence.
These creatures prefer to attack solitary travelers.
However, regarding large merchant caravans, they seldom attack unless they feel completely confident in their abilities.
As a carnivorous species, werewolves are not very numerous.
Most have clans of about 15-30 members, and they often operate in small family units of about 5-8 individuals, preferring to hunt beasts and goblins. At least the latter poses little risk; if they attack humans in the wild, werewolves themselves might suffer casualties.
Typically, if the group consists of five or more, even if werewolves decide to attack, they will choose to ambush at night.
Initially, they will quietly track their prey!
As the nearby trees began to thicken, the merchant guards also tightened their scouting formation, increasing the number of scouts at the front to five, ensuring that someone could support and help in case of unexpected incidents.
Some merchants had already begun to complain.
Traveling in the dark is very troublesome; if the light is not enough, the oxen and horses slow down.
Fortunately.
Before long, a full moon appeared.
Tonight’s moonlight was excellent, the cool moonlight illuminated the surroundings, making it relatively convenient for them to advance.
The merchant guards lit torches.
The crew also placed the prepared torches on the large cart. Inside the central large cart, the mysterious woman quietly stepped out. She stood on the cart’s yoke, scanning the area, then pointed toward the top of the cart, uttering a strange single syllable. Suddenly, a light appeared at the top of the large cart.
Light Spell!
The mysterious woman’s wizard level was likely not low; she could illuminate an area of over a hundred feet.
The caravan erupted in cheers.
The power of the spell invigorated many, and a hint of relief appeared on the merchants’ faces.
“That sister’s spell is so powerful.”
The little girl quietly leaned closer to Soren and whispered, “The Light Spell I used was only so small, but she can illuminate such a big area.”
Profession Level 15 or above!
Soren stared deeply at the large cart, not expecting this mysterious woman to actually be a high-level witch.
………
While the light source made it easier for the caravan to move forward,
It also exposed their location, revealing pairs of glowing green eyes in the nearby dark forest, those of the wolves and beasts active in the area.
“Awwoo!”
A loud wolf howl echoed across the wilderness, and a figure resembling a wolf the size of a calf appeared on a distant hillside.
It was a wild wolf mount.
It glanced deeply at the distant caravan, its gaze locking onto the large cart. As if sensing the attention of the mysterious woman, its muscular body shivered for a moment before emitting a low howl. A series of wolf howls sounded, and the wolves hiding in the darkness nearby emerged, their glowing green eyes vanishing as they followed the wolf king in another direction. Wolf mounts possess good intelligence, even smarter than war horses, and there are many hunting options in the wild; there’s no need to provoke this merchant caravan.
Let alone the presence of a terrifying witch among them!
The fear of wizards had long since seeped into their blood over countless millennia; countless painful lessons had told these beasts to never provoke those who can cast spells lightly.
As long as they do not anger them, these beasts would not easily attack enemies that could cast spells!
………
