Chapter Summaries

Lin Mo learned the Knight skills Tenacity and Shield Bash within seconds, astonishing Bern with how quickly he mastered them. After raising his Constitution to 9, Lin Mo went to bed and prepared to open the treasure chest from the final secret chamber.

• Lin Mo learned Tenacity from the Knight skill scroll and tested its defensive effect.
• Bern watched Lin Mo master the skill in seconds and handed him the Knight scroll to keep safe.
• Lin Mo borrowed Bern’s shield, learned Shield Bash, and raised his Constitution to 9.
• Cody and Bern went to sleep while Evan stayed on watch for Miriam.
• Lin Mo entered the tent and took out the unopened grayish-blue treasure chest.

Lin Mo found a fiery potion and a Magic Stone in the treasure chest, then rested before setting out with Bern’s party to return to town. He parted on friendly terms with the adventurers, who planned to go their separate ways after the journey.

• Lin Mo discovered a scorching red potion and a smooth bead that he identified as a Magic Stone, but he lacked the magic power to use them.
• Lin Mo stored the treasure and slept lightly through the night with his Wolfbone Sword beside him.
• Evan kept watch while Miriam drank the remaining Life Potion before he finally rested near dawn.
• Lin Mo told Bern that the party had collected enough Cat Demon claws to meet the quest requirements, and Bern announced they would head back.
• Bern asked Lin Mo to help them on the return trip, and Lin Mo agreed before he and the party set off through the forest.

Lin Mo returned to the Adventurer's Guild with Bern's party, turned in their missions, and later brought two Minotaur axes to Edgar. Edgar was stunned to learn Lin Mo had killed the Minotaurs.

• Bern and Lin Mo turned in missions E1029 and E1033 and sold their excess Goblin and Cat Demon materials to the guild.
• Lin Mo received his share of the rewards, and Bern repaid him for the Life Potion before returning to the inn with his party.
• Lin Mo visited Edgar's forge on Copper Hammer Street and showed him two enormous axes.
• Edgar examined the axes and learned Lin Mo had taken them from two Minotaurs.
• Edgar roared in shock when he realized Lin Mo had killed Minotaurs.

Lin Mo sold the materials from his recent monster kills to Edgar, who offered him free equipment repairs and paid for priority rights to future materials. After leaving the smithy, Lin Mo headed to Julian Alchemy Workshop on Harvest Street.

• Edgar questioned Lin Mo about killing Minotaurs, and Lin Mo showed him two pairs of their horns and revealed that he had advanced during his quest.
• Edgar promised to repair Lin Mo's equipment for free, and Lin Mo left his damaged leather armor and Wolfbone Sword at the smithy.
• Lin Mo showed Edgar the claws and teeth of an adult Tattooed Cat Demon, and Edgar agreed to repair the gear by the next day.
• Edgar offered Lin Mo 60 Gold Coins for the axes, Minotaur horns, and Cat Demon materials in exchange for first rights to buy suitable materials Lin Mo found later; Lin Mo accepted.
• Lin Mo left Edgar eager to forge the materials and went to Julian Alchemy Workshop on Harvest Street.

Lin Mo visited Madam Yulian to identify a Flame Reagent and a fire-aspected Magic Stone, then kept both despite their high value because he still hoped to become a mage. After resting at his inn, he ate at the Silver Bistro and considered finding teammates while hearing local news about Miss Eunice.

• Lin Mo bought a Basic Life Potion from Madam Yulian and asked her to identify a fiery-red potion and a small bead.
• Madam Yulian identified the potion as a powerful Flame Reagent worth 800 Gold Coins and the bead as a fire-aspected Magic Stone worth about 300 Gold Coins.
• Lin Mo refused to sell either magical item and asked Madam Yulian how to obtain magic power, but she said she could not teach him.
• Lin Mo returned to his inn, slept until evening, and went to the Silver Bistro for dinner.
• Lin Mo listened to local news about Miss Eunice and thought about finding teammates.

Flora confronted Baron Lar and Eunice Lawrence over their failure to investigate a missing Saint Anthony Academy student and their mistreatment of commoners. After Flora left, Eunice insisted they conceal her mother’s plan and direct the investigation away from it, but Lar began to reveal something.

• Flora questioned Eunice Lawrence and Baron Lar about a missing student from her class and their failure to investigate.
• Flora accused Lar’s guards of avoiding the forest and forcing commoners to face danger, then warned Eunice she would act if she found evidence.
• After Flora left, Lar admitted his fear, and Eunice rebuked him before telling him to cooperate with the investigation on the surface.
• Eunice said they should steer Flora toward the outskirts of Lorraine Forest and keep her mother’s plan from being exposed.
• Lar began to say, “Actually—”

Lin Mo returned to the Adventurer's Guild to choose his next quest and look for reliable teammates. Laina mentioned that a friend's party was recruiting, but the chapter ended before Lin Mo learned more.

• Edgar returned Lin Mo's repaired equipment and said his work on the Tattooed Cat Demon claw daggers would be ready in a few days.
• Lin Mo bought supplies and a larger backpack before heading to the Adventurer's Guild.
• Lin Mo considered an E-rank Great Slime hunt and Edgar's Earth Bear hide quest, then narrowed his options to those quests and a caravan support mission.
• Lin Mo asked Laina about finding teammates, and she explained how he could post his information or contact recruiting parties.
• Laina offered to introduce Lin Mo to a friend whose party was recruiting.

Lin Mo asked Laina to introduce him to her friend Ally’s adventuring party, and revealed that he had already become a professional. As they waited for the party’s representative, Laina spoke about her poor performance and uncertain future as a Guild receptionist.

• Lin Mo asked Laina about her friend’s party, and Laina explained that it had five members, including her Half-beastman friend Ally of the Ice Wolf Tribe.
• Laina warned Lin Mo indirectly that Ally’s mid-tier party wanted a Ranger, but Lin Mo asked her to contact them anyway.
• Lin Mo told Laina he had already become a professional, and Laina congratulated him and said the party would likely accept him.
• Laina told Lin Mo that a party member came to the Association each morning to check for applicants, so he waited with her.
• Laina admitted that her poor performance had led to extra days off and left her worried about earning enough to support herself.

Lin Mo learned about Ally’s Ice Wolf Tribe bloodline and met her while seeking a place on her adventuring team. Ally went to ask her captain about recruiting him, leaving Lin Mo waiting at the Association.

• Laina explained that Ally had a diluted Ice Wolf Tribe bloodline and was nearing professional strength after only half a year as an adventurer.
• Laina described Ally as friendly and generous, noting that Ally had often lent money to her party members.
• Ally arrived at the Association, and Laina introduced her to Lin Mo.
• Laina told Ally that Lin Mo was a professional seeking a team, and Ally agreed to ask her captain about letting him join.
• Ally said the team planned to take the Earth Bear mission and two simpler jobs the next day, then hurried off to consult the captain.

Lin Mo sought to join Alston’s team, but Alston doubted that he was a professional and challenged him to an entry assessment. Their spar began with Lin Mo discovering that Alston’s strength and speed fell short of his expectations.

• Lin Mo met Alston after returning to the Association with Ally, and Alston demanded to see his professional badge.
• Lin Mo explained that he had only recently become an adventurer and advanced, so Alston proposed testing his strength in a spar.
• Alston promised to acknowledge Lin Mo and give him an equal share of mission rewards if he could withstand five moves.
• Lin Mo and Alston entered the practice field, where the adventurers gathered to watch their wooden-sword spar.
• Lin Mo parried Alston’s opening attack and judged that Alston was weaker and slower than he had expected, then urged him not to hold back.

Lin Mo defeated Alston in a spar and joined the Charging Bull Squad for a meal and their planned missions. After preparing his gear, he met the squad at the Association the next morning, ready to set out.

• Alston used a skill against Lin Mo, but Lin Mo shattered both their wooden swords and struck Alston before accepting his surrender.
• Alston apologized, welcomed Lin Mo to the Charging Bull Squad, and explained that they would take on an Earth Bear mission, a Giant Rat Nest mission, and a Giant Slime Condensate collection mission.
• Lin Mo agreed to the plans despite disliking Slimes, and Alston invited him to meet the other squad members that evening.
• The squad accepted its missions at separate counters, then Lin Mo had protective coatings applied to his Wolfbone Sword and Leather Armor.
• Lin Mo shared a meal with the squad that evening and met them at the Association early the next morning to set out.

Alston’s party cleared three Giant Rat burrows by driving the rats out with toxic smoke, and Lin Mo gained proficiency while fighting. Afterward, the party waited for the smoke to disperse, where Soran tried to ask Alston about Bena and was rebuffed.

• Alston led the party through the forest and assigned teams to handle three Giant Rat burrows.
• Ally explained how their smoke powder would flush out the rats, and the party sealed the burrow entrances after lighting it.
• Giant Rats rushed out, and Ally and Lin Mo killed them, with Lin Mo using Cross Slash against several at once.
• The party moved away to rest while the smoke dispersed, and Lin Mo checked the proficiency he had gained from killing thirteen rats.
• Soran asked Alston about Bena, but Alston told him to get lost, and Rick and Carson teased Soran about his crush.

Lin Mo’s party searched the Lorraine Riverbank for a Great Slime while encountering increasing numbers of Goblins. Carson eventually found a Great Slime facing off against a group led by a Mutated Goblin, and the party watched from concealment as the Goblins roared at their opponents.

• The party collected Giant Rat ears, traveled to the Lorraine Riverbank, and rested before searching for Slimes.
• Lin Mo’s group killed Slimes and several groups of Goblins but found no Great Slime at first.
• Lin Mo discovered that Tenacity gained proficiency when its damage-reduction effect triggered, meaning he had to get hit.
• Carson found Goblins and Slimes facing off deeper in the forest, including a Great Slime and a Mutated Goblin leading numerous Goblins.
• The party concealed themselves and watched as the Goblins roared at the Slimes.

Lin Mo joined Alston’s team as they watched goblins and slimes fight, then used his stealth and sword skills to attack the Mutated Goblin and test Tenacity against the Great Slime. He gained proficiency in several skills and discovered that Tenacity could train through collisions, then continued attacking the Great Slime.

• Alston’s team watched the goblins and slimes fight, waiting for both sides to weaken before intervening.
• Lin Mo volunteered to act and used a Stealth Skill so advanced that Carson believed it was close to a Professional’s level.
• Lin Mo surprised the Mutated Goblin with two sword wounds, then followed up with Cross Slash after the Great Slime knocked it away.
• Lin Mo dodged the Great Slime’s attack and discovered that a collision with its body increased his Tenacity proficiency.
• Lin Mo realized Tenacity could be trained through ordinary combat collisions and attacked the Great Slime again while the skill still had one use left.

After Lin Mo and Alston defeated the Great Slime and routed the remaining monsters, the team camped for the night. Lin Mo noticed Ally’s isolation and offered her food and company, leaving her surprised that he wanted to talk with her.

• Alston and the others joined Lin Mo in battle, and Lin Mo and Alston killed the Great Slime as the Goblins fled.
• Lin Mo pursued the remaining monsters to improve his skills while the team gathered the spoils and chose a campsite away from the river.
• The team made camp, cooked a wild chicken, and chatted as they maintained their weapons.
• Lin Mo noticed Ally sitting alone, made her a chicken-and-cheese sandwich, and asked to sit with her.
• Ally accepted the food and asked why Lin Mo wanted to talk with her.

Ally recalled the discrimination she had faced as a half-beastman and the brief warmth Lin Mo had offered her, then quietly wished she were not a half-beastman. At dawn, the team prepared to face the Earth Bear in the Deep Forest Area and set out cautiously.

• Ally remembered how humans and beastmen had shunned her and Laina, and how Lin Mo's kindness had briefly eased her loneliness.
• Ally watched Lin Mo return to his tent, wished she were not a half-beastman, and went to sleep before her watch.
• At dawn, Lin Mo took the final watch while Alston reflected on recruiting a class-holder stronger than himself.
• The team ate breakfast, packed their supplies, and headed into the Deep Forest Area after Alston warned them to stay alert for Earth Bears.

Lin Mo and his party searched Lorraine Forest's Deep Forest Area for an Earth Bear, collecting monster materials and tracking their target. They found the Earth Bear's territory and prepared to fight as the enormous beast charged at them.

• Lin Mo's party fought goblins and a subadult Bloodthirsty Wolf, collected valuable materials, and continued searching for an Earth Bear.
• Alston called a midday rest and explained that an Earth Bear would be easier to face near evening after it had spent the day moving around.
• Lin Mo checked his attributes and skills and noted that clashes with stronger monsters were raising his Tenacity proficiency quickly.
• Soran noticed that monsters had become scarce, and Alston suspected they had entered a powerful monster's territory.
• Ally identified the scent of an Earth Bear on a tree, and Alston ordered the party to prepare for battle.
• The Earth Bear appeared and charged at the party as they took their positions.

Lin Mo and the squad fought an unusually powerful Earth Bear, coordinating their attacks until they drove it into retreat. When it turned on Lin Mo while fleeing, he exploited its weak points and killed it.

• Alston warned the squad that the Earth Bear was unusually powerful, and he and Lin Mo, Ally, and Soran attacked it while discovering its hide resisted most blows.
• Alston ordered the others to create an opening for Lin Mo, and the squad distracted the bear as Lin Mo wounded it and Soran struck its left eye with a skill-powered arrow.
• The bear knocked Ally into a tree, but she recovered and rejoined the fight while the squad steadily overwhelmed it.
• The wounded Earth Bear fled, and Lin Mo chased it and hurled a dagger into the gap beneath its tail.
• The Earth Bear spun around and attacked Lin Mo, but he blocked its bite, seized its paw, struck its vital points, and stabbed it through the mouth toward its throat.

Lin Mo and his party killed the Earth Bear, completed their mission, and camped nearby to recover. By the campfire, Lin Mo reassured Ally that he held no prejudice against half-beastmen, and she broke down in tears.

• Lin Mo finished off the weakened Earth Bear with a Cross Slash, and Alston checked that he was unharmed while Ally recovered from a minor injury.
• The party harvested the Earth Bear's hide and meat, then made camp nearby as night approached.
• Alston roasted a bear paw, while Carson prepared meat for the group, and the adventurers shared a feast.
• Ally approached Lin Mo as he rested with a plate of meat, and he noticed the fur on her wrist before she apologized.
• Lin Mo told Ally that he did not judge half-beastmen for their differences, and she wept beneath the moonlight.

Eunice discovered that the staged Goblin attack had been uncovered and ordered Baron Lar to investigate who collected monster rewards, while Lin Mo checked his skills during watch. The chapter ended with Lin Mo’s Tenacity reaching Level 2.

• Eunice confronted Baron Lar, who admitted the arranged scene had been destroyed and that he had concealed it for ten days.
• Eunice ordered Lar to investigate monster-reward payouts quietly, suspecting someone had killed the Mutated Goblin and taken the Spell Scroll.
• After Lar left, Eunice summoned Jim to the bridal chamber.
• During the night watch, Lin Mo checked the camp’s traps and reviewed his skill panel.
• Lin Mo gained enough proficiency from keeping Tenacity active in the Earth Bear battle to raise it to Level 2.