"Two Magic Stones per pound of Magic Beast Meat, it really is..."
Ronan thought for a long time and couldn't find a suitable adjective, so he just used the term "awesome" to describe it.
The physique of a Magic Beast is special, its flesh contains a large amount of Energy Particles, which makes it easier to tantalize the taste buds of Wizards who deal with Energy Particles year-round.
Thus, even if the cooking is simple, the taste of Magic Beast Meat would be more delicious than ordinary meat.
Ordinary Wizard Apprentices already suffer from the problem of Energy Particles erosion, and after tasting Magic Beast Meat, they still need to take Magic Potions to resolve the accumulation of Energy Particles.
Only an Official Wizard, whose body has been preliminarily transformed by Energy Particles, can consume it without any inhibitions.
Ronan's Ascetic Body Refinement had recently broken through to a higher proficiency level, and his physique had greatly improved, so he could boldly enjoy it.
He mainly wanted to try something new.
After the news of the imminent invasion by Black Witch Land Wizards spread, the entire Hoddam was in a state of pre-war anxiety, causing the prices of all commodities to skyrocket.
The only price that didn't rise but instead plummeted was probably that of Magic Beast Meat.
"According to the butcher's apprentice, since resources are tight now, every wizard in Hoddam is arming themselves as much as possible, using every Magic Stone on the essentials, preparing for the upcoming battle.
The number of people willing to spend money for the sake of satisfying their taste buds has decreased a lot, hence the price of Magic Beast Meat, which is not easy to store, naturally dropped..."
"This Zero Rank Magical Beast, White-toothed Arrow Pig meat, used to sell for five Low-level Magic Stones per pound."
Ronan sat in the chair picking his teeth.
He didn't know what was happening but felt an intense heat all over his body.
After drinking two large pots of boiled water, which did not extinguish the inner fire, he had to start practicing Body Forging right there, trying to vent the energy that was almost spilling out.
Two hours later, soaked in sweat as if he had just been fished out of the water, Ronan finally felt normal again.
"Am I the only one who experiences this after eating Magic Beast Meat? Am I allergic to Magic Beast Meat?"
Ronan was puzzled.
Logically, the symptom of a large accumulation of Energy Particles in the body that couldn't be expelled should be intense pain.
But he had just felt like he had taken some kind of powerful tonic, his body swelling uncontrollably.
Casually pulling up his character panel, Ronan looked and uttered a surprised "huh."
The proficiency level of "Ascetic Body Refinement" shown in the Skill Bar had unexpectedly increased by a whole 11 points.
And this was just after a single practice session after eating.
"Could it be that Magic Beast Meat has an auxiliary enhancement effect for Body Forging methods?!"
Ronan blinked in disbelief.
Upon further reflection, he thought he was overreacting.
"Maybe this is no secret at all, the minor effect of Magic Beast Meat is trivial for wizards.
Wizards who can afford Magic Beast Meat would never focus on Body Forging, and those who practice Body Forging can seldom afford Magic Beast Meat...
I guess I'm somewhat an anomaly as well."
As for those mortals practicing the Knight's Path, they probably regard Magic Beast Meat as a rare treasure that is sought but seldom found.
Either way, this was good news for Ronan.
With the aid of Magic Beast Meat, his progress in Ascetic Body Refinement would undoubtedly be much faster, and it happened to be cheap right now.
After a slight joy, gloom rolled back in again.
Ronan walked to the side of the hut and took down a one-handed sword that radiated a cold light from the wall, swinging it casually in his hand while softly sighing.
"War..."
Over half a month had passed, and the tense atmosphere in Hoddam Wizarding Land only grew thicker instead of diminishing.
It increasingly felt like a major battle was imminent.
The corpses of Black Robed Wizards, which hung on wooden stakes at the town's gate, had long since dried into mummies, and there were two more stakes added.
Soaring prices for goods and property, fresh corpses of the Black Robed, and rampant rumors... each aspect continuously agitated the fragile and sensitive nerves of the lower-level wizards.
Ronan was also affected.
It could even be said that Ronan, who was used to the harmonious society of his previous life, appeared even more anxious than most when facing the impending war.
He furiously stockpiled supplies, stashing enough food in his already cramped hut to last him almost half a year by himself.
Apart from training every day, he also set aside time to gather wild fruits, making dried fruits or jams.
Most of the game meat he obtained was processed into cured meat and jerky.
Ronan himself hardly knew he had so many skills... all driven out by anxiety.
Fortunately, as a Rune Master, Ronan also received some benefits from the looming war.
The prices for Magic Equipment spiked, and rune prices climbed even higher along with it.
The price for the "Clean" rune rose to two Magic Stones, and the "Shining" rune to three.
That was just the tip of the iceberg; the price for higher-level runes, especially the highly sought-after "Protection" rune, soared towards fifteen Magic Stones.
Ronan naturally wouldn't miss this excellent opportunity to make money, and had already begun studying the engraving of the "Protection" rune in earnest, even developing a keen interest in being an Enchantment Master.
Ultimately, a Rune Master is still like a factory worker, whereas an Enchantment Master is a high-level technician.
At the same level, the income gap between the two is considerable.
Unfortunately, let alone enchanting, Ronan had been studying the "Protection" rune for more than half a month and still hadn't grasped the basics.
The complexity and engraving difficulty of Intermediate Zero Rank runes far exceeded his expectations, and even with the assistance of his skill panel, his self-taught progress was painfully slow.
Taking the one-handed sword he got from the Wizard Market for half a Low-level Magic Stone, he practiced a common Knight Sword Skill provided by the seller for a while, feeling good about his state, so he put down the sword and went back to practicing the engraving of the "Protection" rune.
Focusing on a Magic Ring enchanted with a finished "Protection" rune, he practiced until his spiritual power was nearly exhausted, ruining several blank rune stones in the process.
Ronan, exhausted, rubbed his brow, absorbing the feedback and insights from several practice sessions while pulling out an azure potion from his waist pouch.
A Low-level Concentration Potion.
Affected by the "war," the prices of potions were also outrageously high.
Fortunately, Ronan had emptied his assets and sold a "Low-level Healing Potion" he pilfered from a deceased wizard, before prices skyrocketed, and managed to scrape together some Magic Stones to buy three bottles of Low-level Concentration Potion at once.
Having already consumed two bottles, the one in his hand was the last remaining bottle.
"The effects are getting weaker... I hope I can breakthrough smoothly."
Ronan looked at the progress bar behind Level 4 Wizard Apprentice on his character panel, showing 94%, and silently prayed.
Without hesitation, he twisted open the crystal bottle and downed the entire potion at once, then filled it with plain water and rinsed it three more times, drinking it all.
After finishing all of this, Ronan hurriedly climbed onto the bed, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to focus on meditation.