Hearing this, everyone immediately quickened their pace toward the sound of the voice, and Matthew also arrived at the scene.
This was a rare treeless area in the forest, as if a patch of land had been cleared out of nowhere.
What met everyone's eyes was a naturally formed rocky cave. The entrance was about three meters wide and nearly four meters high, with a protruding rocky ledge above that blocked some of the falling snowflakes.
The edges of the entrance were covered with thick moss and withered vines. Looking inside, it was dark and deep, with a cold wind faintly blowing from the depths, carrying the scent of damp earth and humus.
Chase spoke up at this moment, “Could this be the place occupied by the mountain giant bear?”
Hearing this, Matthew, who was standing nearby, also felt quite surprised.
It was no easy feat to quickly pinpoint this area in the vast sea of trees based solely on his single piece of footprint information.
Yet now, not long after the squad had arrived at the search area, they had so smoothly discovered this place, which was highly likely to be the mountain giant bear's lair. This efficiency far exceeded his expectations.
Everyone's gaze then focused on the ground near the cave entrance.
Several clear, thick claw marks were boldly imprinted on the snow, looking extremely similar to the claw print Matthew had found by the stream earlier.
However, the tracks here were fresher and denser, with some messy trampling and scraping marks around them. They were clearly left by a large creature frequently coming and going.
Combining the characteristics of the cave entrance with the faint, wild stench of a beast in the air, everyone realized that this was highly likely their target for this trip: the mountain giant bear's lair!
But right after realizing this was highly likely the target lair, everyone was suddenly startled!
What if the giant bear was currently sleeping inside the cave? If they gathered at the entrance like this, wouldn't they immediately face an unexpected, head-on battle?
Porter had clearly thought of this as well.
“The cave is too quiet. There's no sound of a giant beast breathing, nor any signs of activity.”
He paused, his tone turning certain as he reassured everyone:
“So, it should be empty right now. The beast is most likely out foraging or moving about. For us, this is an excellent opportunity to set an ambush.”
Calm also chimed in, “Porter is right. Although the marks at the entrance are fresh, the cave is dead silent. It indeed doesn't seem like any living creature is inside. While it's out, we can set up the traps.”
Following that, Porter began arranging their tactics.
Sweeping his gaze over the terrain around the cave entrance, he lowered his voice and decisively ordered:
“Finch, go behind those two rocks on the left of the entrance and into the bushes on the right, and set up your best ‘Binding Rope’ and ‘Spike Trap’.”
“Set up a trap at the cave entrance as well. It just needs to be enough to guarantee some damage to it.”
“Chase, Zachary,”
Porter's gaze fell upon the two Black Iron Rank warriors. “You two guard the clearing behind those outer bushes. Once the battle begins, prevent the bear from escaping into the depths of the forest. Also, keep an eye on the surroundings. Don't let anything else sneak in during the chaos.”
“Matthew,”
He finally looked at the young archer. “Your task is to provide ranged support. Aim for vital spots like the eyes and wounds to create opportunities for us.”
As for what Porter and Calm would do, everyone present knew it well without saying.
In this hunt, the two of them were the absolute main force and core.
A moment later, everyone took their positions.
Matthew chose a high slope with an open view. From here, he could overlook the activity around the cave entrance while remaining at a relatively safe shooting distance.
He quietly activated 【Eagle Eye Gaze】. A sharp gleam flashed across his eyes, and the subtle marks on the snowy ground below the slope, the rocky cave, and even among the bushes instantly became several times clearer in his vision.
‘This is a really good spot...’
Feeling slightly relieved, he also felt a bit of unexpected joy.
‘I thought we would have to wait in ambush for at least a day or two before we could find any trace of that beast. I didn't expect to discover its lair as soon as we arrived. This luck is almost too smooth.’
The cold wind swept through the trees, kicking up stray snow dust as time passed slowly in the tense wait.
Meanwhile, Matthew's thoughts kept churning.
If this operation succeeded, the benefits it would bring him were far more than just one!
First, of course, was that “high-quality bow and arrow.”
For him, a good bow was not just an equipment upgrade, but also a crucial boost to his strength. At the same time, it was his best cheat!
Because he had realized that since his Basic Swordsmanship broke through to the Practiced rank, the comprehension boost provided by the Green sword in his hand had become increasingly weak, and his proficiency progress had slowed down significantly!
If he couldn't obtain a superior bow in time, his archery growth would likely hit a bottleneck as well.
“If I have a bow of higher quality than a Blue bow... my progress would probably soar!”
“However, the equipment requirements will also rise accordingly.”
“Before spring begins, it would be best to raise my physical attributes to 25. Otherwise, it would be a shame if I got a Blue-quality item but couldn't equip it.”
Matthew shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside, and continued to organize his thinking.
Second was completely eliminating the threat of this mountain giant bear.
Seeing this deep rocky cave and the thick, fresh claw marks at the entrance with his own eyes, Matthew felt a chill run down his spine. The lair of such a ferocious beast was not at an unreachable distance from Stone Mill Village.
With food scarce in winter, there was no guarantee it wouldn't expand its activity range and actually barge into the outskirts of the village one day.
If that happened, given Stone Mill Village's defenses, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Being able to participate in this hunt and eliminate the hidden danger in advance was undoubtedly a wise move.
Third, and most far-reaching, Instructor Calm had a chance to break through to the Silver Rank. As his student, Matthew would reap long-term benefits, whether in acquiring resources in the future or in his status within Anda Town.
These three points, each one of them, proved the wisdom of Matthew's actions this time.
With his thoughts settled,
Matthew calmed his mind and focused. Under the state of 【Eagle Eye Gaze】, his sharp gaze swept across the surrounding snow slopes, dead wood, and rocky crevices. At the same time, he slightly extended his Spirit, sensing the subtle flow of free energy particles in the environment.
Suddenly, his heart jolted. That familiar sensation of being watched actually surfaced once again!
Except this time, the gaze was extremely faint, and the killing intent contained within it was also quite ordinary and fleeting, like a wisp of chill in a thin mist. If he hadn't been fully focused on sensing it at this moment, it would have been nearly impossible to detect.
“This is definitely not an illusion...”
Matthew's eyes narrowed slightly as he quickly made a judgment in his mind. “Is the distance too far? Or is the other party deliberately concealing their aura?”
With a thought, his gaze quietly swept over Instructor Calm and Captain Porter near the cave entrance below.
Although both of them looked vigilant and had clearly entered a state of combat readiness, their sharp eyes remained focused on the cave entrance and the surrounding woods. They were completely unaware of the faint gaze cast from the shadows.
“As expected, even Brass Rank Class holders have perception far inferior to mine.”
“But at a time like this, that is an absolute disadvantage...”
He maintained his ready stance of drawing the bow, making no rash movements. He merely heightened the focus of 【Eagle Eye Gaze】 a bit more, attempting to catch any unnatural movement from the light and shadows in the forest and the reflections on the snow.
Rate on N.U.
