Chapter Thirty-six — The Grand Spoils
He bent to the ground and picked up a piece of meat from one of the beasts they had killed not long before. Holding it quietly, he studied the two horns and, from their shape and angle, traced mentally which end was the beast's head and which its tail.
He tossed the meat gently onto the horns. After a few seconds the creature burst from the sand, snapped the morsel up and tore it in half, then began to devour it greedily.
Daniel took advantage of the beast's preoccupation. He crept up from behind, placed his hand on the tail, and triggered the quick paralysis. In one fluid movement he darted to the left and struck two swift sword blows that severed the beast's side legs. Then, moving slowly and deliberately, he went to the opposite side and cut the hind legs in the same way.
The beast collapsed without a twitch, like a fish laid on a chopping board. It offered no further resistance. Daniel separated its tail, and in that moment of its death—after a month of hard lessons—he had learned the precision of the killer's strike: a faint glow winked above the corpse, a quick flash that vanished within seconds.
They collected the beast's valuables with precision, extracting every rare piece from its body, then made their way back, chattering with excitement about the reward ahead. The operation had been a complete success.
First: the hearts. They had taken eleven Orn-hearts, each containing two mana circles—treasures indeed. Each heart was valued at roughly seven hundred silver coins, making the haul extraordinarily lucrative.
Second: the carcasses. After removing all the rare components, they calculated the corpses' combined worth at about one gold coin.
Third: the mission reward itself, to be claimed at the guild upon return—five hundred silver coins.
On the road home, the wagons laden with spoils, Lucas noticed a fresh bandage on Niral's hand and asked, "Is your hand all right?"
Niral smiled reassuringly. "Yes, just a small wound, don't worry." ( I had to take this wound… I can't be the only one never dropping an Orn-heart. Killing an E-rank beast with a single mana circle and getting no heart—possible once, maybe twice if the Tower is against you… but if it happens repeatedly, suspicion grows. They'll realize I'm hiding strength.)
The return trip took ten days instead of the usual span, slowed by the heavy loads they hauled.
Upon arrival they received the official reward and split the money. After reimbursing for the ilnira each had used during the fights, each of them had roughly 1,150 silver coins left.
Daniel and Lucas used the chance to buy eight Orn-hearts between them—four each of single-mana-circle hearts—and were left with only about fifty silver coins apiece.
Risha and Malik had observed something vital during the mission: without the daring solo interventions by the pair—Daniel and Lucas—none of those gains would have been possible. Risha and Malik generally chose missions safe enough for their level; that's why, despite their time, they still sat within the second circle. They did not train their mana control with the same zeal as Daniel and Lucas, who treated the mercenary path as a path to power, not just coin.
So although the sum didn't mean much to second-circle veterans, they understood well how enormous the take was for first-circle fighters—and how it would accelerate their growth.
They all took a short break from tasks, breathing at last air that didn't taste of blood or dust. Their aim was clear: strengthen themselves and prepare for the next contracts. The original plan had been to take on D-rank missions next, but debate began at once.
Risha and Azrian objected fiercely; Malik's face showed hesitancy—an eyebrow raised then lowered, as if doing sums in his head. By contrast, Daniel and Lucas sat in a corner of the provisional café where they had first met after the earlier mission, exchanging looks full of eager intent. For them, the recent reward and the jump in their abilities justified moving on to the next adventure without fear.
Mercenaries usually face two paths: the slow but safe road, or the fast, dangerous road. Daniel and Lucas chose the latter without hesitation. Malik and Risha preferred the slower path. Niral stood apart—a third way, fast yet relatively secure given his standing; it was no surprise he already sat within the fourth circle at barely twenty-four.
They agreed to regroup in a week at Sanjay's restaurant—their unofficial meeting place. The meeting would decide when to take the next job, but no one objected to having a good meal before any life-changing choice.
On the day of the meet-up Daniel and Lucas arrived first. The smell of grilling meat and fresh bread drifted from the kitchen and tempted anyone on the street. They chose a window table where they could watch the market. Sanjay wiped the tabletop with a clean cloth and set two cold drinks before them.
Daniel leaned back, smiling. "Sanjay, add food from our world to your menu… start with pizza. You'll make it legendary in the kingdom!"
Lucas nodded eagerly. "And instant noodles—believe me, nothing's better on a cold night."
Daniel continued, envisioning a franchise. "Add burgers and grilled steaks… your place would be the talk of the kingdom."
Sanjay laughed shortly, then cut the dream down to size. "Enough—impossible for now. Most of those ingredients don't exist here. Even if they did, my cooks don't know how to make them."
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Can't you substitute ingredients? It's not that hard."
Lucas agreed, "It might even come out tastier."
Daniel grinned, "And I can solve the chef problem… I can cook. Ask Lucas about my new dishes."
Lucas muttered with mock bitterness, "Yes… thanks to his 'innovations' we sometimes skipped dinner and went to bed hungry because the food was ruined."
Sanjay was about to try something new when Lucas saved him from an unknown fate.
At that moment Azrian arrived, leaning on his staff carved with an old emblem, with Malik beside him still sweating from training. Conversation naturally drifted back to beasts and available contracts:
— The Shifting Dunes: reptile-like monsters living under the sand, changing color with the crawling dunes.
— The Thick-Carrier: enormous, heavy creatures like turtles, their backs thick with spiny plants.
— The Red Whisperer: fox-like beasts, larger and more vicious, that attack with deceptive cries.
While they discussed, Niral entered with a steady step, a small bag slung over his shoulder. Sitting quietly, he listened, then said, "There's another option… the Hisleth."
Talk stopped short; the name alone stirred caution. Hisleths were giant lizards unlike the desert lizards they'd faced—group hunters with a structured offense and organized defense, far more dangerous than anything so far. Even Azrian and Malik immediately declined at the thought.
Before the debate could return to the first three beasts, Niral added, "Shouldn't we wait for Risha before deciding?"
Daniel smirked and lifted his cup. "I knew you'd be the one to mention her absence."