Chapter 34
Chapter 34: Subconscious changes
Han Shuo and the band of twelve walked south for a full eight days. They met increasingly fiercer magical creatures along the way.
Unicorned charging bulls, enormous lizards, magical wolves that could release wind blades, and flying eagles that could spew out frost. They were handled easily at first and increased in difficulty until the band barely handled them by the skin of their teeth. Everyone felt the increasing pressure.
Everyone started off eating the food that they had brought and started cooking the meat from the magical creatures when all their rations had been eaten.
The magical creatures were increasingly violent, but not all of the flesh was edible. The lizard, for instance, had a strange smell that accompanied its flesh that made it hard to swallow.
But the stronger the magical creature was, the more valuable their carcasses, particularly the ones that could cast simple magics. These creatures would have magical cores within their bodies. These cores were very precious and could be sold for varying high prices according to their level.
The band’s haul was uncommon as well. They had obtained four cores from magical creatures over the past couple of days, three from the Windblade Wolf and one from the Frost Eagle.
The cores from magical creatures were divided into six levels. Level 6 cores were the cheapest, while level 1 was the most expensive and basically hard to even catch a glimpse of. These magical cores could be used to create powerful magical weapons and increase a mage’s power. Some special ones could even be used to increase a mage’s mental strength, thus their prices were incredibly high.
The Windblade Wolf’s magical core was ranked at level 5, and could fetch twenty gold at the market, while the Frost Eagle was higher, at level 4, and its market price was 150 gold. Based purely on their haul of magical creature cores, the band had already turned a profit even after subtracting out the fifty golds needed for borrowing the battlesteeds.
Not to mention that apart from their cores, the bodies of these magical creatures were also worth some money. The fur of the Windblade Wolf and the unicorn horn of the charging bull were all valuable items. The value of these items added together had greatly exceeded Fanny and Gene’s original expectations.
The little skeleton continuously sprang off its feet to follow Han Shuo’s high speed dash, but its bones no longer creaked with sound. The seven bone spurs flapped on its back, allowing the little skeleton to speed through the air, like it was hang gliding, as it wove through the forest side by side with Han Shuo.
Two Windblade Wolves suddenly appeared in front of the man and skeleton duo. The two Windblade Wolves were devouring the carcass of a magical creature in the shape of a wild pig. One of them seemed to feel the disturbance in the air as its sharp ears suddenly stood up and its green eyes darted to and fro.
A bone dagger shimmering with a cold, sharp light materialized out of the night. The bone dagger carved a marvelous curve through the thin air and suddenly stabbed towards the wolf, that had been on high alert.
At the same time, a nimble figure suddenly rushed out from the trees of the Dark Forest and made for the other Windblade Wolf. A faint, purple light suddenly flashed in the darkened sky, appearing all the more beautiful and fey.
Two ghastly wails sounded out from the two Windblade Wolves. The bloodthirsty wolves had all been killed before they had a chance to react. One wolf’s skull was cleaved straight through with the bone dagger, and the other fell stiffly to the ground with frosty breaths coming out of its mouth.
“Heh heh, another two level five cores!” Han Shuo talked to himself in satisfaction as he withdrew his hand.
On the other side, the little skeleton had already started dressing the valuable Windblade Wolf skin with its bone dagger. Judging from its practiced movement, this wasn’t the first time that it had done so.