"Mr. Ryder, where are we now?" Brian asked as he walked behind me. We were traversing a ridge, and the terrain was atrocious—so uneven it was almost beyond belief, making our steps uncertain and treacherous.

"I don't know!" I responded. Although we were technically lost, this was a minor inconvenience compared to being trapped in that frigid ice cave. For a magician, being lost is hardly a concern; after a night's rest and a quick recall of my spells, I could easily use magic to locate our path. Even now, I could determine our general direction by the position of the sun—though the precise route remained unclear, the overall direction was unmistakable. The real danger wasn't being lost or the treacherous terrain, but the ominous traces of malevolent creatures that surrounded us, hinting at the perils lurking nearby, ready to strike at any moment.

Brian, my newly taken apprentice, followed me closely. Truth be told, I never imagined I would one day take on an apprentice, let alone as a wandering magician. Typically, magicians on adventurous journeys avoid taking on apprentices, as they are more of a burden than an asset. However, since I had already promised to teach him magic, I had no choice but to bring him along… In hindsight, I somewhat regretted agreeing to his request.

"Where are we headed?" Brian asked again, a hint of fear in his voice. The sky was gradually darkening, and with it, the likelihood of encountering danger increased.

"I don't know!" I repeated. My primary goal was to get out of this cursed place as quickly as possible before we ran into that necromancer. I had no desire to engage in a direct confrontation with a necromancer. If I had a group of powerful magicians with me, I might consider facing Raith, but unfortunately, my only companion was an apprentice who couldn't even cast a magic missile.

The night was closing in, with the sun now only half-visible on the western horizon. If we didn't prepare soon, we'd be forced to travel in the dark. Realizing that we wouldn't be able to leave this ridge today, I decided to set up camp.

I chose a sheltered hollow—not quite a cave, but a depression in the ground. I had Brian lie inside while I took the outer position and cast a protective spell around us. If anything approached, I would be alerted first. I didn't start a fire, knowing that while it might deter wild beasts, it would only attract the malevolent creatures that inhabited this area.

Brian huddled against me for warmth. Though this was far better than the ice cave, the night wind was still chilly. Fortunately, our clothes had dried out during the day's march.

"Mr. Ryder, how long will it take for me to reach your level?" Brian asked suddenly once everything had settled down.

"Perhaps ten years, perhaps twenty… or maybe even longer," I replied casually. One's progress in magic depends on their talent and dedication. I couldn't yet gauge this boy's potential, but it wouldn't be long before I found out.

"That long?" he murmured.

"Of course! Magic is a profound and demanding discipline—you get out of it what you put in," I answered absentmindedly as I began my pre-sleep ritual of reviewing my spells. Every magician typically revisits their spells before sleep, allowing the mind to integrate the incantations during slumber. My earlier attempt to memorize spells under duress was less than ideal, as even the most skilled magician can fail when forced to recall spells in such a manner.

The boy fell silent, and I focused intently on reconstructing the fragmented incantations in my mind.

I was awakened at dawn by the clatter of armor. Though my protective spell hadn't triggered, the sound was close.

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I roused Brian, and we cautiously peered outside.

A troop of hobgoblins was marching nearby, fully armed. Each one wore identical armor and carried spears, looking very much like a patrol unit—though such well-crafted weapons and armor were certainly not of their own making. These primitive creatures were likely scavenging the spoils of war, possibly from a defeated human expedition.

I suspected they were Raith's minions, and these weapons and armor were undoubtedly looted from the corpses of fallen soldiers. Encountering a patrol here could only mean one thing—we were dangerously close to Raith's lair. Damn, this was far from what I had planned!

The hobgoblins continued on their way, their armor clinking as they moved further from us. If I wanted to eliminate them, a single fireball would suffice. But if their bodies were discovered—and they surely would be—we would be hunted down, and if Raith himself decided to pursue us, the situation would become dire. I wasn't confident I could protect Brian against a necromancer.

I reached into my pocket, feeling the object hidden within. Losing it would surely prompt Raith to come after us himself—such a precious item couldn't simply be abandoned!

As the hobgoblins grew more distant and the sound of clashing armor faded, an idea struck me—perhaps now was the perfect opportunity!

"Follow me!" I whispered to Brian before leaping from our hiding place and running toward the hobgoblins. I moved as silently as possible, but as I drew near, the creatures noticed me.

"Who are you?" One of the hobgoblins, clumsily pointing his spear at me, grunted in a garbled voice. He seemed to be the leader.

"I'm no one…" I began to chant the spell I had prepared. Before the hobgoblins could react or attack, I completed my magic.

"Charm!" A blue energy burst from my hand, enveloping the hobgoblins. Their hostile gazes softened into obedience. To them, I was now their master, their most trusted ally—except for two on the far left, who remained unaffected and charged at me with their spears.

The fight was brief. Striking from behind was the hobgoblins' specialty, and the two unlucky ones who weren't charmed were swiftly slain before they could reach me.

I approached the hobgoblin leader, with Brian nervously trailing behind me. It was clear that this was his first encounter with such malevolent creatures, and despite knowing they were under my control, he was still tense.

"Awaiting your orders, my lord!" the hobgoblin leader said, lowering his bloodstained spear. His loyalty pleased me.

"I have some questions for you," I commanded.

The hobgoblin leader answered nearly all of my questions—except those he didn't know the answers to. Just as I had suspected, they were indeed part of Raith's patrol, and his lair was only about five kilometers away. With a quick pace, we could reach it within half an hour! I was fortunate to encounter this patrol; otherwise, I might have blundered straight into Raith's stronghold. It seemed fate had spared me once again! Moreover, the hobgoblin revealed that Raith had abducted the princess and taken her to his lair. Only a handful of giants and ogres were left to guard the place, as the necromancer had left earlier in the day for reasons unknown.

"Left? Do you know why?" I asked.

"No idea!"

"Whatever it is that could make the necromancer abandon the captured princess must be related to this!" I thought to myself, my hand brushing against the hard object in my pocket. It was the jewel I had tricked from the young girl. Could I really just leave her in the hands of that twisted necromancer? The gem stirred what little remained of my conscience—if I rescued her, I could claim this gem for myself with a clear conscience! And if Raith was indeed searching for us, then his lair might be the safest place to hide…

"Mr. Ryder!" Brian's voice interrupted my thoughts, excitement and nervousness on his face. It was clear what he was thinking.

"Brian, you want us to sneak into Raith's lair and rescue the princess, don't you!" I said, a hint of sarcasm in my voice. He was so young, still clinging to the fairy tale of a hero rescuing a princess.

"Is that not possible?" he asked, slightly alarmed by my tone. "If we could rescue the princess… it would be a major blow to the necromancer… wouldn't it?"

"We're in no position to worry about the princess right now! We're struggling to protect ourselves… that necromancer is out there searching for us!" I replied, moving my hand away from my pocket. But then I felt something—a hard object. I suddenly remembered what it was—the gem I had swindled from that little girl! Could I really abandon her to that perverted necromancer? The gem awakened the remnants of my sense of justice—if I could rescue the girl, I would feel justified in keeping the gem! Besides, with Raith searching for us, his lair might actually be the safest place to hide…