Although he was anxious to return to the manor, the back-to-back wilderness explorations and battles had left Roland physically and mentally exhausted.

Setting out on the return journey in this state would make it difficult to handle any unexpected situations.

Plus, it was already getting dark. For safety’s sake, Roland decided to rest for a day in Songmu Town and set off the next morning. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Lying on the inn’s soft bed, Roland finally had time to open his Professional Panel and examine it carefully.

He couldn’t help but make a soft sound of surprise when he noticed the changes to his Attributes.

’Power and Agility both went up by 0.2?’

After a moment of thought, Roland came to a realization.

The biggest difference between this battle and his previous fights with Demons was the opponent: a Winged Dogman.

Although he had encountered a Bloodscale Dogman in the village before, the two fights had been completely different.

The previous fight against the Bloodscale Dogman had mainly relied on Peyton and John to keep it occupied while he delivered the final blow.

But this time, facing the Winged Dogman, he had taken on at least seventy percent of the Demon’s attacks by himself since Teresa was injured. It was a true head-on confrontation.

’It seems...’

A glint of understanding flashed in Roland’s eyes as he thoughtfully stroked his chin.

’Compared to daily training, real, life-and-death combat is far more effective for increasing Attributes.’

As his gaze drifted downward, Roland noticed a conspicuous exclamation mark had suddenly appeared next to Ecologist, the Extra Benefit triggered by Student and Hunter.

’Is this... Have I obtained the Eco-Notes?’

As the thought crossed his mind, the transparent panel before him suddenly changed.

Three-dimensional models of a Kobold and a goblin materialized out of thin air, appearing lifelike before him.

Detailed text descriptions were displayed beneath each model.

"Kobold, a cave-dwelling, reptilian humanoid creature..."

After the concise species introduction, a detailed list of the Kobold’s strengths and weaknesses followed.

Most notably, all their weak spots were clearly highlighted in red on the three-dimensional model.

’This is...’

Roland’s gaze shifted to the left.

The goblin’s Eco-Notes likewise contained a complete three-dimensional model, detailed descriptions, and an analysis of its weaknesses.

He carefully compared the contents of the notes with the information he had gathered from actual combat and found himself nodding lightly.

’Not only does the information in the notes match my own observations from battle, but it’s even more detailed. This means...’

Roland’s eyes lit up.

’If I can collect the Eco-Notes for a Demon, I’ll be able to counter it more effectively next time. This is a really practical Extra Benefit!’

’Unfortunately... I had to kill at least a hundred goblins and dozens of Kobolds just to trigger the Eco-Notes for these two Demons. It looks like the trigger rate isn’t very high.’

Shaking his head with a hint of regret, Roland exited the Eco-Notes. He scanned his Professional Panel one last time, and seeing no other changes, closed it.

Lying on the soft bed, Roland’s thoughts drifted back to his perilous battle with the Winged Dogman, and his brow slowly furrowed.

At his current strength, he could defeat this kind of Alien Demon on his own, but it was far from easy.

For one, the fights often devolved into lengthy struggles that drained a massive amount of his stamina.

For another, his main method of attack still relied on the Combat Skill, Flowing Slash.

However, this move was also incredibly risky.

A successful hit could heavily wound or even kill an enemy.

But if he missed, the brief moment of exhaustion would leave him completely unable to dodge the Demon’s counterattack.

’And...’

Roland’s expression grew more solemn as he thought about the significant differences between the Bloodscale Dogman and the Winged Dogman.

’It seems Mr. Bronson was right. As the Magic Elements gradually return, these Demons are constantly evolving. Or perhaps... they’re regaining the power they once held at their peak.’

’First, the Blood-colored goblins who could cast Magic, and now Winged Dogmen... This shows these mutated Demons aren’t isolated cases. I’m afraid that as time goes on, more and more powerful Alien Demons like them will appear...’

At this thought, Roland clenched his fists, his resolve hardening.

’I have to get stronger, and fast!’

’The only things I still need to change my Profession to Warrior are a Full Level Combat Skill and the Attribute requirements. Once I’m back at the manor, I can achieve that slowly with my Preparation for War Trait and daily training. It’ll just take some time...’

’I also need to practice my Equestrianism Skills more, see what new Professions and Extra Benefits I can unlock. And I can’t delay my plan to learn Tricks and that mysterious script from Mr. Bronson...’

’I wonder how the research on those Spell Patterns is coming along...’

As these thoughts churned in his mind, Roland’s eyelids grew heavy.

Before he knew it, his breathing steadied, and he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Roland’s eyes opened just as the sky began to lighten.

He quickly got out of bed, washed his face, and went downstairs. After a simple breakfast that cost a few Copper Coins, he mounted Black Wind and galloped toward the manor.

The rest of the journey was uneventful, and by noon, the familiar silhouette of the manor finally came into view.

At the sight, the tension that had gripped Roland finally melted away.

He gently pulled on the reins to slow his horse, passed the Guards’ routine inspection, and entered the manor without issue.

After stabling Black Wind, Roland went straight to the Blacksmith Shop to let Hawke know he was back safely. Then, he hurried toward the remote wooden cabin.

This time, however, he had just reached the door when it creaked open from the inside, before he could even raise a hand to knock.

Bronson’s face, more gaunt than ever, peered out. A fanatical flame danced in his sunken eyes.

"Ha! Roland!"

He waved his scrawny arms excitedly.

"I knew it was you just from your footsteps! When did you get back?"

Before Roland could answer, he stepped aside to clear the way, beckoning impatiently.

"Quick, come in! I’ve had another major breakthrough in my research!"

Roland was long accustomed to Bronson’s periodic fits of madness, so he didn’t say anything.

Just as he stepped inside, Bronson’s incessant chatter began to ring in his ears.

"I made a few tweaks to the Spell Patterns, and guess what? The absorption speed for Magic Elements has tripled! Of course, the trade-off is a reduced storage capacity for Magic Elements, but it’s completely worth it..."

Ignoring the wildly gesticulating Bronson, Roland cautiously scanned the room.

Once he confirmed it was safe, he shut the door behind him and decisively swept the scattered parchments on the table aside.

"No! Roland!"

Bronson clutched his head and let out an exaggerated scream.

"That was all my hard work! How could you..."

His complaints died in his throat as Roland untied the leather pouch at his waist.

THUD!

With a slight muffled sound, the pouch was laid open on the table, revealing a mysterious, jade-white piece of bone.

"This is..."

Although he hadn’t touched it yet, as a scholar who had once studied at the High Tower, Bronson keenly sensed the extraordinary aura of this piece of bone.

"Do you remember that giant creature’s skeleton I mentioned finding in the forest? The one the Fiery Sun Church and the goblins were fighting over?"

"You mean..."

"That’s right, according to my deduction..."

Roland had galloped all the way without a moment’s rest, and his voice was a little hoarse. He untied his waterskin and took a long drink.

Wiping the water from his chin, he let out a long breath before continuing in a low voice.

"This piece of bone is very likely a part of that giant creature’s remains."

"I..."

Bronson’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, his voice slightly hoarse with excitement.

"Can I examine it closely?"

"Be my guest..."

Roland leaned back wearily in the wooden chair, trying to dispel the fatigue from his journey.

"Actually, I was hoping you could use your expertise to identify this bone’s true origin, Mr. Bronson."

With permission granted, Bronson immediately stepped forward, completely ignoring the parchments he had just called his precious research, now scattered all over the floor.

He gingerly lifted the stark white bone, holding it up to his eyes and examining it with intense focus.

The cabin fell silent.

A moment later, Bronson began to tremble with excitement, his voice rising uncontrollably.

"This piece of bone, it actually..."

Seeing Roland raise an index finger to his lips, the half-crazed scholar abruptly lowered his voice, though the fanaticism in his eyes didn’t diminish in the slightest.

"It has Magic Elements stored inside it!"

Roland, who had already suspected as much, wasn’t surprised. He simply asked calmly,

"Is it similar to the Spell Patterns you’re researching, or to a Magic Power Crystal?"

"No, no, no... it’s still a bit different..."

Bronson held the bone in both hands, examining it over and over.

"Like I’ve said before, Magic Power Crystals are found only inside Demons and are single-use consumables. And while my Spell Patterns can continuously draw Magic Elements from the environment, their effectiveness is drastically reduced without a suitable medium."

He suddenly closed his eyes, his fingertips slowly tracing the rough texture of the bone’s surface. A moment later, he opened his eyes, an expression of disbelief on his face.

"But this bone... The purity of the Magic Elements it has absorbed is even higher than what my Spell Patterns can manage..."

"And despite holding such high-purity Magic Elements, this bone shows no signs of damage whatsoever..."

Realizing this, Bronson couldn’t help but mutter to himself, his voice a mixture of shock and frustration.

"But how is this possible? A mere bone from a dead creature... surpassing the Spell Patterns I’ve spent years researching..."

But when Roland heard this, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He ignored Bronson’s self-pity.

He stood up, stepped forward, and lightly tapped the bone with his knuckle.

THUD!

Amid the dull, resonant sound, he licked his dry lips, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Mr. Bronson, perhaps... we could try engraving the Spell Patterns onto this. What do you think?"