That's right, that's what adventure is like!

Creating demons.

Strictly speaking, this thing is not a monster, but a construct.

However, unlike the active armor Roland had encountered before, the monsters were usually made of clay, ash, mandragon, and blood. They were not very strong in combat and were more often used as spies or scouts.

Take this one in front of him, for example.

Only the size of a squirrel, it huddled at the base of a fallen, dead tree, with most of its body buried in the dead leaves. Its body shape resembled some kind of deformed lizard, but with long forelimbs, short hind limbs, and wings.

Its entire body was grayish-brown, almost blending into the pile of dead leaves. If it weren't for the faint cluster of light in the magical perception, no one would have noticed it at all.

Roland stared at it.

The demon saw Roland's reflection in its eyes and was also looking at him, but it neither attacked nor ran away.

But Roland knew that it was indeed "operating".

"The characteristic of a created demon is that it shares its senses with its master," Thea stepped forward and looked at the created demon. "I feel that it is communicating with its master."

Roland nodded, already vaguely guessing who had sent this demon-creating creature.

—That dragon vein sorcerer.

Creating demons requires extremely sophisticated skills and spellcasting abilities, and in this Trembling Swamp, it is clear that only that one person is most likely to possess such abilities.

Moreover, the direction they were heading was the domain of the Dragon Vein Sorcerers.

Crouching down, Roland pointed to Aletta beside him, then stretched out two fingers, pinched the back of the demon's neck, and placed it on his shoulder.

As he expected, the demon did not resist; it merely turned its two crystal-like eyes and quietly watched him.

Thea and Ate exchanged a glance, realizing something at the same time.

After a moment's thought, Art said, "It seems our journey together is coming to an end here."

He opened his notebook, pointed to a marker on it, and said, "There's only one lizardman camp in this location that matches the description. It's still some distance from our target, but we're definitely on the right track."

Roland nodded without saying anything.

Thea returned her staff to her waist and took out a slightly worn parchment from her bosom, handing it to Roland: "This is a map we used before, recording the areas where some monsters in the swamp frequently roam."

She paused, then continued, "I've heard some rumors about the person you're looking for. He doesn't have a good temper, so you'd better be careful."

Roland nodded and put the map into his pocket, accepting her kindness.

Aleta watched the two of them from the side, her lips moving as if she had a lot to say, but in the end she only uttered two words: "...Thank you."

"fine."

Art waved his hand, hung the beast tooth necklace around his waist, then looked at Roland and patted him on the shoulder: "If there's a chance, we can have a drink together in town."

Roland nodded.

"Live well," Thea pinched Aleta's cheek, glanced at the two daggers at her waist, and said with a smile, "Next time we meet, you might be the one leading us."

"...Hmm." Aletta paused for a while before responding.

The two walked outside.

Within a few steps, Art suddenly turned around and called out to Roland, "By the way, if I hear your story again, I'll have my friends in the Chamber of Commerce spread it around!"

Roland curled the corners of his lips but did not answer.

The two figures were quickly swallowed up by the gray mist. Aletta watched them for a long time.

Finally, Roland patted her on the shoulder: "Let's go, we should go find that sorcerer."

Aleta snapped out of her daze, followed in his footsteps, and walked in another direction.

……

After getting far away from the lizardman camp, the demon spread its wings and hovered in the air as if trying to find its way, before finally heading further north.

Roland followed closely behind.

Aletta gazed at the grayish-brown figure that was faintly visible in the mist, quickening her pace while also wondering, "Can it really share senses?"

"Yes, as long as it's not in a different dimension from its owner, it can share everything no matter where it is. For example, it can understand what we say now, it just can't speak."

"Oh..." Alleta stared at the monster-creating creature, then couldn't help but ask, "Sister Ramona said that the sorcerer will have me conduct an experiment. What do you think it will be?"

"I don't know, but since he's a dragon vein sorcerer and said he'd make your bloodline more concentrated, it's most likely related to dragon blood."

Roland spoke casually, but his gaze was fixed on what lay ahead.

The fog was getting thicker and thicker, and even when the torches were relit, they could only illuminate a distance of about two steps ahead, making it impossible to discern the situation.

The mud beneath our feet was getting deeper and deeper, and we had to pull our boots out almost every step, which greatly slowed our progress.

In this situation, if you were to run into a monster head-on, you would have very little time to react.

However, along the way, they not only did not encounter any monsters, but also found many rare items, such as the leaf-seeking grass that Aletta needed, and more than a dozen magic crystals scattered in the mud that no one cared about.

This is very unusual.

Finally, after letting out a sharp cry, the demon circled once in mid-air and landed on a withered branch, its eyes fixed straight ahead.

Roland followed its gaze.

He saw the outline of a building in the mist, raised his torch, took a few steps forward, and finally saw that it was a wooden house.

It stands quietly on a dry, flat piece of land, surrounded by a fence made of dozens of neatly cut wooden stakes. The entire structure is made of some kind of gray wood, with faint metallic patterns visible.

The most eye-catching part is the scene outside the wooden house.

Dozens of iron cages were neatly arranged, with dry grass and rags piled up in the gaps. The monsters inside stared at the two of them, emitting low hisses.

There are lizard people.

It was stronger than the one we had just seen in the camp, and its scales were shiny. It held a sharp stone knife in its hand and was rubbing it against the iron cage bars, causing faint sparks to fly.

There are dog-headed people.

Its fur was cleaner than that of the creatures in the Black Ash Dungeon, even gleaming with a glossy sheen, but its eyes were filled with murderous intent, its tongue licking its sharp teeth, and a gurgling sound emanating from its throat.

And monsters that Roland had never seen before.

A winged, snake-like creature was curled up deep inside the cage, its scarlet eyes peeking out. Its head slowly turned as the two moved, as if attracted by their scent.

A large lizard covered in blue scales stared intently at the wooden house with its golden vertical pupils. Its thick limbs were chained, and the occasional movement of its footsteps made a rattling sound.

"These," Aletta swallowed, her body trembling, "all have dragon blood... I can sense it."

"Of course, this means that your dragon blood is not yet extremely diluted, and there is still room for improvement."

The voice came from the doorway of the wooden house, carrying an undeniable certainty, yet also a hint of amusement.

Roland looked up, his gaze piercing through the thin gray mist, landing on that... dragon vein sorcerer.