Chapter 1: Set Off (Part 2)

Wrist talismans usually have only two compartments—one on the inner side and one on the outer side of the wrist. The compartments for storing talismans are specially crafted, possessing certain spatial properties that allow them to hold a certain number of talismans, all of the same type, of course. Guo Shier had gathered enough materials to create over a dozen such compartments, so he didn’t want to follow the existing design of talisman belts. As long as they were convenient to use, the design didn’t matter; what was important was ease of access. He planned to create a set of talisman belts, including wrist and arm talismans, as well as a leg talisman. After two days of consideration, Guo Shier, having no time to delay further, decided to craft them himself. In the end, he designed a rather unusual talisman belt. It resembled the armored belts from his past life, with two additional straps, each equipped with three compartments for talismans. Including the belt around the waist, there were a total of ten compartments. This was because he was short and had a narrow waist, leaving limited space, but ten compartments were sufficient for his needs. Of course, the design wasn’t very attractive, and he guessed the locals wouldn’t like it. Guo Shier remembered Luo Jie’s words clearly: talisman belts were designed for combat, and appearance was unimportant. It took nearly ten days for Guo Shier to craft this strange talisman belt. He practiced for a few more days to get used to the location of the talismans and be able to retrieve them quickly and accurately. Additionally, he hid two precious talismans on his wrists, one on each hand. After a month of intense preparation, everything was finally ready. That morning, under the protection of Luo Zhan and three Talisman Warriors, Guo Shier and his group arrived at the gathering point inside the inner gate by carriage. Guo Shier noticed a large number of apprentices gathered there, most of them showing potential as Talisman Warriors, with a few showing potential as Spellcasters. There wasn’t a single apprentice with potential as a Talisman Master, and only a few seemed to have potential as Spellcasters, all of whom were protected by Talisman Warriors. The apprentices with potential as Spellcasters also had a few Talisman Warriors protecting them. The largest group was the apprentices of Talisman Warriors. When they saw Huo Bao and the others, envy was clearly evident in their eyes. Inside the inner gate, if they failed to find followers, they would become Talisman Warriors there and would never have the chance to become personal Talisman Warriors again. Although the inner gate was a good place, it was far less promising than having followers.

Apprentices with potential to become rune warriors ranged in age, from the twenties for the older ones to eleven or twelve for the younger. Since most of them did not become followers, their equipment was provided by the inner sect—nothing but ordinary swords and knives, with none able to obtain rune artifacts. The rune artifacts held by Huo Bao and the other three stood out sharply among the crowd, as even many rune warriors did not have such artifacts. Even in the inner sect’s rune market, rune artifacts were relatively expensive, and rune warriors were generally poor. Rune warriors who had masters did not have to worry about physical training or weapons, as everything they needed was provided by their masters. Thus, their greatest desire was to attach themselves to a successful rune caster or warrior; if that was not possible, attaching to a caster was also an option. Unlike in his past life, no one gave speeches or tried to boost morale. When the time came, the group set off in batches. Guo Shier and the others were placed in the middle. Several apprentices with potential to become rune casters were also placed there because it was the safest area. There were three groups: the first group consisted of inner sect rune warriors and casters, leading a group of apprentice rune warriors on the verge of advancing. The second group included the weakest apprentices or those who needed the most protection. The third group was similar to the first. The entire group was strong at both ends but weak in the middle. There were over five hundred horses, nearly a hundred carriages, more than three hundred hunting dogs, and nearly two thousand people in total, setting off from the inner sect in a grand procession along the main road. Along the way, one could see outer sect convoys transporting supplies—ranging from fifty or sixty people with a dozen large carts to six or seven hundred people with seventy or eighty large carts. There were also many combat squads, as well as many temporary tea stalls and dining areas set up by ordinary people. These ordinary people lived at the supply points, coming out every morning and returning in the evening, making a living by earning a little rune money. Guo Shier sat in a carriage. It was a box-shaped vehicle that, in his eyes, was extremely simple. The only luxuries were a thick layer of animal fur padding and two runes to prevent severe vibrations. Sitting inside, he read a book dedicated to describing wild people. There were four types of wild people in the far north. The first type was called wandering wild people, who mostly lived alone in the wilderness. They were tall and strong, with strength comparable to that of rune masters. Their skin was thick, and they had long hair. They used huge stones and thick tree trunks as weapons, had formidable combat skills, and enjoyed eating people, especially ordinary people.

The second type of wildman, called the Frenzied Wildman, prefers to live in groups in the deserts of the far north. They enjoy fighting against large beasts and also invade residential areas; they are also cannibals. They do not use weapons but attack with their sharp claws. When enraged, their attacking power doubles, and they move at incredible speed.

The third type, and the most terrifying, is called the Bloodthirsty Wildman. They love killing above all else; even when encountering the Wandering Wildmen or Frenzied Wildmen, they will attack and kill them as well. They are the most dangerous wildmen. There are the most of them, but their strength is inferior to that of the Wandering and Frenzied Wildmen. They rely on numbers to win and do use certain weapons.

The fourth type of wildman is extremely rare, and all other wildmen will protect them automatically. In human society, they are known as natural talismans. They are weak in strength themselves, but as they grow older, they naturally master some magical spells that can heal injuries for other wildmen and enhance their strength. They are called Spell Wildmen.

Guo Shierou scratched his head and sighed inwardly, “What the hell is this world? How can there be such strange things—wildmen? They don’t even look human!” There were several illustrations in the book depicting wildmen.

The first one showed a Wandering Wildman, resembling a giant gorilla with arms longer than its knees, a muscular body whose muscles seemed about to burst, two long canines protruding from its lips, and thick, long black fur that gave it a brutal appearance. Even in an illustration, it looked extremely terrifying.

The second illustration depicted a Frenzied Wildman, similar in size to the Wandering Wildman, but with even thicker arms. Instead of fingers, its palms had six long claws, and its fur was brownish-red.

The third one was a Bloodthirsty Wildman, whose appearance was the most human-like. It had no hair on its face and wore simple animal skin clothing, with brownish-black fur.

The last illustration showed a Spell Wildman, short and thin, lacking any sign of ferocity and instead appearing somewhat frail. It was hard to imagine how such a physique could survive in the far north.

The book stated that the most dangerous wildmen were the Spell Wildmen, and if encountered, they must be killed at all costs. Spell Wildmen acted like amplifiers; wherever they were among wildmen, those wildmen’s strength would increase significantly due to their presence. What terrified humans even more was that Spell Wildmen possessed a certain level of intelligence.

Guo Shierou completely excluded wildmen from the category of humans—these things were simply beasts.

The North Talisman Gate exists to contain the wildlings. If they manage to invade, ordinary people have almost no chance of survival—only those who reach the levels of Talisman Masters, Spellcasters, Talisman Warriors, or Talisman Soldiers might have a chance. Thus, the people here hate the wildlings deeply and will never spare them if they can help it.

The Far North, also known as the Arctic Wasteland, has a harsh environment that makes it difficult for humans to live there. Yet it is also a vast treasure trove, filled with countless precious materials for crafting talismans. Among the four major talisman gates—east, west, south, and north—the North Talisman Gate has the richest supply of such materials, precisely because it controls this great treasure land.

Beyond the Wildling Pass lies the Far North. Every spring, the wildlings from there attack the pass. Many of them bypass the pass by climbing over steep peaks to invade human settlements and commit acts of destruction and plunder. These bloodthirsty wildlings crave everything human—weapons, equipment, pots, and pans—they want it all. However, not many wildlings can climb over the mountains to reach behind the pass, as the North Talisman Gate has specialized hunting teams for them.

Most wildlings try to storm the pass directly. They attack in large groups, with thousands arriving each day. Driven by instinct to break through the pass, they charge recklessly, like starving people faced with endless food—such temptation is irresistible.

In addition to the threat of wildlings, the Arctic Wasteland is also home to wild beasts. These beasts have a unique trait: they are naturally born with runes. Some have runes on their fur, while others have them on their bones. These are natural materials for talismans, and some of these runes grow in peculiar ways, making them highly attractive to Talisman Masters. Discovering a new rune could be extremely valuable.

For this reason, the Arctic Wasteland is both a paradise and a hell for the disciples of the North Talisman Gate. Relying on the Far North, their disciples can grow rapidly, but countless others lose their lives there.

Guo Shier closed the book and sighed. He knew he would have to go to the Far North for training in the future. At just nine years old, he had already been sent to Ye Guan City by his master. Once he reached the level of a Talisman Warrior, he would surely be sent to fight at the Wildling Pass. It seemed this life wouldn’t be easy to survive peacefully. So, he had to find as many ways as possible to protect himself.

Guo Shier poked his head out of the carriage and asked, “Leopard, where have we arrived?”