After relieving themselves, Aaron continued his journey toward Brindle Hollow village.
Maria followed behind with an embarrassed look on her face. Growing up in a noble household, she had never faced such situations before. She sighed, feeling a pang of regret for running away from home.
But at the same time, she was grateful for meeting Aaron. People like him were truly rare in this world.
Despite the uneven terrain, the horse moved steadily without slowing down. Within an hour, they reached Brindle Hollow.
Aaron saw tall wooden walls built for fortification. The sight brought him a sense of relief. Soon, they arrived at the entrance. The gate was massive and tightly shut. A watchtower loomed above, and from it, a voice called out loudly:
"Strangers, state the purpose of your visit to Brindle Hollow!"
Aaron responded without hesitation, raising his voice:
"Hey! We’re lost. We need directions to get back to Raven Shore. We also want to refill our supplies."
The guard glanced down at them and noticed that only one of the two was armed. The other appeared to be a female companion. Their clothes were dusty and worn, suggesting they had been traveling for some time.
Judging by their appearance, the guard felt that their story was likely true.
The gate creaked open, just wide enough for a single horse to pass through.
Aaron took the lead, guiding the horse forward, while Maria followed behind slowly.
As they entered, the guard called out with a stern warning:
"Strangers, remember not to cause trouble, or we will arrest you."
He paused, then continued,
"If you’re looking for supplies, head to Tommy’s Shop. You’ll spot it easily, it’s just a hundred steps from here."
"If you want to travel to Raven Shore, you’ll first need to reach Tulip Town. It’s about a half-day’s journey from here. Just follow the mud path south. From Tulip Town, it’ll take another half-day to reach Raven Shore. Of course, that’s assuming you’re riding a normal horse."
While saying so, Aaron tossed a silver coin toward the guard, whose eyes widened in surprise.
On the other hand, Aaron didn’t feel anything wrong with his actions. He had taken the silver coins from Boss Spider’s body before disposing of it. In total, he had found twelve silver coins.
As they entered the village, Aaron hardly spotted any people. It looked like most of them had gone off to work. He did notice a few children watching them curiously, chatting among themselves.
But he paid them no attention. He just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. The entire village reeked, people had defecated here and there, and the stench made him urge the horse forward faster. Read complete versıon only at N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
Maria, equally disturbed, covered her nose and followed behind.
When they finally reached Tommy’s Shop, Aaron was relieved to find the place clean. He let out a quiet sigh.
He dismounted and saw a middle-aged man running the shop. It was stocked with daily necessities, basic items that most villagers relied on.
Without hesitation, Aaron asked,
"How much does the bread cost?"
Tommy, used to seeing strangers come and go, most of them chasing fortune in the Dark Forest, few ever returning, replied in a professional tone, "Man, are you heading to the Dark Forest? Never mind, I don’t need to ask. Look, I’ve got a supply bag: one loaf of dry bread, a wooden water bottle, a small pouch of spices and salt. You can get it all for 20 copper coins."
Aaron thought for a moment and said,
"Well, give me two bags. Also, do you sell clothes?"
Tommy shook his head and replied,
"Hey man, don’t mock me. You think clothes are easy to buy? You need a license to sell them."
Aaron casually took out a silver coin and paid.
His eyes widened at the sight of the silver coin. People who could spend silver without hesitation were either wealthy merchants or from noble backgrounds. And this young man, he didn’t even flinch. His expression remained calm, almost indifferent.
That alone told Tommy everything he needed to know.
This man probably had more silver on him.
Tommy didn’t dare think much about it. He quickly packed two supply bags, making sure both the bread and water were fresh.
Meanwhile, Aaron waited patiently. After a few minutes, Tommy returned and handed over the supplies, along with 60 copper coins in change.
Aaron took the coins and said,
"Miss Maria, let’s go."
Maria nodded, and the two of them made their way to the village gate. Upon seeing them, the guard immediately opened it and called out,
"Sir, please be careful during your journey. There are bandits in the area who like to rob travelers, especially as you are only two people."
Aaron simply waved his hand and replied,
With the upgraded map, he had no concerns. It could detect threats up to 5000 meters away, making it nearly impossible for any danger to catch him off guard.
A few minutes later, Aaron noticed four red dots scattered just 3000 meters away from their location. He checked the map and confirmed, they were bandits. After inspecting their details, he saw that all of them were Level 1.
Relief settled in his heart.
He gently pulled the reins and stopped the horse beneath a tall tree.
"Miss Maria, let’s eat our breakfast here," he said.
Maria nodded. In fact, she had been about to remind Aaron herself, if he hadn’t taken the lead.
Aaron took out the loaf of bread and was stunned to find it as hard as a rock.
Maria, on the other hand, calmly opened her water bottle and soaked a portion of the bread. Then she took a bite and chewed it slowly, as if she had done this many times before.
Aaron followed her lead, soaking his own piece and taking a bite.
He didn’t know what to say.
The bread was barely edible. As he chewed, he even felt a few small stones mixed in. It was rough, dry, and tasteless.
That moment made him realize just how backward this world truly was. Even something as simple as bread was difficult to make properly.