"Darco..."

Roland raised an arm and stopped the panting Darco behind him, then lowered his voice.

"Something ahead isn't right. Wait here. I'll scout."

"All... all right..."

Blood loss and pain left Darco dizzy. He barely nodded, his whole body heavy and dazed.

Although they had already moved beyond the Goblins' patrol range, Roland still checked the surroundings with care.

Once he confirmed the area was safe, he helped Darco sit against a thick tree trunk.

After settling him, Roland moved forward without a sound.

He lightened his steps, each one avoiding dead branches and fallen leaves with precision.

The closer he got, the clearer the sounds of fighting became.

When he was near enough to the source, Roland bent low and slipped into a dense bush.

He held his breath, eased aside the overlapping branches and leaves, and looked through the gaps.

"This is..."

Roland's pupils contracted.

Beyond the bushes lay a sunken depression. The terrain sloped steeply downward, forming a natural arena, and a huge earthen pit sat at its center.

On the western side of the depression, dozens of humans had formed a circular formation back-to-back, fighting the Goblins surging toward them.

They were well equipped. Bright silver half-plate covered their vital points. They held longswords and kite shields, and their movements were uniform and clearly trained.

White cloaks snapped behind them in the wind. Golden sun emblems were embroidered on the cloth, bright even in the dim forest.

"They're people from the Blazing Sun Church..."

Seeing the familiar sun emblem, Roland frowned.

The parish school the original Roland had attended as a child had been funded by the Blazing Sun Church.

The most obvious mark of the church's believers was that pattern spreading outward like rays of sunlight.

But in his impression, most believers of the Blazing Sun Church were old men or middle-aged people in white robes, more like learned scholars than warriors.

He had never seen fighters like these.

While he watched, over a hundred Goblins rushed the Blazing Sun Church warriors, crude weapons swinging wildly as they released piercing howls.

The church warriors showed no disorder.

Their blades were precise and deadly. Every swing drew a Goblin's scream.

Their shields held firm, and their steps moved in unison, an unshakable wall of steel.

No matter how many Goblins there were, they could not stop the warriors' advance.

"These Goblins... seem to be protecting something."

Seeing the Goblins throw themselves forward to block the Blazing Sun Church warriors with their bodies, Roland followed the opposite direction of their charge with his gaze.

His eyes landed on the deep pit at the center of the depression.

Something was there.

Sunlight slanted down, and the bottom of the pit reflected a dazzling white glare.

Roland narrowed his eyes and focused.

A huge white object was half buried in the soil. Its outline was jagged, its surface covered in mottled cracks and dried stains.

"It looks like... bone?"

Surprise crossed Roland's face.

The thing resembled a rib from some gigantic creature, its broken edge rough and savage.

Even as remains, it was enormous enough to make his heart tighten.

More strangely, dark red lines showed faintly across the surface, like dried bloodstains.

"These patterns..."

Roland stared at the scene, and the Goblins he had killed earlier surfaced in his mind.

"They look similar to the red patterns on the Goblins."

He was still thinking when a shrill scream tore through the air.

Roland followed the sound and saw a blood-red Goblin standing at the edge of the pit, raising a white staff-like object high in the air.

Sunlight flowed over the white staff, refracting an eerie glow.

The next second, Roland's pupils tightened, and fine sweat seeped from his forehead.

Several fist-sized balls of flame appeared out of thin air around the blood-colored Goblin.

The flames burned with dazzling light under the sun, flowing like molten red gold.

Heat twisted the surrounding air into visible waves.

Whoosh!

The blood-colored Goblin waved the white staff, and the fireballs shot out like arrows from a bowstring.

Boom!

A deafening explosion thundered across the battlefield.

The fireballs landed in the center of the Blazing Sun Church warriors' formation.

Violent flames swept outward, blasting blackened craters into the ground.

The shock wave threw the well-trained warriors head over heels.

Broken armor fragments and shattered weapons scattered through the air, mixed with a rain of blood that fell across the scorched earth.

The airtight defensive formation collapsed under the blow. The orderly ranks became a ruined mess in the blink of an eye.

Yet before the force of the explosions had fully faded, the Blazing Sun Church warriors who had not fallen were already rising again. Their eyes burned with fiercer fighting spirit as they charged the Goblins once more.

The blood-colored Goblin, however, seemed drained. It slumped to the ground, chest heaving, and the bright crimson patterns on its skin had dulled.

Without its support, the battlefield fell back into a stalemate, both sides locked in a bitter fight.

"That should be... magic."

Roland wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and retreated to Darco's side.

"Roland... you... you're back?"

Darco did not ask what Roland had seen. He only forced his nearly closing eyelids open, his voice weak enough to vanish in the wind.

"Yes... I'm back."

Roland's voice was tight.

"It's just... I'm afraid we'll have to take the long way around."

Thinking back to that horrifying scene, Roland still felt a chill crawl up the back of his neck.

Fireballs appearing from thin air. Blazing Sun Church warriors blasted apart in sprays of flesh and blood.

All of it exceeded his understanding.

He crouched down and tensed his arms.

"Come on, Darco. There's no time to delay. Climb onto my back. I'll carry you out of here."

"This..."

The pride of a noble made Darco want to refuse, but he saw Roland's firm gaze, then looked down at his ruined calf.

He accepted his situation and nodded.

When Darco's full weight pressed onto his back, Roland drew a breath, adjusted his posture, and moved quickly along the edge of the depression.

"That was definitely magic."

Although Roland had never personally seen magic in this world, he could find no other explanation for fireballs summoned from thin air.

He suddenly remembered what Bronson had said.

"...Other races need time to regain mastery of magic, but monsters... only need instinct."

"But Goblins can actually master magic. This is simply..."

Whether in the games and novels of his previous life or in the rumors of this world, Goblins were the weakest monsters.

His previous battle experience had also made him believe that firmly.

Yet what he had just witnessed overturned that understanding.

His brow locked tight, and the scene from earlier kept replaying in his mind.

"Casting magic... could it be related to the white staff in that blood-colored Goblin's hand?"

"And that giant skeleton... what is it?"

His thoughts were a mess, but Roland did not slow down.

By his judgment, his strength at full burst was at most comparable to those Blazing Sun Church warriors.

Since even those well-equipped warriors had suffered heavy casualties under the fireball bombardment, there was no way he could contend with it.

Now was not the time to satisfy curiosity.

Escaping came first.

Roland quickened his steps again.

When they finally reached the edge of the forest, the sounds of killing and the rumble of explosions from the depression could still be heard faintly.

Roland pushed aside the thick bushes in front of him.

When the familiar muddy path entered his sight, for the first time, he found that uneven, pothole-ridden road dearly welcome.

"Darco..."

Roland shifted his shoulder and woke the young noble, who had nearly lost consciousness.

"Where should we go from here?"

"Here... mm..."

After leaving the dark forest, Darco's spirits lifted.

He forced his heavy eyelids open and looked around with a frown.

A moment later, he raised an arm with difficulty and pointed toward a winding path.

"This is the small road west of the estate... follow it... and it shouldn't be much farther before we return to the estate."

"West? Looks like we made a big loop through the forest."

After confirming the direction, Roland adjusted his posture and advanced steadily along the route Darco indicated.

The instant he left the forest, the Agility bonus from [Adaptive Training] vanished, and his steps became much heavier.

Fortunately, the return journey was quiet.

When the afterglow of sunset dyed the sky red, the familiar outline of the estate finally appeared.

"Damn it! We're finally back!"

Excitement broke through Darco's weak voice.

He patted Roland's shoulder lightly, stubbornness still present despite his exhaustion.

"Roland... put me down."

Seeing the look in the young noble's eyes, Roland had no choice but to crouch carefully.

"Hiss..."

The instant Darco's foot touched the ground, a suppressed gasp squeezed between his teeth.

Even so, Darco propped himself up with his iron sword, dragged his injured leg, and limped toward the estate gate.

"Stop! Who goes there? Young... Young Master Darco?"

John's familiar voice came from the wall.

When he saw the bloodstained face of the person approaching, his voice rose sharply.

He ordered the guards to open the gate while running down from the wall, not forgetting to send someone racing into the estate to report the news.

"Young... Young Master Darco, what happened to you?"

John knew nothing of what had happened, and the fury in Darco's eyes burned hotter.

His trembling hand drew his iron sword, ready to strike.

Bang!

A powerful hand clamped around his wrist.

"Darco..."

Roland's low voice calmed the furious young noble a little.

He eased Darco's arm down and said softly, "What you need right now is a physician."

Darco's chest heaved. Then he nodded in defeat.

"Right... right..."

He glared at John with disgust, his voice hoarse.

"If Roland hadn't stopped me, I would have chopped you to pieces and fed you to the dogs."

The iron sword slammed back into its sheath.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry and call a physician!"

The estate fell into chaos at once.

Amid the servants' panicked running, Roland sensed something abnormal.

The number of guards patrolling the estate was more than twice the usual amount.

Their expressions were tense, and they were constantly moving weapons and food.

The entire estate felt like it was preparing for war.

"Captain John..."

Roland lowered his voice and called to the guard captain, who had lowered his head without a word.

"Thank you for earlier, Roland."

Watching John wipe cold sweat from his forehead, Roland did not say more.

He understood John's situation.

When Darco went hunting, he often did not return until late at night.

The guards had long since gotten used to it.

This time, they truly could not be blamed for noticing nothing.

"What exactly happened to you and Young Master Darco..."

"Let's not talk about that yet."

Roland raised a hand and interrupted him.

"Inside the estate... did something happen?"

John's expression sharpened. After looking around warily, he leaned closer and whispered,

"Nothing happened to the estate... but..."

He sighed.

"It's over at the Black Fir Forest..."

Before he could continue, hurried footsteps came from not far away.

"Darco!"

The man had not yet arrived, but his voice had.

Roland turned and saw Baron Forsling, usually so composed, hurrying over. In the blink of an eye, he had reached Darco.

When he saw his son covered in blood, his lips trembled. After a long moment, he squeezed out a hoarse voice.

"My child... what happened to you..."

"Father, we encountered Goblins in the forest..."

Supported by the servants, Darco tried to explain, but the baron raised a hand to stop him.

"Don't speak. Don't speak yet."

Baron Forsling's voice carried a panic Roland had never heard from him before.

"What you need most right now is rest. Someone! Quickly help the young master back to his room! And..."

He paused, then changed his mind.

"No, I'll personally invite the physician!"

Before the words had fully left his mouth, this noble, who had always remained calm in the face of change, had already turned and staggered away.

As the family's only heir, Darco's injuries had completely thrown his father into disorder. His usual composure was gone.

"Father! Father!"

Darco called several times, only to see Baron Forsling hurry away without looking back.

He sighed helplessly, then turned and beckoned to Roland. Some color had returned to his face.

After returning to the estate, the young noble's spirit was clearly better.

"Roland, are you injured? Do you want the physician to look at you with me?"

"No need."

Roland waved a hand.

Although he had quite a bit of blood on him, most of it belonged to Goblins.

Those weak monsters had not been enough to injure him.

"All right. I'll come find you tomorrow morning."

After saying goodbye to Darco, Roland turned to Captain John beside him and asked in a low voice, "What exactly happened at the Black Fir Forest?"

"The Black Fir Forest..."

John froze for a moment, clearly still stunned by Darco's friendly attitude toward Roland.

He steadied himself, and his brow drew together.

"The battle isn't going well. Lord Beckham sent people back to request reinforcements."

"The monsters there... even a knight can't deal with them?"

Roland frowned.

"I don't know the details either. In any case..."

John saw a distant guard gesture to him and quickly said,

"You go rest first. Don't worry, the reinforcement team is already preparing to set out. Nothing will happen."

He patted Roland's shoulder, turned, and left in a hurry.

Watching John disappear, Roland's expression tightened.

Rest?

How could he possibly rest now?

The strange encounter in the forest still lingered in his mind.

He turned and once again arrived before the remote wooden house.

At present, perhaps only Bronson could answer his doubts about that blood-colored Goblin.

As for telling anyone else...

Roland did not want to be mocked as a fool.

If Bronson was correct, magic had already disappeared from this continent for hundreds of years.

Goblins? Fireballs?

No one would believe that nonsense.

Knock, knock, knock!

The crisp knock sounded loud in the quiet estate, yet the tightly closed wooden door did not move.

"Mr. Bronson?"

Roland called a few more times, but there was still no response.

"Strange..."

While puzzling over it, he saw a servant passing by in the distance.

Roland stepped forward and stopped him.

"Excuse me..."

He pointed toward the shabby wooden house.

"Do you know where Mr. Bronson went?"

"Bronson?"

The servant frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly understood.

"Oh, you mean that tall, skinny oddball? He went out early this morning and hasn't come back."

"Hm?"

The answer made Roland freeze.

Although he had not known Bronson long, he understood the man's habits clearly.

The reclusive scholar had always lived in seclusion. Aside from handling a small amount of miscellaneous work arranged by Baron Forsling, he shut himself inside the wooden house almost all day.

How could such a person suddenly go out?

And remain gone for so long?

But an ordinary servant clearly could not answer those questions.

Roland thanked him with a slight bow, then returned to his residence full of doubts.

Sitting on the creaking wooden bed, the encounters of the past few days flashed through his mind.

Crystals formed from solidified mana elements.

The urgent battle situation in the Black Fir Forest.

The well-trained Blazing Sun Church warriors.

The enormous creature remains.

And the blood-colored Goblin that had waved a white staff and summoned fireballs from thin air.

"Looks like Mr. Bronson's speculation was right..."

Roland murmured, his fingertips rubbing the edge of the bed.

"Mana elements really are reviving across this continent."

"If that blood-colored Goblin wasn't an isolated case, then no matter how tightly this estate is defended, it may still be unable to withstand their attack."

The thought tightened his throat.

Roland drew in a deep breath, trying to calm the unease rising inside him.

Cold air entered his lungs, clearing his thoughts.

"I have to improve my strength as quickly as possible."

With that thought, he silently called up the occupation panel.

"Although I have the bonus from [Combat Readiness], improving combat-related skills still takes time. In that case..."

Roland turned his gaze toward the package of herbs on the wooden table.

The herbs left there were still enough for one more session of the Mithril Body Tempering Method.

Sorting the herbs, grinding them into powder, adding silver dust, and applying it to his body.

With the experience from the previous two times, the entire process was smooth and familiar.

As intense pain struck, lines of golden text flashed before his eyes.

[You have successfully performed Mithril Body Tempering Method training. Experience +1]

[You have successfully performed Mithril Body Tempering Method training...]

[You have successfully performed...]

After an unknown length of time, the golden text in his vision changed.

[Mithril Body Tempering Method has reached max level]

[Upon inspection, any body tempering/body-forging method has reached max level. You qualify for the upper occupation: Warrior]

[Requirements: Strength 9, Agility 6, five max-level combat-related skills 1/5, kill 0/100 hostile creatures]

[Host does not meet the requirements]

"Warrior? Another upper occupation!"

After seeing the job-change prompt trigger, Roland wiped away the secret medicine residue that had not fully fallen from his body and examined the panel carefully.

"Strength 9... Agility 6, tsk..."

Roland looked at the 7.5 and 4.6 numbers after Strength and Agility on the occupation panel.

"The Mithril Body Tempering Method has already reached max level. That means it will be difficult to raise my attributes in a short time. If I want to meet the job requirements for Warrior, I can only accumulate through the most basic daily training."

"Compared to that..."

Roland looked at Basic Swordsmanship on the panel, which had reached max level at Lv.2, and rubbed his chin.

"If base combat skills all max out at Lv.2, then the requirement of five max-level combat-related skills isn't difficult."

"With my current relationship with Darco, it shouldn't be a problem to have him help me find an old soldier to teach me how to use other weapons. As for..."

His gaze shifted farther back.

"One hundred hostile creatures... judging by the wording, passively defending animals like the rabbits and roe deer I shot while hunting before probably don't count."

"It has to be monsters like Goblins or Kobolds that actively attack humans. But where am I supposed to find them?"

Although he had fought Kobolds and Goblins one after another, John had complained to him more than once about how cunning these monsters were.

Not only could they avoid scout detection and hide in dense forests or among the mountains, they could also appear anywhere with strange suddenness.

Without enough manpower for scouting, tracking their movements was impossible.

"I can't just enter the mountains or forest and search blindly. If I run into ordinary Goblins and Kobolds, that's fine. But if I encounter Mutant Kobolds or blood-colored Goblins..."

Roland shook his head, then felt regretful.

If only this job change had triggered earlier in the forest.

Even without deliberately killing them, the number of kills from escaping the forest alone would probably have completed more than half the requirement.

"Right!"

While thinking, Roland suddenly remembered the Adventurer's Guild that Darco had mentioned earlier.

Although no such organization existed in the village where he had lived before, based on the experience he had accumulated in his previous life, there should be various monster bounty tasks there.

And on the bounty notices, there would most likely be general locations where monsters appeared.

"I'll have to ask Darco clearly tomorrow. And the Combat Technique he promised to teach me, I'll have to remind him not to forget."

"And Mr. Bronson's matter..."

A full day of fierce battle had exhausted Roland's stamina.

He fell heavily onto the bed and let his thoughts churn.

Before long, he sank into dreamland.