Become A Profiteer In Isekai

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Hunting and Reunion

The scorching sun hung high above the boundless Gelan Forest. Even after being filtered by layers upon layers of leaves, the blazing sunlight still found its way into every corner of the woods.

Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow, briefly awakening the sea of trees from its midday slumber. It would stir up a rustling wave before quickly returning to a lazy peace.

Around noon, Lu Wei returned to the ”scene of the crime” from last night.

He had left a trail of Sunberries as markers all the way here yesterday. Fortunately, not too many had been eaten by birds overnight, so the journey back was relatively smooth.

The bloodstains on the ground had dried, and the few packets of seasoning powder were still scattered about, proving that no one had been here.

He first went to the nearby bushes and found his backpack. Confirming the five Silk Glands were still inside, Lu Wei could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He had clearly joined the ”30 Gold Coins Club,” yet he was still so concerned about these worthless items. This fact proved a certain truth—

—that filling one’s stomach is always a person’s number one priority.

And Lu Wei hadn’t eaten anything for eighteen hours, since last night.

To be honest, he really wanted to return to town immediately, sell the Silk Glands, and then stuff himself with a huge meal.

But at the same time, he felt it would be a bit of a waste to go back just like that.

After all, a round trip took four hours.

’Maybe I should go back to the Tree of Origin and lie in wait for a while? See if I can sell something else?’

After a moment of thought, Lu Wei decided that for a qualified Crafty Merchant, hunger was tolerable, but returning empty-handed was absolutely unacceptable.

So he immediately picked up the seasoning packets from the ground, stuffed them in his pocket, and decided to stay in the forest for the rest of the afternoon.

You never know, he might just run into another unlucky fellow like Furen.

...

...

’Excellent. An unlucky fellow has appeared.’

Half an hour later, in a dense part of the woods not far from the Tree of Origin, Lu Wei’s face lit up with joy as he looked at the fresh, wedge-shaped footprints on the ground.

Paired with a nearby clump of gnawed grass roots and a few scattered droppings...

It was obvious—a rabbit!

After a careful check, Lu Wei observed his surroundings and, relying on his high Perception of 18, immediately found the best spot to set a trap—

—a game trail where the earth was bare and various small footprints converged.

Next, he found a low, flexible sapling, bent its top down to the ground, and secured it with a short, forked branch.

Then, he tied a slipknot snare with a thin cord and carefully placed it on the game trail.

Finally, he lightly concealed it with some dead leaves.

Soon, a snare trap capable of catching most small game—and even spicy sticks—was complete.

Don’t ask how Lu Wei knew how to do this.

Because this was a skill that every man in Heitai Town was bound to master during childhood.

It was like how in his previous life, everyone knew that the line after ”Imperial Jade Liquid Wine” was ”one hundred and eighty a cup.”

If a person couldn’t even complete that phrase, they were probably a spy from an enemy nation.

By the same logic, in Heitai Town, if a man didn’t even know how to set a trap, his intelligence was most likely lower than a goblin’s.

’Not bad.’

Dusting off his hands, Lu Wei admired his masterpiece with satisfaction. Then, striking while the iron was hot, he made several more pitfall traps nearby.

After finishing all this, he returned to the side of the Tree of Origin, took out the few pages of *Kingdom Geography, Customs, and Wonders*, and continued to cram knowledge about this world.

[Swamps are characterized by soft, muddy terrain, low visibility, pervasive toxic gases, and difficulty of passage. A total of 13 have been discovered within the Kingdom. Common threats include Undead Creatures, Lizardmen, Mud Monsters, and so on...]

[A swamp is not a barren deadland; on the contrary, it is an overactive melting pot of life. Here, life and death are tightly interwoven in a thick, muddy cycle. It is the end of civilized territory, a natural sanctuary for exiles, secret cults, and ancient beings...]

[Take the Blackwater Marsh in Roland County, for example...]

...

...

「Meanwhile, deeper in the forest.」

While Lu Wei was waiting for his ”takeout,” a tattered Furen was walking briskly along a forest path, constantly looking left and right.

He had been in the forest for a full day now, and his first adventure in life was far more harrowing than he had imagined.

Yesterday, not long after bidding Lu Wei farewell, he had discovered a lone goblin.

His sneak attack failed, but he immediately followed up with a [Jump Slash] to cleanly finish off the little green-skinned monster.

Then, he went deeper and found a Bear Cave at dusk.

Although a bear’s combat power far exceeded a goblin’s, a true Hero knows no fear.

So Furen hid inside the cave and engaged in a great battle with the Brown Bear when it returned from foraging.

The process was full of twists and turns, but in the end, he successfully slew the Brown Bear with his Sword.

But his Leather Armor was ruined, and he suffered a minor shoulder injury.

Fortunately, the spoils of this battle were quite bountiful.

They included a bear, a large chunk of beeswax, and a safe cave.

That night, Furen ate two ”honey-roasted bear paws” all by himself and even went to a nearby creek to take a bath.

But when he returned, he found that a pack of Forest Wolves had seized all of his spoils.

To make matters worse, perhaps because the bear paws weren’t cooked through, he soon felt a stomachache and threw up everything he had eaten.

After that, he could only search for a campsite on an empty stomach, finally lighting a bonfire on a gravel bar washed out by the stream and barely making it through his first night.

In short, just like any other newcomer stepping into Gelan Forest for the first time, Furen’s first day was far from perfect.

But through this setback, he at least learned the lesson that ”adventuring isn’t just about fighting and killing.”

So, early this morning, Furen decided to head back to Heitai Town. He planned to first cram on wilderness survival knowledge before considering another attempt.

’True courage isn’t recklessness, but making wise choices based on calm rationality.’

’Strength alone isn’t enough to become the greatest Warrior on the Falanis Continent.’

’I still have so much to learn.’

’But right now, the most important thing is to fill my stomach.’

’So hungry...’

Rubbing his empty stomach, Furen couldn’t help but think back to that Brown Bear.

’Sigh, I should have read the Adventurer’s Manual more.’

’Spoils you can’t carry aren’t really spoils. That saying is so true.’

’No wonder so few people mess with bears.’

’They’re tough to deal with, and you can’t even take them with you...’

Mumbling to himself under his breath, Furen staggered onward, feeling more and more wronged the more he thought about it.

And just then, the aroma of roasting meat suddenly wafted over from not far ahead.

All his reflections came to an abrupt halt. Furen’s eyes widened instantly, and he swallowed hard.

Driven by hunger, he immediately quickened his pace in the direction of the smell.

He was so focused on the scent, which was as tempting as a young maiden’s lips, that he didn’t even notice the forest path under his feet becoming smoother and wider.

Until a familiar figure appeared in his line of sight.

”...Brother Lu Wei!!”

After freezing for a moment, Furen confirmed it was Lu Wei and immediately began waving his arms wildly with excitement.

At the same time, Lu Wei, hearing the shout, looked up.

...

’Huh?’

’Furen?’

Holding a Wooden Stick with a roasted rabbit skewered on it and just about to dig in, Lu Wei was completely baffled.

’No way. Did I really catch one just by waiting?’