Chapter 93 | Bound by Gear, Forged by Power

A moment later.

Once Dawson's wounds were bandaged, he and the three youths took turns solemnly thanking Matthew.

Matthew waved his hand, signaling that there was no need for such formalities. “It is getting late, and traveling through the forest is dangerous. Why don't you stay the night in Stone Mill Village and head back to... Oak Village tomorrow?”

Dawson nodded.

“Thank you for the offer. We were thinking the exact same thing.”

He paused, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes as he looked toward the edge of the forest.

“Actually, there were originally five of us. Another boy in our group, Navarro, risked his life to escape and get help.”

Dawson left some thoughts unsaid: if everything had gone smoothly, judging by the time, there should have been some sign of a search party in the forest by now...

But the dead silence of the forest was no illusion.

Dawson could only hope that the snowy roads were slippery and the forest was full of variables, perhaps causing them to be delayed.

Matthew did not notice the worry in the other man's eyes. Sweeping his gaze over the darkening sky and the gathering fog, he said, “Since you've already sent someone for help, Instructor Calm will definitely come once he gets the news. However, it's already dark now, and moving blindly will only make it easier to run into danger again. Why don't you follow us back to the village first? If we run into Instructor Calm's team along the way, we can meet up with them.”

Dawson took a deep breath, suppressing the anxiety in his heart, and nodded.

“You're right. Our priority right now is to ensure the safety of these boys. In that case... I'll have to trouble you to lead the way, Brother Matthew.”

The group said no more and quickly packed up. Matthew and Aidan led the way in front, dragging the travois carrying the Shadow Wolf carcass.

Dawson followed closely behind with the three injured youths, keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings.

Although their trek through the snow was slow, the journey back went without any further trouble.

By the time they stepped out of the forest's edge, the sky was almost pitch black, without a single shred of light.

Yet, compared to being shrouded by the thick fog inside the woods, their visibility was undoubtedly much better now.

Leaving behind the oppressive fog and gloom of the Shadow Forest, their field of vision suddenly opened up significantly, even though night had fallen.

The tension in Dawson's heart eased slightly. He let out a long breath, finally able to ease his lingering anxiety.

Beside him, the three youths also clearly relaxed their tense nerves, their faces showing the relief of surviving a disaster.

Though Dawson's shoulder wound still throbbed with pain, escaping that perilous woodland brought a sense of security that was incomparable to before.

However, the suspicion in his heart was also growing stronger.

Walking at the very front, Matthew also felt a wave of relief. Thinking about today's harvest, a surge of joy welled up in his heart.

While keeping an eye on the snow beneath his feet and the surrounding movements, he let his mind wander to contemplate today's gains and his subsequent plans.

“This Shadow Wolf came at just the right time. It perfectly makes up for the rapid consumption of my meat reserves after my breakthrough. Although most of the meat might only be of ordinary quality, it is still magical beast meat after all. Its energy replenishment is much stronger than ordinary dried meat.”

“As for the Shadow Wolf's pelt and claws, they are excellent materials. I can exchange them for resources to plan for a Blue-quality bow in the future!”

After today's battle, Matthew fully understood how crucial ranged attacks were at his current stage.

Before his 【Energy Missile】 skill matured enough to become a stable and effective method of long-range attack, the only thing he could truly rely on was the bow and arrow in his hand.

If a Green-quality bow was already this powerful, what would a Blue-quality bow be like?

Therefore, a Blue-quality bow was a must-have for him!

Had he not held the 【Forest Shadow Hunting Bow】 in his hands today, he probably would have found it difficult to precisely shoot the Shadow Wolf under such distance and visibility conditions, saving Instructor Dawson's group and forcing the wolf pack to retreat.

Not to mention obtaining a whole Shadow Wolf as a trophy with virtually zero cost.

“Right now, the heavy snow has blocked the roads, temporarily easing the threat from the Fiery Lion family. However, they will still be a hidden danger once spring arrives. I must seize this time to further improve my strength, whether it's combat techniques, proficiency, or Energy Missile...”

As Matthew was pondering, the corner of his eye suddenly caught a faint but clear light flickering in the darkness outside the nearby woodland.

He immediately spoke to the group: “It's firelight! It might be Instructor Calm's team.”

Everyone was delighted to hear this.

With a thought, Matthew reached for the tinderbox and flint wrapped in oilcloth at his waist, instructing Aidan beside him, “Aidan, light our torch as well.”

Aidan took the items Matthew handed over and immediately pulled a pre-prepared wooden torch, its tip wrapped in pine resin-soaked cloth, from his backpack.

He then squatted down, using his body to shield against the cold wind.

He skillfully opened the tinderbox, pulled out the dry, fluffy tinder, and brought it close to the kindling at the top of the torch.

Pinching the flint and a small steel striker in his other hand, his wrist flicked quickly and powerfully.

“Clink, clink, clink!”

After a few crisp strikes, a few sparks showered down onto the tinder.

Aidan blew on it gently. The sparks quickly ignited the tinder, sending up a thin wisp of white smoke and a weak flame.

He quickly brought the burning tinder beneath the resin-soaked cloth at the top of the torch.

Meeting the heat, the oil caught with a soft whoosh, the flame quickly spreading to illuminate the entire tip of the torch, dispelling a small patch of the surrounding darkness.

Matthew took the torch. The flame danced in the night, illuminating everyone's tense faces.

The firelight dispelled a small portion of the surrounding darkness, bringing a trace of psychological warmth and reassurance.

As for why they hadn't used torches in the forest, the reason was simple: Matthew could easily deal with beasts that feared fire. As for those that didn't, lighting a torch would be useless and might even attract unnecessary trouble.

Matthew held the torch high, waving it left and right in a rhythmic pattern toward the distant line of firelights.

As if they had spotted them, the other side began waving their lights in the exact same pattern.

Seeing this, Matthew smiled and said to the group, “That's the signal from Stone Mill Village. Let's go, we're safe.”

Everyone's spirits lifted, especially the three Oak Village youths, whose eyes shone with renewed hope.

Dawson also clearly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

“Good.”

The two groups walked toward each other, the distance between them rapidly closing.

The firelights grew clearer and clearer, revealing a team of about seven or eight people. Each of them held a torch or a lantern, trudging through the deep snow.

When the two sides were only a dozen paces apart, the burly build and familiar silhouette of the leader of the opposing team became clearly discernible.

It was Calm, clad in leather armor with a sword at his waist, his expression solemn yet carrying a trace of urgency.

He had clearly noticed the firelight from Matthew's side long ago. As he walked closer and saw the Shadow Wolf carcass being dragged across the snow, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

But his gaze quickly bypassed the prey, urgently sweeping over Matthew and Aidan. Seeing no obvious external injuries on them, he finally let his heart settle.

His gaze finally locked onto the injured Dawson and his companions.

“Dawson? Why is he here?” Calm's eyes flashed with confusion.

Calm took a few steps forward, his gaze lingering for a moment on the wound on Dawson's shoulder. His brow immediately furrowed, but he did not ask too many questions, merely saying in a deep voice, “Let's return to the village first. Treating the wounds is the priority. Your injury cannot be delayed, Dawson.”

“Alright...”

Seeing that Navarro was not by Calm's side, Dawson's heart sank. His fears had indeed been realized. However, he also knew that settling down first was the most important thing right now.