Everyone in the mercenary group had something on their minds.
As they began collecting materials from the Shadow Wolf corpses, they noticed something strange.
The Shadow Wolf King had not been killed by external forces or a single powerful strike—it had been bitten to death by its own pack of wolves!
This revelation left everyone shocked. Marcus's earlier assumptions were completely wrong.
What exactly had happened here?
Was it possible that some of the Shadow Wolves had rebelled, attempting to overthrow their leader? Or had the Shadow Wolf King been oppressing its pack so severely that they banded together against it?
But no—this wasn't normal behavior. A wolf pack attacking its own king in peak condition was practically suicidal.
Could it be that Ethan used some kind of method to control the entire Shadow Wolf pack?
The idea sent shivers down their spines.
Now, more than ever, they were desperate to meet this so-called "student" who had managed to cause such an inexplicable situation.
With these thoughts swirling in their minds, the mercenaries quickly got to work.
Their experience in collecting materials was evident—clean, efficient, and precise.
In just half an hour, they had gathered all the valuable resources from the Shadow Wolves.
After finishing, Marcus contacted Ethan to report. With Ethan's permission, the mercenaries headed toward the Shadow Wolves' cave to investigate the blackstone vein.
As they marched, a mix of excitement and unease filled the air. Who exactly was this young man?
Two hours later, the mercenaries finally reached the entrance of the cave, where Ethan was waiting.
Ethan stood alone, his expression calm, as if he had complete control over the situation. His beast, the Black Goat, had already been returned to his Beast Familiar Space to stabilize its breakthrough to the B Rank
Interestingly, when the Black Goat returned to the Beast Familiar Space, it immediately sacrificed a portion of its original power, feeding it back to Ethan. As a result, Ethan himself now possessed strength comparable to that of a Transcendent-level beast!
When the mercenaries saw Ethan, they silently observed him, attempting to sense his strength.
One by one, they turned to Marcus, their expressions full of resentment.
"This is clearly a powerhouse!" one of them muttered. "How is this a trainee Beast Tamer?"
However, Marcus was just as stunned. He had seen Ethan a few days ago and had been certain his strength was only at the mid-Awakening level. Now, Ethan's aura was overwhelming, comparable to an elite Master Beast Tamer.
"This kind of breakthrough in just a few days… It's terrifying!" Marcus thought.
Ethan, noticing their hesitation, took the initiative to speak.
"Why are you standing there? There's work to do," he said.
"There's an abandoned ore vein in the cave. Focus on mining as many intact blackstones as possible. You brought the tools with you, right?"
Marcus silently thanked his earlier decision to play things cautiously. Provoking someone with such talent, intelligence, and strength was a mistake he was grateful he hadn't made.
Clearing his throat, Marcus replied with a laugh, "Little brother, I've only admired a few people in my life, but now I'm convinced—you're amazing!"
He sighed before continuing with a firm promise. "You don't need to worry about the blackstones. We'll handle it. You just rest, and we'll ensure every blackstone is intact."
The mercenaries echoed his sentiment, eager to prove their worth.
"Leave it to us, little brother. We're professionals in this field!"
"You wiped out the Shadow Wolves on your own, solving a huge problem for us. Truly impressive!"
Ethan simply nodded, uninterested in their flattery. For him, the Shadow Wolves were nothing more than mid-Awakening beasts—a small challenge.
"If I ever manage to defeat a beast overlord on my own, that's when it'll be worth bragging about," Ethan thought to himself.
Over the next three days, the mercenaries worked tirelessly, mining the blackstone vein. Once they had collected all the materials, Ethan sent a message to Emma, letting her know they were ready to leave.
Together, they exited the Blackstone Gate, marking the successful conclusion of this adventure.
At the entrance of the management office, Ethan turned to Marcus.
"Thank you for your help," Ethan said. "As for the payment, would you accept blackstones instead of money?"
Marcus hurriedly waved his hand. "There's no need. It was no trouble at all."
Ethan smiled and shook his head. "I insist. There's no such thing as free labor."
After some discussion, Ethan handed over a portion of the blackstones as payment.
Before leaving, Marcus asked, "Are you planning to sell the rest of the materials at the market? I can arrange a good booth for you, and our group might buy some as well—just give us a small discount."
Ethan was surprised. He hadn't expected there to be so many details involved in selling materials at the market. Grateful for the offer, he nodded.
"Thank you. I'll leave it to you. When your group comes to buy, I'll give you a ten percent discount."
That evening, the material market was bustling with activity.
News of Ethan's solo victory over the Shadow Wolves had spread, and his booth was the center of attention. Crowds gathered, some curious, others eager to buy materials.
Even other stall owners had abandoned their own booths to come and watch.
"This kid looks so innocent, but he managed to kill the Shadow Wolf King?" someone muttered in disbelief.
"When I was his age, I was begging my family for money to buy a single beast."
Some of the onlookers, particularly women, were more forward in their admiration.
"Does he have a girlfriend?" one asked, giggling. "I know a few nice girls…"
Ethan, meanwhile, stayed focused, answering questions and trading materials. His calm demeanor impressed the crowd, and his booth quickly sold out.
As he worked, a female mercenary approached, batting her eyelashes.
"Can't you give me a small discount?" she asked sweetly. "You're so handsome—I'm sure you can spare it."
Ethan smiled politely but shook his head. "Handsome doesn't pay the bills. The price is already fair."
Although he had earned a decent profit, most of it would go toward training the Black Goat to reach the Commanding level. He still had a long way to go.
Unbeknownst to Ethan, Emma and Amber, were watching him from a distance.
"This kid is quite something," Amber remarked, smiling.
Emma nodded. "I've seen his bargaining skills before. We don't have to worry about him getting scammed."
Her expression, however, darkened when she noticed a female mercenary trying to flirt with Ethan.
The woman leaned closer to Ethan and said coyly, "Come on, little brother. Let me off just this once. If you don't believe me, you can come to my place and check…"
Ethan's eyes widened. The boldness of her statement caught him off guard, and he quickly suppressed his emotions.
"Sorry," Ethan thought to himself. "Not my type. And I'm definitely not into 'used goods.'"
With a polite but firm tone, Ethan replied, "Maybe next time."