As it turned out, Dalko hadn’t been bragging.

Over the next few hours, Dalko gave Roland a perfect demonstration of his masterful tracking skills and superb Archery.

Through observation, Roland found that Dalko’s Archery was only a notch below John’s.

Considering the significant age gap between them, the young nobleman’s obsession with the Martial Arts was plain to see.

In less than half a day, the two had bagged over a dozen wild rabbits and two animals that resembled roe deer.

Afterward, they carried their heavy haul of game to a clearing by a stream.

After a quick tidy-up, Dalko drew the Dagger from his waist and deftly began skinning a rabbit.

An idea suddenly occurred to Roland as he watched.

’Does skinning a wild animal count as a survival skill?’

With this in mind, Roland approached Dalko, who was busy with the rabbit, and asked with feigned curiosity.

"Lord Dalko, could you teach me how to skin a rabbit?"

Dalko looked up, a smile of approval on his face.

"Of course, Roland. I’m surprised you’re interested in something like this."

He shook the blood from his hands, moved to another rabbit, and squatted down.

"The key to skinning is a precise first cut. You have to follow the grain of the muscle."

Dalko used his Dagger to make a light incision along the rabbit’s belly.

"See? Start here. The tip of the blade needs to stay right between the hide and the flesh. Don’t go too deep, or you’ll puncture the organs."

Seeing this, Roland immediately activated his [Concentration] Trait.

He committed Dalko’s deft movements and the angle of his blade to memory.

"You try."

Dalko handed him the Dagger. "Remember, keep your movements steady. When you hit the fascia, you’ll need to use a little force to pry it loose."

"I understand, Lord Dalko."

Roland took the Dagger, recalling the details he had just observed. He mimicked Dalko’s movements and made the first cut on the rabbit’s belly.

Unfortunately, he didn’t control the depth of the cut. The blade plunged too deep, piercing some of the organs, and a foul, coppery smell filled the air.

"Tsk. A common rookie mistake."

Dalko wrinkled his nose, but his tone held no reproach.

"It’s all right. Angle the blade out a bit more, like this..."

He took hold of Roland’s wrist, adjusting the angle for him.

Roland was much more careful with his second cut.

He could feel the blade pushing laboriously between the tough hide and the soft muscle, meeting resistance from the fascia every so often.

In a few spots, he used too much force and left ugly gashes in the hide. In others, he cut too shallowly and had to go back over his work.

"Slower. Follow the grain," Dalko instructed from the side.

"Yes, just like that... Whoops, you need to leave the skin attached to the hind legs there..."

With the experience from his first two attempts, Roland’s next cuts were much more confident. He was a little slow, but in no time, a perfect rabbit pelt was in his hands.

At the same time, a line of golden text slowly materialized before his eyes.

[Skinning learned. Current Level: Level 1]

After seeing the notification, Roland quickly shifted his focus to his Professional Panel.

When he saw that the required survival skills for the Hunter Profession had changed from 0/2 to 1/2, he clenched his fists in excitement.

’I knew it! Skinning really is a survival skill!’

Just as Roland was celebrating, Dalko’s voice, full of praise, sounded beside him.

"Well done, Roland!"

Dalko had lost count of how many times he had praised the young man today.

’Riding Skill, Arrow Skills... and now he masters skinning this quickly too. Can someone truly gifted excel at anything they try?’

At this thought, Dalko’s gaze toward Roland filled with even more unconcealed admiration.

"Seriously, Roland, you should come work for me..."

Before Dalko could finish, a rustling sound echoed from nearby.

The two exchanged a glance, warily setting down their Daggers. They drew the Iron Swords from their waists and turned toward the sound.

The next moment, numerous small, shadowy figures emerged from the dense woods.