Chapter 340 - 306: This Is What You Call Treasure Hunting

Chapter 340: Chapter 306: This Is What You Call Treasure Hunting

"Mmm... they definitely look like Minotaurs." Marcus nodded, confirming Zelir’s assessment.

The spirits of the party members rose.

They’d finally encountered a Demon that dropped loot!

Zelir was even more excited.

Minotaur. A [Difficulty]-rated Demon, high Experience Points, easy to kill, has a Demon Core, and even drops extra loot!

Zelir had never been able to forget the taste of Minotaur Leg Meat.

All these factors combined made them the perfect hunting targets!

"Let’s go!"

Zelir beckoned with a wave of his hand.

With Hill, the master tracker, on the case, the party quickly followed the tracks and discovered the Demon encampment.

Sure enough, a number of Minotaurs were gathered on a flat piece of land backed by a rock wall!

Zelir narrowed his eyes and counted.

One, two, three... a total of nine of them!

’This is beyond my wildest dreams! Just incredible!’

Perhaps because they were inside the ruins, these Minotaurs were even more robust than the ones he had seen outside Oak Village.

They were generally over three meters tall, their dark brown coats glossy and shining. The granite-like bulges of their muscles looked as if they might burst through their skin at any moment.

Even their simple breaths expelled puffs of scorching hot air from their nostrils.

Especially those thick, powerful thighs...

Zelir’s gaze swept back and forth over them, unable to look away.

’Those strong, powerful muscles... that texture, full of explosive power...’

An image of the meat after being sliced open had already automatically appeared in Zelir’s mind; it would surely have the perfect red meat texture.

He wondered just how delicious it would be after being grilled and sprinkled with seasoning!

The other party members were starting to give Zelir increasingly strange looks.

Just what was with that obsessed expression on his face?

"Zelir, act normal. You’re scaring me," Gray said, nudging Zelir with his elbow.

"You guys didn’t eat the Minotaur Leg Meat last time?" Zelir asked, reluctantly tearing his gaze away.

"Nah, the place we were staying didn’t have a kitchen... so we just turned around and sold it at the market," said Marcus.

"That’s a real shame. In a bit, I’ll let you taste what a true delicacy is," Zelir said, eager to get started.

"Look... something seems off in the camp."

Hill pointed, and everyone followed her gaze.

In the deepest part of the camp, right up against the rock wall, was a huge, translucent blue crystal protruding from the ground.

It was over a meter in length and width, and a splendid halo of light flowed within it.

A few Minotaurs were constantly rubbing themselves against the crystal, their movements somewhat like bears scratching against a tree.

Their rough fur scraped against the crystal’s surface. It seemed the minute waves of Magic Power emanating from the Crystal Stone made them feel very comfortable.

Marcus hurriedly opened his ruins guide to check. A moment later, his voice was tinged with joy.

"It’s a Magic Crystal!"

Magic Crystal, a mineral that naturally contains Magic Power.

It is an important raw material for making Source Energy Crystal Stones and is extremely expensive.

"A Magic Crystal..."

Zelir was reminded of the time he bought a Source Energy Crystal Stone.

A single Elementary Quality Source Energy Crystal Stone could sell for Ten Gold Coins.

A piece of Magic Crystal this large... one could only imagine its value!

Now, all the party members were rubbing their hands together in anticipation.

Nine Minotaurs, plus a huge Magic Crystal.

This was a massive score!

This was what treasure hunting in the ruins was all about.

"Get ready to move!"

Zelir lowered his voice and drew his Magic Wand. "Don’t let a single one get away."

The party’s formation spread out. Using the surrounding broad-leafed plants for cover, they crept silently toward the Minotaur camp.

After all, this was a colony of nine [Difficulty]-rated Demons, not like the small-fry Demons they had encountered earlier.

In a one-on-one fight, a Minotaur could probably take on two Beastman Goblins. Their combat strength was formidable.

Moreover, under the influence of the ruins, they had become even stronger than ordinary Minotaurs.

They couldn’t afford to be careless.

They reached a distance of about thirty meters from the camp, which was the limit of their Stealth.

Marcus crouched behind a bush, his Shield raised in front of him.

With each breath, a milky-white Fighting Qi spread down his arm and coated the surface of his Shield.

Gray’s Longsword was also drawn. A cyan Wind Fighting Qi coiled around it, emitting an extremely faint hum as he stood ready.

Hill activated her Shadow Fighting Qi, and her figure began to blur.

Just as her fighting style had always been, Hill circled around to the flank of the Minotaur camp, ready to launch a fatal attack from an unexpected angle at any moment.

At the rear of the formation, the two damage dealers, one large and one small, were charging up their opening attacks!

The light of Arcane Magic and the light of lightning coalesced on the tip of the Night Peace Staff and a Moon-tip Arrow, respectively.

Zelir and Valles aimed at different targets.

HUUUH...

Zelir’s breathing softened.

His heartbeat synchronized with the rhythm of his Magic Power.

Then...

K-KLANG! WHOOSH!

The two’s attacks erupted simultaneously!

The immense energy shattered the tranquility of the woods, crossing dozens of meters in the blink of an eye!

THUNK... BANG!!

That was the muffled sound of flesh being pierced.

Two of the Minotaurs had been hit!

Zelir had aimed for the Minotaur that looked to be the largest.

To ensure a one-hit kill, Zelir had used an Aurora Energy Beam.

The immense destructive power of the Level Four Arcane Magic instantly tore through the thick muscles of the giant beast’s chest and blasted deep into its torso!

There was no suspense.

Its heart was obliterated by the impact of the Magic Power.

Instant death!

Valles’s Thunder Arrow was just as ferocious.

BANG!

A violent flash of lightning erupted, blasting through another Minotaur’s neck!

Half of that Minotaur’s head was blown off, its flesh torn and mangled.

But despite what should have been a fatal wound, it actually managed to stagger a few more steps on its freakish Life Energy.

Only then did it finally crash to the ground.

It was clear that the Minotaurs in the Lost Ruins were indeed physically superior to those outside.

"ROOOOAR!!!"

The death of their comrades enraged the entire camp.

In an instant, ferocious roars echoed throughout the woods.

The remaining seven Minotaurs immediately snatched up the crude Giant Axes at their sides and charged toward the party!