My inventory is full of monster materials.

"what?"

Mark was shocked by Brady's strange idea, and Henry and Emily next to him had almost the same expression.

Faced with Brady's innocent face, Mark couldn't be too cruel, so he coughed lightly and asked in return.

"Ahem, have you ever had your 'intelligence' assessed?"

Brady shook his head.

"No, but it's about the same as yours."

"Not at all."

Mark muttered a complaint to himself before handing over his iron cup.

"Try drinking this first to see if you can drink it."

Brady, unsuspecting, took the iron cup, tilted his head back, and drank it all.

The next second...

The intense bitterness on his tongue instantly contorted his expression, and then he spat it all out with a "pfft".

"What is this thing? Why is it so bitter?"

Mark replied with a meaningful expression.

"Of course it's good stuff. Just the bit you just spat out, hmm... it's probably worth two silver coins."

"Huh?!" x3

Not only was Brady stunned, but Henry and Emily next to him were also incredulous.

To everyone's surprise, Mark suddenly slapped his thigh and burst out laughing.

"Just kidding! Just kidding."

"However, I remember Captain Henry has a skill called 'Cleave.' If you treat him well, he might teach it to you."

Mark spoke while rubbing the gold coin between his index finger and thumb.

"Really?"

Brady was overjoyed and immediately started pestering Henry, who was drinking porridge next to him.

"Uncle Henry, could you lend me some money to show my respect?"

"..."

Henry looked over with a resentful expression, while Mark merely raised his iron cup, took a sip of tea, and a slight smile subtly curved the corners of his mouth.

Actually, Mark wasn't joking.

The tea he was drinking was called "Cecily's Bitter Tea Seed".

It tastes very bitter at first, but then becomes sweet and lingering. You can feel a refreshing breeze swirling around your head, which is particularly invigorating and also slows down the magic.

According to Cecily, this is her exclusive recipe, and long-term consumption can permanently enhance intelligence.

Of course, it is also very expensive, costing as much as 20 gold coins per kilogram, which is definitely not something that ordinary adventurers can afford.

Mark spent a fortune to buy a can (kilogram) of tea because he had a talent for "efficient eating," which could enhance the effects of drinking tea by half—this talent finally came in handy.

Mark bought three things at Lily's Cottage: a skill scroll, two basic magic books, and Cecily's Bitter Tea Seeds.

Add to that recent expenses: hotel and lodging costs, guild quests, and upgrading weapons and equipment...

Now the treasury only has 38 gold coins and 73 silver coins left.

Honestly, this amount of money is really not enough for learning magic.

Mark will have to live frugally from now on.

At this point, Henry could no longer stand Brady, this troublesome little devil, and suddenly sat down next to Mark and began to discuss things seriously.

"We now have 16 complete slime cores. Do you think we should head back to town tomorrow to turn in the quest, or go hunt for some more cores?"

Mark is the key figure in this mission.

Even as captain, Henry needs to fully respect Mark's opinions.

Brady didn't dare to press the matter further, because this was a matter of great seriousness and importance, as it was part of the team's charter.

Even Emily, who was standing nearby, stopped praying and listened silently to their discussion.

At this moment, Mark was also hesitant about whether to fight or retreat.

Unlike the Goblin Left Ear, the Slime Core has economic value; it can be used to make potions and for high-end cuisine.

Moreover, the core hunting risks are manageable, and it can also improve proficiency in "Freezing Ray" and "Spellcasting Basics," so why not?

Just as Mark was about to speak, he suddenly stopped, his eyes sharpened instantly, and he put his index finger to his lips and made a sound.

"Shh-"

Deep in the dense forest, 500 meters from the camp.

Several furtive figures were darting about quickly, taking advantage of the darkness and the cover of the vegetation.

Their movements were swift, and they made only a very slight "rustling" sound when they stepped on the dry branches and fallen leaves, clearly indicating that they were all well-trained and skilled.

But they didn't know that on a branch of a large tree stood an almost imperceptible pale blue totem, with a phantom eyeball silently floating at its top, taking in every move below.

"Enemy attack!"

Mark instantly understood, but then had some doubts.

"Robbers? Is it really that much of a coincidence?"

Then "The Eye of Surveillance" told him the answer.

There were four people in this group, maintaining a formation of two in front and two in back.

The first two were an orc carrying a double-edged giant axe the size of a door panel, and another covered in fur, wielding a sharp serrated knife.

The two people behind were none other than the ranger Jeremy and the thief Cole, who had clashed with "White Eagle" at the guild that morning.

The matter is already quite clear.

This was no accidental encounter; they harbored a grudge and deliberately summoned two powerful reinforcements to secretly follow the "White Eagle" team into the forest, intending to kill them and silence them.

A hint of malice flashed in Mark's eyes.

You're going to blow this up from a perfectly ordinary argument, aren't you?

Alright, this time you'll never leave alive.

By the campfire, Henry, Emily, and Brady were all puzzled by Mark's sudden wariness.

Their expressions changed drastically when Mark gestured four fingers heavily in front of his chest.

Henry lowered his voice and spoke urgently.

"Mark, are you sure?"

"There are four people: two unfamiliar melee fighters, a ranger and a thief. They are the two adventurers who provoked us this morning. They are approaching from behind me, less than a hundred meters away."

"Don't move, wait for my signal."

After saying that, Mark strung the crossbow himself, then took out a black paste wrapped in oiled paper from his pouch and carefully applied it to the arrowhead.

Both Emily and Brady were facing this situation for the first time, and a hint of panic flashed in their eyes as they both looked at Henry.

Henry, however, was also deeply worried.

The people on the other side were clearly coming for them; this battle was unavoidable.

But now, only he and Mark are capable of fighting in the "White Eagle" squad. The other two are either priests who cannot fight or rookies who are new to the game. This time, they might really suffer casualties.

Henry took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and then gave the order in a low, steady voice.

"Once the battle begins, you all need to stay close to me as much as possible, understand?"

"Understood!" x2

Emily and Brady seemed to have found their pillar of support and nodded vigorously.

Suddenly, the camp fell into a deathly silence, with only the crackling of the campfire and an invisible killing intent permeating the air.

Mark held his breath and mentally connected to the two "watchful eyes" that had been placed around the camp beforehand.

With the dual vision provided by the spell, combined with a rapidly working brain, the enemy's position in the darkness is gradually corrected, and the skill "Precision Shot" begins to heat up.

Suddenly, a glint flashed in Mark's eyes, and without warning, he turned around abruptly and pulled the trigger towards the dark forest!

Whoosh-!

The crossbow bolt was released, tearing through the night.

A scream rang out in the darkness.

"ah--!"