Oliver wasted little time convincing the two families.
A simple demonstration of his palm strike on a tree, showcasing his destructive power, was enough to prove his talent.
The prospect of profit without risk was enticing. Why not invest? Was the amount really too much?
Thus, the two families pooled resources, allocating 2,400 kilograms of grain to exchange for copper coins in support of Oliver's training.
They reasoned that if Oliver could assist with his in-laws' fields, they might produce 3,000 kilograms or more of grain the following year.
Oliver eagerly accepted. Meat-fueled cultivation was not only efficient but beneficial for his overall health.
Tending twenty acres of farmland seemed a fair trade – he'd consider it physical conditioning.
Only now did Oliver truly grasp the significance of marriage in ancient society.
Joining forces and pooling resources could indeed facilitate advancement, with myriad benefits.
Oliver felt genuinely grateful that his father had secured such a beneficial alliance through Ethan's marriage, spreading word of Oliver's Energy Cultivation prowess and hunter potential. Without this connection to Sophia's family, such resources might have remained out of reach.
With 1,100 discounted copper coins in hand, Oliver sighed and dedicated himself anew to cultivation.
This sum could purchase 200 kilograms of meat – enough for a month of intensive training. He cared little if Luke's team remained inactive during this time.
A month without disturbance would be ideal.
Oliver maintained his rigorous regimen for about seven days, fully condensing his fourth basic internal energy core.
In terms familiar from fantasy novels, he'd reached the middle stage of the second level of Energy Cultivation – a significant milestone.
He still needed eight more of the twelve basic internal energy cores to reach the third level.
Luke, the Fourth Team's captain, likely stood at the third level.
The other two members probably fell just short, with ten or eleven basic cores at most.
Otherwise, Luke wouldn't have suggested that reaching the third level would make Oliver a core team member.
"Ancient Hunter! Ancient Hunter!"
A sudden knock at the door startled Oliver. The voice was unfamiliar – not Luke or his teammates. Cautiously, knife in hand, Oliver opened the door to find an old man outside, pushing a cart and carrying a bamboo basket.
"Who are you?" Oliver queried.
"Delivering your monthly salary. One hundred copper coins, five kilograms of meat, and half a kilogram of monster meat," the old man explained, handing over the basket.
"Oh, it's payday already?" Oliver realized it was the first of the month.
The punctual, monthly salary was a welcome development he'd been eagerly anticipating.
After verifying the contents, the old man departed to continue his rounds.
Oliver watched him leave before retreating indoors.
The salary distributor, hailing from the Village Chief's family, might well be a hidden master.
Best not to provoke such figures!
Back to training...
"Wolf Chase!"
"Tiger Cleave!"
"Demon Slash!"
Oliver drilled the three forms of the Monster-Slaying Sword Technique relentlessly, his movements growing more refined and swift.
Yet even after extensive practice, his swordsmanship remained at the entry level of the first stage.
Unlike internal energy skills, sword techniques were measured by proficiency rather than concrete levels.
Having never applied these skills in actual combat, Oliver couldn't gauge the practical value of his entry-level swordsmanship.
Battle-induced distractions could easily disrupt technique. Without protagonist-level luck or combat instincts, a single mistake could prove fatal.
This harsh reality highlighted Oliver's average aptitude. Lacking skill bonuses, mastering swordsmanship – which demanded both physical instinct and combat wisdom – proved tremendously challenging.
A year of dedicated practice had yielded only entry-level proficiency.
Perhaps this was normal progress under ordinary circumstances.
"Disappointing progress..." Oliver shook his head.
His focus on Energy Cultivation seemed justified. With that skill's support, the effects were far more pronounced.
Maintaining his sword practice routine, Oliver returned to Energy Cultivation, continuously gathering and exercising his internal energy.
As days passed, Oliver discovered that meat's effects extended beyond the initial threefold increase.
However, as his practice deepened, cultivating additional internal energy became increasingly difficult.
After condensing his fourth basic core, his daily production of silk-like energy strands dropped from 3 to 2.8. This decline would likely continue.
Such was the limitation of talent.
Maintaining internal energy in the dantian consumed bodily energy.
The more internal energy one possessed, the less energy remained available for cultivation, naturally slowing progress.
Rapid cultivation demanded either an incredibly robust physique or superior energy extraction from food.
Unfortunately, Oliver possessed neither quality, facing an obvious upper limit. Eventually, he'd plateau like those idle card-players in Hunter's Hall, progress halting regardless of effort.
"With the Rebirth Codex, I can change my fate. What's a limit but a challenge for my next life?" Oliver mused, devouring roasted meat.
He'd consumed his ten-kilogram first-level hunter's meat ration in two days, yet still felt unsatisfied.
Oliver's gaze fell upon a solitary piece of meat set apart from the rest.
This meat gleamed snow-white, like crystalline chalcedony, exuding a faint, appetizing aroma.
It was his half-kilogram portion of monster meat!
"Might as well consume it all," Oliver decided, swallowing it raw.
For small quantities of monster meat, this was optimal – maximizing life force absorption.
Larger amounts were best cooked for easier digestion.
Hence Oliver's preference for cooking ordinary meat before consumption.
When consuming large quantities, cooked food proved easier to process. Better to sacrifice some life force than compromise the next meal's intake.
"This sensation..."
As the monster meat hit his stomach, Oliver immediately sensed the difference. A warm current surged through him.
Unlike ordinary meat, which provided no discernible feeling, monster meat's life force could be felt streaming from his digestive system.
His body felt buoyant, deeply nourished.
However, given the small quantity, this invigorating sensation soon faded.
Oliver ceased his introspection and immediately began practicing Energy Cultivation.
To his astonishment, within just half an hour, he'd cultivated half a strand of silk-like internal energy!
This equaled a full day's normal progress!
Typically, he'd eat a kilogram of meat morning, noon, and afternoon, practicing once after each meal to obtain three strands of silk-like energy.
Yet half a kilogram of monster meat yielded half a strand in mere minutes?
In other words, one kilogram of monster meat equaled roughly ten kilograms of ordinary meat?
"One kilogram of monster meat costs 100 copper coins, while ten kilograms of ordinary meat costs 30... No wonder they limit purchases to one kilogram monthly!" Oliver exclaimed, feeling as if he'd missed a golden opportunity.
Why hadn't he tried monster meat last month? Even if not for personal consumption, he could have sold it. Surely others would have eagerly purchased it!
What a waste! What a tremendous oversight!
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Another sudden knock at the door.
Oliver looked up, surprised. What now?
Opening the door revealed Eric, his stoic teammate.
"Oliver, it's time to hunt again. Prepare your gear. We depart in three days," Eric stated flatly.
"So soon... Understood. I'll be ready tomorrow," Oliver nodded, momentarily taken aback.
"Get in proper condition. We're heading to the middle layer this time," Eric added before turning to leave, clearly uninterested in further conversation.
Watching Eric's retreating form, Oliver sighed inwardly. "The second hunt's starting already? Seems I can't save money after all. Better exchange this month's monster meat ration first!"