TL/N: 🎁 GIVEAWAY ALERT! (Details at the end)
Translator: CinderTL
The Purple-Haired Witch's gaze flickered between the two, a hint of amusement sparkling in her eyes. She had noticed the elf's wariness and her affection for Roland.
"Commander Avril," Vanessa's voice carried a unique rhythm, her smile poised and elegant, yet her gaze drifted subtly back to Roland. "Lord Roland mentioned that you and your team encountered some navigational difficulties in the Mist? It would be my honor to assist you."
She deliberately emphasized the words "Lord Roland mentioned," her tone carrying an almost imperceptible, secret-sharing intimacy.
Avril straightened her back, her smile unwavering, but her eyes sharpened. "Thank you. However, the Mist is treacherous. Can we trust your methods?"
"Rest assured, they are as reliable as Lord Roland's trust in me." The witch once again brought Roland into the conversation, watching with satisfaction as a spark of wariness flickered in Avril's eyes.
Listening to their polite exchanges, Roland couldn't help but feel the atmosphere was...
Too formal?
Perhaps it was Avril's sense of responsibility as commander.
Clearing his throat, he interrupted, "Don't worry, Avril. Miss Vanessa is someone we can trust. Let's focus on determining our route now."
Before the words had even left his mouth, Avril's gaze snapped away from Vanessa and locked onto Roland. Her eyes instantly brightened with focus, and her tone regained its natural, lightheartedness.
"Alright, Roland!"
Vanessa, observing this, raised her delicate eyebrows slightly.
Watching Avril's sudden change in demeanor, she glanced at Roland, who remained oblivious, his head bent over the map spread across the table. A mischievous glint flickered in her violet eyes.
It seems Mr. Roland is even more intriguing than I initially thought.
With Vanessa's living map at their disposal, the discussion proceeded smoothly.
Before long, the group had finalized their route.
After staying to help Avril with some camp administrative tasks, Roland was led by Dylan to a somewhat dilapidated tent.
"My apologies, Lord Roland..." Dylan scratched his head awkwardly, gesturing to the holes in the tent. "This is the best we have available."
"It's quite alright, Captain Dylan," Roland replied with a gentle shake of his head, unconcerned about the living conditions.
After all, he had spent many nights sleeping in the wilderness during his travels through the Mistland. Compared to that, this tent, which offered shelter from the wind and rain, was a perfectly acceptable refuge.
"Just... I'll need you to stand guard tonight."
"Don't worry, Mr. Roland!"
Seeing no displeasure on Roland's face, Dylan exhaled in relief and thumped his sturdy chest.
"I've got this covered!"
After a few more brief exchanges, Roland bid farewell to Dylan, lifted the tent flap, and stepped inside.
Though the interior was as spartan as the exterior, it was meticulously organized.
After quickly arranging his belongings, Roland collapsed onto the somewhat chilly bed and let out a long sigh.
"Roland."
Just as he was about to close his eyes and rest, Pixie Tracy cautiously peeked out from his waist pouch, glanced around to ensure they were alone, and then fluttered out gracefully.
"Are you planning to follow this army to find that... Graham person?"
"That's right," Roland replied, stretching his stiff limbs.
"But don't worry, Tracy. You heard earlier—our destination is the Jade Rock Forest. Once we get there, you'll have plenty of opportunities to search for your companions."
"Hmm..." Tracy nodded gently.
"Thank you, Roland."
"What's there to thank me for?" Roland chuckled softly and gently ruffled the pixie's tiny head.
"But once we reach our destination, I need to ensure my own safety first before helping you find your companions. As for saving your homeland..."
He added, "Graham is a powerful transcendent professional. His purpose in coming here is to defeat the Wolf King, the mastermind behind the Mist engulfing this land."
"So, if we win the battle, your homeland will naturally be saved. Does this arrangement sound acceptable to you?"
"Of course!" Tracy's voice was filled with hope.
After a few more exchanges, feeling his strength had sufficiently recovered, Roland sat up and slowly closed his eyes.
In the next moment, the familiar searing energy quietly resurfaced within him, rapidly circulating through his entire body.
Though he had been unexpectedly stranded in the Mistland after an incident in Howling Gorge, Roland had never slackened his practice of the breathing technique while navigating various crises.
He understood that in this perilous world, formidable strength was the only foundation for survival.
For him, the Nameless Breathing Technique was the cornerstone of that strength.
Therefore, regardless of his circumstances, he had never neglected this crucial practice.
Having weathered countless battles, Roland's mastery and application of the breathing technique had grown increasingly refined.
In mere moments, a complete cycle of the breathing technique was completed.
This stood in stark contrast to the initial, clumsy attempts during his early training, which had been fraught with repeated failures and embarrassing setbacks.
Yet Roland didn't stop.
He circulated the Nameless Breathing Technique through his body again and again, allowing the scorching energy to flow continuously through his limbs and bones.
He continued until the light filtering through his eyelids vanished completely, then slowly opened his eyes.
At that moment, a blinding golden subtitle abruptly appeared in his vision:
[Nameless Breathing Technique has been upgraded. Current level: Lv.5]
[Detecting...]
After a moment, Roland's brow furrowed slightly.
Unlike the usual instantaneous appearance of subtitles, this one seemed to be stuck, materializing with agonizing slowness.
It was as if...
The Job Panel was struggling to process the information.
[Detecting host's attributes...]
[Detecting host's profession...]
[Detecting host's skills...]
[Detecting host's traits...]
[Detecting host's additional buffs...]
The subtitles scrolled like rusty gears, growing slower and slower until they finally froze completely.
Just as Roland was beginning to suspect that the Job Panel had encountered some unknown interference, perhaps even frozen completely, the golden text before him abruptly vanished.
Before he could react, a new line of text slowly materialized.
But its color was no longer the familiar gold. Instead, it was a dark red, as if soaked in blood yet emitting an eerie, faint glow.
Wavering like a reflection on water, the text finally stabilized and became clear before Roland's eyes.
[Detected: Eligible for the extraordinary profession: Knight]
"Knight! It's the extraordinary profession Knight!"
Roland's breath hitched, his heart clenching as if gripped by an invisible hand.
But as his gaze shifted downward to examine the specific requirements for advancement, the joy on his face instantly froze.
For what appeared before him was not the usual cold, mechanical text, nor any clearly defined conditions.
Instead, there was only a single line...
A brief yet epic-sounding phrase:
[Immerse yourself in a grand war where steel roars and war drums shatter the heavens.]
[Amidst the vortex of horns and bloodfire, you must become the blade of victory, the decisive weight that tips the scales, and above all, the survivor who treads across scorched earth and fallen banners, descending from the mountain of corpses.]
[Only then... will the heart of a knight be forged into your soul.]
(End of the Chapter)
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