Matthew naturally would not take the initiative to persuade Instructor Calm.
The instructor's experience and judgment were far superior to his own; this matter ultimately had to be weighed and decided by the instructor himself.
As a junior and a member of the squad, he only needed to make his stance clear and be prepared.
As for the pros and cons, to Matthew, the benefits clearly outweighed the drawbacks.
On one hand, Porter was an established Brass Rank powerhouse who also held a certain status, so the terms he promised were of high value.
On the other hand, if the operation succeeded, Instructor Calm might use the opportunity to break through to the Silver Rank, thereby becoming a highly influential figure in the Anda Town area.
For Matthew, this meant gaining a powerful mentor and backer. Whether dealing with the potential threat of the Fiery Lion family or exploring more dangerous areas, his safety would be significantly enhanced.
This was true even though there were some combat risks involved.
Although Matthew had already fought magical beasts like Shadow Wolves and kobold priests, and had witnessed the strength of Brass Rank powerhouses, he had never truly faced an extraordinary creature like the mountain giant bear.
But that was nothing.
How could one make progress without taking risks?
Besides, this beast was just outside the village. There was no telling when it might charge in. Eliminating this hidden danger as early as possible was a pressing matter in its own right.
“Sigh, but no matter how much I think, it's useless. It's better to focus on the practical task of improving my strength.”
Matthew shook his head, pushing all these cluttered thoughts aside. He turned and walked to the cloth bag in the corner of the room, pulling out a large piece of the magical beast meat gifted by Instructor Calm.
He skillfully lit the fire, set up the pot, cut the magical beast meat into bite-sized pieces, and threw them in, adding clean water and a pinch of salt.
As the hearth fire grew hotter, the pot soon began to bubble. A rich meat aroma drifted out along with the rising steam, filling the entire wooden cabin.
The chunks of meat rolled in the boiling water, and the life energy contained within the meat slowly released into the broth.
“What a waste... Such good meat, and I can only boil it in plain water,” Matthew muttered to himself as he stirred the boiling meat with a wooden spoon, watching the bits of foam and grease float to the surface of the milky-white broth.
He knew that if he added some ginger, garlic, or the common herbs and spices found in the village, he could at least mask a lot of the gamey smell.
However, doing so might neutralize some of the life energy during the stewing process. To his current self, that would be nothing short of wasteful.
After all, this magical beast meat was premium stuff from Instructor Calm. Every single bite had to be fully utilized.
“It's a bit gamey, but it's still better than practicing archery on an empty stomach.”
He ladled up a spoonful of soup, blew on the steam, and tasted it to check the saltiness.
“I'll just treat it like drinking medicine. The effects are much more practical than any miraculous panacea.”
“Since it's still early anyway,” Matthew covered the pot and turned the hearth fire down to its lowest setting, letting it simmer slowly, “and it'll take some time to cook thoroughly, I might as well go outside and practice for a bit.”
He turned and took down the 【Forest Shadow Hunting Bow】 from the wall, drew a few arrows from his quiver, and pushed open the door to step out onto the clearing.
The cold wind immediately swept fine snow onto his face, but it only served to invigorate his spirit.
Several old trees stood at the edge of the clearing. Their trunks were already riddled with arrow holes of varying ages, making them his best stationary targets.
Matthew stood about fifteen paces away from the nearest tree, adjusting his breathing to calm his mind.
Instead of rushing to draw his bow, he began to mobilize the life energy circulating within his body, attempting to slowly guide it toward his eyes and his bow-wielding arms according to his own deduced method.
With his experience from 【Melting Slash】, a faint, warm current soon arose from his chest and abdomen, flowing toward his eyes guided by his thoughts.
At first, it was just an elusive sensation of warmth. But as he focused his mind and held his breath, matching it with a specific breathing rhythm, the edges of his vision seemed to be gently wiped clean by an invisible force.
The cracks on the bark of the distant old tree, the ice crystals clinging to the branches, and even the subtle tumbling trajectories of the snowflakes falling in the air all became several times clearer than usual.
This was not a simple enhancement of his eyesight, but rather a high concentration of focus that made his target stand out much more in his perception.
It was as if he were looking through a telescope.
At the same time, another warm current gathered in his arms holding the bow.
The tiny fibers of his muscles seemed to be gently awakened and strengthened. The weight of the bow became almost imperceptible in his hands, and the force required to draw the bowstring seemed slightly lighter.
‘Since I can channel life energy to my arms, can I channel it to my legs? To increase my agility?’
Matthew quickly reconsidered and dismissed the idea.
He was able to channel life energy to his eyes and arms because he had laid the groundwork through his archery practice. Simply put, he had cleared the pathways.
To effectively channel energy to his legs to improve his movement and evasion agility, he would likely need dedicated leg training.
For example, practicing a footwork technique focused on steps, quick turns, or explosive bursts would be necessary to establish the corresponding energy pathways.
However, this did give him a new direction. If he had the opportunity in the future, he might look for or create a combat technique focused on leg reinforcement to make his combat system more comprehensive.
With this thought, he pulled back his focus and temporarily set aside his ideas about leg combat techniques.
He redirected his attention back to the bow and arrow in front of him.
His vision sharpened once again, and his arms felt a familiar sensation of fullness.
Nocking an arrow, he drew the bow.
This time, he no longer pursued maximum power, but instead tried to prolong this empowered state.
He slowed down his movements, carefully observing the flow and maintenance of energy between his eyes and arms.
The arrow left the string, accurately striking a knot on a tree twenty paces away. Although the depth of penetration was not as astonishing as the first time, Matthew could clearly feel that the sensation of clarity and empowerment lasted a moment longer than before.
“It works!” He felt reassured. Repeated practice was the only path to mastery.
Without pausing any longer, he began to practice arrow after arrow.
Every draw of the bow was a micro-adjustment of his energy guidance: when to apply force, when to relax, how to coordinate his breathing, and how to focus his mind.
He felt as if he were sculpting an invisible tool, refining it from rough to handy.
Sweat gradually beaded on his forehead, only to be swept away by the cold wind.
The arrows in his quiver were emptied again and again, and he retrieved them from the tree trunks over and over.
Through this monotonous yet fulfilling repetition, Matthew's control over his energy became increasingly delicate.
He found that he could slightly adjust the focus of his empowerment. Sometimes, he would sharpen his vision to capture shadows darting across the snow.
At other times, he would flood his arms with more strength, attempting to shoot targets that were farther away or sturdier.
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