Dominic chased after the Doshaguma that had escaped his sword.
He had come to the Dashtadem Fortress as reinforcements after the sudden surge of magical beasts in the area.
The Knight Order Fifth Division, which had originally been assigned to the fortress, was nearly wiped out.
Most of the wounded people had already been sent to the town's medical facilities, leaving behind only a few soldiers who are still able to fight.
He had rushed here directly from the royal capital.
From that day on, he had been fighting magical beasts nonstop.
Every single day was a battle.
Most of the magical beast that appeared—like the Doshaguma and the Remobra—were especially violent and dangerous.
Even his own unit, the Knight Order Second Division, had taken heavy damage. Injuries kept piling up.
Today was no different. They had gone out on another subjugation mission. At the end of the operation, the last Doshaguma had gotten away, and Dominic chased it into the forest.
Inside the thick woods, the magical beast moved very quickly, much faster and more freely than any human could.
For a brief moment, he lost sight of it.
Frowning, he focused his senses and searched for its presence.
Soon, he pinpointed the Doshaguma's location.
He cut through thick vines and weaved between tree trunks as he moved toward it—but then, he saw something unexpected.
A child was lying on the ground.
Did the Doshaguma attack this child?
He cursing under his breath and lunged from behind and slashed at the beast.
His sword that was covered in flame magic, didn't just cut it flesh but also burn it.
The fire stopped the magical beast's healing ability and scorched its flesh. His blade sliced through the beast's neck, killing it instantly.
The child was unconscious. The blood trickled from his mouth and his body was limp.
Had the Doshaguma done this to him?
The boy had unusual black hair—something Dominic had never seen before.
His clothing was also strange, it was tight-fitting and shaped to his body. It wasn't the kind of thing people in this country wore. Maybe he was a foreigner?
Even without removing the boy's clothes, Dominic could tell his condition was terrible. His body was oddly shaped in places, as if his bones had been crushed. And the blood from his mouth probably meant because of internal injuries.
There was almost no magic power coming from him. Maybe he was too close to death.
Dominic doubted the child could survive. Still, he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
And then—something happened.
His hand suddenly grew hot.
He could feel his own energy flowing into the boy, as if it were being drawn out of him. It was almost visible, the way it moved.
Surprised, Dominic hesitated—but he didn't pull his hand away.
Healing had never been his strength. His magic power was high—high enough that people had once told him he should become a mage. But he had never been able to heal others. It was frustrating, knowing there were lives he couldn't save.