Living Up to the Reward

"Are you okay?" This time, the others finally noticed Sean's abnormality, and Cecilia was the first to rush over and support him.

"I'm fine." Sean's voice sounded noticeably weak. The breath he exhaled was scorching and even had a hint of burnt smell.

"With your current condition, it's fortunate that you didn't die on the spot when using that kind of high-speed abrupt stopping technique." Durun glanced at Sean, his expression unchanged on his face, but his inner turmoil still surged like turbulent waves. "Although I'm not entirely sure about your situation, it's better to avoid using such advanced techniques if possible."

Sean nodded without saying anything.

In fact, he was glad to have this misunderstanding because it meant he didn't have to explain why his body was in its current state.

Of course, he was aware that Durun was slightly envious. Leaving aside why his body could withstand the negative effects of "abrupt stopping," just the ability to use the Dash skill was enough to make many people jealous.

Among the people present, neither Old Peter nor Durun possessed this technique. Although Durun's situation was slightly better as he knew a skill called "Mount Charge," that skill required the cooperation of a mount and could be learned by any knight-class occupation.

It wasn't considered particularly rare. On the other hand, the "Dash" skill was absolutely rare. Skills like the knight's "Charge" and the warrior's "Ram" required learning the prerequisite skill "Dash."

Back in the game, it took Sean a considerable amount of time and resources to learn the "Dash" skill.

After confirming that Sean was fine, everyone's attention shifted completely to the three Wind Marked Black Wolves.

If it weren't for Old Peter's recklessness, this could have been a battle without any damage. Although part of it was due to many individuals possessing third-tier strength, the real decisive factor was Sean.

Not to mention his familiarity with the Starfall Forest and the behaviors of the magical beasts, his command ability demonstrated earlier was enough to earn Durun's admiration.

It was only now that Durun understood that if he had been the one in command earlier, at least one or two people would have been sacrificed.

And it was only in this moment of reflection that Durun realized the significance of the two Intermediate Fireball spells earlier and the perfect timing for the precise position exchange.

Among the people present, only Sean possessed this ability. Even Durun himself or Old Peter couldn't accomplish such a feat.

However, Sean, as the person involved, showed no visible emotional fluctuations.

In fact, he had already anticipated this outcome.

He had become highly proficient in defensive counterattacks against the Wind Marked Black Wolves back in the game.

Even if everyone present had second-tier strength, Sean was confident that he could pass through unscathed.

The only regret was that the crystal cores inside the three Wind Marked Black Wolves had already been destroyed, rendering their corpses worthless.

Crystal cores, also known as magic cores or elemental cores, were the source and lifeline of magical beast power.

They not only condensed the elemental power accumulated by the magical beasts throughout their lives but also replaced the function of the heart. Destroying the crystal core would immediately kill any magical beast.

However, merely obtaining a crystal core did not allow immediate use. It had to go through a series of procedures to extract the unstable magical energy from within before the crystal core could be safely used.

The higher the tier of the magical beast, the purer the elemental power condensed in the crystal core, but extracting the unstable magical energy also became more challenging.

However, whether it's high-grade or low-grade crystal cores, the demand for them has never decreased.

Even in the future era of magic, crystal cores still hold a significant market share and demand. After all, crystal cores are not only needed by mages but also essential materials for creating magical tools.

Therefore, regardless of the era, crystal cores have always been a mainstream valuable commodity.

Originally, the three Wind Marked Black Wolves would have had at least three Level 1 Wind attribute crystal cores.

However, they were shattered by Sean and the others, so obtaining crystal cores from the wolves was now impossible.

To obtain the crystal cores from the Wind Marked Black Wolves, they would have to rely on means that could defeat their protective airflow and kill them.

No method attacking the wolves' throat area could yield crystal cores.

This was a special setting in the game "Miracle": the final items obtained would vary depending on the killing method used.

However, in the real world, there was one advantage over the game: Sean was able to kill the Wind Marked Black Wolf with a single sword strike.

In the game, it was impossible to do so because of the existence of hit points.

In Sean's eyes, the three Wind Marked Black Wolves were only valuable for their wolf pelts.

Unfortunately, Old Peter's spear had pierced through one of the wolves, significantly reducing the value of its pelt.

The wolf killed by the archer also had some damage to its throat due to the arrows, slightly affecting its value.

The only perfect wolf pelt was the one personally taken by Sean.

Aside from the wolf pelts, the wolf meat had some edible value.

"Kid, impressive." Old Peter carried the Wind Marked Black Wolf and walked over.

The Wind Marked Black Wolf was not a large-scale magical beast and was only slightly larger than ordinary wolves.

As long as the strength value exceeded ten points, it could be lifted, let alone someone like Old Peter with a strength value of twenty-eight.

Sean's face still appeared pale, but he smiled confidently. "I have to live up to this reward."

Old Peter was momentarily stunned, but then he laughed. "Seems like the reward must be quite substantial."

"10,000 Pan-Continental Gold Coins," Sean stated a number that would astonish ordinary people.

On the Miracle Continent, there were numerous kingdoms and empires, each guarding their coinage rights tightly, resulting in the existence of various currencies specific to each country.

Initially, countries did not recognize the currency of others. It was not until the ten most powerful merchant guilds united to form the Pan-Continental Merchant Guild that a definitive exchange ratio for currencies was established, allowing for the possibility of circulation.

However, as history progressed, conflicts among nations escalated, and mutually hostile countries refused to acknowledge each other's currencies.

Moreover, some countries had gold coins with only 70% gold content or even less. In response to these circumstances, the Pan-Continental Merchant Guild introduced the Pan-Continental Gold Coin, minted with pure gold, and developed a more detailed currency exchange ratio and financial system.

Over time, the Pan-Continental Gold Coin became the common currency throughout the Miracle Continent.

Although the gold coins of the Kingdom of Cerian contained only 70% gold, due to their thinness, they were considered to be 50% gold.

Duren and Harvey offered Sean a reward of 10,000 Pan-Continental Gold Coins, which was equivalent to 20,000 Cerian Gold Coins.

However, Cerian Gold Coins could only be used within the Kingdom of Cerian.

If one were to go to the Kingdom of Potoroya, they would further depreciate due to the exchange rate.

Sean wasn't foolish; he preferred Pan-Continental Gold Coins over Cerian Gold Coins.

For an ordinary guide commission, this price could be considered exorbitant.

However, after this battle, everyone fully recognized the danger of the Starfall Forest and Sean's importance.

So, although the reward of 10,000 Pan-Continental Gold Coins was heart-wrenching, it was still acceptable.

Of course, Harvey understood better. It was actually because of Duren's terrible attitude that Sean had taken such a heavy toll on him.

As Sean looked at the astonishment on Old Peter's face, he felt a sense of relief.

He hadn't waited here until his body fully recovered but could already move around. He immediately spoke up, "We're leaving here right away. Everyone, make sure to eliminate the smell of blood. The magical fluctuations in the Starfall Forest are highly chaotic, and as long as there's no scent of blood, it won't attract the attention of magical beasts."

Upon hearing Sean's words, everyone present immediately understood.

Several guards immediately began bleeding the three Wind Marked Black Wolves, while Old Peter took the opportunity to clean and bandage the wound on his left hand.

From this process, it was evident that this was a team that valued efficiency and speed.

Their wilderness survival experience was extensive. They made incisions in several arteries of the Wind Marked Black Wolves, significantly accelerating the bleeding process.

The blood wasn't just thrown away; they dug a small hole in the ground and poured all the wolf blood into it, ensuring that the wolf carcasses remained blood-free.

Once the bleeding process was complete, they promptly covered the wounds with soil and a small piece of canvas to prevent the scent of blood from dispersing.

In less than a minute, everyone had finished the preparations and set off again.

This time, Sean didn't waste any time.

He directly assigned two guards to protect him and led the way himself. The archer was placed in the core group and no longer needed to be responsible for scouting.

In the Starfall Forest, conventional scouting methods were unnecessary, and it was better for Sean to command and arrange everything.

Old Peter and Duren were responsible for protecting the rear and the rest of the group.

A few minutes after they set off again, a series of wolf howls echoed through the forest.

The howls carried a clear sense of anger and despair, sending shivers down the spines of many. But soon, the howls were followed by roaring growls.

Sean stopped in his tracks, listened for a moment, and then resumed walking. "Let's go. The scent of blood has attracted many magical beasts. The wolf pack should be engaged in a battle with other creatures. We're temporarily safe now."