Becoming a Hunter

"Damn it! Bastards! Scum!"

The young noble gritted his teeth, enduring the searing pain throughout his body as he staggered forward, leaning on a tree trunk.

Blood continuously seeped from his wounds, blurring his vision, but his rage fueled his movement.

"Why are there so many monsters suddenly appearing near the manor? Are the guards all asleep?"

He cursed under his breath, his voice trembling with pain.

"When I get back. No, wait..."

Darko shook his heavy head, trying to stay conscious.

"I need to make sure they rescue Roland first before I settle the score with them!"

Dragging his heavy feet, he finally reached the edge of the forest.

Just as he was about to call for help, he caught a strange scent, a mix of roasted meat and blood.

Having just survived a life-and-death struggle, Darko's instincts screamed danger.

He suppressed his dizziness, lowered his body, and cautiously peered out.

He saw the two guards who had stayed behind lying in pools of blood, their bodies covered in gruesome wounds, clearly dead.

Several fine horses had also met a grim fate, their bellies ripped open.

A group of goblins were using rusty blades to carve up the horse meat, roasting it over a campfire, emitting a nauseating charred smell.

"Damn it."

Darko held his breath, scanning his surroundings warily. His already pale face lost even more color.

With trembling fingers, he used the cover of the bushes to count the figures in the distance.

"One, two, three... a hundred goblins!"

Cold sweat trickled down his temples.

"How did these beasts suddenly appear here? When we arrived..."

He saw several groups of goblins patrolling the perimeter, their rusty weapons glinting coldly in the sunlight.

Darko suppressed his dizziness and slowly backed away, inch by inch, until the sickening smell of roasted meat finally dissipated into the air. He then slumped against an oak tree, sliding to the ground.

"Haa... haa..."

His ragged breaths were exceptionally clear in the silent forest.

The excessive blood loss caused his vision to blur, and every breath sent jolts of pain through his wounds.

The young noble tilted his head back, the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves stinging his eyes.

"I never thought I'd die in a place like this... dying at the hands of goblins, how ridiculous..."

In his daze, Roland's calm voice seemed to echo in his ears again.

"Young Master Darko, something's not right. We should prepare to escape."

If only he had taken his advice...

If only they had conserved their strength...

Even without horses, perhaps they could have escaped by looking out for each other.

Darko closed his eyes in pain.

Roland's clear, handsome face appeared before him.

A young man he had only known for less than a day, yet whom he genuinely admired.

Talented, humble, and polite.

"It's all my fault..."

His fingernails dug deeply into his palm.

"If I hadn't insisted on my own way... Roland... he could have definitely made it back alive."

Guilt surged through him like poison fire, tightening his throat and making his eyes sting.

"Young Master Darko?"

"Haa... The church elders in white robes, they weren't lying."

Darko mumbled, his voice barely a whisper.

"You really see hallucinations before you die."

"Young Master Darko!"

No!

This isn't a hallucination!

Darko's eyes, which were about to close, snapped open. His unfocused gaze sharpened.

In the morning light, the young man he felt so guilty about stood before him.

His short black hair was damp with dew, and his slightly thin frame stood ramrod straight.

His handsome face was unblemished except for a few scrapes, and only his blood-stained robes hinted at the battle he had endured.

"Young Master Darko?"

Seeing Darko staring blankly at him without moving, Roland's brow furrowed unconsciously as he pondered.

"Strange. He shouldn't have lost consciousness with his injuries."

Just as Roland bent down to check, Darko suddenly sprang up as if electrocuted, his blood-soaked hands gripping Roland's shoulders tightly.

"Roland! You're alive!"

Darko's voice trembled with disbelief.

It seemed it was just a false alarm.

Feeling the strong grip on his shoulders, Roland's anxious heart finally settled.

He raised his index finger to his lips and lowered his voice.

"Please be quiet, Young Master Darko. This dense forest is crawling with goblins right now."

"Oh, right. Right."

Darko nodded as if waking from a dream. Under the morning light, he examined Roland closely and, for the first time in his life, spoke with genuine reverence.

"Thank Heavenly Father that you're alive and back."

However, after his exclamation, Darko's heart suddenly jolted.

He clearly saw that Roland was completely unharmed, save for a few scattered bloodstains.

"There were at least thirty to forty goblins there just now."

"Roland managed to escape from that horde of goblins unscathed, this is simply..."

Recalling the sharp swordsmanship Roland displayed when wielding his iron sword earlier, Darko swallowed hard, his estimation of Roland increasing further.

"How old is he? Sixteen or seventeen?"

Thinking about his own performance at that age, Darko couldn't help but sigh, a complex expression appearing on his face.

"Young Master Darko, what about those two guards? Why are you here alone?"

"Ha."

Hearing the question, Darko couldn't help but recall the scene from earlier, and his stomach cramped.

He suppressed the discomfort, sighed deeply, and recounted what he had seen and heard.

"Tsk."

After listening to Darko's narration, Roland's brow furrowed, and he unconsciously clicked his tongue.

He pondered for a moment, then cautiously looked around, lowering his voice.

"You should be familiar with this area. Are there any places nearby where we can hide temporarily?"

"Hmm, let me think..."

As his excitement gradually subsided, the pain in his body returned.

Darko leaned against the rough tree trunk beside him, his brow furrowed in thought.

A moment later, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"I've got it! Roland, follow me."

The young noble said this and limped towards the small path on the left.

"Last winter, I hunted a brown bear in a cave not far from here with the guards. That cave is quite spacious; it's an excellent place to rest."

Perhaps seeing Roland safe and sound, Darko's previously faltering steps actually quickened.

However, the journey to the cave was not smooth.

Although the distance wasn't far, the two encountered several goblin patrol teams one after another.

Fortunately, Roland was quick-witted. As soon as he spotted signs of goblins, he attacked first, drawing his sword and killing them immediately.

But the clash of steel and iron inevitably alerted nearby enemies, attracting more pursuers.

The two were forced to fight and retreat, weaving and hiding in the dense forest.

After a series of struggles, they finally broke through the encirclement, passed through layers of dense bushes, and arrived in front of a hidden cave.

"Hoo..."

The prolonged battle drained Roland's stamina like flowing water, and he couldn't help but gasp for air.

He gestured for Darko to stop, and after a brief moment to recover, Roland entered the cave first to inspect it carefully.

As Darko had said, the cave was very spacious, capable of holding seven or eight people.

After confirming there were no signs of recent creature activity, Roland returned to the cave entrance, carefully helped Darko inside, and had him lean against the rock wall to rest.

"Hiss..."

As Darko shifted into a sitting position, his wounds throbbed, causing him to gasp.

Roland looked at his body, covered in injuries, especially the blood-soaked makeshift bandage on his leg, and his brow furrowed deeply.

While these injuries weren't fatal, delaying treatment could put his life at risk.

With this thought, he spoke softly.

"Young Master Darko, allow me to re-bandage your wounds for you."

"Just call me Darko, Roland..."

Darko adjusted his posture, forcing a bitter smile.

"Alright, Darko."

Seeing his sincere expression, Roland raised an eyebrow but said no more, simply tearing off a few pieces of clean lining fabric.

Compared to the hurried treatment during the goblin attack earlier, they had plenty of time now.

Roland recalled the simple bandaging techniques he'd learned before his transmigration, carefully tending to Darko's wounds while asking in a low voice.

"Darko, have you encountered any monsters when hunting in this area before?"

"No."

Darko gritted his teeth against the pain, his voice trembling slightly.

"If there were monsters here, my father would never have allowed me to come."

"Is that so."

Roland rinsed the wound with clear water from his flask, his mind replaying the recent encounter. He pondered for a moment before speaking again.

"I have a feeling... those goblins were searching for something."

"Searching?"

"Yes."

Roland nodded solemnly.

"If their target had been us, they would have pursued us relentlessly. But look at their behavior now – patrolling the forest, setting up sentries. They're clearly looking for something."

"You're right."

Darko responded thoughtfully.

He recalled the goblins that had given up the chase midway and turned back, his brow furrowing.

He tried to piece things together, but after a moment, he could only shake his head in resignation.

"But I can't imagine what they could be looking for in this forest. Believe me, Roland, this cursed place has nothing but wild beasts. And more importantly—"

Darko obediently turned to cooperate with Roland's bandaging, lowering his voice to curse.

"I want to know what that old man Beckham and the guards at the manor were doing! How could so many monsters appear near the manor!"

Roland's hands didn't stop as he continued to bandage Darko's wounds with torn lining fabric, his brow growing increasingly tight.

It wasn't that he disagreed with Darko's words, but he detected a hint of something unusual in his tone.

Darko spoke of Beckham, the sole knight of Blackwater Territory, with a degree of disdain and contempt.

This surprised Roland.

Since his transmigration, whether through hearsay or from close confidants like Sean and John, he had only heard respect and admiration for Beckham.

This was a stark contrast to the contempt Darko was currently displaying.

While in the Golden Valley Kingdom, nobles were positioned above knights in status, this was, after all, a world with supernatural powers.

At least, Roland felt that when facing a knight who wielded such power, like Beckham, even the highest-ranking noble should show sufficient respect.

Yet, Darko's attitude was as if he were addressing an insignificant servant.

This seemed rather illogical.

However, as it had no bearing on their current situation, Roland chose not to pry.

He carefully bandaged Darko's last wound, his movements gentle yet efficient.

While tending to the injury, he said in a low voice.

"Your injuries, especially the one on your leg, cannot be delayed any longer. Although I've done a temporary bandage, without medication, it could lead to permanent damage."

He paused, thinking of the goblin patrols constantly moving through the dense forest outside, and lowered his voice further.

"Furthermore, the goblins' search area is narrowing. It's only a matter of time before they find us. By the time the manor realizes what's happening and sends guards for rescue, it will likely be too late. I suggest we rest briefly and then move immediately. What do you think?"

"You're right, but..."

Darko's brow furrowed as he recalled the scene in the forest earlier.

"You saw it yourself, there are too many goblins. Once they find us, they'll swarm from all directions."

"Unless... we can track their movements beforehand, it will be difficult to avoid those bastards."

Roland nodded heavily.

Although with his current strength, dealing with a few goblins alone and escaping this jungle would be a piece of cake, bringing the injured Darko along was a completely different matter.

As he was thinking, he tightened the last bandage in his hand.

The next moment, a line of golden text suddenly appeared in his vision.

[Emergency Treatment mastered, current level: Lv.1]

"Emergency Treatment."

Looking at the golden subtitles before him, Roland ignored Darko, who was drowsy beside him, and opened his Profession Panel instead.

When he saw that the required survival skills behind the profession Hunter had changed from one bar to two bars, Roland slowly exhaled.

"That was easier than I thought."

"Become a Hunter."

As he silently recited in his heart, the subtitles before him began to change continuously.

[Detected, can take the basic profession Hunter]

[Requirements: Strength 1, Agility 2, any Lv.1 Archery-related skill, two Survival-related skills 2/2]

[Proceed with profession change?]

"Confirm profession change!"

Thanks to Situ Lanye for 3 monthly tickets!

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Thanks to my two foster fathers for their support. Wishing you good health and prosperity!

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