Translator: CinderTL
As the dust slowly settled, the battlefield seemed to have been paused, falling into an eerie silence.
On the cliffside, Avril gazed down at the tall figure standing below, sword in hand. Complex emotions swirled in her emerald eyes.
"How could this be?" she murmured, her slender fingers unconsciously tightening around her bowstring. "His rate of improvement is simply unbelievable. He didn't even use that powerful fire spell. He defeated them with pure physical strength alone..."
Memories of Roland's unstoppable rampage across the battlefield flashed through her mind. The elf girl's throat tightened, and she instinctively licked her slightly dry lips with a pink tongue.
"The Goddess of Death certainly has a discerning eye, but..."
Her gaze drifted downward.
The young man, fresh from the bloody battle, was now smiling warmly at Theresa.
Avril's fingertip lightly touched her lips, her brow furrowing slightly.
"This doesn't quite align with the Spider Queen Lolth's prophecy..."
As her thoughts churned, a coldness crept across her usually radiant face, as if she had recalled something utterly repulsive.
"Heh, that lying, despicable God... I wouldn't be surprised if he's up to some trickery again..."
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, the elf girl's lips curved into a self-mocking smile.
"But... I'm not the only one targeted by those loathsome Gods."
A gentle breeze rustled her short brown hair as Avril's gaze fell on Roland. A subtle flicker of recognition sparked in her eyes.
"How could someone like him become a disciple of Shar? Did he, like me, become burdened by a God's shackles simply because of a ridiculous dream?"
This thought stirred a strange emotion within her.
Was it curiosity? Investigation? Or...
A sense of belonging she couldn't quite name?
She exhaled softly, her agile form leaping down like a forest fawn, approaching the figure who might share her plight.
Meanwhile, Roland remained oblivious to the complex thoughts swirling in Avril's mind.
Clang!
With a clear metallic clang, Roland plunged his longsword deep into the ground, confirming the Bear Goblin's demise.
The mithril blade plunged deep into the earth, becoming the sole support for his collapsing frame.
"Hah... hah..."
His muscular chest heaved violently like a broken bellows, each breath tearing at his lungs, a burning pain spreading from his throat to his chest.
Theresa stood frozen, her pupils trembling slightly.
Every image from the recent battle flashed through her mind.
Roland's lithe, dragon-like movements, the deadly arcs his blade had carved, and the final, stunning blow that had cleaved the Bear Goblin's head from its shoulders.
Such skill...
It defied her comprehension.
But now, all her awe was replaced by a more intense emotion.
Her gaze was fixed on Roland.
Beneath his tattered leather armor, his exposed skin was crisscrossed with fine cuts, slowly dripping crimson blood.
"Mr. Roland, you..."
Her usually cold voice trembled almost imperceptibly.
She stepped forward quickly, but stopped abruptly two paces from him, as if suddenly realizing her lapse in composure. She turned away, silently retrieving a clean gauze pad from her waist pouch.
"Don't worry, Theresa," Roland said, a gentle smile playing on his lips as he looked at the worried silver-haired woman before him. "It's just superficial wounds."
It wasn't that Roland was deliberately trying to appear strong. Though the battle with the Bear Goblin had seemed intense, the injuries he'd sustained were actually less severe than those he'd suffered during his fight with Gondar.
With his improved physical condition, even the constantly escalating strength and speed he gained while in Battle Frenzy mode remained entirely within his body's capacity to handle.
The only injury that could truly be considered serious was the dull ache that lingered in his body from overexerting his breathing technique. But Roland had grown accustomed to this level of pain through countless training sessions over the years; a few days of rest would be enough to heal it.
As for the crisscrossing bloodstains across his body, they were merely scratches from flying debris. Though their appearance was quite alarming, the wounds were shallow enough that even bandaging them seemed unnecessary.
Despite his words, Roland accepted the pristine white gauze. Feeling his legs tremble slightly, he spoke slowly.
"Theresa, I'll need you to keep watch. I think I need a short rest."
Theresa carefully studied Roland's expression, confirming he wasn't pushing himself too hard before nodding solemnly.
With a swift motion, she drew her sword, her silver hair fluttering in the wind as her sharp gaze scanned every shadow with vigilant alertness.
Leaning against a rock, Roland began reviewing the recent battle during his rest.
Recalling the Bear Goblin's terrifying combat prowess, he couldn't help but shake his head lightly.
"If Avril and the others hadn't assisted, even at my full strength, I doubt I could have defeated it completely. And..."
He thoughtfully stroked the hilt of his sword, his brow furrowing.
"If a mere Bear Goblin, whose strength is described as average in ancient texts, pushed me to my limits... what kind of terrifying beings must those even more powerful demonic beasts 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 Apocalypse, how did the strongest warriors of each race manage to suppress all these demonic beasts? What level of cultivation had they achieved? Never mind..."
Pulling his wandering thoughts back to the present, Roland sighed softly.
"Next time I face an enemy with such formidable physical strength, I should probably use Fire Arrow to gain an early advantage. But..."
Recalling the terrifying speed of the Bear Goblin, Roland couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.
During the battle, he had considered using Fire Arrow, but with Battle Frenzy and focus simultaneously enhancing his breathing technique, he had been too preoccupied to cast the trick.
Even with the additional benefits of Twin Performance, if he couldn't concentrate enough mental power, the Fire Arrow he launched wouldn't even pierce the Bear Goblin's thick hide, disrupting his own offensive rhythm instead.
"I've been so focused on cultivating my breathing technique lately that I've neglected my trick practice! Right!"
As he was inwardly reminding himself, Roland suddenly remembered the eerie light membrane that had appeared when he killed the Bear Goblin.
"What exactly was that? It actually blocked my full-power strike. Although ancient texts mention that Bear Goblins gain special abilities through their faith in deities, they never mention them casting spells. Could it be some kind of Magical Apparatus?"
Lost in thought, the surging Battle Qi within him gradually subsided.
As the last trace of heat dissipated, Roland stretched his muscles, confirming that he was unharmed. Just as he was about to rise, a line of dazzling golden text suddenly materialized before his eyes:
[Detected: Eligible for Hidden Profession: Dragonborn]
[Requirement: Dragon Bloodline]
(End of the Chapter)
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