A disciple should always respect his master.
That was the proper code of conduct in the martial world, the natural order of things, and an eternal, unchanging truth.
With that thought in mind, I drew the character for 'patience' countless times in my head.
I know he's a Barbarian, but how can someone be this terrible at teaching?
Still, my abilities had improved thanks to him, so I couldn't exactly complain.
The world looked different when I channeled energy into my eyes.
I could see the grain Donar had been talking about.
For now, that alone was enough.
WHOOSH! CRUNCH—!
I dodged Monkey Mom's attack, which now appeared to move in slow motion, and struck precisely where her natural energy ended.
In other words, I struck the grain.
SCREECH!
The natural energy surrounding her hand disappeared.
Apparently startled, she immediately retreated and widened the distance between us.
For the first time, I'd successfully counterattacked.
[That is it! You struck the grain precisely!]
Yes, yes. Thanks to a certain someone, I've finally learned how to see the grain.
[If you can properly perceive the grain and possess the Heart of the Beast, you will greatly increase your chances of avoiding defeat against opponents stronger than yourself.]
To be honest, the Heart of the Beast?
I think I already have it.
I don't think I've ever been particularly afraid of death.
Maybe it's because I've already experienced death once, or perhaps because I believe there's another life waiting after death.
Whatever the reason, I wasn't especially frightened.
That certainly didn't mean I wanted to die easily, though.
“Then, after learning to see the grain, what's next?”
If I already possessed the Heart of the Beast and could now see the grain, shouldn't we move on to the next stage as quickly as possible?
After all, I had no idea when I'd be leaving this place.
[In truth, there is not enough time remaining for you to learn the next stage. So, until you return here, focus on developing your body. Train until your entire body becomes a weapon. Build solid muscles, but retain your flexibility.]
“Understood.”
But why is he talking as though we're almost out of time?
SCREECH!
I'd better finish things with Monkey Mom before asking him.
The look in her eyes had changed.
As expected of an intelligent creature, she was quick to assess the situation.
The fury in her gaze had been replaced by calmness.
She must have finally started treating me as a genuine enemy.
‘This could be dangerous.’
Fortunately, her left hand had been broken and was no longer usable.
Natural energy flared around her right hand.
“What are you going to do with just one hand? You couldn't beat me even with both.”
No matter how much she'd regained her composure, her fighting strength had definitely decreased….
“…Huh?”
Why is there natural energy around both her legs?
I thought she could only use it in her hands!
Damn it!
CRASH—!
Monkey Mom kicked off the ground.
Her attacks, which had appeared slow just moments earlier, suddenly became even faster than before.
[Hooh… That creature could become quite a formidable specimen if she undergoes a few more evolutions.]
Donar casually shared his observations while watching my desperate battle from the sidelines.
“But isn't this an imaginary place? Can she even evolve here?”
[Indeed. This place was created through imagination. But tell me, have you ever seen that creature before?]
“What? No?”
[Then how did she appear in your imagination?]
“Well, that's because I read about her in a book… Huh?”
I'd never actually seen what a Gibbon Queen looked like in a book.
I'd only read written descriptions of her characteristics.
[Although this place exists within an imaginary world, it was modeled directly after the real Nau Forest. In other words, if you visit Nau Forest, that creature might actually be there.]
“What?!”
How does that make any sense?
Then again, the fact that I'm currently in Valhalla doesn't make sense either.
And I didn't have any more time to think about it.
CRASH—! CRASH—! CRUNCH—!
Her attacks grew even more ferocious.
I was barely managing to avoid them by concentrating mana into my eyes, but if this continued, my mana would be completely depleted in no time.
“Lord Donar, isn't there some technique I can use right now?”
[A technique? Boy, if a technique could be learned merely by hearing about it once, would it even deserve to be called a technique?]
“But there must be some way!”
[There is a way. If you can absorb natural energy into your body, the situation will change.]
Then tell me how to absorb natural energy!
He needs to explain the method!
[You have learned to see the grain. Being able to see the grain is effectively the same as being able to see natural energy. Therefore, you are already in a state where you can absorb natural energy.]
“How exactly do I absorb natural energy?”
[Think back to when you first absorbed mana. However, instead of containing it within your heart, absorb it with the intention of allowing it to permeate your entire body.]
“Hmm… Understood.”
Although his explanation was rather abstract, Donar had finally given me some proper instruction.
As his disciple, it was only right that I repay him by learning quickly.
CRASH—!
“Just wait. I'll deal with you in a moment.”
Monkey Mom had enveloped her hands and feet in natural energy.
When I looked at her without concentrating mana into my eyes….
‘There isn't much difference.’
On the other hand, when I concentrated mana into my eyes, I could distinguish the colors.
Natural energy was pure white, while mana had a faint bluish tint.
‘So I need to separate the two and absorb only the natural energy?’
The method of absorbing mana involved drawing the mana floating in the air into the body and accumulating it within the heart.
When using a mana breathing technique, the mana in the surrounding air naturally entered the body.
‘Then I can't just use the same mana breathing technique.’
But something was strange.
I'd assumed that mana would make up a greater proportion of the energy floating in the air.
Yet that wasn't the case at all.
In fact, natural energy was overwhelmingly more abundant.
No wonder people who could wield natural energy were absurdly powerful when so much of it was floating around.
Talent really is something you're born with.
Just like me.
“Huuup!”
I slowly began using my usual mana breathing technique.
This time, however, I tried to absorb natural energy instead of mana.
Compared to practicing the breathing technique while sitting still, the efficiency was absolutely terrible.
But if I sat down right now, I'd end up impaled on Monkey Mom's hand and eaten alive.
I didn't have much choice.
“Lord Donar, aren't there any breathing or cultivation techniques for absorbing natural energy?”
[Those things were developed by those who cannot wield natural energy. Natural energy is something that naturally accumulates within the body simply through breathing.]
“…….”
This is the problem with geniuses.
I'm the fool for even asking.
[Eventually, you too will be able to accumulate natural energy simply by breathing. It is something anyone who has mastered natural energy can do.]
Oh, really?
So I'm the idiot here?
Well, I suppose I should focus on having my first experience with natural energy for now.
[Ah, and breathing techniques will only hinder you. Mana can be absorbed through breathing, but natural energy is absorbed through the entire body.]
“Phaaah!”
I hurriedly exhaled the breath I'd been holding.
If he knew something that important, he should've told me earlier!
Then wouldn't a cultivation technique be more suitable than a breathing technique?
Breathing techniques absorbed mana through respiration, while cultivation techniques drew external energy toward the body and filtered out everything except mana before absorbing it.
So couldn't I simply reverse the process, filter out everything except natural energy, and absorb that into my body?
“Phew….”
I steadied my breathing and focused my mind.
Using my mana cultivation technique, I drew the natural energy in my surroundings toward my body.
Doing that while dodging Monkey Mom's attacks was no easy task.
To be honest, I had my doubts about whether it was even possible.
But if something seems impossible, find a way to make it possible.
I'd heard that saying so many times while working as a carpenter that it was practically engraved in my ears.
And I agreed with it.
[So you know both cultivation and breathing techniques. And rather efficient ones at that.]
“I've worked hard to get where I am.”
In truth, these cultivation and breathing techniques weren't easy to learn.
Cultivation and breathing techniques were divided into grades.
Naturally, the higher the grade, the greater the efficiency.
Even the lowest-grade technique cost so much that an ordinary person would have to spend an entire year doing nothing but working to barely afford it.
Yet I knew cultivation and breathing techniques that were considered high-grade.
As I mentioned before, Barbarians taught their techniques only to their families.
They had also developed their combat techniques to an extraordinary degree.
Cultivation and breathing techniques were among them.
Naturally, it was extremely rare for them to teach techniques they'd worked so hard to develop to anyone outside their families.
But I'd managed to make that happen.
By building houses for Barbarians.
One of the first things I'd noticed after beginning my life in this world was how terrible the living conditions were.
Barbarian houses were remarkably crude, and I didn't like them at all.
Apparently, wherever they lay down to sleep was considered their home.
Most of them either lived in primitive huts or simply pitched a tent and slept inside.
I gave them warm, comfortable homes, and in return, I obtained high-grade cultivation and breathing techniques.
[Indeed. In the early stages, using a cultivation technique to absorb natural energy and develop a feel for it is not a bad idea. However, that is not something you can accomplish in a day or two. To accumulate natural energy within your body for the first time, you would need at least a full month… Hm?]
“A month?”
Contrary to Donar's words, natural energy was already being absorbed into my body, little by little.
I was absorbing natural energy just as I would absorb mana.
It was somewhat difficult to distribute it throughout my entire body instead of accumulating it in my heart, but that was the only real challenge.
[What exactly are you?]
“I'm a Barbarian.”
[That is not what I meant! How did you absorb natural energy so easily?!]
“It just worked.”
[…This is the problem with geniuses.]
Look who's calling someone else a genius.
He reached the position of a god through sheer talent.
Still, thanks to him, I'd managed to absorb natural energy.
I should at least thank him.
“Thank you, Lord Donar. I've learned some valuable things thanks to you.”
[I-It is enough that you know how to be grateful!]
What's with that tone?
Is he embarrassed?
He has a cute side, too.
[Hurry up and try using natural energy.]
“Yes, yes. I'll show you right away.”
All right, then.
Shall we finally get serious?
The first thing I did was replace the mana I'd been channeling into my eyes with natural energy.
‘Oh! This is completely different!’
When I'd used mana, my vision had seemed somewhat hazy.
But when I looked through natural energy, everything appeared perfectly clear.
And Monkey Mom's movements, which had sped up earlier, once again appeared slow.
SCREECH! SCREECH!
Monkey Mom, who had been attacking relentlessly, apparently sensed that something was wrong and tried to widen the distance between us.
“I'm not letting you do that.”
I immediately closed in on Monkey Mom, slipping inside her reach.
I still couldn't envelop multiple parts of my body in natural energy simultaneously.
If she seriously decided to run away, I'd never be able to catch her.
WHOOSH! THUD—!
I struck her leg with my hammer.
I'd clearly seen the grain and aimed directly for it, but apparently sensing the danger, she twisted her leg to protect it.
“Can Monkey Mom see the grain, too?”
[No. She probably sensed the threat and instinctively avoided it.]
Animal instincts really are impressive.
But I'm a man of perseverance.
If something doesn't work, keep trying until it does.
That's the mindset every junior carpenter needs to have!
WHOOSH! THUD—! WHOOSH! CRASH—!
“You're awfully good at dodging now. A little while ago, you were charging at me as though you wanted to kill me.”
[Boy, if you continue using natural energy so recklessly, you will exhaust it in no time.]
“What?”
Come to think of it, hadn't I only just started absorbing natural energy?
Then how had I managed to use it for this long?
The very moment that thought crossed my mind, I suddenly felt all the strength drain from my body.
[You foolish boy. You became so intoxicated by your newfound power that you failed to pay attention to your body's condition. I do not know when you will return here, but until then, develop your body and make sure to accumulate plenty of natural energy.]
Why is he talking as though he's saying goodbye?
I'm still alive, you know!
SCREECH! SCREECH!
Monkey Mom's cries were no longer filled with anger.
Instead, they sounded almost joyful.
What's gotten into her all of a sudden?
“Huh?”
My body suddenly rose into the air.
As though defying gravity, I left the ground and began ascending toward the sky.
“Ah…!”
Only then did I realize what had happened.
The moment my natural energy ran out, it was already over for me.
Monkey Mom's arm had pierced straight through my abdomen, leaving me skewered on it like a piece of meat.
In other words, I was already as good as dead.
Even so, I didn't feel any particular fear of death.
‘I guess I was born with the Heart of the Beast!’
But I could no longer hear Donar's voice.
The hammer in my hand disappeared, and the world gradually began crumbling around me.
Then my vision went completely black.