Chapter 2 - Contribution Task: Hunt

The tired Aster Wen walked to the contribution hall to join a group hunt task. Being his first task, he would get a one time bonus based on what task he chose. Since he was joining a group hunt task, he would get a bonus twenty contribution points added onto the five that he would get from the normal task. This would still mean he would need another seventy-five contribution points to get the technique to make the pill and another twenty to use the alchemy room that is used for people who want to make the pill. There were alchemy furnaces that one could buy at the contribution hall, but those were expensive and were for those who wanted to continue down the route of alchemy.

Aster Wen was going to buy it at one point, but he was nowhere near being able to buy it at this point, as he needed two thousand contribution points to buy the most basic alchemy furnace.

He took the task to hunt a Body Foundation first stage Two-Winged Lynx with a group. He took the last spot on the roster for the task, and as such, the others who took the task would be called to the contribution hall so they could go out together. The group consisted of three boys including Aster Wen, and a girl who was at the Body Foundation first stage, the highest cultivation out of all of them. They introduced themselves and headed out into the mountain to hunt the monster beast.

They found the lynx sleeping under a tree and the girl whose name was Grace Zhi asked who was good at sneaking. Aster Wen stepped forward and said that he was.

"Alright, take this dagger and sneak towards it, aiming for where its neck meets its back," she whispered. "Once you do that, jump away, leaving the dagger, and run back towards us."

Aster Wen nodded and took the dagger. He stalked towards the lynx, and got up against the tree. He leaned down, and stabbed the dagger as fast as he could into where its neck met its back. Leaving the dagger, he ran towards the group as it screamed and chased after him. He made it right back to the group as the lynx jumped at him, and Grace Zhi used a staff to hit its stomach, and it flew into the air before thumping on the ground.

It mewled as it stood back up and rushed back towards them, not noticing the other two boys had gone to the side, and pincered it with their own daggers given to them. One of the daggers pierced the heart of the lynx, and it died before it hit the ground. Grace Zhi picked it up, and they went back to the contribution hall to have it be processed and distributed amongst themselves.

Putting the lynx on the processing station, the contribution hall processer drained its blood and gave four vials to each of them, cut off the wings of the lynx, skinned it, took out its core, and cut it into meat for others to purchase. As Grace Zhi had the highest cultivation out of them, she was given the monster core, while the other materials would also be for others to buy.

Now with twenty-five contribution points, Aster Wen still had a long way to go before being able to exchange for the technique. As they had finished the task quite fast, Aster Wen asked if he could keep the dagger that Grace Zhi had given to him before taking another task. She agreed, and he went off to take another task.

The next task he took was also a group monster hunt of Foundation Body first stage monster beast. This beast was the Yin-Feathered Sparrow, and had a natural immunity to cold, and a natural weakness to fire. The sparrow was the size of a normal pig, and it would cause frost to form on the ground it walked on. He was also the last person needed on the roster for this task as well.

They introduced themselves, Aster Wen had no cultivation along with one other boy, while one had a Foundation Body first stage, and the final one had a Foundation Body second stage. He had signed up for the task as he needed the specific core of the monster beast, even though it was a stage below him in cultivation.

They set out and found trails of frost on the ground throughout the path they were heading in the mountain. The trail ended a few meters from a tree, and they looked up to see a large nest resting in it. The boy who had a Body Foundation first stage had brought a bow, cloth, alcohol, and a way to start a fire. Wrapping the cloth on the end of an arrow, he poured alcohol on it, and tried to light a fire. After a few attempts he succeeded and lit the cloth on fire. Aiming his bow, he drew back the arrow and released it towards the nest. It impacted the nest, breaking into it, making the fire spread and alerting the sparrow, who flew out of the nest and onto the ground.

Due to the weight of the bird and its low cultivation, it could not fly that well or far. With the bird on the ground, the group ran towards it as it spread its wings wide to intimidate them. Aster Wen was the first to reach it, and he stabbed at its chest, hoping to pierce it. The bird jumped back, but he had expected that and also jumped towards it at the same time, the dagger sinking into its flesh. It pierced right into one of its lungs, and struggled to breath as Aster Wen removed the dagger. As it was injured, and struggling to breath, it was easy for him to pierce right into its heart and kill it. He was the only one that directly attacked the bird and had killed it with ease. The other three stood behind him, and was glad they had such a good rookie on their team.