Leon stared down at the three Megacephs he had just slain. With a quick flick of his blade, he plunged it into one of the massive skulls, digging for a Lumin Core. Nothing. The next two yielded the same result—empty. He wasn't surprised, but a muscle twitched in his jaw anyway.
A sudden cheer broke the air.
The three cadets had struck gold. After finding nothing in their first two kills, they'd just cracked open the last Megaceph's skull—and there it was. A Lumin Core, pulsing with light.
Leon's face twisted. His eyes locked onto the core, flashing with envy, greed, and something darker—raw, seething frustration.
"Hey."His voice cut through their celebration like a blade. "That's mine."
The cadets stiffened. One quickly pocketed the core, voice shaking. "W-we killed this one."
Leon strode forward, casual as a predator circling prey. "Without me, you'd be dead meat. No cores. No grades. Just a nice funeral pyre." He held out his hand, gaze icy. "Hand it over."
One cadet snarled, "Back off, Leon! Or we report you to the Trialmaster!"
Leon's face froze for a fraction of a second. Then his voice softened, smooth as poisoned honey. "Fine. But I don't work for free."
The female cadet hesitated, then bit her lip. "How about... we give you another Lumin Core instead?"
Leon's eyes gleamed. "Deal."
Relieved, she opened her pack, revealing several Lumin Cores nestled inside. She reached for one—
Leon's hand shot out, snatching two before anyone could blink, then he bolted.Their shouts echoed behind him.
"LEON WALDER, YOU SON OF A—!"
But Leon was already gone, vanishing into the distance without a single glance back.
The female cadet let out a slow breath, shaking her head. "Forget it. Those two weren't worth much anyway. The Megaceph core will still get us a solid score."
From the hillside, Ryan watched the scene below with curiosity.
"Hey Hank," he asked, "Are Megaceph Lumin Cores really worth that much?"
Hank nodded. "Yeah. Megacephs aren't rare, but their cores are. Because of how their skulls are structured, the odds of one producing a Lumin Core are super low—maybe one in ten or fifteen. That's what makes them valuable."
"Really?" Ryan frowned."I mean,they don't seem that strong,and even if you absorb their cores, the boost isn't as significant as, say... a Crimson Lizard's, right?"
Hank shook his head. "That's where you're wrong. The real strength of a Megaceph core isn't raw power—it's perception. These things have insane vision and smell. Absorbing one of their cores can seriously enhance those senses. The military and mercenary scouts go crazy for that kind of edge. That's why it's so valuable."
Hank tightened his grip on the reins. "The cores do exist, but the production rate's so damn low Wildhunter Corps can't be bothered to hunt Megacephs here."He watched the three cadets vanish in the dust."Showtime, buddy."
Ryan responded loudly, "Let's get to it!"
Hank drove his heels into the beast's ribs, steering the Overload Juggernaut down the treacherous slope.
Six Megaceph carcasses lay scattered like broken war machines, their skull cavities glistening in the sun. A gleam of excitement flickered in Hank's eyes as he grinned. "Big haul today!"
Hank hopped off the Overload Juggernaut, unstrapping his bag. He pulled out a set of bloodveil bags in varying sizes. Studying the bags carefully, he weighed his options before picking the largest one. It was big enough to fit two Megaceph bodies.
"Give me a hand," Hank called to Ryan.
Ryan immediately stepped forward, joining Hank as they worked together to stuff the two Megaceph carcasses into a bloodveil bag.
Just as Hank finished securing the bag, the sound of hooves drew his attention. He and Ryan turned to see Leon, riding his Benthior, walking slowly toward them with a laid-back posture.
"Well, well, picking up the scraps?" Leon jumped off his beast, his tone dripping with light sarcasm.
Hank scratched his head, chuckling awkwardly. "Ha, well, you guys wouldn't care about these carcasses anyway."
Leon muttered something under his breath. "Who says I wouldn't?"
Ryan and Hank exchanged a quick glance, unsure whether Leon was serious or joking, and the air grew a bit tense.
Ryan cautiously asked, "So, what now...?"
"Forget it, not like they're worth much anyway," Leon waved it off nonchalantly.
"Quit dawdling. I'll show you a real payday."
"Where to?" Hank couldn't help asking.
Leon's grin showed teeth. "A place that makes carcass collecting look like a walk in the park.'"