Chapter 98: Chapter 97: Flesh and Blood Appraisal, the Need for a Mount

A mass of Perfect Level blood!

’Isn’t this right up my alley?’

An amateur would probably just scratch their head at this mass of coagulated blood. But Jon was different. He was once a max-level Alchemist of the Flesh and Blood School; he had plenty of ways to process this stuff!

’The blood alone is Perfect Level. Its owner must have been level 80 or higher. It was probably shed during a battle with another monster of the same rank and somehow ended up in the outer reaches of the Shery Mountain.’

’And this blood is likely the reason the Wolf King was attacked by some unknown big cat. For a low-level monster, consuming the flesh and blood of a high-level one is indeed a surefire path to power.’

As for why this Wolf King managed to survive an attack from a monster stronger than itself, Jon couldn’t be bothered to care—it was already dead, after all.

He temporarily set aside the blood, which was freezing to the touch, and turned his attention to his Sub-profession panel.

Unlike Craftsmanship Skills, which had strict prerequisites, Alchemist Skills could be unlocked directly with Experience Points. One of the core Skills for a Flesh and Blood School Alchemist was [Flesh Identification], a Skill comparable in status to a blacksmith’s [Ore Identification].

And since this Skill wasn’t exclusive to the School, Jon didn’t need to level his Alchemist to 20 to unlock the Flesh and Blood School first; he could learn it right away.

After all, Alchemists from other Schools also occasionally used monster flesh and blood in their concoctions; the Flesh and Blood School had simply perfected that particular craft.

[Consume 5,000 Experience Points to unlock "Flesh Identification LV. 1"?]

"Yes!"

[Ding! "Flesh Identification LV. 1" has been unlocked.]

As the system notification rang out, a feeling like "long-lost knowledge resurfacing" washed over Jon’s mind.

Once the feeling passed, he looked at the mass of blood again. The information he could now extract was completely different from his earlier, experience-based assessment—it was far more detailed and precise.

’It’s the blood of some kind of avian Demon Beast. And just as I thought, it’s Ice Attribute.’

’That’s not surprising. The range of an avian Demon Beast is far greater than any terrestrial one. It’s entirely possible for its blood to have been spilled in the outer parts of the mountains.’

However, with only Level 1 Flesh Identification, it was far from enough to completely analyze this mass of Perfect Level blood.

Jon glanced at his experience reserves.

Killing the Wolf King, its five mates, and nearly a hundred other assorted wolves had netted him a total of 23,360 Experience Points. Upgrading Flesh Identification to Level 2 would cost 10,000 points, and Level 3 would cost 20,000.

The high cost was enough to cool his excitement over finding the Perfect Level material.

’Even if I fully identify this blood now, I can’t use it right away. To make a potion with this as the main ingredient, the other materials required would be just as valuable. I doubt even the current Golden Maple Leaf Trading House could gather them all.’

’In that case, I should save my experience to increase my power. I’ll just put this away for now.’

Jon let out a breath, composed himself, and turned his gaze back to the mangled remains of the Wolf King. ’I can’t make a potion from the Perfect Level blood yet, but making some Mad Wolf Potions and Wolf Power Potions is a good alternative.’

Conveniently, he would need to use the Wolf King’s large stomach to carry the Perfect Level blood back anyway.

"Don’t worry," Jon said to the carcass. "If I get the chance, I’ll take care of that big cat for you. Then it can keep you company in death."

A moment later, he had stripped the Wolf King’s carcass of every valuable part.

The intact thick hide, pristine fangs, the choicest cuts of meat and organs, the untainted blood... given the Wolf King’s size, it was a substantial haul.

This made Jon all the more eager to acquire a good mount.

’Otherwise, the next time I encounter a monster this large, am I supposed to hire a crew just to haul away the materials?’

’That would be way too much trouble!’

An even greater need was to unlock the backpack system.

Unfortunately, based on his experience unlocking the other systems, he had to first come into contact with the relevant item or concept to unlock its corresponding function.

And unfortunately, before the arrival of players, spatial storage items on the Yino Continent were genuine strategic treasures, not the dime-a-dozen trinkets found in some pulp novels.

He had already asked Reya and Rosalind; the entire Heta County Noble Union Chamber of Commerce didn’t possess a single spatial storage item. Only the Harvia Empire’s Royal Family and a few ancient, noble houses with long-standing legacies had such treasures, and they were rarely, if ever, shown in public.

It made sense when he thought about it.

Materials imbued with Spatial Power were already scarce, and materials stable enough to endure the necessary magical alterations were even rarer.

By comparison, finding an Arcane Mage proficient in Spatial Power was actually the "easiest" part of creating a spatial item.

Therefore, figuring out how to get his hands on such a rare spatial storage item was a problem he had to consider for the long term.

"A long and arduous road lies ahead!"

Jon sighed. He loaded the heavier items, like the bundled wolf hide and flesh, onto two Walkers that he had hastily modified and repurposed for transport. Carrying the other, more valuable items himself, he started heading out of the valley.

Before heading back, he decided to venture deeper into the Shery Mountain to see if he could find a suitable mount.

The outlander glanced at the sky, silently setting a deadline for himself.

’I’ll spend tonight in the mountains. Even if I don’t find a suitable target for a pact, I have to head back by noon tomorrow at the latest.’

He set this deadline for a specific reason: by then, the durations of his [Sun’s Blessing] and [Saint Fire Mark] would expire. Without the ability to sustain [Dragon Flame Dance] for long periods, his combat effectiveness would plummet.

At that point, traveling alone in the depths of this vast, primeval mountain range would become far too dangerous.

But even with the ability to activate Dragon Flame Dance indefinitely, he couldn’t let his guard down.

’One must respect nature...’

Jon retracted his gaze and began climbing up the cliff face he had descended earlier. At the same time, he had to carefully guide the Walkers, making sure they didn’t lose their footing and fall under the weight of the wolf hides and meat.

After his departure, the valley, which looked as if it had been hewn by an axe, returned to silence. Only the corpses of the wolves bore witness to the brutal battle that had taken place.

Then, as the sky darkened and the swirling snow grew stronger, a pale phantom emerged like a ghost from the peak of Vulture Ridge and leaped gracefully down.

It landed lightly on the steep rock walls to break its fall, a pair of phantom-like wings unfurling from its back as it glided into the valley below.

The shadow ignored the wolf corpses strewn across the ground, heading straight for the deepest part of the valley. It came to a stop before the Wolf King’s remains—now little more than scraps of flesh and bone—licked at the dried blood on the ground, and then let out a low, dissatisfied growl.

RUMBLE...

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