Chapter 10

"Are you okay?" This time, everyone finally noticed Shawn's abnormal state, and Cecilia was the first to rush over to support him.

"I'm fine." Shawn's voice was clearly weak, and the breath he exhaled was scorching, even with a slight burnt smell.

"Given your current condition, using that high-speed stop technique, you're lucky to be alive." Duran glanced at Shawn, his expression unchanged, but his inner turmoil was like a storm, "Although I'm not quite clear on your situation, it's best not to use such advanced techniques lightly."

Shawn nodded but didn't say anything.

In fact, he was happy with this misunderstanding, as it meant he didn't have to explain why his body was in such a state. Of course, he also knew that Duran was a bit envious. Not only was it impressive that his body could withstand the negative effects of the "high-speed stop," but the "sprint" skill alone was enough to make many people envious.

None of the people present, whether it was Old Peter or Duran, knew this technique. Although Duran's situation was slightly better, he knew a "mount charge" skill, which required a mount and was common among knight classes, so it wasn't particularly rare. On the other hand, the "sprint" skill was absolutely rare. Skills like a knight's "charge" or a warrior's "ram" required the "sprint" skill as a prerequisite. In the game, Shawn had spent a lot of time and money to learn the "sprint" skill.

After confirming that Shawn was fine, everyone's attention turned to the three Wind-patterned Black Wolves.

If it weren't for Old Peter's risky move, this could have been a battle with no casualties. While part of the reason was that many people had third-tier strength, the decisive factor was Shawn. Not only did he know the conditions of the Starfall Forest and the habits of the monsters, but his command ability alone was enough to make Duran admit his superiority.

It was only then that Duran realized that if he had been in charge, at least one or two people would have been sacrificed. Only at this moment did Duran understand the role of the two secondary fireballs and the precise timing of the position swaps. In the group, only Shawn had this ability; even he or Old Peter couldn't have done it.

However, as the person involved, Shawn showed no significant emotional fluctuation. In fact, he had anticipated this result. In the game, his defensive and counter-attack techniques against Wind-patterned Black Wolves were already very mature. Even if everyone present was only second-tier, Shawn was confident he could pass through without any damage. The only thing he regretted was that the core crystals inside the three Wind-patterned Black Wolves had been destroyed, making their corpses worthless.

Core crystals, also known as magic cores or crystal cores, are the source and lifeline of a monster's power. They not only condense the monster's lifetime elemental power but have also replaced the heart's function. Once a core crystal is destroyed, any monster will die immediately. However, simply obtaining a core crystal is not enough; it must go through a series of processes to extract the unstable magic power before it can be safely used. The higher the tier of the monster, the purer the elemental power in its core crystal, and the more difficult it is to extract the unstable magic power.

However, the demand for core crystals, whether high or low tier, has never decreased. Even in the future, when the magic era arrives, core crystals will still occupy a significant market share and demand. After all, core crystals are not just needed by mages; they are also essential for making enchanted items. Therefore, core crystals have always been a mainstream hard currency in any era.

Originally, the three Wind-patterned Black Wolves would have at least three first-tier wind attribute core crystals, but they were destroyed by Shawn and the others, so it was impossible to obtain the core crystals from the Wind-patterned Black Wolves. To obtain a core crystal, one must use a method to break through the protective aura and kill the Wind-patterned Black Wolves, and any attack on the throat would not yield a core crystal.

This was a special setting in the game "Miracle": different killing methods resulted in different items.

However, in the real world, there was one advantage over the game: Shawn killed the Wind-patterned Black Wolf with a single sword strike, which was impossible in the game due to the health point system.

At this moment, the three Wind-patterned Black Wolves were valuable only for their wolf skins. Unfortunately, Old Peter's spear had pierced through one of the wolves, significantly reducing its value. The wolf killed by the archer also had a damaged throat area due to the arrow, slightly affecting its value. The only perfect wolf skin was the one Shawn had personally killed.

Apart from the wolf skins, the wolf meat had some edible value.

"Kid, you're pretty impressive." Old Peter, holding one of the Wind-patterned Black Wolves, walked over.

Wind-patterned Black Wolves were not large monsters, only slightly larger than ordinary wolves. Anyone with a strength value over ten could lift them, let alone Old Peter, who had a strength value of twenty-eight.

Shawn's face was still pale, but his smile was infectious: "I have to earn my pay."

Old Peter was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "It seems the pay must be quite high."

"Ten thousand Pan-Continental Gold Coins." Shawn announced a number that would shock most people.

On the Miracle Continent, there were many kingdoms and empires, and each country tightly controlled the right to mint coins, leading to many national currencies. Initially, countries did not recognize each other's currencies, but after the ten most powerful guilds formed the Pan-Continental Guild, a clear exchange rate was established, allowing for currency circulation.

However, as history progressed, conflicts between countries intensified, and enemy nations did not recognize each other's currencies. Some countries' gold coins were only 70% gold or less, so the Pan-Continental Guild introduced the Pan-Continental Gold Coin, made of pure gold, and established more detailed exchange rates and financial systems. Over time, the Pan-Continental Gold Coin became the standard currency across the Miracle Continent.

The gold coins of the Serian Kingdom were 70% gold but, due to their thinness, were only 50% gold. The ten thousand Pan-Continental Gold Coins offered by Duran and Hale were equivalent to twenty thousand Serian gold coins, but Serian gold coins could only be used in the Serian Kingdom and would be devalued in the Podoroya Kingdom due to exchange rates.

Shawn wasn't foolish; he naturally chose the Pan-Continental Gold Coins over the Serian gold coins.

For a typical guide mission, this price would be considered exorbitant, but after this battle, everyone fully recognized the danger of the Starfall Forest and Shawn's importance. While the ten thousand Pan-Continental Gold Coins were painful, they were at least acceptable.

Of course, Hale knew that it was because of Duran's poor attitude that day that Shawn had taken advantage of the situation.

Seeing the shock on Old Peter's face, Shawn felt a sense of satisfaction. He didn't wait for his body to fully recover but immediately said, "We need to leave now. Everyone, remember to clean up the blood. The magic fluctuations in the Starfall Forest are very chaotic, and as long as there's no blood, the monsters won't be attracted."

Hearing Shawn's words, the guards immediately began to bleed the three Wind-patterned Black Wolves, and Old Peter took the opportunity to clean and bandage his left hand.

From this process, it was clear that this was a highly efficient and experienced team. The arteries of the Wind-patterned Black Wolves were cut, accelerating the bleeding. The blood was collected in a small pit dug in the ground, and the wounds were covered with soil and a piece of sailcloth to prevent the blood from spreading. In less than a minute, everyone was ready to move on.

This time, Shawn didn't waste any time. He assigned two guards to protect him and led the way. The archer was also placed in the core group and no longer needed to scout, as general scouting methods were ineffective in the Starfall Forest. Old Peter and Duran were responsible for the rear guard.

A few minutes after they set off, a series of angry and mournful howls echoed through the forest, making many people uneasy. Soon, more roars followed.

Shawn stopped, listened for a moment, and then continued: "Let's go. The blood has attracted a lot of monsters. The wolf pack is likely fighting other monsters, so we're safe for now."