Chapter 28: Initial Growth
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 28: Initial Growth
"The one hundred and eighty-fifth time!"
Muen stared at the clock on the wall with bloodshot eyes, a flicker of joy finally breaking through his exhausted expression.
"I finally managed to last more than thirty seconds against that assassin!"
No matter how one looked at it, his opponent was a powerhouse at least at the Third-Tier Martial Artist realm. Muen, on the other hand, was merely a late First-Tier newbie who had reached his level by stacking resources and "pay-to-win" methods. The gap between their realms was massive. To be able to trade blows for thirty seconds, Muen had endured hardships that most people could hardly imagine.
At the very least, those nearly two hundred experiences of death had felt incredibly real.
"It seems I can't keep training like this without limits," Muen muttered, rubbing his temples to soothe the stabbing pain in his brain caused by pushing his mental state to the absolute limit. "Otherwise, I'll have a mental breakdown before I even get strong."
"Using the Black Book really isn't without cost. Even if I don't actually die, the mental drain is far too great."
"Fortunately, it was all worth it!"
Excitedly, Muen flipped open the Black Book.
In the column recording his personal information, two new entries had appeared that weren't there before:
[Dagger Combat Technique LV2]
[Shadow Step LV1]
"I've finally gotten the hang of it."
After nearly two hundred deaths, Muen had finally been able to cross the chasm between their realms to glimpse the assassin’s moves. In the space between life and death, amidst great terror, he had made them his own.
"It’s just a start, and I’m still nowhere near that assassin’s level, but once you’ve entered the door, things get much easier."
Given enough time, Muen was confident he could turn all of that assassin’s techniques into his own power!
"Hehe, I can't wait. Let's test the results."
Muen climbed out of bed and pushed his desk and chairs aside to clear enough space. Then, he nervously rubbed his hands together.
Although he had used the technique many times while fighting the assassin, that was within the space constructed by the Black Book. He wasn't sure if he could use it as fluently under real-world conditions.
"Whatever. I'll know if it works once I try it."
Muen sank his breath into his dantian.
Then, following the insights gained from those two hundred real battles, he concentrated all his attention on his soles, heels, and ankles.
He felt a stream of heat gather at the bottom of his feet, as if something was about to erupt at any moment.
Now!
A sharp glint flashed in Muen's eyes. All the power gathered in his feet erupted like a volcano.
In an instant, the world in Muen's vision blurred. The table that was a good seven or eight meters away appeared right in front of him in a heartbeat.
He had succeeded!
"I did it..."
Muen murmured, initially in disbelief. Then, the excitement in his eyes erupted like a volcano as well.
"I did it!"
He was so happy he could hardly contain himself.
Having inexplicably transmigrated into this dangerous magical world—and as a trashy yellow-haired villain who could be killed off at any moment—Muen had always felt extremely uneasy. Especially now that the plot had completely deviated from the original novel and his knowledge as a transmigrator had lost its utility, his unease had often bordered on terror.
But fortunately, nothing was set in stone yet. With the Black Book, even a profligate waste like him could become stronger through his own efforts!
This was only the beginning!
Muen clenched his fists in excitement.
"As long as I work hard, I can even change fate!"
...
...
"But I can't change the fact that my feet hurt..."
"Ow... damn it... nobody told me using this move would hurt my feet so much."
Only seconds after making his grand declaration, Muen was collapsed on the floor, crying a river of tears.
He hadn't expected Shadow Step to have such a massive side effect. Using it just once made his feet feel like they were broken.
"Wait, it shouldn't be a side effect."
"If it hurt this much, I don't believe even an assassin who has killed countless people could use it with a straight face and zero concern."
Muen realized the truth immediately.
"It's because my realm is too low. This isn't something a First-Tier should be learning; it's a martial technique meant to be used freely only when paired with Fighting Spirit!"
The First-Tier for a Martial Artist was also known as Body Tempering. As the name suggested, it involved constantly training the physical body to become stronger.
Therefore, the threshold for this stage was extremely low—practically non-existent.
Wealthy nobles could easily reach the peak through precious medicinal herbs and proper training. Commoners could also grow stronger in this stage by lifting weights, doing push-ups, and eating meat.
The real watershed was the Second-Tier.
Once Body Tempering reached its peak, an energy called Fighting Spirit would be generated within the body. Learning how to purify, temper, and use Fighting Spirit was the Second-Tier realm: Qi Refinement.
Wrapping Fighting Spirit around a weapon increased its power; harboring it within the body could immensely enhance physical durability.
For a Martial Artist, the presence or absence of Fighting Spirit made a world of difference.
"Simply put, Shadow Step concentrates all your power into your feet for a split-second explosion. It's no surprise that it puts an immense burden on the feet."
"I must use Fighting Spirit to reinforce my body to withstand that burden."
"In the dark space, I was just a consciousness, so I didn't have to care. But in reality, physical strength becomes vital."
"As expected, I'm still too weak."
Muen let out a low sigh.
However, he didn't stay dejected for long this time.
Though he had confirmed his weakness once again, it was still a good start. At the very least, he had confirmed that the things he learned through the trials of the Black Book could be reflected in reality.
"Time to set a new policy!"
Once his feet didn't hurt as much, Muen stumbled to his feet and walked to his desk.
He pulled out the "General Outline" he had recently drafted from the drawer. After a moment's thought, he held it over the candle flame and let it burn.
"No point thinking about things too far in the future; it only adds to my worries. I need to focus on the present."
Muen took out a fresh sheet of paper and began to formulate a new path and plan based on his current situation.
"First, I must have a teacher."
Muen picked up his quill and wrote on the paper:
1. Teacher.
The nearly two hundred battles with the assassin had shown Muen not only his own weakness but also the limitations of this kind of pure "masochistic" training.
While this kind of practical combat made him improve quickly in other areas, he had made zero progress in the Shadow Step he wanted to learn most until he could actually see the assassin's movements clearly.
If he had a teacher to guide him step-by-step, he might not have had to endure so much pain.
"Speaking of which, St. Maria Academy should be opening soon."
Muen suddenly remembered this important event.
The one thing St. Maria Academy didn't lack was all sorts of excellent teachers.
But a few seconds later, he kicked the thought out of his head.
"Why go to school when I can just be a shut-in at home?"
"The current me doesn't want to run into the protagonist!"
"Not to mention, Celicia is there too."
Besides, when it came to a martial arts teacher, didn't he have a better option right here?
Muen gave a wicked grin and added a name after the word "Teacher."
Lorne Campbell.
His convenient father.