Bloodstar System: Infinite Evolution Through Beast Slaughter

Chapter 22: A Huge Harvest

The Ironclad Lizard’s vertical pupils shrank.

From the human boy in front of it, it felt something that made its very soul tremble.

The pressure of something above it.

Roar!

The Ironclad Lizard let out a shrill roar. Its huge body did not retreat. It charged forward instead.

It knew it could not escape.

Then it could only fight to the death.

The giant claw that could smash a heavy tank came down on Joren’s head with a tearing howl of wind.

If that claw landed, flesh and bone would not matter. Even a solid steel ingot would be flattened.

Joren tightened his grip around the boning knife.

At that moment, the bones in his arm seemed to merge with the blade in his hand.

[Great Strength] activated.

[Vibrating Blade] activated.

Buzz.

The edge of the boning knife began to vibrate at a frequency the eye could not catch. The air broke apart around it, releasing a sharp, grating hum.

The concrete under Joren’s feet cracked open.

His whole body turned into a blur as he charged straight at the giant claw blotting out the light.

"Cut."

Joren spat out the cold word.

The armor that had seemed impossible to break split open as if it had softened under the blade.

Blade light flashed.

The Ironclad Lizard’s thick front claw was severed cleanly at the root.

Foul blood burst out in great sheets, falling like rain.

The Ironclad Lizard screamed. Its massive body shook violently.

Joren did not stop.

His figure twisted in midair and changed direction in a way that should not have been possible.

His Mental Force pushed him from behind.

Like a streak of green lightning, he appeared beside the Ironclad Lizard’s neck.

The boning knife swung again.

Still a plain, ordinary looking slash.

But this one slipped precisely into the weakest gap between the Ironclad Lizard’s scales.

The Ironclad Lizard’s scream cut off.

Its huge body froze where it stood.

Then it crashed to the ground, throwing up dust across the plaza.

A peak Rank One Voidbeast.

A terrifying creature capable of wiping out a veteran hunter team.

Dead.

Clean and simple.

Tavian and Arlen stared at the giant corpse, then at Joren, who stood beside it and slowly wiped his blade.

When he killed Evric, he had not turned around.

When he killed the Ironclad Lizard, he had not shown the slightest fear.

He looked less like a hunter than something built only to kill.

Joren put away the knife and turned his head.

"This Ironclad Lizard is peak Rank One. According to our agreement, how do we divide it?"

Divide?

Tavian looked at Evric’s body, then at the Ironclad Lizard.

Before, he might have had crooked thoughts over materials worth five hundred thousand.

Now?

Give him ten lives and he would not dare.

Offending a future Psionic Master was no different from seeking death.

"This Voidbeast was killed entirely by you. We... we barely did anything."

"And if not for you just now, that bastard Evric might have gotten us all killed."

As Tavian spoke, he quietly watched Joren’s face.

Seeing that Joren did not get angry, he wiped away sweat and continued.

"This Ironclad Lizard should all belong to you."

"All the materials, all the profit, they are yours."

"We are already lucky to keep our lives."

Arlen reacted too.

"Right, right! Without you, we would have died long ago."

"How would we dare ask for a share?"

"If you think we are useful at all, we can work as labor and help you strip this beast down."

Arlen sounded extremely sincere.

In the wilderness, strength meant everything.

Joren had completely subdued them.

More importantly, they were afraid.

Evric’s body had not even gone cold.

They were afraid Joren might decide to keep all the profits by cleaning up the two of them as well.

After all, this was the wilderness.

A few hunters dying out here was normal.

Joren looked at them, a faint trace of amusement in his eyes.

Of course he knew what they were thinking.

If he were only an ordinary Mortal Awakened Warrior, Tavian would have found every possible way to swallow the largest share.

But now, he had shown the methods of a Psionic Master.

That kind of threat worked better than any contract.

"Since you put it that way, we will do that."

Joren spoke lightly.

"You two are the professionals when it comes to dismantling materials."

"Get to work."

Tavian and Arlen looked as if they had been pardoned.

"Of course! You rest. Leave it to us!"

Tavian called out eagerly, almost as if he had been granted a reward.

He quickly pulled an entire set of professional skinning knives and special saws from his bag.

Arlen ignored his injuries and hurried over to help.

The two of them circled the Ironclad Lizard’s corpse and got to work with heated focus.

Joren sat on a cracked stone pillar and closed his eyes.

That battle had been short, but it had left something in his body that had not yet settled.

It felt good.

Too good.

For that one instant, flesh, bone, blade, and force had all lined up.

Whatever stood in front of him could be cut.

His Mental Force was becoming smoother as well.

If he paired it with throwing knives...

Joren had already begun planning the equipment he would buy after returning.

"Look at this!"

Tavian’s voice cut into Joren’s thoughts.

Tavian was drenched in sweat, holding a huge black scale plate in both hands, his face bright with barely hidden excitement.

"This is the Ironclad Lizard’s heart guard plate. The most complete piece. On the black market, it can fetch eighty thousand by itself! And these four claws are top quality material for making armor piercing arrows."

Joren walked over and looked at the corpse that had been taken apart piece by piece.

He had to admit, the two of them knew what they were doing.

Hide was hide.

Bone was bone.

Not a single useful piece had been wasted.

"And this."

Tavian carefully took a blood covered flesh sac from the Ironclad Lizard’s abdomen.

He nicked it lightly with a knife.

A thumb sized crystal glowing with dark yellow light rolled out.

"Voidbeast crystal core!"

Arlen cried out, his eyes full of envy.

The chance of a peak Rank One Voidbeast producing a crystal core was not high.

This thing was hard currency.

It could be used for cultivation or sold for a sky high price.

"This core alone is worth at least two hundred thousand."

Joren took the crystal core.

It felt cold in his hand, but a violent energy pulsed inside it.

"Keep going. Take everything we can carry."

For the next hour, Tavian and Arlen worked like skilled butchers.

They stripped off every valuable part of the Ironclad Lizard and packed it into special alloy backpacks.

Three large packs in total.

Joren weighed them.

Together, these things were definitely worth more than six hundred thousand.

In the past, that was a fortune he would not even have dared imagine.

"All packed."

Tavian carried the heavy bag on his back and came over with a broad, careful smile.

"Do we head straight back to the city, or..."

Joren’s brows suddenly tightened.

In his Mental Force perception, an extremely violent aura was rushing toward them from the depths of the ruins.

Fast.

Very fast.

"Move!"

Joren shouted lowly, his gaze sharpening at once.

Tavian and Arlen froze.

"What is it?"

"Something is coming."