Survival or Death: The Main Theme of Nature

In the vast wilderness, Aidan rode cautiously on the back of a giant wolf. Sunlight filtered through the towering trees, casting a patchwork of dappled shadows. Verdant grass and wildflowers carpeted the ground, while the air was filled with the chirping of birds and the gentle babble of flowing water.

As they ventured further from the castle into the depths of the forest, the danger increased. Aidan proceeded with even greater caution. The wilderness was a perilous place; one needed to be at least a Confluent Tier Ascender to venture alone. However, this did not guarantee safety, as many Confluent Tier Ascenders had perished in the wild due to beasts, venomous creatures, human malice, and the occasional extreme weather.

The wild boar Aidan sought to slay often roamed near the castle, as evidenced by the occasional capture of wild boars by hunters. "The forest around the castle is cleared regularly by Ascenders from within, making it relatively safe for an Advanced Novice Tier like Aidan. However, one must still be cautious, as the beasts and supernaturals are mobile."

With his wealth of experience, Aidan searched meticulously. However, time passed, and Aidan found nothing. "Damn it, this primeval forest is still too vast for me. Without the scouting function of an Essence Conduit and being unfamiliar with the environment, coupled with the regular clearing near the castle, finding the wild boar is proving to be too difficult. I'll go deeper!"

With no success in his search, Aidan pressed on deeper into the forest. Dozens of villages were scattered throughout the forest, inhabited by ordinary mortals.

These mortals are the lowest tier, lacking even the qualification to serve in the castle as servants, and can only survive in the wilderness. Some of these mortals possess the qualifications for ascension, but the castle will not aid them, only nurturing its own people. Within the castle, despite the different factions and surnames, they all trace their lineage back to the bloodline of the first ancestors of Mistvale Keep, formed through countless years of reproduction.

In this world, familial blood ties are highly valued, and keeping power within the family is the fundamental policy for maintaining the stability of the castle. Regardless of the world, the foundation of power is the military; this is the truth. And the military is a tool of violence, a manifestation of power. To wield power is to have status and authority.

Of course, the castle system is not immutable and can incorporate new blood. Every year, outsiders marry into the castle, breaking free from servitude. Their children are also considered residents of the castle. This is like a deep pool with a stream flowing into it. Do not underestimate this stream; without it, the deep pool would stagnate and eventually become foul. With it, the deep pool will gradually grow stronger.

Aidan's former personal maid, Lyra, had this idea. Originally intending to marry Aidan, she later threw herself into Ewan's arms to break free from servitude and become a true resident of the castle. The mother of that assassin had a similar fate, but unfortunately, the men in that castle were unwilling to marry her, so she had to continue to live in the dangerous forest, raising her child alone.

After half an hour of trekking through the forest, Aidan vaguely saw an open space ahead with wisps of smoke rising. After a short while, he saw a village nestled along a small river.

The villages nearby were all under the rule of Mistavel Keep. Although it was not as safe as inside the castle, the Ascenders from the castle would regularly clear the surrounding supernatural animials, allowing the mortals to barely survive in such an environment.

"Hmm?" Beside the wild path near the village, Aidan keenly noticed traces on the ground. Past experience told him that these were the marks of a wild boar.

"Chase!" Aidan's spirits lifted, following these tracks deeper into the wilderness.

Moss and green moss covered the shaded stones, ancient cypresses and tall locust trees formed a dense forest. In the summer wilderness, under the scorching sun, it appeared even more secluded. The dense grass suddenly moved. Several deer, feasting on lush wild grass, immediately raised their heads, their gazes cautious, ears twitching.

The grass, half a person tall, suddenly parted, and a young man riding a giant wolf emerged from it, Aidan.

Swish, swish, swish. Startled, several deer's slender and agile legs suddenly moved, leaping and running in coordination, quickly darting away and disappearing from Aidan's view.

"These deer are all does. Their fur, once harvested, can be made into warm fur coats, and deer meat is also food for some Essence Conduits. If they were stags, their antlers and velvet would be even more precious. Some golden velvet is a must for Essence Conduit advancement."

　The wilderness is full of dangers but also hides rich treasures.

Aidan glanced at the direction the deer had fled and then withdrew his gaze. His goal on this journey was the wild boar, not these deer.

He continued forward.

Buzzing.

Aidan halted at the sound coming from ahead.

"A beehive." He looked into the distance and saw a beehive hanging on a tree. The hive was large, about the size of a basketball, and had a dull yellowish-grey color. Dozens of soldier bees flew around the hive, with worker bees coming in and out from time to time.

"The hive contains honey, which is food for bears. This is just a small hive, and the likelihood of it producing an Essence Conduit is low. If only I had a 'Copper Skin' or similar Essence Conduit, I could risk being stung by the bees to collect the honey, but alas," Aidan lamented.

In this world, not all creatures were supernaturals; only supernaturals creatures had the potential to give birth to Essence Conduits.

The traces of the wild boar on the ground became clearer and clearer, indicating that Aidan was getting closer. He became more and more cautious. In this world, unlike Earth, wild boars were extremely powerful beasts. Due to the more primitive ecology of this world, a wild boar could often grow to be as large as a small car, with the combat power of an adult tiger.

In this marvelous world, beasts were not simple creatures.

"Hmm?" Finally spotting the wild boar, it was lying in a large pit, impaled by sharpened bamboo sticks protruding from the bottom of the pit. Blood gurgled out from the wild boar as it lay there.

　Looking at the blood pooling in the pit, the wild boar had been trapped for at least a quarter of an hour. However, it was still struggling, grunting and thrashing about, displaying considerable vitality.

"This pit trap was obviously set by a hunter. I didn't expect to stumble upon a boon," Aidan chuckled, but his expression was somewhat serious.

These traps were also a threat to him. If he were to fall into one, he estimated that he would die within half an hour. Although the area around the village was regularly cleared, hunters also frequently came here to set traps. Some traps were recognizable, but others were designed to be concealed. If Aidan wasn't careful, he could easily fall victim to them.

"In this vast wilderness, any corner could be laden with traps set by hunters. However, hunters often inform each other of the locations of their traps. It looks like I need to find an experienced hunter to explain the layout of the traps here and the range of activity of nearby wild animals. With this information, I won't have to search blindly like I am now," Aidan pondered to himself.

This was a drawback of not having a scouting-type Essence Conduit. However, finding a good scouting Essence Conduit was also quite challenging. For the time being, if he had information from hunters, he could manage.

The wild boar continued to struggle, and the amount of blood spurted increased, causing the wound to grow larger. The boar howled, thrashing about in a final struggle, until eventually, its movements grew weaker and weaker.

Aidan watched silently, his expression calm. As the wild boar's life ebbed away, its eyes widened, its muscles twitched, and warm blood filled the pit, the pungent smell of blood wafting through the air.

"Survival or death, this is the main theme of nature," he sighed inwardly.