The Frugal Mage

"We know how it is… Initiate Mages burn out fast... We can't waste your mana on these Feral Beasts. Don't want you collapsing before the real fight."

Rayven just nodded and didn't argue. This was a good thing for him anyway.

They had no idea his "mana pool" wasn't a limitation at all, so long as he had enough gold coins. Thanks to that, he could save some money before the real battle starts.

Just like that, Rayven watched as the group fought against the Feral Beasts.

Hale's technique didn't bother with finesse… Her style was raw strength. She was hacking down one wolf with a diagonal blow that could easily split flesh and bone.

When another came at him, Hale's armored forearm braced the impact before her axe came down to finish it off.

Meanwhile, Victor was quick on his feet.

He was carrying short swords, and he seemed to be confident getting closer to the wolves despite his smaller build.

He may not have the strength to cut off the wolves in one blow, but he was drawing shallow cuts and forcing them to stagger. His movements were precise, like he had long ago memorized the rhythm of wolf packs.

And then there was Emma. While the others locked the wolves in a melee fight, she stood behind with her bow and only helped if needed.

Every time an opportunity came, one of her arrows would immediately find it.

'She's precise… At least if it's within the 20 meters.' Rayven mused as one shaft buried into an eye, another pierced the throat mid-growl… Not a single arrow was wasted.

She may not have killed the Feral Beasts, but it weakened them enough.

Rayven watched and learned more about their coordination.

'So this is how seasoned adventurers work…'

They didn't just fight aimlessly. There seemed to be a flow that they were following. Each role supported the other, no wasted effort, no clumsy interference.

Within moments, all five wolves were eliminated.

"Clear…" Victor muttered while flicking the blood from his blades before kneeling beside the nearest carcass.

Rayven couldn't help but feel impressed as he noticed how quickly they shifted from killing to dismantling.

Drosk dragged the largest wolf onto its side, pulling a skinning knife from his belt.

He made clean, practiced cuts along the belly and legs, peeling back the hide in wide sections.

Seeing Rayven stare curiously, Drosk immediately explained.

"Gray Wolf pelts… They're thin, but still fetch a few silver each."

Hale crouched by another corpse, pushing open its jaws… Then, with her knife, she loosened two long canines and stored them in a small pouch after pouring some water on it...

"Fangs, for alchemists and craftsmen. I heard they grind them down for reagents."

Emma also joined in the dismantling and was surprisingly delicate in her work.

She traced her blade behind the ear of a wolf, prying free a tiny crystal no larger than a grain of rice… It was the wolf's beast core. She held it up to catch the light before dropping it into a pouch. "Small, but five of these will still sell."

Victor joined her, retrieving cores from the remaining wolves with the same efficiency.

"It's easy, right? Every bit counts. That's why scavenging is half the job." Victor said to Rayven.

"Yes… I can try it next." Rayven said as he wanted to gain experience too.

"Sure… You can do it on the next ones."

None of them wasted motion. It was all efficient...

In less than fifteen minutes, five wolves had been reduced to neat bundles. Rolled pelts, fangs, and small cores were stacked into pouches and sacks.

Their blood seeped into the dirt, and their bodies were covered with dirt. Apparently, the Feral Beast's meat wasn't some sort of delicacy… People hated their taste, no matter how many spices were used.

Soon, they were ready to move…

Victor pointed further down the trail, where the land sloped toward the quarry's area…

"That was just the warm-up. The area around the quarry should have more beasts by now."

As they continued, they encountered packs of Feral Ash Jackals, but Emma's arrows and Victor's blades brought them down before the beasts could surround them. Of course, they also looted these Feral Beasts.

By the time they had arrived at the quarry, they had already collected a lot of materials, including Beast Cores that they could sell for profit.

Sweat streaked Hale's face, but she didn't mind it at all.

"Not bad for a day's sweep," he muttered…

Then, at this time, Victor finally raised his hand, signaling them to halt

"Tracks," he whispered. "Fresh. And big."

The group crouched low as they followed the signs…

At the end of the path, they saw an open cave. With a quick look, they immediately realized that its entrance was scarred by horns sharper than any blade.

Without a doubt, the Greater Hybrid Goat was close.

Rayven then looked at the dark cave mouth.

"Detect Mana Source…"

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

[ Current Balance: 557 Gold Coins ]

Just like that, an invisible ripple spread and gathered information about the surrounding Mana Source...

Rayven then soon sensed the presence of the various magic items around, the treasures within the cave, including the Beast within the cave.

"There's treasures inside… I mean, aside from the Greater Beast inside, I think we hit the jackpot. We just have to kill it." Rayven muttered.

"Ohh? You just confirmed it?" Victor asked as he was planning to investigate by entering the cave stealthily.

"Yes… It's there," he said quietly. "Near the back. Its mana is… dense. No mistake. It's definitely the Greater Hybrid Goat."

The four were impressed.

"So that's the Detect Mana Source. You can sense it… Impressive." Victor said as he realized how convenient it was.

"I just hope that you're saving your Mana, Rayven." He added.

Rayven understood his concern and immediately replied. "I'm good. Don't worry. I can still cast offensive Spells."

"That's a rare spell and a convenient Spell." Emma muttered.

Even Drosk couldn't help but comment. "Initiate Mages are only supposed to have seven spell runes in their Mana Heart. To waste one slot on a utility spell like that, including the Appraisal… You must be confident in the rest of your arsenal."