Outside Piltover City.
Hundreds of steps out from beneath the tall city walls and ornately carved archways lay segmented fields. The harvest festival was approaching, and from afar, farmers could be seen whipping oxen, busy in the fields.
In summer, the wheat fields shimmered with golden ears of wheat, and the distant forests that divided the fields formed a stark contrast of vibrant green.
Occasionally, robots, over two meters tall and cast from brass and gears, patrolled the fields with a few scattered Enforcers, ensuring the safety of these farmers.
And the fields, like cut tofu blocks, stretched one after another, continuously extending along the main road until the horizon. At the same time, scarecrows stood abruptly on the slightly undulating plains, gazing at every traveler in passing carriages.
Durin rode a travel horse behind the herb-gathering team. This was his first time riding a travel horse, and he received a prompt from the character card system: [Horsemanship +2, Current Proficiency: 2/25]
Fortunately, the travel horses of the herb-gathering team were trained, and with saddles and stirrups, Durin only needed to sit still.
The air was filled with freshness, without any strange odors from industrial pollution. Even the smell of animal waste from afar was no longer so pungent in such fresh air.
Durin couldn't help but take a deep breath. At this moment, he seemed to forget the threat posed by the Demon.
On the road, donkey carts, ox carts, and pushcarts transporting goods were frequently seen. Farmers or itinerant merchants transported goods to Piltover, the City of Progress with its vast population base.
The young man who had greeted Durin earlier, introducing himself as Captain Xisai, wore a chainmail shirt made of iron rings. It was sufficient for blocking slashes, but arrows would pass through the gaps between the rings.
Even though there was an inner leather armor under the chainmail, the inner leather armor couldn't compare to the outer one and would be pierced by light crossbows or similar equipment.
Besides that, this person even wielded a warhammer as a weapon.
He knew Durin was an Enforcer with a detective-level badge and was also a mage capable of casting spells. He had to make good friends with such a person, so he said with a smile, "Mr. Durin, is this your first time participating in herb gathering?"
Durin grinned, revealing his white teeth, giving off an impression of honesty and simplicity.
Since someone had taken the initiative to strike up a conversation, he might as well take the opportunity to gather some information.
So, Durin silently activated his magic to make the necklace around his neck begin to release Friendship, and although it was a simple cantrip, it worked under the influence of magic.
Captain Xisai's gaze towards Durin became involuntarily friendlier as he continued, "Actually, gathering herbs isn't that dangerous. Those wolf cubs wouldn't dare attack our large herb-gathering team. However, after entering the deep mountains, you might need to be a bit more careful. I heard that a while ago, land dragons were attacking merchant caravans, causing many casualties."
There was no danger right after leaving Piltover, so Captain Xisai simply chatted with Durin.
This herb-gathering team was considered quite large, with twenty guards alone.
Adding the accompanying herbalists, the workers sorting herbs, and the servants responsible for logistics, the team numbered well over a hundred people.
This was a common setup in Piltover; ordinary merchants affiliated with the various Piltover families needed to organize their own carriages, manpower, and goods, then seek protection from the Piltover families during their journey, and after completing a trip, one-third of all their profits would be paid as tax to the Piltover families.
"The first time I went out of Piltover to gather herbs, I only heard people say that outside the city, there were wild beasts everywhere and mountain bandits rampant. At that time, I walked with my eyes wide open the whole way, and it exhausted me."
He laughed at his own words, and Durin laughed with him.
"You don't need to worry too much. Beasts and monsters aren't that easy to encounter, and as for mountain bandits and thieves, there's no need to fear them. The Capek Family's strength is not weak. Those mountain bandits and thieves are all low-class individuals; how could their weapons and equipment possibly contend with Piltover's families?" Captain Xisai's words revealed extreme confidence.
With a change of topic, he continued, "Actually, what's more worrying is the terrain for gathering herbs in those deep mountains. Medicinal materials grow in all sorts of places: on cliffs, in treetops, at the bottom of fissures, and so on. These dangerous places are the real culprits that claim the most lives of herb gatherers."
Durin nodded.
The two chatted casually along the way, slowly following the herb-gathering team without rushing.
As they moved further and further away from Piltover, the number of farmlands began to thin, and vast expanses of wilderness and forests began to appear in their view.
Occasionally, there would be some sparsely populated small villages.
The further away from the city, the more dangers they encountered. These small villages relied entirely on organizing their own militias for protection, unless they actively paid mercenaries to eradicate threats, or paid the Piltover Guard to dispatch a professional Enforcer team with high-tech equipment to eliminate them.
The road also narrowed to only four or five meters wide, and the surface was pitted. Because it had been raining for a while, the road was very muddy, and sometimes large carts needed people to get down and push them through.
The herb-gathering team's guards had already begun full operation.
Some mounted guards began to spread out, some investigated the road ahead, and others began to scout the surrounding environment, keeping the entire herb-gathering team orderly.
Meanwhile, Durin remained quiet, even feeling a bit bored.
Not long after, a guard in leather armor squatted down, pointed at the footprints on the ground, and shouted, "Look!"
"These are hyena tracks."
"Based on the number, there are at least thirty to forty of them; it's a pack of hyenas."
"These annoying things can never be completely eliminated."
"They're dealt with this year."
"Next year, they'll breed another large litter!"
Hyenas have strong survival abilities in the wild; they can even survive by eating rotting carcasses, belonging to the scavenger type. However, once they form a large group, they will actively attack large creatures, including humans and even merchant caravans.
Durin glanced at the footprints left near the road; some had already been washed away by the rain, but the approximate number could still be estimated.
However.
These few hyenas wouldn't dare to target the herb-gathering team.
Hyenas only dare to attack enemies when their own numbers are at least five times, preferably ten times, that of the enemy.
But another merchant guard frowned, pushed aside the nearby grass, and said in a deep voice, "Look here."
It was a distinctly different area, the soil looked very fresh, as if it had been disturbed, and it was about five feet wide.
There were bloodstains within five meters nearby; even though they had been washed by rain, they were still visible.
"Clearly, these hyenas encountered something."
Captain Xisai dismounted from his horse, then squatted down, picked up a handful of soil, sniffed it, and said in a deep voice, "This thing is not small, and it's very dangerous!"
"These hyenas couldn't even harm it!"
Durin's expression also became solemn. He pushed others aside and walked over, pulled out the dagger from his boot, stirred it in the soft soil, and frowned, "Woodmaw Bearfolk?!"
When he had free time while taking classes at Piltover University, he would read illustrated guides about strange creatures to broaden his knowledge.
Woodmaw Bearfolk, a type of brown bear that lives year-round in the mountains and forests, has been transformed by the dense magical elements in the mountains to be highly aggressive and possess certain magical abilities.
They are strong, fast, and good at concealment.
"If it really is this thing, then we're in trouble."
"They are communal! We can't stay here; we need to speed up."
Upon receiving the news, the entire herb-gathering team's speed increased significantly again. Everyone dared not slack off and continued forward.
Until the sky gradually darkened, despite it being a hot summer, a chill wind blew, bringing with it the howls of various wild beasts and the rustling of trees from afar.
Soon, a bright moon appeared.
The moonlight was good today; the cold moonlight illuminated the surroundings, making it relatively convenient for them to advance.
The herb-gathering team's guards lit torches. The workers also inserted pre-prepared torches onto the large carts. While the light source facilitated the herb-gathering team's progress.
It also exposed their location. In the dark forest nearby, pairs of eerie green eyes could be seen; these were the wolves and wild beasts active in the vicinity.
Before long, they arrived at a resting point funded by the Piltover families and set up camp. The so-called resting point was essentially a few stone houses surrounded by a wooden fence, but it gave a particularly secure feeling.
The surrounding trees had all been cut down to avoid obstructing the view.
Everyone lit bonfires, parked the carts and horses outside, with dedicated personnel guarding them, forming a semicircle.
The mountain wind howled, and the bonfire flickered, making the shadows of people sway.
Everyone chatted and laughed, eating dinner around the bonfire.
The leader of the herb-gathering team spoke, "Everyone get a good night's rest. We'll start searching for and gathering herbs first thing tomorrow morning."
Durin's mental power was much sharper than before. He sensed something immediately, looked up at the distance, and gripped his scimitar alertly.
It seemed like something was watching them from over there.
Unfortunately, even with his dark vision, he still couldn't see anything, as his sight was simply limited.
The next moment, a loud wolf howl echoed over the wilderness.
"Awooo!"
On a small hill not far away, a pitch-black, upright humanoid figure appeared, staring intently at them. It held a battle-axe larger than a human head, and its deep purple pupils were very conspicuous in the darkness.
That was a Gnoll.
No!
Perhaps the word choice was a bit off. In Durin's sight, he clearly saw the Gnoll's muscular body tremble, and then it let out a low whimpering howl. Waves of wolf howls spread out.
The Gnolls hidden in the darkness nearby, accompanied by dire wolves the size of calves, emerged one after another, their eerie green eyes deeply locked onto the herb-gathering team not far away.
To be precise, this was a pack of Gnolls!
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