Chương 49: The Farming Begins

Arthur closed the translucent screen. When Daniel mentioned the crater, Arthur thought it would be a small one. Now, however, as he set his eyes upon it, he discovered it was an enormous crater. It looked as if a big object had fallen from the sky, creating this wide crater. Seeing this, he felt this would be a very good location for tactical hunting. A person could continuously hunt the beasts without alerting the herd. Now, he could start gathering his Contract Payment materials from here.

"It is easy to hunt here since a lot of blind spots exist. We have tried a few meats, and the Karthor Ibex meat tasted good. That beast prominently roams this part. We could hunt for a maximum of three, so it will be enough for everyone," Daniel said. Arthur listened as they started to descend down the crater. Once they walked down the steep cliff, everyone split in different directions in search of the beast.

According to Daniel's description, the Karthor Ibex was a mutated Ibex with a scaled body and four silver horns that were ready to be sent into its enemies' stomachs. Hence, without delay, he summoned Dolph. He guessed Dolph would be the perfect person for this hunt. Arthur climbed a protruding, jagged rock that provided a better vantage point. As he surveyed his surroundings, he soon discovered a beast that matched the description of the Karthor Ibex. Whenever it moved, its silver horns gleamed frequently.

"Dolph, go and hunt that beast, but be careful not to damage its Core and Heart," Arthur commanded as he overlooked the Ibex's location. The Skeleton slowly crept towards the beast in stealth. Seeing this, Arthur was truly surprised; the Skeleton actually possessed its own intelligence. After receiving his command, it did not charge towards the beast mindlessly. As if it understood the nature of its prey, it moved slowly, taking cover whenever it was about to be exposed. Interesting.

He had never realized these qualities until now. Suddenly, a thought arose in his mind. If he gave clear instructions, the Skeleton could act on its own. With such qualities—knowing when to avoid danger and when to take action—hunting 2, 500 Alpha Standard beasts could be achieved very quickly. Maybe it can be achieved in a single day, or an extra half-day at most. One and a half days to hire a Master Skeleton. It seemed to be a perfect plan. Looking towards the sky, it appeared to be around three in the afternoon.

It felt very strange, considering they were entangled by the vines at seven in the evening. However, that no longer mattered; he needed to concentrate on the matters at hand. If they started the hunt right now, they could continuously grind through the night and into the next day. Two Expert Skeletons and one Intermediate Skeleton could easily take care of an Alpha Standard Beast. At this moment, Arthur finally saw a ray of hope; he could actually escape from this Trail.

While Arthur was formulating his plan, Dolph was already just a few feet away from the Ibex. Dolph readied the spear over its shoulder, taking aim at the beast's scaled body. Click. However, before it could release the spear, its bony feet produced a slight sound while adjusting its position. The Ibex abruptly lifted its head from the green weeds. Sensing danger, it instantly leaped away.

[Spear Toss] However, Dolph quickly adjusted its spear, anticipating the landing position of the Ibex's leap before releasing its attack. The spear whistled through the air, piercing right through the beast's scaled body. The tip of the spear even emerged from the other side. The immense force behind the iron spear directly pierced into the ground, lodging the Ibex in place. The Ibex struggled madly, but it could not free itself from the spear. Very quickly, it stopped moving altogether.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Dolph, as an Expert Spearman, was absolute overkill against an Alpha Standard Beast. Dealing with it was just like taking a stroll in the park. With a satisfied nod, Arthur jumped down from the protruding rock and walked towards the location. The beast was relatively small in size when compared to a Hunk Boar, which easily weighed half a ton. If he were to harvest all of the meat, it could yield 70 to 80 kilograms.

He felt such an amount was sufficient to feed a group of thirty-five people for a single day. Following which, Arthur summoned Coburn and Maan as well. He started to give a long lecture regarding their jobs, how to act when they faced danger, and how to properly work together as a team. With more than five minutes of commands, Arthur covered all the necessary details that needed to be completed for the next twenty-four hours. There were three main commands.

First, they were to carefully hunt beasts without being attacked. Second, they had to collect the Beast Cores and Beast Hearts, keeping them strictly safe. Third, if they were to be overwhelmed, they had permission to dismiss themselves from this place. These were the three main quests that were absolutely necessary to follow. Furthermore, he gave a few more commands to preserve the meat and hides. These commands were given to Coburn specifically.

Since he had the opportunity to hire two Utility Skeletons with a Master Status, he naturally would not waste it. If he were to collect 7, 500 animal hides, he could hire Max the Artist. Although there was no use for him in this place, Arthur could still utilize him once they successfully exited from the Trail. His next command to Coburn was to properly butcher the meat and collect it without any waste.

In such a way, if he were to collect 10, 000 pieces of Alpha Standard Meat, he could hire Errol the Chef, who also possessed a Master Status. In any case, since they were to hunt 2, 500 beasts, they were bound to collect these materials. It would be a complete waste to leave them behind, so utilizing them for his own needs was a good thought. Once he finished giving his commands, Arthur summoned Bathory the Blacksmith to stay with them, collecting the materials and keeping the items safe.

Currently, he did not know how many objects a Skeleton could carry. Since Bathory was not going to do anything else, he would act as a luggage carrier. Afterward, he summoned Antrae and commanded him to lift the beast. The Butcher hoisted the beast onto his shoulder. As they walked towards the meeting place, Arthur left the three Skeletons behind. He instructed them to start their hunt only after he had left the crater, ensuring nobody would know what he was doing.

He needed to keep this material gathering a secret for his own safety. After arriving at the location, Arthur waited for a short while. Daniel soon arrived with his own Ibex on his shoulder, and a moment later, Laurene and Charlton's team also arrived with their successful hunt.

"Should we carry the whole beast to the Safe Spot, or should we butcher it here?" Arthur asked once everyone had gathered.

"Let us walk some distance away from this location. If we were to butcher it here, predatory beasts will smell the scent, and it will be annoying to deal with," Daniel explained. That was indeed a valid point. Arthur sent one final glance towards his Skeletons' direction before they exited the crater, walking back towards the Safe Spot. After covering half the distance, they decided to dissect the good meat and throw away the rest. However, Arthur stopped them from literally butchering the meat themselves.

"You guys take a rest. My Skeleton will take care of the butchering," Arthur assured them. Naturally, they did not deny the suggestion; if they could receive help, it was most welcome. However, everyone was shell-shocked after watching how skillfully the Skeleton butchered the meat. While they were still in awe, Antrae had already finished one beast and moved on to the next. The cuts were, as usual, neatly arranged into uniform sizes.

"Arthur, where did you get these Skeletons? They work like true professional butchers; even a real butcher would lose in a competition against them," Daniel asked, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"It came with my Class Awakening," Arthur gave a vague answer.

"Can it do all the work?" Daniel asked, unable to control his curiosity.

"It cannot do all Professional work as well as it does butchering," Arthur replied.

"How many Skeletons do you have that could be this skilled?"

"I have a few that are skilled in specific jobs."

"That is a very good class you awakened. I wish I had minions that could do jobs for me," Laurene said, deeply envying the Skeletons. While they were conversing, Antrae finished the last beast and neatly packed the meat inside the hides, making it easy to carry. Following which, they left the place, carrying the finely cut meat.