Two feral roars burst from Boris and Torvin, their entire bodies glowing an intense blood-red; clearly, they had activated Blood Frenzy. Ignoring the Lynxes’ attacks, Torvin discarded his shield, gripped the Double-Bladed War Hammer with both hands, and roared as he charged at the remaining monster beast. The timing was perfect—Torvin poured every ounce of strength into a devastating cleave at the Lynx before him. The Lynx’s head and front half of its body were nearly split in two, blood and organs splattering across the ground.

  Beside him, though Boris was frenzied, he maintained his usual expression. With shield and hammer in hand, his movements became even lighter under Blood Frenzy. With brute strength and refined shield techniques, he completely suppressed the two Lynxes before him. Torvin’s thunderous roar exploded in their ears, and the hearing-sensitive beasts froze in pain. Seizing the opportunity, Boris slammed his heavy shield down like a siege engine, crushing one, then used the momentum of the impact to pivot and smash the other’s skull. The sixth life fell.

  Boris swung his hammer once to shake off the blood and fragments from its head, his face still calm. Torvin extended a fist. Boris smiled faintly and tapped it with his own, like a final toast to today’s feast.

  At that moment, the giant Lynx that had been shot in the lungs finally collapsed under the effect of the paralytic essence. The seventh Lynx.

  In moments, only three Lynxes remained—and they fled in panic. Four assassin Lynxes—three normal and one giant—had begun today’s hunt with confidence. Before they could bring down their target, their packmates had fallen one after another. Watching their kin drop like harvested grain, the final giant Lynx hesitated. Survival instinct triumphed over hunger. It roared once, filled with hatred, then turned and led the remnants of the pack deep into the mushroom forest.

  The Lynxes vanished as swiftly as they had arrived—like wind through fog, silent and chilling.

  The final angry roar gradually dissolved into the spore-laden mist, leaving behind a deafening stillness on a battlefield reeking of blood and Stone Mushroom Oil. The flames from Rowan’s magic dispelled some of the bone-penetrating dampness of the forest.

  “Check casualties!” Vesper shouted, his decisive voice tearing through the silence. His command marked the end of the defensive battle.

  The remaining Guards lowered their shields and gasped for breath. Though they had faced only two Lynxes in the final exchange, the terror had cost them two men. Fifth-tier monster beasts were far beyond ordinary guards.

  Boris’s rumbling voice rose. “Two dead. Three wounded.”

  Theo stood beside the giant Lynx that Ryel’s final shot had brought down, pulling his magical arrow free from the blood-matted fur. His body trembled—not from fear, but from the aftershock of exertion that made the iron-hard muscles along his back spasm slightly. He looked toward Liam, who sat atop the fallen alpha Lynx’s corpse. Though Liam was desperately trying to draw in enough air through his mouth and nose, when he saw Theo looking over, he grinned and raised a thumb as if to say, Beautiful shot.

  “Cargo safe,” Finn reported quickly from the Defense Core. “Personnel uninjured.”

  Vesper nodded. He could sense the exhaustion and lingering pain among the squad, especially the loss of the two Guards who had fought valiantly. His gaze lingered on the blood staining the oak roots, his expression cold.

  “We don’t have time for mourning,” Vesper said firmly. “This is the Lynx pack’s hunting territory, so it should remain relatively safe from other species for a short while. We have two hours to clear the battlefield. Collect the bodies quickly. We leave immediately—the squad is already too exhausted to remain in the mushroom forest.”

  He began issuing assignments.

  “Rowan and Sable—first aid for the wounded. Finn and Liam—collect the spoils. Ryel and Theo—outer perimeter reconnaissance. Stay alert for contingencies.”

  “The rest, check the wagons and livestock again. We’ll increase speed slightly once we move. If nothing unexpected happens, no other predatory beasts should enter this area.” Vesper nodded to the two employers, his tone softening slightly.

  Within moments, the Night Hawk squad moved to carry out their tasks. However, Theo glanced up at Al on his shoulder, then decisively approached Vesper.

  “Ves, I want to help Finn and Liam collect the spoils. There are too many monster beasts—they won’t have enough time. I also need to study the Oak Lynx’s meat quality.” Theo gently stroked Al. “Al can assist Ryel with perimeter scouting. With its training, it can handle reconnaissance in the surrounding area without me.”

  Vesper narrowed his eyes at Theo, then at Al. He knew Theo’s capabilities—and Al’s usefulness in early warning. After a moment, he nodded.

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  “Fine. Theo, make sure Al stays alert. Don’t be careless.” He waved a hand. “Move.”

  Ryel vanished into the mushroom forest to secure the outer perimeter. Though the fog limited Al’s flight time and vision, it could still function as a capable scout for about an hour, handling inner-zone warning.

  Finn opened his tool bag with a focused expression and began extracting materials from the Lynx corpses. Liam prepared the tools under Finn’s guidance.

  Theo set aside his fatigue and took out his compact analysis tools, eyes gleaming with interest at the pile of monster beast corpses. This was a valuable opportunity to gather data and supplement G’s growing knowledge repository.

  The three of them rearranged the seven Lynx corpses for efficient processing. While working, Theo and Liam listened carefully to Finn’s instructions.

  “First,” Finn began calmly, pointing at the nearest corpse, “you need to understand that Oak Lynxes have several parts requiring special attention. The hide is the most important. Liam, you’ll assist me. This is complex work for a beginner, so watch closely first.”

  Liam nodded, eyes focused. Skinning high-tier monster beasts demanded precision and experience.

  “Second,” Finn continued, “their night-vision eyes are rare magical materials. They’re used in potions that enhance sight in low light and can also be crafted into lenses for seeing clearly in fog.”

  Finn glanced at Theo with a faint smile. “Third—you’ll like this—the hind leg tendons.”

  Theo looked up immediately.

  “I noticed your bowstring isn’t as strong as it could be,” Finn said, gesturing toward the Sylvanius bow on Theo’s back. “If properly processed, these tendons could increase the bow’s maximum draw weight by about three Hammers and make it more durable.”

  A gleam flashed in Theo’s eyes—the warrior’s joy at improved weaponry mixed with a researcher’s satisfaction. “Excellent,” he murmured.

  “Fourth,” Finn said, returning to a serious tone, “the luminescent gland. It’s the primary material for Luma Ink. Not highly valuable, but always in demand—used for maps and specialized magical books.”

  Theo’s curiosity visibly sharpened.

  “Finally, there are miscellaneous materials. I’ll explain those later. For now, don’t touch the four main ones.”

  They divided the work. Finn and Liam handled the complex skinning process, while Theo focused on auxiliary parts to save time.

  He began with the fangs and claws. As Finn had said, they were high-quality materials. Theo carefully examined the small grooves along the fangs—evolutionary channels for storing poison spores. He quickly realized they would make excellent bases for enhanced Paralytic Essence Arrows, as the grooves could hold and disperse the essence more effectively than conventional arrowheads.

  The curved claws, meanwhile, were ideal for armor-piercing arrows. Extremely durable, they could endure damp conditions and hard scales far better than ordinary metal.

  Theo worked efficiently, separating usable parts with steady hands while observing Finn’s demonstration to Liam.

  “This Oak Lynx isn’t an ordinary monster beast,” Finn said slowly as he made a precise incision with a silver-white blade. “Its hide contains natural magical glands. You can’t separate it using conventional techniques meant for beasts with simple strength or elemental traits.”

  Liam swallowed and reminded himself to focus.

  “If we succeed,” Finn continued, “the hide can be crafted into a concealment cloak effective in low-light environments.”

  He raised the knife slightly. “Also pay attention to your tools. I prefer Mithril knives. They’re expensive, but extremely sharp and, more importantly, they don’t interfere with the mana within the hide. These gloves are made from Shadow Wolf hide—durable, flexible, and still sensitive enough for fine work.”

  He turned to Liam. “Now watch carefully. This part requires strength—but you must not tear the magical glands.”

  After a pause, he added, “If possible, observe once using mental force. It will help you detect subtle structures your eyes might miss. You should ask Theo to teach you the Mental Force Detection Method soon.”

  Liam nodded.

  Within fifteen minutes, with Liam’s assistance, Finn completed the hide separation and collected the essential materials.

  “We don’t have much time,” Finn said. “We’ll skip complex sections like the head. That won’t affect cloak-making materials. We’ll preserve the head hide intact and process it later as a specimen. The black market favors artisan pieces like that.”

  Liam carefully stored the materials, committing Finn’s instructions to memory.

  Meanwhile, Theo turned to the meat. The beast weighed nearly 200 kilograms, its body packed with dense muscle fibers. He frowned slightly, unsure how to process such a massive portion efficiently.

  Finn, working nearby, spoke without looking up.

  “Monster beast meat keeps longer because the mana in the muscle hasn’t fully dissipated. Remove the blood and contaminated sections first. The rest can be processed gradually. It’s tough and has a strong odor, so it’s not popular for consumption. Hunters usually sell it cheaply—or discard it entirely.”