"Boss, it's hard to say whether there are more green-skins lurking deeper in the woods," Rafe muttered, his expression unusually grave. He hesitated to delve further into the forest depths. Fearless in most situations, he harbored an inexplicable dread of unrelenting darkness. Each night, he sought solace in the presence of a light source or another person to ensure peaceful slumber.

"I believe it's a risk worth taking," Avi countered, acknowledging Rafe's fear of the dark but unwilling to dismiss the potential treasures concealed within the raided camp. "Even if green-skins remain, their numbers should be sparse now that their leader is no more."

"But—"

"Just stick close to me," Avi reassured. "With so many comrades around, there's no need for concern. Our employer mentioned that these green-skins have plagued this area for some time. I suspect their camp holds valuable spoils."

"Very well..."

Reluctantly, Rafe acquiesced, his lingering doubts evident. "But which direction should we head?"

"Let's follow the path the green-skins took earlier. It should lead us to their camp."

After dividing the spoils, the mercenary band pressed deeper into the dense, foreboding forest. Echoes of animal calls punctuated the silence, gradually eroding their morale alongside the fading light.

With each step, their odds grew increasingly unfavorable. Should their journey continue indefinitely, they risked losing themselves within the forest's labyrinth, easy prey for its wild inhabitants.

"Brothers, pick up the pace!" Avi urged intermittently, his charisma proving influential. Those swayed by his charm willingly heeded his commands, each word lifting spirits palpably.

Yet morale alone could not stave off physical exhaustion. The forest's intricate terrain exacted a toll on their progress, and after traversing three hundred meters, the member burdened with spoils collapsed.

"Captain... let's... let's take a break!"

Avi surveyed their surroundings and led them to a relatively flat, dry spot for respite.

Observing his comrades—many now promoted to regular soldiers—succumb to exhaustion on the grass, Avi ruefully reflected on his impulsive pursuit of hypothetical treasure amidst such darkness.

"What good does pondering serve now? We've come this far..."

With a heavy sigh, Avi gestured to open the system panel.

In the recent skirmish, Avi's hand had dealt the fatal blow to a minotaur, reaping a substantial bounty of experience. He resolved to invest in the command skill to safeguard against any pitfalls born of dwindling morale in the forest.

The panel presented a summary of Avi's and Rafe's attributes.

Avi, Level 19: Constitution 18, Agility 15, Intelligence 16, Charisma 14. Skills: Persuasion 1, Trade 2, Knowledge (History) 1, Riding 1, Weapon Mastery 2.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Rafe, Level 20: Constitution 33, Agility 16, Intelligence 5, Charisma 8. Skills: Weapon Mastery 4, Riding 2, Toughness 1, Endurance 1.

Endurance and Toughness, skills Avi had yet to explore, remained locked on his panel—presumably due to insufficient base attributes.

Purely in terms of efficacy, these two skills were indeed advanced. Avi perused their descriptions, unable to suppress his yearning for their benefits.

Endurance: This skill enhances the body's recovery ability, allowing for faster restoration of stamina and vitality. In practical terms, it results in easier wound healing, quicker stamina recovery, and vitality higher than that of an average person.

Iron Will: This skill increases tolerance to pain and raises the maximum vitality. In practical terms, it renders one sturdier, able to endure more damage and attacks than an ordinary person, and less likely to retreat due to pain.

"Both of these skills are excellent," Avi murmured. "I just wonder how to unlock them. Perhaps the constitution attribute needs to reach a certain number?"

With two skill points and eight attribute points at hand, there's no harm in trying.

Avi switched to his attribute panel, focusing intently on the two locked skills, gradually upgrading his constitution attribute.

His guess was correct. When the constitution reached 20 points, both Endurance and Iron Will unlocked simultaneously, now in an upgradeable state.

"It seems advanced skills require sufficiently high attributes," Avi mused. "In that case, I should prioritize upgrading attributes nearing whole numbers. Who knows, it might unlock more useful skills."

Currently, only his and Rafe's unlocked skills were visible in the system. Many others remained obscured, their effects unseen, waiting to be unlocked under the appropriate conditions.

The remaining two attribute points were used to increase intelligence. With his intelligence now at 18 points, he wondered what new skills would emerge once it reached 20 points.

Avi was eager, but for now, upgrading Command was a priority. Before pressing the upgrade button, he double-checked the properties of the Command skill.

Command: Elevating this skill as a leader can boost the overall morale of the team and reduce the magnitude of morale decline after setbacks. In terms of the team, Command can mitigate the negative effects of increased team size (such as decreased morale, increased likelihood of quarrels, lack of cohesion), and lower-level soldiers and teammates may be more difficult to command if this skill level is insufficient.

Rafe's panel did not feature this skill. Its unlock conditions likely involved reaching a certain threshold of intelligence or charisma.

But Avi focused on the subject at the beginning: leader.

"Could it be that only captains or leaders of teams can use this skill?" he pondered. "If that's the case, perhaps the 'System' offers skills through means other than attribute unlocks alone?"

This was something worth paying attention to. Understanding the system's mechanics could allow for more effective utilization, which was crucial for Avi.

One skill point was used to upgrade Command, and Avi decided to invest the remaining point in Endurance.

A captain leading from the frontlines, slaying enemies, could uplift morale and utilize personal abilities to alter the course of battle as much as possible. Moreover, the enemies they faced recently were becoming increasingly formidable, and they were still relying on the personal abilities of himself and Rafe.

When would he be able to comfortably command soldiers and teammates from the rear?

With that thought, Avi couldn't help but feel a tinge of melancholy. He quickly closed the panel, only then realizing that his team members were gathered around him.

"Is there something wrong?" Avi asked, looking up.

"He heard someone shouting 'help' while he was taking a dump just now," one of the Imperial Swordsmen said. "We... thought we should check it out. But just now, you were gesturing in the air and muttering something, so—"

Just then, a message appeared in Avi's mind.

'Orcs often like to loot injured individuals and women and children during raids, as it serves as valuable reserves and slaves for them.'

Another effect from the Knowledge (History) skill.

"Then we must go and see!"

Avi immediately stood up, ready to set off, as this could very well mean they had found their destination.

The plundering camp of the green-skinned orcs.