I slowly opened my eyes and found myself staring at the cloth ceiling of a medical tent, while the faint scent of medicine and herbs drifted through the air along with the distant sound of cheerful voices coming from outside. My body still felt heavy, especially my arms, but compared to earlier, the pain had lessened considerably.
"My mana recovered a bit…" I muttered softly while checking my condition. "Around twenty-five percent now."
"Oh? You're finally awake."
I turned my head and saw Nadia sitting beside the bed with a small relieved smile on her face, a sight that immediately eased my tension.
"You've been asleep for around three hours," she continued gently. "You overdid it during the battle."
"I see…" I slowly sat up while stretching my stiff shoulders. "What happened after that?"
"The defense was successful," Nadia answered without hesitation. "The stampede was completely stopped before the monsters could breach the town."
I unconsciously let out a long sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness…"
"The Guild Master said your restraint spells played a huge role during the battle," she added while crossing her arms lightly. "Holding down both the Forest Wolf King and the Goblin King long enough for the higher-ranked adventurers to attack their weak points isn't something a normal rookie could accomplish."
"I just acted on instinct at the time," I replied honestly while scratching my cheek awkwardly. "But now that I think about it, pinning them down really did make things easier for everyone else."
Nadia nodded slowly.
"Not only that, the potions you brewed these past few days also helped tremendously. A lot of adventurers and knights suffered deep injuries during the battle, but because your potions were high quality, their wounds healed properly without leaving permanent scars."
"I'm glad they were useful even after the battle started."
"Useful?" Nadia repeated before letting out a small amused sigh. "Art, your potions practically carried the entire medical operation."
I could not help but laugh awkwardly after hearing that.
"Now that the town is safe, what are you planning to do next?" she asked.
"Hm…" I thought for a moment. "I'm already eligible for an E-rank promotion in the Adventurer's Guild, so I want to continue exploring deeper parts of the forest for experience before eventually leaving Roste."
"I figured you'd say that."
"Eh?"
Nadia leaned slightly against the chair before continuing.
"To be honest, I'll probably be leaving this town in around a month as well."
"Really? Where are you heading?"
"The Dungeon City, Eurca."
My eyes widened slightly after hearing the name.
Eurca was famous not only for its gigantic dungeon but also for being one of the largest gathering places for adventurers and mages across the region. If I remembered correctly from the books at the Guild Library, the city was around four days away by carriage.
"That honestly sounds like a good destination," I admitted.
Nadia looked at me before smiling faintly.
"In that case, why don't you join the caravan I'll be traveling with? You could simply accept an escort request from the Adventurer's Guild."
"That actually sounds convenient," I replied with a nod. "Then I'll be in your care when the time comes."
A soft giggle escaped Nadia's lips, and for a moment, I almost froze.
It was the first time I had ever heard her laugh so naturally.
"Likewise, Art," she replied warmly before standing up. "Now then, can you walk properly already?"
"Yeah. I should be fine now."
"Good. There's a celebration feast outside, and if we stay here any longer, the adventurers might raid the food before we arrive."
"That sounds dangerous in its own way."
Nadia chuckled quietly as we exited the medical tent together.
The atmosphere outside was completely different from the tension earlier during the stampede. The streets were brighter than usual, lanterns hanging across the plaza while laughter echoed throughout the town. Adventurers, knights, merchants, and citizens were all gathered together, celebrating the successful defense of Roste Town.
As we walked through the plaza, I noticed several people staring at me.
Not with hostility.
Not with suspicion.
But admiration.
"Hm?" I tilted my head slightly. "Why are they all looking at me?"
Nadia glanced at me before sighing helplessly.
"You really have no idea, huh?"
"Huh?"
"Many of the adventurers here were injured during the battle," she explained patiently. "Some of them even thought they would lose limbs or be left with permanent scars. But because of your potions, they recovered properly."
"I see…" I muttered softly while looking around. "I'm just glad I could help somehow."
"Still the same as always," Nadia whispered quietly.
"Hm? Did you say something?"
"It's nothing."
Before I could ask further, several adventurers suddenly approached me.
"Haha! Thanks to your potions, I'm already back on my feet!"
"Same here! I thought my arm was done for after that goblin smashed into me!"
"And don't forget how this kid pinned down the Forest Wolf King!"
The group burst into laughter while patting my shoulders and ruffling my hair repeatedly.
"A-Ahaha… thank you very much," I replied shyly while trying not to get overwhelmed. "I'm really glad everyone's safe."
One muscular adventurer suddenly grinned widely.
"Oi! The kid's still underage, so bring him juice instead of ale!"
"Got it!"
"And get him food too! He fought harder than half of us!"
The female archer immediately ran off toward the food tables.
"The satisfaction you feel right now…" Travy's calm voice echoed inside my mind. "This is the result of your efforts finally bearing fruit."
"…Yeah," I answered inwardly while smiling faintly. "It feels nice."
It did not take long before the archer returned carrying a tray filled with food.
"Here you go, little hero."
"T-Thank you…"
The aroma alone was enough to make me realize how hungry I actually was.
Soon after, Romanoff and the Knight Commander stepped onto the center platform of the plaza.
Romanoff raised his wooden mug high into the air.
"For the successful defense of Roste Town!"
Herald raised his mug beside him.
"To the adventurers, knights, and citizens who fought together!"
Everyone in the plaza raised their drinks together.
"Cheers!"
The entire plaza erupted with celebration before everyone began eating and drinking enthusiastically.
I also raised my cup of juice before finally digging into the food in front of me.
My body practically screamed in relief after the first bite.
While I was eating, two large figures suddenly approached me.
"Mind if we sit here, young man?"
I immediately looked up.
"Ah, yes. Of course."
Romanoff and Herald sat beside me, one on each side.
"So you're Artorius," Romanoff said calmly. "Or rather, Art."
"Yes. Everyone calls me that now."
Romanoff nodded slightly.
"You've done excellent work during the battle today. According to your records, you're already eligible for promotion to E-rank."
"I see…" I scratched my cheek awkwardly. "I just completed a lot of requests recently."
"Hahaha!" Herald laughed loudly beside me. "A diligent rookie like this is rare nowadays."
"Oh right." Herald extended a hand toward me. "I haven't introduced myself properly yet. I'm Herald Basera, the Knight Commander stationed here in Roste."
"Pleasure to meet you, Sir Herald."
"The pleasure's ours," he replied warmly before his expression turned more serious. "To be honest, your quick thinking saved many lives today."
My eyes widened slightly.
"Especially your use of that lightning spell," Herald continued. "You completely destroyed the momentum of the monster waves before they could properly crash into the frontline."
"I just thought it would work well against large groups," I admitted honestly. "I learned the spell after studying books at the Mage's Guild Library."
Romanoff crossed his arms while nodding slowly.
"That alone already says a lot about you. Most adventurers only focus on swinging swords harder. Very few spend time studying how to use their abilities effectively."
"You observe carefully," Herald added. "You adapt quickly. Those qualities are what make excellent adventurers."
Romanoff looked directly at me afterward.
"Keep honing your skills, Artorius. If you continue growing at this pace, I have no doubt you'll become someone remarkable in the future."
"…Thank you very much."
The two older men chuckled softly before ruffling my hair again like proud uncles.
"Enjoy the feast while you can," Herald said while standing up. "Tomorrow, the town will go back to being noisy as usual."
The rest of the celebration passed peacefully, and by the time I returned to the inn, exhaustion immediately overtook me once more.
This time, however, it was a comfortable kind of exhaustion.
The next morning, gentle chirping from the birds woke me up slowly.
For the first time in several days, the atmosphere around Roste felt peaceful again.
I checked the clock.
"7:50 AM…"
Much later than my usual schedule.
"I should grab breakfast."
After heading downstairs, I entered the dining area where Sir Gar was already preparing food.
"Oh! The hero of yesterday finally woke up!"
"Please don't call me that…"
"Hahaha! Sit down. I already prepared something special for you."
Soon, he placed a large bowl of beef stew in front of me along with freshly baked bread.
"Thank you very much, Sir Gar."
"Don't mention it. Just enjoy your day and rest properly."
The warm aroma rising from the stew immediately made my stomach growl.
I dipped the bread into the rich broth before taking a bite.
The flavor spread through my mouth instantly, the soft beef practically melting apart while the vegetables added a refreshing sweetness to the savory soup.
"This is amazing…"
"Hahaha! Glad you like it!"
After finishing breakfast, I planned to review some notes from my previous world while the information was still fresh in my memory.
However, before I could begin—
A familiar notification suddenly appeared before my eyes.
Mission Completed!
God's Quest: Roste Town Defense
Reward: God's Favor (Leriah) +100
Secret Reward from Hidden Objective: +10% Mana Regeneration
New Function Unlocked!
God's Favor
"Hidden Objective?"
As if responding to my thoughts, another notification appeared.
"Roste Town Defense Hidden Objective: There are no deaths after the battle during the town's defense."
"I see…"
So hidden objectives existed as well.
And honestly, a permanent increase in mana regeneration was an incredible reward.
But what caught my attention the most was the newly unlocked feature.
I immediately opened the new tab.
God's Favor.
Only one option currently existed.
Goddess Leriah.
The moment I selected it, another screen appeared.
"Greetings, Traveler! Let me explain God's Favor in a simple way. God's Favor can mainly be earned through God's Quests. This system works through accumulated points, and rewards will be granted whenever you reach certain thresholds. While only one deity currently recognizes you, more gods from different worlds may eventually acknowledge your existence in the future."
"I see…"
So every god had their own separate favor system.
Without hesitation, I opened Leriah's tab.
"Points Threshold Reached! 100/100 Points"
"Reward: Astral World"
"…Astral World?"
I immediately opened the details.
"Unique Skill: Astral World"
"A pocket dimension that can be used once per day. While inside Astral World, time in your current world will remain completely frozen. Both the duration and size of Astral World will continue expanding alongside your mastery."
"Current Duration: 15:00"
"Current Size: 25 Square Meters"
My eyes widened slowly.
"This… is incredible…"
A space where time outside completely stopped.
That meant I could train safely every single day without wasting real-world time, especially for dangerous or destructive spells that would normally attract too much attention.
"You finally received a truly extraordinary ability," Travy said calmly.
"Yeah…" I whispered while staring at the screen. "This changes everything."
Another notification appeared immediately afterward.
"Would you like to enter Astral World?"
Without even hesitating—
I pressed "Yes."