By evening, his proficiency had reached 3/10, which satisfied Haus.
Although it was certainly not as powerful as Garp’s release, compared to an ordinary sword swing, the [Slash] enhanced with mana was undoubtedly more powerful than before.
He just didn’t know exactly how powerful it was.
Haus didn’t train on wooden stakes, fearing he might damage the training ground’s facilities.
Who knew how much it would cost to compensate for any damage?
It was better to wait until later, take his own second-hand longsword, and conduct practical training on the plains outside the town.
Most adventurers practiced there as well.
In his past memories, the original body had once seen, during the night, a certain spellcaster who would release powerful [Fireball] spells into the sky every day on the plains.
It looked as dazzling and beautiful as fireworks.
But later, whether it was because the explosive noise was too loud or the blazing light too glaring, it frequently disturbed the nearby residents, and someone filed a complaint at the Adventurers’ Guild.
After that, the spellcaster disappeared without a trace.
Nowadays, Haus could no longer witness such dazzling and beautiful fireworks.
Recalling those magical wonders that existed only in the fantasies of his past life, a flicker of longing sprouted in his heart.
Compared to the relentless, close-quarters combat of warriors, the elegant mages who commanded elemental forces appealed more to Haus.
Who wouldn’t want to be a spellcaster?
With just a flick of the fingers, enemies could be vanquished from a thousand miles away.
No bloodstains or disgusting filth would ever taint their robes.
Moreover, judging by his stats, he seemed more suited to the mage profession than that of a warrior.
At this moment, Haus made a decision in his heart: If the opportunity ever arose, he would definitely learn a spell, one that could be cast from a distance.
…
On the way back to the tavern in the evening, Haus began pondering what to have for dinner.
To be honest, he really didn’t want to gnaw on that bread that tasted like rotten wood again.
But at the moment, he didn’t have much money to afford a proper meal.
He was now burdened with a debt of ten silver coins.
Whether it was money or favors, Haus disliked owing others anything.
With this debt hanging over him, a weight pressed down on his heart, making him increasingly eager to earn money quickly, repay what he owed, and finally feel at ease.
But he also understood that when it came to adventures, he couldn’t rush things.
His strength was still insufficient.
After some thought, Haus checked the manual in his mind.
[Monster: Lilim (slime)] [Monster Innate Skill: Slow Regeneration] [Evolution Requirements for Next Level: Dewdrop Grass (0/3), Earth Essence (0/2), Monster Core (0/1)] Perhaps he could take advantage of this training period to find time to learn about and collect these materials that could help Lilim evolve.
Haus was quite curious about what kind of feedback the manual would provide once Lilim evolved.
Unconsciously, Haus returned to the Aion Tavern.
When he met the gaze of the owner, Elio, Haus almost instinctively ordered the same meal as last night.
“Three standard meals, plus a cup of hot milk.
Please prepare hot water for me as well.
Thank you…
Oh, how many copper coins was that cup of ale from yesterday?” Haus suddenly had an idea and decided to treat himself a little.
The taste of that ale from yesterday was quite good.
“1 silver coin.” Haus was surprised to hear that the cup of ale he drank last night actually cost 1 silver coin.
Huh?!
That’s way too expensive!
Ordinary ale only costs about 1 copper coin.
Although the taste was indeed countless times better than ordinary cheap ale, a price 100 times higher…
This is robbery!
“Forget it then, no ale.
Give me an extra cup of hot milk instead.” Haus didn’t ask why the ale was so expensive.
He simply paid the 12 copper coins silently and returned to his room with the meals.
Eat, bathe, and sleep while holding Lilim.
…
Early the next morning, Haus headed to the market to try gathering information about the evolution materials.
Haus’s first choice was the alchemy workshop.
After all, judging by the strange-sounding items displayed on the panel, ordinary herb shops might not have them.
Only larger-scale alchemy workshops were likely to carry such things.
Passing through the bustling market and avoiding the crowded flow of people, Haus successfully found a relatively large alchemy workshop nearby.
A short while later.
Haus walked out of the alchemy workshop.
He had obtained the information he wanted.
Unfortunately, he didn’t acquire any evolution materials.
Firstly, this alchemy workshop didn’t sell various rare materials in small quantities to the public; they mainly focused on purchasing raw materials.
Secondly, among the materials Haus needed, only herbs like Dewdrop Grass were relatively common.
The rest, Earth Essence and Monster Cores, were rare and expensive special materials.
Especially the monster core; this was a magical core that could only form within the bodies of professional-level monsters.
As for the price, although they didn’t explicitly state it, there was no need to think too hard; it would definitely be priced in gold coins.
Better focus on earning money first; he still had a debt of ten silver coins.
After recognizing the current reality, Haus had no choice but to temporarily suppress his thoughts of collecting materials.
Instead, he focused on honing his skills, accumulating proficiency, and steadily improving his own strength.
Only by becoming stronger could he solve everything.
…
One week later.
[Skill: Slash lv2 (19/20)] On the plains outside the town, Haus, wielding a longsword and wearing hardened leather armor, repeatedly swung his sword against the empty space ahead.
The orange-red sun hung at the edge of the sky, its lingering glow spreading across the land, coating the cold blade with a warm, radiant sheen.
In the distance, wind chimes hanging from the city walls swayed gently in the breeze, their crisp, clear tones drifting through the air.
Haus slowly sheathed his sword, letting it hang at his side, and raised a hand to wipe away the sweat on his forehead.
After a full week of rigorous training, he had not only successfully raised [Slash] to level 2 but was also just a sliver of proficiency away from breaking through to level 3.
Glancing up at the darkening sky, Haus thought for a moment and decided to train a little longer, pushing [Slash] all the way to level 3 in one go.
When [Slash] had broken through to level 2, Haus had noticed not only an increase in his sword-swinging speed and strength but also a smoother flow of mana within his body.
Even the mana consumption required to activate the skill had decreased.
With his current mana reserves, he could now unleash two consecutive slashes.
If [Slash] successfully broke through to level 3, he expected both its power and his own endurance to improve further.
The orange-red sunset on the horizon faded away as night slowly descended.
A bright crescent moon hung high in the night sky, dotted with countless stars scattered across the deep, vast expanse.
Under the moonlight, Haus repeated the slashing motion over and over again.
The muscles in his arms tensed with each exertion, steady and powerful in their rise and fall.
Around him, insects chirped softly, while the distant lights of the town flickered faintly.
The cool moonlight fell upon his shoulders, the blade of his sword, and the hand gripping the hilt tightly.
[“Slash” proficiency +1] [Skill: Slash lv2 (20/20) → Slash lv3 (0/50)] A translucent notification flashed before his eyes, and Haus felt a wave of relief and exhilaration wash over him.
The increase in mana brought by the skill enhancement resonated clearly throughout his body, filling him with a sense of abundant strength.
The mental fatigue and muscle soreness accumulated during his practice hadn’t actually disappeared; they were simply overshadowed and diluted several times over by the intense joy of leveling up and the thrill of breaking through.
“It’d be nice to have some fireworks to celebrate.”