Adrian sought refuge in a nearby inn, seeking solace from the tumult of thoughts triggered by Mayor Barlow's stingy payment. The tavern was a lively place, abuzz with people immersed in joyful conversations, savoring hearty meals, and raising their tankards in camaraderie.

Ordering a meal and a tankard of ale, Adrian struck up a casual conversation with the bartender. He inquired about the village's recent history, aiming to glean some insight into its current state.

Adrian leaned on the bar and asked, "So, how's life been in these parts lately? Things going well? I'm actually considering settling down here, and I figured I'd get a lay of the land first."

The bartender, wiping a glass, looked pensive.

"You know, we've been quite lucky around here," he began. "And it's a good choice to settle here, I reckon. Jobs are aplenty; you'd find work in no time."

Adrian nodded in agreement.

"I heard that most folks here work on their farms. How's the farming been? Do they get good harvests?"

The bartender responded casually, "The weather's been unusually kind to us, and our crops have been more bountiful than anyone expected. So, I'd say the farmers are doing quite well. But it's not just them. Our livestock's been in great shape too. The animals are healthy, and they've been providing more resources than usual."

Adrian nodded, appearing content with the response. But beneath his facade, his thoughts grew grimmer.

'So this confirms Mayor Barlow was pulling the wool over my eyes about the harvest and livestock issues,' he pondered.

A sly grin tugged at the corners of Adrian's lips.

'I suppose it's only fair to return the favor to Mayor Barlow,' he thought, his mind thinking of a plot of his own.

Adrian concluded his meal, paid his tab, and departed from the inn. He swiftly mounted his horse, heading towards the outskirts of the village and into the forest.

As he ventured into the depths of the woodland, his mind was abuzz with possibilities and potential.

'Now that I've got a lead on strengthening my Shadow Energy,' Adrian pondered, 'it's time to test out a few theories and ideas.’

The forest's canopy stretched above him, casting dappled shadows on the path as he rode deeper into the heart of nature.

With Marcus's intel in mind, Adrian ventured further into the forest. He was confident that he'd be able to deal with the monsters in the area. This was because the Ironjaw Boar, which was a Third-Order Beast, could live around this region.

A savage beast like the Ironjaw Boar would never be able to live if there was a stronger beast in this territory. This meant that the other beasts were weaker to it.

Sure enough, Adrian's hunch about the forest was spot-on.

He encountered several creatures on his journey through the woods, their forms emerging from the shadows. While they were formidable in their own right, not one of them exceeded the Third-Order Rank. To his advantage, these creatures roamed individually rather than in packs.

The first beast he encountered was a Scorchclaw Panther, a sleek and dangerous feline with razor-sharp claws and fiery breath. Adrian engaged it with precise strikes, exploiting the creature's vulnerability between attacks.

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Next was a Thornback Lizard, a spiky-scaled reptile. Adrian baited it into charging, then sidestepped, thrusting his sword into the beast's exposed flank.

Finally, he encountered a Venomtongue Cobra, a reptilian menace known for its paralyzing venom. Adrian outmaneuvered the creature, targeting its eyes and swiftly dispatching it before any venomous threat could emerge.

Each encounter showcased his experience as a Dungeon Delver, with Adrian hunting these beasts intelligently while conserving his strength for future endeavors.

After taking down the Scorchclaw Panther, Thornback Lizard, and Venomtongue Cobra, Adrian collected their corpses and dragged them to a natural cave, ensuring they were concealed from sight. Once in place, he released his Shadow Energy, allowing it to envelop all three lifeless forms.

As the Shadow Energy began consuming the corpses, Adrian pondered a test.

'Stop eating the corpses,' he commanded mentally.

To his amazement, the Shadow Energy immediately halted its consumption of the beast's remains.

A triumphant grin spread across his face, 'It really does respond to my thoughts and commands.'

He decided to test its responsiveness further, 'Now, eat the entire corpse quickly.'

In perfect obedience to his mental command, the Shadow Energy began devouring the remains at an impressive pace. Within a matter of minutes, all traces of the beasts had vanished, leaving no bones or remains behind.

'Spectacular,' Adrian thought, growing more and more intrigued by the capabilities of his Shadow Energy.

With the three beast corpses entirely consumed by his Shadow Energy, Adrian reabsorbed the potent force back into his body. However, the process wasn't without its side effects.

As the Shadow Energy merged back with him, Adrian felt an intense, searing pain ripple through his entire being. It even reached his Energy Center, affecting his Battle Aura and his body as a whole.

The pain persisted for nearly ten minutes, making it feel like an agonizing eternity. When it finally abated, Adrian was left with an unexpected sensation – his body felt lighter and filled with newfound energy.

But that wasn't the extent of it. When he concentrated on his Battle Aura within his Energy Center, he was taken aback to find that it had increased by around 20%. He hadn't expected such remarkable progress.

A whole year had passed since Adrian had reached the Third Order Warrior stage. In that time, he had trained diligently, reaching the Mid-Rank of the Third Order Warrior, which was a noteworthy achievement by warrior standards.

However, absorbing the corpses with his Shadow Energy seemed to have propelled him to the cusp of becoming a High-Rank Third Order Warrior.

This was a significant development.

Adrian calculated that he might have saved himself at least three more months of arduous training by utilizing this skill of the Shadow Energy.

‘What other things can I do with Shadow Energy?’ Adrian wondered.

Adrian continued to experiment more with his Shadow Energy.

He found that enveloping himself in the Shadow Energy allowed him to conceal his presence effectively from most ordinary beasts.

As long as the creatures didn't possess extraordinary senses, such as heightened hearing or a keen sense of smell, they couldn't detect him until he was within their immediate range.

As the hours passed, the sun descended, casting the forest into the embrace of twilight. Adrian's smirk grew sly as he felt that the time had come.

He left his horse behind in the cave and sped toward the village, while carrying a large bag slung over his shoulders. It was a good thing that the cave was not far from the settlement, so he arrived quickly.

As he prepared to set his plan into motion, a sly grin crossed Adrian's face. He thought to himself, 'It's time to make Mayor Barlow pay for deceiving me.'

He began to arrange a pile of dry wood, dousing it generously with oil, and ignited the inferno with a readily available splinter.

It didn't take long before Mayor Barlow's office was engulfed in a raging blaze.

Adrian's intention in setting the office on fire was not to harm anyone.

Given the late hour, only the guards were expected to be on duty near the office.

By the time the guards finally noticed the flames, the fire had engulfed the building, making it a formidable task to extinguish them quickly.

His aim was to keep everyone away from the mayor's office, allowing him to execute his plan without interruptions.

As the office burned before him, Adrian took a deep breath.

Taking a step forward, he delivered a powerful strike to the weakened walls. The flames had compromised the structural integrity, and a large hole opened up, granting him access.

Adrian enshrouded himself in Battle Aura and layered Shadow Energy over it.

Although his Shadow Energy lacked defensive capabilities, it could still provide some protection from the fire's searing heat.

Moreover, after combining it with the Battle Aura, it could allow him to use the defensive capabilities of the Battle Aura while the Shadow Energy would keep his presence hidden.

Earlier that day, when he had visited the office to receive his meager reward, Adrian had taken note of the layout. He had more or less figured out where the office stored its items and wealth. One room contained all the office's items, while another held their wealth.

Adrian wasted no time as he entered the flaming office. The intense heat and smoke filled the space, but his Battle Aura and Shadow Energy provided some protection.

In the room with the office's items, he quickly searched for anything of value.

His keen eyes spotted a desk with drawers.

Opening them, he found various scrolls and documents, some bearing official seals. He stuffed these into a bag.

Next, he moved to the treasury room.

Inside, he discovered several chests filled with coins. His grin grew wider as he scooped up one sack of gold coins, a bag of silver coins, and another bag of bronze coins.

As he checked the chests further, he came across some valuable-looking jewels and gemstones. With a satisfied expression, he pocketed these as well.

By the time he was done, he had managed to secure a substantial amount of wealth. As he made his way back through the flames, Adrian couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

That very night, Adrian mounted his horse and set off towards the capital of the Vulcanheim Kingdom, known as Forgeholm.