Chapter 28

After Nina and Rena had fallen asleep, I left the inn. My destination was a forest that I had decided on from a book I bought at the guild, which contained information about the monsters in the area.

About 5 km northwest of the city of Kama, there was a vast forest that stretched endlessly. The deeper you went, the stronger and more varied the monsters became, with Rank 2 to Rank 5 monsters found in the middle layers.

Stepping into the forest, I maintained and set up Light Balls at regular intervals to serve as markers for my return. It was now the middle of the night, and the moonlight alone was not enough to see my feet. Yuu deployed multiple Light Balls instead of Fire Balls around him and proceeded forward.

Within five minutes of entering the forest, nocturnal monsters appeared. A wolf covered in black fur, a Black Wolf, stood before him. Yuu had defeated this monster several times before, and he knew that there were multiple Black Wolves in the forest, as revealed by his "Detection" skill.

(Well, let's try out the new equipment and magic sword right away.)

The Black Wolves surrounded Yuu, their number totaling ten. The youngest and most energetic Black Wolf lunged at Yuu.

"Vaaaaaah!!"

Before the Black Wolf's fangs could tear into Yuu, Yuu's obsidian iron greatsword sliced it in half. The sharpness of this new weapon was so superior to his previous one that Yuu himself was surprised.

(Haha, this is amazing...)

The remaining Black Wolves attacked simultaneously, but they were killed one by one without even touching Yuu, whose stats had significantly increased after taking on the Magic Warrior job.

After slaying the last one, Yuu stripped it of its magic core and materials and continued deeper into the forest. Due to the blood covering his body from the battle with the Black Wolves, more monsters were drawn to him by the scent of blood.

Orc Soldiers, Goblin Leaders, Hobgoblins, Murder Snakes, Big Boes, and even a Rank 3 Goblin General were present. Yuu checked the stats of the monsters and found two with names.

Name: Yaven

Race: Goblin General

Rank: 3

Level: 27

HP: 364

MP: 163

Strength: 213

Agility: 233

Vitality: 136

Intelligence: 83

Magic: 49

Luck: 22

Passive Skills:

Command Level 3

Swordsmanship Level 4

Strength Enhancement Level 2

Active Skills:

Sword Techniques Level 2

Combat Techniques Level 3

Unique Skills:

Follower Subjugation Level 1

Name: Gugven

Race: Goblin General

Rank: 3

Level: 18

HP: 266

MP: 121

Strength: 163

Agility: 134

Vitality: 101

Intelligence: 63

Magic: 32

Luck: 16

Passive Skills:

Command Level 1

Swordsmanship Level 3

Strength Enhancement Level 1

Active Skills:

Sword Techniques Level 2

Combat Techniques Level 2

Unique Skills:

Follower Subjugation Level 1

(As expected, named monsters are much stronger than others of the same race...)

"Gogaaaah!"

The named Goblin General shouted, and the monsters began to move. The Orc Soldiers, Murder Snakes, and Big Boes attacked recklessly, but the Goblins, unlike before, coordinated their attacks, albeit clumsily.

"Booooh!!"

Ducking a Hobgoblin's attack, a Goblin General attacked from the side with a sword. Yuu blocked it with his obsidian iron greatsword, but this Goblin General, with a Swordsmanship level of 3, was not easily defeated.

Taking advantage of this opening, a Goblin Leader and an Orc Soldier launched a counterattack.

"Don't get cocky!"

Yuu unleashed a Flame Lance at the Goblin Soldier and Orc Soldier. Although he didn't want to use fire magic in the forest, his anger momentarily overcame him. The monsters, now more cautious, kept their distance after Yuu used magic.

Seizing this opportunity, Yuu focused on his obsidian iron greatsword and infused it with Fire magic. Flames began to wrap around the sword, but to prevent a fire, he concentrated further, making the flames disappear and the blade turn red.

(Alright, this should do it.)

"Ubooooooh!"

Unable to withstand the tension, a foolish Big Boe charged straight at Yuu. Dodging, Yuu sliced it in half, the cut edges charred and blackened.

(I'm not sure if the sharpness has increased, but I'll try out other magic as well.)

The subsequent battles became more of an experimental ground for Yuu to test his skills. He used wind and fire magic swords and intentionally allowed attacks to test the durability of his armor. Gradually, the monsters were slain.

When he realized it, the higher-level named Goblin General was gone.

(I was so focused on practicing with the weapon and skills that I missed it...)

The other Goblin General, however, glared at Yuu without fleeing. Behind him, various Goblins, including Goblin Soldiers and Goblin Leaders, appeared.

(The effect of the "Follower Subjugation" skill, I see. He must have gathered monsters from the first to the third underground floors of the mountain cave...)

While watching the Goblin General use the "Follower Subjugation" skill to gather Goblins, Yuu noticed someone tracking him. Although his "Detection" skill, at level 5, was strong enough for a mid-level adventurer, this tracker was undetectable.

(Since they won't move, I'll just ignore them for now.)

When enough Goblins had gathered, the Goblin General led them toward Yuu. Yuu sheathed his obsidian iron greatsword.

"Gii!?"

The Goblin General, mistaking Yuu's sheathing of the sword as a sign of surrender or submission, laughed.

"Sorry, but you'll have to participate in my training as well."

Yuu's hands were equipped with obsidian iron gauntlets. Infusing them with magic in the same way as his magic sword, they turned red. Yuu charged into the Goblin crowd, killing them with his fists.

"Kyaaaaah!!"

A Goblin Leader who took a direct hit from Yuu's punch had a fist-sized indentation in its face, which was charred and smoking.

The Goblin General, realizing the situation had turned against him, tried to flee, but Yuu wouldn't let him.

"I won't let you escape."

"Gigii!!"

The Goblin General's sword was easily deflected by Yuu's gauntlets. Despite initially putting up some resistance, the Goblin General was now being toyed with by Yuu. At this point, Yuu had already stolen a skill from the Goblin General.

"Haa!!"

Yuu activated the "Roar" skill he had stolen from the Black Wolf, causing the Goblin General to freeze. Yuu then struck with his fists, one to the stomach and one to the face. The fact that a Rank 3 named monster died from just two hits was unusual, but Yuu, unaware of this, continued to slay the remaining Goblins and collect their magic cores and materials.

With his item pouch full, Yuu ended his training.

Of the magic cores he obtained that day, only two were complete. Out of the many monsters he had slain, one of the complete cores belonged to the named Goblin General.

(Named monsters might have a higher chance of dropping complete magic cores...)

By the time he left the forest, the tracker's presence had disappeared. Returning to the inn and entering his room, he found mud on the floor. Nina's boots, which were next to the bed, were covered in mud.

(This guy... when did she raise her stalking level to the point where she could escape my detection?)

"Hey... Nina, were you tracking me?"

"............Guh... guh..."

Yuu knew that Nina, who he had been traveling with, didn't snore when she slept.

"If you keep pretending to be asleep, I won't sleep with you or take a bath with you anymore."

Instantly, Nina jumped out of bed, leaped backward, and prostrated herself.

"I'm sorry~"

That day, the room at the Wind Vane Inn echoed with the sounds of something being hit and cries that could be interpreted as either screams or moans...