After a brief rest, Dai Yaun carefully reviewed the fight in his mind, analyzing his shortcomings. Only then did he begin harvesting materials from the two fallen beasts.
Dusk had already settled over the forest, and the region was growing darker by the moment. Not wanting to linger any longer in such a vulnerable state, Dai Yaun chose not to refine the beasts' blood essence for his cultivation. Instead, he planned to sell the materials back in the city for much-needed funds.
"Ughhh…"
A deep grimace crossed Dai Yaun's face as waves of pain assaulted his body. Even with his enhanced physique, the brutal beating he had received from the two bears left every inch of him screaming in agony. Pushing himself off the tree trunk, he flinched with every step.
He shuffled toward the nearest fallen bear. Staring at the massive carcass, Dai Yaun still found it difficult to believe he had survived a battle against two Mid-Tier 1 Mortal Realm Black Bears. His axe lay nearby where the first clash had occurred. When he picked it up, the familiar weight now felt strangely foreign due to its added mass, forcing him to drag it along the ground.
Squatting beside the beast, Dai Yaun began the slow, meticulous work of harvesting. Starting with the hide, then moving to the claws and vital organs, he worked carefully despite the pain. These portable parts would fetch a good price. While a complete monster carcass would be worth more, his current wounded condition made carrying everything impossible.
He skillfully skinned both bears, separating the most valuable materials — thick hides, sharp claws, sturdy teeth, and precious inner organs — from the bulk of flesh and bone. He stored them as best he could inside his bloodied pack.
As he finished, the last traces of the Shamanic Rune's enhancement finally faded. A hollow, exhausted feeling washed over him, nearly causing him to collapse. The wounds the rune had miraculously suppressed now flared violently. Deep gashes bled freely, and a sharp throbbing in his chest made every breath painful.
After several moments, the blinding pain from the rune's withdrawal gradually subsided, replaced by a deep, gnawing ache that permeated his entire body. With his harvest secured, the urgency to return to Brightmoon City became overwhelming. In his current vulnerable state, Dai Yaun didn't even consider carrying his heavy axe, fearing it would slow him down.
Leaning against trees for support along the path, he trudged forward slowly. The journey that had taken only a few hours earlier now felt endless.
"Damn it… this feels like a thousand miles!" he muttered through gritted teeth.
When the towering western gate of Brightmoon City finally came into view, a surge of relief lifted his spirit. Ignoring the pain, he quickened his steps. The gate guards barely spared him a glance, accustomed to seeing bloodied hunters returning from the Outer Wilds.
The moment he stepped inside the city, the familiar buzz of life and noise washed over him like a warm embrace. Merchants calling out their wares, playing children, and patrolling guards — it felt as though he had stepped from hell straight into heaven. Despite the curious murmurs and occasional stares from the crowd at his gigantic, bloodied figure, Dai Yaun pushed forward toward the far corner of the street.
Above the inn's entrance hung a large rectangular wooden sign with elegant calligraphy that read: Peace Goose Inn. The sight alone brought him comfort.
The owner, an elderly woman named Marita, spotted him immediately. Her eyes widened in shock at his gruesome state.
"What in the heavens happened to you?!" Marita exclaimed, her wrinkled face filled with astonishment. Her voice drew the attention of several customers inside the inn.
"By the moon!" one regular shouted, eyes widening. "What happened to you, lad?!"
Dai Yaun could only manage a weak, raspy whisper before his vision blurred. "Tired…"
Without hesitation, Marita rushed around the counter. "Easy now, son. You look like you've wrestled a mountain itself! Melinda! Bring the best healing herbs we have!"
As a regular customer and with his unforgettable oversized build, Dai Yaun had become something of a local figure at the Peace Goose Inn. Many patrons were endlessly curious about where this gentle giant had come from and how a human could grow into such a behemoth. Despite his quiet and loner nature, his honest and humble demeanor had earned him genuine goodwill among the regulars.
Marita gently tended to his wounds, cleaning away the grime and applying pungent medicinal salves. At first, Dai Yaun's face remained tightly cramped in pain, but as the concoction took effect, his expression slowly relaxed. The grievous injuries began healing at a visible rate, catalyzed by his powerful natural recovery.
"Oh!" Marita gasped in surprise, staring at the rapidly closing wounds. She glanced at the medicine in her hand, wondering if it had suddenly become far more effective than usual.
"Nah, that's not possible…" she muttered, shaking her head. she shook her head in denial. Not wanting an old woman like herself to overthink and stress her brain, the old woman turned to his two young assistants and shooed them off toward the door. "Everything here is handled. Let's get back to the customers."
As Dai Yaun lay resting, several curious voices rose from the tavern:
"Oi, Marita! Is that the big lad again? What in the Desolate Mainland happened to him this time?" a burly hunter asked loudly.
Down in the bustling common room of the tavern, the atmosphere was thick with speculation. The moment Marita walked back down the wooden steps, several tables turned toward him immediately, eager for gossip.
"Hey, Old Marita!" called out a scarred mercenary sitting near the hearth, slamming his ale mug down. "Is the giant kid going to make it? I saw the blood on his pack. That wasn't human blood, I'd wager my life on it. What did he run into out there?"
A traveling merchant at the next table leaned forward, lowering his voice but keeping his ears strained. "I heard he went toward the forbidden border region. Alone! At his age, that's just asking to be buried"
"He looked half-dead," another regular added, shaking his head. "I've seen him come back injured before, but never this bad. Think he ran into a Spirit Beast?"
A third customer, a middle-aged merchant, leaned in. "That boy is no ordinary person. Did you see how fast those wounds were closing? Even with good medicine, that's not normal. I'm telling you, there's something special about that giant."
"Special? He's a monster in human skin, if you ask me," An old hunter in the corner chimed in, swirling the dregs of his liquor. "Did you see the size of those gashes? Those were claw marks from Tier 1 Mortal beasts, and big ones at that. If it were anyone else with a regular human frame, those claws would have split them clean in half. That boy's skin is like iron armor. I'm telling you, he killed whatever bit him."
The others nodded in agreement, murmuring among themselves while occasionally glancing toward the room where Dai Yaun rested, hungry for any new information about the mysterious kid.
"Quiet down, you lot," Marita barked, though there was a proud gleam in her old eyes as he wiped down the bar counter. "The lad is resting fine. He's got a unique constitution, that's all. Whatever he fought out there, dead or alive has no bussines with this alley of mine, the boy is alive that all that matters. Now, if you want to keep gossiping about my best customer, you'd better buy another round of ale to pay for the noise!"
The tavern erupted into good-natured chuckles and the clinking of mugs, though many still glanced up at the ceiling, wondering just what kind of monster Dai Yuan would grow into once he finally entered true cultivation.