As the swirling dust and smoke slowly settled, the entire battlefield fell into a deathly silence, as if someone had pressed pause.

Atop the cliff, Avril gazed down at the tall, straight figure standing with a sword in hand, a complex light swirling in her emerald eyes.

"How is this possible..."

She murmured softly, her long fingers unconsciously tightening on her bowstring.

’His power is growing at an unbelievable rate,’ she thought. ’And he did it without... without even using that powerful Flame Spell. Just pure physical strength...’

As the image of Roland’s invincible figure on the battlefield flashed through her mind, the Elf Maiden’s throat tightened. She unconsciously extended the pink tip of her tongue to wet her slightly dry lips.

’The Goddess of Death certainly has a unique eye for talent, but...’

Her gaze fell below.

The young man, who had just emerged from a bloody battle, could still offer Teresa a warm smile.

Avril’s fingertips gently pressed against her lips, her brow furrowed slightly.

’This doesn’t seem to match Spider Queen Rose’s prophecy...’

As her thoughts churned, a hint of coldness surfaced on her normally bright face, as if she had remembered some nauseating existence.

’Hmph, that despicable god full of lies is probably up to some trick again...’

Shaking her head lightly to suppress her chaotic thoughts, the Elf Maiden’s lips curved into a slight, self-deprecating smile.

’But... I’m not the only one being targeted by those disgusting Gods.’

A light breeze swept past, rustling her short brown hair. Avril’s gaze fell upon Roland, a subtle sense of resonance flickering in her eyes.

’How could someone like him... become an Apostle of Shire? Could it be that he’s like me, forced to bear the shackles of a god just because of some absurd dream?’

The thought stirred a strange emotion within her heart.

Was it curiosity? A desire to investigate? Or perhaps...

A certain indescribable sense of belonging?

She let out a soft breath, her agile figure leaping down as nimbly as a forest fawn, moving toward the figure who was perhaps a fellow sufferer.

Meanwhile, Roland was naturally unaware of the complex thoughts churning in Avril’s mind.

CLANG!

With a clear metallic ring, and after confirming the Bear Goblin was truly dead, Roland plunged his longsword heavily into the ground.

The mithril blade sank deep into the earth, becoming the sole support for his tottering body.

"Haa... haah... haa..."

His powerful chest heaved violently like a broken bellows, each gasp tearing at his lungs as a searing pain spread from his throat to his chest.

Teresa stood frozen in place, her pupils trembling slightly.

Every scene from the battle just now flashed through her mind.

Roland’s form, as agile as a swimming dragon; the deadly arc of light traced by his blade; and that final, stunning strike that had severed the Bear Goblin’s head.

Such power...

It completely surpassed her understanding.

But right now, all that shock was replaced by another, more intense emotion.

Her gaze was glued to Roland.

The skin exposed beneath his tattered leather armor was covered in fine cuts, from which fresh red blood slowly dripped.

"Mr. Roland, you..."

Her usually cool voice held a barely perceptible tremble.

She hurried forward, only to stop abruptly two steps away from Roland. As if suddenly realizing her loss of composure, she turned her face away and silently took a clean gauze bandage from the pouch at her waist.

"Don’t worry, Teresa..."

Roland looked at the worried, silver-haired woman before him and gave a gentle smile.

"They’re just superficial wounds."

It wasn’t that Roland was trying to act tough.

The fight with the Bear Goblin had seemed intense, but the injuries he’d sustained were actually less severe than those from his previous battle with Gandar.

As his physical constitution improved, his body was now fully capable of handling the constantly increasing Power and speed, even while in the [Fermented Battle Intent] state.

The only thing that could be called an injury was the dull, throbbing pain left inside him from pushing his Breathing Technique past its limits.

But Roland had long grown accustomed to this level of pain from countless training sessions in the past. A few days of rest would be enough for a full recovery.

As for the crisscrossing bloody marks on his body, they were just scratches from shattered rocks.

Although his blood-splattered appearance was quite frightening, they were all shallow wounds, making even bandages seem excessive.

But despite saying that, Roland still took the clean white gauze. Feeling the slight tremor in his legs, he spoke slowly.

"However, Teresa, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to keep watch. I... need to rest for a little while."

Teresa carefully studied Roland’s expression, and only after confirming that he wasn’t just forcing himself to stand did she give a solemn nod.

She then deftly drew her sword, her silver hair fluttering in the wind as her sharp gaze vigilantly swept over every shadow in the vicinity.

Leaning against a rock to sit down, Roland began to review the previous battle as he rested.

Recalling the Bear Goblin’s terrifying combat strength, he couldn’t help but shake his head.

’If it weren’t for Avril and the others assisting from the side, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been able to defeat it completely, even if I went all out. And...’

He rubbed the hilt of his sword thoughtfully, his brow gradually creasing.

’A single Bear Goblin, described as mediocre in ancient texts, forced me to use my full strength... Just how terrifying must the Demons stronger than it be?’

Roland looked up at the clear sky, as if he could see through the clouds to that glorious ancient era.

’And before the Year of the End, the experts of every race were actually able to suppress all these Demons... What Realm did the experts of that time reach? Never mind...’

Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Roland sighed softly.

’Next time I face such a physically powerful enemy, maybe I should use [Flaming Arrow] first to seize the advantage. It’s just...’

Recalling the Bear Goblin’s terrifying speed, Roland couldn’t help but shake his head inwardly.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered using Flaming Arrow during the fight. But while under the dual effects of [Fermented Battle Intent] and [Concentration], he was pushing his Breathing Technique to its absolute limit, leaving him no spare attention to cast a Trick.

Even with the Extra Benefit from [Twin Martial Arts], if he couldn’t focus enough Spiritual Power, the [Flaming Arrow] he fired wouldn’t be able to pierce the Bear Goblin’s thick hide at all. It would only disrupt the rhythm of his own attack.

’I’ve been too focused on training my Breathing Technique lately and have neglected practicing my Tricks... That’s right!’

Just as he was inwardly admonishing himself, Roland suddenly remembered that strange membrane of light from when he’d killed the Bear Goblin.

’What exactly was that? It actually blocked my all-out strike... Although ancient texts say Bear Goblins can gain certain special abilities by believing in Deities, there’s no mention of them being able to cast Magic... Could it have been some kind of Magic Tool?’

Just as he was lost in thought, the surging Fighting Spirit within his body gradually calmed.

When the last trace of searing heat faded, Roland stretched his limbs. Confirming there were no issues, he was about to stand up when a line of dazzling gold text suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Analysis complete. Hidden Profession available: Dragon Descendant]

[Requirement: Dragon Race Bloodline]