Right at that moment, the crunching sound of footsteps on snow came from outside. Immediately after, a crisp, bright voice filled with youthful vigor pierced through the wooden door:
“Big Brother Matthew!”
Hearing the voice, Matthew temporarily put aside his thoughts about magical beast meat and the trap, and quickly walked over to push open the wooden door.
A gust of biting cold wind, mixed with the fresh scent of the post-snow air, rushed into the house. Standing outside was none other than Aidan.
The youth was wrapped in a slightly bulky new cotton jacket. His cheeks were frozen red, as was the tip of his nose, and his breath condensed into puffs of white mist in the cold air.
In his arms, he struggled to carry two thick, sturdy wooden spikes. They were about a meter long and as thick as a man's forearm—precisely part of the materials Matthew had prepared for setting up his pitfall trap.
When Aidan saw Matthew, a wide smile immediately broke out on his face, though it was slightly stiff from the cold and filled with irrepressible excitement:
“Big Brother Matthew! I stayed up late last night carving these, and I brought them over to you first thing this morning.”
As he spoke, he struggled to adjust his posture to hold them more securely. The wooden spikes were clearly quite heavy.
Hearing this, Matthew quickly reached out and took the heavy wooden spikes from Aidan's arms, saying:
“Come inside quickly. It's freezing out there. Have a bowl of hot porridge first to warm yourself up.”
Aidan sniffled his red nose and grinned. “Alright, Big Brother Matthew!” Familiar with the place, he stomped the snow off his boots and ducked into the house.
Having spent some time with Matthew, he already knew that his big brother was a straightforward man who never bothered with useless formalities.
At first, Aidan had come to help out of gratitude for saving his life. After all, when Matthew saved him from the wild boar's tusks last time, he hadn't had a chance to repay the favor and had even received some benefits from Matthew instead.
So when he heard there was an opportunity to help Big Brother Matthew this time, he rushed over immediately!
But as they spent more time together, Aidan found that this “helping out” had actually become the thing he looked forward to most. Not only was Big Brother Matthew incredibly capable, but he was also genuinely kind.
The daily meat porridge and bread were always provided in abundance. In Stone Mill Village, where food was tight during the winter, this was practically heaven!
Big Brother Matthew had even tried to give him some copper coins as wages a few times, but he had resolutely pushed them back.
He hadn't even fully repaid the debt of saving his life. If he took money for doing such minor chores, what kind of person would that make him?
Matthew gently closed the wooden door, then placed the heavy wooden spikes in the corner. Looking at Aidan's red, frozen face, he felt increasingly pleased with the boy.
First, it was because of Aidan's dedication.
It was worth noting that even Matthew would have to spend some effort to carve these two spikes, which were as thick as a man's forearm.
Let alone Aidan, who was just an ordinary person. He must have stayed up all night to finish them.
The heavy snow had just fallen, and it was freezing cold outside, yet the boy had braved the elements to deliver them so early. This kind of reliability and tireless resilience was truly rare among his peers in Stone Mill Village.
Second, it was Aidan's maturity and sense of propriety.
He knew how to be grateful and spared no effort in his work, yet he didn't use it to demand favors. He even steadfastly refused the wages Matthew offered, accepting only food as the most practical form of “payment.”
This kind of character made Matthew feel he was reliable, and made him willing to look out for him more.
Not bad, not bad at all. He's worth nurturing. Whether it's setting up traps later or handling other matters, having a capable helper is always a good thing.
Mainly, digging the pitfall trap all by myself would be too much of a pain!
But there's no rush in nurturing him.
Thinking this, Matthew sat down at the wooden table, picked up his bowl, and took a sip of the steaming meat porridge to dispel some of the chill.
He looked at Aidan and chatted while eating, “The snow fell quite suddenly these past few days. Is it cold?”
Aidan took a bite of the black bread, a simple and honest smile appearing on his face as he replied:
“It's much better than in previous years! And that's all thanks to you, Big Brother Matthew. The supplies from those two donkey carts were incredibly useful. Everyone in the village will have an easier time getting through this winter.”
Matthew nodded. Looking at Aidan's red-frozen face, he cautioned him once more, “Don't rush your work like this in the future. It wouldn't hurt to have the wooden spikes a couple of days later. Your health is more important; it's easy to catch a cold in this snowy weather.”
Aidan shook his head, saying seriously, “It's fine, Big Brother Matthew. Although I'm not as strong as you, I've at least participated in the village training. I can take it.”
“Besides, you're in a hurry to use these tools to set up the trap. If I finish them earlier, we can head into the forest to try our luck sooner.”
Hearing this, Matthew felt a warmth in his heart, but a sense of caution immediately followed.
He did need a helper, especially for a physically demanding task like digging a pitfall trap. Having an extra pair of hands would save him a lot of time and energy.
However, as well-intentioned as the boy was, Matthew couldn't agree immediately.
His current strength was already comparable to the Black Iron Rank. Combined with the 【Forest Shadow Hunting Bow】 and the combat technique 【Melting Slash】, he was fairly confident in his ability to protect himself in the outskirts of the forest.
But Aidan was different. Aidan was just an ordinary youth who had participated in the village training, and his physical fitness was still that of an ordinary human. Whether facing a Shadow Wolf or other monsters, it would be extremely dangerous for him.
Moreover, the forest was full of variables, and their intended prey was by no means the only thing they might encounter. Aside from potential run-ins with Shadow Wolves, there could be other undetected dangers, or they might disturb other dormant creatures.
Matthew was confident he could handle himself or escape, but he couldn't guarantee he could protect Aidan's safety at all times.
Furthermore, the area where he planned to set up the trap was close to a water source, a place where wild beasts and magical beasts frequently gathered, which naturally carried a much higher risk.
He didn't want to put this sensible, grateful youth's life at risk just for temporary convenience.
Therefore, he wanted to wait until he formally broke through to the Black Iron Rank and let his body undergo the baptism of advancement before bringing Aidan along.
Fortunately, this goal was not far off.
With a thought, a black panel appeared before his eyes:
【Name: Matthew
Age: 15
Strength: 12.9 (+0.1), Agility: 9.2, Constitution: 12.9 (+0.1), Perception: 6, Spirit: 6.43 (+0.02)
Equipment Slots: Finely Forged One-Handed Sword (Green), Forest Shadow Hunting Bow (Green), Filthy Bone Chain (White), Steel Chainmail (Damaged, Green)
Skills: 【Basic Swordsmanship: Practiced (36/200)】 (+25)
【Basic Archery: Basic (168/500)】 (+51)
【Vine Trap: Practiced (66/300)】 (+11)
【White Snake Breathing Technique: Novice (66/500)】 (+34)
【Elemental Meditation Method: Mastered (13/500)】 (+7)
【Melting Slash: Mastered (29/30)】 (+18)
【Energy Missile: Mastered (10/100)】 (+9)】
Matthew's gaze lingered on the panel for a moment, the various values clearly reflected in his eyes.
Among them, his physical attributes had all seen minor improvements after this period of training.
This was also the benefit of the panel. After all, even a tiny bit of progress was displayed, which was enough to motivate Matthew to keep working hard.
Rate on N.U.
