Time quietly slipped away in the Training Ground amidst repeated battles and brief respites, as if isolated from the outside world, forming its own small realm for tempering.
A few hours later, A Mi and Xiao Ye had initially figured out a fighting style that was uniquely theirs—a bit clumsy, yet effective.
…………
Look, there is the edge of a damp grassy area, where a creature entirely translucent, pale blue, and possessing a jelly-like texture is slowly wriggling, resembling a piece of chilled jelly that accidentally fell onto the ground.
It has no fixed form, merely following instinct to absorb the simulated water vapor permeating the air; it is the most common and weakest low-intelligence elemental creature of the water attribute—a Slime.
In the Training Ground's assessment, it is even lower in Grade than some Goblins, serving as a "welfare monster" for novices to familiarize themselves with combat rhythm and build confidence.
It was completely unaware of the approaching danger, still immersed in its own elemental world.
Right beside its slow-moving path, nestled among the dense foliage of a simulated oak tree, a small black figure held its breath, almost merging entirely with the mottled shadows of the tree.
Xiao Ye was like a lurking night raven, her gaze focused and serious, a stark contrast to her usual timid appearance.
She tightly clutched a crude Lasso temporarily woven from flexible Vines; though the knots were rough, they were tied securely.
She had made this during the brief lulls in A Mi’s fighting, utilizing surrounding materials stealthily.
Since A Mi didn't need her assistance when focused on combat, she didn't want to just stand by idly, so she took the initiative to craft auxiliary equipment within her capabilities using items readily available in the Training Ground.
Years of struggling for survival alone had actually honed her practical skills and resourcefulness to a quite respectable level, but previously, no one had noticed, nor had she the opportunity to display them.
The time has come!
Xiao Ye gauged the Slime's movement trajectory, suddenly leaping down from the tree with movements so light they were almost silent, save for the faint sound of her clothes stirring in the air.
The Vine Lasso in her hand shot out like silk spun by a hunting spider, accurately enveloping the jelly-like creature!
"Puji?" The Slime emitted a confused sound, like a water bubble popping, its soft body instantly restrained by the Vine, causing its movement to halt.
Soon, the Slime's body began to slowly "seep" and deform, attempting to squeeze out through the mesh of the Vine—
After all, being a gel-like fluid creature, a conventional physical Lasso could barely hold it for long...
But this brief pause was enough!
Almost simultaneously, A Mi, who had been lying in ambush in the grass on the other side, darted out like a leopard!
What he held in his hand was no longer the initial rough Stone Sword, but a heavier Stone Hammer with distinct, block-like edges at the tip—also the result of using the Yellow Creation Artifact Skill to shape materials on the spot using intent.
He leaped high, his arm muscles taut, pouring all his Strength into the Stone Hammer, bringing it down fiercely with a gust of wind toward the temporarily trapped and sluggish Slime!
"Bang—Crack!"
A dull thud sounded, accompanied by a crisp noise resembling shattering ice or brittle bone.
The Stone Hammer’s hardness and heavy mass, comparable to a genuine Magic Tool, played the decisive role at this moment.
The pale blue Slime didn't even have time to struggle properly; under this thunderous blow, it completely burst apart, transforming into a pool of pure Water Elemental Energy and a few faint Experience Light Dots, which were rapidly absorbed by A Mi's body.
【Defeated Training Slime（lv.2）, gained experience points.】
A Mi landed steadily, feeling the faint warm current flowing into him, casually shaking off non-existent moisture from the Stone Hammer.
He glanced at the experience bar that appeared in his consciousness; that thin light column had visibly advanced another small segment forward.
In just a few hours, his level had risen from the initial Level 1 to Level 8.
If Contracted Spirits relying on Potions or routine training saw this leveling speed, they would likely be quite surprised.
Not relying on any drugs to temporarily boost his level, yet maintaining this efficiency... it was indeed rare.
"Success! Xiao Ye, well done!"
A Mi turned around and showed an undisguised smile of approval toward Xiao Ye, who had just nimbly gotten up from the ground and was dusting off grass and dirt from her clothes.
Her coordination was becoming increasingly seamless; she was no longer just hiding behind worriedly, but actively using the environment and her own agility to create excellent attack opportunities for him, compensating for the initial simplicity of his attack methods.
Hearing the direct praise, two distinct patches of red instantly bloomed on Xiao Ye's cheeks, spreading all the way to the tips of her pointed ears; even the Down Feathers on her neck seemed to slightly stand up.
She lowered her head shyly, unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes tightly, her voice so faint it was almost scattered by the wind: "N-No... I just did a small thing, I wasn't even sure if it would hold it..."
However, her slightly flushed eyes, shimmering with moisture, betrayed more emotion—it was the excitement and happiness of being needed, recognized, and treated as an equal, like a young seedling encountering timely rain after a long drought.
A Mi looked at her appearance, both shy and happy, and the smile on his face deepened.
He took her hand and led her to sit down near a relatively clean tree root nearby.
"Let's rest for a bit; we should summarize things now too."
After these few hours of high-intensity "monster grinding," it was time to pause briefly, catch their breath, and organize their gains and questions.
Now... they finally had a clearer understanding of a few things.
Firstly, regarding A Mi's Yellow Creation Artifact Skill.
They confirmed that the weapons created by this Skill indeed possessed astonishing hardness and durability comparable to genuine Magic Tools.
Both the previous Stone Sword and the current Stone Hammer remained indestructible after multiple fierce collisions with training monsters, showing no cracks or chips; their material seemed reinforced by some kind of Rule power.
...However, that was all.
These stone weapons did not possess the myriad of special effects that true Magic Tools should have, such as adding Fire or Ice damage, boosting the user's Strength or Speed attributes, or unleashing skills like protective shields or Shockwaves.
They were merely extremely hard, difficult-to-destroy "mortal iron" stone versions, weapons that relied purely on physical mass and hardness for attack.
Secondly, regarding A Mi's seemingly rapid leveling speed.
They realized this was likely related to his "D-Rank" Comprehensive Rating. A low Grade seemingly meant a lower threshold of experience required for growth, making leveling up naturally appear faster.
They didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
The benefit was obvious: it allowed them to quickly escape the most basic, weakest state and gain a certain degree of self-preservation ability;
The potential drawback was that his potential ceiling might be lower than that of high-Grade Contracted Spirits? Or perhaps, at the same level, his base attribute growth rate might be inferior to those B-Rank, A-Rank, or even higher beings?
These were still unknown concerns that required more future practical combat and observation for verification.
Xiao Ye, however, seemed quite content, even somewhat delighted by this.
Watching A Mi's level continuously rise and his Strength visibly grow, her face radiated a pure, unadulterated joy.
"Mr. A Mi is getting stronger, that's wonderful."
She said softly, her eyes as clear as a mountain stream, reflecting A Mi's figure.
"I actually... don't like fighting much, and I get scared seeing injuries. As long as Mr. A Mi becomes strong enough, strong enough that he won't be bullied by others anymore, and can protect both of us, staying safe and sound, I'll be happy."
Her wish was simple and pure, carrying a certain naive innocence.
She didn't crave for A Mi to become some peerless powerhouse; she only hoped her Contracted Spirit could become strong enough so that their small unit could live securely and protect each other in this World, which appeared prosperous yet concealed hardship.
A Mi looked at her eyes sparkling with simple contentment and listened to her utterly sincere words; his heart softened, as if gently brushed by warm feathers.
He reached out and gently stroked the soft strands of hair and Down Feathers on top of her head again, his movements tender.
"Don't worry, we will get better and better," his voice was gentle yet firm. "However, to avoid being bullied, to truly safeguard this peace, the current bit of Strength is far from enough.
Let's rest a little longer, recover our stamina, and then we'll continue!"
"Okay!"
Xiao Ye nodded vigorously, the blush on her face had not completely faded, but her smile was brighter and more dazzling, like sunshine breaking through the clouds.
At this moment, she was filled with determination.