Way of Overlord
Chapter 301: A Cave

Chapter 301: A Cave

Aeryon did not want to alert the Sordkazan tribe of his presence here.

"My presence should not be noticed" he thought to himself. This is not the time to stoke some kind of conflict in the east

And it would be hard for him to explain things to people if he uses high profile method to cross the east.

Would anyone believe him if he said he is here to find some kind of spirit of the Steppe? They would rather believe that he would be planning his eastern expedition rather than believing that he comes here to find some kind of fable thing

Sordkazan tribe stance toward him and his tribe still remains ambiguous

And for such a person, Aeryon did not want to bet his life against such an uncertain odds.

It would be a humiliation to get caught by the Sordkazan warrior and ransomed back to his tribe or become slave.

He did want to imitate Genghis Khan. But that did not mean he want to imitate all the things that happen in Genghis Khan life.

In Genghis Kan life experience, he did become a slave before he became the conqueror of the world

The sun began its descent behind the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the vast expanse of the Great Steppe, and it is time for him to prepare for the night

Aeryon rides his horse and surveyed the land around him.

And then he found an ideal place to set up his camp

There is a small hill near him and he led his horse toward the area.

When he enters the hilly area he could hear the sound of the bubbling stream

And even though the night is about to come, Aeryon vision is still very much clear and as he look around he could see the bubbling stream nearby the hill

"Water is near" he thought to himself. Looking at the hill he nodded.

The hill offered both protection from the elements and a vantage point to keep an eye on the surrounding terrain

"The cold did not bother me but I fear the bandits would come at me with more bandits" Aeryon did not think the matter would end like that.

These bandits probably would hold a grudge.

"I hope my strength would deter them and they would not make stupid decision because of anger" But just because Aeryon bragged with his word, he now had learned that it is better not to underestimate the enemy.

He nearly dies.

And that is an expensive lesson to learn.

Aeryon shook his head and then he look around the area once again.

He checks the gras and he sees a few snakes. He easily kills them and he also saw a few scorpions.

The scorpions in this world is quite large compared to the scorpions he had seen before in his time.

Aeryon did not just throws it away as he brought these small dead creatures to the area where he would create his tent.

The snake and the s scorpions has its uses. As for one who knows how to uses it, it is none other than the Ashana.

He decided that he would gift some of it to Ashana Angah when he returns. As for the others more valuable parts of these snakes and scorpions, Aeryon could ask them to concoct some kind of tonic or medicine.

Poison could also be concocted.

It is only after making sure the area is as safe it could be that Aeryon began preparing the tent. He unloads the supplies from his horse saddlebag.

First came the sturdy poles and canvas of his yurt.

Setting the poles firmly into the ground, he began to assemble the circular frame, each piece fitting together with a satisfying click.

Aeryon made his own yurt with a few slight modification.

Well, it is not really good to say that he made his own yurt.

It is more like he told his ideas to some of the Yan craftsman and they make it for him. So, his yurt is even faster and easier to construct.

Some people in the tribe even ask his support and help to create the same kind of yurt tent like the one that the craftsman made for him.

Once the frame was in place, Aeryon unfurled the thick canvas, draping it over the structure and securing it tightly with ropes.

The yurt took shape before him, its curved walls offering protection from the chill of the night air.

This is not the end.

Next, he gathered dry grass and twigs from the surrounding area, building a small fire pit in the center of the camp.

One of the most hated thing for Aeryon when he come to this world is the coldness of the Steppe at night. And for some reason, he heard that the coldness of the winter of this year is even more severe than the one last year.

" the strength of twenty-one men does not mean that he has the power to warm himself"

He sighed as he carefully arranging the kindling

Then he struck a spark with flint and steel, coaxing the flames to life.

The crackling fire soon sent tendrils of warmth dancing into the night air, casting flickering shadows across the Steppe.

With the fire ablaze, Aeryon turned his attention to the final touches of his camp.

He spread out a thick woollen blanket inside the yurt, creating a cozy nest for himself to rest upon.

Nearby, he set out a simple meal of dried meat and bread, ready to be enjoyed after the rigors of the day.

Which includes riding through harsh wind, being attacked by bandits and then being pursued by them

Then Aeryon walk out from the inside of the tent looking at the tent from the outside. On the sky, stars began to emerge, the darkening sky make it even more beautiful, like its contrasting the two

Aeryon stepped back to admire his handiwork.

He nodded to himself and then enter the tent. After thinking a few scattered thought, he closes his eyes and went to sleep

....

The morning came. Fortunately, there is nothing exciting that happens last night. There is no bandits knocking on the area and there is no beast that come near his yurt.

Packing up the small yurt back into the baggage he then jump back on the horse and began riding again.

This journey took him three days before he finally reached his destination.

In these three days, he passes through Kazan, Altai and Timur tribe. The reason why it took so long because he encounter a few more bandits, a few raiding clans and also beast.

The wolves in the Steppe is quite large and is even harder to kill than the wolves in Yan or Western Zhou.

It is like they evolved differently from the other wolves in the other region

Aeryon had seen it before when he hunted them down but as he goes further east he could see that the area around the east has more large wolves and larger beast.

Aeryon use these chances to hone his battle abilities and his connection with his horse.

Even his horse seems to be infected with his heroic actions that his horses even fights some of these beast.

And Aeryon finally arrived at the small cave.

When Aeryon consulted Ashana Angah, Ashana Angah tells him about a cave.

This cave is one of the seventy-two sacred caves all over the Steppe.

Ashana Angah said that while there is seventy-two of these caves scattered all over the Steppe, not all Ashana knows all of the seventy-two caves.

But they do know that there is seventy-two of these caves.

Ashana Angah for example inherit the legacy of his forefathers and it was his father that told him about some location of the caves

Some Ashana knows a few more. Sometime, some Ashana knowledge also overlapped with them knowing the same location.

As for Ashana Angah, he knows around five of such caves. He knows that there is two around the east and two around the Eastern Great Steppe area

One of the eastern area of the Southern Gret Steppe is too near the mountain area that is controlled by the Esbizuk tribe.

Of course, Aeryon could not go there to seek this cave if he did not want to be spotted by Dama

Instead, he chooses one that is near the area of Lushar tribe and the Timur tribe, near the forested region leading to the mountainous region of Yindu

Aeryon knows he has to hike but from what Ashana Angah told him, the did not have to hike for long, the cave is not that high nor it is that far.

Aeryon let his horse to follow him around the forest area before letting it go.

Knowing that this horse is bind to him by the system he did not worry his horse would run away.

Aeryon is letting his horse to roam around the forest. And knowing the strength of his horse, it could run away if it senses danger

he prepared his food and began walking in the forest region.

He brought only his arrow, his bow and his sword to enter the forest.

It took him another two days roaming around the forest and climbing around ten kilometres before he finally found a cave that is different from the others.

In the two days he roams the forest, he found many caves.

But none of the caves is the kind of caves that the Ashana had described to him.

The caves that he had found are normal caves and some of it even shows some signs of being inhabited. Aeryon deduce that some hunters that hunters around these area would use these caves as shelters.

And in those two days he even meet a few mountain tribe people.

But the mountain tribe did not attack him if he quickly goes away from their area.

As for food, the food he had brought is already being consumed and he relies on his hunting abilities to replenish his supplies.

And finally, he is here.

He looks at the cave. The cave has an entrance of stone a mark carved on the sides of the cave on the stony surface. Aeryon swipe away the vines of trees and then he nodded to himself

"This is the mark" There is wolves motif carved on some of the stones and a mark of arrows and horses.

Aeryon unsheathe his sword and with one slash cut the vine that covers the entrance of the cave.

He then set up a small fire in front of the cave, bring out some stick and create a simple torch.

It is still morning and not dark but he needs to check something first.

He checks whether the cave is full of gas or not and then after waving the torch and seeing nothing happens, he finally enters the cave.

...