Adam watched the wounded knights as they adjusted straps, improvised bandages, and deformed armor. Some could stand; others mounted with difficulty, their faces pale and their eyes glassy. One had his arm hanging unnaturally, held in place only by bandages soaked in dark red.
They were not well.
But they could not afford to stop.
Adam mounted one of the horses that had survived the attack by the Grafeno Bear. The animal snorted nervously, restless, as if it could still smell the predator that had almost wiped them out. They were not far from the place where the Mana Dragon Lotus grew.
That thought brought him no relief.
He knew that the area would be even more dangerous.
With their luck, they might encounter another Rank IV monster... or something worse.
Adam exhaled slowly and pushed those thoughts aside. The rest of the raid had to go well. Not perfectly. That was no longer realistic.
Just... with fewer deaths.
They advanced through the demonic forest, trying to make as little noise as possible. The environment was eerily active. In the distance, Adam heard roars, clashes of mana, and muffled explosions—territorial battles.
The forest was readjusting itself.
He looked at the knights. The tension was evident in their stiff shoulders and fingers clenched around the reins. Sweat ran down their foreheads despite the cool weather.
They looked like men walking around waiting for the blow that had not yet come.
This... was also part of the training.
Even so, the weight on his chest did not lessen.
Adam knew that it could be said that this was beyond his control. That no plan survived intact when it came into contact with the demonic forest. That facing a Rank IV Graphene Bear had been simply bad luck.
Perhaps all of that was true.
But it was also true that... He decided to rest. He planned the raid. He chose the route.
He didn't dwell on the guilt, but he didn't dismiss it either. He kept it as a warning. A reminder that leadership meant bearing consequences, even when you couldn't foresee them.
They continued deeper into the forest.
Along the way, they encountered several monsters. Rank I and II beasts, perhaps attracted by the recent chaos. They were defeated with relative ease. The knights moved efficiently, without enthusiasm, as if each blow were just another obligation.
Adam noticed something as he fought.
Every time he killed a monster, the system responded the same way.
One EXP point.
Always one.
It didn't matter if it was rank I or II.
That baffled him.
He had assumed that the difference in rank would also be reflected in the reward. That wasn't the case.
So... what did those ranks really mean to the system?
Was the actual difficulty irrelevant to EXP?
Adam gripped the hilt of his sword as they advanced.
He had no answers.
...
Finally, after a long journey, they reached their destination.
Before them stood an enormous crystal-clear waterfall. Around the water, on the banks, hundreds of Mana Dragon Lotuses grew.
Before going to gather the herbs, Adam raised his hand, signaling the knights to stop. The danger had not yet passed.
Then he saw it.
A monster nearly three meters tall emerged from the nearby trees.
It had a large, sharp snout, a pair of horns similar to those of a dragon, long pointed ears, and black legs ending in dangerous claws. Its body was covered with thick grayish-white fur.
Adam did not know the creature's name, but the mana it gave off left no room for doubt.
Rank III.
That relieved him a little. At least it wasn't from a higher rank.
The monster stepped forward.
Its vertical pupils contracted as it tilted its head slightly, assessing the group like an experienced hunter. The mana it emanated was not as overwhelming as that of the Graphene Bear.
Adam raised a hand.
"Shields forward. Crescent formation."
The knights obeyed without a word.
The monster lunged.
Not with brute force, but with speed.
It vanished from its position and reappeared in front of the left flank. A claw descended like lightning.
CRASH!
Two shields held... the third shattered.
The knight was thrown back, hitting the ground with a muffled grunt.
"Hold the line!"
Adam advanced through the center, sword in hand. He did not attack immediately.
The monster turned toward him, baring its fangs. Its horns began to glow faintly.
Concentrated mana.
"So it uses techniques too..."
Adam grimaced; the confrontation was going to be much more complicated than he had thought.
The monster struck the ground with both front legs.
A shockwave rippled across the clearing.
Adam jumped backward, but still felt the impact surge up his legs. The ground cracked. Several knights lost their balance.
That was the creature's mistake.
"Now!"
Adam lunged forward. He channeled mana into his legs and appeared in front of the monster in a flash. His sword traced a clean arc toward the side of its neck.
SHHK!
The blade penetrated.
Not deeply, but enough for dark blood to flow.
The monster howled and recoiled, furious.
The knights seized their chance. Spears and swords attacked from the flanks, not to kill, but to restrict movement. Superficial cuts. Blows to the joints.
It was a different kind of combat.
Not force against force.
Attrition.
The monster roared and spun around, unleashing a burst of mana that sent several men flying through the air.
Adam felt the impact in his chest, but he remained standing.
The monster was wounded.
It was breathing heavily.
Adam knew it.
"It's falling. Don't give it any space!"
The monster retreated... and then, it concentrated all its power.
Mana exploded around its body.
Adam's eyes widened.
"Retreat!"
Too late.
The creature lunged forward in a final suicidal attack. It didn't aim for the knights.
He aimed at Adam.
The blow was brutal.
Adam managed to cross his sword, but the claw struck his torso squarely.
He felt something break.
The world spun.
He was thrown several meters and crashed to the ground, rolling until he came to rest face down. The air left his lungs in a dry gasp.
The monster staggered toward him, bleeding but still alive.
A knight screamed.
Another fell.
Adam gritted his teeth and forced his body to move.
"No... not yet..."
He got to his knees. His left arm wasn't responding well. His chest felt like it was burning.
The monster raised its head for the final blow.
Adam gathered all the mana he had left and compressed it into his sword.
As the monster descended, Adam lunged forward and plunged the sword directly into its throat.
All the way in.
The mana exploded from within.
The monster shuddered... and fell.
The body collapsed heavily, kicking up dust and leaves.
[You gained 2 EXP]
Adam took a step... and fell to his knees.
The sword slipped from his hand.
He was breathing heavily.
Every breath was like fire.
A knight rushed toward him.
"Young master!"
Adam looked up with effort and smiled weakly.
"He's... dead... right?"
"Yes. He is."
Adam smiled wearily:
"There's no time to waste; let's take Mana's Lotus Dragon hibernation pods before another monster appears."