The battle was a foregone conclusion.

Under the blinding sun, the clearing was already a scene of utter devastation.

Save for Roland and Teresa, all that remained were the severed limbs of Demons and a ground soaked in blood.

"Hoo..."

Breathing in the pungent stench of blood, Roland let out a long sigh and subconsciously weighed the long-handled axe in his hand.

Although he had just slaughtered all the Demons, he had relied more on raw physical Power. His technique for Riding and Slaying Enemies was still somewhat lacking.

Even though he had cultivated his Riding Skill and several Long-Handled Skills to their Full Level, his movements just now, while urging Black Wind to Charge, still felt a bit clumsy during the Charge or the abrupt stops.

However...

’The requirements to become a [Knight’s Attendant] are finally all met,’

Roland’s lips curved into a slight smile as he looked at the prerequisites for [Knight’s Attendant] on his Professional Panel.

’I wonder what kind of Traits the [Knight’s Attendant] will have, and what Extra Benefits it will produce when it forms a Professional Resonance with my other Upper-tier Professions...’

As these thoughts churned in his mind, a clear voice interrupted him.

"Mr. Roland..."

He followed the sound and saw Teresa flicking the blood from her foil as she slowly approached.

She looked up at the tall young man on horseback, recalling his devastating performance in the battle just now. The shock had still not completely faded from her azure eyes.

"My apologies, Mr. Roland. According to our agreement, I wasn’t supposed to engage the Demons, but..."

"It’s fine."

Roland waved his hand magnanimously.

There had been over one hundred and thirty Demons in the clearing. Even mounted on Black Wind, he couldn’t possibly have killed them all before they scattered and fled.

It was perfectly reasonable for Teresa to clean up the stragglers at the edges.

"So? Is the cargo from the commission here?"

"No."

Teresa shook her head gently.

"I just searched the clearing thoroughly. I didn’t find that merchant caravan’s mark on any of the scattered goods."

"Then let’s keep searching ahead."

Roland dismounted, gently stroking Black Wind, who was panting heavily from the intense battle.

Activating [Eye of the Rider] and confirming his mount was merely fatigued, he pulled some oatcakes from his saddlebag and fed them to the horse.

"I noticed earlier that the Demons were transporting the goods forward,"

Roland suggested.

"Alright."

Having witnessed the immense strength Roland had just displayed, Teresa naturally deferred to his opinion.

After cutting off the ears of all the Demons in the area and placing them in a prepared pouch, Teresa followed behind Roland.

The Demons had carved a wide path through the dense forest ahead, and the two of them passed through it without much effort.

As they ventured deeper, the massive entrance to a cave came into view.

"This must be..."

Roland frowned, looking at the cave mouth that was at least three times his height, and the various goods scattered around it.

"The Demons’ stronghold for storing their plunder."

Teresa quickly scanned the surroundings. After confirming there were no other signs of Demons and no clamor coming from deep within the cave, she nodded lightly.

"Mr. Roland, please stand guard at the entrance. I’m going in to investigate."

"No problem."

Although the previous battle hadn’t drained much of Roland’s stamina, a short rest wouldn’t hurt.

Besides, he could use this time to finalize his Profession change to [Knight’s Attendant].

Teresa’s strength was far from his own, but she was more than capable of handling ordinary Demons.

With this in mind, Roland gave a word of caution.

"If you run into trouble, don’t try to force it. Retreat immediately, and we’ll deal with it together."

"I understand."

Watching Teresa’s figure disappear into the depths of the cave, Roland eagerly opened his Professional Panel.

He held his breath, concentrating, and recited inwardly.

’Become a [Knight’s Attendant]!’

[Analysis complete. You are eligible to change to the Upper-tier Profession: Knight’s Attendant.]

[Requirements: 8 Power, 8 Agility, 2/2 Full Level Taming Horses-related Skills, 3/3 Full Level Short-Handled Weapon Skills, 3/3 Full Level Long-Handled Weapon Skills, 1/1 Full Level Long-Range Weapon-related Skills, 100/100 Riding and Slaying Enemies]

[Proceed with Profession change?]

’Confirm Profession change!’

[Profession change successful. Current Profession: Knight’s Attendant]

[Attribute Bonus acquired: Power +3, Agility +3]

The moment the text appeared, a searingly hot current surged through his entire body.

But perhaps because his Attributes were already relatively high, his body didn’t undergo any obvious changes like it had when he became a [Warrior].

However, his frame felt as if it had been reforged by an invisible hand, every inch now possessing the dense feel of Fine Iron.

He flexed his arms and noticed that the almost imperceptible stiffness in his movements was gone, as if a rusty hinge had been freshly oiled.

Before Roland could fully appreciate the changes in his body, another line of golden text slowly materialized before his eyes.

[Analysis complete. Host has mastered three Long-Handled Combat Skills. Merging now...]

A moment later, the text silently changed.

[Merge complete.]

[Skill learned: Long-Handled Mastery. Current Level: Level 1.]

As the text slowly faded, the situation was just like when he had become a [Warrior].

Knowledge and techniques for numerous long-handled weapons flooded his mind like a tidal wave.

In a mere instant, techniques that once required repetitive practice to master now felt as natural as breathing.

’[Short-Handled Mastery], [Long-Handled Mastery], and [Steel Heart Resonance]... doesn’t that mean I can now master and use all melee weapons with ease?’

As he was pondering this, the text for his Professional Traits slowly appeared.

[Trait acquired: Riding Harmony]

[Riding Harmony: During mounted combat, your mount’s movements and your attacks are perfectly synchronized. Swinging your weapon, parrying, and thrusting during a Charge feel as stable as fighting on solid ground, unaffected by jostling, turns, or abrupt stops. When your mount charges, your spear thrusts with its momentum; when it sidesteps, your blade slashes in concert. Even if your mount rears, your downward chop can harness that force to amplify its power. Be it a common warhorse, a ferocious Magical Beast, or a mechanical vehicle, so long as you can ride it, its movements become an extension of your own combat prowess.]

"This Trait is amazing!"

Remembering the slight clumsiness of his mounted attacks earlier, Roland clenched his fists in excitement after seeing this Trait.

’And it’s not limited to just horses! If I can use the [Eye of the Rider] Trait to capture a powerful mount in the future...’

Just as he was thinking about this, Teresa slowly walked out of the cave and waved at him.

"Mr. Roland, I found the cargo from the commission inside the cave, and it’s in excellent condition. By my calculations..."

Thinking of the generous reward she was about to receive, the corners of the usually cool-headed, silver-haired woman’s mouth curved up slightly.

"In that case..."

"ROAR!!!"

Just then, a sound exploded from a great distance, like a clap of thunder tearing through the sky, or a furious roar from the Abyss itself.

It carried a physical shockwave that brutally bored into their eardrums, making their skulls buzz.

"What was that sound?"

Roland frowned and dug at his ear. Before he could even determine the source of the sound, Black Wind let out a sudden whinny, collapsed to the ground, and began foaming at the mouth, its limbs convulsing violently.

"Black Wind!"

Roland’s heart sank. Just as he was about to lean down and check on his horse, the pouch at his waist started to tumble about.

He opened it to see that Qiao, who had been quietly nibbling on its food, had rolled its eyes back and fainted.

"Qiao? Qiao!"

As Roland was fumbling in a panic, a suppressed groan of pain suddenly came from behind him.

"Urgh!"

Roland whipped his head around to see Teresa kneeling on the ground.

She was clutching her ears with both hands, her knuckles white from the force. Her beautiful face was twisted in agony, her sharp brows knitted tightly, and veins bulged on her temples. Her silver hair was stuck messily to her sweat-dampened forehead.

"Teresa? Teresa!"

Seeing this, Roland hurried forward and gently took hold of the silver-haired woman’s shoulders.

"Hey! Can you hear me? How are you feel—"

Just as Roland was gently shaking Teresa’s body...

"RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!"

The next moment, the ground beneath their feet began to heave, collapse, and tear apart, as if a great beast, imprisoned for ten thousand years, had suddenly thrashed in its bonds.