There are other services being offered, such as those provided by guides and porters.
The guides know the location of special or dangerous plants and animals that one should avoid or that one is looking for. Guides take hunters in and out of the forest while porters help them carry things to make hunting easier.
If he were desperate, he would hire one of the guides to help him. He still won't accept the help of some random stranger offering to take him through the forests.
Both the guides and portals stood at the very edge of the settlement, offering their services at competitive prices. They were the last people hunters would see before they entered the forest.
Arthur didn't look at them at all since he had already made up his mind to go alone. He has done some research, so he is confident in himself.
He and Ruff walked side by side, without fear, into the green forest.
They had to pass through an area of scant trees and thick, waist-high grass before they entered the forest proper. But even from afar, they could already see the magnificent green forest.
Beyond the grass are thick trees that can contend with skyscrapers in height. One can tell when they have entered the forest proper because the waist-high grass suddenly disappears.
So the patch of thick grass is like a barrier between the world and the forest. At this point, he had to be very careful as danger could come from everywhere.
He unsheathed his giant sword and placed it over his shoulder. Then he said to Ruff, "We are counting on you, boy. Now be a good boy and fetch us something good."
Ruff barked in acknowledgment.
He said in encouragement, "Whatever we catch today won't be sold. We will eat it. You get 70% while I get 30%."
He is willing to give the lion's share of whatever they catch because he doesn't have as much appetite as Ruff. Even if he did, his stomach can't match Ruff's stomach in size. So it was better to use what he couldn't eat to encourage Ruff.
Ruff barked louder when he heard what Arthur said. He was so excited that he began to wag his tail and took off into the forest.
Arthur chuckled and followed behind him. He didn't rush after Ruff because his armor makes a loud noise. Instead, he hung behind Ruff and let the dog do its job.
Ruff's job is to be a scout. He would walk ahead looking for prey or danger. If anyone tries to take advantage of him, Arthur will rush over to save him.
The two of them had an understanding of their duties. Ruff used his superior senses to scout ahead, looking for things they could kill.
The green forest was lively around them. Birds chirped and frogs croaked. Occasionally, lizards could be seen running on the ground or across the branches of trees.
It didn't take them long to find a target. To be fair, it was more like the target found them. This kind of target is very common in the green forest and is constantly moving around grazing.
When Ruff saw the wild boar, he barked once to inform Arthur of the target. But Arthur didn't need the notification to notice the boar.
The boar was taller than Ruff. It was at least 2 meters or 6.6 feet tall. That meant it was also taller than Arthur, who was 1.8 meters tall.
So how could he not notice something like that stomping through the foliage? The fact that it had gleaming silver fur only made it stand out more among the greenery.
Arthur's eyes widened when he saw the wild boar. He thought to himself, "It has gleaming fur, so it should be at the seventh transformation at least. This should be easy."
The wild boar was grunting and huffing as it wandered about. But then it noticed Ruff when he barked.
It turned to Ruff with an angry huff. Then it squealed and pursued.
He shouted to Ruff, "Come back."
Ruff didn't need his warning either. He had already been informed earlier to run if he noticed an enemy, so he was already running back at top speed.
The boar barreled after Ruff. Ruff was running to him, so the boar was also coming towards him.
From where he stood, it was as if a car was rushing towards him. It wasn't a small car either. It was a big Jeep bearing down on him.
But he didn't run. He wasn't afraid because he was strong and because a boar this size is pretty average. If he couldn't kill something average on his first day as a hunter, then it would be a shameful performance.
He stood his ground and brought his sword up. He positioned the sword in a horizontal manner as if he were holding a spear.
He didn't want to be cocky and lose his life, so he held the giant sword with both hands for assurance.
He told himself, "As long as its tusk doesn't touch you, you will be fine."
The tusks are the most dangerous things about the hog. They are the length of swords. If the wild boar crashed into him, it wouldn't be surprising for it to succeed in goring him with its tusks.
Even his armor won't save him. But as long as he looks out for those tusks and avoids them, he has very little to fear from the wild boar.
He told himself this to encourage himself and keep calm. He needed it because his heart was pounding in his chest.
He was in fight or flight mode. But he made sure to keep himself calm and his hands stead because he doesn't want to make a mistake.
A small mistake can lead to his death. He knows this which is why he had to remind himself of the one main mistake he mustn't make at all costs.