As I walked back to my tent, I noticed a nearby caravan driver.
He rubbed his shoulder, then crossed his arm over his chest—almost like forming a shield with his own body.
I paused.
We always used our arms instinctively.
To protect the head.
To soften a fall.
To guard vital points.
Then—
a thought struck me.
What if I didn't try to protect my whole body?
What if I focused on just one point?
Just like Rany's Single Point—
—but for defense.
I stopped walking.
Concentrate everything… on one spot.
The idea clicked instantly.
By the time I reached my tent, I had already made up my mind.
I took out Khaun's papers and quickly wrote the idea on the back, then stored it carefully inside the book he gave me.
It was a good idea—
…but not useful yet.
To defend a single point, I would need to predict where the attack would land.
And right now—
I couldn't.
Not yet.
Maybe with experience.
So for now—
I kept it as a future technique.
Later, I continued reading the book on mana.
That's when I paused.
Non-attribute mana.
Unlike elemental mana, it had no strong offense.
No strong defense.
Just… neutral.
Basic.
Most mages used it when their main mana was low—or when they needed quick casting.
Fast.
Simple.
But weak.
Then I remembered something.
During my expedition to the Lizardmen village—
I had seen a mage surround himself with water to block attacks.
And Khaun—
during our duel—
his invisible barrier had stopped my blade completely.
A shield.
A basic one.
Every mage learned it.
But each mage adapted it to their own style.
What if I used it?
A non-attribute shield—
combined with dark aura.
Two layers of defense.
Simple.
But effective.
The idea felt solid.
But there was a problem.
I didn't know the spell.
I closed the book slowly.
When I return to Duracal…
I need to find a book on shield magic.
With that thought, I lay down and closed my eyes.
The next day—
while traveling—
we were suddenly surrounded.
About twenty-five men.
Armed with pikes and swords.
Bandits.
Likely remnants from the war.
I expanded my sensory field.
Weak.
Unorganized.
Not a real threat.
Ron stepped forward.
His voice calm.
"We are mercenaries. Three-star copper rank."
He looked at them coldly.
"If you surrender peacefully, we'll hand you over to the nearest town guard."
"I'll even put in a word for you."
A pause.
Then—
laughter.
One of them shouted,
"What do you think? We're scared?"
"If we surrender, they'll either kill us or turn us into slave soldiers!"
"We'll take our chances here!"
Before he could say another word—
thud.
An arrow pierced his head.
He dropped instantly.
Silence fell.
Niles lowered his bow without a word.
Ron tilted his head slightly.
"Anyone else want to be brave?"
No one spoke.
We captured the remaining twenty-four without resistance.
Most of them trembled.
Not because of us—
but because of Rusty.
His presence alone was enough.
I didn't even need to act.
That night—
I took watch duty.
Rusty stayed beside me as I circled the perimeter.
My sensory field spread wide.
Alert.
Constant.
At the same time—
I trained.
Small stones in my hand.
Practicing Single Point.
Trying to release force at the exact moment of throw.
But—
it wasn't working.
Too slow.
Or too early.
The timing slipped every time.
Just before release…
That was the key.
But I couldn't grasp it.
Not yet.
I also tried something else.
Maintaining my sensory field while resting.
Training awareness—even in sleep.
I woke up later.
Nothing.
No awareness.
No reaction.
Complete failure.
I exhaled slowly.
"…Still far from it."