Surprising Discovery

Plop! Moxinke threw the little board that was on his shoulder to the ground. "Is this enough? Shall I go hunt for more?" he asked.

"A board as big as this must be at least a hundred pounds! It is more than enough for us; why would you go hunt for more?" Cessacioun laughed.

Steelberg set up the firewood, but after fumbling through his pockets, he suddenly exclaimed, "Damn it! Young Master, we left so hurriedly that I forget to take cinder with me."

"We have a magician here; why would we need cinder?" Moxinke curled his lips.

A smile cracked on Cessacioun's face. Without any motion, a ball of fire the size of a fist suddenly appeared in his palm. The ball of fire proceeded to land on the firewood, instantly igniting the pile.

"You... You are really a magician?" Steelberg asked astonishingly with admiration in his eyes.

"It's nothing special." Cessacioun smiled. "In Beitman, you can find magicians like me everywhere."

"Mr. Cessacioun, do you think I can learn magic?"

"You... Hard to say. I am just a warlock, not qualified to identify others. If you really want to learn magic, you should go to a magic academy and try."

"Oh..." Steelberg replied with flagging interest. He knew it was impossible for him to attend a magical school. Even if he did manage to get into a magic school one day, it would be as a servant of his young master.

While they were talking, Moxinke turned over the nearly hundred-pound wild boar with a kick, revealing the grayish belly of the boar. Despite appearing dull, Moxinke's sword easily pierced the belly of the beast with a downward thrust. He then lightly pulled his sword out and cleaned out the innards of the boar.

Beside the boar, Han Jin was closely watching Moxinke's every move. Meanwhile, acting as a butcher, Moxinke wielded his sword with ease and skill. After only a few movements with his arms, he had cut out all the innards of the boar.

After setting the boar above the bonfire to roast, Moxinke joined the other two and chatted while waiting. Soon after, the savory smell of the meat started to drift into their noses. Seeing that the roasted meat was almost done, Moxinke hurriedly tore down half a leg from the boar and stuffed it into his mouth before starting to chew loudly. Steelberg, after a brief pause, instantly reacted as well and tore down a large piece of meat from the boar's body. But unlike Moxinke, he suddenly screamed, threw the hunk of meat onto the ground before it could even touch his mouth, and started to vigorously blow on his finger. It was so hot his fingers had almost been scorched.

"What's the hurry?" Cessacioun was puzzled.

"Hmm... mhm..." Moxinke said in a muffled voice. His tone was strange, and no one understood if he was apologizing or laughing.

Steelberg grabbed a twig with his fingers, despite the pain, and thrust it into the meat. He then sat by himself in a corner with his food and started to enjoy it in small bites.

"What is up with you two..." Cessacioun shook his head. "You eat first, I'm going to go meditate."

At that, both Steelberg and Moxinke gave Cessacioun a sympathetic look, but neither stopped him. He must experience it for himself in order to learn. After living together for the past few days, they had realized how otherworldly Han Jin's appetite was. Both had come to the conclusion that there was no limit to Han Jin's stomach; if he ever stopped eating, it was because he didn't have the money, not because he was full!

When it came to eating, Han Jin never held back. Eating was the only way for him to absorb energy at this stage, and energy was the basis for cultivation. Without energy, there would be nothing he could do.

Han Jin grabbed half of the leg and stuffed it into his mouth. His movement was elegant, but he still devoured his food several times faster than Moxinke, who had to at least chew his food. However, to Han Jin, chewing was a waste of time. If he had a body big enough to swallow a boar whole, he would do so without hesitation. Moreover, his incredible digestive ability also allowed him to eat as much as he liked. Thus, if he ever died because of food, it would be from starvation, not overeating.

Feeling traces of energy infusing into his body was the happiest moment for Han Jin. With each unit of energy accumulated, he felt safer, happier, and more hopeful.

When Steelberg leaned back against a tree to rest with a full stomach, Han Jin had already wiped out half of the boar. When a certain magician finally slowly walked back from his meditation, he saw only a burning bonfire and piles of bones littered on the ground.

"How in the..." Though the bard was very well-traveled himself, he could not believe what he was witnessing.

"Haha… hahaha..." Moxinke chuckled.

"Ahahahah…." Steelberg also laughed, as if saying 'I told you so'.

"That is for you." Han Jin pointed at the half a boar's head on a leaf with a happy expression on his face. He had reasons to be happy. Several pieces of bread wouldn't even provide him with one Yuan of energy, while this boar provided hundreds of Yuan's of energy by itself; how could he not be happy? In the past, he dared not to go deep into the woods to hunt due to his unfamiliarity with the holy animals, but this time, thanks to Moxinke, he had gotten himself half of a boar with no effort.

"You..." Cessacioun was about to speak but was interrupted by a wave of disturbing noises in the distance. The source of the sound was seemingly approaching them at a rapid speed. Cessacioun's expression drastically changed. "Oh no! The Black Ravens!"

"You two, leave right now. I will stay with Cessacioun!" Moxinke roared in a low voice.

"Steelberg, you must leave right now!"

"What about you, Young Master?"

"I'm staying as well." Han Jin was not a reckless person, but in some cases, he must face the challenge in front of him by himself, or at least together with companions. As diamond cuts diamond, unless he can reach a position of supreme power, danger would constantly accompany him. If he fled from it this time, he would do it again next time, and the next. Eventually, he would be living under others' protection for the rest of his life. Han Jin's self esteem would not allow for that to happen. Moreover, it wasn't clear what the situation was yet. However, since Moxinke had prepared to fight, he must have thought they had a chance of prevailing. This was a perfect opportunity to compare his own strength to Moxinke's, so there was no reason for him to leave first.

"Then I will stay with you, Young Master!" Steelberg gritted his teeth.

"It's too late anyway. You two keep quiet!" Cessacioun whispered. He waved his arm, and a puff of dirt drifted up from the ground and buried the bonfire. He then started muttering an incantation, creating a circle of light which soon covered all of them.

Han Jin suddenly realized their shadows had disappeared. What kind of magic was this? His eyes widened in astonishment.

The noise came closer and closer. In the darkness, Han Jin and the rest of the group could see an agile figure jumping through the trees in a path toward them. Meanwhile in the sky above, thousands of ravens were cawing and flying, looking like dark clouds that had come alive. Though when the figure occasionally turned around, a few ravens would be hit and fall to the ground, there were simply too many of them.

"Should we help?" Moxinke asked in a low voice.

The figure suddenly paused and looked in their direction, as if they had heard Moxinke's voice, but before they could react, the hovering ravens had cut off its path and trapped him tightly on a tree, then started a wave of frenzied attack.

The figure was obviously an archer, but there was no space for him to shoot. Instead, he had to desperately strike the ravens with his bow. Though the ravens could only attack with their beaks and claws, they had the overwhelming advantage in numbers. However hard the figure tried to repel the enemies, they still inevitably fell into a desperate situation. Their fall was only a matter of time at this point.

Cessacioun whispered an incantation and suddenly walked out of the circle of light. With one wave of his arm, a circular net about thirty meters wide appeared in the air, then fell on the thousands of ravens, as well as the figure they were attacking..

Affected by the spell, the ravens slowed down, then started to drop like flies. Soon, a mountain of ravens formed on the ground. Meanwhile, the ravens that had escaped the attack, cawed as they turned around, flying toward Cessations from all directions..

Just then, Moxinke let out a mighty roar and stepped out in front of Cessacioun. His body was now covered by a glow of white light, while the sword in his hand was shining even more brightly.

Moxinke had a very tall figure, giving others the illusion that he was only capable of raw strength and defense, when in fact he was also very agile and fast. Taking advantage of his long arms and his greatsword, he formed an uncrossable sword barrier in front of Cessacioun. Every time a raven slammed into the barrier, it would be instantly shredded to pieces with only a puff of black feathers left behind. 

Han Jin's expression was extremely grave. He had been told by Moxinke that the difference in strength between a swordsman and a fighter was quite big. One could only become a real fighter after they had grasped the true technique of fighting, which would allow them to utilize their fighting strength to its maximum potential. If Moxinke wasn't being humble when he had said that warriors like him could be found everywhere, it would indeed be a harsh reality for Han Jin. Even the power of a fighter was out of his reach, let alone that of a swordmaster or sword saint. Basically, this world had its own way of 'cultivating'! By that logic, the most powerful men here definitely wouldn't be weaker, if they were weaker at all, than the true sages of his original world.

Cessacioun started chanting again, and Han Jin could sense the trembling in the air. Soon after, a giant fireball around ten meters wide appeared atop the mountain of dead black ravens, devouring all of them in its flame.

The rest of the black ravens, about a hundred or so more, had lost their morale. They soared high into the sky with their high pitched caws, then disappeared. However, Cessacioun and Moxinke didn't let their guard down, and instead cautiously surveyed the woods around them.

The figure jumped down from the tree, then said in a crisp voice, "You all have my thanks."

"You're welcome." Cessacioun smiled. "You are alone?"

"Yes." The figure moved closer and stopped three meters away from Moxinke. "My name is Sunier, a treasure hunter."

"I'm Moxinke, high-grade swordsman. This is Cessacioun, a warlock." Moxinke introduced himself and his companion. He didn't rashly extend his hand for a handshake, as they had all realized that the figure was in fact a girl.

Sunier's eyes then fell on Han Jin. At least, in terms of temperament and look, Han Jin was the most attractive one among group.

Moxinke thought for a quick moment before introducing Han Jin before he, himself, could, "This is Raphael, a prophet, and a hereditary baron."

"What?" Sunier exclaimed. Even Cessacioun abruptly turned around and stared at Han Jin with a surprised expression.

"Nice to meet you." Han Jin smiled and nodded.

He knew that Moxinke was a clever man. If he had introduced him that way, he must have his reasons, hence why Han Jin didn't correct him.

"An honor to meet you." Sunier bowed.

Han Jin was somewhat startled. Sunier had only simply greeted Moxinke and Cessacioun, her life-savers, yet when she introduced herself to him, she had bowed. Clearly, prophets demanded respect in this world. Unfortunately, Han Jin did not know the proper way to respond to her greeting. In the end, he simply decided to keep smiling and nod back.

"The only thing in front of us are the Tarasha Mountains. Quite bold of you to come here alone." Cessacioun smiled.

"I didn't expect to encounter those pesky black ravens." Sunier paused. "Where are you going?"

"Beitman," replied Cessacioun.

"What a wonderful coincidance. May I accompany you and your friends?"

Cessacioun was about to answer, but then promptly shut his mouth and instead turned to Han Jin. Sunier had also been looking at Han Jin when she had put forward this request. Clearly, the introduction of a prophet had caused some subtle changes in the leadership dynamic of the group. 

"Of course," Han Jin replied straightforwardly.

"That's very kind of you," Sunier smiled and answered in a melodious voice.

What a pity! The same thought flashed in the men's heads. The woman in front of them wore tight-fitting soft armor, and had a very alluring figure, especially her legs, which were long and straight. Though they couldn't see the skin, the curve shape alone was enough to capture the heart of any ordinary man. Her long blonde hair rested loosely on her shoulder, soft and smooth like silk flying in the wind. However, a bumpy mess covered her face like a layer of scales - so hideous that it didn't even look human. From behind, Sunier was absolutely a graceful and beautiful woman. However, due to that flaw, if one had to look at her face, that impression immediately disappeared, instead replaced by a sense of dread.

"We should leave immediately. If soldiers from Black Raven City come, we will be in great trouble," Cessacioun said in a low voice.

"Of course." Han Jin nodded. Suddenly, he felt a very weak fluctuation of energy, and when he turned to check, he saw that there was something shiny under the tree that Sunier had jumped down from.

Han Jin rushed to the tree and found some stones the size of nails. He picked up one and studied it closely.

"Those are black raven magic crystals; quite useless really." Moxinke said.

Useless? Han Jin almost yelled at him. Each magic crystal contains at least one hundred Yuan worth of energy! How dare someone call it useless?! If Steelberg were the only one with him, Han Jin would have been screaming in joy right now!

Barely in control of his excitement, he ordered in a low voice, "Steelberg, pack all of them up."

"Yes, Young Master," Steelberg answered. He didn't care about whether these crystals were useful or not; as long as it was an order from his master, he would do it without hesitation.

The rest of the group looked at each other in confusion. Since Han Jin had decided, they didn't say anything more. The task wouldn't take long anyway.

"Moxinke, where can I buy this kind of magic crystal?" Han Jin asked slowly. If they were useless, then they must be very cheap.

"Nowhere. No one would want to collect or sell this kind of trash." Moxinke shook his head.

Trash? Han Jin took in a deep breath. He was not in the mood for an explanation. He remembered that Moxinke had once told him that not all low-level holy animals contained magic crystals. However, since nearly a thousand black ravens had been burned to death by Cessacioun, there were about two or three hundred magic crystals left on the ground. These magic crystals contained at least thirty thousand Yuan's worth of energy - enough for him to finish his foundation! How could he not be ecstatic after that?!

So happy that he was at a loss of words, Han Jin simply sighed, "I… fucking love these woods!"