The silver-haired old man's laughter was hearty and vigorous, his thin clothes unable to hide his bulging muscles. His back was straight as an arrow, and he appeared strong and powerful — completely unlike the typical frail appearance of the elderly.
His silver hair didn't seem to have whitened with age, but rather appeared naturally that color, the strands shimmering in the bright firelight.
Only then did Adam realize his earlier intervention had been unnecessary.
The trembling pitchfork hadn't been from fear — the old man had deliberately moved it while searching for an opening to deliver a fatal blow to the wild boar.
Since the old man's back was turned earlier, Adam had mistakenly assumed he was afraid.
He couldn't help but sigh, "I ended up being more of a hindrance."
What puzzled him was that despite having only one eye and wearing a bandit-like eyepatch, this silver-haired old man didn't emit any fierce aura. Instead, he was like a kindly neighborhood elder, with a strong sense of acceptance — a feeling Adam had only experienced when first meeting Aqua.
"I'm sorry, I seem to have interfered unnecessarily." Adam said apologetically, "I believe you could have handled that wild boar on your own. Please forgive my rash actions."
He wasn't trying to claim credit or suggest his actions had saved anyone. The silver-haired old man could clearly have killed the boar without help — there was no need for showing off.
Such actions could be misinterpreted as attempting to steal someone's prey. In the Parallel World, conflicts between adventurers over these matters occurred almost daily.
"Ho ho ho ho ho, don't worry about it, don't worry! Besides, you were trying to save me, weren't you?" The silver-haired old man showed no anger.
From his perspective, this suddenly appearing youth had killed his prey while attempting to save him. Why would he be angry at someone trying to help?
However, as he carefully examined the youth before him, the silver-haired old man's gaze held hints of confusion and curiosity.
"What an interesting young man." He mused, then invited Adam, "Young man, would you like to rest for a while?"
"Um, is that okay?" Adam asked, surprised, "Won't I be troubling you if I stay?"
Saying "trouble" was putting it mildly. This was the wilderness at night — anything could happen.
Adam thought it unwise to invite a strong young stranger to rest. If he encountered someone in the wilderness at night, he certainly wouldn't invite them to stay.
"It's late, and the mountains can be dangerous." The old man said, beckoning him to sit, "Come, come, consider it my thanks for trying to save my life earlier."
"Well, if you put it that way... thank you." Adam stopped making polite refusals, eager to learn more about this world.
This was perfect — meeting this old man, who at his age must know quite a bit. Besides, having no ill intentions himself, Adam sat down with a clear conscience.
"By the way, are you hungry?"
"Perfect timing then. I'm hungry after the fight too, so let's clean this boar and roast it."
The old man approached the boar and began processing the animal he had killed with a single stab, his movements swift and precise.
His expertise was evident — the way he worked made it clear this wasn't his first time handling wild game.
As the old man worked, Adam studied his clothing and accessories, searching for clues about this world's level of civilization.
The old man's clothes was clearly handcrafted, not mass-produced — its craftsmanship and fabric spoke of traditional methods.
Yet curiously, he also carried medieval European items: a finely crafted dagger and an ornate water flask. These pieces were of superior quality to his clothing, marking them as valuable possessions.
Adam filed away this peculiar detail.
Soon the campfire crackled with dripping pork fat, sending bright flames skyward. A savory aroma filled the air, making Adam's mouth water.
Though he'd eaten dinner before arriving in this world, his earlier sprint had rekindled his appetite.
"Here, eat up." The silver-haired old man seasoned a large piece of roasted pork and handed it to Adam before preparing one for himself.
The seasoned meat looked irresistible.
"Thank you." Adam said, accepting the offering.
Before taking a bite, he discreetly activated his purification ability as a precaution. Even with Aqua's Blessing protecting him from poison and his ability to teleport if needed, he remained wary.
"While one shouldn't assume ill intent, one must still be cautious."
Despite watching the meat being prepared before his eyes, he couldn't afford to lower his guard — a young man had to be careful when far from home.
At the old man's encouraging nod, they bit into their portions together.
An overwhelming, rank taste flooded Adam's mouth.
His stomach turned. One bite was almost more than he could manage. Despite its enticing aroma, the meat was unbearably gamey — likely because the boar hadn't been properly bled.
Yet Adam maintained a neutral expression. Across from him, the old man ate with evident pleasure, taking generous bites as if immune to the strong flavor.
Maintaining his composure, Adam forced himself to swallow.
When offered seconds, he politely declined, watching in amazement as the elder consumed three more hefty portions. Had Adam not tasted it himself, he might have mistaken the wild boar for a rare delicacy.
After their meal, they settled cross-legged by the campfire to talk.
"Young man, what's your name?"
"Adam, Adam Carter." After stating his name, he added, "If you don't mind, you can just call me Adam."
"Adam... hmm, Adam it is then." The old man paused for a moment, then said with a laugh, "Adam, if you don't mind, you can call me grandpa!"
What was this situation? How had it suddenly turned into calling someone grandpa right after meeting?
Was "calling someone grandpa upon meeting" some kind of custom in this world?
"Well, calling someone grandpa when we've just met..."
"Ah ha ha ha, you're right, you're right, I was too forward. Sorry, sorry!" The silver-haired old man took the polite refusal in stride, laughing it off without a hint of anger.
So it wasn't a custom after all.
However, Adam didn't dislike the idea of such an elder figure, given the old man's cheerful nature and their inexplicable sense of closeness.
"If you don't mind, I could call you 'old sir' instead."
"Well, if that's what you prefer." The silver-haired old man didn't use his age to pressure Adam, respectfully accepting his choice.
This made Adam feel relieved. He didn't want to leave on bad terms, not before learning more about this world.
The old sir asked, "Are you from the Far West?"
"Are you not? In my experience, people from the Far West have names similar to yours."
Hearing this, Adam's eyebrows rose involuntarily.
This was valuable information. In future encounters, he could claim to be from the Far West.
He had initially considered making such a claim, but for some reason, he didn't want to deceive this silver-haired old man.
"No, I'm not from the Far West. In fact, I don't even know where it is."
"Is that so, is that so." The silver-haired old man nodded with satisfaction.
It wasn't clear whether he was pleased that Adam wasn't from the Far West, or that Adam hadn't tried to deceive him.
However, he showed no intention of explaining further, maintaining an ambiguous attitude that made it difficult for Adam to press the matter.
But then he posed another perplexing question.
"Adam, where did you receive the Spirit's acknowledgment?"
"Spirit... what's that?"
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