Looking from a distance, the trees at the edge of the Shadow Forest were relatively sparse, mostly drought-tolerant shrubs and low trees.
Sunlight could easily penetrate the branches and leaves, but looking deeper in, there was a thick, dense fog that never dispersed throughout the year.
It had been like this ever since Matthew was born. He withdrew his gaze, holding the vines in his arms as he walked toward his destination.
He chose the outermost edge of the forest, on the side closest to the village. This was a relatively safe buffer zone that the villagers had verified through years of experience.
Upon arriving, Matthew looked around and found a spot near several clumps of shrubs, where there were fresh rabbit droppings and tiny footprints on the ground.
“This is the spot!”
Matthew immediately began to set things up.
First, he used his short sword to cut the vines he had brought into suitable lengths. Then, recalling the simplest lasso trap design he knew from his previous life, he clumsily began trying to weave slipknots and set up the trigger mechanism.
The whole process went smoothly. The vines were quite soft, making them easy to weave and knot.
Before long, he had woven a trap. Following his memory, he secured one end to the root of a nearby shrub.
On the other end, he gently placed the carefully prepared slipknot lasso on the path, finally applying a simple camouflage of dry leaves and loose soil.
The moment he finished, a line of small text appeared before his eyes:
【You have mastered the technique of 【Vine Trap】】
【Vine Trap: Mastered (1/5)】
It really worked!
An uncontrollable wave of joy welled up in Matthew's heart.
It seemed that as long as he completed it with his own hands and it was recognized by the panel, it could form a corresponding skill!
Matthew's gaze fell upon the “1/5” on the panel, and he clearly remembered that the requirement for Basic Swordsmanship to reach Novice was “1/10”.
“It seems the difficulty of reaching Novice level depends on how simple the specific task is...”
Matthew gained a new understanding of the panel.
He did not stop. Taking advantage of having just acquired the skill while his hands were still warm, he used the remaining vines to make four more traps in a row. Each time he completed a trap, a panel notification popped up.
【You have successfully promoted 【Vine Trap】; currently, 【Vine Trap】 is at Novice level. Your Agility attribute has increased slightly.】
【Vine Trap: Novice (1/50)】
Matthew looked at the small words before him and pulled up his panel:
【Name: Matthew
Age: 15
Strength: 3.2, Agility: 4.05 (+0.05), Constitution: 3.2, Perception: 5, Spirit: 6
Equipment Slot: Worn Standard One-Handed Sword (Bound)
Skills: Basic Swordsmanship: Novice (2/100), Vine Trap: Novice (1/50)】
This gives attribute bonuses too?
Matthew looked at the tiny “(+0.05)” behind his Agility attribute, a look of realization dawning on him.
It seemed that not only combat skills, but also survival and crafting skills could feed back into physical attributes upon breakthrough, though the magnitude and direction of the increase might differ.
However, it was practically negligible. Matthew shook his head.
By the time he finished all of this, the sun had already risen high.
Matthew carefully noted the location of each trap, planning to find time to check them every day.
“My plan to increase income has finally taken a solid first step. I hope some clueless rabbits get caught.”
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he sheathed his short sword, turned around, and walked back toward Stone Mill Village.
Returning to the mill.
It happened to be lunchtime. Seeing Matthew arrive, Uncle John carried the lunch over and placed it on a wooden stump.
Looking at the two pieces of bread on the wooden stump, Matthew felt a warmth in his heart. He knew this was Uncle John's family looking out for him.
“Thank you, Uncle John.” Matthew did not decline. After thanking him sincerely, he picked up a piece of bread and began to eat it in large bites.
The high-intensity training and the morning's physical exertion left him in urgent need of energy replenishment.
With food in his stomach, the afternoon work at the mill became less unbearable. In fact, due to the increase in his Constitution, Matthew felt that his endurance was significantly better than before.
Just like that, the afternoon flew by, and his dinner of black bread had also increased from one piece to two.
Matthew ate them without ceremony, then headed to the square with Edmond.
Training began as usual.
As usual, Matthew chose an open area. Unwilling to waste any time, he immediately threw himself into practicing 【Basic Swordsmanship】.
He focused on repeating the three basic movements—thrusting, diagonal slashing, and upward slashing—striving to make each one standard and fluid, while feeling the training efficiency bonus provided by the 【Worn Standard One-Handed Sword】.
Sweat gradually seeped out, and his breathing became steady.
While he was fully concentrated on his practice, a tall figure silently approached and stood not far from him.
It was Instructor Calm.
He did not speak immediately, only staring at Matthew's movements with his grey eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
Sensing someone nearby, Matthew paused slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Instructor Calm. His heart tightened, and a trace of panic fluttered within him, but fortunately, thanks to the panel, he did not make any mistakes.
“Just practicing these is not enough for you,” Calm's raspy voice rang out, interrupting Matthew's practice. “Come find me once you have learned this.”
He did not explain further, demonstrating directly with action.
He handed his own sword to Matthew and took Matthew's sword to demonstrate, which was enough to show how much importance he placed on Matthew!
The movements demonstrated this time were clearly much more complex and exquisite than the “horizontal slash,” “downward chop,” and “parry counter” taught yesterday.
The transitions between movements were swifter and more fluid. Footwork, body shifting, and dealing with an imaginary opponent were all integrated into it, making it look more like a coherent set of real combat sword techniques rather than a few isolated stances.
However, because Instructor Calm broke them down very meticulously, it was not difficult for Matthew to understand.
But what truly surprised Matthew was the small text that appeared before his eyes:
【Flawed Steel Longsword
Quality: Blue
Equipment Requirements: Strength 20, Constitution 20, Basic Swordsmanship (Class)
Description: A longsword meticulously forged by an experienced blacksmith. However, an old crack on the blade reduces its overall coordination.
Effect: Considerably increases the training efficiency of Basic Swordsmanship, and increases effective damage dealt to light-armored/medium-armored targets.
Skill: Spin Slash.
You do not meet the requirements to equip this item.】
Blue quality!
Matthew's pupils contracted slightly. This was a full two major tiers higher than the White-quality 【Worn Standard One-Handed Sword】 in his hand!
The effect had also gone from “slight increase” to “considerable increase.”
The equipment requirements had naturally risen as well; the Strength and Constitution requirements were values that were almost impossible for him to reach at the moment.
It even came with an extra skill. Although the panel did not provide a detailed explanation, a skill was still a skill!
Extraordinary power.
“No wonder Instructor Calm is so strong...” Matthew realized.
A high-quality weapon provided a massive boost to one's strength, but the person who could wield such a high-quality weapon was bound to be equally extraordinary!
Furthermore, looking at the description, this sword was not perfect. It had a “fine old crack,” which was likely the origin of its “flawed” status, perhaps a battle scar left behind from some intense adventure.
However, this small flaw clearly did not affect its excellence as a Blue-quality weapon, and it was more than enough to make it an unquestionable divine weapon in a place like Stone Mill Village.
Rate on N.U.
