Chapter 34

The team leaped into action, vaulting over the wall. Nick hesitated momentarily before following suit, focusing on the wind around him. allowed him to summon a controlled burst, cushioning his fall as he landed lightly on the forest floor. activated immediately after that, and with a deep breath, Nick began running through the Stalking Gait's internal pattern. It wasn't enough to make a meaningful difference in battle yet, but it cost little to keep it active, and it allowed him to keep pace with the others without exhausting himself.

The adventurer's cries were much closer now, and the sound of heavy footfalls and snapping branches signaled the creature's approach. Nick's heart pounded as they accelerated, rushing through the trees with weapons drawn.

Technically, this was his first sanctioned foray into the Green Ocean. Unfortunately, he had no time to look around for signs of change.

They reached a small clearing just as the adventurer stumbled into view. It was a young woman clad in tattered leather armor who was sprinting for her life, all color having fled her features. Behind her, a massive lizard-like creature barreled through the underbrush, uncaring of the trail of destruction it left behind. It was barely smaller than a thunderhoof and had thick, scaly limbs that allowed it to clear the way without much trouble.

Nick fleetingly wondered if it was related to the wyverns, but a glance told him its features were much less draconic, and it had no sign of wings on its back.

"Take positions!" Darian barked, unsheathing his sword and taking point. A soft, hazy aura appeared around his other arm until it coalesced into a shield, though it remained invisible to Nick’s mystical senses. A moment later, the woman saw them and yelled with relief.

Following his orders, the patrol spread out, forming a loose semicircle between the creature and the fleeing adventurer. Darian stepped forward, unafraid of the monster barreling his way.

"Get down!" he shouted. She dropped to the ground, rolling away just as the lizard lunged with its maw open. Darian met it head-on, allowing his shield to absorb the brunt of the impact before pushing the beast away with a grunt. He slid back a few inches, but he kept standing.

Nick hesitated for only a moment before stepping into the fray.

Most of his other spells also ran the risk of hitting his allies, so he decided to go with the one he felt would do less collateral damage, despite being his most recent acquisition. Abandoning the enhancements he was using for a moment, Nick used the leftover mana to ignite the matrix, and howled into existence, aiming for the creature's flank and striking true, sending the lizard staggering to the side. It roared in frustration and turned toward him, showing that it wasn't just a dumb beast. Its purple tongue flicked out, tasting the air, and Nick felt some sort of pulse spread from it.

"Good hit!" Darian shouted. "Keep it up!"

The others quickly joined in, obscuring his sight and thus limiting him to lending support where needed. At one point, he was forced to hurriedly cast to grab Arlen, who had overcommitted and risked losing a hand to a hungry maw.

Fortunately, the soldiers deserved their class and had no trouble dealing with the lizard now that its momentum had been halted. Spear thrusts, sword slashes, and even a few kicks followed.

With a final, pained screech, the lizard collapsed, slumping in a pool of blue blood. They all waited silently until the System appeared with the notification of its death, only then releasing a breath. Fifty exp meant little to Nick now, but he didn't complain, considering that he barely had to take part in the fight.

"Alright, I want two of you on the lookout for any further monsters. Laus, do me a favor and check the trail to see if we should expect anything to follow in its stampede; we don’t want the besties to get riled up and follow us back to town. The rest of you, get to dismantling the carcass! Just because we are soldiers doesn't mean we don't get to enjoy the spoils of our hard work!"

With that, the group dispersed, all busying themselves with their chosen tasks. Nick quickly took a few steps away and made it obvious he was one of the lookouts, as he had no intention of making more of a mess of his clothes by wading through monster guts if he didn't need to.

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Meanwhile, Darian approached the adventurer, who was still crouched on the ground, trembling. He offered her a hand and pulled her up. "Are you alright?"

She nodded shakily, her voice barely above a whisper. "Th-thank you. I thought I was done for."

"You were lucky," Darian said, looking her up and down for any sign of injury. For someone who had come inches from the jaws of death, she seemed to be doing more than fine, with just a few scratches from running into the vegetation. "Next time, don't wander so deep into the forest alone."

Many questions remained about his last experience in the Green Ocean, and Nick did his best not to develop unsubstantiated theories just for his peace of mind—that way lay misconceptions and faulty knowledge. However, he couldn't help wondering if the increase in mana levels and the appearance of monsters with cores were linked to the minor domain.

Darian clapped a hand on his shoulder, startling him from his spiraling thoughts. "Not bad for your first patrol, kid. I didn't want to give you preferential treatment just because you are the Captain's son, but you are alright despite being a scrawny Mage."

Nick smiled, accepting the praise for what it was. Soldiers, especially veterans like Darian, weren't exactly known to be effusive with their compliments to magical classes. That he had his approval was pleasantly surprising.

Once Laus, the team's scout, made sure there would be no follow-up monster they had to deal with, they walked back to the barracks, grabbing hold of their prize with little effort. What should have been an exhausting task was done in silence by two soldiers, who, despite being perfectly average, had no trouble slinging a couple hundred pounds around.

The adventurer seemed to be already over her fright, which was remarkable in and of itself. If anything, now that she was sure she wasn’t about to die, she seemed to be more interested in teasing Arlen, who kept sneaking unsubtle glances at her exposed midriff.

She stretched more times than anyone needed to, giving him an eyeful and sending the poor teenager right into a tree.

Nick did his best to suppress a snicker, but the others weren't so reserved, and poor Arlen was teased for the rest of the walk.

When they arrived, Darian dismissed the patrol with a wave of his hand. "Good work, everyone. Get some rest after you've taken the lizard to the butchers. We're back at it tomorrow."

The soldiers dispersed, some making their way toward the barracks while the two with the lizard went directly into the town, where they'd likely sell the monster and get a nice bonus. Nick could have gone after them to ask about his portion of the earnings, considering how tight his finances were after his last purchase, but he lingered, deciding that sating his curiosity was more important. He was the Captain's son anyway; he doubted they'd cheat him.

Keeping his body language casual, he tracked Darian and the rescued adventurer as they moved toward a quieter corner near the barracks. The girl grimaced but followed Darian's lead.

Nick glanced around, then settled into a casual stretching routine, using the opportunity to stay nearby without drawing attention.

He closed his eyes and focused, drawing on the surrounding air. Redirecting close sounds was one of the few elemental techniques he could manage without a spell, but it required intense concentration. Carefully, he tuned out the ambient noise until he caught the voices he was searching for.

"Let me get this straight," Darian said, gruff but not unkind. "You went into the forest alone, knowing the risks, just to gather healing herbs when you could have bought them at the damn apothecary or the alchemist's shop?"

The adventurer's voice wavered. "I-I didn't have much choice. My boyfriend usually comes with me, but he's sick. We're low on funds, and we needed healing supplies. I thought… I thought I could handle it."

"And how did that go?" Darian asked, dripping with condescension. "Do you have any idea how close you came to dying out there?"

Tears laced her words. "I just wanted to help him… I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Nick frowned, leaning into the stretch to better maintain his focus. The desperation in her voice seemed real, but the older man didn't seem moved.

"Listen," Darian said after a moment. His tone softened, but only slightly. "I've seen dozens like you, running headlong into danger because you think you can manage on your own. Some of them get lucky, like today. Most don't. If you don't start using your head, you will end up in the death tally."

The woman sniffled, and her response was too quiet for Nick to catch. Darian let out a long sigh and continued in a lower voice. "I'll let you off with a warning this time, but only because no one got hurt helping you. What you did—drawing the monster toward the town—can have terrible consequences. Next time, I might not be so merciful. Now, get out of here before I change my mind."

Nick heard the sound of footsteps retreating, then silence. He straightened from his stretch, releasing the delicate hold on his affinity. Darian's bluntness was harsh but necessary, he supposed. Not everyone got a second chance.

"You done eavesdropping, kid?"

Nick's head snapped up, heart leaping into his throat. Darian stood a dozen feet away, arms crossed. Nick's mind scrambled for an explanation, but before he could speak, Darian smirked.

"Impressive trick, though," Darian said, lowering his voice. "Being able to pull sounds like that at your age? You've got talent."

Nick blinked, stunned. "You… you knew?"

Darian chuckled, stepping closer. "I've been doing this a long time, boy. Do you think you are the first mage to come ‘round here? Or that mages are the only ones with affinities? Let me give you a free lesson: a warrior's just as likely to pick up these tricks as a wizard."

Nick opened his mouth to respond, but Darian pivoted on his heel and began walking away.

"Keep at it, kid," he called over his shoulder. "You've got potential. Just make sure you don't waste it."

Nick stood frozen. He had to actively fight down the impulse to chase after Darian and ask him what exactly he meant. Especially because now that he thought about it, that shield he used had probably been an elemental ability and a superior one at that, as it was beyond his senses.

Reason reasserted itself, and he let the man go. Instead, he went to look for his father. He had to make sure he’d get his share of the spoils, and he could probably sneak in a few questions.