Magic Core Shard

Most people couldn't react in time. Only one rogue threw the dagger in his hand at the forest python, but this little bit of damage was clearly not enough to stop it.

Magical beasts are generally much more intelligent than ordinary wild beasts. After dragging the square-faced warrior up the tree, the python squeezed his body by constricting, while consciously using the surrounding branches and leaves to shield itself.

"Save me—" the square-faced warrior howled in pain, struggling desperately.

The Gray Hawk mercenaries on the ground immediately launched a rescue. Those who could climb trees climbed, and those who couldn't climbed looked for angles to attack the python with ranged weapons.

However, the trees in the Stoneclaw Mountains are mostly tall and thick, and the isolated Tidal Lands are even more so. The tree in front of them is probably too thick for ten people to embrace, so they couldn't climb it in a short time.

As for shooting arrows and throwing, the effect was equally unsatisfactory due to the shelter of the lush branches and nearby trees.

Seeing this, Gagnor immediately took out a long feather arrow and smeared it with Ryan's poison, then drew his bow and nocked the arrow, attaching four Swift Breezes, and aimed at the python on the tree.

"Whoosh—"

The bowstring vibrated, and the long feather arrow shot out.

With the guidance of the Swift Breezes, the long feather arrow slightly turned its head halfway, bypassing the cover of the branches, and then flew swiftly towards the forest python's ferocious snake head at a faster speed!

Although the python was thick-skinned, the force of the long feather arrow blessed by four Swift Breezes was not weak either.

"Hiss—" With a painful roar, the arrowhead was completely submerged in the python's head.

As the poison took effect, the forest python's strength weakened sharply, and finally fell from the tree after a moment.

"Bang!" The thick snake body fell to the ground, making a heavy sound.

Seeing that Gagnor, the alchemist, was so accurate in his archery, even somewhat magical, the mercenaries were incredulous, and several tree climbers looked at each other in dismay.

Gagnor ignored these gazes and immediately went up to finish the job, slashing and killing the dying forest python with his sword.

[Killed a Level 2 Magical Beast, Experience +50]

Then he checked the square-faced warrior's injuries.

Fortunately, the python's entanglement didn't cause him much damage, but unfortunately, the fall just now broke his leg.

This was still with the python as a cushion, otherwise, with the height of the tree, the square-faced warrior would have lost at least half his life.

Looking at the square-faced warrior, who was limping to his feet with the help of others, most people's faces were a little gloomy, and the hunting captain frowned even more.

"I'm sorry, I've burdened everyone," the square-faced warrior said with shame.

The hunting captain sighed and looked at the thin, tall recruit who was helping him: "Take him back the way we came, be careful on the road."

"Okay." The recruit nodded, and then helped the square-faced warrior back the way they came.

After the two left, the others were not in the mood to rest.

However, the spoils still had to be cleaned up.

As the absolute main force in killing the python, Gagnor took it upon himself to hold a short sword and rummage through the python's head.

A light blue, irregular flake came into view.

Looking at this flake, Gagnor's eyes lit up.

Magic Core Shard!

Magical beasts below Level 3 have a chance to find Magic Core Shards in their bodies. Although the value of this thing is not comparable to a real Magic Core, it is equivalent to about a month's salary for Gagnor.

Happily putting away this month's salary, Gagnor didn't plan to take the rest of the python.

It's not that he didn't want it, but due to the influence of the poison, the forest python's body had already begun to show visible pollution, and most of the body was no longer of any value.

This is also a disadvantage of using poison.

The hunting captain stepped forward and took a look. After realizing that the python's corpse was worthless, he shook his head regretfully: "Let's continue on our way."

The group continued on their way, exploring deeper into the Tidal Lands.

Several more hours passed.

During this period, apart from encountering another low-level magical beast and easily taking it down, they had no other noteworthy gains.

As for Everlasting Moss, they didn't even see a shadow of it.

"Captain, where do we go next, are we going back?" someone asked.

Seeing that this trip was about to be fruitless, the few people looked at each other and saw a bit of unwillingness in each other's eyes.

"I've heard many people say that this Tidal Lands has been open for at least four days in the past few times. Why don't we not go back yet and continue walking inside!"

Undoubtedly, this was a dangerous suggestion, so someone immediately retorted: "No, that's too risky! What if this Tidal Lands closes in three days, are we going to be trapped here to death?"

"Yeah, although it used to be four days, who can say for sure? Captain, let's go back now. If we don't go back, maybe we won't be able to reach Serpent's Line before the moon rises!"

"Okay, let's go back." The hunting captain nodded, "But not back the way we came, let's go back by another route, maybe we'll be lucky enough to find a patch of Everlasting Moss."

The others naturally agreed.

The group prepared to return.

But just then, someone pointed: "There seems to be someone over there."

Everyone turned their heads and saw several hunters in dark clothes passing through the forest not far away.

They didn't seem hostile, and didn't even seem to notice the Gray Hawk Mercenary Group's team, so the Gray Hawk mercenaries didn't say anything.

Most people enter the Tidal Lands to make a fortune. Unless two teams simultaneously discover a patch of Everlasting Moss, no one would attack others for no reason.

So, after a few brief glances, the mercenaries didn't pay much attention to the passing hunters.

Only Gagnor frowned.

These hunters in dark clothing were the same people Ryan had warned him about last night, the ones suspected of being heretics.

As someone without religious beliefs, Gagnor didn't really care about heresy.

But he knew that his view was not mainstream. On the Falaro Continent, the vast majority of people attached great importance to religion and used it as an important criterion for distinguishing friend from foe.

Even "crime" in the legal sense was only established if the victim was a member of their own religion.

If the victim was a heretic, then the crime was not a "crime," but a tacitly approved or even encouraged act. Some fanatical believers even regarded heretics as more hateful than Demons.

In this situation, two groups that regarded each other as heretics had a natural hostility and distrust.

He had to be careful.

"Let's still be careful, they look a bit suspicious," Gagnor warned.

The mercenaries were indeed a little more cautious, occasionally glancing at the group of hunters who were moving further and further away from them.

But an accident still happened.

Or rather, it was their focus on these hunters that fueled the accident.

Just as they were focusing much of their attention on the hunters, several flying axes suddenly flew out from a neglected corner of the forest.

The hunter captain walking in the front was careless and didn't dodge in time, and his head was blown apart on the spot!