Bones shook his head. If there was any detailed information on the undead race to be found, he either couldn't find it or simply didn't have access to it.

"No, I didn't find any information, but at this point, I'm expecting a normal upgrade as well. Like my class, most of my skills underwent a rather standard upgrade, so why would my race be any different? The information I did come across on the undead focused more on their weaknesses and how to combat them. However, I did stumble upon an interesting theory suggesting that the undead, and not just them, but monsters in general, have a system of their own," Bones said, realizing immediately afterward that he had referred to himself as a human rather than as an undead.

Solin listened and remarked that he expected it would be something like that. The Wezar Kingdom was, after all, a minor kingdom and far from real danger. Most people were normal citizens, going about their lives, ignorant of how the world works and the threats outside the kingdom. So it wasn't exactly a surprise that most available information was related to humans only.

"This place is too small, Bones. You should leave and explore the world once you level up some more. There's so much to see and experience that you can't read about in books."

Bones was, as he had been a few times before, surprised to hear Solin speak this way. The young man had a serious and intelligent side to him that he often didn't show to others.

"Aye, I did plan to leave eventually. What about you? Are you going somewhere?"

Solin chuckled, storing an empty plate back into his inventory and standing up. "Of course! Once I reach peak bronze, I plan to leave and explore the continent. Staying here would only stall my progress. If you haven't noticed, there aren't any monsters here in the second tier outside of dungeons."

It wasn't just the Wezar Kingdom; other smaller kingdoms also had limited progress when it came to hunting monsters. Dungeons were the primary way to level up once you reached a high enough level. However, without solid connections, wealth, or influence, it was nearly impossible to reserve a slot to explore dungeons on a monthly basis. Besides, many adventurers in the kingdom were locals who wouldn't risk their lives traveling and seeking ways to push themselves further.

Bones stood up after Solin, and once they packed their camp, they headed north. The Forest Trolls hadn't posed much of a problem yet, but they noticed their levels increasing as they traveled further north. Trolls weren't the only inhabitants in these parts; wolves followed their trail from a distance but lost interest in the duo after witnessing their skills hunting trolls. By the end of the second day, they had hunted six trolls. Once again, they set up camp and sat by the campfire.

"Why troll hearts?" Bones asked, wondering about that from the start. Not just now, but most quests required proof of the kill, and butchering the bodies, even those of monsters, wasn't for the weak-hearted. He had a general understanding of what the items could be used for but still decided to ask. Solin had a solid understanding of the system and had been most helpful in answering his every question.

"Not gonna lie to you, I'm not sure, but most likely the reason is that the hearts are used either in medicine or alchemy. That's usually how it goes."

Bones nodded; it was just as he thought. Troll blood and organs were valued ingredients in both fields. He himself saw value in troll bones. He even considered constructing a golem out of them. However, it would be difficult, probably even impossible for the time being. The lizardman's skeleton had already proved challenging to construct and engrave, and he was already pushing his limits while doing so.

The Guild, though, had quite a rotten but effective way to amass items of value. Under the pretense of doing general good, they had adventurers risking their lives to collect items as a means to complete quests. They performed a job deserving respect and approval in the eyes of the citizens while gaining valuable items.

Or maybe I'm just looking into it too much? I thought badges kept track of quest progress?

"Ah!" Bones exclaimed and summoned his adventurer's badge from his inventory.

"I forgot to take out my adventurer badge…"

Solin snorted in amusement and admitted he forgot about his too. "Don't worry about the badge; that's why we collect troll hearts. Besides, the guild can't track the signal here, if that's what you were worried about."

"Really? I wasn't worried, but now that you mention it, why not?" Bones asked.

Solin explained that while badges were well-made, it came down to the cost of enchantments, and the guild wouldn't invest so much in bronze rank badges. Simple runes were inscribed, and for the guild to ping their signal, they would have to be in the vicinity of the guild. Headquarters had a farther reach, encompassing most of the kingdom, but adventurers tended to hide the signal by storing the badges in their inventory. "Before you ask why, no one likes to be tracked."

Compromises had to be made between the guild and adventurers for them to work together. Bones was about to ask why the guild would allow the badges to be stored, but Solin answered the question before he could ask. Instead, he inquired why the guild couldn't track them in the tavern.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"The tavern has a jamming formation, courtesy of Clover, our barrier and formation specialist. Your best bet is to keep the badge in your inventory, which you already do. I thought Silva already explained all this stuff to you?" Solin asked, sounding surprised. He knew Bones and Silva had a lengthy talk once he got to the capital, but to think Silva would leave out this information…

"Silva never mentioned anything beyond keeping the badge in my inventory to hide the signal."

"Weird, but it's possible he just forgot if you hadn't asked him about it."

"Yeah, I don't think he forgot about it, Solin. He probably didn't feel the need to tell me."

"Tomorrow might be our last day here as we're getting closer to the end of the border," yawns Solin continued. "We should start backtracking and clear the trolls we missed on the way."

"What about-"

"I'm tired!" Solin interrupted, looking exhausted. "I'm sorry, Bones, I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just not used to hunting for long periods of time without taking breaks."

"Ah, my apologies, Solin. I seem to have neglected your needs," Bones replied, feeling guilty, and wondered if Solin was finally affected by the effects of misanthropy. Solin waved him off, adding that it wasn't Bones' fault but that he would need longer breaks between fights. He wasn't accustomed to the fast pace of their hunting. Solin needed more time to regenerate his resources, as it was taking a toll on his core, and he would need to take it down a notch.

Bones, on the other hand, was used to fighting day in and day out without stopping and would only feel the overload after truly pushing his core over the limit. He hadn't considered how his pace would affect Solin. Now he knew and appreciated all the time he spent fighting solo.

Solin entered his tent, and Bones once again turned to practicing his shaping while his golem idled by his side. Sometime in the middle of the night, a loud boom startled Solin awake. He jumped up and bolted out of the tent. Outside, he saw the golem attacking the Forest Troll, and Bones looking around, on the lookout for something. Their eyes met, and Bones shouted, "Wolves."

Solin immediately understood. The same wolves that had been following their trail earlier took advantage while the troll was attacking the camp to launch an attack of their own. How bold of them! He sprang into action, disappearing from sight and locating the first of the six wolves. Bones spread his senses, locating the rest of them, and directed Solin, without taking his focus off the troll. The golem, while improved, wasn't capable enough to deter the troll alone, but the two of them would be more than enough.

Solin swiftly disposed of the rest of the pack, and the trio finished the troll right after. The camp was destroyed, the tent beyond repair. Bones turned to Solin, asking if it was normal behavior for the Forest Troll to attack overnight. It wasn’t. Most trolls weren't nocturnal. They were territorial and would rarely leave their territory unless being forced to.

“Then something is forcing them out of their comfort zone and pushing them south, across the border,” Bones said, gazing at the dead troll. "Do we go and investigate?"

Solin shook his head. He didn't know why the trolls were migrating south across the border, and it wasn’t his job to speculate about monster behavior. "Let's finish the quest here and report back to the guild. They have scouts capable of investigating on their own," Solin suggested. Bones didn't mind; they had already hunted quite a number of trolls, and it was nearing that time of the month when he would leave to solo his dungeon.

It wasn't uncommon for the camp to be raided overnight. That's why party members took turns standing watch. However, the frequent occurrences of trolls and the recent attack were indeed unusual. Solin didn't return to sleep, assuring Bones he had enough rest to continue hunting. Bones didn't entirely believe him, but if the young man said he was good to go, then he had nothing more to add to that.

They continued along the border, killing two more trolls, then turned south. By morning, they were only a few hours away from the village. They passed multiple parties and didn't encounter a single troll on their way back. The forest had been cleared of trolls, and by noon, the party was back in the village, renting horses and continuing their journey back to the capital.

----------------------------------------

Bones stood in front of the contract board outside the guild, preferring not to mingle with the crowd inside if he could avoid it. He waited for Solin to finish completing their quest. When Solin returned, deep in thought, Bones gave him a puzzled look, but Solin didn't explain himself; he just asked Bones to go have a drink with him. Once they sat down in the nearest pub, Solin mentioned that the guild had paid them for the hunting contract and said they would look into what drove the trolls away from their territory when they had the time.

"That didn't sound like they would take appropriate steps to investigate," Bones remarked, and Solin confirmed that they wouldn't.

"Before I forget, I wanted to ask you if you still have that staff from the dungeon with you? I'd like to buy it from you!"

"Sorry, Solin, I stopped by the auction house right after our dungeon run and sold it. You wanted to buy it for Morem."

Solin looked away, feeling embarrassed. "That obvious, huh? Why didn't you use it?"

It was expected for a mage to have a staff or a wand equipped, as it would amplify the effectiveness of their spells. Bones, however, still fought using the summoned Bone Lance.

"I don't feel the connection with other weapons. I can still use them, I just don't feel the familiarity when using them. Maybe if the staff was made of bone and not wood?"

Solin shrugged in response, stating he didn't have issues like that and that he had never seen a magic staff made of bones or any other material besides wood. He explained that a wooden shaft is cheap, serves as a good conduit, and is easily engraved. While he knew of iron staffs, they weren't intended for use by mages. Battle staffs were heavy and sturdy, unlike normal staffs, and didn't have mana crystals embedded at the tip of the shaft.

Bones noted that there were more people in the crowd than usual. He listened to the murmurs for a while, and one name kept popping up in conversations.

"Has something happened? I keep hearing something about Prince Tristan," Bones inquired.

Solin also noticed and turned to ask around. "Hey, friend!" he shouted to the man by the table next to them. The man glanced their way, and Solin asked him what the commotion was about. The man, already tipsy, eagerly shared the news.

"It seems the prince has decided to join the frontlines, and yesterday, with his troops and a group of adventurers, left southeast toward the border."