With the death of the Wolf King, Durl quickly moved to collect the wolf's corpse once the scorching aftershocks of the Searing Death Ray had completely dissipated. Master Perugino, having cast such a powerful spell, appeared quite fatigued, his form unsteady in the air—a clear sign of the immense drain on his magical and mental energy. The spell that had directly slain a top-tier magical beast was no small feat; had a grand sorcerer cast it, they would not have suffered such exhaustion. Yet, through the temporary array he had constructed using several precious materials, Perugino had successfully unleashed an ancient spell that surpassed his current capabilities. The results were as expected, taking the life of the Blue Wolf King.
Struggling to stabilize himself, Perugino descended beside Durl, who had always been a reliable ally. Durl instinctively supported the old mage, who was on the verge of losing his balance. With the immediate threat resolved, the two of them wasted no time and quickly set off towards another battlefield, Durl carrying Master Perugino on his back.
The others, who had initially thought the battle with the Wolf King would drag on for much longer, quickly regrouped and began to converge towards Durl and Perugino.
The pack of wolves, now leaderless, were filled with grief and anger, but they were not foolish. Realizing they could not eliminate these humans, they wisely chose to retreat. The Blue Wolf leaders among them howled to rally their subordinates, orchestrating an orderly withdrawal. Although the loss of their king meant the wolves could not quickly regain their former strength and dominate the surrounding area, their main forces remained intact. As long as no other top-tier magical beasts encroached upon their territory, they could recuperate until another Blue Wolf evolved into a top-tier beast, uniting the scattered packs once more.
Having been unable to pass through Wolf Valley unnoticed, the group was now visibly exhausted after their confrontation with the wolves. Upon exiting the valley, they decided to set up camp nearby for a day of rest.
News of the Wolf King's death would not spread quickly to other top-tier magical beasts, meaning they were unlikely to face any immediate threats. The powerful beasts roaming the Qihar Mountains were not so fortunate as to cross paths with them.
Once everyone had sufficiently recovered, Master Perugino's mental state improved enough for him to propose dividing their spoils. The only significant prize was the corpse of a top-tier magical beast. While they had all fought together, the nature of their relationship was primarily one of employment. The Medici family, to which Joanna belonged, had indeed supported both Perugino and Durl, but the spoils of their adventure were not solely theirs. Given that Perugino and Durl had contributed the most to this victory, they had the right to allocate the spoils.
Typically, materials from magical beasts would not catch Perugino's eye, but the resources from a top-tier beast were invaluable to a mage. The wind-element magical core of the Blue Wolf, along with its fangs, claws, and hide, were excellent materials for crafting weapons and armor. Durl, as a knight, was likely very eager for these resources.
Joanna and Agno had no objections and generously allowed Perugino and Durl to divide the spoils as they saw fit. After all, it was their strength that had brought down the Wolf King, and the others had not contributed significantly to its defeat. The only one who could be considered a contributor was Fars. Although he had reluctantly sought Perugino's help to deal with the Wolf King and had not effectively restrained it, Fars still had a claim to a share of the spoils. Moreover, their current relationship was not one of master and servant; Fars was merely helping them navigate their way through the wilderness, albeit under duress.
Hearing that they had completely disregarded his contributions and were prepared to hand over the Wolf King to Perugino and Durl, Fars felt a pang of imbalance. As a vampire, he could hardly resist the allure of the blood from a top-tier magical beast. While he could suppress his desire for the moment, he sensed that Danis, with whom he had developed a close bond, was coveting the soul still lingering within the Wolf King's body.
The limited hunting time they had allowed Fars had forced him to settle for lower-tier magical beasts to satisfy his dietary needs. Danis, who only consumed the souls of high-tier beasts, had to make do with ice crystals each day. With her dual attributes of ice and darkness, the dark energy she absorbed from Fars was insufficient for her growth. The opportunity presented by the Wolf King's soul was too good to pass up.
Thus, Fars found himself compelled to speak up, risking a rift with Master Perugino.
"Everyone, could you possibly leave the Wolf King's blood for me? Of course, if Master Perugino needs it for experiments..."
Before he could finish, the others, all astute individuals, understood Fars's intentions. While they lowered their opinion of him for his greed, they could not deny that he had a legitimate claim to a share of the wolf's corpse.
Durl, who had fought alongside Fars against the Wolf King, felt compelled to speak up for his comrade, a matter of integrity for a knight. Perugino remained silent, leaving the situation somewhat awkward, necessitating his intervention.
"We must acknowledge that Fars displayed heroism and bravery in this battle, and without his selfless support, I would not have been able to hold out against the Wolf King for long. Fars stepped up to fight alongside me, earning my respect." Although Durl did not address the issue of whether to grant Fars the wolf's blood, he felt it was best to voice his thoughts. If Perugino still refused after this, there was little he could do. As a knight serving as a protector, he did not wish to obstruct the wishes of his employer.
The allure of the wolf's corpse was undeniable, and Perugino was not an overly stingy man. Durl's reasoning was sound, and considering the possibility of Fars pledging loyalty to the Medici family, Perugino chose to compromise. "Very well, you may keep about a liter of the Wolf King's blood. High-quality blood is difficult to come by, and I will need it for my scrolls and arrays."
"Durl, let Fars have the wolf's corpse first. After he has taken the blood, you can also help him process any useful materials from it." Since Durl had collected the wolf's body, Perugino instructed him while also assigning Fars the labor of handling the remains. It was worth noting that the corpses of top-tier magical beasts were notoriously difficult to dissect; their hides could withstand ordinary weapons, and after death, their flesh tightened, making them even harder to manage.
Fars, who had not considered whether his fangs could pierce the Wolf King's body, found a secluded spot away from prying eyes to prepare for this hard-won feast. Danis eagerly began to claw at the wolf's corpse, but the Wolf King's powerful soul proved to be a challenge. It took her quite some time to finally absorb the wolf's soul, letting out a satisfied burp afterward.
While Danis was pleased, Fars found himself at a loss. The corpse had been left out for a day and had become quite rigid. His vampire fangs were unable to penetrate the tough hide. He rummaged through his ring, trying both a dagger and a longsword, but all his efforts were in vain. Defeated, he returned to seek assistance from the others.
The sight of Fars's frustration amused the group, even eliciting a faint smile from the usually stoic Agno.
Joanna, maintaining her composure, decided to intervene. She retrieved a delicate three-inch-long dagger made of Uno steel mixed with obsidian from her storage space and handed it to Fars. "This dagger is much sharper than your fangs. Why not give it a try?"
Upon hearing the name "Uno steel," Fars trembled slightly as he took the dagger. Uno steel was one of the rarest and most superior types of iron, with an extremely high melting point that ordinary flames could not melt. Only a mage could generate the magical fire needed to melt it through pure magical energy. However, only high-ranking mages possessed the skill to do so, making Uno steel incredibly difficult to obtain. Purifying it into Uno steel required hiring a high-ranking mage as an assistant, and even then, the amount of pure magic needed to produce a piece the size of a finger was staggering.
The value of Uno steel was immense; its hardness rivaled that of diamonds, easily shattering gold and jade. Coupled with the equally precious obsidian, the value of this small dagger could only be described as astronomical. No wonder it was crafted to be so small; the materials were far too precious. Fars, having never handled such a treasure, found himself captivated by it.
Joanna, unable to tolerate Fars's greed, remarked, "If you like it, I'll give it to you as long as you agree to be my servant. But for now, you should focus on processing the Wolf King's corpse." With that, she used a burst of energy to send Fars, who was still drooling over the dagger, flying away.
Fars had never possessed such a precious item, but that did not mean he would appear so weak. After all, he had initially cultivated an image of a cowardly vampire; being a bit more greedy would only serve to confuse them. Moreover, he stood to gain quite a bit from this.
Nobles were not afraid of those who were difficult to control; they feared those who were truly virtuous and unaffected by desire. As long as someone craved fame, wealth, or beauty, they had weaknesses, making cooperation possible. Fars currently gave the impression of being both fearful and greedy, filled with various desires and ambitions. Such individuals were challenging to control; their insatiable greed made them unpredictable. Today they might ally with you, but tomorrow they could betray you. The nobles' affection for Fars began to wane.
With such a valuable tool in hand, Fars easily pierced the Wolf King's carotid artery. The essence of the top-tier magical beast flowed freely, and he savored the rich blood. Fortunately, he remembered Master Perugino's request and left a portion of the blood behind. After filling a glass container with about two liters of the wolf's blood, he also set aside some for himself. If Fars were foolish enough to give away everything, he would truly be in trouble.
About half an hour later, a magical core the size of a fist, a complete wolf hide, dozens of wolf fangs, a pair of claws, a wolf vertebra, and a container holding two liters of wolf blood were laid out before the group.