They walked back to Drogo Castle on foot.
Throughout the journey, they praised Ash, realizing he wasn't just an ordinary novice after all.
"Ash, you were amazing when you fought that big guy," Mia said, hopping lightly next to him. She had a habit of bouncing around, claiming it helped improve her agility as an archer.
"Thank you. It was nothing," Ash replied humbly.
Dwayne laughed, his large frame and the massive shield on his back shaking slightly with the movement.
"I thought you'd give up the moment they trapped you in that net. But you didn't even signal us for help," he said.
Ash chuckled awkwardly. "I still had Mia and Hank helping me, didn't I?" he replied modestly.
They all joked and laughed together, feeling joyful. This mission was a success, and they managed to bring back a lot of Objects.
It turned out that these Thieves had been operating for several years. They hadn't just stolen from Drogo Castle, but also from Sassi and several other places.
Ash estimated that he could level up quickly, considering that Milo's team received missions at frequent intervals.
Ash started imagining how many items Drogo would receive as the leader of The Unveilers.
'Hmm. Maybe he's already reached the same level as Uncle John.'
Setting aside thoughts that reminded him of his uncle, Ash joined in the jokes and laughter with his team members again.
***
Back in his apartment, Ash slumped onto the sofa, exhausted. Jagu sat next to him, grooming his fur.
As Ash closed his eyes slightly, on the verge of drifting off, a screen suddenly appeared in front of him.
[Warning. You possess a forbidden item in Finding Objects.]
[Item: The Magic of The Forbidden.]
[Do you intend to discard it?]
[Y/N]
The warning screen had actually appeared multiple times since he first held the book.
However, he ignored it each time, and the screen would disappear after a minute of neglect.
This time, he ignored it again, dragging his tired body lazily to the bathroom for a warm shower.
Feeling refreshed afterward, he cooked a meal and ate.
Without bothering to clean up his dishes, he grabbed the forbidden book and opened it to read its contents.
He read the book quickly from the first page to the last, then closed it and returned it to his Inventory.
With his photographic memory, he believed he could fully memorize its contents with just one more read-through.
While lying down with Jagu sleeping next to him, Ash opened his Inventory to check the items he received as payment for today.
Today, he acquired four new items and immediately read all the descriptions.
Potion of Everlasting Stamina: A potion offering limitless stamina for a short time, but unbearably bitter in taste.
Dagger of Flickering Flames: A dagger with flickering flames, which often extinguished in windy weather.
Fragmented Rune: A cracked rune that slightly enhanced spells but became fragile with repeated use.
Chain of Binding: An old chain capable of capturing smaller enemies, yet prone to breaking against stronger foes.
Ash couldn't help but smirk. "Useful, but with plenty of strings attached," he thought to himself.
Then he opened his System and checked his Stats.
[Player: Ashborn Locke]
[Player Number: #23875]
[Level: #5.8]
[Stats:
⇒ Strength: 85
⇒ Endurance: 75
⇒ Agility: 85
⇒ Intelligence: 75
⇒ Magic: 125.]
[Extra Point: 120]
[Skills:
⇒ Hunter: Level: #9]
[Sword Skill:
⇒ Shadow Dance: Level: #44]
'Hmm...'
He gained 120 points, so he allocated 20 points to each of his stats, with an additional 20 points to his magic stat.
Then, he observed how his magic stat would always increase by 200% thanks to the Magic Ring he was wearing. Now, his magic stat was at 230 points.
"Yes," he murmured. With this, he decided to attempt mastering what he had read in the forbidden book.
After closing his screen, he read The Magic of The Forbidden once more before it would be destroyed by the System.
Once he felt confident that he had memorized everything within the book, he waited for the warning screen to appear.
He sat down, then pressed Y to discard the book.
The Magic of The Forbidden, which was in his hands, started disappearing bit by bit until it completely vanished.
Although the book didn't grant him any additional levels or points, he felt content. With a smirk, he muttered, "The contents of this book are far more interesting than The Supreme Magus Grimoire."
The Supreme Magus Grimoire only provided explanations about advanced magic mastered by its creator, and the rest was merely rambling.
Recalling the first step to summon the initial element explained in The Magic of The Forbidden, Ash raised his hand to align with his chin.
He focused his thoughts on remembering the sensation of fire—its heat, the sound of it crackling in a campfire, and its colors dancing in the flames.
Suddenly, a small ball of fire appeared in the palm of his hand, yet it didn't feel hot against his skin.
Startled, he pulled his hand away from the fire, but the flames followed and caught onto his shirt.
He jumped to his feet, frantically trying to extinguish the fire on his shirt.
Jagu, who had been sleeping, woke up and sat upright, watching Ash panic as he patted down the flames on his clothing.
"F*ck! F*ck! F*ck!" he cursed once the fire was out.
With a scowl, he took off his shirt and stared at the hole the fire had burned into it.
He threw the shirt into the trash and grabbed a fresh one from the wardrobe, where he now stored an ever-growing collection of his belongings.
While putting on his new shirt, he muttered in frustration, "Well, there's no success without failure."
Then he lay back down on his bed, still grumbling, while Jagu licked his face before resting his head on Ash's stomach and drifting back to sleep.
While staring at the ceiling of his room, Ash resolved to try that magic again, along with other spells, the next day.