Chinese Name: 夜无疆
English Name: Night Without Bounds
Type: Web Novel
Country: Mainland China
Author: Chen Dong
As twilight descended, the quiet of the village was disrupted. Every household busied themselves, heading to Fire Spring to gather sunstones.
Qin Ming was ready to depart, fully armed with a hunting spear, short knife, bow, and arrows. He had eaten the flatbread delivered by Lu Ze but had not mentioned his plan to venture out, fearing he would be dissuaded.
Qin Ming wasn’t seeking danger, only aiming to try his luck in a relatively safe area. After long contemplation, he recalled a glimpse of a creature he had seen in the forest last autumn. Based on its habits, it should still be living nearby.
“Hopefully, it’s still around and can bring me some good fortune,” he thought.
As things quieted outside and villagers stopped collecting sunstones, Qin Ming began his journey. He encountered two villagers along the way, greeted them with a smile, and quickly moved on before they could react.
Passing Fire Spring, he stepped into the darkness of the wilderness. The environment outside was harsh. Qin Ming trudged through deep snow, with only his chest and head visible. His lower body was buried in the snow.
The cold was biting, and the frost from his breath froze on his eyebrows and hair. Even though it was a shallow night, the world was dim, and visibility was poor.
Holding his spear tightly, Qin Ming pressed on, struggling with every step through the deep snow.
After about four miles, he finally neared his destination. Ahead, the dark outline of a dense forest emerged in the distance.
Qin Ming’s goal was the edge of the forest; he wouldn’t venture too deep. Stumbling through the snow, he entered the forest. Most of the trees were bare, their branches heavy with snow, save for a few evergreen species.
He paused, recalling the creature’s movements. He had once noticed a tree hollow in the area, which might be one of its nests.
“It’s larger than others of its kind, probably mutated. If I can find its main nest, I should make a decent haul.”
After a brief pause, he pressed on. The forest was eerily dark, with the occasional bird’s call adding to the unsettling atmosphere.
Suddenly, Qin Ming’s body tensed. A faint scent of rot wafted through the air—something was wrong.
He gripped his spear tightly, scanning his surroundings and staying alert. Without warning, he thrust his spear upward into the darkness above.
He had heard the abnormal gust of wind and traced the smell. As he looked up, he saw it.
A dark figure dangled from a branch over ten meters above, its face pale like that of an old man. It swooped down toward Qin Ming at alarming speed.
The sudden attack in the stillness of the forest was chilling. Fortunately, Qin Ming’s sharp instincts kicked in, and he raised his spear just in time to intercept the creature mid-flight.
A sharp screech pierced the night air, sending shivers down his spine. The creature did not dive directly at him, but veered away just a few meters before impact and glided to the side.
Cold winds howled as it spread its powerful wings and shot upward through the gaps in the trees. After circling for a moment, it vanished into the night.
Though the encounter was brief, Qin Ming recognized the creature.
It was a human-faced vulture—a scavenging bird of prey. Its body was gray-black like an eagle, but its face, aside from the beak, was eerily similar to a pale, wrinkled old man’s. It typically weighed no more than forty pounds.
Normally, it wouldn’t attack living adults, preferring to feed on corpses. Could it be that prey had become so scarce that it was acting out of desperation?
Qin Ming stayed on high alert, but the creature did not return. His destination was close now, and he wasn’t about to give up. After a brief rest, he continued on his way.
“This must be the place.”
The area was dominated by Korean pine, broadleaf trees, and birch. Qin Ming was sure he was in the right spot, especially when he spotted the hollow tree he had seen before.
Although it was dark, he could clearly see the edges of the hollow, which were clean—a bad sign. If the creature had been sheltering there, moisture from its breath would have formed frost around the entrance in this cold.
Disappointment washed over him. Frowning slightly, Qin Ming wondered if the creature had left the area entirely.
Taking a deep breath, he decided to search nearby. He gripped his spear in his right hand and his short knife in his left, staying cautious of the potential dangers in the wilderness.
Carefully, Qin Ming scouted the area without making a sound.
After about half an hour, he spotted tracks in the snow—evidence that lifted his spirits.
Suddenly, a burst of radiant light erupted from the mountain ahead, momentarily illuminating the dense forest.
Startled, Qin Ming grew more vigilant, scanning his surroundings for any hidden predators.
At the same time, he quickly checked for any suspicious tree hollows nearby.
The bright light soon faded, and darkness returned.
It was the “earth glow,” a phenomenon caused by the heat from Fire Spring rising from deep underground. It appeared occasionally, especially during warmer weather, and could last for days, sometimes bringing rain clouds along with it.
For people living in a world without daylight, the radiant rain during such times was one of the most beautiful sights.
The forest returned to its shadowy state, but Qin Ming smiled. He had spotted another hollow tree, this one rimmed with frost.
Moving stealthily, Qin Ming approached the large tree, its trunk as thick as a water barrel. Holding his spear high, he cautiously inched closer.
He set the spear down, and with a swift leap, grabbed the tree trunk, climbing with agility until he reached the hollow.
With a swing of his short knife, he struck the hollow, producing a deep thud.
At that moment, a creature inside the hollow, just about to escape, quickly shrank back, narrowly avoiding the blade.
Qin Ming hadn’t expected to corner the creature in its lair—an unexpected stroke of luck. His plan had been to find its main nest and collect any stored food. That alone would have been a rewarding haul.
From inside the hollow came frantic sounds and panicked cries.
The hollow wasn’t very large, and Qin Ming’s arm barely fit as he reached inside. With a few swings of his knife, he quickly enlarged the opening.
He pulled out a leather sack, covered his hand, and reached into the hollow to catch the creature.
From the dark interior came frantic thrashing, but the thick sack protected him from bites.
He finally managed to grab the creature and swiftly pulled it out.
Using the light from his sunstone, Qin Ming inspected the hollow, revealing a stash of wild walnuts, chestnuts, and red dates—a bounty of dried goods.
These were the real prize.
Hunger gnawed at him, and the sight of the food made Qin Ming’s eyes light up with joy.
He glanced at the small beast in his hand. Its fiery red fur gleamed under the light, smooth as silk.
It was a red squirrel, but much larger than usual—nearly double the size at over two pounds, clearly mutated.
The squirrel gnawed at the leather sack, trying to escape, but to no avail. Its radiant fur alone was valuable.
Qin Ming quickly bound it with wire and hung it from a tree.
Now came the real joy of harvesting. Qin Ming pulled out the dried fruits one handful at a time, filling his leather sack until it bulged.
He weighed the sack—it was over eight pounds.
Meanwhile, the mutant red squirrel, hanging nearby, had initially struggled and shrieked furiously. But after watching all four of its nests emptied, it suddenly went limp and stopped moving entirely.
Puzzled, Qin Ming shook it. Had it died from anger?
He had heard that such mutated creatures were stronger and more intelligent than their normal counterparts, but he hadn’t expected it to be so temperamental.
“Well, this works out. Wen Rui has been asking for meat. Looks like I’ll be able to make a stew for him,” Qin Ming muttered to himself, pleased that he could fulfill the child’s wish so soon.
Back in Double Tree Village, some villagers were chatting.
Someone mentioned seeing Qin Ming fully armed, heading into the wilderness. Judging by his appearance, it looked like he was planning to hunt a large beast!
Lu Ze also heard the news and furrowed his brow. “That kid… would he really go after a bear on his own?”
Qin Ming stood on a ridge, realizing he was close to the mountain’s summit. This was the outermost area of the dense forest.
Unfortunately, after a long search, he found no more squirrel nests.
Reaching the summit, he gazed ahead. The forest stretched out in dark waves beneath the towering mountains, visible only as faint shadows.
Beyond those mountains lay an unknown world—mysterious, dangerous, and far beyond his reach.
(Continue…)
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