Chapter 24: The Difference Between Man and Beast
Chapter 24: The Difference Between Man and Beast
The female hunter's home was also located on the south side of the town.
It was a spacious one-story wooden house with a single attic on the second floor, boasting a larger courtyard than the other residences in town. From a distance, one could see the house standing tall amidst the cluster of buildings at the town's edge.
Lin Sai followed Dan as they approached.
Before they even entered the courtyard, an unpleasant odor reached their noses.
Dan was accustomed to it, but Lin Sai curiously peered through the wooden fence, gazing inside.
In the female hunter's courtyard, numerous animal pelts were hanging, some drying in the sun, while others were soaking in a pool filled with liquid, the source of the foul stench.
"Tanning leather?" Lin Sai murmured.
The hunters from the distant frontier not only went out hunting but also seemed to be responsible for leather production. The fur rug he had purchased a few days ago might have been crafted by the female hunter before him.
"Mom, I'm back!"
Dan pushed open the door, hanging her bow and arrows on the rack beside the door, and shouted happily.
Lin Sai stepped forward to take a closer look.
In the spacious front hall on the first floor, he saw a young man slightly younger than him. The boy's hair was neatly combed, and his large eyes were bright and alert. On the table in front of him were two basins, one higher than the other, connected by a curved wooden board forming a channel. Next to it was a dripping ladle.
"Mom, you're back?"
Hearing Dan's call, the boy immediately stood up. He saw his mother and also noticed Lin Sai standing behind Dan.
"Who is he?"
Dan smiled at her son and hung up her bow and arrows, "He will be following me to learn hunting skills, and you two will be seeing each other often."
"Hello, Brother Lin Sai," Dan's son greeted Lin Sai politely. "I'm Torch."
Lin Sai responded naturally, "Hello, nice to meet you."
After a brief chat with Dan's son, Lin Sai was led to a seat in the front hall.
Whenever he had a break, Torch used the ladle to scoop water from the lower basin and pour it into the higher one, allowing it to flow back into the lower basin through the channel. This peculiar process was repeated over and over again.
Lin Sai was curious about Torch's actions.
Dan, who was nearby, was busy processing the ice boar she had brought back earlier. She explained Torch's behavior while skillfully and swiftly handling the animal, "My family's inherited technique involves water."
"Usually, we have to wait until spring to practice in the river. But time waits for no one, so I let him try it at home first to get some practice."
The female hunter's explanation didn't hinder her skilled and swift work.
In just a few moments, she had already skinned the entire ice boar and was now dismembering it, preparing to roast the meat.
There was no fireplace on the first floor of the house.
Instead, in the center of the front hall, there was a pit filled with firewood, where a small bonfire was burning.
Dan skewered the ice boar meat and began grilling it over the fire.
Seeing that there was nothing else to do at the moment, Lin Sai took the initiative and asked, "Dan, what preparations do we need to make for tonight?"
The female hunter, focused on grilling the meat, immediately replied, "Of course, I'll start by telling you some things to keep in mind for tomorrow's actions."
Lin Sai continued, "Can we start now?"
Dan smiled, pleased with Lin Sai's proactive attitude in seeking guidance.
She didn't hesitate and immediately got to the point.
"Then let's start with the first point."
"Lin Sai, I know you managed to kill an ice boar on your own, which is an achievement not easily attained by ordinary people."
Dan paused, her tone becoming more serious, "But when we enter the forest tomorrow..."
"You must promise me that you'll listen to me no matter what and won't do anything without my permission."
Lin Sai understood the dangers of the forest, both in his past life and this one.
So he nodded seriously and made a promise, "I will definitely follow your instructions."
Dan was even more satisfied with Lin Sai's attitude, "That's good! As long as you listen to me on this, you'll generally be fine. As for the rest..."
Dan thought for a moment, then pointed outside the house.
"After dinner, we can head out for a bit."
"There's a soft bow for kids to practice with at home. You can try it out first. But the archery range is at the back of Uncle An Rui's estate, and it's quite a distance away. We can just find a couple of trees on the edge of town that will do."
"..."
It seemed that learning Basic Archery was inevitable tonight.
Under the guidance of a professional, this foundational skill could be easily logged into the Attribute Panel.
Lin Sai felt quite good about this.
At this moment, Dan flipped the roasting meat, sprinkling a few seasoning grains.
Looking at the Ice Boar that was once a threat to her life, now reduced to a chunk of meat on the grill, Lin Sai couldn't help but feel curious.
"I'm wondering, what's the difference between this Ice Boar and regular beasts?"
"It's a Beast." Dan immediately provided the answer, "Regular beasts are essentially no different from the chickens, ducks, and piglets we raise at home. They're just more wild and might attack. But when it comes to Beasts..."
Lin Sai tentatively asked,
"Like the Ice Boar, can they use magic like ice cones?"
Dan shook her head, immediately dismissing Lin Sai's idea.
"No, the ability to cast magic isn't the standard for judging Beasts. The real difference lies in their ability to integrate Essence."
At this point, Dan's tone turned sentimental,
"Essence isn't exclusive to humans; it's present throughout the world and applies to all life. We humans can awaken Essence and merge it with our techniques. Even ordinary animals, and plants, have their ways of awakening."
"So for hunters, during the Essence Surge that occurs once a decade, hunting outside becomes more dangerous, and they need to be extra cautious compared to usual."
Lin Sai had only heard up to this point and was merely taking notes on this knowledge.
But when he thought of their current situation, he became anxious.
Isn't this the year of the Essence Surge, followed by the appearance of Awakened?
If Dan was right, there must be awakened Beasts in the forest!
"Then tomorrow, we'll go to the forest..."
Lin Sai's tone carried a hint of worry, but Dan turned to him with a confident smile.
"Guess why I went to check things out after Red Moon mentioned the possibility of Beasts, and then I went again?"
"Rest assured, at least the area around town is safe."
"..."
So, when I was thrown into the Hidden Frontier, I just happened to encounter an Ice Boar; that's just bad luck, right? Lin Sai's mouth twitched.
He wasn't sure what to make of this, so he changed the subject to something less awkward.
"What about the Dragon Beast next door?"
"That one is ridiculously strong." Dan's face immediately contorted as if she had eaten bitter gourd, "Dragons symbolize immense power, and Beasts with such a title... even the top 4 or 5 Awakened in the Hidden Frontier wouldn't stand a chance against them."
Lin Sai continued to ask,
"How high can Awakened go?"
"In theory, a person's technique can ascend nine times. But in reality... there are only a handful of such beings in the entire universe. For example, the Narckbondok brothers of the War School; the ruler of the City of Law; and the Great Artist of the Seven Seas Alliance."
Dan seemed concerned that Lin Sai might be aiming too high, so she clarified,
"But among ordinary Awakened, those who can ascend their techniques five times and become Ascended have already achieved something extraordinary. The sixth and seventh stages are incredibly rare and difficult."
Lin Sai's mind was still on the Black Mountain.
And on returning to Anville Village, crossing the Black Mountain.
So he continued to seek more details,
"What level is that Dragon Beast?"
Dan shrugged and flipped the sizzling meat on the grill,
"It can subjugate the entire world with sheer force. In terms of human Awakened, it would be at least the seventh stage."
(End of Chapter)
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