Chapter 187 - 187. Efficient Hunting Route
Warpath sat on a rock panting, while his HP was still decreasing due to the burning effect. He realized the reduced health and hurriedly take out his last basic healing potion to drink. The burning effect disappeared after a while.
The others had come over. "Is that your last potion?" Jack asked.
Warpath nodded silently with a gloomy expression.
"Do you want to buy mine? 1 silver for one bottle," Jack offered. He took out a bottle for show.
Motherf**ker! Warpath cursed in his mind. Wasn't he supposed to take care of his teammates by giving the potion for free? And why was it 1 silver? It was only 60 copper if he bought it at the shop!
Warpath gritted his teeth. He could let his Natural Recovery Body recover his HP for now, but later if there was an intense fight again, he would be a goner if he did not have a healing potion. He took out 1 silver coin and reluctantly handed it over.
Jack grinned widely as he made the trade. It's his own fault, why tried to show off? He clearly had asked him to stay back with the others.
They then continued to look for more Fire Jackals. Now that the others had seen how the monsters fought, they won't be in a quandary anymore when they fought one. Soon another two Fire Jackals showed up.
"Okay, Dasher, you engaged it. Focus on defense, use your shield to block, especially when it about to use its fiery breath. Don't bother to attack. Bangstick, circled around while Dasher engaged, attack only when you are sure. If it comes after you, retreat and let Dasher took back his aggro again. Undo, you backed them up by attacking from distance. Suckit and Flowerrain, on me, I will engage the other one and you two support me. And you…" Jack looked at Warpath. "Do whatever you want."
Warpath was forlorn, this team leader obviously had something against him. Was it because of his disrespectful remark before they departed? Never mind, he just needed to work back on his level and found better equipment, soon people would respect him again! For now, he needed to endure.
Since he disliked the team leader, he went and assisted Dasher. The two Fire Jackals were soon dispatched. Another pack came with three jackals. After they had the experience of fighting the jackals, combine with their teamwork, the fight became easier.
Warpath gained a level after the fight and became level 13. Jack also finally received enough proficiency after using his Mana Bullet skill many times, it increased its grade by 1 star. Jack checked the description, this 1 star increased the Mana Bullet range by an additional 1 meter.
After completing the hunting quest for Fire Jackal, the team went back South towards the capital. They passed through the area roamed by Lizardmen, which was also amongst the monster in Jack's hunting quest. After that, they went past small woods that had Grey Sabrecat, which was the last hunting quest to be completed. After their experience in working together against the Fire Jackal, fighting against the Lizardmen and Grey Sabrecat were much more relaxing. Undo also increased a level to level 14.
After all the hunting quests were done, Jack led them further South. When they were at the edge of the woods, Jack noticed a group of blue dots in the vicinity, Jack looked in that direction. He saw two players looking at them, but they just stood there. They did not seem to be hunting, it's more like they were waiting. Jack continued watching them, and they looked back. But since they didn't do anything provocating, Jack ignored them.
Coming out of the woods, the capital was already in view. One huge round trip, a very efficient route for the hunting quests, without wasting any detours. All thanks to Peniel for planning this route. This route took them six hours to complete, the sun was high in the sky when they entered the gate. Jack asked them to take a short rest and replenished their supply before heading back to the West gate, while he went to the Hunters Association to submit the quests and trophy items.
Before he left, Undo came to him and reminded him about the portion for the guild. She had taken into account all the loots and quests they had completed. It seemed that Undo was someone Bigarm had arranged in his team to make sure that Jack did not cheat on the coins. Jack didn't feel offended, it was sensible for him to not be trusted yet. He assured her that he would deliver the coins as in agreement.
While for the dropped coins that he had gotten from the monsters they killed, as agreed all the drops were his. But still, he shared them with the team. They had gotten 12 silver and 74 copper coins from the drops, Jack divided them equally and gave them each 1 silver and 82 copper coins.
He then went to the Hunters Association to submit the quests. He changed back to Storm Wind first before he entered. He didn't saw any players on his visit, considering how the advanced class was still rare at the moment. He went to the Bronze Hall and submitted all the ten completed quests. He received 20 silver coins, 4300 experience points, and 67 hunter points. He set aside 8 silver coins for the guild. He then handed over the trophy loots, he received 2 gold coins and 35 silver coins from it, more than his previous time. He set aside 94 silver coins, so that made it 1 gold and 2 silver coins for the guild.
Although he could go to the Silver Hall, he didn't take any of the Silver Hall quests yet as the monsters in the silver list were much stronger and their locations were also much further from the capital. He did not have the time to do long travel for now, so he took the exact same quests again.
After he came out, he found a secluded place and changed back to Unrivalled Arcaner, then headed to the West gate. The others were already there when he arrived. He showed the coins that he would give to the guild to Undo, but he did not hand them to her. He would like to hand the coins himself.
"Let's go," Jack told them.
"Where to?" Suckit asked.
"Same quests again," Jack answered. "We are going to go through the same route and kill the same monsters again."
They looked at each other, "again?" They said at the same time.
"Yes, again. Do you guys have a problem with that? As I remember, the guild assigned you all to me for the whole day. Are you requesting to quit already?"
"No, no problem," Bangstick said. "Come on, you lot. Look alive!"
Suckit reluctantly dragged his large body forward. Jack ignored their somber look and urged them to go faster, "come on! since you are familiar with the route already, we should be able to complete it faster this time."
Unlike before, he went all out from the start, allowing them to kill the monsters faster. Their overall efficiency also improved as they already knew what to expect and do on this second trip. In the end, they completed the route much faster than before. They were back in the capital again after only four hours.
While on the way back, Jack noticed the same group again at the edge of the woods. What the hell were they waiting for? He wondered. But as before, they were just looking at him, so he also ignored them.
Jack looked at the time, it was maybe two hours more before the sky turned dark, but it didn't mean they could not do battle in the dark. So he decided to go again for the third trip. The others were scared by his demand, but they couldn't disagree, or else they had to answer to the guild.
And it's not like they did not get benefit from the trips, Bangstick and Dasher had also increased to level 15. Also, they would all be granted guild contribution points based on the number of coins they produced in these trips, so one more trip would mean more contribution points.
Same as before, after Jack divided the coins from monster drops. They then went to resupply as Jack went to submit the quests at the Hunters Association. Jack got the same coins, experience, and hunter points as they were the same quests, but for the trophy items, he got more this time as the monsters dropped more trophy loots. He received 2 gold and 95 silver coins. Together with coins from quest rewards, he put aside another 1 gold and 26 silver coins for the guild.
When he was about to pick up the same hunting quests again, he asked Peniel, "is there any stronger monster with better reward along the route we have been using?"