Chapter 944 – Inauguration as a Bard

After a brief silence, Polly was the first to clap enthusiastically. “That was beautiful!”

“Moira, you play really well!” Dominic said.

“That song is lovely—what’s it called?” Celine asked.

“Let’s call it… Emerald Forest!” While playing, Mo Lan had been envisioning the Emerald Forest as she saw it through natural resonance.

Though she had improvised the piece, with her powerful memory and the basic composition knowledge she’d learned from her inherited memories, she could transcribe the score in the Seran world’s notation system.

Mo Lan turned to face the three young Elves and solemnly recited the bard’s inauguration oath, as though swearing a sacred vow:

“With poetry as my vessel, melody as my sail, and stories as my wind. I hereby swear to use my art to chronicle the ages, convey wisdom, kindle courage, and soothe sorrow. May my creations never run dry, and may my performances touch the soul.”

The moment the oath was sworn, the exclusive emblem representing the bard profession lit up within her magic network.

The “permissions” to record and cast bard spells within the magic network had been unlocked.

“Thank you all! My inauguration was a success!” Mo Lan said happily.

Now only the ranger inauguration ceremony remained incomplete.

Polly and Celine had already chosen druid as their main profession, giving up the ranger path—they had even erased the ranger profession emblem from their magic networks to focus on the way of the druid. But both had completed the ranger inauguration ceremony in the past. Dominic, on the other hand, had chosen ranger as his main profession and was already at level 1.

The three of them eagerly shared their experiences with Mo Lan on wilderness survival, trap-setting, and forest hunting.

“First, you need to learn how to find your bearings!”

Polly jumped in first, pointing at the differently shaped trees around them and teaching on the spot. “You can’t rely solely on the sun—what if it’s overcast? You need to read the density of the tree canopy. Usually the south side receives more sunlight, so the branches and leaves are fuller there!

You can also look at plant distribution. Moss, for example, prefers to grow on the shaded, damp northern side.

When necessary, climb to the top of a tree or find a small hill with a higher vantage point. Once you have a broader view, directions become much easier to determine!”

Celine supplemented with some more practical and detailed techniques. “Walk softly in the forest—like a wood sprite.”

She demonstrated by taking a few steps across the moss, producing almost no sound.

“Stepping on thick layers of fallen leaves makes a lot of noise, which can startle prey and give away your position. Try to step on mossy ground or bare soil instead.

Also, pay attention to animal signs around you—gnawed plant buds, scattered feathers, faint claw prints, even fresh droppings. All of these can tell you what animals are nearby and roughly which direction they went.”

Setting traps was clearly Dominic’s forte, and he immediately puffed out his chest and spoke with confidence:

“The most important thing about setting traps is camouflage! You absolutely must make use of fallen leaves and thin twigs. The trap needs to blend in perfectly with the surrounding environment so the prey can’t tell it’s there at all!”

As he spoke, he glanced left and right, then with quick hands picked up several flexible vines and a springy little branch. Working deftly, he began a live demonstration. With a few bends and ties, a cleverly designed snare trap utilizing the branch’s elasticity began to take shape. Then he carefully covered the vine and trigger mechanism with surrounding dead leaves and twig fragments. Sure enough, without looking closely, it was nearly impossible to detect.

“See, just like this!”

Dominic proudly displayed his handiwork. “Set it on a trail that animals frequently pass through—the kind of spot with tracks that Celine mentioned. Even better if there’s fruit they like to eat nearby as bait.

If you can get in some target practice beforehand and master a ranged weapon—like a hand bow or a sling—that would be ideal! Setting traps to wait for prey and actively hunting at the same time is a two-pronged approach, and you’ll have a successful hunt in no time!”

Speaking of hunting, he remembered this would be Mo Lan’s first time and hastily added a serious reminder. “For your first hunt outside the forest, safety comes first. Avoid large prey and dangerous magical beasts—just go after small, docile animals.

Grey-furred rabbits are a great choice. The meat is delicious, the fur is useful, and most importantly, the forests around the tribe are teeming with them! And don’t forget the ranger’s oath—we hunt to survive, taking only what we need and using it wisely, never killing indiscriminately. If you encounter a pregnant female or a young animal that hasn’t fully grown, leave them be…”

“Oh, right!” Dominic suddenly recalled something important, his tone turning urgent. “The Month of Life is almost here—that’s the main breeding season for the animals! According to tradition and the ranger’s code of conduct, we should avoid hunting as much as possible during this period so as not to disrupt the forest’s reproductive cycle.

Moira, if you want to complete your ranger inauguration, you need to hurry! It’s best to finish the ceremony before the Month of Life arrives, or else you’ll have to wait several more months!”

This news made Mo Lan’s heart tighten.

She had previously only considered the difficulty of the ceremony and her own preparation, but had overlooked how natural seasonal changes would affect the ceremony’s requirements.

“The Month of Life… how long until it arrives?” Mo Lan asked hurriedly.

Polly counted on her fingers and replied, “Based on past patterns, probably less than a month?

Many signs are already appearing in the forest. Some birds have already started gathering twigs to build nests.”

Less than a month!

The timeline was tight, but not impossible.

Mo Lan quickly calculated in her head. She had the foundation of knowledge from her inherited memories, the martial techniques she’d learned in the Three Thousand Mirror Ruins World, and now the hands-on experience her companions had generously shared. Setting traps and completing a hunt shouldn’t be too difficult.

“I understand. Thank you all for reminding me! When I’m in the natural resonance state, I completely lose track of time—I’d almost forgotten the Month of Life was approaching!” Mo Lan said gratefully. “It seems I need to start my ranger inauguration ceremony as soon as possible.”

“Moira, don’t worry. I’ll teach you right now how to set traps specifically for grey-furred rabbits. I can also give you the little hand bow I used when I first started learning to hunt. When the time comes, just head to that stretch of low woods south of the tribe—there aren’t any magical beasts or large wild animals there, and rabbit burrows are everywhere. I guarantee you’ll have results in no time!” Dominic offered generously.

“Yes, yes! We can practice with you right now,” Polly and Celine said softly, their eyes full of concern.

“Thank you so much!” Mo Lan didn’t refuse their kindness. “Once I’ve caught a rabbit, I’ll make each of you a pair of rabbit-fur mittens!”

After the gathering, under her friends’ guidance, Mo Lan tried her hand at setting several types of traps designed for catching grey-furred rabbits, and also practiced shooting with a hand bow.