Pioneer Wizard's Notebook

"Rangers, assemble!"

At the gates of Sunflower Manor, the bugle call of the cavalry sounded.

Linde rode on the rough back of a maned horse, a sword at his waist, and wore thick, pure white wolf-hide armor.

The entire body was covered in tough leather armor, with soft wolf fur at the collar to protect against wind and snow, and a wide cloak extending from the back that fluttered in the wind.

This leather armor is made from the fur of the Winter Wolf King.

Due to the severe damage from the Icefall Slash, only one Wolf King Armor was made from the wolf pelt, which he wore himself.

Despite the fact that the wolf king's leather armor was far inferior to the white steel plate armor forged by the dwarves due to the craftsmanship of the inhabitants.

It is far from being an extraordinary piece of equipment.

But the strength of the material is, after all, what it is.

Its defensive capabilities are no less than those of ordinary knight's plate armor, and it is far more flexible than plate armor, while also effectively keeping warm and blocking the cold.

The heart creates the Frostfang Wolf, its pelt becomes thick armor, and its flesh nourishes the knight's squire.

At this point, the only extraordinary material provided by the Winter Wolf King was the pair of wolf king fangs.

Since it cannot be processed, it can only be stored in the manor warehouse for the time being.

Linde is preparing to save up some money.

If there is really no other choice, then spend money to go to the "Black Iron Hammer" in Blackrock City and ask the craftsman Todd to forge a weapon.

This was also one of his goals in going to the Ice Mist Forest.

Linde looked toward the forest.

Having made the decision to explore, he had already made comprehensive expectations and goals in his mind.

The primary goal is to find plants in the forest that exhibit tendencies toward magical traits, thus enriching the database of trait mutations.

And search for extraordinary monsters to see if there is a chance to hunt them.

Any extraordinary monster can bring a comprehensive boost to the territory's strength.

Not only the military, but Linde can also use monster materials to research new magical runes, enriching the material library for [Bloodline Modification].

The secondary objective was to hunt Ice Demons or game pelts to make leather armor and fur coats, which could then be used as goods to trade with other barons.

Finding a dwarven craftsman to forge the Wolf King's Tooth is also part of it.

The long-term goal is to find mineral deposits in the Ice Mist Forest.

From extraordinary mithril ore and star iron to ordinary gold, silver, copper, iron, coal, and oil.

The discovery of any mineral vein can bring entirely new opportunities for the development of a territory.

Having established his expected goals, Linde became even more excited about the exploration, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

William and Wayne rode up behind him.

Behind him were seven knights as attendants.

Without exception, they wore wolfskin armor, carried swords at their waists, and longbows and hunting bows on their backs—the latter being used for mounted archery, as longbows cannot be used on horseback.

Ten well-trained wolfhounds followed them.

The Frostfang Wolf stood at the very front, its head raised as it roared excitedly.

They were clearly eager to go out hunting.

After spending time together, it easily gained the wolfhound's trust and became the wolf king of the territory.

The maned horse was already familiar with its scent and no longer felt weak in the knees or afraid when it got close.

Seeing the Frostfang Wolf chasing its tail and running around aimlessly, Lind reached out and patted its head in annoyance, telling it to stay close to him and not to wander off once in the forest.

The gray furnace rat poked its little head out from Lind's collar and squeaked in agreement.

Unfortunately, the Frostfang Wolf's physical structure makes it unsuitable as a mount.

Seeing the Frostfang Wolf obediently come down, Lind's eyes showed regret.

When it runs, its body expands and contracts like a spring, and its fur stands up like steel needles.

This gives Frostfang Wolves unimaginable pounce speed, allowing them to leap out in an instant and catch up with their prey.

However, this also prevents it from being ridden like a stable horse.

Lind's disappointment did not last long.

Although wolves cannot be ridden, with the help of [bloodline modification], as long as enough materials can be collected from the forest, he can completely evolve the maned horse into an extraordinary warhorse of the ice plains.

They'll be paired with the Icefield Knights, fully armed.

He will gain an invincible order of extraordinary knights.

Bringing his thoughts back, Linde looked at the Rangers gathering behind him.

William was familiar with the forest terrain, so he had to be brought along as a guide.

Frostfang wolves can detect danger in advance and lock onto prey from a distance, so they also need to be carried around.

Although Knight Wayne is trustworthy, he is, after all, a newcomer to the manor, and it is not safe for him to leave him alone. So he came to us.

With all the elite troops deployed, the manor was left empty.

Fortunately, there are now three Ash Furnace Rats in the territory, and Lind left two behind to guard the territory.

Although these little creatures are not very strong in combat, they can easily deal with knight-level threats, so there is no need to worry too much about the safety of the manor.

With everything ready, Lind drew his knight's sword and swung it through the forest.

"Let's go! Destination: The Ice Mist Forest!"

......

The outermost edge of the Ice Mist Forest.

Linde led his team into the area while cycling.

Due to the devastation caused by the ice storm more than two months ago, this place has now been reduced to a desolate wasteland.

Everywhere there were dead trees, and large amounts of broken branches and shrubs were buried under the snow.

There was no sign of any living creature along the way.

"According to the records in the manor's books, the ice storm is somewhat similar to the destructive power of a wildfire."

Linde gazed at the ruins before him, thinking to himself.

Don't be fooled by the current state of the forest.

However, according to the historical records in the book, as winter passes and the ice and snow melt, the remaining magic of the ice storm will transform into abundant nutrients for the forest.

At that time, the seeds buried in the snow will sprout and grow, restoring their former vitality.

Crossing the desolate outermost edge, the Rangers continued deeper, facing a choice.

Linde now faces three directions.

Continue north into the depths of the forest.

That is the most mysterious and dangerous deep area of ​​the Ice Mist Forest, and no one knows what terrifying and ferocious monsters dwell there.

Heading east, you enter the high-altitude, snow-covered mountain region of the ice-fog forest, where the altitude rises sharply.

Herds of black yak graze on the snow-capped mountains, while griffins and eagles soar through the sky.

The vegetation is sparse, but it is possible to find precious herbs such as snow lotus.

Head west into the Mecca River valley.

This river originates from the Howling Mountains and flows through the Ice Mist Forest.

The riverbank features unique terrain such as icy swamps and rocky beaches, with complex vegetation and a diverse range of animals.

There is also a high probability that underground mineral veins exist there.

Linde pondered, and from the perspective of his purpose in exploring, the valley area was undoubtedly the most suitable choice.

The only problem is that if you continue westward, you will lose the barrier of the Howling Mountains.

It has direct access to the neighboring Northern Lion Principality and the Northern Lands, making it vulnerable to attack by the Winter Clan.

Nevertheless, after careful consideration, Linde still chose to head to the valley area.

If there is indeed a barbarian attack, it is not a bad thing to detect it in advance.

While developing resources, they can also set up outposts and checkpoints there.

To avoid the barbarians sneaking up on the vicinity of the manor without being noticed, thus reducing the risk of being ambushed.