Not far ahead, on a patch of relatively soft mud, a row of blurry footprints was clearly imprinted.
Matthew squatted down and examined them closely.
Although the edges of the paw prints were slightly blurred due to the wet mud, he could still tell that the tracks were much larger than those of ordinary beasts, resembling a plum blossom shape.
“These should be the tracks of a Shadow Wolf... Is my luck really this good?”
Matthew muttered to himself, his heart a mix of vigilance and anticipation.
“But then again, it makes sense,” he quickly consoled himself. “After all, on the outskirts of the forest, Shadow Wolves are at the top of the food chain. Finding their tracks anywhere out here is perfectly normal.”
Matthew carefully examined the blurry, plum-blossom-shaped tracks on the mud, his mind rapidly calculating his options.
Finding traces of a Shadow Wolf was indeed good news, but it didn't mean he could just dig a hole anywhere and expect to catch something.
The outskirts of the forest were vast, and the active range of Shadow Wolves was not fixed. If he set up a trap at random, he would likely waste his time and energy for nothing.
“Even if I found tracks, I still need to find a truly suitable location to set up the pitfall trap. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time.”
Matthew muttered to himself as he stood up, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.
His time was indeed precious.
Every day, he had to practice his breathing technique, combat techniques, and Energy Missile, as well as meditate to improve his cultivation on the wizard path.
If he spent too much energy on an inefficient trap, the losses would outweigh the gains. After all, digging a pitfall trap itself required quite a bit of effort, so the site selection had to be precise.
He had to ensure he would get results.
It would be best to place it on a beast path frequently used by Shadow Wolves, or near a water source...
He collected his thoughts.
Matthew carefully searched the outskirts for over another hour before finally stopping at a certain spot.
A small creek, winding through the forest with damp margins, flowed through here, and the soil was not packed tight.
When Matthew stepped on it, it felt much softer, clearly the result of long-term soaking by the flowing water.
“Close to a water source, and the soil is suitable...” Matthew muttered to himself. This was exactly one of his ideal locations for a trap.
Water sources were hubs that all creatures in the forest could not avoid. Especially in the relatively dry early winter, wild beasts and magical beasts would inevitably visit frequently to drink.
Digging a trap here would be beneficial; even if he couldn't catch a magical beast, getting some wild beast meat would still be good.
He firmly committed this location to memory. After confirming the surrounding terrain and potential escape routes, he did not linger.
Digging a trap required tools and time. Since he was traveling light right now, it was not the best time to start.
With the target location locked in, the next step was to go back, prepare his tools, and choose a safe time to carry out his “pitfall plan.”
He glanced at the light mist in the forest, turned around, and walked back the way he came, heading out of the forest.
...
It was close to noon by the time Matthew arrived home.
Pushing open the wooden door, the familiar musty smell mixed with the lingering aroma of yesterday's meat porridge rushed over him.
He took off his backpack and longbow, propped them against the door, and then went to the table, ladling a scoop of cold water from the water jar and drinking it down in large gulps.
The cold liquid slid down his throat, dispelling some of the fatigue from traveling through the forest.
“Not bad. The morning wasn't wasted.”
He set down the water ladle and scanned the room. It was completely empty, practically the definition of dirt-poor.
“I still need to get some tools and bait.”
Matthew calculated the subsequent arrangements for setting up the trap. A pitfall trap required digging tools like shovels, which he had to prepare.
There was also the crucial bait. Magical beasts were different from wild rabbits; bait was an absolute necessity for setting up the trap.
As he was thinking, footsteps sounded outside, followed by a rough voice:
“Matthew, are you inside?”
Matthew went to the door to greet him. Seeing it was Uncle Delank, he smiled and said, “Uncle Delank, please come in.”
Uncle Delank waved his hand with a hearty smile:
“Matthew, this is the money for those two wagonloads of goods from yesterday, calculated at the cost price we agreed on. A total of three hundred and seventeen silver coins. Count them.”
With that, he pulled out two heavy coin pouches that jingled crisply from his coat and handed them straight to Matthew. He paused, then added:
“Last time you asked me to give some copper coins to those boys. Aidan stubbornly refused to take them at first, and only accepted after a lot of coaxing. He also asked me to tell you that if you ever need anything, Big Brother Matthew, you can just go find him. That kid is always thinking about how he can help you out.”
Hearing this, a smile appeared on Matthew's face as he reached out to take the coin pouches. Over three hundred silver coins, which converted to about four gold coins, was indeed a considerable sum.
But he did not count them immediately. Instead, he sincerely said to Delank, “Thank you for making the trip, Uncle. As for Aidan... I'll look him up if I need anything.”
Delank waved his hand. “No need for thanks, it's only right. You helped the village in a huge way this time; the village can't thank you enough.”
Matthew nodded, and an idea struck him. “By the way, Uncle Delank, is there a sturdy, handy shovel or digging tool in the village? I need to dig a fairly deep pit.”
Hearing this, Uncle Delank smiled and immediately slapped his thigh. “Ha! You've asked the right person. I have two great shovels at home, made of good materials. They can even handle chipping away at stone! Are you in a hurry?”
“Thank you, Uncle, I'm not in a hurry. You can bring them over whenever it's convenient. I still need to prepare some other things over the next couple of days, so a day or two's delay won't make a difference for digging the pit,” Matthew said, waving his hands.
“Alright!” Uncle Delank agreed readily. “Then I'll bring them over tomorrow or the day after. If that kid Aidan knows you have work to do, he'll definitely be the first to rush over and help. It'll be perfect to have him carry the shovels!”
Matthew smiled and didn't say anything more.
Matthew was indeed glad to have Aidan's help, as he was truly short-handed.
The spikes needed for setting up the trap later would have to be carved with a knife, which was slow work, and Matthew didn't have that much time.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Uncle Delank did not stay any longer. “Alright, then I'll head back to my chores.”
With that, he patted Matthew on the shoulder, turned around, and strode away from the small cabin.
Watching Uncle Delank's figure disappear down the village road, Matthew turned and went back inside.
He carefully put away the two coin pouches. Combined with his previous savings, he was once again the richest man in Stone Mill Village.
Just then, the hunger in his stomach urged him at the right moment.
Matthew walked over to the clay pot and the dry rations bag in the corner, preparing to whip up a simple lunch.
“I'll just make some meat porridge for lunch, it's faster,” he muttered to himself. He skillfully lit the hearth fire, set up the clay pot, and poured in clean water.
Just as he was about to cut some dried meat into cubes as usual, his gaze inadvertently swept over the rabbit hanging from his belt, which he had easily hunted on the outskirts of the forest.
The rabbit still carried the fresh scent of the wild. Although the blood on its fur had dried, a strong metallic smell of blood still lingered.
Rate on N.U.
