That night, after the first real feast in years, the family cooked the second giant Silver Moon Carp the same way—careful with the magic stone, slow roasting over the fire until the hut filled with rich, savory smoke. They ate until their bellies were full again, laughing softly around the low table. Suki fell asleep with a happy smile still on her face. Chief Haru and Lira kept thanking Luo Feng with quiet, tearful bows. When the last bone was cleaned and the fire banked low, everyone laid out their mats and drifted into the deepest, most peaceful sleep the little hut had known in years.
The next morning dawned bright and cool. After a simple breakfast of leftover fish and a few wild herbs, Luo Feng turned to Kael—the tall, thin eighteen-year-old who had been watching him with quiet awe since the night before.
"Let's go hunting," Luo Feng said calmly, his young face steady and confident. "Don't worry about anything. We will be fine."
Kael blinked, surprised, but the memory of yesterday's meat made him nod. "Alright… if you're sure."
They left the village gates right after breakfast, each carrying a simple wooden spear the family owned. Luo Feng's steps were light, his hidden B-rank strength already flowing through his limbs like quiet river water—far beyond anything a normal traveler should have after only three months in the forest.
They entered the woods that bordered the village fields. The moment the trees closed around them, Luo Feng's Appraisal skill lit up in his vision, scanning every track, broken twig, and scent on the wind. He moved like he had walked these paths a hundred times, leading Kael deeper without a word.
After twenty quiet minutes, he stopped and pointed ahead. Between the thick trunks stood a massive wild boar—black-bristled, shoulders higher than a man's head, tusks curved like sickles. Steam rose from its snout as it rooted in the dirt.
Kael's face went pale. "That's a C-rank Big Wild Boar," he whispered urgently. "We can't beat that thing! Let's run before it notices us—"
Luo Feng raised a hand, calm as ever. "You stay here. I will take care of it."
Before Kael could protest, Luo Feng slipped behind a thick tree and climbed it in two silent bounds, vanishing into the branches. From his Storage Bag he pulled a fist-sized chunk of pure Mithril ore he had mined months ago in the Forbidden Forest. He gripped it tight, feeling its unnatural sharpness even through the cloth he wrapped around one end to make a crude handle. This should work like a knife, he thought. Just a little cut to scare it off.
He waited.
The boar wandered closer, sniffing the ground. When it passed directly beneath the branch, Luo Feng dropped like a shadow—Stealth Specialist making his fall utterly silent. He landed on the beast's back, drove the Mithril chunk straight down into the side of its thick neck with all his B-rank strength.
He had expected only a shallow slice, enough to make the boar flee.
Instead, the Mithril was sharper than any blade he had ever known. The edge sliced clean through hide, muscle, and bone as if they were soft clay. Blood sprayed in a single bright arc. The huge C-rank boar let out one choked grunt… and collapsed instantly, dead before it hit the ground. Its massive body twitched once and went still.
Kael stood frozen ten meters away, eyes wide with shock, mouth hanging open. "What… how…?"
Luo Feng landed lightly beside the carcass, wiping the Mithril clean on a leaf. He looked almost embarrassed. "It cut deeper than I thought. Mithril is… very sharp." He slipped the chunk back into his Storage Bag and waved Kael over. "Come. Help me carry it back. The village can eat well again tonight."
Kael stumbled forward, still staring at the dead boar like it was a dream. Together they lifted the heavy beast between them—Luo Feng taking most of the weight without seeming to strain—and started the walk back toward Eden Village.
The forest stayed quiet around them. No other monsters appeared. Luo Feng walked in silence, the same gentle farmer's calm on his face, while inside he thought, I must be more careful next time. These gifts from the evil God… they are stronger than I realized.
Behind them, the C-rank boar left a trail of blood on the leaves. Ahead, smoke rose from Eden Village chimneys. For the second day in a row, the poor little village was about to have meat on the table—and no one yet knew that the quiet traveler named Luo Feng had just done the impossible with nothing more than a piece of ore and a steady hand.