Near noon, Matthew leaned against a tree, washing down hard black bread and jerky with water to fill his stomach.
After all, he still had work at the mill in the afternoon.
If Matthew were a bit more selfish, with his current skills and "potential," it wouldn't be impossible for him to switch to an easier, perhaps better-paying job.
At the very least, he wouldn't have to go to the mill every afternoon to repeat that dull, heavy manual labor.
But the moment this thought appeared, he tossed it to the back of his mind.
“I shouldn't think like that,” he told himself.
After all, Uncle John and Edmond had taken great care of him. The fact that they had given him free rein over his mornings as soon as he started the village training was proof enough.
Furthermore, if he suddenly quit, the mill would be short-handed, which would cause a lot of inconvenience.
Just then, a somewhat hurried set of footsteps approached from a distance, accompanied by a panting voice:
“Matthew! Matthew! I've finally found you!”
Matthew looked toward the sound and saw a slightly plump, middle-aged man wearing a coarse cloth shirt walking over quickly. His face bore the ruddy complexion left by years of exposure to the elements and constant labor.
He was clutching a somewhat worn soft cap in his hand, and fine beads of sweat hung on his forehead, showing he had searched all the way here.
Matthew recognized the newcomer as Delank, who was responsible for the village's supply management and some logistical chores, such as the construction of public facilities.
He was not a combatant, but he was well-liked in the village and generally reliable in his work.
“Uncle Delank?” Matthew swallowed the food in his mouth and stood up, slightly surprised. “Are you looking for me? Did something happen?”
Delank walked up, took two more breaths, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his cap, and showed a complex expression of urgency and apology:
“Ah, it's like this.”
“A small section of the village canal was washed out by last night's heavy rain. It needs to be repaired urgently, otherwise several families downstream won't be able to water their fields. You don't have to do any labor; you just need to protect the villagers while you're there.”
Matthew was slightly surprised to hear this. Such tasks were usually only taken on by experienced, able-bodied men.
After all, working for the village not only ensured a food supply but also built up prestige, making it easier to speak, get things done, or even find a wife in the village later on.
Seeing Matthew remain silent for a moment, Delank slapped his own head and quickly added, “Look at my memory, I was so busy talking about the canal. You're worried about the mill, aren't you?”
“I've already spoken with them. I arranged for someone to cover for you this afternoon, so don't worry.”
Matthew immediately agreed. “I understand, Uncle Delank. The canal is important, I'll go with you right away.”
As he packed his things, he asked:
“What is the exact situation? How do I need to keep watch?”
He still needed to get the details clear. After all, getting himself injured for a few pieces of black bread and some intangible prestige wasn't worth it.
Seeing him agree so readily, a look of relief washed over Delank's face, and his anxious expression softened considerably. “Great! Good boy! I knew Byrne was right when he suggested looking for you!”
Turning around to lead the way, he explained quickly:
“The collapsed section of the canal is just below the slope on the west side of the village, near the old woods. It's not too deep in, but it's only about a hundred paces from the forest edge. Usually, it's fine, but in this season, and right after a rain, those starving wild boars and wolf cubs in the forest might wander out looking for food.”
“Don't worry, your main task is just to keep watch and guard against any wild beasts or... other things that might dash out of the woods. If anything happens, you don't need to fight them head-on. Just sound the alarm in time and lead everyone back to the village.”
Matthew nodded. Although this task carried some risk, his main responsibility was early warning and covering the retreat. Moreover, since they were a certain distance from the forest edge, the risk was manageable.
“I understand, Uncle Delank. I'll keep a close eye on the forest.”
The two said no more and quickened their pace toward the west side of the village.
Before long, they arrived at the site of the collapsed canal.
This was a dirt canal located beneath a gentle slope.
The rushing rainwater had washed away a section of the canal wall about two or three meters long. Muddy water was pouring from the gap, overflowing the adjacent ridges and turning a small patch at the edge of the wheat fields into a muddy mess.
The downstream fields were on the verge of losing their water supply.
Seven or eight villagers were already busy there, mostly half-grown boys.
Seeing Delank and Matthew arrive, the crowd did not react much.
First of all, they knew Matthew had been brought in to keep watch, not as strong manual labor.
Secondly, and most importantly, no one believed their luck would be that bad.
Although the canal wasn't far from the woods, how could a wild beast possibly appear today of all days?
Matthew was not surprised by this.
His gaze quickly swept across the scene, and he selected a slightly elevated earthen slope above the canal as his lookout point.
It offered a wide field of vision, allowing him to overlook the entire repair site and the flow of the canal, while clearly observing any movement at the edge of the dark forest a hundred paces away. There was also an escape route behind him.
“Absolutely perfect.”
Matthew stood on the slope, listening to the sounds of labor while keeping his eyes locked onto the direction of the forest.
Keeping watch was tense at first, but as time dragged on, it inevitably became a bit dull.
As time slowly ticked by, he simply kept alert to his surroundings while organizing his next training plan in his mind.
“My archery and swordsmanship are both growing steadily. The 【Filthy Bone Chain】 has indeed played an important role.”
But he also knew in his heart that this kind of bonus, which "slightly increases the training efficiency of basic skills," likely had diminishing returns.
As his skill levels increased, the demands on his training quality would become higher and higher. This "slight" or "minor" bonus would inevitably weaken over time.
“White-grade equipment has its limits, after all.”
“Especially swordsmanship. If I want to break through to the ‘Practiced’ rank, or even push toward becoming a ‘Class holder,’ relying solely on my current equipment and training methods will probably make progress slower and slower, and I might even hit a bottleneck.”
“If I want to keep up this talent, I still need Green weapons!”
As for acquisition channels, Matthew had analyzed a few: town blacksmith shops, the town's adventurer guild, and wandering merchants.
But no matter which one it was, Matthew needed money... Thirty copper coins were far from enough; he had to find a way to earn more.
However, just when Matthew thought this afternoon would pass peacefully, he keenly caught an extremely faint rustling sound.
Almost at the same time, a flock of birds at the edge of the distant forest suddenly startled, fluttering and scattering toward the sky and the direction of the village!
“We've got trouble! Stay alert! Everyone, evacuate quickly!”
Manthew's expression changed. He immediately yelled at the top of his lungs to warn the villagers working below, his voice ringing out clearly across the open fields.
Rate on N.U.
