The midday sun filtered through the sparse treetops, casting dappled light and shadow on Matthew's face.
After a morning of repeated practice, his Spirit was heavily depleted. Fortunately, with the assistance of the 【Elemental Meditation Method】, he had mostly recovered through meditation, and the sense of overflowing energy was now fully contained.
He glanced at the panel:
【Energy Missile: Mastered (2/100)】
His proficiency had increased by 1 point. It wasn't much, but it was within his expectations. After all, the Spirit stored in his body was limited; it would run completely dry after four casts at most.
“It builds up over time.” Matthew composed his thoughts and patted the dust off his clothes. “Time to set off.”
Then, he began walking toward Instructor Calm's house.
On the way, he passed Old Joel's doorstep and habitually glanced over—the door was still tightly shut, and Old Joel was still not home.
Matthew felt a trace of doubt in his heart.
But time was pressing. Matthew did not linger, quickly picking up his pace to continue on his way.
Before long, he arrived at Instructor Calm's residence.
Near the entrance, several teenagers were busily gathered around two wooden handcarts.
Seeing Matthew arrive, they stopped their whispering. Their expressions turned solemn, and a hint of awe showed in their eyes.
One of the slightly older boys was the first to speak, his voice carrying clear respect: “Brother Matthew, you're here.”
Another teenager quickly added, “Instructor Calm said that you and Uncle Delank will lead the team to the town this time. We will all follow your and Uncle Delank's arrangements.”
Although the teenagers present were slightly older than Matthew, they called him “Brother” with complete sincerity.
In this crisis-ridden village, strength represented many invisible rules!
Moreover, the strength and talent this young man displayed were far beyond their reach. If it were just those things, some might still be unsatisfied.
But what made Matthew truly convincing to them was his fairness and generosity in dealing with people...
He was never arrogant or dismissive because of his own strength. He treated everyone in the village, young and old, with respect, and never shirked when ordinary villagers asked for help.
This calm and humble demeanor earned him their heartfelt admiration.
Matthew was already used to their attitude. Smiling and nodding to greet everyone, his gaze swept over the supplies tied onto the wooden handcarts as he asked in a calm tone:
“So, how is the preparation of the goods going?”
“Everything has been tallied,” the slightly older boy replied immediately. “The hides and herbs are all packed, and we've checked the bindings twice to make sure they won't fall apart on the road.”
Matthew nodded, his gaze landing on the supplies on the handcarts. These were the wild animal pelts, herbs, and miscellaneous handmade goods that the village had accumulated.
These seemingly ordinary goods were actually one of the village's few sources of income. They were also the primary means for the villagers to exchange for essential supplies like winter grain, iron tools, salt, and cloth.
However, this periodic collective trade method had an obvious drawback for Matthew personally: the turnover of funds and materials was not flexible or timely enough.
After all, under the village's circumstances, making a trip to the town once every few months meant the intervals were simply too long.
Thus, roles like Old Joel's as a "middleman" came to exist.
Matthew snapped back to reality and scanned the boys before him. Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure among them—Aidan, the boy he had saved by shooting the wild boar.
Although Aidan was busy at the moment, unlike the other boys, his gaze constantly followed Matthew's figure.
When Matthew looked at him, the boy's eyes immediately burst with unmistakable admiration, as if he were looking at a long-revered hero.
Matthew was somewhat surprised to see this. What Matthew didn't know was that after saving Aidan last time, the pork he had given to reward the boys in the evening had filled Aidan with immense gratitude...
He nodded to Aidan, then stepped into the courtyard.
Matthew entered the courtyard and saw Uncle Delank waving goodbye to Instructor Calm.
Delank walked toward the gate. Upon seeing Matthew, a smile broke across his face, and he greeted, “Matthew, looks like we have another chance to work together.”
Matthew had a good impression of Delank, who was quite generous. He replied with a smile, “Yes, Uncle Delank, I'll have to rely on your guidance along the way.”
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. Delank then said to Matthew, “I'll go out first to see how the preparations are going outside. We'll set off once you're ready.”
With that, he patted Matthew on the shoulder and turned to walk out of the courtyard.
“Matthew!”
Matthew felt a pat on his left shoulder. He turned around. “Instructor.”
Calm's gaze swept over him, and he said with a serious expression:
“Winter is coming soon. The highwaymen know the villages will head to town to trade for supplies around this time, so there will be many bandits. Stick to the main roads and be careful.”
“If you encounter enemies who are too strong, saving your lives is the most important thing. Lost goods can always be earned back.”
Matthew nodded in agreement, keeping Calm's advice in mind.
He knew that as the resident Class holder, Calm could not travel with the caravan. This journey would depend on him and Delank to lead.
At the same time, Matthew was somewhat curious: Old Joel often traveled back and forth between the village and the town alone. With so many bandits on the road, how did he manage to do it so smoothly?
Meanwhile, the door to the side room was gently pushed open, and Sierra stepped out, wearing a neat and tidy set of coarse cloth hunting attire.
Seeing Matthew and Instructor Calm in the courtyard, Sierra walked over. She nodded in greeting to Instructor Calm, then looked at Matthew and said calmly, “I'm all ready. We can set off anytime.”
Matthew nodded in response. “Alright, we'll set off as soon as I'm done speaking with the instructor.”
Calm looked at Sierra, then at Matthew, and gave one final instruction:
“Sierra is quite familiar with the wilderness. If anything happens on the road, consult with each other. Remember what I said earlier—safety first.”
“Understood, Instructor.”
Hearing the instructor's instructions, Matthew couldn't help but feel a trace of relief.
Keeping the injured Sierra behind to recuperate was indeed a wise decision.
If they truly encountered trouble on the road, Matthew, as the strongest member at present, would inevitably have to act as the vanguard and bear the main pressure of close combat.
However, the team's long-range offensive capability would be severely lacking. Those village training boys were hardly skilled in archery.
This was where Sierra's role became prominent.
She was highly experienced in the wilderness and had managed to establish herself in a mercenary squad; her strength was unquestionable.
Therefore, in combat, Sierra could take on the role of long-range damage dealer, cooperating with Matthew from front to back, thereby improving the team's overall combat capability and survival probability.
Thinking of this, Matthew felt a bit more confident about the arrangements for this trip.
He solemnly promised Instructor Calm once more that he would prioritize safety, and then walked out of the courtyard with Sierra.
At the courtyard gate, Uncle Delank had finished tallying the supplies and was making the final checks before departure.
Seeing Matthew and Sierra come out, he grinned and waved. “Everything is ready. Let's set off!”
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