Chapter 59: Rest in the Den
Chapter 59: Rest in the Den
An Unfathomable Value?
Lin Sai was unsure of the value of the Ivy Headband.
However, as a seasoned player, upon seeing such a description, he immediately knew that this item was not to be underestimated.
To test the effect of the Ivy Headband, he stepped outside the den and placed it on his head.
As soon as he put on the headband, Lin Sai felt the flow of Essence within it, but the so-called Nature Affinity effect did not manifest itself clearly and immediately.
"So, what exactly is this Nature Affinity..."
Slap—
Suddenly, Lin Sai smacked himself in the face.
Just as he was pondering the effect of the item, a beetle flew from the forest and landed on his face.
After experiencing the effect of the item firsthand, Lin Sai promptly put it away in his backpack, with no intention of wearing it for the time being.
He then glanced at the treant's corpse on the ground.
The bark on its forehead was conspicuously missing an entire ring, and if someone unfamiliar with the situation were to see it, they might think some bizarre incident had occurred.
"Hehe—"
Lin Sai shrugged nonchalantly, dragging the treant's corpse back into the den, and then began to process the ice boar's body.
The harvest was also substantial.
[Prey Material] The collection of materials was not a guaranteed success.
However, with over a dozen ice boars, he still managed to collect a total of 2 hides, 4 sharp teeth, and 2 claws, all of which were valuable materials for crafting.
Lin Sai also attempted to remove the ice boar's claws himself.
But the ice boar claws obtained without the skill were significantly less valuable in terms of their item description, clearly inferior to the materials acquired through skills.
While collecting materials, Lin Sai finally remembered to open his Hunting Journal.
Indeed, the kill achievement had already reached 22/100.
The Tier 1 Beast's basic kill achievement was unlocked.
First, like hunting ordinary animals, he obtained the title of 'Ice Boar Slayer'.
But there was a slight difference between beasts and ordinary animals.
Along with the title, there was an additional reward, and Lin Sai received a small ice boar claw pendant.
[Item: Ice Boar Claw Pendant]
[Basic Achievement Reward: This item, when worn, provides the wearer with cold resistance. It holds both practical and collectible value, and is quite valuable for novice adventurers.]
"Quite valuable indeed..."
Lin Sai muttered to himself and promptly hung the ice boar claw on his waist.
Whether it was an illusion or reality, he immediately felt his body warming up significantly.
--- In the Hidden Frontier ---
--- In the autumn wilderness, the weather was never warm.
After organizing the collected materials, Lin Sai began to process the ice boar's body.
The meat of these beasts could not be wasted.
Lin Sai skinned and cleaned the ice boar, dividing the meat by section.
After quickly processing several ice boar legs, Lin Sai asked Torch to gather some firewood outside, while he took out his portable bag and began preparing dinner for everyone.
"..."
"Lin Sai, your cooking skills are truly improving!"
After the meal, Alan, who had the most severe injuries, fell into a deep sleep, and Torch volunteered to guard the cave entrance.
But the female hunter did not rest.
Instead, she approached Lin Sai, who was busy processing the ice boar meat, and struck up a conversation:
"I still remember the roast you made last year. It was indescribably delicious."
Last year, my cooking skills were merely at the Mastery level.
There's no way I could have made anything good!
"People always improve."
Lin Sai rolled his eyes, busy with the dozen or so ice boar corpses, as he was in the process of cutting a leg from the torso. This was his first encounter with so many beasts, and a question suddenly popped into his mind, so he casually asked, "Dan, these beasts also possess Essence, yet we can only treat them as simple meat, instead of finding a way to utilize this Essence?"
Dan, who had some knowledge in this area, replied without hesitation:
"A very small portion of animals and plants, after obtaining Essence, will indeed undergo special changes. When humans consume them, they can gain benefits, but that's only for these special cases.
As for ordinary beasts..."
The woman seemed to think of something, and a chilling smile suddenly appeared on her face.
"Lin Sai, you should know that the difference between humans and animals isn't as great as you might think."
"If the Life Essence within every physical body in this world could be absorbed by people through consumption, not to mention the beasts with Essence, even the Awakened humans themselves might end up consuming their own kind."
As Lin Sai listened to Dan's explanation, he couldn't help but imagine all the possible scenarios.
He couldn't help but shudder at the thought.
In a world where there isn't much difference between individuals, once organizations form, the exploitation of the strong over the weak becomes cruelly harsh.
Not to mention in a world with extraordinary abilities.
If such a thing were to happen,
then if there were a few strong individuals who were utterly ruthless, the resulting situation would be unimaginably dire.
Lin Sai decisively abandoned the topic.
At that moment, he was in the process of breaking down the right leg of an Ice Boar, and he casually asked:
"Dan, has anyone tried to Ascend their cooking skills into an Awakened ability?"
"Of course," the female hunter replied without hesitation, but her tone soon turned regretful, "Unfortunately, there's not much future in it. As for my path as a hunter, the highest stage reached is 5, and one could become an Ascender. But for chefs..."
Dan shrugged as she spoke, "The highest stage I've heard of or seen in records is only 3. They're mostly wealthy individuals, not much different from ordinary chefs."
Lin Sai furrowed his brows and asked,
"Shouldn't skills all have some sort of magical effect?"
Dan didn't deny this, "The food chefs prepare tastes great, and it has some effect, but compared to specialized potions, it's definitely inferior. With better options available, who would choose something inferior?"
"You can't expect ordinary people to pay a high price for this food, can you?"
"There are plenty of cheap and filling foods, and some of them even taste good. Why would anyone choose something inferior?"
Lin Sai accepted this reality, but as he thought further, he had a new question:
"I remember the number of Awakened individuals should be very small. Would anyone really waste their abilities on a profession that obviously has no future?"
Upon hearing this question, a hint of nostalgia flashed in Dan's eyes.
She couldn't help but suggest to Lin Sai,
"Lin Sai, if you have the chance, you can go to my hometown, Fordnox, or Narckbond, where the big guy Anre learned.
"After the unification, the Awakened individuals from there are spread across the grand cities of the universe. The number of Awakened individuals there is far greater than in our small town and villages. Once the numbers increase, the perceived rarity diminishes, and it won't be as unique as people generally think."
Lin Sai nodded silently, and he would definitely go and see for himself.
Not just the female hunter and Anre's hometown, but also the Volcanic City that Finn often talked about, and the Forest Realm, the homeland of the Red Moon, were places he wanted to visit one day.
Not long after, Lin Sai finished processing the Ice Boar meat.
In front of the female hunter, he put the meat into his backpack. Dan saw this and just smiled, shaking her head without saying much.
At this moment, Lin Sai's gaze fell upon the Treant's corpse, and he asked,
"Dan, does this body have any valuable materials we can use?"
Dan furrowed her brows, thinking carefully, "My understanding of this creature is limited, I don't recall it producing any precious materials."
The female hunter gave this reply.
Lin Sai suddenly had an idea. He tried using his Simulation Management ability to check the product information of the Treant's corpse.
[Corpse: Vine Treant]
[A refugee's corpse, forced to flee their homeland under fear and torment. The most precious parts have been removed, rendering it worthless.]
[Please collect and vote!]
(End of Chapter)
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