There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Every withered leaf, every twig, every puddle can potentially create unnecessary noise.

And beneath those withered branches and fallen leaves, no one knows what strange and bizarre things are hidden.

But Gotz had long since become one with the forest. His gaze saw through the concealment within the trees, and his footsteps chose to tread on the most solid ground. The entire giant was like an ancient tree that had grown for hundreds of years, existing seamlessly within the forest.

When he arrived at a place only fifty meters away from the sound, he found that the dense marks on the tree trunk had disappeared.

"Has he found me?" Gots wondered.

But as he carefully felt the tree trunk, his rough fingers touched something familiar.

There are still wounds there.

But there's only one left.

A deeply etched mark remained there, utterly alone.

Gots seemed to be thinking about something, then went to check another tree nearby, and sure enough, there was a mark there as well.

According to his count, there were fifteen trees nearby, and each of them had the same wound.

He believed that if he continued his investigation, he could find these traces on the trunks of every tree nearby.

As they drew closer, Gots grew increasingly anxious. The feeling of about to uncover the mystery made his mouth dry, and even a short walk, which he used to take leisurely, made his breathing slightly rapid.

After moving forward another ten meters or so, Gotz could almost feel the whooshing sounds of air rushing past his ears.

But if that's really the case, his body probably won't be able to remain unharmed like a tree.

Because he saw some new traces.

At the time, he was simply following his usual practice of touching the tree trunks to trace the marks, using them as a guide. With the aid of both touch and hearing, the dense forest's effect on his vision was negligible.

But this time, he touched a mark on the tree trunk that was different from the others.

A huge, deep, violent wound.

It was larger, deeper, and more destructive than any previous wound.

He could imagine that the person who created the wound must have used tremendous force to do so.

However, the area around the wound was pressed flat and the texture was clear, indicating that someone had launched the attack with an extremely calm mind.

Even with a hint of respect?

No, it could never be respect.

More likely, it's indifference.

Gotz quickened his pace and walked forward.

This time, he abandoned all pretense and walked confidently among the weeds and withered branches, moving forward with determination.

He felt like a traveler wandering through a thick fog, and every abnormal disturbance would stimulate his nerves.

Fortunately, his nerves were already as tough as rock.

…………

This forest has already given him enough surprises today.

But the scene before him still filled him with utter shock!

In the dense forest before me, a figure flashed rapidly among the trees, like a movie playing out of order, futilely performing a predetermined movement, yet unable to escape control.

Each time he raised his hand, it stopped at shoulder level.

Each time the bow is drawn, it is drawn to a state of being half-full and half-loose.

Each time he nocked an arrow, he placed it precisely in the center of the bowstring.

Each shot was aimed directly at the center of the dense forest.

The movements were stiff and rigid, with a creepy sense of predeterminedness, like a pre-programmed machine. Although it could shoot arrows, it was far from being an expert.

Such behavior is as instinctive as eating and drinking, but you can never say which muscles you use or how many breaths you take when you eat or drink.

However, this person's stance, nocking the arrow, raising the bow, drawing the bow, aiming, releasing, and retracting the bow are all executed in a fluid and natural manner, unaffected by breathing, heartbeat, or chaotic thoughts.

Every arrow like that is a pinnacle of skill.

But you could also say that there was never a peak.

It was just a kind of indifference, as if the life and death of all things in the world were none of my concern.

My only responsibility is to shoot arrows that pierce through everything, without any specific purpose.

Are you blocking my path?

Sorry, you'll be pierced too.

But something even stranger happened.

After the man fired three arrows, the machine stopped moving, then suddenly turned around and raised its bow in another direction!

Gotz thought he had become the man's target, so he quickly dodged behind a large tree.

But when he calmly observed again, he found that the man did not stop and turned around again, facing another direction, drawing his bow and nocking an arrow.

Twelve consecutive directions.

Twelve consecutive arrows.

The sound of something cutting through the air rose and fell, echoing continuously through the dense forest.

Gots didn't know that was what he heard; he also heard twelve huge collisions.

Just from the sound, you could tell that the tree that had been hit by the arrow was now, just like when his axe had fallen countless times, with wood chips flying everywhere and the tree shattered into pieces!

The stiff, mechanical shooting posture flashed twelve times in that instant before returning to calm.

"Multi-attack command: Shoot trees *12".

"Detection successful."

Chapter 34 Mountain Disaster

I had no idea that people would know I came here to practice shooting.

When Gots emerged from behind the tree, I was so terrified that I almost drew my bow and shot again.

Fortunately, I don't know how to shoot arrows. Without the option to attack, I was a complete novice.

Of course, I had no idea that the shock I gave Gotz was no less than that.

Inside Gots's cabin.

"Marcus, your archery is quite good."

Gotz praised me and served me a full bowl of pumpkin porridge.

The people in this town are really kind and simple. Whenever I go to someone's house around mealtime, I can always get a free meal.

"It's just some casual practice," I said, feeling embarrassed.

"No, no, no, that's no ordinary shooting. In a hunt, it should be able to kill a wild beast with a single shot."

Gots clicked his tongue in amazement as he picked up the short bow and examined it from all angles.

"This short bow is just a very primitive bow, and this arrow is the simplest featherless arrow. The fact that you can hit the target with such accuracy shows your archery skills are truly exceptional!"

I took a sip of hot water and said modestly, "I'm not a 100% hit rate. I'd say only 80 or 90 out of 100 arrows would hit the target."

I came to the dense forest to test my shooting accuracy, especially under interference.

It turns out that what affected me the most was the obstruction.

If there's something blocking my way, I can't hit it directly; there's no such thing as hitting a target by passing through a wall.

Secondly, there is the complex external environment.

If the bowstring gets wet, the target area, especially if it's overgrown with vegetation, will severely affect the accuracy of the arrow.

The darkness is the least affected.

In the dark forest, where I could only vaguely see a target, hitting it was practically impossible.

However, as long as I can barely see the target and successfully trigger the attack command judgment, I will inevitably hit the target.

"That's quite remarkable," Gotz exclaimed.

I glanced at the overly simple and plain environment of the room, which exuded the unique atmosphere of a bachelor.

"Gotz, do you live alone? Why don't you come to town?"

Gotz shook his head, unwilling to answer the question, and after I finished eating, he safely took me back to the ranch.

…………

Dart's little tavern.

Although I had finished dinner, I still habitually went to Boss Te's tavern to say hello.

Of course, what I was more curious about was Gotz, why he lived in the forest instead of moving to town. So I came to ask the well-informed shopkeeper for some information.

You mean Gotz?

Mr. Dart's serious face showed no emotion as he spoke to me with a stern expression.

"I told you, don't pry into other people's secrets."

But after thinking about it, he still spoke to me.

"I'll give you a general idea, so you won't provoke Gotz anymore. After all, it's better for you to ask me than to rashly ask the person in charge."

Mr. Dart sat down on the bar stool next to me and poured himself a drink.

"Okay, boss, I was just asking casually. I won't press you if it's inconvenient to say." I quickly explained that it was just simple gossip and not malicious speculation.

“Götz used to have a family, and the whole family lived in the woods behind your ranch.”

"But with so many trees there, how can it be suitable for people to live in?"

“Back then, it was a very well-maintained forest, surrounded by pine and beech trees, with a huge clearing in the middle where Gotz’s house was located.”

“That was the place where his ancestors had lived for generations. He inherited the logging camp when he was in his twenties and became the only carpenter in town.”