Arc 1Raven’s First Trials

Lance became an adventurer, used his system and relentless training to grow stronger, and began researching an improved hemostatic ointment. As Grayrock Town prepared a large-scale forest purge, Lance unlocked a new Compendium function after attacking Hakon and confirmed that his ointment worked.

  • Lance abandoned copyist work, trained in Castro Swordsmanship, and registered as an adventurer under the alias Raven.
  • Lance began taking forest commissions and used the Map Affix System’s Environmental Stability readings to avoid danger and defeat four Goblins.
  • Lance turned down Damian’s request to join a Goblin hunt and advised him to join veterans and learn to survive.
  • Lance gathered Blood-Clotting Moss for research while rising instability and casualties in Copper Creek Forest prompted the Guild to organize a joint purge with Violet Academy.
  • Gideon offered Cecilia an internship at the Grayrock Town Adventurers' Guild, where she hoped to find a suitable mage Class.
  • Lance raised Castro Swordsmanship to Mastery and gained the Trench Rat's Bite Specialty, improving the penetration of his thrusts.
  • After Hakon insulted him at The Boar and Rose, Lance attacked him in an alley, took his money, and unlocked the Compendium function.
  • Lance completed his Blood-Clotting Moss research, made a special hemostatic ointment, and saw it seal a rabbit’s wound faster than ordinary ointment.
Chapters 1–25 Vol. 1 Read

Ch. 1That Talent Had Better Be Something Decent

Lance, a cautious transmigrant working as a scribe in Grayrock Town, trained his swordsmanship before deciding to register as an adventurer. He discovered that his game-like status panel had granted him a talent that restored his stamina rapidly and dulled his sensitivity to pain and abnormal conditions.

  • Lance finished training and saw that his Castro Swordsmanship had reached level 3, with his Strength and Agility each increasing by one.
  • Lance recalled how the previous owner had been killed after working late as a letter writer, prompting him to abandon the job and take a safer position at the Adventurers' Guild.
  • Lance kept his Guild work discreet and planned to save ten gold coins before traveling to Ostella to pursue a quiet life.
  • A month after arriving in the world, Lance's status panel appeared and revealed his talent, Hvergelmir's Boiling Surge.
  • Lance read that his stamina would recover within a few breaths and that his sensitivity to pain and abnormal conditions would be greatly reduced.

Ch. 2Second Talent: Ouroboros Ring

Lance abandoned his budding adventurer ambitions after reading a dead adventurer’s family letter, then settled into life in Grayrock Town and saved toward a trip to Ostella. Four months after awakening his first Mythical Talent, he discovered that a second crimson Talent, Ouroboros Ring, had appeared.

  • Lance learned that his Mythical Talent restored his stamina as long as he kept breathing, but the dungeon disaster made him reconsider becoming an adventurer.
  • After the rampage killed hundreds of adventurers, Lance read a dead young adventurer’s reply from home and gave part of his wages to the man’s family.
  • Lance spent the following months befriending Nia, Amber, and Flora, while saving money and accepting their help with food and work.
  • Lance saw a second crimson Talent appear on his panel: Ouroboros Ring.

Ch. 3Half a Month Beats a Year of Effort

After gaining the Ouroboros Ring resurrection Talent, Lance weighed the risks and rewards of adventuring and decided to leave his safe clerical job behind. He completed half a month of intense sword training and ended the chapter ready to register as an adventurer.

  • Lance calculated that adventuring could help him save ten gold coins far faster than copyist work, then decided to pursue the path despite its dangers.
  • Lance took leave from work and paid a retired veteran 30 silver coins to teach him Castro Swordsmanship.
  • With Nia's help, Lance secured limited access to a private training room and began training there after work each day.
  • Lance's stamina and mental resilience let him train for hours, while Amber helped feed him leftovers after his sessions.
  • Lance raised Castro Swordsmanship to Proficient after sixteen days of training and prepared to register as an adventurer the next day.

Ch. 4Brass Lantern Base

Lance asked Nia to register him as an adventurer, explaining that his swordsmanship had reached Proficient Level after two weeks of training. Nia agreed to process his application and took him to the warehouse, where she found an old brass lantern base.

  • A special subsidy order raised Grayrock Town quest rewards by twenty percent, drawing adventurers from nearby towns and overwhelming Nia and Lance with paperwork.
  • Lance asked Nia to help him register as an adventurer, and she questioned how he could be ready after only half a month of training.
  • Lance claimed his retired-soldier father had trained him since childhood and credited Nia's private training room with helping him reach Proficient Level swordsmanship.
  • Nia agreed to process Lance's registration but warned him that he still had to take the test.
  • During the guild's midday break, Nia searched the supply warehouse and found a dusty brass lantern base set with a dull translucent ore.

Ch. 5Congratulations, Mr. Raven

Lance used Aredia’s Ember to qualify for Adventurers’ Guild registration and chose Raven as his public adventurer name. As Nia prepared to congratulate him, her growling stomach interrupted her.

  • Nia explained that Aredia’s Ember was a guild testing tool that detected combat strength, despite the fairy tale associated with it.
  • Lance realized that the guild’s instructor assessments persisted to support retired adventurers and preserve their livelihoods.
  • Lance placed his hand on Aredia’s Ember, and the stone glowed, showing that he met the registration standard.
  • Nia filled out Lance’s registration form using Aredia’s Ember as the testing method and asked him to choose a public alias.
  • Lance chose Raven, and Nia began congratulating him before her stomach rumbled loudly.

Ch. 6Gathering Coppercap Mushrooms

Lance prepared to become an adventurer by buying protective gear and supplies, then set out for Copper Creek Forest to complete his first commission gathering Coppercap Mushrooms. He rode with a lumber caravan into the forest’s Outer Region, where he began his cautious first outing.

  • Nia blamed Lance for embarrassing her, and he bought her herb rolls and sparkling berry wine to make amends.
  • Lance bought reliable armor and weapons in the Craftsmen's District, spending much of his savings on equipment.
  • Lance received his adventurer identification, which displayed his codename, Raven.
  • Lance accepted a beginner commission to gather Coppercap Mushrooms in the Outer Region of Copper Creek Forest.
  • Lance rode a lumber wagon toward the forest and chatted with timber merchants about local dangers and travel conditions.

Ch. 7Environmental Stability

Lance arrived at Stump Camp, declined Kyle’s invitation to join a Goblin hunt, and entered Copper Creek Forest to gather Coppercap Mushrooms. There, he discovered that his Map Affix System had come with him and could use Environmental Stability to warn him of approaching danger.

  • Lance reached Stump Camp and learned that newcomers had to complete basic commissions before entering the dungeon.
  • Kyle invited Lance to join his team’s Goblin-clearing commission, but Lance refused because he planned to gather mushrooms; Kyle warned him to avoid the western stream, where Gnolls had been seen.
  • Lance entered Copper Creek Forest and saw the Map Affix System identify the area as Calm, with Environmental Stability at 97%.
  • Lance realized falling Environmental Stability could warn him that monsters or other dangers were approaching, giving him a chance to escape.
  • At the first Coppercap Mushroom gathering point, Lance noticed the poorly equipped newcomers searching among the stumps and saw their wariness toward him.

Ch. 8Investing Points in the Skill Slot

Lance completed a Coppercap Mushroom gathering commission, earned his first adventuring money, and shared treats with Nia. After hearing that a Gnoll and Goblin ambush had struck the forest, he learned that Kyle’s team had not returned.

  • Lance gathered Coppercap Mushrooms, invested his Skill Experience in Castro Swordsmanship, and fled when Environmental Stability began falling.
  • Lance warned the adventurers at the gathering spot, but they dismissed him, so he returned to town alone and turned in his commission for eighty-five copper coins.
  • Lance bought pastries and candies, then gave Nia her favorite flower-honey candies and invited her to join Amber and Flora for cards.
  • Lance studied the commission board and overheard adventurers describe attacks by Gnolls and Goblins on teams near Copper Creek and the Coppercap Mushroom sites.
  • Lance confirmed that the missing team included three men carrying greatswords and axes and a girl with a short bow, then turned away from the commission board.

Ch. 9Basic Botany and Simple Potionmaking

Lance visited Grayrock Town’s bookstore to find books for study and ran into Flora, who was buying her first advanced potionmaking manual. Flora helped him locate books on herbs and monsters, leaving him with a beginner’s guide to botany and potionmaking.

  • Lance browsed the bookstore and reluctantly put back an expensive illustrated travel book after seeing its price.
  • Lance bumped into Flora, who explained that Aunt Morwenna had sent her to buy a beginner’s potion manual because she was ready to study real alchemy.
  • Flora helped Lance find the Copper Creek Herbal and Mineral Compendium and a detailed Copper Creek Forest Monster Manual.
  • Flora found Basic Botany and Simple Potionmaking and gave it to Lance to help him learn to identify wild herbs.

Ch. 10Research Function Unlocked

Lance bought books on botany and potionmaking with Flora’s help, then used the system to develop his new Botany knowledge and unlock Research. He began a project to improve Hemostatic Ointment and planned to gather Blood-Clotting Moss on his next quest.

  • Flora paid the shortfall when Lance could not afford all three books, and Lance promised to repay her.
  • Lance studied the books in his spare time until Botany appeared as a new Knowledge category on his system panel.
  • Lance used Knowledge Experience to deepen his Botany knowledge and deduced that Cup Mushrooms could store dew for drinking.
  • The system unlocked the Research Section, where Lance found that Biological Research was empty and a Hemostatic Ointment project was available.
  • Lance learned that the project required him to gather, dry, and produce 30 ounces of Blood-Clotting Moss Powder, and planned to collect it during a future quest.

Ch. 11Rapidly Dropping Stability

Lance gathered Silverleaf Vine sap in the increasingly volatile Copper Creek Forest, then found Blood-Clotting Moss near Whispering Waterfall. When environmental stability began plummeting no matter which way he fled, he realized danger was closing in and he was surrounded.

  • Lance entered Copper Creek Forest to gather Silverleaf Vine sap despite the system warning that the outer region was restless and its stability could fluctuate by five percent.
  • He reviewed what he knew about goblins and stayed alert as he traveled through the unusually quiet forest.
  • Lance collected ten bottles of Silverleaf Vine sap and completed the commission without incident.
  • At Whispering Waterfall, he identified and gathered Blood-Clotting Moss, gaining botany knowledge.
  • Lance saw stability fall from 72% to 67% and tried to leave, but the value kept dropping as he moved, revealing that danger was approaching from every direction.

Ch. 12First Battle

Lance fought his first battle against a group of Goblins, using the terrain and his stamina advantage to overcome their ranged attacks. He killed all four Goblins, leaving the forest clearing quiet except for the last creature’s dying wails.

  • Lance spotted four Goblins approaching and retreated toward a rock wall to avoid being surrounded.
  • The Goblins threw stones at Lance, but he blocked them with his shield while conserving his stamina.
  • The Goblins charged, and Lance knocked two off balance before killing one with a swift sword thrust.
  • Lance pressed the attack and killed the remaining three Goblins in less than ten seconds.

Ch. 13Swordsman Class Requirements

Lance killed a Goblin patrol, collected its ears, and reported the nearby monster threat to the Adventurers' Guild, earning nearly two silver coins and two merit points. At the guild, he met Damian, who wanted to recruit him for a Goblin-sweeping squad, and learned the requirements for advancing to the Swordsman class.

  • Lance confirmed the Goblins were dead, gained four points of Castro Swordsmanship proficiency, and collected their ears as proof of the kills.
  • Lance returned to the Adventurers' Guild, exchanged the Goblin ears and Silverleaf Vine juice, and received nearly two silver coins and two merit points for reporting the threat.
  • Lance saw new sweeping commissions on the guild bounty board but noted that individual adventurers faced limits on how many they could accept.
  • Damian introduced himself to Lance and asked about forming a squad to sweep nearby Goblin nests, citing his sword training and ambition to become a Swordsman.
  • Lance's system displayed the Swordsman advancement requirements, including attribute and sword-skill thresholds, a Breath Combat Technique, and ten different monsters killed independently with sword techniques.

Ch. 14Kill All the Goblins

Lance learned why Damian had returned from White River City: his brother Kyle had died fighting Goblins, and Damian wanted to become a great adventurer and kill them all. Lance refused to join Damian’s team and instead urged him to learn survival skills from a veteran group before pursuing revenge.

  • Lance recognized Damian’s exceptional swordsmanship and asked why he had left White River City.
  • Damian explained that he had returned after Kyle died, leaving behind little money and an unsent letter urging Damian to study and become a knight.
  • Damian rejected his dream of becoming a noble knight and asked Lance to help him become an adventurer who would kill all the Goblins.
  • Lance refused Damian’s request and told him to withdraw his team application, join a veteran group, and learn how to survive.
  • Lance left the guild, and Damian stood behind, deeply affected by his advice to stay alive.

Ch. 15Biological Research Unlocked

After buying a shortbow and supplies, Lance processed Blood-Clotting Moss in his rented room and discovered that killing Goblins had unlocked Biological Research. He began researching Goblins, hoping to eventually gain their Low-Light Vision Talent.

  • Lance maintained his shortsword, then bought a hazelwood shortbow and fifty arrows after learning crossbows were unreliable in the wild.
  • Lance returned to his cramped attic room in a safer part of Grayrock Town and explained why he considered the high rent worthwhile.
  • Lance cleaned and air-dried the Blood-Clotting Moss to prepare it for the Hemostatic Ointment formula.
  • Lance opened the system panel and found that killing four Goblins had activated the Biological Research module.
  • Lance viewed the Goblin research card at LV 1 (4/20) and considered raising its level to obtain a racial Talent such as Low-Light Vision.

Ch. 16Talent: Steel Stomach

Lance considered how to gain Goblin Research points and planned his training, finances, and future work while monitoring the growing dangers around Copper Creek Forest. As he savored the quiet evening in Grayrock Town, the story shifted to White River Province in the northeastern Iris Kingdom.

  • Lance anticipated extracting Goblin Talents, including possible mutations, and decided to earn Research points by hunting Goblins rather than pursuing intimate encounters.
  • Concerned about rising instability in the forest, Lance resolved to resume regular training with his shortbow and sword.
  • Lance calculated his monthly savings and training costs, then chose to spend a month evaluating his progress and the local dangers before deciding whether to become a full-time adventurer.
  • Lance listed his goals, including improving the Hemostatic Ointment formula and researching other Classes, and felt comforted by Grayrock Town’s peaceful evening.
  • The scene shifted several hundred kilometers away to White River Province in the northeastern Iris Kingdom, where a broad, milky river crossed the plains.

Ch. 17Violet Academy

At Violet Academy, Professor Gideon considered sending novice students to Grayrock Town for field training after receiving a request from an old adventuring companion. He met with Cecilia to discuss her future Class direction, but the chapter ended before she answered.

  • Professor Gideon read a letter from his old companion in Grayrock Town asking for help and considered sending students there for field training.
  • Gideon wrote a teasing reply to his old friend but hid it when someone knocked at his office door.
  • Cecilia visited Gideon, who recognized that her aunt had dressed her in an elaborate white dress.
  • Gideon asked Cecilia whether she had chosen her future Class direction and explained why choosing a Class early mattered.

Ch. 18Great Deed Class

Cecilia struggled to choose a Class because her exceptional Mana Tree Talent did not qualify her for the high-tier human or elf Classes available to her mixed bloodline. Professor Gideon advised her to take an ordinary Mage Class, but Cecilia reminded him that her family’s succession required a Great Deed Class.

  • Cecilia hesitated when Gideon asked whether she was still considering the human-exclusive Mana Bombardier Class.
  • Gideon explained how Classes arose from great deeds and the development of knowledge, and advised Cecilia that her Talent could make even an ordinary Mage Class powerful.
  • Cecilia refused Gideon’s advice and told him that her father had only one child.
  • Gideon remembered that Cecilia Rosenthal was destined to inherit her family and had to take a Great Deed Class before succeeding as its head.

Ch. 19[Fire Thief]

Gideon found Cecilia a chance to pursue a rare mage class through an Adventurers' Guild internship in Grayrock Town. Seven days later, Lance reviewed his progress and grew more concerned as environmental instability in Copper Creek Forest worsened.

  • Gideon decided to recommend Cecilia for an internship with the Grayrock Town Adventurers' Guild, where she might find a rare mage class unrestricted by race.
  • Cecilia eagerly accepted the opportunity and left to prepare for the internship, which would begin in two weeks.
  • Gideon erased his mocking draft and began a new letter to his old brother, Necros.
  • Lance gathered enough Blood-Clotting Moss to nearly complete his research on an improved Hemostatic Ointment formula.
  • Lance saw that Copper Creek Forest's Environmental Stability fluctuation had risen from 5% to 8%, while casualty reports continued to increase.
  • Lance reviewed his swordsmanship and archery progress and noted that archery required more experience to advance but had given him no attribute improvements.

Ch. 20A Large-Scale Joint Purge Commission

Lance considered how professional advancement might help him overcome the limits on his attributes, then learned that the guild had announced a large-scale purge of Copper Creek Forest. The operation was meant to push the human activity zone five kilometers deeper into the forest before students from Violet Academy arrived.

  • Lance suspected that increasing his attributes would require professional advancement and decided he needed more information about professionals.
  • Nia asked Lance to help post the guild’s Large-Scale Joint Purge Commission announcement.
  • Lance read that the guild would organize registered adventurers into teams and assign them routes to clear dangerous monster nests and caves in Copper Creek Forest’s Outer Region.
  • Nia explained that the purge was coordinated with Violet Academy to make the area safer for its incoming students after the recent mage casualties.
  • Lance understood that the operation would need mages for spells and other tasks that physical fighters could not handle.

Ch. 2133 Proficiency Points

Nia told Lance how the Adventurers' Guild planned to use Violet Academy interns as cheap labor to address mana hazards and revive Grayrock Town's economy. After training intensely, Lance gained 33 Proficiency points in archery and planned to push both archery and swordsmanship to their next levels.

  • Nia explained that the Guild president wanted students to resolve forest mana hazards instead of hiring expensive mages.
  • Nia said the interns would receive only a small allowance and basic lodging, while their spending could help Grayrock Town and attract merchants back.
  • After a day of copying work, Lance entered the Guild's training room at night and practiced archery for an hour.
  • Lance fired hundreds of arrows without tiring and raised his Levin Archery to LV2 (75/240), gaining about 33 Proficiency points.
  • Lance planned to break through with swordsmanship and devote more time to archery, which he hoped to raise to level 3 within three days.

Ch. 22Specialty: Trench Rat's Bite

Lance trained Castro Swordsmanship until he mastered it and gained the Trench Rat's Bite Specialty. He tested the Specialty and realized its penetration bonus made his thrusts more stable, leaving him eager to develop other skills into Specialties.

  • Lance practiced Castro Swordsmanship's thrust, shield bash, and retreat sequence with intense focus and quickly recovered his stamina.
  • Lance adjusted his wrist during a thrust, drove the training sword deep into the wooden dummy, and raised Castro Swordsmanship to Mastery.
  • Lance gained the Trench Rat's Bite Specialty, which granted his swordsmanship thrusts 5% additional physical penetration.
  • Lance considered whether mastering other skills could earn more Specialties and decided to test Levin Archery next.
  • Lance tested his new thrust and realized the penetration bonus improved its stability against hard targets.

Ch. 23Seeing Myself Grow Stronger Every Day

Lance saw how much his thrusting technique had improved, then went to The Boar and Rose to eat and check on Amber. He avoided Hakon the Coin Counter, and Amber was interrupted before she could share her gossip.

  • Lance’s specialty boost made his sword thrusts far more effective, and he finished training after damaging the practice equipment.
  • Lance planned to check on his drying Blood-Clotting Moss and see whether his improved Hemostatic Ointment could become a source of income.
  • Lance entered The Boar and Rose and spotted Hakon complaining about Nightingale and outsiders taking adventurers’ work.
  • Amber greeted Lance, served him grilled beef brisket at cost, and prepared to share gossip before another adventurer demanded beer.
  • Amber left to serve the adventurer, leaving Lance waiting at the bar.

Ch. 24Unlocking the Compendium

Lance avoided a confrontation with Hakon in Amber’s tavern, then ambushed and defeated him in an alley. The victory unlocked a Compendium function, whose purpose Lance was left wondering about.

  • Hakon insulted Lance and demanded that he leave his seat, so Lance moved rather than start a fight in the tavern.
  • Amber poured ale over Hakon and forced him to pay for the mug before he left.
  • Lance hurried out after dinner, leaving Amber disappointed and a waitress calling him a scumbag.
  • Hakon went to relieve himself in a back alley, where Lance covered his head with a sack and attacked him.
  • Lance disarmed Hakon, knocked him unconscious, and received a notification that he had unlocked the Compendium function.

Ch. 25Privacy, Secrets, and Social Networks

Lance discovered that the Compendium revealed the secrets and social connections of people he defeated, then used his victory over Hakon to take his money. Back in his attic, he completed research on Blood-Clotting Moss and found that his ointment stopped bleeding far more effectively than the ordinary version.

  • Lance opened Hakon's Compendium entry and learned about Hakon's secrets, attributes, and hostility toward him.
  • Lance stole Hakon's money pouch and returned to his attic with more than thirty silver coins and copper coins.
  • Lance finished processing Blood-Clotting Moss and received a system notification that his research was complete.
  • Lance made a special hemostatic ointment and tested it against ordinary ointment on two wounds in a rabbit's leg.
  • Lance saw that his ointment sealed its wound quickly while the ordinary ointment continued to seep blood.
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Arc 1 of 2