"Another hidden Profession? Dragon Descendant..."

Recalling what Galvis had said about the tragic consequences of forcefully fusing bloodlines, Roland didn’t feel joy this time. Instead, his brow furrowed.

At his thought, the transparent Professional Panel slowly unfurled.

Beneath the Race column, a new line of text had strikingly appeared:

[Human Race + Dragon Race]

[Current Bloodline Fusion Level: 1%]

"Wait..."

This sudden change made Roland’s heart skip a beat.

’Does the Professional Panel displaying this... simply mean it’s recording the process? Or does it mean... it can help me offset the side effects of bloodline fusion?’

’But... why did a prompt for the Bloodline Fusion Level suddenly appear?’

The feeling from the battle just now—of his boiling blood clashing with his scorching Fighting Spirit—resurfaced, and Roland was lost in thought.

’Could it be because I activated [Fermented Battle Intent] and pushed the Breathing Technique to its limit at the same time, causing some kind of strange resonance between the two?’

Unable to find an answer, Roland could only set the question aside for now and continue examining the panel.

’A single battle actually gave the [Nameless Breathing Technique] a huge boost of over thirty experience points, leveling it directly to Level Three? It seems that, just like with other skills, the improvement from actual combat far exceeds daily training. And what’s more...’

When he saw the progress for the Apprentice Knight requirement "Form a team to defeat a powerful enemy" change from 0/3 to 1/3, Roland couldn’t help but clench his fists.

’Just two more powerful enemies to defeat, and I’ll meet the conditions for the Profession! But...’

His gaze fell back on the Bear Goblin’s enormous corpse, and he gently shook his head.

From what he currently knew, this was probably the only Demon with this level of strength to appear outside the Land of Mist.

If he wanted to find another powerful enemy, he might have no choice but to venture deep into the Land of Mist. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

As Roland stared at the corpse, lost in thought, he suddenly caught a glimpse of something unusual on the Bear Goblin’s body in the blinding sunlight.

Just as he was about to step forward for a closer look, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps behind him.

Along with them came a melodious tune and an outrageously dramatic voice.

"Oh! By the gods! Roland!"

Galvis’s fingertips strummed his strings as he leaped lightly to Roland’s side, as if dancing.

His amber eyes shone brightly with excitement.

"Look at the miracle you’ve performed! My dear warrior! Not only did you slay a Bear Goblin with your own hands, but what’s even more astonishing is..."

The Minstrel’s voice trembled slightly with excitement.

"You actually shattered the barrier of a Shield Skill with pure physical strength!"

"Wait, Galvis..."

Roland wasn’t moved by the effusive praise. Instead, his brow furrowed.

"Are you saying... that transparent barrier was a Shield Skill?"

Having diligently read the ancient books Bronson had brought him, Roland was no stranger to this basic Protective Spell.

As one of the most practical First Ring Spells, the Shield Skill could effectively weaken magical damage.

Furthermore, if the Caster’s skill was profound enough, it could even grant complete immunity to physical attacks.

"It’s absolutely true!"

Galvis nodded with conviction, the strings of his instrument vibrating gently with his movement.

"Back when I was in the Eternal Song Forest, I personally witnessed the Elf Elders cast this kind of Magic. Look..."

As he spoke, the unconventional Minstrel, completely unbothered by the blood and gore on the ground, bent down and painstakingly pulled a ring set with a Crystal Stone from the Bear Goblin’s thick finger.

"This ring must have a Shield Skill Rune inscribed inside. Otherwise, with a Bear Goblin’s aptitude, how could it possibly possess a Casting Ability?"

As the cool metal settled into his palm, Roland felt an irrepressible thrill.

Magic Tools like this, inscribed with Spell Runes, didn’t require complicated casting preparations. As long as one knew how to channel their Spiritual Power, they could instantly activate the Magic sealed within.

This meant that, aside from those Basic Tricks, he finally had a chance to master a true Magic spell.

What concerned him even more was...

Recalling the battle scene, when the Bear Goblin had used the Shield Skill with near-instant speed, Roland’s breathing quickened.

Casting through this ring completely skipped the lengthy process of gathering Magic Elements and channeling Spiritual Power.

If used properly, he could deploy the defense unexpectedly in the heat of battle, disrupting the enemy’s offensive rhythm.

Even if the Shield couldn’t completely block an attack from a powerful enemy, just gaining a moment’s respite on a life-or-death battlefield was enough to decide the outcome.

"But it’s a pity..."

Galvis glanced at the dull, murky Crystal Stone on the ring and clicked his tongue in regret.

"That Shield Skill just now used up all the Magic Power stored in the ring. Now... it’s just an ordinary object."

"It’s ironic, really. The Casters before the Era of the End were always so extravagant, fond of creating these Magical Artifacts that become useless after a few uses..."

Hearing this, however, the corners of Roland’s lips quietly curled up.

Others might be helpless, but he was different.

He knew Bronson, the scholar obsessed with magical research.

And as luck would have it, that scholar’s proudest achievement was a Spell Pattern capable of drawing in the free-floating Magic Power from the air.

’If I just give this ring to him to study...’

"Teresa, Galvis..."

At this thought, Roland scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

"This ring, can I... I mean, Mr. Bronson might..."

Just then, a clear voice suddenly came from behind.

"Roland."

Everyone turned to see Avril, who had, at some point, quietly appeared standing in the Dawn Light.

The Elf Maiden’s jade-green eyes were filled with a smile.

"You were the one who defeated the Bear Goblin, so of course, the spoils are yours to decide what to do with."

She gave a playful wink, then patted her chest, still shaken.

"That was terrifying. If it weren’t for you..."

Her slender finger swept across the group.

"We all would have probably ended up as torn rag dolls in that monster’s claws."

After she finished speaking, Teresa nodded solemnly in agreement.

As for Galvis...

The usually boisterous Minstrel’s mouth twitched, but under Avril’s meaningful gaze, he managed to squeeze out a smile uglier than a crying face and nodded mechanically.

"Then, my thanks to all of you."

Roland gave a solemn bow.

He knew full well that without the help of the partners before him, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to slay this Bear Goblin on his own.

Moreover, this mission to exterminate the Demon was his own personal affair, but aside from Galvis’s occasional grumbling, everyone had helped him without complaint.

Regardless of their reasons, Roland would never overlook this tangible debt of gratitude just because of their friendship.

"If there’s ever anything you need me for in the future,"

He raised his head, his sincere gaze sweeping over each of their faces.

"please don’t hesitate to ask."

Seeing this, the group exchanged glances and smiled.

Teresa tucked her slightly messy, silver hair behind her ear and was the first to speak.

"In that case, I won’t be polite, Mr. Roland. I hear the pan-seared silver cod at the Royal Capital Moon Viewing Hall is quite delicious..."

However, before she could finish, Avril had drifted to Roland’s side like a gentle breeze, her jade eyes glinting with a cunning light.

"Roland, I don’t need anything so extravagant. I’ll be happy just to taste your homemade stew at your house."

"After all, in this entire world, there’s probably no one who understands how to blend spices better than you."

When she finished speaking, the smile on Teresa’s lips stiffened almost imperceptibly.

A flash of some indescribable displeasure crossed her mind, though even she didn’t understand the reason for it.

Meanwhile, Galvis was completely ignoring the subtle atmosphere between the two ladies.

He was frantically waving a quill pen, the ink flowing across the parchment like moving clouds and flowing water.

"Don’t move! Hold that pose! Good heavens, this composition is absolutely perfect! The silhouette of a hero standing before a Demon’s corpse... I’m going to write this scene into the third Chapter of the *Demon Slaying Aria*!"

Watching his boisterous partners, Roland shook his head and let out a laugh.

He then turned and walked toward the Bear Goblin’s corpse, squinting in the harsh midday sun.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed.

The cold glint of his Secret Silver Longsword flashed as it precisely sliced open the thick hide on the Demon’s neck.

As the foul stench of Blood Qi washed over him, several clusters of translucent, pale blue Crystals came into view.

They were embedded in the flesh and blood like ice crystals, refracting an uncanny halo of light in the sun.