[P.E: 170]
Darien was pleased to see that his reserves had increased with time because of the new skill he had created. It felt like a cheat to cultivation.
This meant he'd been given the green light to always go offensive without worrying about his spirit stamina waning.
Not to talk of the fact that he had also gotten another Lv.2 Life Core. Darien couldn't believe that, just like mages, he could now manipulate the very essence that shapes and molds the world!
The Life Core from the Gravel Mole was simply a cherry on top of the impressive loot he had acquired from the rodent nest.
[Minor Beast Fang x9 (Lv.1) Dire Rat Pelts x6 (Lv.1) Stone Hide (Lv.2) Gravel Mole Claw (Lv.2) Energy Core (Lv.2)]
He was familiar with seeing pelts sold in the markets, usually stacked in bundles for a proud and visible display. Now, he had six pieces from one of the best-ranked breeds for pelts.
Dire Rat Pelts were tough, flexible, and often purchased quickly by merchants and armoursmiths.
Looking at his haul, plus what he'd gotten from the Blazewyrm, Darien felt confident he could be leaving the market with close to 100 gold pieces!
Evening was drawing close, and Darien knew his hunt in the Primordial Forest was done for the day. In total, he had racked up over 10,000 Skill Points from all the beasts slain by his might!
With these Skill Points, Darien could make more skills that could potentially support his extended stay even until nighttime, but he didn't want to gamble it.
The night in every ridden place by the Descent was full of darkness and terrors. Beasts roamed randomly—beasts of strength and abilities a novice like Darien could never predict.
Slightly exhausted but satisfied,
"Woah. You actually got something?"
The guards at the gate were surprised when Darien returned to the checkpoint, unscathed and with a bright expression. There was no dirt on his face, and his boots didn't look like he had spent much time in forest mud.
What surprised them the most was what the young Adventurer had in his possession: Minor Beast Fang x6.
Darien had, of course, stashed most of his loot safely in his Inventory, revealing only six out of the nine Minor Beast Fangs he'd obtained.
Even that was generous, considering most who ventured into the forest came back with far less or nothing at all.
Sometimes, many Adventurers didn't even hunt. Some spent their hours foraging fruit and edible crops to make ends meet.
So when the guards saw him return with valuable beast materials, it was no wonder their brows rose in surprise.
They reminded him of the 50:50 share rule for Adventurers, and Darien nodded, responding that he was fully aware.
The guards took three of the Beast Fangs without hassle and waved him through. He was let back into Eldermead, where the Adventurer's Association premises were clearer because of the drawing dusk.
Darien boarded a carriage, and it took him on the same journey back to Lanthold. After a successful ride, he walked on foot to the outer market to sell his goods.
As usual, the outer market was the beehive of Eldermead, especially when it was approaching evening time. But Darien took his time searching for a less rowdy area, and he came to realize that the rowdy sections were mostly concentrated around the foodstuff stalls and main trading areas.
But the aspects he was interested in, like the sections for beast materials and alchemical components, weren't that chaotic. They were quieter and patronized by more careful buyers because of the magnitudinal importance of the commodities in question.
Darien didn't plan to sell everything at once. His plan was to split his goods and sell them across three separate occasions.
If he did it this way, he could avoid the underpricing that came with bulk sales.
Spacing out one's transactions would make each portion appear as its own sale, letting you negotiate better and earn full value without triggering the usual price-mitigation tactics from buyers.
Darien sold the Beastbone (Lv.2) for 25 gold pieces, the three Minor Beast Fangs (Lv.1) for 3 gold pieces each, and all six Dire Rat Pelts (Lv.1) for 15 gold pieces in total.
The earnings weren't bad at all for a day's hunt, and he left the market satisfied with the total he'd made.
On his way back home, he stopped by a few stalls to buy some foodstuffs to show he hadn't forgotten home. After all, Madame Faewyn and Mirielle were probably already worrying about his late return.
But no one was around when he arrived home.
He then realized that today was Prayday, the sixthday of the week, and Madame Faewyn never missed the late evening prayers on these days.
As for Mirielle, she must still be out in the fields with Jakob, probably rounding up their training before heading back.
Darien dropped what he returned with and moved to the fields to join them, and maybe join in the last bit of fun they'd have.
Arriving at the fields, Darien saw them, but he also noticed the happiness and joy on their faces. Mirielle rushed to him in such a manner that could hint at hostility for some, but she just grabbed Darien excitedly by the collar and yelped at the top of her voice.
"Queen's Reach Academy, here we come!"
Darien demanded to know what was happening, and Jakob told him that the Academy had accepted all their requests, and they were now inductees into Queen's Reach Academy.
'Woah! That's big news.'
How could they be accepted into Queen's Reach Academy just like that?
Darien understood that in the past, even those pursuing the Knight path had to jump some really high hurdles to be considered before being inducted.
For them to be accepted like this must mean there'd be subsequent screening ahead, or even a test just like the Adventurer's Association.
Surely, not all the Unawakened youths and children in Eldermead would be given a chance to become a Knight.
But passing this first step was a good breakthrough to stay optimistic for the best. At least they were no longer just dreamers.
And if there was a screening ahead, it'd be better to fail on one's own merit than blame the system or the nobles.
"When will we be going?"
Darien asked Jakob, who had their letter slips in his hand.
"Tomorrow!"