Poison Mana Gem

I flew up to the cave's peak and ducked behind a sharp rock. Instinctively, I flipped upside down, and let me tell you, it was a wild sensation! It felt like they were strutting around on the ceiling while I was chilling on the floor.

 "Fortunately, the creature is dead; that simplifies our task." A man clad in flowing brown robes, wielding a tall staff, dropped a large brown bag and opened its flap. The bag tipped over, spilling out several scrolls and a gleaming silver bracelet.

"What's stopping you from wearing that?" the archer said.

"Jewelry is not to my taste," said the mage.

"It's not really jewelry, it's a space storage bracelet."

"It's akin to inviting others to take from you; I might as well secure my wallet to my wrist and wish for the best against theft," said the mage.

"Give it to me then."

"I continue to utilize it, storing a few mana and health potions within, along with provisions of food and water," he said.

"That's such a waste!"

"I fail to understand your reasoning; it prevents the glass containers from shattering and keeps the food fresh. And have you ever considered the weight of water?"

"I know exactly how heavy water can be," she said while crossing her arms.

He tossed the bracelet into his bag and retrieved a small knife. "Let me demonstrate how to process a monster, so you'll be ready for the next time."

"I have no interest in cutting open a monster."

I watched intently, thinking that this free tutorial might come in handy. 

He first cut open the chest cavity and popped open the chest like he was opening up a clam. He must be a lot stronger than he looks. Beside the heart there was a round ball, about the size of a marble, it looked like a mini-universe purple and swirling with little lights within it. 

"A level ten poison mana gem," the archer said in awe.

"Can I have it set into my bow?"

"Absolutely not! We plan to market this and reap a substantial profit from it!"

[Ding! Goal available! Eat the level ten poison mana gem and gain the Sharp Fang upgrade, Poison Fang.]

"After you check for a mana gem in the monster, it's time to gather some other valuable resources. Look for claws and poison sacs located just beneath the collarbone. Don't forget to collect fangs, scales, beaks, bones, carapaces, fat, feathers, fur, scent glands, hides, horns, ink, ivory, meat, specific plants or fungi, quills, shells, sinew, stingers, tusks, webs, and wool. If you're dealing with high-level or rare beasts, you can also harvest blood, brains, ears, eyes, various glands, hearts, tongues, and livers. Additionally, be sure to scavenge any treasures from their nests, including eggs, eggshells, hardened secretions, honey, plants, pearls, saliva, webbing, and mucus. You might even want to sift through their secretions for hidden gems they've collected. I've got a comprehensive list detailing the reasons for harvesting each component, you can look through it if you want," he said while dissecting the giant bat and piling up the assorted body parts. Meanwhile, a fellow adventurer with a two-headed axe was using his space ring to pull the various parts into it.

"That is absolutely disgusting, I am never going to do that," said the archer while holding her hand over her mouth.

"I didn't see the other baby bat, either it fell out of the pouch and died or it's hidden somewhere in this cave," said the leading swordsman of the group, a large man who looked like he was built like a tank. "So after you're done harvesting the monster, I want you to use a scroll and set fire to the entrance. Then we'll go to the village with the proof of the monster's death and collect our reward."

 "Very well, once we conclude our business here, I shall emerge and ignite the entrance," said the mage.

The mage pulled out a scroll from his bag and set it aside, then he went back to cutting parts off the bat while the archer and the swordsman walked out of the cave. 

"No one appreciates the fine art of processing a monster anymore."

After making sure that their focus was firmly on the processing of the monster, I slowly scuttled across the ceiling making sure that I stuck to the shadows and looked at the entrance of the cave, making sure that the others were nowhere in sight. Once I was behind them, I quickly flew down, feeling extremely vulnerable and exposed, I dove into the adventurer's bag as quickly as I could. I quietly searched for the storage bracelet and the poison mana gem. Seeing the bracelet, I fastened it around the base of my wing, being the only thing large enough to hold onto it. My body was about as big as a man's fist, not including my wings. I guess I was the runt, being a forth of the size of my sibling. Once I saw the gem, I picked it up and without hesitation popped it into my mouth, stuffing it into my cheek, it stuck out like a chipmunk eating a peanut. Then the gem started dissolving, like a cinnamon sucker, it was spicy and strong. I sucked on it feeling my mouth burn slightly, but it wasn't unpleasant. 

I snatched up a few scrolls, driven by pure curiosity, and shoved them into the bracelet by pressing them against the base of my wing. I also grabbed some shiny jewels and a handful of coins—who knew when they might come in handy? Among the treasures were two mysterious mana gems that didn't trigger any alerts from my system, but I tossed them into the storage bracelet as well. Let's just call this payment for my mother and sibling's death, leaving me an orphan while they tried to take me down, and hoarding a mountain of valuable loot from my mom.

Suddenly, the flap at the top of the bag slammed shut, plunging me into complete darkness. A sharp click echoed around me, and I felt a jolt as the bag was hoisted off the ground.

Coming Next Time: The New Dungeon

Trapped but ready to fight!