Chapter 4, Boar

One hour later, Owen finally arrived at the edge of Orva Forest, his heart racing with anticipation as he prepared to tackle the Boar Quest he had eagerly accepted. The sun filtered through the thick canopy of leaves above, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor, but there was one glaring issue: he couldn't spot a single boar anywhere. Instead of wasting time, he decided to employ his class skills as a Tamer—specifically, Interspecies Communication. He planned to communicate with a nearby bird, hoping it could serve as a scout to locate the elusive boars.

As he scanned the treetops, Owen noticed a flurry of avian activity above him. Among the bustling birds, one particularly caught his eye: a striking pure white bird with feathers that glimmered like freshly fallen snow. With a deep breath, he activated his Interspecies Communication skill, focusing his thoughts and sending them out to the bird. Almost immediately, it responded with a curious tilt of its head before gracefully landing on his shoulder.

Feeling a rush of excitement, Owen then utilized his Tame skill, and to his delight, the bird accepted him as its companion. It felt almost surreal to have such a beautiful creature by his side. He conveyed his request, asking the bird to scout the area from above for any signs of the boars, and it chirped in agreement before taking flight, soaring into the blue sky.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the bird returned, its wings fluttering in excitement. It landed back on Owen's shoulder and chirped animatedly, relaying that there were boars approximately a quarter of a mile ahead. A thrill of determination surged through him at the news. He adjusted his gear, steeling himself for the impending confrontation, and set off toward the location the bird had indicated.

Upon nearing the boars' territory, Owen slowed his pace and carefully slipped into a nearby thicket, camouflaging himself among the dense foliage. The sounds of the forest faded into the background as he focused on the rustling noises that hinted at the boars' presence. His heart raced as one particularly large boar wandered closer, oblivious to his watchful gaze.

In a swift motion, Owen gathered his energy and cast Summon Water, channeling his mana to lower the temperature of the air around him. Within moments, shimmering ice spikes began to form, glistening in the sparse sunlight. As the boar drew near, he unleashed the icy projectiles, hurling them skillfully toward his target, confident that he would secure his victory in this encounter.

The ice spikes impaled into the boar's skull, blood spurting out in an arc guided by the ice spike like a fountain, killing it immediately. Seeing that this was not a difficult task, Owen then summoned five more ice bolts with Temperature Control and Water Summoning and hurled them all towards other boars. They all eventually reached their targets and impaled them in the skull the same way as the first boar. Once the fight ended, Owen then walked out of the bush quietly and began to put each boar in his infinite storage bag. Afterward, he repeated this cycle of the bird finding boars, then sneaking up behind them, and finally killing the boars and putting them in his infinite storage bag until evening.

Owen began his journey back to the guild, fatigue creeping in from a long day of hunting, but the anticipation of turning in his quest kept his spirits high. As he approached the towering gates of the city, the city guards, clad in their distinctive armor, eyed him curiously, for he was covered in blood. He reached for his identification and presented it confidently. With a nod of approval, they granted him passage into the bustling heart of the city, though not without a moment of hesitation.

Upon finally arriving at the guild's grand entrance, Owen pushed open the heavy wooden doors, the familiar scent of polished wood and parchment enveloping him. The guild was alive with activity—adventurers and merchants clamoring about—yet he made his way through the throng to the receptionist's desk, where Asa awaited. She was a young woman with bright eyes and an inquisitive expression, well-known for her efficiency.

"Welcome back! Do you have proof of your hunts?" she inquired, her eyes scanning him expectantly.

Owen smiled, realizing he needed a larger space to showcase his haul. "I think we should head to a bigger area; I have quite a collection," he explained.

Her curiosity piqued, Asa raised an eyebrow but agreed. Together, they walked toward the right wing of the guild, navigating through narrow hallways adorned with trophies and portraits of legendary adventurers. They soon reached The Butchery, a vast warehouse that served as both a processing area and a storeroom for the guild's resources.

As they stepped inside, Asa looked around, confirming, "This should be sufficient for your collection?"

Owen nodded, grinning as he felt a surge of pride. "Absolutely." With that, he set to work, unloading the spoils of his hunt—an impressive assortment of boars, arranged into a small mountain of goods. Asa watched with wide eyes, clearly taken aback by the sheer quantity.

"How on earth did you manage to transport all of these?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

With a knowing smile, Owen replied, "I have a bag of holding. It can hold way more than it seems."

Her astonishment deepened, as she recognized the implications of such a tool, noting that bags of holding usually cost a hefty price in Ran—something she never expected Owen to possess. After she regained her composure, she returned to her responsibilities, preparing to process his impressive catch.

"Oh, just so you know," she said, her tone shifting to business, "the guild charges a 5% harvesting fee on all goods, and there is an additional 5% selling fee."

Owen readily agreed, understanding that such fees were standard in this line of work. Once they settled on the charges, Asa efficiently began instructing her team of butchers to break down the boars and tally the results.

After what felt like an eternity but was only an hour, Asa returned, a bright smile stretching across her face. "You won't believe this! We processed a total of 1,936 boars!" she exclaimed, holding a stack of papers that detailed the breakdown of his haul.

She continued, "That means 3,872 tusks, 1,205 horns, 1,545 pieces of normal quality leather, 282 pieces of great quality leather, 108 pieces of perfect quality leather, and 1 advanced perfect quality leather. Plus, we got a whopping 132,320 pounds of meat and 1,209 rank 0 mana crystals!"

Owen could hardly contain his excitement at these results. "That's incredible! Is it alright if I keep the advanced perfect quality leather and about 100 of those rank 0 mana crystals?" he requested, knowing how valuable they could be.

"Of course," Asa nodded after making quick adjustments to the ledger. Then, she listed the prices: boar tusks were valued at 58 Thal each, horns at 77 Thal, normal quality leather at 35 Thal, great quality leather at 57 Thal, perfect quality leather at 98 Thal, meat at 25 Thal per pound, and rank 0 mana crystals at 1,023 Thal each.

After processing the fees, she calculated the total, revealing a staggering sum of 435 Ran, 65 Mon, and 41 Thal. Owen felt his heart race as he did a quick mental conversion; it equated to approximately $43,565.41 in US dollars. The sheer amount of money made his head spin, especially when in this world that much money would be enough to retire and never work again. When she asked him to follow her to receive his payment, as well as the advanced perfect quality leather and the mana crystals he'd requested.

Climbing the stairs to the main office felt like an exercise in anticipation. Asa stepped out briefly, returning with a gleaming suitcase that housed the 435 Ran. On the other hand, she balanced a silver tray elegantly arranged with the remaining 65 Mon and 41 Thal, organized into stacks.

"By the way," Owen said, redirecting his thoughts to more immediate concerns, "are there any craftsmen nearby who could turn that advanced leather into armor?"

Asa smiled, a glint of excitement in her eye. "If you're willing to invest a significant amount of Ran, there's an excellent leatherworker just across the street, in a place called 'Don's.'"

Her suggestion was exactly what Owen needed. He carefully stored all the coins and items in his infinite storage bag, feeling the weight of his day's work ease off his shoulders, and excused himself to make his way over to Don's, eager to see what could be crafted from his hard-earned resources.