What lies beyond the canyon after crossing the rocky desert of Padokia?

  The answer was nowhere to be found.

  Neither the library of the Magic Academy nor the guild’s archive contained any records. Even when inquiring with the Imperial Geographic Bureau, the surveyors cimed they had no records of anyone venturing beyond the canyon.

  At first, it had been mere curiosity.

  Despite countless attempts to uncover any clues about the Desert Rose, none could be found. No matter how far they searched, it wasn’t as though any had simply dropped from the sky. The desert held no answers.

  With no leads to follow, there was no clear direction in which to move. It was a frustrating, aimless time.

  Eventually, boredom crept in.

  As the long holiday approached, Mofu suggested something.

  "I don’t really understand much about the Desert Rose, so how about we just head straight into the desert and see how far we can get?"

  Lucius, without much thought, simply replied, "Sure, let’s go."

  ...

  "Mofu! They’re coming from the right too! Try to hold them off!"

  "Got it!"

  Lucius and Mofu found themselves surrounded by roughly thirty lizardmen.

  Though primitive in nature, the creatures wore weapons and armour. They had also assigned roles—attackers, defenders, and stone throwers—though their teamwork was crude, it was enough to present a challenge.

  Individually, their combat strength was not formidable. Lucius, a Copper-ranked adventurer, and Mofu would have no trouble defeating them one-on-one.

  However, surrounded by this many, and with their roles established, the situation became increasingly troublesome.

  ...

  Using Mofu’s [Cotton Magic] and Lucius’s [Holy Magic], the two managed to force their way through the canyon. The winds were fierce, and they had heard that attempting to fly over the canyon was impossible. Instead, they used [Cotton Magic] as a cushion to descend through the canyon’s depths. It was hard work, but they emerged unscathed.

  After crossing the massive canyon, they entered a forested area. The nd was rich with wild pnts, fruits, and small animals, and the two took the opportunity to rest. To Lucius, it felt like paradise.

  They spent some time recovering their energy at the edge of the forest, and just as they were about to venture deeper for investigation, they were surrounded by lizardmen.

  The lizardmen were signalling each other with guttural calls, "Gwehh, gwehh!" and coordinating their actions. The patterns of their calls were limited, suggesting they were intelligent, but not exceptionally so, Lucius concluded.

  As the battle raged on, Lucius realised that the stone throwers were the real threat. The attackers and defenders were not likely to do much harm to them.

  "Mofu, prioritise deflecting the stones! If you have the spare time, cover me from the other attacks!"

  "Right!"

  With Mofu’s cheerful voice ringing in his ears, Lucius felt reinvigorated, and together they wiped out the swarm of lizardmen.

  Afterwards, they tried to venture further but encountered another three groups of lizardmen, each numbering in the dozens. Though each group had slightly different weapons and armour, suggesting they were separate factions, facing all of them would surely put their lives at risk.

  Drenched in sweat, the two retreated back to the paradise-like edge of the forest.

  There, they constructed a simple shelter and made camp. They observed their surroundings for two days, but no further lizardmen appeared.

  Moving cautiously between the edge of the forest and its inner depths, they conducted their investigation. They noticed a subtle change in the vegetation. While they couldn’t pinpoint the cause, they specuted that the forest’s edge might not be within the lizardmen’s territory. They decided to take their time and formute a strategy.

  Though they had technically accomplished their original goal of crossing the canyon, the promise of further adventure had excited both Lucius and Mofu. Both longed to see what y deeper in this mysterious world.

  ...

  Six months had passed since Lucius and Mofu enrolled at the Padokia Magic Academy.

  Surrounded by impetuous students eager for combat, Lucius had spent his time fighting, defeating every challenger who dared face him. However, despite his victories, it was clear that he was not the strongest in his year. There were a few who exuded an undeniable aura of strength. Curiously, none of them challenged him, nor did they provoke him into a fight.

  Upon reflection, Lucius realised that these individuals were all “magicians.” He had wondered why they so openly decred this fact, but it became clear that they likely wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict. Magic users often excelled in long-range combat, making them less likely to be targeted by the hot-headed students eager for a brawl.

  It also expined why Lucius and Mofu were confronted so much less frequently. Lucius had stated that he was skilled in swordsmanship and never used magic, which, in a school full of aspiring spellcasters, made him something of an anomaly.

  At first, a few students, hoping to prove themselves by defeating Lucius, had challenged him. Eager to hone his own abilities, Lucius had accepted and swiftly dispatched them.

  The girls, initially unimpressed by his appearance and abilities, quickly changed their tune, now paying close attention to him. Naturally, men also noticed when women took an interest, and before long, Lucius had attracted the attention of many. He was constantly challenged by various students.

  There had been moments of frustration, and times of enjoyment, but everything ultimately depended on the person standing before him.

  He’d even been invited by some of the girls in his year to go out and have fun, with Mofu tagging along. However, none of them matched the positivity of Seneca or the wisdom of Kito, and so Lucius quickly grew bored and returned to training with his sword.

  He thought his actions would cause some distance between him and the girls, but for some inexplicable reason, his popurity only increased. Lucius gave up trying to understand and simply accepted the situation.

  As time went on, Lucius began to feel uneasy.

  He was certain he had grown stronger, but there was a nagging feeling that his strength remained superficial. While the experience of battle was invaluable, something within him felt stagnant when it came to his true potential. He wondered if his growth was limited to mere technique, not reaching the deeper yers of true strength.

  Lucius began to think.

  What was Seneca doing now? What had she achieved with her skills? Surely, she must have been able to craft something incredible by now.

  And Kito? Was she still breezing through life, using her Alchemy skills to get by? But what if Kito, too, was dedicating herself to her craft?

  If that were the case, Lucius knew, people like him would soon be left behind, struggling to catch up.

  Lucius knew himself well enough, but when it came to Seneca and Kito, he understood them completely. He realised that to get closer to becoming a true hero, he would need to work in a way that was fundamentally different from how he had been training so far.

  Just as this new resolve began to settle in, Mofu suggested they traverse the desert, and Lucius, swept up in the excitement, agreed without hesitation.

  ...

  The decision to continue their exploration of the forest was not made lightly. After much deliberation, Lucius and Mofu agreed to wait a little longer before making any further moves.

  This wasn’t the result of hesitation or indecision, but rather a conclusion drawn from careful thought: staying put for now seemed the most effective course of action.

  Lucius’s [Holy Magic] was, even at its current level, an exceptionally versatile power. Not only could it heal and strike, but it could also be used to extend a protective barrier of mana, allowing him to stall or evade danger in a pinch.

  Mofu’s [Cotton Magic] was equally useful. More suited for defence and trapping, it provided them with more options should they need to escape a difficult situation.

  Moreover, the two of them had developed a cooperative technique called ‘Capsule’ during their travels. This move involved using Mofu’s cotton to ensnare their target, before sealing them further with a yer of Lucius’s [Holy Magic]. They had even tested it on a knight from the church, who was roughly on the same level as a Gold-ranked adventurer. The knight had struggled to break free, which meant that, in theory, it would be more than sufficient to trap ordinary monsters.

  In this case, however, a slow and methodical approach could lead to them being surrounded by monsters from the depths of the forest, so they decided on a more tactical course of action. Their pn was simple: strike swiftly and quietly, retreat back to their campsite if all went well, and if things went awry, take refuge in the canyon.

  ...

  Lucius’s scouting abilities were not as high as Seneca’s, but were superior to Mofu’s. Having faced sudden attacks before, he was well-accustomed to them. The pair set off, with Lucius taking the lead while Mofu followed close behind.

  Their objective was to investigate, but Lucius knew they had to remain focused. If they wandered aimlessly, they risked losing their way.

  They continued on for some time without encountering any groups of Lizardmen. Eventually, they came to an open area. As they surveyed their surroundings, they noticed structures—several of them—piled high with branches and leaves. They approached these formations, intrigued.

  The structures stood at a height taller than a man’s back. Though the branches and leaves were decayed, the sticks had been bundled together with vines, creating an odd but coherent shape.

  “Do you think these are dwellings?” Mofu asked, looking them over.

  Lucius studied them more closely and agreed. "Yes, I think they are. The rge leaves stacked on top, and the gaps that look like doorways—they certainly resemble a shelter of some kind."

  Mofu looked around, still assessing. "Do you think the Lizardmen made them?"

  Lucius nodded, considering the crude nature of the weapons and armour the Lizardmen used—primitive swords and stone axes, made from bark and pnt fibres. Given that, constructing shelters wouldn’t be beyond their capability.

  "It could have been a settlement," Lucius mused.

  Mofu scratched his head. "I’ve heard of monsters forming societies, but seeing one firsthand is... surprising."

  "I suppose the structure of their groups is reflected in their designs. Each group might have its own way of building," Lucius suggested, more to himself than to Mofu.

  "Yes, it seems likely," Mofu agreed. "But getting too eager could be dangerous. We don’t know what might be deeper in this forest."

  Lucius frowned, noting the unease in Mofu’s tone. "If there’s a rge group somewhere further in, it’s possible there could be a mutated or higher-ranking type among them."

  "The higher-ranking Lizardmen are only ever strong ones. If that’s the case, we’ll be in over our heads," Mofu replied with a serious look.

  Lucius nodded. "At least one Silver-ranked adventurer would be necessary to deal with them."

  "Then let’s retreat," Mofu suggested.

  With haste, the pair made their way back to the forest’s edge, their eyes scanning for any further signs of danger.

  As they returned to safety, Lucius gnced at Mofu. "Hey, Mofu. What exactly are we doing here?"

  Mofu shrugged with a carefree smile. "Who knows? But aren’t we happy? We’ve gained some experience, and when we’re stronger, we can come back to face the higher-ranking Lizardmen. Whether this experience ends up being a waste or a treasure is up to us, so let’s make the most of it!"

  Lucius couldn’t help but smile at Mofu’s unusually philosophical tone. Mofu’s words struck a chord with him, and he silently pondered them, taking them to heart.

  ...

  Although they had decided to retreat from the Lizardmen’s forest, the two weren’t quite ready to return to Padokia just yet. They made the decision to train for a bit in the nearby canyon before heading home, as they still had more than half of their holiday remaining.

  This area was retively safe, with fewer monsters, and they could easily gather food from the forest’s edge. Though they had plenty of preserved food, fresh fruit and game would offer better nutrition.

  The Church had accumuted a vast amount of information on skills, including details about their types and how to level them up.

  Among the most highly regarded skills was [Holy Magic], recognised as one of the highest-ranked abilities, with the most optimised methods for levelling up.

  The previous 'Saint of Destruction' was famous for levelling up to Level 2 in just eleven months and two days. The current ‘Saint of Healing’ had taken only eleven months and twenty-three days.

  Lucius, however, had taken thirteen months, having focused not only on levelling but also on mock battles with the knights. In a world where most people saw little progress after ten years, Lucius’s achievement was impressive, especially considering how efficiently he’d found a way to increase his level.

  It was said that in order to level up [Holy Magic], one must devote themselves to prayer. Constantly thinking about the goddess Athena and offering prayers was the standard method.

  Lucius, however, did not subscribe to that notion. His own progress had come quickly despite not making prayer a significant part of his routine. For him, the effectiveness of his magic came from how well he could control it, not from constant devotion.

  The next crucial step was mastering mana manipution. Being able to channel holy mana was the essence of [Holy Magic], and if one could do that, the possibilities were limitless.

  When one first acquired [Holy Magic], the first stage involved mastering the basics of mana manipution. By altering the mana and surrounding the body with it, one could improve their defensive capabilities, enabling them to endure attacks from higher-ranked knights for longer periods.

  Enduring these attacks, in turn, allowed a person to accumute valuable experience and level up efficiently.

  Lucius had used this method to reach Level 2, gaining the sub-skill [Armour].

  The next step involved training to extend the mana beyond the body. If successful, this would allow the practitioner to create a magical barrier, or ‘wall.’ After enduring further attacks from knights, they would then reach Level 3, unlocking the sub-skill [Barrier].

  Lucius found this method tiresome. While he recognised the importance of levelling, he felt frustrated with the process—constantly having knights hit him without any real progress towards the kind of strength he was truly aiming for.

  So, although he understood that this was an effective way of levelling, he had opted for a different approach. He practised swordsmanship with the knights and refrained from practising defensive magic.

  Lucius decided to continue honing his skills his way for a few more years, and if he eventually found himself at a dead end, he would consider following the Church’s more conventional methods. Even if he ended up falling behind a little, he knew his progress would still be quicker than most.

  The current Saintess of Healing had once told him that after reaching Level 3, it was advisable to adapt training to a person’s aptitude. Still, she had stressed that purifying cursed items with [Holy Magic] was critical.

  Lucius recalled how the current Saintess had mentioned that when she reached level 4, she gained the unique sub-skill [Healing], earning her the title of the "Saint of Healing." The previous Saint had obtained the sub-skill [Destruction] at level 4.

  Lucius smiled as he remembered the Saintess's kind words, "What will you become, I wonder?"

  He couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of determination fill him.