Chapter 4 | Bound by Gear, Forged by Power

Matthew swung his sword strike after strike, seemingly tireless.

Calm's gaze lingered on Matthew, noticing that whenever Matthew grew slightly tired, the corners of his mouth would curl up slightly, and he would begin training again!

Most terrifying of all, Matthew's progress was visible to the naked eye. His movements, which had seemed stiff and disjointed at the start, gradually became fluid, even if they did not meet the standard every single time.

But he was indeed constantly improving.

After all, most people needed to try repeatedly and grope around in error for a long time before they could occasionally touch that “just right” moment, and even then, they might lose the feeling afterward and fall back into confusion.

If ordinary people could not grasp it, they might even regress!

Yet at this very moment,

Matthew felt an unprecedented sense of clarity, gaining a brand-new understanding of swordsmanship!

‘Is this the slight improvement in training efficiency for Basic Swordsmanship that the cheat mentioned?’

‘But compared to the boost in training efficiency, this is the even greater surprise...’

With a thought, the skill appeared before Matthew's eyes:

【Basic Swordsmanship: Mastered (1/10)】

Looking at the word “Mastered” before him, Matthew realized that as long as he had enough stamina and his body could support it, every single sword swing would stably reach the level of “Mastered”!

It was no longer that kind of hit-or-miss, erratic fumbling.

That meant he was constantly making progress!

The training efficiency ensured Matthew learned quickly, while the appearance of the 【Basic Swordsmanship】 skill guaranteed that every step he took was a positive improvement!

“An upward spiral!” Matthew could not help but exclaim in his heart!

For the next hour, Matthew entered a state of deep, immersive practice.

He no longer intentionally tried to recall every single broken-down movement of Instructor Calm, nor did he obsess over whether the connections between isolated parts like “pushing off the ground, twisting the waist, leading with the shoulder, and swinging the arm” were perfect.

Once the 【Basic Swordsmanship】 skill stabilized at the “Mastered” level, those correct force-generation patterns and movement trajectories seemed to transform into a sort of physical instinct.

Combined with the training boost from the “White” quality weapon, as he swung his final strike, a new skill panel popped up in front of Matthew.

【You have successfully mastered 【Basic Swordsmanship】. Your current 【Basic Swordsmanship】 is at the Novice level, and your Strength and Constitution have slightly increased.】

The moment the system refreshed, Matthew clearly felt a weak but definitely real warm current surge from within his body, rapidly flowing through his entire skeletal structure and limbs.

The soreness in his arms and the stiffness in his lower back seemed to ease slightly, and a more solid sense of power settled deep within his muscles.

He subconsciously gripped the hilt tightly, feeling as though the Worn Standard One-Handed Sword in his hand had become a bit lighter.

No, it was not that the sword had become lighter, but that his strength had truly increased.

With a thought, he immediately called up his attribute panel.

【Name: Matthew

Age: 15

Strength: 3.2 (+0.2), Agility: 4, Constitution: 3.2 (+0.2), Perception: 5, Spirit: 6

Equipment Slots: Worn Standard One-Handed Sword (Bound)

Skill: Basic Swordsmanship: Novice (1/100)】

Sure enough! Behind both his Strength and Constitution attributes, a “(+0.2)” indicator had appeared, rising from the original 3 to 3.2!

“This is too absurd! A skill breakthrough can directly reflect on the body's basic attributes!”

Matthew knew in his heart that just based on those few sword swings he had made, it was absolutely impossible to improve his body by such a large margin.

“Is this extraordinary power?”

“No wonder that person could split such a thick tree with a single sword strike.”

He could only classify this improvement as his entry into extraordinary power...

Instructor Calm's voice rang out across the square, hoarse yet clearly cutting through the crackling of the bonfire and the heavy panting of the boys, reaching everyone's ears.

“Everyone, stop. Today's training ends here.”

Hearing this, the boys stopped their movements one after another. Quite a few of them collapsed directly onto the ground, panting heavily, their faces filled with exhaustion, but their eyes also carried a trace of satisfaction or relief at completing the training.

Matthew also slowly ended his stance and lowered his short sword.

Unlike the boys collapsing and panting around him, he did not feel extremely exhausted.

Although a clear soreness came from his arms and back, and his breathing was slightly rushed, this was more like a normal reaction after high-intensity exercise rather than physical exhaustion.

In contrast, however, his stomach was incredibly hungry right now!

“Practicing swordsmanship really drains physical energy...”

When Matthew had first crossed over, he had been content to work in the mill precisely for this reason.

After all, practicing swordsmanship was unlike other things; the physical consumption was immense!

“It seems I have to find a way to get some food.”

Just as he was pondering what to do,

“Matthew!” Edmond jogged over, carrying his spear on his shoulder. His face was covered in a mixture of sweat and dirt, but his eyes were bright, and he wore a simple, honest smile. “How was it? Your first time practicing swordsmanship, you must be exhausted, right? I saw how hard you were pushing yourself!”

Matthew smiled, stretched his slightly tight shoulders, and said honestly, “It's a bit tiring, but I feel fine.”

“What about you? How was the spear practice?”

“Heh, it doesn't feel too hard, but it's pretty exhausting.”

Edmond grinned and propped his spear on the ground.

“It looks simple, but when you actually have to keep holding it and thrusting forward, your arms get so sore they don't even feel like your own. But Uncle Dalton taught us very carefully. I feel like I'm doing a bit better than when we first started.”

He looked at Matthew curiously. Although Matthew was sweating, he did not seem exhausted at all. Just as Edmond was about to ask, a hoarse voice rang out from the side.

“Matthew.” Instructor Calm had walked over near them at some point. “Come here.”

Matthew took a step forward as told. Instructor Calm reached out with his only remaining right arm, squeezing Matthew's right shoulder and upper arm, then pressed the back of his hand against the muscles near Matthew's shoulder blades, feeling the firmness and condition of his muscles.

After a moment, he withdrew his hand, nodded, and his brow relaxed.

He untied a small cloth pouch from his waist and handed it to Matthew.

“For you. Practicing swordsmanship requires perseverance.”

After saying this, without waiting for Matthew's response, he turned and left the square, paying no more attention to anyone.

This scene was also witnessed by many of those present.

Matthew did not care about the opinions of others, but he felt a bit at a loss regarding Instructor Calm's goodwill.

However, he quickly tossed this thought aside.

Perhaps it was simply a gesture of goodwill toward him.

“Instructor Calm really thinks highly of you...” Edmond's voice rang out from beside him, filled with genuine admiration but free of jealousy.

“Yeah,” Matthew nodded, not saying much.

He looked at Edmond and noticed that although the other boy was tired, his eyes were still bright. “Let's go. Time to head back. We have to wake up early tomorrow.”