The remaining goblins broke.

[Run!]

[They killed the shaman!]

Panic spread instantly through the camp.

Mike watched them scatter, then shifted his stance.

He planted his feet firmly, clenched the handle of his sword with both hands, and drew in mana. Black flames surged violently along the blade, growing thicker and heavier.

"Black Flame Sword Art—Horizon Split!"

He swung with all his strength.

A massive wave of black flame erupted from the sword, stretching wide like a burning wall. The flaming slash raced across the ground, swallowing everything in its path.

[Gyaaah!]

[No—run!]

The fleeing goblins were torn apart instantly, their bodies shredded by the black fire. The slash didn't stop there—it ripped through the entire camp, splitting tents, smashing wooden structures, and scorching the earth itself.

When the flames finally faded, the goblin nest was gone.

Only scorched ground, broken weapons, and silence remained.

Mike stood there and nodded.

"That felt good," he mumbled, glancing at his system window.

"Hm… three levels," he said, checking his level increase.

He then looked around the destroyed camp. Most of the things left behind were useless—burned weapons, broken armor, and scraps of cloth. Just as he was about to turn away, his eyes fell on the Goblin Shaman's staff.

He picked it up.

The staff looked like it was made from bone, twisted and fused together, with faint green markings carved along its length. The markings pulsed weakly, giving off an eerie feeling.

"That's a good staff," Katarina said, walking closer.

"Good how?" Mike asked.

"See those markings?" she said, pointing at it. "There are three different ones. Just by holding the staff, the user can cast three different spells that the Goblin Shaman possessed."

Mike nodded.

Normally, one would have needed to pour mana into it to identify the effects, but thanks to his Origin System, the information appeared instantly.

The markings glowed faintly, and the details became clear.

Spells imbued in the staff:

Green Flame Curse – The same cursed green fire the shaman used, dealing continuous damage.

Bone Spikes – Summons sharp bone spikes from the ground to impale enemies.

Frenzy – A berserk-type buff that greatly increases physical power at the cost of control.

Mike's eyes narrowed slightly.

"…Not bad at all," he said quietly.

"Yes. It's an Uncommon-rank staff, judging by the type of bones used to craft it," Katarina said with a nod.

Mike looked at her.

"How do Goblin Shamans make something like this?" he asked.

Katarina thought for a moment.

"There are a few ways. Some knowledge is inherited within their clans, passed down from older shamans. They use that knowledge to craft their own staffs," she explained. "And some goblins serve darker entities—so-called gods—that grant them this kind of knowledge."

Mike nodded slowly.

"Gods…" he muttered. 'More like higher-dimensional beings. he inwardly thought.

Thanks to what he had learned in school, Mike knew that what people in the Origin World called gods were often just far more powerful existences, not true divine beings.

At higher ranks, one could learn to control the laws of the world. By using the laws they comprehended, they could produce effects similar to the gods described in myths.

Mike simply nodded, then looked at her.

"Now that I've done this, I believe my evaluation is over?" he asked.

Katarina nodded.

"Yes. And judging by how you handled this, you can already be placed at B-rank."

Mike looked aurprised

"I thought everyone starts at E-rank no matter what?" he asked.

"That was the old rule," Katarina replied. "After centuries, the guild adapted. That's why these evaluation quests exist—to determine whether someone qualifies for a higher rank from the start."

Mike nodded in understanding.

"Most people still start at E-rank," she added. "Only a few, like you, begin at higher ranks."

"Do I need any proof from here?" Mike asked.

"Yes," she replied. "Most of the goblins were burned beyond use, but the important ones are still here. Cut off the right ears of the hobgoblins and take the Goblin Shaman's body."

MIke nodded and begun to cut off the Hobgoblin ears and the put them in small bag and then he went to half burned Goblin Shaman and put his hand on it, storing it in his Inventory.

She paused and looked at him.

"You have an item box, right?"

Mike nodded, as his inevntory does look like Item Box skill of Origin world.

She wasn't surprised. In the Origin World, an Item Box was a rare skill—only one in a thousand awakened had it—but it wasn't unheard of.

"Most people with item boxes end up as merchants," she added casually.

Mike smirked.

"Do I look like the merchant type to you?"

She chuckled softly.

"Not at all."

After collecting the proof, they both mounted Emperor again.

"Let's go," Katarina said.

They turned back toward the city, leaving the destroyed goblin nest behind.

They rode back toward Valor City in silence.

The forest slowly grew lighter as they moved away from the goblin nest. The heavy smell of smoke faded, replaced by fresh air and the sound of insects.

Soon, they were out of the forest, and the main road came into view. It was daytime, so many carriages were moving along the path. Several people panicked when Mike and Katarina rode past on Emperor, but when they noticed humans riding atop the massive wolf, they sighed in relief.

"It seems the rumors are true," a lady inside one such carriage said, smiling as she looked at Emperor in the distance.

"Yes, milady," the maid sitting beside her replied.

"Hm… I wonder what kind of tamer this is, to have tamed such a great wolf," the lady said thoughtfully.

The maid shook her head slightly.

"He's not a tamer, milady. According to the guild, he is a knight."

"A knight?" the lady asked, surprised.

The maid nodded.

The lady's smile widened.

"Now I'm even more interested in him," she said softly. "I can't wait to meet such a powerful knight."

"Milady, are you planning to recruit him for the upcoming Legacy Realm?" the maid asked.

The lady nodded slightly.

"Hm… it depends on his level. For now, let's just gather information on him, Millie."

The maid bowed respectfully.

"As you wish, milady."

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