Chapter 52 Letter (4k)

Half a month later.

In the forest near Valley Town.

A morning breeze carrying a hint of chill swept through, causing the oak branches to sway gently. The lush green leaves rustled softly against one another, producing a delicate “shasha” sound.

Some leaves drifted lazily down, twirling in the air.

Whoosh—

A flash of dark brown light suddenly burst forth from somewhere beneath the trees, fleeting in an instant.

Extremely precise!

Under the influence of invisible air currents, a drifting leaf that had been spinning in the air just a moment ago was instantly impaled straight onto the rough tree trunk by the sharp, warm, and keen tip of a sword.

Clatter!

The strong force transmitted through the sword made the towering oak tree seem as if it had been struck heavily.

The trunk trembled violently, shaking off countless leaves.

With effort, the sword tip was pulled out from the tree trunk.

Xia Nan casually flicked the sword in a flourish and sheathed the wooden sword behind his back.

Since completing his mission and returning to Valley Town, another fifteen days had passed.

In some ways, these days had been the most relaxed and pleasant period since he had crossed over into this world.

He no longer had to worry about being suddenly clubbed on the head by green-skinned rodents wielding wooden sticks in his sleep;

Nor did he fear turning into a stone statue while walking.

Every day, he ate and drank at the inn—not gourmet meals by any means, but far more comfortable than surviving in the wilderness.

Of course, he had not retired yet.

Xia Nan could not afford to completely let his guard down.

While relaxing his body and mind, he also methodically carried out the plans he had previously set.

First, the custom-made [Green Pine] sword scabbard he ordered from the blacksmith was now completed.

Made from carbon steel, it was uniformly gray-black, simple and understated.

It fit the sword perfectly while effectively concealing the wooden material of the blade.

Every detail perfectly met the requirements he had specified.

Xia Nan was very satisfied.

It was worth mentioning that during this period of adjustment, he had gained some understanding of the only “blue-grade” gear he possessed.

In terms of sharpness, [Green Pine] was slightly inferior to the Beheading Longsword, just equivalent to an ordinary metal weapon.

Its durability was also mediocre—not extensively tested due to concerns about damaging the blade—but his experience suggested it was only somewhat better than standard issue weapons.

He guessed the reason [Green Pine] was rated “blue rare” in the attribute panel was clearly because of its two damage modifiers targeting “undead creatures” and “venomous enemies.”

In other cases, Xia Nan still primarily relied on the Beheading Longsword.

Then there were those two combat techniques.

Uh...

How to put it?

Though not completely fruitless, progress was less than satisfactory.

His talent was good, proven both in actual combat and during skill training.

He had picked up the two combat techniques, [Forward Thrust] and [Block and Chop], very quickly.

In just half a day, he had firmly mastered the training methods recorded on the thin sheets of paper.

But strangely, unlike the muscle memory-like precision and stability he had experienced when practicing [Whirlwind Slash], training these two techniques always felt odd.

Either the force was too brief and lacked explosive power, or his center of gravity was unstable and his body trembled.

Each training session brought new problems.

The worst was he could not find suitable solutions.

After much practice to correct initial flaws, new issues would emerge, rendering previous efforts useless.

It was like plugging holes—one after another, never-ending.

This made Xia Nan wonder if these two seemingly simple techniques were actually “defective goods” circulating in the market.

He wasn’t sure.

After all, his predecessor had trained day and night for many years to bring [Whirlwind Slash] close to max level.

“Let me practice diligently for a while longer,” Xia Nan thought. “If things don’t improve after some time, I’ll try switching to a couple of different techniques.”

After finishing a morning of training, Xia Nan didn’t return to the inn immediately. Instead, he took a detour to the “Rock Hammer” blacksmith shop.

Clang!

The metal hammer slammed down hard onto the glowing molten steel.

Bulging muscles tensed and flexed as sweat and sparks flew like stars.

Sizzle—

Thick smoke billowed as the red-hot iron was plunged into water with a sharp hissing.

Only after completing the entire process did the burly man finally exhale in relief.

“Here you are?” Barn said, casually wiping sweat from his brow with a rag as he looked toward Xia Nan, who was watching from beside a shelf. He set the hammer down on the anvil. “Your arm shield should be ready in about seven or eight days.”

“Sorry, I’ve had quite a few orders lately. They are all from customers who paid in real gold and silver, so I can’t just bump anyone ahead.”

“No worries, no worries. You just focus on your work. I’m not in a hurry.”

Xia Nan had no intention of pressuring him.

Barn had already told him before that the serpentine scale arm shield was different from the sword scabbard—its special shape meant no molds existed, requiring extra customization and a slower production time.

Xia Nan had come just to check the progress and confirm the timeline.

Since Barn had now given him an approximate deadline, he didn’t linger and prepared to leave.

But just as he turned to go, Barn called out again.

“How’s your decision about the caravan escort mission?”

Barn gulped down several mouthfuls of water and asked, “We’re setting off in a few days. If you want to join…”

“One word from me and you’re in,” he added.

“Of course, if you’re busy, no pressure. It’s up to you.”

Xia Nan hesitated slightly.

“The day after tomorrow, I’ll give you a definite answer.”

After all this time, the caravan escort team was nearly full.

One more or less wouldn’t make much difference.

He had no intention of stringing Barn along.

His priority now was waiting for the half-elf’s reply.

Xia Nan wasn’t sure when the professional contacted by Hai’an would arrive in Valley Town.

Without a precise time, he dared not leave town recklessly, fearing he might miss the opportunity.

Half a month had passed.

If no reply came within three days, he would simply decline the escort job and patiently wait in Valley Town.

That way, he wouldn’t delay the caravan’s work, and losing a few gold coins was acceptable.

...

Leaving the blacksmith shop, it was already noon.

Xia Nan returned to the White Sparrow Tavern, planning to have lunch first, perhaps take a nap, then continue training in the afternoon.

The familiar classic trio of mushroom soup, stewed meat, and white bread awaited.

But the portion sizes on the plate were noticeably larger than before.

He had paid extra to increase the servings.

His enhanced physical condition had increased his appetite.

Chewing on a big piece of stewed meat with a slice of white bread, the rich savory flavor and juicy tender meat were easily broken down and swallowed, transforming into a gentle warmth that fueled his strengthened body.

Though Xia Nan didn’t have a precise understanding of his current physical strength, he was certain that after absorbing the golden dew drop, his Constitution had surged by three points, granting him comprehensive improvement.

Yes, comprehensive.

Even though his Strength and Agility stats on the panel remained at six—the level reached after maxing out [Whirlwind Slash]—he could clearly feel that after returning to town, his explosive power and muscle strength had both increased.

Apparently, the attribute points on the “cheat” panel were not independent and clearly separated like in a game.

In the real world, increasing a single attribute point involved far more complex bodily changes.

For example:

If one day Xia Nan’s Strength attribute suddenly increased by one point, his muscle explosive power would correspondingly improve.

Greater muscle explosive power meant he could move faster.

To some extent, could this also mean his Agility attribute was enhanced?

Living in a fantasy world with a medieval backdrop and no modern scientific testing, Xia Nan could only vaguely guess his physical changes based on experience.

Creak.

The sparkling beer, topped with foam, gently swayed as the wooden mug was pushed in front of Xia Nan.

“Your beer,” Chapton, the tavern owner, reminded him.

Mouth still busy chewing, Xia Nan nodded slightly.

Snap.

A pristine white envelope was placed on the table by Chapton.

“It was delivered this morning, with your name on it—yours, right?”

Xia Nan’s eyes brightened instantly, swallowing his food with effort.

“Yes, yes. Thank you!”

Taking the envelope, he scanned its surface.

No extra decoration, only his name and the delivery address marked in the lower right corner.

The wax seal bore the emblem of a kite-shaped shield adorned with silk and tassels.

“Probably the Hai’an family crest?” Xia Nan guessed silently.

Just as he reached to open the envelope, a sudden commotion erupted from the tavern hall.

Frowning, he looked up.

Two familiar figures appeared.

“Bernie?”

He had learned the drunkard’s name from the tavern owner and patrons after the near scuffle when he first returned to town.

Bernie seemed to have run out of money these days, following his squad on missions but avoiding contact with Xia Nan.

Now, he was causing trouble again.

The man he was clashing with—a plain-looking middle-aged man with a kind face—also looked somewhat familiar.

“I think we crossed paths the day I went to the blacksmith for the sword scabbard,” Xia Nan thought.

The situation escalated rapidly.

Bernie, his face flushed and reeking of alcohol, leaned in close and muttered some unknown words.

The plain man’s expression darkened but he didn’t reply, instead hastening his meal, clearly wanting to avoid confrontation.

Seeing this, Bernie showed no sign of restraint; his mood grew louder as he spat out crude rural insults.

Numbed by drink, he lost his balance.

Flailing wildly, he slipped and fell backward.

His arm instinctively reached out to brace himself, slamming onto the table beside him.

Bang!

Food and drink spilled onto the floor.

Xia Nan immediately withdrew his gaze.

Because he had clearly seen, at the moment Bernie overturned the neighboring table, a slender young man sitting nearby, who had been quietly drinking and watching the spectacle, suddenly twisted his form and vanished as if teleporting.

Not a drop of the splattered drink touched him.

“Professional!” Xia Nan confirmed in his mind.

Bang—

Bernie, limbs twisted, unconscious and gravely injured, was tossed onto the street like a lifeless carcass.

The slender youth politely asked the surrounding patrons for Bernie’s squad’s name, left a few silver coins, and quietly exited the tavern.

The plain and honest middle-aged man, after finishing the last of his meal, hurriedly left as well.

Drunks always end up provoking the wrong people.

Xia Nan shook his head.

Come to think of it, if Bernie’s two teammates hadn’t been there that night, he might have dealt with Bernie himself, without needing the professional to intervene.

He drained the last of his beer.

Ignoring the noisy tavern hall, he returned to his room and opened the half-elf’s letter:

“Long time no see, Xia Nan,

First, I must apologize for taking so long to reply. It’s not procrastination, but family matters have been complicated and I couldn’t get away until now.

Since the day we parted, nearly half a month has passed by the time I write this. I don’t know if you’re still in Valley Town or have already embarked on another adventure.

…

Regarding the combat skill instructor commission, I leveraged my family connections and was fortunate to contact a senior professional.

He will pass through Valley Town in mid-Sunfire Month and stay briefly, at which time you can learn combat techniques from him.

Detailed information is attached.

No need to reply; I may not receive it anyway. I wish you success in becoming a professional.

May the stars shine upon you.

Your friend, Hai’an.”

Xia Nan’s gaze scanned the flowing, measured signature at the letter’s end.

He pondered.

As the letter said, the professional would arrive no earlier than mid-Sunfire Month.

But it was still early in Blossom Month.

According to the continent’s calendar, there was almost a whole Summer Tide Month in between.

Nearly seventy days.

He had plenty of time.

To be honest, the dangers and high pressure of the two recent Mistwood Forest adventures had left Xia Nan with a subconscious aversion.

He didn’t want to enter again anytime soon.

In that case, taking a caravan escort job to relax and stroll around the neighboring towns for a few days sounded like a good choice.

Not only could he earn some pocket money to cover daily expenses, but he could also experience the local customs of this world.

Most importantly, recent bottlenecks in combat skill training prompted him to reconsider.

His predecessor had spent countless days and years grinding [Whirlwind Slash] to level 4 (98/100).

In contrast, Xia Nan had already made up the most difficult proficiency points before max level within just a few days after crossing over.

What was the difference between these two, and what did it imply?

Xia Nan had some vague ideas.

Taking this opportunity, he planned to verify his suspicions.