Lying on the snow, August gazed at the status of himself and Aurora.
______________
[ Status ]
Host Profile
Name: August
Age: 15
Mana Rank: 1 (middle)
Beast Space Level 1: 1/1 (1000 SP to upgrade)
SP: 345
Traits: Rune Body
Skills: Celestial Mana Circulation -2%, Alchemy (I) -5%
Inventory (10%), Inspect, Shop, Ability Extract (locked)
---
[Name: Aurora]
Species: Blizzard Serpent
Rank: 1 (Middle)
Bloodline: B –
Elements: Ice, Mist
Abilities: Devour B1, Ice Spike F4, Mist Veil E1, Elemental Bite E1
Status: Good
Synergy Level: 23/100 ([Link])
---
"System, why are you so quiet these days?" August asked.
[Because the Host has forgotten about me. Don't even greet me, even though he knows that I am with him all the time.]
[I am broken T-T]
"Yeah, yeah, quit your acting and help me find something," August said nonchalantly as he slowly lifted his upper body, grunting in pain.
"Hah," he sat up and sighed in relief as the pain slowly dissipated. The recovery potion was gradually taking effect, easing his discomfort.
[What a host I've got, not even a shard of care for me.]
"Can you show me some recipes for basic alchemy ranks and sort them by the commonality of ingredients and their effectiveness?"
[Searching for the cheap host…]
[Found]
[ Knowledge: Recipe: Tier I:
(Frozen Breeze Mana Potion) (Common): Made from frost blade grass, it gives the consumer increased speed in their cultivation. Price: 300 SP.
(Earth Root Pill) (Common): Crafted from mana-infused root, it gives a beast an increase in defense. Price: 290 SP.
(Winter's Tear) (Common): Made from the snowdrop flower, it aids in mana recovery. Price: 300 SP
....]
"Hm, the Frozen Breeze Mana Potion is the most useful in the common rank, and its ingredients are quite common in this place."
"I've decided I will buy the Frozen Breeze Mana Potion recipe."
[ You have bought the recipe for Frozen Breeze Mana Potion.]
[Transferring the knowledge... complete.]
After acquiring the recipe knowledge, he started to get up.
After getting up, he stretched his body as his gaze shifted towards the flower that had been the center of the beasts' conflict. Its petals resembled blue crystals, with vibrant red tips..
[ FrostFire Flower (Rare): Imbued with extreme cold and extreme heat elements, this unique herb possesses a chaotic nature due to the conflicting forces within. It can only bloom under specific conditions, making it a rare herb.]
He delicately plucked the FrostFire Flower from the stone, ensuring not to damage its delicate petals. With gentle care, he stored it in his inventory, knowing it would remain fresh and safe there.
'I can't handle this flower right now. If I acquire the Tier II knowledge, I could manage it then, or else I'll waste it for nothing. Alternatively, I can sell it if I need money.' August pondered.
He slashed the blade at the dead bear beast, making a cut large enough to shove his hand in and retrieve the core. He did the same with the boar.
In his hand were two gem-like cores soaked in blood. One of them was white, from the bear, and the other was red, from the boar.
As Aurora slowly got up on August's body, he sensed her desire to consume the core.
"No, it's for when you want to break through from rank 1 to 2. It will help you at that time," August explained.
Hearing this, Aurora appeared dejected. Sensing her disappointment, August opened his inventory. "Here, eat this," he said, handing her a viper core. Aurora's mood quickly lifted as she devoured the core.
Glancing at the bodies of the rank two beasts, he began to think, 'I can't let these high-rank beast bodies go to waste.'
'But I can't butcher them for their important parts' August realized.
'Why don't I buy knowledge of butchery?' an idea popped into his mind.
'System, can you show me Tier I knowledge of butchery?'
[On it]
[ Knowledge: (tier I): Butchery: 100sp]
"Whoa, it's quite cheap," August remarked. 'It's quite unexpected of the cheap system to sell it at this price.'
[Host is the cheap one for buying cheap items from me.]
August rolled his eyes at the system's shamelessness.
"Exchange the viper cores for SP," August requested from the system, as he only had 45 SP left.
[You have received 275sp]
[ Do you wish to buy the Tier I butchery knowledge for ? Y/N ]
"Yeah," he confirmed as he acquired the knowledge of how to handle the blade for cutting the body, how to skin them, and which parts are the most important.
After obtaining the knowledge, he moved with precision, skinning the boar with his only blade. Even though it was sharp, he knew that if he had a butcher knife, he would have been even more proficient.
He sliced the boar, then threw one piece at Aurora, who quickly caught it with her mouth and gulped it down.
He stored the parts that were tasty and sought after in the inventory, as his inventory was 90% empty, filling it up to 80%.
"I should wrap this up before any other beasts come here because of the blood scent," August decided.
He retrieved an empty potion bottle and collected the blood dripping from the bear's body. After filling the bottle, he stored it for future use.
Next, he quickly skinned the bear and wrapped the hides of both beasts. Folding them neatly, he then carried them on his back.
************
He arrived at the shelter, where the guards saw him carrying the hides of beasts, but they didn't bat an eye, as if it were an everyday event. They were used to this from adventurers, even carrying a big beast to the shelter was considered normal.
August nodded at the guard, who replied with a smile, allowing him to pass through.
He reached the task center and first showed the viper fangs to the receptionist, gaining 5 points for every pair.
Then August gave the hides to the receptionist, who started to inspect them.
"Two of the beast hides are damaged, but they can still be used. The calculated total price is 850C," the receptionist informed him.
"Okay," August replied, not wanting to bargain.
"Do you need it in cash or points?" the receptionist asked.
"Cash," August replied. 'I need it for the ingredients for the potion.'
After counting the money, the receptionist handed it to August.
"Oh, and I wanted to tell you something about the extermination mission," the receptionist said as he handed over the money.
"What is it?" August asked curiously.
"One squad has registered for the extermination. If you want, I can recommend you to the team," he offered.
"I have to refuse the offer because I am a solo adventurer," August declined.
"If you change your mind, you can find me," he said.
"Okay, thanks."
As he exited the task center, he received a notification on his smartwatch.
Ting* {Your adventurer rank has been raised to Bronze IV}
August felt happy knowing that he was slightly closer to his goal, even though it was just a small step.
He then made his way towards the direction where the market was located.
He arrived at a building with a unique architectural style, featuring elegant lines and intricate detailing. It was the Alchemy Guild headquarters, standing out among the surrounding structures with its dignified presence.
The building served as the local Alchemy Guild headquarters. Such establishments were common throughout the area, their significance rivaling that of the association.
August made his way through the bustling crowd outside the building.
Approaching the counter, he found a girl with pink hair seated behind it, accompanied by her pet—a black cat wearing a witch hat.