Adventurer of Many Professions

Arya lowered her gaze, feeling a little embarrassed.

Had it not been for Lorene's blessing, which granted her the strength to fully draw her bowstring, she doubted she could have fired with enough force to kill the first Red-Eyed Crow in one shot. Without that power boost, her arrow might not have even pierced deep enough to be lethal.

And as for the second one...

Her first shot had missed entirely. It was only because the Red-Eyed Crow screeched in surprise that she managed to seize the opening and land a follow-up shot.

Raymond's praise felt undeserved. She still had a long way to go.

Just as self-doubt started creeping in, a warm hand ruffled her hair.

Raymond.

"We're a team, Arya. Of course, we rely on each other's strengths. There's nothing wrong with that," he said with a small smirk. "Besides, without you, Lorene's 'Blessing of Courage' wouldn't have meant anything. She couldn't have killed the Red-Eyed Crow without a shooter, right?"

Arya's eyes widened slightly, then softened with understanding.

"You're right!" She nodded vigorously, newfound confidence replacing her hesitation.

Seeing that her complexion had improved and the tension in her shoulders had eased, Raymond let out a quiet breath of relief.

Raymond's praise felt undeserved. She still had a long way to go.

Just as self-doubt started creeping in, a warm hand ruffled her hair.

Raymond.

"We're a team, Arya. Of course, we rely on each other's strengths. There's nothing wrong with that," he said with a small smirk. "Besides, without you, Lorene's 'Blessing of Courage' wouldn't have meant anything. She couldn't have killed the Red-Eyed Crow without a shooter, right?"

Arya's eyes widened slightly, then softened with understanding.

"You're right!" She nodded vigorously, newfound confidence replacing her hesitation.

Seeing that her complexion had improved and the tension in her shoulders had eased, Raymond let out a quiet breath of relief.

Truthfully, he had been worried. The brutality of battle was something Arya would have to grow accustomed to, but he didn't want her to be traumatized by it. Seeing her gradually adjusting reassured him, but he knew it would still take time.

For now, he would give her that time.

Raymond straightened and turned to the others.

"Lorene, stay here with Arya for a bit. Sylph, you're coming with me."

"Huh?" Sylph raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"We need to collect the sharp beaks and claws of the Red-Eyed Crows."

Lorene nodded in agreement, knowing Arya could use a few more minutes to recover.

Sylph, however, crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Raymond. "You can do that yourself. Why are you dragging me along?"

Even as she complained, she was already standing up.

Raymond just smirked and started walking toward the bloodied house. Sylph sighed and followed.

The smell of iron and decay was thick inside the house. Dismembered bodies of Red-Eyed Crows lay scattered, their dark feathers drenched in red. The sight was gruesome, but it barely fazed Sylph.

Compared to their first mission in the sewers, where they had to slaughter mutant rats in ankle-deep filth, this was nothing.

"You need my help for this?" Sylph asked, eyeing the dead creatures. "You don't even have a dagger."

Raymond shook his head. "I don't need your help."

He pulled out Dark Moon, knelt down, and with a quick, precise slash, severed the first Red-Eyed Crow's sharp beak.

The black blade gleamed under the dim light as he continued, effortlessly extracting the valuable materials.

Sylph frowned. "Then why drag me here?"

Raymond smirked. "Haven't you heard? Men and women working together is less tiring."

Sylph gave him a deadpan stare. "That's a terrible excuse."

Still, Raymond continued casually cutting through the next Red-Eyed Crow's claws, tucking the severed pieces into his backpack.

"Besides," he added, "working alone is boring. And you talk too much, so I figured you'd keep me entertained."

"Raymond!"

Sylph gasped in outrage, her hands clenching into fists. "Did you seriously call me here just to talk my ear off?!"

She was about to kick him, but then paused, her irritation quickly turning into amusement.

She folded her arms and smirked playfully. "You know, you really take special care of Arya."

Raymond didn't respond, focused on his task.

Sylph continued, her voice filled with mock complaint. "Back when we teamed up to clear the mutant rat nest, you didn't treat me this gently. You just shoved a sword in my hand and told me to start killing."

She glanced toward the door. "Same with Lorene. You forced her to kill those Poison Wasp larvae, saying it was 'the fastest way to adapt.'"

Then she gestured toward Arya. "But her? The second she gets spooked, you tell her to rest. Hmph, we didn't get that luxury."

Raymond didn't deny it.

Because she was right.

Finishing his task, Raymond stood up and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Let's head to the central square."

All the sharp beaks and claws had been collected, particularly from the leader of the Red-Eyed Crows, whose materials were nearly twice as valuable as the others.

Sylph let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, fine. But next time, don't call me over just to keep you company!"

Raymond just chuckled.

As they left the bloodied house, the sky above had started to clear, signaling that this battle, at least for now, was over.

As Raymond and Sylph made their way toward the Central Square, she suddenly spoke up, her voice tinged with concern.

"Hey, Raymond... do you think my 'Explosion Magic' might have blown away all the sharp beaks and claws?"

She hadn't thought about it in the heat of battle, her only focus had been obliterating the Red-Eyed Crows. But now, after seeing Raymond meticulously collect materials, the realization hit her.

If they couldn't retrieve enough beaks and claws because of her magic... and they failed the second mission because of it...

Sylph groaned inwardly, feeling a flicker of annoyance at herself.

But Raymond, as always, remained unbothered.

"Some might be damaged or incomplete," he admitted, "but they won't be completely destroyed. The beaks and claws are the hardest parts of a Red-Eyed Crow. Even with the blast, most should still be intact."

Sylph exhaled in relief. "That makes sense. Besides, the leader's beak and claws are huge. That alone could count for two! We'll definitely have enough."

With her confidence restored, she grinned, picking up her pace.

By the time they arrived at the Central Square, the scale of destruction came fully into view.

The entire area had been reduced to ruins.

Charred remains of Red-Eyed Crows were strewn across the rubble-filled square. Stone and dirt had been blasted apart, leaving debris scattered everywhere.

And at the very center...

A massive crater, nearly ten meters wide, still smoldered with black burn marks.

Raymond took one look at the destruction and couldn't help but be impressed.

Sylph, standing beside him, crossed her arms and smirked.

"Well? What do you think? Pretty impressive, right?"

She tilted her chin up proudly, savoring the moment. It was rare that she got to fully unleash her 'Explosion Magic' like this. For once, she wasn't holding back.

Raymond gave her a flat look.

"Yeah, yeah… great job," he said dismissively. "Now stop gloating and start looking for beaks and claws."

"Tch." Sylph clicked her tongue, muttering in annoyance, but still started sifting through the wreckage with him.

But within just a few minutes, she let out a frustrated groan.

"Ugh, Raymond, this is impossible! There's too much debris, and so many pieces got blasted all over the place. There's no way just the two of us can find everything!"

Raymond paused, scanning the mess around them. She wasn't wrong. The explosion had scattered the remains far and wide, and many pieces were likely buried under dirt and rubble.

If they searched alone, it would take far too long.

Raymond thought for a moment before suggesting, "Then let's ask the villagers for help. It'll be faster that way. Besides, with the Red-Eyed Crows gone, they don't have anything to fear anymore."

"Oh! Good idea!" Sylph perked up immediately. She was more than happy to skip the exhausting search and delegate the work instead.

Without hesitation, she bolted toward the village chief's house to gather help.

Meanwhile, Raymond used the free time to handle a few things.

He climbed onto the roof, where he swiftly extracted the beak and claws of the Red-Eyed Crow that had been perched there. With precise cuts, he removed them and tossed the materials down before moving on.

Then, he made his way to the sloped area where Arya had landed her kill, retrieving its beak and claws as well.

By the time he returned, the village chief had arrived at the square, along with over thirty villagers.

The villagers gathered at the edge of the giant crater, their eyes wide with amazement.

"Incredible… is this the power of 'Explosion Magic'?"

"Such devastation… those Red-Eyed Crows never stood a chance!"

"To think magic could be this powerful…"

Their murmurs of awe filled the air. Some looked shocked, others thrilled, but all were clearly impressed.

Sylph, soaking in the praise, puffed out her chest proudly and smirked.

"Heh. What can I say? That's the raw power of my magic!"

She even shot a smug look at Raymond, as if daring him to deny it.

Raymond just sighed.

As he approached, the village chief stepped forward, bowing his head gratefully.