Mesmerizing Ghost Doctor

Chapter 4715: Harvest

From her angle from high in the tree, she observed as the formidable beast consumed the dart she had expertly fired into its gaping maw. It lowered its head, a roar escaping its throat, uncannily human-like in its agony, as if it were struggling to expel the foreign object. A faint smile touched her lips as she drew back her slingshot, launching yet another iron ball towards it.

“Roar!”

The fierce beast looked up and roared at Yue’er, brimming with what appeared to be pure rage. It scraped its hoofed feet against the earth, then coiled its powerful body, leaping as if to launch itself into the tree. Yet, for all its ferocity, it remained, at its core, a wild boar with imposing tusks. Even as a ‘fierce beast’ of this world, the natural limitations of its form prevented it from scaling trees.

After two futile attempts, it let out a frustrated howl, then, to Yue’er’s surprise, spun around and bolted.

As the fierce beast continued its panicked escape, the effects of Yue’er’s potent concoction gradually took hold. Its frenzied pace began to falter, its powerful strides losing their momentum, until, with a resounding crash, it collided violently with a large tree.

“Hee hee~” A soft chuckle escaped Yue’er’s lips as she trailed behind. She maintained a cautious distance, however, opting instead to pick up a sturdy tree branch and prod the incapacitated creature. Confirming its stillness, she then approached it directly.

She drew her gleaming dagger, its sharp edge glinting in the dappled sunlight, and expertly slashed at the neck of the boar-like beast. As the blade severed its carotid artery, the creature twitched once, a desperate, final spasm as if attempting to rekindle its life force. But the swift, fatal blow had already ended all hope.

With practiced efficiency, she extracted the valuable crystal core. Next, she retrieved some low-grade spiritual herbs she had diligently gathered earlier, crushing them between her fingers to release their essence. She then carefully dripped the potent juice onto the body of the fallen beast. She then took out some intricately carved flags used for setting up arrays from her own space. She meticulously arranged them in a protective circle around the carcass, completing the setup, and then sought out a discreet hiding place nearby.

She understood her own limitations, she was small and physically weaker than her two older brothers. Gathering a hundred crystal cores through brute force alone would be an arduous, if not impossible, task for her.

However, Yue’er possessed a keen intellect and an innate understanding of how to leverage her knowledge. By employing strategy and the skills she had painstakingly acquired, she wouldn’t have to worry about the formidable challenge of hunting a hundred fierce beasts.

The three siblings had dispersed, each positioned in a different corner of the vast forest. They knew, with absolute certainty, that their master would discreetly watch over and protect them. This assurance freed them from external anxieties, allowing them to focus entirely on their individual tasks.

Six days later, Yue’er was in a small secluded cave, carefully counting the crystal cores she had accumulated over the days in a serious manner.

“Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty… fifty-three.” Her eyes gleamed with undisguised excitement as she gazed at the small, vibrant pile of colourful crystal cores before her.

“Fifty-three! Only forty-seven more to reach a hundred.” She carefully enumerated on her fingers, a soft murmur escaping her lips. “Fifty-three… it took six days. I’ve killed almost nine fierce beasts a day. If I want to collect a hundred crystal cores in ten days, then for the next four days, I have to, I have to…”

She blinked her eyes in concentration, her tiny fingers still moving as she calculated, her earnest, focused expression was profound yet comical on her little childish appearance.

Finally, after a considerable mental effort, she arrived at her conclusion. She carefully returned all the crystal cores to her spatial pocket, then produced a spirit fruit, which she consumed with relish. Reinvigorated, she stood up and, with her two short legs, ventured back outside. She had set numerous traps in the surrounding area and now it was time to check if any unsuspecting beasts had fallen into them.

The past few days of living in the wilderness had left her looking disheveled. She had tied her hair into two small, neat braids, which swung rhythmically as she walked. The clothes she wore were not their usual attire, perfectly suited for the demands of the forest.

As she approached one of the traps she had meticulously prepared, she stepped into the clearing. To her surprise, she found not only seven or eight fierce beasts ensnared within the array but also, inexplicably, a human figure.