The familiar ceiling of the inn greeted him.
"Morning already…" he murmured.
He checked the time through Travy's system interface.
6:00 AM.
He stretched his arms and shoulders before getting out of bed.
A quick change of clothes later, he left the inn and began his usual morning jog through the quiet streets of Roste.
This time, however, he decided to experiment.
He gathered mana around his body and activated the support spell he had learned yesterday.
Body Strengthening.
A faint warmth spread through his muscles.
"So the duration depends on how much mana I pour into my body."
"Yes," Travy replied calmly.
"At your current level, ten mana sustains the spell for approximately fifteen minutes."
Artorius nodded while jogging.
"That's actually efficient."
"The efficiency will improve further if you raise your passive skill Mana Efficiency."
"I see."
He continued running for a few minutes before another question crossed his mind.
"By the way, I'm curious about something. What's my mana regeneration rate?"
"Your current regeneration rate equals your Intelligence stat per hour."
"So… about fifty per hour."
"That is correct."
Artorius thought about it while keeping his breathing steady.
"So if I maintain Body Strengthening for an hour, my mana would recover almost as fast as I spend it."
"Yes. However, there is something you should be careful about."
"What is it?"
"Your stamina."
Artorius raised an eyebrow.
"Using Body Strengthening continuously increases physical strain. If your body is not conditioned properly, prolonged use may exhaust you."
"That explains the extra fatigue," Artorius said.
"Then I'll just use it during my morning training for now."
"A wise decision."
After finishing his jog, Artorius entered the public bath and washed away the sweat.
The warm water relaxed his muscles.
When he returned to the inn, breakfast was already being served.
Rabbit stew with bread.
A simple but hearty meal.
After finishing breakfast, Artorius headed straight to the Adventurer's Guild.
The moment he entered, Sistina greeted him with her usual bright smile.
"Good morning, Sir Artorius."
"Good morning."
"Are you ready for your promotion test?"
"Yes."
Sistina nodded and pulled out a document.
"The test itself is straightforward," she explained.
"You will gather several materials and defeat monsters commonly found in the southern forest."
She finished the explanation and looked back at him.
"Do you have any questions?"
Artorius shook his head.
"No. I studied the monsters and plants yesterday in the guild library."
Sistina looked impressed.
"That's very responsible of you."
Artorius smiled faintly.
"I prefer being prepared."
"Then please stay safe, Sir Artorius."
"I will."
With that, Artorius left the guild and headed toward the south gate.
As soon as he stepped outside the town walls, the Mission tab appeared.
F-rank Promotion Mission.
Gather the required materials and defeat the listed monsters.
The list appeared clearly in his vision.
Ironthorn Weed 0/4
Gel Moss 0/4
Forest Bloom Flowers 0/5
Forest Slime cores 0/3
Dire Rabbit carcasses 0/3
Vinewhip Thorn vines 0/3
Horned Deer carcass 0/1
"Good thing the system keeps track of everything," Artorius muttered.
"Convenience improves efficiency," Travy replied.
The forest entrance was about two kilometers away.
After a thirty minute walk, Artorius arrived at the edge of the forest.
Tall trees cast cool shadows across the ground.
"Alright," Artorius said quietly.
"Let's begin."
Before moving deeper into the forest, he tried something new.
He released a small wave of mana outward.
He imagined it spreading like a radar pulse.
"Detection magic based on wave reflection," he murmured.
Travy responded immediately.
"You are applying principles similar to sonar."
"Exactly."
Artorius released another pulse.
The mana spread out and returned faint signals.
His eyes narrowed.
"There's something ahead."
A small green creature appeared among the bushes.
A Forest Slime.
Artorius walked closer.
The slime didn't even react before his sword cut through it.
A small crystal core dropped to the ground.
"One down."
He stored the core and continued walking.
Another pulse of detection magic spread outward.
This time the response came faster.
But before Artorius could react—
Crack!
Something struck his arm.
"Ah!"
A vine lashed across his sleeve.
Artorius jumped back instantly.
"A Vinewhip Thorn!"
The living vine swung again.
Artorius raised his sword.
Water Slash!
The blade of compressed water sliced through the root.
The vine collapsed instantly.
Artorius exhaled slowly.
"That sting really hurts…"
"You reacted quickly," Travy said.
"But your response speed can still improve."
"Yeah… I felt that."
He stored the vine material and continued searching.
The plants were easier to gather than monsters.
Ironthorn Weed grew in shaded areas.
Forest Bloom Flowers grew where sunlight reached the ground.
Gel Moss covered damp rocks and tree bark.
"I'm glad I studied yesterday," Artorius said.
"Preparation reduces risk," Travy replied.
Soon another detection pulse returned a signal.
Artorius crouched slightly.
A Dire Rabbit was nibbling on grass.
"Fast target," he whispered.
"Lightning Stun should work."
He raised his hand.
Lightning Stun.
A small bolt of electricity shot forward.
The rabbit froze instantly.
Artorius dashed forward and struck with a clean slash.
The rabbit collapsed.
"Two rabbits left."
But as he continued walking, a strange feeling crept over him.
His instincts felt uneasy.
It felt like someone was watching him.
"Travy… are you detecting anything?"
"Your detection range is currently limited to ten meters."
"So whatever it is… it's farther away."
Artorius tightened his grip on his sword.
"Let's stay alert."
Two hours passed.
Eventually Artorius spotted his final target.
A Horned Deer.
The elegant animal grazed quietly between the trees.
"Careful," Artorius whispered.
"Horned Deer are extremely cautious."
He slowly moved into position.
One wrong sound could make the deer run away.
After a moment, he raised his hand.
Lightning Stun.
The spell struck perfectly.
The deer froze.
Artorius rushed forward and delivered a clean strike.
The animal collapsed.
He exhaled in relief.
"That's the last one—"
Suddenly his instincts screamed.
Move!
Artorius twisted his body.
Too late.
A large wolf lunged from the bushes.
Its jaws clamped onto his arm.
"Gah!"
The impact knocked him to the ground.
His sword slipped from his hand.
"A Forest Wolf?!" he gasped.
"That is an E-rank monster," Travy warned.
"Why is it here…?!"
The wolf tightened its jaws.
Pain shot through his arm.
Artorius forced himself to stay calm.
"Don't panic… think."
He focused mana into his body.
Body Strengthening.
This time he pushed more power into the spell instead of duration.
His muscles surged with strength.
"Let go!"
He punched the wolf's head.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The wolf staggered.
Its grip loosened.
Artorius seized the moment.
He grabbed the wolf's neck and slammed it to the ground.
"Water Slash!"
He struck repeatedly.
The wolf struggled.
Then finally went still.
Silence returned to the forest.
Artorius collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.
"Haah… haah…"
Blood dripped from his arm.
"That… really hurts…"
"You survived a surprise attack from an E-rank monster," Travy said.
"Your judgment was appropriate."
Artorius forced a weak smile.
"Thanks… partner."
He grabbed a bandage from his inventory and tied a tourniquet.
Then he raised his other hand.
"Let's try something."
He imagined the cells repairing themselves.
Healing.
Warm light gathered around his palm.
The wound slowly closed.
After a moment, the bleeding stopped completely.
Artorius stared at his arm.
"It worked…"
"For your first battle against a stronger monster," Travy said,
"you performed exceptionally well."
Artorius chuckled weakly.
"I almost died."
"But you did not."
"…Yeah."
He slowly stood up.
"I think it's time to head back."
After leaving the forest, Artorius sat on the grassy plains near the entrance.
He pulled out a sandwich from his inventory.
Tuna, mayonnaise, and lettuce.
After the intense battle, the simple food tasted incredible.
"Eating after a fight feels different," he said.
"It feels like a reward."
"That is a common sentiment among adventurers," Travy replied.
Artorius nodded.
"By the way… is there magic that stores items?"
"Yes. A spatial spell called Item Box."
"That's perfect."
"It will make a good excuse for my inventory."
After finishing his meal, Artorius returned to town.
When he entered the guild, Sistina greeted him again.
"Welcome back, Sir Artorius."
"I completed the test."
He produced the materials.
Sistina carefully inspected everything.
Then she smiled brightly.
"Congratulations. You are now an F-rank adventurer."
She upgraded his license.
The plate changed into a darker copper color.
Then Artorius mentioned the Forest Wolf.
Sistina's expression changed instantly.
"You encountered an E-rank monster?"
"Yes."
"I healed the wound already."
Sistina looked relieved but still cautious.
"For safety reasons, we must verify your statement."
She brought out a crystal device.
"Please place your hand here."
"If you lie, the crystal will turn red."
Artorius placed his hand on the crystal.
Her questions followed.
"Did you encounter the Forest Wolf in the F-rank area?"
"Yes."
The crystal glowed green.
"Did you defeat it yourself?"
"Yes."
Green again.
Sistina sighed in relief.
"I'm glad you're safe."
Since the request board did not currently accept Forest Wolf hunts, the guild bought the carcass instead.
Sistina handed him the coins.
"Fifty five copper coins in total."
Artorius nodded gratefully.
"Thank you."
Then he asked something else.
"Is it allowed for adventurers to register with the Mage's Guild?"
Sistina smiled again.
"Of course."
"In fact, we encourage it."
Artorius nodded.
"Good to know."
As he stepped outside, his thoughts returned to the magic he had used earlier.
Detection magic.
Healing.
All improvised through instinct and scientific knowledge.
"If I learn magic properly…"
He looked toward the district where the Mage's Guild stood.
"…I might become much stronger."
With that thought, Artorius began walking toward the Mage's Guild.