Putting his thoughts aside, Matthew began practicing again.
The sound of his sword blade hacking into wood echoed repeatedly across the empty ground.
Over half an hour passed.
Matthew leaned on his sword, panting slightly as fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. The cool autumn wind brushed past, but it could not dispel the deep-seated fatigue radiating from his very bones.
By now, the dried meat in his leather pouch was completely gone, and despite his Black Iron Rank physical fitness, he could still feel a heavy sense of exhaustion.
“Half an hour of practice has almost depleted my stockpile of dried meat, and I don't have much stamina left... Cultivating a combat technique really is a money-burning and exhausting endeavor.”
“I wonder if the combat technique will change once it reaches the Novice level.”
He adjusted his breathing slightly to suppress the intense fatigue, a thought flashing through his mind:
“One last time!”
“After this, I'm calling it a day.”
He closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and carefully recalled his many previous practices...
Each tiny bit of progress from before was recalled one by one.
Matthew took a deep breath and began circulating his breathing technique once more. Guided by the rhythm of his breathing, the weak remaining energy in his dantian was slowly mobilized, flowing through his arm and toward the longsword in his hand.
He completely immersed his mind in the force-delivery techniques of 【Basic Swordsmanship: Practiced】. No longer thinking about how to make it “manifest externally,” he focused entirely on feeling the complete trajectory of the force as it traveled from the soles of his feet, through his waist and abdomen, down his arm, and to the tip of his sword with every thrust.
He locked his gaze on another intact tree trunk ahead and slowly raised his sword.
With a soft “shhh” sound, the moment the tip of the sword touched the trunk, an extremely faint, almost transparent, shimmering white glow flickered subtly along the blade!
The glow was not dazzling, and it was even fleeting, but it was undoubtedly real.
The blade drew a smooth, cold arc of light, piercing into the tree trunk without the slightest resistance.
A brand-new sword mark was left on the trunk:
Its depth far exceeded his previous attempts, reaching nearly five inches. The cut was smooth and even, with almost no splintered wood fibers along the edges, as if it had been instantly pierced by a sharper, more concentrated force.
More importantly, the sensation of energy consumption this time was completely different.
Although the consumption was still immense, the feeling of energy being utilized efficiently and fusing perfectly with the move was crystal clear.
He could feel that the power of this single strike far surpassed any of his previous attempts.
“It worked!” An indescribable joy welled up in Matthew's heart.
He repeatedly savored the feeling of that strike just now. That sense of harmony where life energy resonated with the force-delivery techniques of his Basic Swordsmanship and was released smoothly along with the momentum was exactly the “fusion” he had been searching for!
Sheathing his sword and standing straight, before Matthew could fully savor the joy of this breakthrough, a familiar line of small black text quietly floated into the center of his vision:
【You have successfully mastered 【Unnamed】. Currently, 【Unnamed】 is at the Mastered Rank, and your physical fitness has increased slightly.】
As the notification flashed, a familiar warm current flowed through his body. A slight but distinct sensation of reinforcement came from his muscles and bones, dispelling some of his fatigue.
“‘Unnamed’... It seems this is the combat technique I've comprehended, and I still need to give it a proper name.”
Understanding dawned on Matthew. With a thought, he made his decision.
“Let's call it—【Melting Slash】.”
The panel information in his vision updated accordingly:
【Unnamed】 has been renamed to 【Melting Slash】.
【Melting Slash: Mastered (1/30)】
“‘Melting Slash’... meaning my slash can melt away obstacles. Not bad,” Matthew muttered softly, finding it very fitting. It also carried his expectations for the future.
However, amidst the joy, a hint of doubt quietly surfaced in his mind.
“I succeeded... but Instructor Calm said that once you successfully advance to the Black Iron Rank, your body will undergo a thorough washing and reshaping by life energy. Usually, there will be a significant overall leap in Strength, Agility, Constitution, and other aspects.”
Matthew moved his arms, carefully sensing his condition.
The warm current from just now was not surging; it was clearly just a minor boost granted by the panel, far from what the instructor had described.
“Strange. Logically speaking, my breathing technique is harmonious, my physical constitution meets the standards, and now my combat technique has been initially fused. With all three conditions met, why is there no dramatic sense of transformation?”
Matthew frowned slightly, contemplating in his heart.
“Or is it that a Mastered Rank combat technique is not enough?”
“It might be just like the breathing technique. Back then, I started from uninitiated, and it wasn't until the moment I reached the Novice level that I truly felt the harmonious and unobstructed flow of energy. Only then was I considered to have crossed the threshold of the breathing technique.
“It's probably the same for combat techniques. Right now, I've only found the feeling of 'fusion' that allows energy to release with the sword moves and achieve resonance. I probably still need to reach the Novice level for it to count.”
Having figured this out, the doubts in Matthew's heart gradually dissipated. Still, he was somewhat curious about his current panel values.
With a slight stir of his mind:
【Name: Matthew
Age: 15
Strength: 12.8 (+0.5), Agility: 9.1 (+0.5), Constitution: 12.8 (+0.5), Perception: 6, Spirit: 6.1
Equipment: Finely Forged One-Handed Sword (Green), Old Wooden Shortbow (White), Filthy Bone Chain (White), Steel Chainmail (Damaged, Green)
Skills: 【Basic Swordsmanship: Practiced (4/500)】 (+3)
【Basic Archery: Basic (111/200)】
【Vine Trap: Practiced (51/300)】
【White Snake Breathing Technique: Novice (11/500)】 (+6)
【Elemental Meditation Method: Mastered (1/500)】
【Melting Slash: Mastered (1/30)】】
“As expected of a combat technique. Just reaching the Mastered Rank has increased my attributes by 0.5.”
“And the proficiency bar only requires thirty points. Compared to the five hundred of the meditation method, it's incredibly pleasant to look at.”
Matthew took a deep breath, suppressing the joy and emotion in his heart.
Since he had successfully mastered 【Melting Slash】 and was clear that he needed to raise it to the “Novice” level to trigger the complete transformation of the Black Iron Rank, his next goal was crystal clear—
Accumulate proficiency points for his combat technique through repeated practice!
Taking advantage of the energy replenished by the panel during his breakthrough, Matthew assumed his stance once more, locking his gaze onto another intact section of the tree trunk.
Operating his breathing technique, he slowly guided the energy to pool in his arm and sword blade.
The sword edge sliced through the air, carrying a trace of barely perceptible faint white light, and accurately pierced the tree trunk.
Shhh!
This time, the depth and smoothness of the sword mark were almost identical to when he had just achieved his breakthrough.
“Again!” Matthew said excitedly.
Following that, he unleashed several more strikes!
Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!
Strike after strike landed accurately and stably on the tree trunk.
Every time the blade tore through the air, it was accompanied by that extremely faint, almost transparent shimmering white glow. Though fleeting, it remained constant.
Sword marks appeared one after another, their depth and cuts maintaining an astonishing consistency, as if they had been stamped out by the most precise mold.
If an expert had been watching from the side right now, they would surely have been dumbfounded!
Because the scene before them completely defied common knowledge regarding a “Mastered” rank combat technique.
In conventional understanding, when a warrior had just mastered a combat technique—even if it was only the most basic Tier 0 combat technique—its application would inevitably be clumsy and unstable!
Rate on N.U.
