Going Down the Mountain 1

Ryan finished practicing magic, feeling content, and looked around, noticing everyone was watching him. He checked himself to make sure there was no exposure, then scratched his nose and walked toward the group. Chuck quickly bowed and stepped aside. They had already accepted Ryan's identity as a magician, and it felt only natural for them to treat him as such. But Ryan, with his soul originating from a place where equality was more common, felt uncomfortable with the clear hierarchy. While it might seem outwardly fine, the stark contrast in status made him uneasy and cautious, determined not to fall to such a position.

Darlis and Alice, meanwhile, both bowed slightly, showing respect using noble manners. As Darlis bent down, her snowy white chest and deep cleavage swayed right in front of Ryan, making him quickly turn away. Darlis stood up, looking at Ryan with a composed expression, a hint of an unreadable smile on her lips. She ran a tavern, so she had seen all kinds of people and, compared to her experiences, Ryan was still far from sophisticated in these matters.

"Captain Tori, you all should come inside," Ryan said as he, Alice, Darlis, and Niu Niu headed toward the cave. He was still thinking about the bandits, and now seemed like the right time to ask Tori.

Ryan couldn't help but find it amusing how Tori, who used to appear so imposing, now seemed so nervous. A sense of accomplishment filled Ryan as he asked, "Captain Tori, why did the bandits attack the town? What were they after?"

Tori, standing uncomfortably, quickly replied, "We've only heard of such things before. Bandit groups usually operate on bustling trade routes, and they typically don't kill, just rob, though that's not always the case. I didn't expect them to come after the town. The town only collects about a hundred gold coins in taxes a year. I originally thought it was for food, but when the bandits started chasing us, I realized it had to be because of either our lord or the young lady."

"Hmm, if it were for food, they wouldn't have chased you. The bandits were clearly after one of you," Ryan replied, now understanding.

He suddenly recalled meeting an old man in the woods a few days ago, so he asked Tori, "Tori, aside from the path up the mountain here, is there another way? I encountered an old man in the woods nearby—how far is it from here?"

Tori thought for a moment and answered, "The mountain isn't far, just a few miles. But below, it's over a hundred miles, and there are a few small villages, unguarded. If the bandits came from that way, they wouldn't bring many. The paths are similar to this one. They can't come quickly once it snows, but they could send a small elite team."

"Alright, Tori! Get ready. We'll head down this afternoon and go to Harry City. Can the horses make the journey down?" Ryan stood up suddenly, giving instructions to Tori, then asked, "Can the horses be brought down?"

Seeing Ryan's urgent demeanor, Tori quickly understood. Since the bandits were determined, they would likely take a detour, possibly armed with bows or even crossbows. Tori broke into a cold sweat, responding quickly, "Yes, we can bring them down!"

"Good! Tori, make sure to keep an eye on the road down and the forest. We'll head down this afternoon and get into the city by nightfall. With the magic wolf with us, we won't need to worry, but we should get into the city as soon as possible," Ryan said, thinking quickly. The more time they wasted, the more dangerous it could become, so it was better to leave early and be safe.

Ryan then told Alice and Darlis about the situation, both of whom became nervous. Ryan had the afternoon to make armor from the Ape Demon's skin; he couldn't risk being in just light clothes.

"That should be enough," Ryan said, looking at the Ape Demon's skin. It was soft and tough, originally black but now a yellowish-brown color. However, Ryan was unsure how to proceed with making armor since he had never done it before.

"I can do it," Darlis said with a slight smile when she saw Ryan unsure of what to do with the skin.

Ryan quickly handed the skin to Darlis. "Thank you. Just mark the areas that need to be cut with charcoal, and I'll handle the cutting. Is that alright?" Ryan knew that while the skin was soft, it was also very tough, and after being soaked in the blood of a Earth Elemental Beast, its defense had been enhanced. Regular tools would probably be too weak to work with it. He had already placed the skin from the Ape Demon's limbs in a pot with water to boil, creating glue. The skin near the claws and paws was soaked in water instead of blood, and this glue was used to bind the pieces together.

Though the Ape Demon was large, the skin was enough to make three sets of armor. After marking the skin, Ryan went to the back, where he summoned a wind blade and carefully cut along Darlis's lines. Though he knew that with Niu Niu and the magic wolf nearby, there was no immediate danger, Ryan also understood that this was an external safeguard. It was only by improving his own strength that he would truly be safe. Ryan knew that if the bandits arrived, they would strike decisively, and that no one, not even the magic wolf, was invincible.

It didn't take Ryan long to cut the skin and bring it outside. Darlis didn't seem to mind his methods but was curious.

"Will this work?" she asked, surprised at Ryan using the black liquid from the pot to make armor.

"It works. It not only makes the armor waterproof but also very durable," Ryan explained as he quickly began to assemble the armor. In less than half an hour, he finished the half-body armor, protecting his upper body and head, along with a pair of boots.

Just as Ryan finished putting on the armor and boots, stuffing straw inside for warmth, Tori's voice suddenly rang out.

"Bad news! The bandits are here!" Tori shouted.

"What's going on? Tell me more," Ryan asked calmly, not panicking as he carefully questioned Tori.