Chapter 6, Training

Until Hel let the old man see that his dog would not bark indiscriminately, and that with a little training, it could become the best assistant, he finally agreed to let these dogs into the mountains

As for the secret of escape, it is only necessary for those skilled individuals who need to delve into the mountains. I am well aware that these people are certainly not lacking in money, so I have never felt guilty about it.

The blade of the dagger is only 2 inches long; at such a length, it is difficult to penetrate even the thick subcutaneous fat of the massive body of a bison, let alone the muscle. Therefore, there are only two options: to sever the carotid artery or to cut the spinal cord.

Nevertheless, when hundreds of wild buffalo galloped together and the earth trembled as if in an earthquake, Hel, who had long been prepared, was still taken aback

Before hunting, the old man always inspects the terrain first. In his words, a good hunter must always know where he is and remember where he has set traps.

Long before the bison realized what was happening, Hel had already begun to flee. By the time the herd, enraged, gave chase, he had already covered more than twenty meters.

Due to the wide variety of animal species, Old Man Muen did not need to have Hel practice on everything he encountered, allowing him the opportunity to focus and learn in a progressive manner from easy to difficult

On this trip into the mountains, the two of them brought a total of 15 hunting dogs, of which only 2 belonged to the old man Moon. Among these 2 dogs, one was an old dog; however, this dog, named "Swift Wind," a Ba Bu Li Shih Tzu, was much more handsome than Hel's old dog, nicknamed "Death Bell."

Starting from the fourth day, they had already ventured deep into the mountains, and the ferocious beasts lurking in the jungle suddenly increased in number

Her placed those tools cleverly scattered throughout the valley, so that whenever he needed them, he could pick them up from the ground at any time

"You can't be asking me to hunt with throwing knives, can you? Although you taught me how to use them on the first day, I simply haven't had the time to practice. At least half of the knives I throw hit with the tail end." Heller immediately replied

This was originally the old man's initial idea, but now he can only pass on everything he is proficient in to Hel in one go. Hel can only gulp it all down without fully understanding it, and whether he can digest it is beyond what he can foresee at this moment

The result left him relatively satisfied, with an accuracy rate of nearly 70%. Hel knew that this was due to his finely tuned perception.

Thinking of this, he charged towards another ambush, with the sound of thundering hooves behind him

Such a loud noise could not have failed to alert those bison, and immediately, their large heads all turned towards this direction. The bison quickly understood what had happened; two of them approached, attempting to lift the fallen bison. However, the injured bison was unable to stand up and could only emit mournful moans.

The old man never stays in a tent, nor does he use a sleeping bag; his thick clothing serves as the best sleeping bag. If he plans to linger in a certain place for a while, he will build a treehouse and has even designed a set of specialized tools for constructing treehouses.

In the old man's eyes, Hel's hunting dogs were not dogs at all; however, he was not interested in the reasons behind this. What mattered to him was that these hunting dogs could indeed be of use.

Upon entering the mountains, Hel's training officially commenced. Due to the lack of time for a gradual approach, Old Moon was quite straightforward, not distinguishing between levels of difficulty. Whenever he spotted a prey, he would immediately recall a useful method from memory to impart to Hel. Naturally, the next step was to have Hel personally validate this hunting technique

Since entering the Devil's Mountain Range, he has been eating this kind of food every day. Therefore, every time he dreams at night, the visions that appear in his dreams are undoubtedly various delicious foods. The consequence is that when he wakes up the next morning, he feels particularly hungry

The old man's expression showed no change at all; he merely pondered for a moment and then said very seriously: "I have never really considered this matter in detail, perhaps because I have always been waiting for someone willing to pay me to appear

Hale had never seen such clothing before; it was indistinguishable between the top and the pants, and even included a hood. This outfit consisted of two layers: the outer layer was made of thick canvas, while the inner layer was crafted from a type of leather that even Hale did not recognize. Apart from the openings for the eyes, ears, and nostrils in the hood, there was not a single exposed area on the garment.

Looking around in all directions, Hel's gaze swiftly scanned each bison. After confirming that none of the animals had noticed him, he slowly got to his feet

Hir looked at the old man, feeling somewhat puzzled, and couldn't help but ask: "Since you are willing to share hidden secrets with others, why do you still conceal this secret? I truly cannot understand; is your heart passionate or cold?"

After washing his face and rinsing his mouth with spring water, Hel hurriedly stuffed the dry meat shreds, resembling dead twigs, and soap-like cheese slices into his mouth, forcefully swallowing them down with the spring water

Unfamiliarity with the terrain left Hel at a loss. Although the old man Moon had taught him methods to estimate terrain features through observation, unfortunately, the old man did not provide clear explanations nor did he correlate them with the terrain.

The old man hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a somewhat uncertain tone: "What happened before might be better described as a retreat, as the terrain and escape routes had been surveyed in advance, and I had already considered the possible unforeseen circumstances in my mind.

When Hel saw the old man, he was tossing a dagger up and down, as if performing a juggling act

Fortunately, when training "Sorrow" alongside the other twelve dogs, the performance of this old dog was satisfactory, so Hel ultimately decided to take it along as well

Surrounded by rolling mountains, beneath lies a valley where a gentle stream flows, nourishing the land and allowing lush green grass to thrive throughout the area

Hale felt somewhat strange, and he immediately asked, "Weren't those you taught before all about escape?"

With this sentiment, Helr discovered that he had little understanding of this valley. He was completely unaware of where the soil was muddy, where the ground was dry, or where the burrows of the pika were located. He also did not know how tall the grass grew or whether there were stones among the grass.

Ensuring that nothing was overlooked, Hel descended to the valley once more. This time, he moved closer to the herd of cattle. In order to approach the herd as closely as possible without being detected, Hel chose to crawl forward, at which point the advantages of his peculiar garment became apparent.

Heil did not rush to approach the herd; he lowered his body and cautiously explored along the valley, little by little. Heil wanted to clarify the actual terrain in order to verify it against the landscape he had memorized.

The more he looked, the more Hel felt that merely predicting the terrain as a skill, without considerable effort, would likely be difficult to master

A series of heavy impacts and the sound of falling came from behind. In a hurry, Hel turned to take a glance. Behind the first snare he had set, there were more than ten wild buffaloes lying on their backs. He even saw one of the buffaloes with a strangely bent neck, while another had been trampled repeatedly, clearly unable to survive

The effect of the snare left Hel feeling both surprised and helpless; the number of bison tripped was fewer than he had originally anticipated, yet the impact was significantly greater

Fortunately, his feet have never stopped, always striving to run desperately

To survive here, one must understand how to escape. I do not expect you to master other skills immediately, but you must be very familiar with the method of escape. This is the true key, a key that only you can know.

This Buffalo Valley is located deep within the Devil's Mountain Range, and can be considered a rather dangerous place. According to Old Man Moon's original plan, it would be necessary to wait until Hel completed more than half of his training before coming here.

Upon reflecting on these thoughts, Hel momentarily halted his descent. He found a slightly protruding rock to rest upon and gazed down into the valley.

According to Old Man Moon, this outfit is his guarantee for decades of safe activity in this dense forest, and it is also the most precious secret among his hidden and unknown skills

According to Master Mareen, during physical adjustments, they reserved a channel similar to a nerve pathway. This special method of exercise can stimulate this channel, further enhancing perceptual abilities

As usual, after the tedious breakfast concluded and a half-hour break, Hel climbed up the old man's treehouse

According to the approach of "Smooth Path", for the skills acquired, one must first practice repeatedly until they are thoroughly mastered. Only then can one achieve proficiency through familiarity. However, this remains within the realm of skills; true understanding can only be attained through the mastery of these skills. It is only after this that one can continue to learn more advanced techniques

Although the weather in this season is not yet very hot, wearing such an outfit still makes one feel extremely uncomfortable. After trekking in the forest for a day, by the time evening comes to rest, one can pour out half a liter of water from that garment.

As everything was prepared to stop and the *illustration* book was at hand, Hel did not rush to take action. He climbed once more to the heights of the cliff and carefully surveyed the valley. This time, the details included the tools scattered about and the locations of the tripwires set among the grass.

It seems that the only one he can rely on is himself. Over the past ten days, Hel recalled all the skills that the old man had imparted to him.

Hel ultimately could not exert "low-level animal control" over the "death knell," which left him somewhat indecisive about whether to bring the old dog into the mountains

Hale was unaware that his hounds had already aroused Old Moon's suspicions about his identity. As a top-notch hunter, the old man had encountered countless hounds over the decades. He could instantly assess a hound's temperament simply by having it walk a circle in front of him.

I have given everyone a chance, and my demands are not difficult to meet. Since those people believe that their lives are not worth two thousand two hundred kronor, then even if they die, they can only blame themselves for their misfortune. Saying this, the old man thrust the dagger into Hel's hand

The lush aquatic vegetation has attracted a herd of cattle, consisting of hundreds of adult wild buffalo. The most striking feature of these robust creatures is a pair of long horns that resemble sharp swords

Suddenly, a deep and angry sound erupted among the herd, and the round, wide eyes of the cows fixated on Hel turned a bright red.

Climbing down from the cliff was originally a task that Hel was very skilled at, but at this moment, he felt somewhat apprehensive. After all, the training he had received in the past was all conducted under the detailed guidance of the old man. However, this time, although the old man did provide some guidance, it was rather simplistic.

Fortunately, in the initial days, the two of them were still situated around the Devil's Mountain, so they did not encounter any formidable prey. However, even so, there were several occasions when Hel nearly escaped with his life.

Before following the old man Moon into the Devil's Mountain Range, Hel had never imagined that there could be so many types and uses of ropes. Once a rope was in the old man's hands, it could instantly transform into countless variations

Next to clothing, food is the most important. Hel did not understand what method the old man used to completely eliminate the aroma of dried meat and cheese. In any case, the food was neither tasty nor fragrant; apart from being able to fill the stomach, it was utterly worthless.

Using the information obtained from the survey, Hel began to reorganize the terrain of the valley in his memory. He initiated his planned deployment, climbing back up the cliff, carrying all the necessary tools from his treehouse on his back

What Hel did not expect was that the old man surprisingly agreed without much consideration, allowing him to try the training method of "shortcut"

However, Heller did not feel discouraged; he did not merely set this one trap.

Suddenly, with a swift motion, the knife was plunged into the center of the bull's back; the scalpel was so sharp that the bull did not even feel the pain, as the blade had completely sunk into the flesh

They even encountered the terrain dragon twice. The first time, they saw a Tyrannosaurus rex, which was gnawing on a gray bear. Next to it, in the grass, there was another gray bear's corpse. The second encounter was even more dangerous; they came across a group of velociraptors. These ancient creatures were surprisingly capable of hunting in packs like humans.

Heber vaguely sensed that old Mun was also eager for him to quickly master all the skills

Hel was fortunate that old Mun didn't send him to face the real dangers this time, but the old man did let him witness a performance by a master, who killed the Tyrannosaurus in the blink of an eye using only a special steel wire

Hel ultimately did not take the dagger, as it was given to him by the old man Moon for the purpose of dealing with his prey, which happened to be the tough-skinned, meaty, and always crowded buffaloes.

The sharp tip of the knife easily pierced through the spine, and the wild buffalo fell to the ground with a thud, not even letting out a sound.

Memorizing the guessed terrain firmly in his mind, Hel cautiously descended the cliff, deliberately choosing a position downwind.

Heard even that among the promotion types of "Scouts," there exists one called "Hawkeye," which is an extreme type that sacrifices everything else to fully develop perceptual abilities. Such divinely endowed warriors are often further trained to become Sky Riders, serving as the eyes that can grasp the overall situation on the battlefield

In the valley, besides the herds of cattle, there are small animals such as mice and rabbits. No carnivorous beasts dare to roam freely in this valley, for as soon as a predator appears, it will be regarded as a potential threat and driven away by the cattle. It is common to witness a scene where a group of wild bulls chases away intruders.

The current training undoubtedly carries a hint of risk, as Old Man Muen knows nothing about the "Great Path" and the "Shortcut." However, after a brief explanation from Hel, Old Man Muen understood the significance of the "Great Path" and the "Shortcut"

This valley is Hel's hunting ground, and he has been here for more than ten days

Having witnessed the performance of the old man, Hel finally believes that he can indeed traverse the Devil's Mountains with nothing but a shovel and a rope

However, not everything will always be within your plans; after years of hunting in the Devil's Mountains, one is bound to encounter unexpected situations

Inside the medical box, there is a scalpel, the blade of which is made from the finest white steel through cold forging, with an exceptionally sharp edge that far surpasses that of the dagger. After much deliberation, Hel chose the scalpel.

However, Hel never considered improving the meals; as long as he was with old man Moon, a joyful and lively picnic was absolutely impossible, let alone a bonfire party

Since predictions are impossible, one can only rely on guesses. Hel utilized the observational methods mentioned by the old man Moon to make a rough estimation of the terrain.

Five meters away from a robust bull, Hel came to a stop. He carefully drew a scalpel from his chest pocket. The handle of the scalpel was three inches long, while the blade measured only about one inch. The blade and handle were secured together with a special latch.

In the initial days of entering the Devil's Mountain Range, Hel truly suffered greatly from the inability to adapt. The first thing he found difficult to get used to was the heavy clothing on his body

Among the selected tools, the most numerous are various lengths of ropes. Most of these ropes are used as snares set throughout the valley. Following the snares are various types of lariats. In the hands of someone skilled in using lariats, they can undoubtedly serve as a weapon capable of determining life and death at will

On the seventh day of their journey into the mountains, the old man brought Hel to this valley, which is a paradise for herbivores. Naturally, this also attracted a large number of ferocious beasts, making it the best place for Hel to practice his skills

The old man Moon in the mountains appeared completely different from his usual self; at this moment, he looked nothing like an aged elder, nor did he resemble a cunning old fox. His gaze was constantly searching the surroundings, his ears were always attuned to the sounds around him, and his expression remained gravely serious

The old man's hand came to a stop, and he glanced at Hel, saying: "This is not a flying knife. What you need to learn today is how to escape"

In this mountain, every month, several of the most formidable hunters meet their demise. Among them, the vast majority perish due to various accidents. The more skilled the hunter, the more likely they are to lose their life, for only the most skilled dare to venture into the depths of the Devil's Mountain Range, where numerous unknown dangers lurk.

As for why I revealed the secret of the 'hidden', it is because I do not wish to see those young hunters, who have just arrived here for less than a year, perish in the Devil's Mountains. When I was young, there were almost a few days every month in the town of Xuelute that were steeped in mourning and sorrow

From the third day of entering the mountains, Hel began to envy those hunting dogs, as they were undoubtedly much more comfortable than he was. The meat from the prey they caught each day was certainly enough to satisfy them beyond their desires.

The old man builds treehouses solely using ropes, and the constructed treehouses resemble a gigantic spider web. A passage can be established between the treehouses in mid-air, and there are rope ladders to assist in ascending and descending the treehouses.

On the third day of entering the Devil's Mountain Range, Hel had already discovered the true essence of the skills imparted by the old man. In his view, the reason the old man could freely enter and exit various dangerous places was due to his cautious and strategic approach.

The scalpel gently glided across, as if slicing through a layer of decayed leather, and the thick back of the bull immediately rolled open to reveal the bright red muscle beneath

The color of the clothing is dark green, making it difficult to detect once lying on the ground. That layer of leather firmly seals the body's scent, and coupled with over ten days of training, the sounds produced by Hel's movements have become quite subtle

The old man has repeated this statement countless times, which clearly indicates its significance

At first, the old man refused to let Hel bring his hunting dog, as he believed that most hunting dogs not only could not serve as an asset but were, in fact, the greatest threat. The barking of the dog would attract the wandering beasts, and the scent left by the dog would draw in the tracking predators

His eyesight, both in terms of vision and discernment, far exceeds that of ordinary people. This is the reward he received for relinquishing his power. In addition to his extraordinary perceptual abilities, he has also acquired a unique method of training