Chapter 52 A Letter

Half a month later.

In the woodland near Rivervale Town, a morning breeze carrying a faint chill swept through the trees.

Oak branches swayed overhead. Dense green leaves brushed against one another with a soft rustle.

One leaf drifted free.

It spun lazily through the air.

Swish!

A dark brown-black flash burst from beneath the tree and vanished in the same instant.

Precise.

Extremely precise.

One moment, the falling leaf was still turning unpredictably in the shifting air.

The next, a smooth, sharp sword point had pinned it straight against the rough bark.

Rustle!

The force transmitted through the blade shook the towering oak as though it had taken a heavy blow.

Leaves rained down from the branches.

Xia Nan pulled the sword free with a firm tug.

He casually flourished the wooden blade once, then slid it back into the scabbard on his back.

Fifteen days had passed since he finished the mission and returned to Rivervale Town.

In a certain sense, these had been the most relaxed and pleasant days since he arrived in this world.

When he slept, he didn’t have to worry about some Greenskin rat appearing from nowhere and smashing his skull in with a wooden club.

When he walked, he didn’t have to wonder whether he might suddenly turn into a stone statue.

He ate every meal at the inn.

They weren’t lavish feasts, but compared to sleeping and eating in the wilderness, the difference was enormous.

Of course, Xia Nan hadn’t retired.

He couldn’t spend every day doing nothing.

While letting himself relax, he had also been steadily carrying out the plans he’d made before.

First, the custom scabbard for [Green Pine] was finished.

It was forged from Rock-Carbon Steel, charcoal gray from end to end, simple and unobtrusive.

It fit the wooden sword closely while completely hiding the material of the blade.

Every detail matched the specifications Xia Nan had given.

He was very satisfied.

More importantly, after using [Green Pine] for half a month, Xia Nan had finally gained a decent understanding of the only piece of blue-grade equipment he owned.

In sharpness, [Green Pine] was slightly inferior to the decapitating longsword.

At best, it was around the level of an ordinary metal weapon.

Its durability wasn’t particularly impressive either.

Xia Nan hadn’t dared perform any destructive testing on the sword, but based on how it felt in actual use, it was probably only somewhat sturdier than a normal standard-issue weapon.

In other words, the reason [Green Pine] had reached blue rarity on his attribute panel was obvious.

Its value came from its two special damage modifiers against undead and enemies of the snake-and-scorpion variety.

Against anything else, Xia Nan still preferred the decapitating longsword as his main weapon.

Then came the two combat technique manuals.

Well…

That part was harder to describe.

It wasn’t as if he had made no progress at all.

But it definitely hadn’t gone as smoothly as he hoped.

Xia Nan’s talent was good.

That had already been proven in actual combat, and his combat technique training had confirmed it again.

He learned the basics of both [Forward Thrust] and [Block and Rising Slash] very quickly.

It took him only half a day to fully memorize the training methods written on those thin pages.

The problem came afterward.

Training these two techniques felt completely different from his predecessor’s memories of practicing [Spinning Slash].

In those memories, [Spinning Slash] had been practiced until it was almost carved into the body itself.

Every motion was stable.

Every movement was precise.

Almost mechanical.

But whenever Xia Nan practiced these two new techniques, something always went wrong.

Sometimes his force came out too short and lacked explosive power.

Sometimes his balance shifted and his body trembled.

Every session seemed to uncover a new flaw.

Worse, he couldn’t figure out how to solve the problem at its root.

He would spend hours correcting one mistake through repetition, only for another mistake to surface immediately afterward.

It made all his previous work feel pointless.

Like plugging holes in a wall that never stopped leaking.

Fix one.

Another opened.

Then another.

It never ended.

Xia Nan had even started wondering whether these two supposedly simple combat techniques were actually defective manuals circulating on the market.

He couldn’t be sure.

After all, his predecessor had spent years training day and night before bringing [Spinning Slash] anywhere close to max level.

[I’ll keep at it seriously for a while longer.]

[If it’s still like this later, I’ll buy two different manuals and test those instead.]

After finishing his morning training, Xia Nan didn’t head straight back to the inn.

Instead, he made a detour to the Rockhammer blacksmith shop.

Clang!

A smithing hammer slammed into glowing steel.

Barn’s corded muscles bulged beneath his skin as sparks exploded outward, mixing with flying sweat.

Hiss!

The red-hot metal plunged into water.

Steam billowed upward.

Only after the entire process was complete did the burly Dwarf finally stop and catch his breath.

“You’re here?”

Barn glanced toward Xia Nan, who had been standing beside the shelves and watching from a safe distance.

He picked up a rag, wiped the sweat from his forehead, then placed the hammer on the anvil.

“Your arm shield probably needs another seven or eight days.”

“Sorry. I’ve got a lot of orders right now. Everyone paid good money, so I can’t exactly let someone jump the line.”

“No problem. Take your time. I’m not in a hurry.”

Xia Nan hadn’t come to pressure him in the first place.

Barn had already explained that the snake-scale arm shield wasn’t like a sword scabbard.

Its shape was unusual, there was no matching mold, and it had to be custom-made from scratch.

Naturally, it would take longer.

Xia Nan had only come by to check the progress and get a rough estimate.

Now that he had one, he gave Barn a quick farewell and prepared to leave.

Barn stopped him before he reached the door.

“What about that caravan guard job?”

He raised a water cup and took several deep gulps.

“They’ll be leaving in a few days. If you want in…”

Barn lowered the cup.

“Just say the word. I’ll get you a spot.”

“If you’re busy, though, forget it. No pressure.”

Xia Nan hesitated.

“The day after tomorrow.”

“I’ll give you a definite answer then.”

After all this time, the caravan had already recruited most of the guards it needed.

One more person wouldn’t matter much.

One fewer wouldn’t cripple them either.

Xia Nan wasn’t deliberately trying to keep Barn hanging.

The problem was still Hai’an.

Half a month had passed, and the half-elf still hadn’t replied.

Xia Nan had no idea when the class holder Hai’an contacted would reach Rivervale Town.

Without a definite date, he didn’t dare casually leave town and risk missing the meeting.

If there was still no reply within the next three days, Xia Nan would simply refuse the caravan job and stay in Rivervale Town.

That way, he wouldn’t interfere with their schedule.

At worst, he’d lose the chance to earn a few extra gold coins.

He could afford that.

…

By the time Xia Nan left the blacksmith shop, noon had already arrived.

He returned to the White Chickadee Tavern with a simple plan.

Lunch.

Maybe a nap.

Then more training in the afternoon.

His meal was still the familiar combination of mushroom soup, stewed meat, and white bread.

Only now, the portions were noticeably larger.

He had paid extra.

As Xia Nan’s body grew stronger, so did his appetite.

He tore off a piece of white bread and stuffed a large chunk of stew meat into his mouth with it.

The meat was soft enough to fall apart between his teeth, full of rich, salty juices.

Once swallowed, it seemed to become a faint current of warmth that spread through his powerful body.

Xia Nan still didn’t have a clear standard for how strong he actually was now.

But one thing was certain.

After absorbing that drop of Golden Dewdrop, the 3-point increase in constitution had improved his body in every respect.

Every respect.

His “strength” and “agility” on the attribute panel were still at 6, the values they had reached after [Spinning Slash] hit max level.

Yet after returning to town, Xia Nan could clearly feel that his muscular strength and explosive power had both improved.

That told him something important.

The attributes on his cheat panel weren’t isolated statistics like they might be in a game.

In reality, improving one aspect of the body inevitably affected others.

For example:

Suppose his strength increased by 1 point.

His muscles would naturally become more explosive.

But stronger explosive power also meant he could accelerate more quickly and move faster.

So from another perspective, wouldn’t that also count as an increase in agility?

Unfortunately, Xia Nan was living in a medieval-style fantasy world.

There were no laboratories.

No modern testing equipment.

No convenient medical examinations.

He could only infer how his body worked through personal experience.

Creak.

A wooden mug slid across the table.

Clear ale sloshed beneath a cap of foam.

“Your ale,” Chapton said.

Xia Nan, still chewing, nodded.

Tap.

Then Chapton placed a snow-white envelope beside the mug.

“This came this morning. Your name’s on it.”

He pushed it closer.

“Yours?”

Xia Nan’s eyes lit up.

He hurriedly swallowed.

“Yes. Yes, it is.”

“Thanks!”

He took the envelope and examined it.

There was nothing decorative about it.

Only the delivery address and Xia Nan’s name were written in the lower-right corner.

The wax seal bore an emblem of a kite shield draped with cloth and tassels.

[The Hai’an family’s crest, maybe?]

Xia Nan was just about to break the seal when a sudden burst of noise erupted in the tavern hall.

He frowned and looked over.

Two familiar figures immediately caught his eye.

“Bernie?”

Xia Nan had learned the drunkard’s name after the incident on the night he returned to town.

Chapton and a few regular patrons had filled him in.

Apparently Bernie had run out of money for alcohol recently and gone out on a mission with his team.

Since the man had disappeared for a while, Xia Nan hadn’t bothered looking for trouble.

And now, naturally, Bernie was causing trouble again.

The person on the other end of the confrontation also looked vaguely familiar.

A plainly dressed, honest-looking middle-aged man.

[I think I saw him once on the day I ordered the scabbard.]

The situation was getting worse by the second.

Perhaps because the middle-aged man was a new face in town, Bernie staggered over with his face flushed and alcohol rolling off him, then said something Xia Nan couldn’t quite hear.

The honest-looking man had been eating the cheapest meal on the menu.

His expression immediately darkened.

But he said nothing.

He simply lowered his head and started eating faster, clearly unwilling to get dragged into a confrontation.

Bernie, of course, took that as encouragement.

Instead of backing off, he grew even louder, shouting a stream of filthy country slang at the man.

Then his alcohol-soaked balance finally betrayed him.

His foot slipped.

His body pitched backward.

Instinctively, he threw out an arm and slammed his hand onto the table beside him.

Bang!

Food and ale went flying.

Xia Nan’s eyes sharpened.

For an instant, he saw it clearly.

The slim young man sitting at the neighboring table had been drinking and watching the show.

Then, the moment Bernie overturned the table, the young man’s body seemed to twist.

Blur.

Gone.

He appeared several steps away as though he had teleported.

Not a single drop of spilled ale touched him.

[A class holder.]

Xia Nan was certain.

Bang!

A moment later, Bernie was thrown out into the street like a dead pig.

His limbs were bent at ugly angles.

He had already passed out, severely injured.

The slim young man, meanwhile, remained remarkably polite.

He asked the surrounding patrons which team Bernie belonged to, left several silver coins behind, then strolled out of the tavern.

The honest-looking middle-aged man finished the last scraps on his plate and hurried away as well.

The drunkard had finally offended someone he couldn’t afford to offend.

Xia Nan shook his head.

Come to think of it, if Bernie’s two teammates hadn’t been present that first night, Xia Nan might have beaten him senseless himself.

Then there would’ve been no need for a class holder to do it.

He drained the last of his ale.

The tavern hall was still buzzing with excitement, but Xia Nan had already lost interest.

He returned to his room and opened the letter from the half-elf.

“Long time no see, Xia Nan.

“First, I must apologize for taking so long to reply. It was not deliberate. Troublesome family affairs left me unable to get away, and only today did I finally find a moment to breathe.

“Nearly half a month has passed since the day we parted. I do not know whether you are still in Rivervale Town or have already begun another adventure.

“…

“Regarding the matter of a combat technique instructor, I was fortunate enough to contact a veteran class holder through my family’s connections.

“At the earliest, he will pass through Rivervale Town in the middle of Blazing Sun Month, Lixi, and stay briefly. You may study combat techniques under him at that time.

“Please see the enclosed sheet for further details.

“There is no need to write back. I may have difficulty receiving your reply. I also wish you an early advancement to class holder.

“May the stars shine upon you.

“Your friend,

“Hai’an”

Xia Nan’s gaze lingered on the half-elf’s flowing, carefully controlled signature.

Then he began doing the math.

According to Hai’an, the class holder wouldn’t reach Rivervale Town until the middle of Blazing Sun Month at the earliest.

Right now, it was only the beginning of Flowering Month.

And according to this continent’s calendar, an entire Summer Tide Month still lay between them.

That meant more than seventy days.

Plenty of time.

Honestly, two consecutive trips into Misty Forest had left Xia Nan with a faint resistance to the place.

The danger.

The constant pressure.

The feeling that one bad step could kill him.

For the near future, he had no desire to go back.

In that case, taking a caravan guard job and spending a few days visiting a neighboring town sounded pretty good.

He could earn a little money to offset his daily expenses.

He could see more of this world.

And most importantly, the training problems he’d run into over the past half month had changed how he viewed the trip.

His predecessor had spent countless days and nights over many years before pushing [Spinning Slash] to lv4 (98/100).

Xia Nan?

He had crossed those final two points of proficiency, the hardest two points before max level, within only a few days of transmigrating.

What exactly was the difference between them?

And what did that difference mean?

A suspicion had been forming in Xia Nan’s mind for some time.

This seemed like a good chance to test it.