Chapter Summaries

Rain and the Whistling Hunters defeated Shattered Tooth, a Boarfolk Warrior, and prepared to divide their reward. While sorting the spoils, Fabian discovered a problem with the warrior’s leather armor.

• Rain wounded Shattered Tooth repeatedly while Chris and the others harried him with crossbow bolts, then killed him with a spear thrust to the neck.
• Leia recognized the fallen monster as a Boarfolk Warrior and was astonished by Rain’s fighting ability.
• Grand praised Rain for staying to fight, and Rain admitted he would rather avoid having to choose between heaven and battle.
• The group found little valuable loot and planned to collect the job reward and divide it after paying for Chris’s treatment.
• Fabian held up Shattered Tooth’s oversized leather vest and called the others over because something was wrong with it.

On the way back to Mill Town, Rain and his companions found evidence that the injured Boarfolk Warrior had been driven from its clan and may have received human-made armor. Rain examined the bloodline talents he had gained and discovered that Keen Scent let him detect smells from fifty meters away, leaving him awkwardly adjusting to the ability as the journey continued.

• Fabian identified the Boarfolk Warrior’s finely stitched leather vest as likely made with a Sewing Machine, and Rain and Leia considered how it might have reached the Boarfolk.
• Rain pointed out heavy, fresh rib wounds, leading Leia and Fabian to suspect infighting in the Boarfolk clan in Deadwater Valley.
• Leia told the group to load the Boarfolk Warrior onto the wagon and report their findings to the association and the Black Iron Adventurers.
• Rain examined his Brute Strength, Thick Hide, and Keen Scent bloodline talents while the group traveled toward Mill Town.
• Rain used Keen Scent to notice a smell of blood on Leia, who blushed and turned away, and he spent the rest of the ride learning to tune out the many scents around him.

The Whistling Hunters received an increased reward after Leia reported the Boarfolk Warrior and evidence of changes among the Boarfolk in Deadwater Valley. Rain earned a bonus for his role in the fight and returned to the Oak Inn eager to try the Boarfolk Warrior bloodline.

• Leia asked Ramsey Wood to compensate the Whistling Hunters, and he approved a fifty-percent reward increase after inspecting the Boarfolk Warrior's machine-stitched armor.
• The Association calculated a total reward of two gold coins and twenty-five silver coins, including payment for the Boarfolk Warrior, the Stillwater Boarmen, and Leia's information.
• Leia proposed giving Rain a ten-silver bonus for turning the battle around, but Rain asked to split the reward evenly; Leia insisted on the bonus.
• The team received their shares, agreed to pause quests for two weeks while Chris recovered, and postponed their celebratory meal.
• Rain returned to his room at the Oak Inn, eager to try using the Boarfolk Warrior bloodline.

Rain activated the Boarfolk Warrior Bloodline, gaining enhanced strength, toughness, hammer proficiency, and a charge ability. He planned to test Savage Charge, ask Instructor Humbert about warhammer training, and buy chainmail to conceal his changed physique.

• Rain activated the Boarfolk Warrior Bloodline and watched his muscles grow dramatically.
• Rain found that Brute Strength and Thick Hide had reached level 2 and that he had gained Hammer Proficiency.
• Rain discovered Savage Charge, an adapted version of the Boarfolk Warrior's Tusk Charge.
• Rain removed the ordinary Boarfolk Bloodline and realized a higher-tier bloodline covered the lower-tier one’s talents.
• Rain considered trying to merge Goblin bloodlines again and decided to practice his new ability before seeking another expedition.
• Rain planned to ask Instructor Humbert about warhammer training and buy chainmail to hide his transformation.

Rain tested his newly mastered Savage Charge in the woods and assessed its limits, then went to Mill Town to consider armor that would make the ability safer in battle. He left the shop visit focused on choosing protection for his shoulder and head.

• Rain charged into trees with Savage Charge, broke a trunk, and hurt his shoulder.
• Rain tested the ability repeatedly and concluded he could use it about twelve times while fresh, make only limited turns, and charge with either his shoulder or a shield.
• Rain decided that fighting with Savage Charge required a custom Shoulder Guard and better head protection, and he weighed a Pig-Snout Helmet against a Bull-Horn Helmet.
• Rain returned to Mill Town and entered the Weapon and Armor Shop with the fifty silver coins he had earned from the Boarfolk quest.

Rain visited Ironforge Workshop to upgrade his armor and chose affordable equipment he could replace as he grew stronger. He left with chainmail, a horned helmet, and a spiked shield, planning to save for heavier armor.

• Rain compared the shop’s armor and shield prices and weighed protection against the cost of upgrading his gear.
• The old man explained Ironforge Workshop’s discounts on future repairs and its buyback policy for equipment.
• Rain bought half-length chainmail, a Bull-Horn Helmet, and a Cross-Riveted Wooden Shield fitted with a metal spike for fifty-two silver coins.
• Rain left Ironforge Workshop wearing his new gear and decided to keep taking jobs until he could afford thick plate armor.

Rain passed Humbert’s test to learn the Warhammer, surprising the trainees and Lia with his strength and control. Humbert took him into his private training room and revealed that his strict standards were connected to the path to becoming a Professional.

• Rain returned to the association and asked Humbert to test him for Warhammer training.
• Rain lifted the heavy Warhammer with one hand and rang the bell without damaging it or the wall.
• Humbert recognized Rain’s skill and led him to his private training room.
• Humbert said his high standard for Warhammer students was tied to the path to becoming a Professional, leaving Rain eager to learn more.

Rain learned how weapon techniques could lead to different professions depending on the weapon, specialization, and race, then trained with Humbert until he was ready to learn his first Combat Technique. The chapter ended as Humbert prepared to demonstrate Armor-Breaking Strike.

• Humbert explained how Dwarves who mastered warhammer techniques could awaken different professions, while humans might instead become ordinary warriors or Shield Bearers.
• Humbert taught Rain the basic warhammer grip and swinging motions, and Rain quickly learned them with help from his Hammer Proficiency.
• Humbert told Rain to practice with a shield as well as a warhammer, then reflected that he was nearing the end of a promise to Yulis before returning to the Iron Hills.
• Lia told Rain that Humbert taught warhammer lessons for free because his human priestess companion had died at Lancot Snow Mountain, and she warned Rain to keep the story quiet.
• While his injured teammates recovered, Rain trained diligently until Humbert decided he was ready to learn Armor-Breaking Strike and began demonstrating it on an ironwood dummy.

Rain learned Armor-Breaking Strike and Shield Bash from Humbert, improving his execution over two weeks while remaining short of a class-change prompt. At the Whistling Hunters' reunion, Rain arrived transformed into a hulking figure, shocking Chris and the others.

• Humbert demonstrated Armor-Breaking Strike, and Rain eagerly agreed to learn it.
• Humbert explained execution levels and how different professions could use universal Combat Techniques in their own ways.
• Rain spent two weeks training, reaching just over 80% execution with Armor-Breaking Strike and just over 60% with Shield Bash.
• Chris recovered, and the Whistling Hunters gathered at Hearthfire Bar, where Leia wondered why Rain had not arrived yet.
• Rain entered wearing chainmail and a bull-horn helmet, and Chris recognized him only after being stunned by his changed appearance.

Rain reunited with Leia’s party at Hearthfire Bar and told them he had begun training with Instructor Humbert. During their meal, Leia revealed that the Stillwater Boarmen were arming themselves and preparing to attack, while the identity of their human weapons supplier remained unknown.

• Rain removed his helmet, surprised Leia’s party, and explained that he had passed Humbert’s test and received a Warhammer.
• Leia treated Rain to Hearthfire Bar’s signature ale-roasted pork ribs, and Rain detected cardamom, cumin, and chili powder in their seasoning.
• Leia told the party that a Black Iron Adventurer party had confirmed the Stillwater Boarmen’s equipment had improved and their High Priest had died in an internal conflict.
• Leia explained that Chieftain Ramsta had consolidated power and was eager to attack, while displaced Boarfolk Warriors had appeared near other towns.
• Leia said the clan numbered over five thousand and included powerful professionals, and that the Dorn City Council had been informed.
• Rain asked who was supplying the Boarmen with weapons, but Leia said the supplier remained unknown because the weapons’ identifying marks had been removed.

Leia shared Illys’s letter announcing that she had become a full priestess of the Earth Goddess Temple but could not rejoin the Whistling Hunters yet. As the team planned its next job, Rain considered seeking stronger monsters beyond the area around Mill Town.

• Leia told the team that Illys had become a full priestess and read her letter explaining her duties at the temple and her absence during the Harvest Festival.
• Illys sent Leia an Enchanted Arrow and warmly remembered her friends, including the Whistling Hunters’ new teammate, Grand.
• Rain learned more about Illys’s history with Leia, Chris, and Fabian, and grew curious about meeting her.
• Leia suggested that the team visit the Adventurers’ Association the next day to look for a suitable job, and Chris asked for an easier one.
• Rain ruled out weak local monsters as worthwhile targets and considered traveling to find stronger prey.

Rain chose a rare job to eliminate Giant Vampire Bats, hoping to gain an inherited hearing ability and improve his control in combat. After Leia and the team agreed, Chris suggested using reinforced nets and poison to drive the bats out of their cave.

• Rain decided that Keen Hearing and a restraining ability would help him in future fights, then suggested checking for a suitable job at the Adventurers' Association.
• Rain found a new job to eliminate Giant Vampire Bats and asked the team to take it instead of Chris's proposed Goblin job.
• Leia agreed to Rain's choice, and Chris, Fabian, and Grand also accepted the bat-hunting job.
• Chris suggested buying reinforced nets and using poison to smoke the bats out of the cave.
• Leia agreed to accept the job.

Rain and his team traveled to a cliff near Fernsprout Village to find the Giant Vampire Bats responsible for killing livestock. Rain identified the correct cave and estimated that eighteen or nineteen bats were inside, leaving the team preparing to investigate the high fissure.

• The team rode north toward Fernsprout Village and agreed to head straight for the cliff where villagers had seen the Giant Vampire Bats fly.
• Fabian found three possible cave openings, and Leia chose to investigate them before dusk.
• Rain sniffed the first two openings and ruled them out, identifying the high fissure as the likely bat cave.
• Grand, Rain, and Chris built a crude ramp up to the fissure, and Rain detected fresh blood and the scents of about eighteen or nineteen bats inside.
• Rain told the team they had found the right cave.

Rain led the group into the bat cave, where they confirmed several Giant Vampire Bats were roosting in a large cavern. The team used a bleeding rabbit to lure the bats toward a narrow tunnel, and the first bat demonstrated how it could enter by turning to fly vertically.

• Rain estimated that the cave held about a dozen Giant Vampire Bats and proposed luring them into the tunnel while Leia guarded the entrance.
• Rain led Chris, Fabian, and Grand through the cave using his Dim-Light Vision and keen sense of smell.
• The group reached a large cavern and spotted the bats hanging from the ceiling.
• Rain suggested using a bleeding rabbit as bait in the narrow tunnel, and Grand took the front position beside Rain to protect Chris's injured hand.
• Fabian wounded a rabbit and placed it behind the group, drawing several bats from their roost.
• The lead bat turned ninety degrees to fly vertically just before entering the narrow passage.

Rain used Shield Bash and his warhammer to kill most of a swarm of Giant Vampire Bats in the passage, leaving his companions astonished by his strength. After they discussed his combat technique and the possibility of him becoming an Arcane Knight, Fabian heard more bats in the Cavern Hall.

• Rain killed the leading Giant Vampire Bat with Shield Bash and struck down a second with his Warhammer.
• The remaining Giant Vampire Bats charged through the passage, and Rain used his shield and Warhammer to bring down most of them.
• Fabian, Chris, and Grand counted their kills and learned that Rain had killed eight or nine bats.
• Rain explained that Instructor Humbert had taught him Shield Bash, and Grand described the strength it required.
• Chris asked whether Rain planned to become an Arcane Knight, but Rain said he had only learned the technique because it was useful.
• Fabian heard what seemed to be more bats in the Cavern Hall.

Rain and his companions cleared a Giant Vampire Bat nest without anyone being injured, then returned to Mill Town and collected their reward. Leia praised Rain’s strength and suggested taking a harder mission next time, while Chris asked him to trade combat tips.

• Rain agreed to let Fabian and Chris shoot the remaining young bats with their hand crossbows.
• The group finished clearing the nest, and Chris gathered fangs and wings as proof of the mission.
• Leia worried outside the cave until Rain and the others emerged carrying bundles of bat wings, then heard Chris recount the fight.
• Leia suggested the group choose a harder mission next time, and Rain considered accepting.
• The team returned to Mill Town and received seventy-six silver coins, which Leia split among them with eight extra coins for Rain.
• Chris asked Rain when he was free to trade combat tips.

Rain activated the Giant Vampire Bat bloodline and discovered it had granted him enhanced hearing and Sonic Location. He then fused four Giant Vampire Bat bloodlines into a stronger Giant Vampire Bat Leader bloodline.

• Rain agreed to exchange combat pointers with Chris and Grand the morning after their rest day, and Leia decided to watch.
• Rain activated the Giant Vampire Bat bloodline and gained Keen Hearing and Sonic Location.
• Rain tested Sonic Location, using echoes to map nearby spaces and detect creatures and obstacles, but repeated use strained his vocal cords.
• Rain fused four Giant Vampire Bat bloodlines and produced a Giant Vampire Bat Leader bloodline.

Rain gained Silencing Scream and reorganized his equipped bloodlines, then visited Ironforge Workshop to replace his worn shield. Robin lent him money for the purchase, and Rain left his new shield to be fitted with spikes as Robin set off on a Kobold-clearing quest.

• Rain discovered that Silencing Scream could disrupt spellcasting within ten meters and noticed that the Giant Vampire Bat Leader Bloodline granted Robust.
• Rain removed the Goblin Warrior Bloodline from his equipped slots, equipped the Mutant Goblin and Boarfolk Warrior Bloodlines, and freed a bloodline slot.
• Rain asked Feod to buy back his worn Kite Shield, but the reduced offer left him short of the price of a metal shield.
• Robin recognized Rain at Ironforge Workshop and offered to lend him money, allowing Rain to buy a new metal Kite Shield with a discount.
• Rain left the new shield at the workshop to have three spikes fitted, while Robin departed with his Adventurer team for a Kobold-clearing quest and planned to save for his sister's eye treatment.

Rain sparred with Chris and overwhelmed him with his strength, surprising Leia and the rest of the Whistling Hunters. Leia questioned whether Rain was truly an Apprentice Mage and explained special Professional paths, leaving Rain considering how his mixed abilities might shape his future.

• Rain arrived at the Whistling Hunters’ rented training ground and accepted Chris’s invitation to spar with shields.
• Fabian and Grand bet on Rain, while Leia bet on Chris.
• Rain’s blows forced Chris backward, and their shield clash cracked Chris’s shield and ended the spar with Rain victorious.
• Leia was surprised by Rain’s strength and asked whether he was an Apprentice Mage or intended to become a special Professional.
• Leia explained paths such as Sharpshooter and Magic Archer, and Rain asked whether she planned to pursue either one.

Rain joined the Whistling Hunters and helped them plan a coordinated attack, but their first practice run exposed a timing problem. He revealed his powerful Savage Charge to demonstrate how he could rush a target alongside the team's ranged attacks.

• Rain accepted Leia's invitation to join the Whistling Hunters, and the team welcomed him as a full member.
• Leia assigned Chris and Rain to hold the front while Fabian signaled the team's focused attack and Grand joined the assault, but their first strike was too slow and poorly coordinated.
• Grand suggested that Rain switch places with him, and Rain decided to reveal his high-speed Savage Charge to his new teammates.
• During the next practice run, Rain charged into an ironwood dummy at the same time Leia's arrow struck, stunning Chris with the impact.