"The spiritual beasts in the forest are of different types and grades, just like humans that use Essence like us, but there is a crucial difference; humans would always have superior intellect and deeply complex arts, so even if a beast has the same amounts of Essence a human had. Generally, it can never be as intelligent as a human being on the same level. But the beasts have an advantage that makes up for this, in that by eating flesh infused with Essence, they are able to absorb that Essence very effectively. Humans can also absorb Essence from meat and food sources, but it is not up to ten percent of what the most basic spiritual beast can absorb."
Tylen quickly spoke as the group navigated to the forest. He and his members had discovered a common spot where low-level spiritual foxes lived.
More vicious and dangerous red-fur wolves had just chased the foxes from their natural habitat.
According to rumors, one wolf had formed a core and was elevated to the same level as an Essence artist. Thus, the wolves, now united under a leader, were more deadly than before.
It was clear that Tylen and his group didn't intend to provoke those wolves, so they went after the foxes.
"Looks like it was not such a bad decision to follow them after all."
Ju was already appreciating the decision to follow this group.
Tylen provided valuable information, and the young man clearly liked talking.
"But other than the meat, there are other things of value that a beast could offer, the fangs, the fur, the eyes; in other words, not a single part is wasted. Usually, we manage to kill around ten to fifteen daily, but with Brother Ju here, we might even kill more than twenty!" Tylen concluded excitedly
The group soon arrived at their location; the area was relatively sparse with vegetation. Ju and others stayed around 100 meters away when they sensed multiple spiritual energies emanating from the creatures.
Ju silently observed the beasts. The foxes were about two times as large as normal foxes. Ju's right eye shone as he tried to assess their capabilities further.
"Their muscle density was more than that of the beasts I had faced in the mining area."
Before now, Ju usually pursued beasts that could not properly handle the impurities of the Essence they absorbed, beasts that were relatively weak and on the verge of rotting. Although the returns were not so good, hunting was still relatively safe back then.
Ju immediately noticed that these beasts gradually became stronger and had various abilities.
"It seemed as if the impurities here were even a bit lesser than where I am coming from, or the spiritual beasts were just of better quality and bloodline."
However, Ju was not deterred by the beast's strength. Instead, he was excited. He silently brought out his rusted dagger.
Aron saw this, and a look of disdain flashed through his eyes. Oberon took out a large axe that gleamed under the sunlight. Zabel took a green bow. Tylen didn't have any weapons.
"Usually, brother Ju, we males are front liners; our Job is to harass the foxes head-on, and when they are weak enough, a well-timed arrow from Zabel will finish them off. Zabel is the weakest among us but has the best Essence control." A brief look of admiration appeared on Tylen's face as he looked at Zabel. The girl shyly lowered her head and blushed a bit. Seeing how coy Zabel was acting, a look of annoyance leaked from Aron's face.
Ju noticed all of this with a calm face. It seemed as if the group dynamic was not as straightforward as it looked on the surface, but that was just how things were in this cruel world.
Ju didn't care about anything they might have hidden, but the moment they should attack him, then they would become enemies he must kill.
Tylen raised his hand, and streams of Essence rapidly converged. Letting out a low shout, Tylen directed the blast towards the foxes. A small explosion sounded, and the foxes quickly sounded battle cries.
Ju didn't waste any more time again; the youth blasted forth with incredible speed as his dagger moved with deadly accuracy; oddly enough, Ju realized that he had been itching for a fight for a while now.
His aim was right in the temple of one of the foxes. But the responses of the spiritual beasts were swift.
Essence surged forth around the battlefield as the foxes let out numerous howls; enhancement soon shone from their bodies, and the fox that Ju targeted moved away at an equally incredible
speed; just as it dodged Ju's attack, its tail hardened as the spiritual beast swung at Ju with astonishing force.
"Too fast."
Ju's eyes widened slightly; moving away from the fox's unexpected counterattack was too late.
The teenager stretched his free hand, which shone with Essence, to his side in an attempt to protect his ribs. The moment the tail hit landed, the pain was sharp and instant, but it was still more manageable than the pain caused by other, much more vicious battles he had previously encountered.
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The teenager's entire being radiated killing intent as he directed his dagger downward to the nape of the fox.
"So tough."
To the young boy's surprise, when the dagger made contact with the fur, it felt like the clash of two similar materials.
Sparks flew as Ju struggled to pierce the fox's skin. After some time, he could feel the resistance loosening as he saw traces of blood, but the situation didn't seem that good. The clash between Ju and the fox hardly lasted 10 seconds, but that was already too much time spent.
The other foxes were rapidly converging toward their location, and Ju could be overwhelmed, but he remained calm. Soon, a loud laugh sounded behind the foxes as Oberon swung his axe, sending numerous shock waves.
Although the shock waves were not strong enough to send the foxes flying, they could disrupt their movement a bit, and Ju had enough time to get his first kill within less than half a minute of engaging the beasts.
Seeing how rough Ju was, the others naturally did not want to be left behind. Aron quickly took out his two knives, which were curved like agricultural tools. Ju could notice some writings on their surfaces. Like a whirlwind, Aron made his way through multiple foxes, giving them slashes here and there.
His attacks were not as deadly and overbearing as Lu's. But he was able to slow down the fox's movements, and gradually, their injuries accumulated.
Seeing the foxes were getting slower, Tylen kept blasting them, inflicting burns on their bodies. Oberon hacked and slashed while Zabel, who was at the back, performed her attacks, effectively landing the finishing blows. At least three foxes dropped for every five arrows she shot, never to move again.
Ju paused to observe how Zabel attacked. She didn't use any external arrows; instead, she just drew the empty bow, and Essence converged. She sharpened her stance using her will and let out the Essence like an arrow.
Although what she did looked simple, Ju knew how difficult it was to bend Essence to one's will that delicately. If he tried something similar, it would dissipate in his hands, and that Essence would be lost.
"It's her bow that helps her." Ju made a crucial assessment. He also saw that, like Aron's knives, Zabel's bow had numerous writings on the surface.
Ju had never seen such weapons before, but they seemed to have a miraculous ability to work with Essence, which basically improved their users' attacks. Unlike the conventional enhancement he was used to, this enhancement was more seamless and natural.
"If I have the chance, I should ask about those writings afterward." Ju placed a mental reminder.
The fight with the foxes lasted about an hour. The teenager had already figured out the team's battle style and gradually eased into it. All he had to do was charge and engage, and he would have support.
"Working alone can not compare to the efficiency of working with other individuals."
As an Essence user, Ju released the importance of companions in battle for the first time in his life. It was an odd feeling for him.
Tylen and the others also had different thoughts as they fought. Ju was ferocious on the battlefield, seeming to double their group's overall strength.
"The young boy seems to have an affinity for killing." Oberon thought as he took a sideways glance at Ju.
Every attack that the newcomer made either maimed or outright killed a fox.
Meanwhile, Tylen was amazed by another aspect.
"He is so young yet can fight so well. Where did he come from?"
Ju's attire, weapon, and demeanor make it clear that the boy does not have a solid background, but Tylen finds it hard to believe that Ju is a lone adventurer who grows on his own.
"Whatever happens as long he continues to help my team." The young man thought.
Tylen knew that his group was in the bottom tier in Ender Town, even amongst fellow essence gatherers, so Ju's addition made Him happy.
"I was right to trust my instincts. Maybe I should even execute that plan sooner."
Ju's hand was soaked in blood as he stabbed in the neck of the last fox; his black robe had cuts and slashes, and patches of his blood dropped to the ground. However, Ju learned resilience in the other parts of the Wastelands.
This level of injury was nothing to him.
By the time the group settled, they had killed more than 40 foxes, and an entire den had been cleared out.
Tylen's face radiated greed as he calculated all the money they would make. A single fox could provide about 40 gold when all its parts were sold. Forty foxes brought one thousand six hundred gold. Each member would see at least 300 gold.
Tylen quickly explained the processing to Ju.
Ju just stared at Tylen silently.
He could not tell if Tylen and the others were deceiving him, but the look on Aron's face when Tylen said Ju would win the most, 400 gold coins, gave the teenager some confidence.
"With just one outing, I have made about one-third of the amount I saved by working arduously in the mines for three years." Ju thought with an odd feeling in his heart.
Furthermore, the foxes were not even that valuable in the eyes of most residents of Ender Town.
Ju suddenly felt that taking the risk of bringing him and Moonflower here was a good decision. Although the danger was higher, the reruns were too great.
"I wondered just how much I could get if I were able to hunt those savage wolves that drove the foxes out or, even better still, their leader who had formed a core."
But going after an existence on the same level as an Essence Artist would result in a violent death.
Ju knew when to calm himself.
"But I would definitely get stronger."
This was a fact the teenager was sure of.
"Damn! Thank heavens we found Brother Ju; see how successful we are today; we could even make more every day at this rate. Let's celebrate a bit. My treat!" Oberon laughed in his booming voice.
The thought of returning to Ender Town's safety and a warm meal made Tylen and the others excited. Even Aron seemed to have a small smile on his face.
The group quickly packed the corpses of the foxes; Tylen knew someone who would quickly exchange the loot for the money while Ju and the others would stop at a specific restaurant.
From the description given by Tylen, Ju was surprised that the restaurant was not too far from the inn where he and Moonflower stayed.
"I will be there as soon as I can., Ju said to Tylen as they prepared to depart.
"Great! It was nice meeting you, brother Ju."
Moments later, Ju and his new "partners" left the area and went to their separate locations in Ender Town.
Not long after they had left, three figures suddenly appeared in the area.