"Hey, Rollin, you're gonna get it."
Shitpan, still stuck on the tree, said with a mix of disbelief and awe.
That dog, which looked stronger than him, had the potential to knock him down with one paw.
Even though its mouth was covered, he couldn't get too close—
Getting bitten would be a disaster, but that didn't stop him from talking.
"If this dog really understands you, the hunter wouldn't have dragged that dead hen to the dog seller and complained."
"Let's try it out,"
Rollin replied, eyes gleaming with excitement.
He took out two silver coins and stuffed them into the copper book's groove.
As the coins vanished, the text under the dog's head in the book lit up, and a faint light rose from the page, drifting into Xiao He's body to empower it.
At the same time,
New text appeared on the page.
——Mid-level. Heartfelt Synchronicity (Unlocked)
——High-level. Killing Intuition: The dog can detect hostility within a hundred meters via scent, and will alert you by wagging its tail and licking your back to indicate the number of threats. Requires two dogs + 4 silver coins to unlock.
——??
"Killing Intuition!"
Rollin's heart skipped a beat.
This talent was so practical—it was like having a built-in danger alarm.
Most dogs have a wide sense of smell, but it can be disrupted under certain conditions, like wind.
But being able to sense hostility through scent was already a huge leap in ability.
Now he had a rough idea of the talent tree's hierarchy: two initial levels, then mid, then high.
But to unlock the high-level, he'd need two dogs and 4 silver coins.
And right now, he was seriously short on cash.
After a day of buying four black breads and some nuts, he had only 40 copper coins left.
Sighing, he realized how endless poverty could be.
"Let's try it out."
The unlocked [Heartfelt Synchronicity] talent allowed him to communicate with Xiao He through eye contact and thoughts, not just words.
So he could finally stop talking and just think.
This would greatly improve his stealth.
With that in mind, he decided to test Xiao He with a more advanced command.
He focused, sending an idea through his eyes: "Do a spiral takeoff and flip in mid-air."
"…"
Xiao He stared at him, its eyes unusually clear.
Rollin looked at its gaze and felt a bit awkward about the command.
But with Heartfelt Synchronicity, it was something he could gradually master—once was not enough, three times would do it.
The next day,
"Rollin,"
Shitpan, with his usual wide-eyed expression, arrived with two carrots and a small bag of hazelnuts.
"This is for your trip. I can only bring these from home," he said.
"Thank you, my best friend."
Rollin took the food, touched his heart.
As a serf, he couldn't just survive on farming—after all, he still had to pay taxes.
So during his free time, he had to go out and forage for extra food.
These items were clearly stolen from his home.
What a simple yet profound friendship—risking his dad's wrath just to help a friend.
"Where's Xiao He?"
Shitpan looked around the small one-room thatched cottage, asking, "He didn't run off, did he?"
"Look over there,"
Rollin led Shitpan to the courtyard, pointing at the small forest on the hillside by the road.
"He's waiting for me there."
Earlier that night, he had trained Xiao He to follow him at a distance, practicing until the early hours.
Thanks to the Heartfelt Synchronicity talent, Xiao He had improved significantly in understanding.
"That dog is really something,"
Shitpan muttered, staring at the distance.
"Rollin, you gotta be careful. Stay in the middle of the group, and if there's an ambush, run for cover. Don't be the hero—
You know, we're just farmhands, not warriors."
"Yes,"
Bill and Rollin, both nodding.
Bill began to explain the duties and techniques of scouting, along with various tips.
Rollin listened carefully, taking notes, while occasionally glancing at the distance, where Xiao He was stealthily following, pausing and speeding up as needed.
Maintaining a默契 distance.
It had to be said, the [Heartfelt Synchronicity] talent had made a noticeable difference.
When they left the fief, heading into the wilderness, they needed someone to scout and guard.
Because of his experience, Bill went ahead to scout.
Rollin stayed behind to guard, hiding in the dark while keeping watch.
Scouting was crucial in ancient warfare.
If an enemy was spotted, the message would be quickly relayed to the main force for preparation, like putting on armor or setting up simple defenses.
Of course, scouts weren't perfect—otherwise, there wouldn't be so many ambushes and surprise attacks in history.
But even then, they couldn't afford to be without one.
At this point, Rollin was also holding a spear given by Lord Donner, matching his height.
Now he was a servant, but on the battlefield, he'd become a cannon fodder.
However...
Staying at the rear to guard gave him more time to interact with Xiao He, maintaining that默契 communication.
The journey was smooth, with no bandits appearing.
Only the occasional rabbit challenged them, testing their limits.
But Xiao He, being new to hunting, struggled a few times before finally getting the hang of it.
The idea of roasting rabbit meat was dashed.
This made Rollin lose hope completely.
While on guard, he also started planning his future.
First, he'd need to breed another dog to unlock new talents.
Walking through the noon,
Lord Donner ordered a short rest.
Bill and Rollin still stood at the far ends of the group, on guard.
After all, resting meant being still, which was the perfect time for unexpected visitors.
Fortunately, nothing happened.
Rollin was relieved.
If there had been an attack, the bandits would have targeted the guards first.
Thankfully, ancestors were watching over them, and by evening, no danger had been encountered.
"Let's start setting up camp here,"
Lord Donner chose a dense forest near the road instead of the open terrain outside.
It was a traditional choice, passed down through generations.
The forest provided cover and could block distant archers.
If a sniper wanted to kill someone in the dark, they'd have to get close, increasing their risk of exposure.
While helping Bill set up the tent, Rollin also remembered these tips.
The tradition of learning was etched into his soul.
Once the camp was ready, Lord Donner's tent was in the center.
Beside it was Bill's simple tent, made with four sticks and a cloth.
He also had to take care of the small campfire.
Everything was done, and it was time to eat and rest.
Rollin handed half of the hard black bread, along with some hazelnuts and two walnuts, to Bill.
A thank you for the care and knowledge he'd received along the way.
"Rollin, you're a great guy, thanks,"
Bill said.
"And thank you for taking care of me,"
Rollin replied.
"Bill, you have a lot of combat experience. It's an honor to be your friend."
"Rollin, you're a person of high morals. I'm gonna be your friend for sure,"
Bill said.
The two shared a bit of black bread with hot soup, chatting and praising each other.
After finishing, they each took a spear and spread out to the farthest points of the camp, guarding it.
Bill also taught Rollin the techniques for choosing a good spot to stay on guard.
Resting against a tree to protect his back, and hiding in the depression of the ground to blend into the night.
Rollin felt grateful—what a precious survival skill this was.
No wonder Bill had survived so many campaigns with Lord Donner, he had deep knowledge of survival techniques.
Rollin then dug a bit deeper into the chosen spot.
Lying flat, he was nearly invisible from the side.
"It's getting a bit cold,"
Rollin said, rubbing his arms.
The autumn nights in the northern continent had already begun to chill.
By winter, it would be freezing.
After Lord Donner and his retainers fell asleep,
Rollin waited a while before summoning Xiao He to his side.
They hugged close, providing warmth to each other.
It was amazing—holding Xiao He was like holding a little heater.
The dog licked his face with a warm tongue, showing affection and closeness.
"What's going on?"
At this moment, Xiao He raised its head from Rollin's chest, turning it left and right to listen.
Its dark eyes were filled with alertness to the surrounding darkness.
Eventually, it stared凶狠地 at one direction, letting out a low bark to warn.
Rollin immediately became alert, following its gaze.
In the moonlit forest, a few dark figures were slowly approaching.
Rollin didn't call out right away.
Instead, he looked elsewhere.
If there was an ambush, it was crucial not to panic and shout.
He needed to confirm if there were other attackers or someone hiding to shoot arrows.
After checking and finding no other threats, he called out clearly:
"Lord Donner, two to the left, two to the right, ambush!"
In the quiet night, the dark forest.
This loud call instantly pulled the knights out of their sleep.
Lord Donner leaped out from the left side of his tent, directly facing two tall figures in leather armor, each wearing a狰狞的毛皮面具.
"Crash!"
One of the attackers swung a sharp club, hitting the shield held up by Peamon.
The force was so strong that it knocked Peamon down.
"Damn it, savages! Savages!"
Peamon screamed in panic, one hand holding up the shield, the other trying to push himself back.
Bill rushed over, holding his spear against the remaining savage, and they began to fight.
They kept retreating while fighting, trying to avoid injury.
"Crack!"
Rollin came out from the side, his spear aimed at the savage attacking Peamon.
But the savage was wearing leather armor with bone plates, so the spear didn't cause a fatal wound.
Still, it was known that hitting that spot would hurt.
And sure enough, the savage screamed in pain, abandoning Peamon's shield and turning to fight.
He drew a crude dagger from his waist, raising it to stab.
"Release, come back!"
Rollin shouted the command, and Xiao He immediately let go, pulling back.
At the same moment,
The savage's dagger had already reached, but Xiao He had already moved, and the dagger pierced through his own right arm.
"Owww!"
The savage screamed, his eyes filled with rage.
Rollin, still on the ground, didn't move, preventing the attacker from taking another shot.
His heart raced—had he missed another hidden enemy?
Xiao He, seeing its master fall, rushed over, lying on his side and letting out a low whine.
Rollin quickly sent a mental signal: I'm fine, hide in the forest, find the enemy.
Xiao He, sensing its master was still alive, stopped whining and immediately understood the command, turning into the darkness.
Meanwhile,
Rollin rolled to one side, grabbing Peamon's 'Hawk Shield' and crouching behind it, hiding his head.
Facing the direction the arrow had come from, he was drawing the enemy's attention away from Xiao He.
Peamon, now without his shield, stood frozen, his mind racing—
How did he just lose it so easily?
But seeing Rollin's fierce eyes, he immediately accepted it, "You use it, you use it."
"Crack!"
Another arrow flew, embedding itself in the shield.
Rollin could feel Peamon trembling behind him, his hands shaking.
Bill was right—this guy was a complete coward when it came to savages.
Rollin didn't pay attention, but after confirming the direction of the arrows, he slowly moved behind the shield, continuing to draw火力 and distract the archer.
At the same time, he quickly scanned the other side, checking the situation.
Lord Donner was fighting two savages at once.
He raised his sword in front, sweeping it up to block the downward slash of a savage's curved blade.
Then, the upward swing of his sword followed through, slicing open the savage's chest.
He pulled back, defending against the falling axe of the other savage, then advanced, his sword tip piercing through the latter's throat.
The savage who had been facing Bill, seeing his comrade fall, realized he was the only one left.
Panicking, he quickly retreated and ran.
Lord Donner picked up the fallen axe and threw it, hitting the retreating savage right in the back of his head.
The savage continued running for a few steps, then crashed into the ground, losing all combat ability.
Seeing all this, Rollin couldn't help but admire the efficiency of combat skills.
No matter how simple or brutal, they were effective.
Lord Donner's swordplay and throwing technique were clean and decisive, with no wasted motions.
Swordsmanship and throwing were essential parts of the knightly eight arts.
He quietly marveled—this was the pure warrior, untethered from farming, solely focused on killing.
At that moment,
The archer savage emerged from the bushes, ready for a final stand.
Seeing that he couldn't harm the man holding the shield, he immediately aimed his wooden crossbow at Lord Donner.
Lord Donner's eyes flickered, a brief moment of shock.
Just as the savage pulled the crossbow's trigger,
A black shadow suddenly leaped from the darkness, its mouth wide open, biting the savage's right forearm where the crossbow was held.
At the same instant,
The crossbow's trigger was pulled, and the arrow, once aimed at Lord Donner, deflected and flew past his right side.