Preparation (2)

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After a few more blinding fusions, Matthew was finally done with fusing the weapons he needed for his 'hunt'.

So far, Matthew had already made a short bokken, a long wooden katana, a basic wooden shield, a wooden shortsword, two sharp daggers, and a long staff. And yes, all of them were of the same rank.

Each of them had quite the sharpness, being able to cut down trees that had absorbed such rich energy for several years with relative ease. And unlike other metal blades back where he was, using his own energy, they were able to repair themselves and sharpen themselves back to peak condition!

Of course, there were actually a few weapons that Matthew already had in mind, however, with his short and inexperienced body, some weapons were a no-go.

He had asked the system for any information about the creature he was fighting, and of course, it said nothing. Well, except for the confirmation that it was only one creature that he needed to kill.

Matthew stared at the weapons in front of him. Their auras connected with the forest, seemingly one with them. The weapons were especially comfortable to hold, maybe it was due to his {Nature's Body} being able to connect with them as they did with the forest.

"I need more information... Oh, right! System, please give a description of the new abilities I've gained."

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[Ability Descriptions:

{One With Energy} - Shows how the title bearer has become completely accustomed to energy in general, achieving enlightenment, and being one with it. Anyone with this ability will be a cut above the rest in all uses of energy. This ability automatically increases all energy-related parameters by 250%.

{Energy Burst} - Like [Adrenaline Rush], this skill will rapidly force energy through the user, boosting their energy parameters by 500%.

{Energy Absorption} - Using the extreme control and increased affinity for all types of energy from the [One With Energy] ability, to allow the user to absorb a certain amount of energy from all sources. Depending on the user's affinity with certain elements, the ratio of energy wasted and absorbed can be different from user to user.

{Adaptive Body} - With the [Ancient One]'s extreme growth every breakthrough, a body that can quickly adapt to that growth is needed. This skill allows the user to adapt to all situations as quickly as possible, whether that is mental, spiritual, or physical.

{Efficient Control} - Without power, one looks towards other factors to become more powerful, and having full control over what you can do is crucial to growth. Increases all parameters related to control by 250%.

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Reading the entire page of text, Matthew got the gist of how to use all of his new skills and abilities.

"Well that... was quite something to take in, wasn't it?"

With his new abilities, Matthew began to formulate a plan.

'I could try and... no, that won't work either...'

Although he was able to form quite a few decent strategies, with no information, he could only assume that they might fail, either because of his inexperience or just because the terrain wasn't ideal.

"I guess the only by fighting in a real-life or death battle will I be able to gain some valuable experience." He murmured.

He didn't want to rush in head-first, that would be an idiotic move. He should at least test it by sneaking upon it, even if he's discovered, the creature should be shocked that there's someone else other than them here. Once that happens, the delay in its reaction should be enough for him to at least land a hit, no?

With a plan in mind, Matthew kept swinging his bokken in front of him, making waves strong enough to blow everything around him away. Each strike was filled with the intent to kill.

Now that he would be forced to kill something or die trying, he needed to make a strong effort to survive. With the experience of already taking a life under his belt, he was ready, and he won't hesitate to do it again.

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[Ding~]

[Master has received a {Mission}!

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[First Kill]

[Description: In order to receive rewards from the {Mystical Bamboo Forest}, you must kill the creature defending the middle of the forest. Additional rewards will be given depending on the amount of time used and performance.

[Time Limit: 3 days

[Reward: Completing the {Mystical Bamboo Forest} instance.

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"Oh, I was waiting for the {Mission} to be assigned," Matthew mumbled, looking at the map the system gave him. "Seems like I can finally see where that thing is..."

Matthew could be training with his weapons right now, however, time is of the essence, so he'll just be adjusting himself to the weight of the bokken. Well, he'll also familiarize himself with the other weapons on the way.

Although imagination is cool and all, the techniques he wanted to learn might be either too advanced or completely different from how to actually handle the sword in the first place, therefore hurting the wielder in the long run.

At the very least, Matthew was able to use the weapons he made to some extent, so he should be fine as long as he was cautious.

With the map the system gave him, Matthew could see that he was at the border of the forest, which was bad news. He would have to use quite some time to even get to the middle, not to mention the amount of time the battle would take as well!

Without a moment's notice, Matthew ran towards the middle, leaping from tree to tree. Each time he leaped, the trees would wave slightly, fully showcasing the amount of control he has over his own strength.

Feeling the soft breeze that was hitting his body, Matthew felt refreshed.

"If only there wasn't a time limit." He sighed.

Enjoying the soft breeze, it took him several hours of hopping from tree to tree to finally reach his destination.

Huuuuuuu~

Matthew took a deep breath, preparing himself for a harsh battle if he does get discovered.

"I shouldn't be too close or too far. Need to get a hiding place, now."

He quickly found a thick tree to hide behind, surveying the new surroundings.

Compared to the edge of the forest, the energy here was much thicker, which could be shown from the thicker and taller trees. However, when he looked up, he could see the entire sky covered by tall poles of bamboo, covering the sun.

He could understand not being teleported here first, the energy would be too overwhelming for him, most likely making him implode.

Matthew shuddered, "If the energy here was so thick, how strong... would this creature be?"

Compared to a creature who was able to absorb such dense natural energy for several years versus a child who was cultivating at the border, where there was barely 1/10th as dense as where this was... He would be crushed, squashed, completely annihilate-

Bam~

Matthew punched himself in the face, instantly forcing himself to calm down.

"I cannot fall now... My new life barely began... If I can't even do this, how am I going to survive after this..."

He clenched his fist, closing his eyes to catch his breath.

The moment he opened his eyes, an emotionless look appeared on Matthew, making him look like an emotionless doll.

'I can... No, I have to do this... This is my second trial, and I expect to pass with flying colors.'

Placing his hand on the sheathed bokken, he waited for the creature to appear while hiding on some of the tree branches around a hundred feet away.

Matthew observed his shaking body, turning that fear of death into excitement. He couldn't help it, it was either shivering in fear or shaking in excitement, and at least one of them would help him move somewhat rationally.

"There is no one who isn't afraid of death, some are just able to suppress it with a stronger emotion or instinct... I'm excited about my first hunt!"

As he muttered those words out, he felt a tremble through the ground to the branch he was hiding on.

Rumble~ Rumble~

"It's here!"

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