Chapter 409: Milk

"Then do I need to go out of this 200-kilometre zone to be able to hunt a higher-ranked beast?" Leo muttered under his breath.

"Then what about my territory that is already established at this place?"

Though Brant wasn’t hearing Leo at all, he could guess what Leo was thinking. His voice echoed directly into Leo’s mind.

"Once the bounty is over, the main item is the territory beacon. Just take it somewhere else, and that place will become your new territory, though the prosperity points will also reset accordingly though the periodic scan each day, this will also keep updating your position until you finalise your location. In other words, others will be able to see your path and destination."

A faint smile tugged at Leo’s lips at that revelation.

"Looks like we need to move Howl to a different place." He relayed the thought to Lily, and her eyes immediately lit up.

"Really? Where?" she asked, her tone brimming with excitement.

"Somewhere more dangerous. This place is just too easy," Leo said, sounding almost bored as he watched Kaelion deal with the beasts. He seemed to have picked a specific target.

Ice-element beasts.

Though currently small in number, the element itself would be highly beneficial in the coming winter. With the abundance of frost in the surroundings, ice-based skills would have higher output with lower mana consumption. The icy element was already present in the environment, so the user wouldn’t need to expend extra mana to force the skill into existence.

Similarly, an ice skill user would struggle in a desert environment, where there were no traces of ice at all.

Leo checked the kill notification, wondering if he had hunted any ice-related beasts.

Frosthide Bison (Mid 3-star) killed – 20,000 XP

Mortal Bloodline (88%)

"A bison?"

Now this was a tough beast type—one he wouldn’t be able to find easily if he wanted to raise the bloodline of the beast core. Because he had only found one Bison.

"How the heck is a bison even here in the first place?"

Bison were creatures of herds—or beasts, in this case. So how was only one here?

"Looks like winter is indeed close, they are already migrating to avoid the thick snow... wait, but where is the rest of the herd?" Leo frowned slightly. There was no way a single bison would be roaming alone like this.

"Wait..."

"Veronica!" Leo suddenly contacted the alchemist girl, who was peacefully lying on a leafy bed inside the bunker.

"Ahhh!" She shrieked and shot upright, her heart pounding as she looked around frantically. But she saw no one.

"W-who?!" she stammered, panic rising as she grabbed the simple dagger near her feet. As an almost normal human, her mental defence was very low, allowing Aeila to directly invade her mind with her [Spirit Link] talent—through which Leo spoke.

"Calm down, it’s me. I’m speaking directly in your mind." Leo explained calmly, and Veronica gradually steadied herself.

"Listen and answer—do you know the benefits of consuming Frosthide Bison milk?"

"B-Bison... Yes, Lord. I know it."

"Say it." Saying that, Leo climbed onto a tall tree branch, the cold wind brushing past him as he prepared to listen without interruption.

"Lord, there are two types of milk that are very sought after. One is Yak, and the other is Bison. Both are very nutritious, but the difference lies in their targeted effects on the body.

"A Yak’s milk is more suited for common people who don’t have the potential to grow much stronger, though others also benefit, but the effect isn’t that apparent. The milk is beneficial for long-term wellness and immunity against diseases. Regular consumption can even increase a normal person’s life expectancy up to 100 years. Among them, Cloud Yaks are the best variety discovered so far.

"They are very famous among nobles because of their docile nature and noble appearance."

She paused to take a breath before continuing. Though she didn’t know why Leo was suddenly interested in milk, she knew she had to answer properly.

"On the other hand, Bison’s milk is more suited for people who want to grow quickly. It is packed with nutrients that promote rapid physical growth. This is because bison generally live in harsh, dangerous environments, so their calves need to grow faster to defend themselves, in contrast to Yaks that live in less competitive environments.

"Though it doesn’t provide as much immunity as Yak’s milk, regular consumption not only increases lifespan but also gradually helps even an ordinary person gain strength. Even a man with no potential could reach Peak 1-star. And yes, Frosthide Bison could be said to be the best among them, as not only do they acquire immunity like that of Yak’s milk—because they generally live in colder environments—but also have all the benefits of Bison’s milk.

"But the problem is, they are very violent. Under no circumstance can they be domesticated like Yaks without an official taming contract. This is why nobles avoid them."

"In other words, there is a market for Yak’s milk, but none for Bison’s—because no beast master wants to waste their limited taming slots on a handful of bisons."

Leo fell silent, deliberating over Veronica’s words.

As expected, it was the same everywhere, no matter the world. Even back in his previous world, bisons were too violent to be domesticated for their nutrient-rich milk, which was packed with calcium and other minerals.

"Say... what if we are able to acquire a regular supply of Bison’s milk?"

Back in the bunker, Veronica’s eyes glittered.

"Lord, if that were the case, you could simply open a pasture, strike rich, and retire. Not to mention, their milk is so thick it’s more like cream. If I get my hands on it, I’m sure I can create body-enhancement potions that will sell well. But..."

"But?" Leo prompted.

"Please take my suggestion with a grain of salt. I don’t want Lord to waste his valuable taming slots on some bisons, because at later stages, their strength falls short compared to other beasts," Veronica said cautiously.

"Oh... alright."

But Leo wasn’t going to miss even a single opportunity to make money. Not to mention, if he could get his hands on a herd of bison, he could kill off the leaders to obtain an enhanced beast core for Miho. The leaderless herd would become disoriented, eventually falling into his trap, allowing him to secure a few. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"The Frosthide Bison that I killed must have been one of the leaders that came alone for a chance at the treasure. That means a large group should be migrating nearby," he concluded quickly.

"Nyxa!"