Matthew stared at the overlapping old and new marks on the tree trunk and slowly exhaled a breath of white mist.
The feedback from testing his new weapon was indeed exhilarating.
Whether it was the increased transmission efficiency or the enhanced armor penetration, both proved the value of this Blue-quality weapon.
“But a single attempt is ultimately not accurate enough,” he muttered softly.
His eyes grew calm. “The subtle changes in energy and the coordination between the blade and my combat techniques require repeated verification before they can become true muscle memory.”
With his mind made up, Matthew gripped the hilt once more.
He began to practice again.
Three times, five times, ten times...
Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breathing grew heavier, but Matthew's gaze only became more focused.
He gradually grasped the optimal rhythm for combining the 【Dawn Sword】 with 【Melting Slash】.
When the energy surged through the blade, if he could align it with the natural micro-vibrations of the sword itself, he could further reduce any friction.
A subtle adjustment of his wrist at the moment of the strike allowed the blade to cut in at a more precise angle, condensing its destructive power even further.
“As expected, a weapon is an extension of one's limbs... but to make this ‘extension’ as natural as my own arms, it still requires relentless training.”
He stopped to catch his breath, his eyes sweeping over the dense, uneven slashes on the trunk.
The latest slash had cut nearly two-thirds of the way through the trunk. The cut was as smooth as glass, with only a tiny amount of wood dust clinging to the edges.
“Still not enough.”
Matthew shook his head, his tone calm yet resolute.
“My current mastery is still at the stage of ‘knowing I can do it.’ If I want to truly integrate it into real combat, I must practice until I can ‘do it without thinking.’”
He raised his sword again. This time, he was no longer limited to the stationary trunk.
His feet began to move, his body carving arcs across the muddy clearing as the sword light danced with him.
Sometimes rushing forward, sometimes spinning, the faint glow of 【Melting Slash】 flickered along the blade's path, gradually synchronizing with his steps and breathing.
The wind from his sword whipped up the melting snow and damp soil, raising a thin mist of dust in the dimming sunlight.
And within the mist, that white sword light became increasingly solid and fierce.
...
Three days later.
In the afternoon.
A thin mist slowly drifted through the outer edge of the Shadow Forest. Sunlight filtered through the sparse canopy of conifers, casting dappled light and shadows onto the forest floor.
The ground remained damp after the melting snow, and the air was crisp, carrying a mixture of pine resin, decaying leaves, and damp earth. Occasionally, the brief chirping of birds echoed in the distance.
“Brother Matthew, we've been out for most of the day. Let's eat something to restore our strength,” Aidan said, looking at Matthew in front of him.
The youth had a lean, tough build, his muscle lines clearly visible beneath his coarse clothes. Thanks to days of rigorous training, his movements were steady and silent, and his skin had been tanned to a healthy wheat color from long exposure to the outdoors.
At this moment, Matthew's gaze was sharp, and his presence was restrained, like a forest leopard—poised, steady, and ready to strike.
“Yes...” Matthew looked at the tense Aidan and reassured him, “Since we've already reached the vicinity of the goblin nest, the most important thing is to keep our Spirit and physical strength at their peak, just in case.”
“Finding the kobold nest cannot be rushed.”
He looked up at the misty forest around them and sensed with his Spirit, roughly confirming their location.
They were still far from the middle of the forest, roughly around the same depth as the cave he had explored before, which put his mind somewhat at ease.
Of course, lighting a fire was out of the question. Eating some dried meat and drinking cold water was already a decent meal.
After all, this was no picnic.
Matthew ate while remaining alert to his surroundings.
His thoughts naturally drifted back to the other two spells he had discovered in the 【Elemental Meditation Method】—
【Fireball spell】 and 【Detection Spell】.
If only I had the Detection Spell right now, it would probably make things a lot easier, he thought.
According to the book, the 【Detection Spell】 could sense unusual local conditions and the flow of Spirit. And that was just at the novice stage.
If practiced deeply, one might even be able to perceive magical traps and barriers with absolute clarity.
However, this was certainly not something Matthew could achieve at the moment.
After all, casting any spell required sufficient Spirit as a foundation.
With his current Spirit level, he did not meet the requirements to detect deeper magical traps and barriers.
I was too focused on improving my immediate combat strength before, so I didn't pay attention to this, Matthew thought to himself.
But on second thought, it was perfectly reasonable.
He had to maintain his physical training while also studying spellcasting. How could he have any spare energy to allocate to the 【Detection Spell】?
Now that his various training regimens had gradually gotten on track and his daily routine had stabilized, he finally had a bit of free time.
As for the 【Fireball spell】, Matthew put it out of his mind for now.
First, focusing on training the 【Energy Missile】 was far more efficient for boosting his strength than splitting his focus to learn the 【Fireball spell】.
Second, his elemental affinity was not particularly strong with the fire attribute, so forcing himself to learn it would likely result in twice the effort for half the result.
The two of them washed down the tough dried meat with cold water, silently replenishing the physical energy consumed during their half-day journey.
The brief meal also allowed Aidan's nerves, which had been tense all day, to relax slightly.
The forest was quiet, save for the rustling of the wind through the treetops and the soft sounds of their chewing and swallowing.
Suddenly, Matthew stopped chewing.
He perked his ears and focused his mind. His ears, enhanced by his Brass Rank Constitution, caught a hint of something unusual—
A few short, high-pitched, and somewhat chaotic squeaks and chatters drifted from the depths of the forest, about a hundred paces ahead and to their side.
The sound was faint, but it was definitely there, and it felt somewhat familiar.
Aidan noticed Matthew's suddenly tensed body and sharp gaze. He immediately froze, his hand silently reaching for the short blade at his waist as he asked in a low whisper:
“Brother Matthew?”
Matthew slowly raised a hand to signal him to be quiet, his eyes already locking onto the direction of the sound like a hawk.
He stuffed the last bit of dried meat into his mouth, quickly chewed and swallowed, while silently activating 【Eagle Eye Gaze】.
In his vision, the details of the distant trees were pulled close and magnified. Despite the obstruction of the thin mist and foliage, he still tried his best to discern the movement in that area.
Several short, blurry figures were moving among the trees. Although he could not make out their exact appearance or number, the familiar squeaking and chattering made Matthew's heart settle.
He remembered this sound clearly:
It was the exact same short, high-pitched, and chaotic screeching he had heard when he encountered kobolds on the outer edges of the forest before.
“They're kobolds. Unsure of the exact number, but judging by the sound, there are about three to five of them. They might be foraging or patrolling.”
Matthew's voice was extremely low, almost blending into the forest breeze.
He had already begun to move silently, turning his body slightly to signal Aidan to follow.
“Keep close to me, don't wander too far.”
With those words, the two of them lowered their bodies like leopards and, using the cover of the trees and terrain, crept cautiously and swiftly toward the source of the sound.
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