From Blade To Spell

Outskirts of the Dark Forest.

A simple camp had been set up, three tents arranged in a rough triangle, with seven bandits patrolling the perimeter. The air was thick with anticipation and the scent of damp earth.

Near the campfire, a few bandits chatted casually.

"Hey, do you know which noble lady Boss Spider is targeting this time?"

"No idea. All I know is, if we capture her, the boss promised gold coins for everyone."

"Gold coins, huh? I'll be heading straight to the brothel. This time, I'll make it count."

He grinned obscenely, and the others chuckled in agreement.

But one of the bandits frowned, glancing toward the forest.

"Tely and Molt have been inside for over an hour. They should've caught the noble girl by now."

"True. Maybe we just wait a little longer."

Another bandit looked up at the sky, noting the fading light.

"It'll be dark soon. You, take two men and find some food. We'll need it before nightfall."

The chosen bandit nodded and left with two others, disappearing into the trees.

Inside the largest tent, Boss Spider sat alone.

Unlike the others, he was sharply dressed, his lean frame wrapped in dark leather, his sly eyes scanning a worn map laid out before him. His brown hair was slicked back, and his wheat-colored skin glowed faintly in the lantern light.

Boss Spider stared at the map spread across the table, his brow furrowed. The location of the ruins remained elusive, blurred, fragmented, and incomplete. He closed the map with a sigh, frustration simmering beneath his composed exterior.

Then, a faint rustling sound caught his attention.

A wooden barrel at the edge of the tent began to shake slightly. He walked over and opened it slowly.

Inside was a massive spider, white as bone, nearly fifty centimeters in size. Its long legs twitched, and the barrel was lined with shimmering white silk, glistening like frost in the lantern light.

Boss Spider reached into a nearby cage and pulled out a mouse. Without hesitation, he tossed it into the barrel.

"I've gained the knowledge to tame spiders," he muttered to himself, watching the creature pounce.

"But the one I truly seek... still eludes me."

He sighed, but then a twisted grin spread across his face.

"Even so, with spiders at my command... even knights are as good as dead."

With a sharp shriek, the mouse's life came to an end.

Outside the tent, the bandits fell silent. Their laughter stopped, and their eyes turned toward the largest tent. No one spoke. The sound was brief, but it reminded them of Boss Spider's pet.

At the same time, Aaron had returned to the temporary camp and was carefully roasting the rabbit meat over a small fire. The scent of cooked meat began to fill the air, warm and comforting against the backdrop of the eerie forest.

Maria, sitting nearby, couldn't help but ask,

"Aaron, do we have to spend the night in the Dark Forest?"

Aaron shook his head and replied calmly,

"Nope. There's still about an hour until sunset. If you want, we can leave now. But if we run into bandits, I'll have to fight, and I'm just as hungry as you are. Once we've eaten, I'll be in better shape to deal with whatever comes our way."

Maria nodded, understanding his logic. The forest was dangerous, but facing it on an empty stomach would be even worse.

Maria herself was hungry. It had been a long, exhausting day, and the scent of roasted rabbit was more tempting than any feast she'd had in Raven Shore.

It took only fifteen minutes to cook. Though there was no salt or spices, the aroma of the charred meat was rich and satisfying. Both Aaron and Maria ate quietly, grateful for the warmth and nourishment.

A few minutes later, after drinking from the stream, Aaron stood and said,

"Let's go."

He climbed onto his horse, carefully tying the bag to its side. Maria mounted Elly without hesitation and followed behind.

Time passed, and with the help of the map, Aaron finally led them out of the Dark Forest, just before sunset. The golden light bathed the trees behind them, casting long shadows as they reached the forest's edge.

But just as he was about to relax, Aaron noticed something on the map.

Red dots.

His eyes narrowed. The nearest signal was just 400 meters away.

"They're close," he thought, gripping the reins tighter.

Aaron suddenly pulled the reins and brought his horse to a halt.

"Miss Maria, please wait here," he said.

Though puzzled, Maria stopped Elly without protest. She watched Aaron, curious but silent.

Aaron sighed, a flicker of regret crossing his face. In the rush to leave the forest, he had forgotten something important, the Green Snake corpses. Their venom could have been useful, and leaving them behind felt like a missed opportunity.

Then another thought struck him.

He remembered the experience points system tied to his stats. With a casual motion, he opened the interface and was surprised to see 40 experience points available for distribution.

A smile tugged at his lips.

He quickly recalled the source:

- Two bandits defeated

- Two Green Snakes slain

All of them were Level 1, and each had contributed to his growing strength.

He looked over his stats carefully.

Breathing Techniques required 99 experience points to level up, far beyond what he currently had. But both Basic Archery Mastery and Basic Sword Mastery needed far less: just 30 and 10 points, respectively.

Without hesitation, Aaron distributed the experience points.

The moment he did, he felt a subtle shift.

His Basic Sword Mastery didn't change visibly, but he could sense it, his grip, his balance, the flow of movement. If he used the same sword techniques again, they would come more naturally, more fluidly.

But the real change came with Basic Archery Mastery.

His aim sharpened dramatically. 

Before, he could reliably hit stationary targets within 7 meters. Now, that range had doubled to 14 meters. 

His eyes felt keener, his hands steadier. The bow felt like an extension of his body.