Al grinned, the fat on his face starting to quiver: "Of course there is, Bone Beef, eleven Gold Coins a pound."
"Eleven?" Duke hadn't expected it to be so expensive; he originally estimated that high-tier magical beast meat would be about eight or nine Gold Coins a pound.
"This is Bone Cow meat, better than the usual high-tier magical beast meat. This is the only batch we have now; high-tier magical beasts are hard to come by," Al said.
Duke knew Al wasn't lying; high-tier magical beasts are very powerful and usually dwell deep in the forest, in desolate areas, making them hard to hunt.
"But if you're willing to wait, perhaps in a while there will be a new batch. Recently, the Moonlight Forest has been unstable, with magical beasts occasionally appearing on the outskirts, and we've already sent people to hunt them," Al added.
"Moonlight Forest..." Duke recalled the previous situation with the Cavemen, feeling that there should be some connection between the two.
Back then, the Cavemen also migrated from the depths of the Moonlight Forest to the outskirts, and now magical beasts are emerging from there, indicating something has happened deep within the Moonlight Forest.
With this thought, Duke felt even more compelled to enhance his strength quickly.
He thought for a while before gritting his teeth and paying fifty-five Gold Coins to buy five pounds of Bone Beef, enough to last him a month.
The blood and qi essence of high-tier magical beast meat is richer, and should not be consumed in excess at once.
In Habs Manor.
[You have completed a session of the Giant Whale Breathing Technique, proficiency +4]
[Giant Whale Breathing Technique: LV3 (467/1500)]
Looking at the information before him, Duke confirmed his suspicions: after an increase in strength, higher-tier magical beast meat is indeed necessary for better cultivation results.
...
Three days later.
George handed a document to Duke, saying, "Duke, recently there have been frequent attacks by beasts and magical beasts near Bell Island Lake and surrounding villages and towns, and more personnel need to be stationed there. You also need to go and stay for a while."
Duke took the document and, after reading the detailed contents, nodded: "Alright."
This document was signed by Vivian, and as a member of the Nightingale, it was his duty to carry out the assignment.
Bell Island Lake is located to the west of Fengqiu City, on the edge of the Moonlight Forest, with numerous nearby villages and towns and a large population.
The lake covers a vast area and is one of the most important water sources in the vicinity. Earl Hardy has always sent personnel to station there.
Now, the need to send more personnel indicates an unfavorable situation there.
After receiving the assignment, Duke prepared and set off with the team the same day.
This journey to Bell Island Lake consisted of two squads, about twenty people, all at least mid-tier Knight Attendant level in strength.
The group set off on horseback and arrived in Snow Ridge Town, the nearest town to Bell Island Lake, after spending a good part of the day.
From Snow Ridge Town, the distant snowy mountains of the Moonlight Forest were visible, which is the origin of the town's name.
The lake's water originates from these snowy mountains, flowing eastward to provide water for the Fengqiu City region.
Duke and his companions stayed in town for a while, replenished supplies, and then continued into the Moonlight Forest.
From the entrance, there were over a dozen of Earl Hardy's Personal Soldiers guarding, with strict defenses.
Currently, outsiders are not allowed to enter the forest for hunting or gathering, as it's in a closed state.
The other entrances, although accessible, were far from there.
Riding leisurely on horseback, Duke proceeded forward; the paths in the forest were not conducive to rapid travel.
It took the group half an hour to reach the lakeshore of Bell Island Lake.
Duke dismounted, the reins leaving a shallow mark on his palm.
He raised his hand to part the branches before him, revealing a sky-blue lake.
The lake spanned a vast area, with the end not visible at a glance, the water surface mirroring the sky entirely, creating a mirror-like effect.
There were a dozen wooden houses by the lake, surrounded by a wooden wall, likely a defense against beasts.
Duke and his men were assigned to some newly built wooden houses, the fresh wood indicating they were recently constructed.
Their task was straightforward, mainly to patrol certain routes in shifts and undertake night watch duties.
The entire station comprised over eighty people, mostly Nightingale's Knight Attendants, with some Personal Soldiers responsible for miscellaneous tasks.
Duke received a patrol duty the same day, responsible for patrolling the eastern side of Bell Island Lake, with fixed patrol routes.
Although termed a task, it was essentially about the veterans familiarizing them with the environment and important considerations.
Duke quickly adapted, finding the tasks not difficult, and soon integrated into the way of life there.
Five days later, deep into the night.
Duke stood on a makeshift watchtower, surrounded by blazing torches, with darkness enveloping the surroundings.
These past few days had been calm, with nothing happening, so he quietly continued cultivating proficiency like before.
The bothersome aspect of this was that he couldn't deplete his Fighting Spirit entirely each day; he had to retain at least four or five parts of it to address possible emergencies.
This partly slowed down the progress of the Dragon Spine Burning Wave Sword Technique as he couldn't fully engage in proficiency training.
In the distance, a sound of water broke the lake's calm. In the dark, Duke's keen ears caught the slight sound, which would have otherwise gone unnoticed.
The lake's water having sound was normal, as fish often leaped out.
But tonight felt different, as Duke soon heard a dense series of faint water sounds, prompting him to blow the horn in his hand, waking up the campers.
"What's happening?" George rapidly donned leather armor and drew his Longsword, rushing out first.
Duke said solemnly, "Listen carefully, seems like something is coming from the lake, a large number."
The others didn't hear anything initially due to less keen hearing than Duke, but fell silent, listening closely, and soon heard it too.
A soldier climbed a watchtower and hurled a torch, spotting the scene ahead by its light, shouting, "Fishmen! There are Fishmen! It's an estimated two to three hundred!"
Everyone was on high alert, while George began arranging defensive formations and delegating tasks.
"Damn! It's Fishmen!" someone cursed.
Fishmen usually live in groups and move in large numbers when they appear.
These creatures typically build nests around a water source, obviously eyeing Bell Island Lake and seeing Duke and his people as threats to their nest, hence launching an attack.
Single Fishmen aren't frightening, their combat ability slightly stronger than militia, sometimes even weaker.
But the vast numbers, rapid reproduction of Fishmen, are concerning.
Moreover, Fishmen possess no intelligence, are volatile and fearless in battle, willing to fight to the death.