Chapter 3

Owen, still covered in the dark slime, was finally able to breathe some fresh air. He looked to the sky and saw that it was around noon. Surprisingly Owen was in the hole for a night and half a day! At this moment, he felt his stomach growl and decided to find a water source to wash up and eat some breakfast.

Owen carefully moved through the forest. He learned his lesson from last night and did not assume that he is safe because he was near a road. Also, he was still naked with just dark goo covering him and didn't want anyone to discover him. The slime was also starting to get crusty from being on his body for so long. Ugh, I need to wash this off, thought Owen as he hurried deeper into the Forrest.

Luckily he found a small river around a kilometer away from the road. Owen was finally able to wipe his body down. Keeping a close eye on his surroundings, he washed up and got into his clothes. As Owen equipped himself, Eagle started to let Owen know that his training is about to begin.

"But I haven't eaten yet, Master!"

"Stop complaining! That food should be for emergencies. What's that bow on your back for? Decoration? Now cross the river and move deeper into the forest. I don't sense any strong monsters nearby, so you should be fine. Look for some lunch and try to have Eagle's Wind activated as much as you can."

With that in mind, Owen activated Eagle's Wind and was able to sprint across the shallow river and, after jumping off a couple of tree trunks, could get high enough to start moving through the treetops. As Owen got on a sufficient branch to stop for a rest, he realized all his energy was used.

"So wasteful!" complained Eagle in Owen's mind. "Remember what I said, be mindful of how you use your energy and try to be efficient. Once your able to use Eagle's Wind for an hour, you have mastered the first stage."

"This is a lot harder than I thought," mumbled Owen as he caught his breath and activated his cultivation technique to fill up on energy again.

"Hurry up! You already spent half the day practicing this technique. Try not to be so slow," ordered Eagle. As Owen begrudgingly started moving from branch to branch. He decided to use the Eagle's Wind in bursts until he can increase the efficiency.

As Owen moved through the trees, he noticed that all of his senses had gotten better. He was able to hear, smell, and see better than before and felt his strength and speed increased. After a while, Owen was able to shoot a rabbit and gather berries for lunch. As he hunted, he was slowly getting used to his upgraded powers. After collecting branches and preparing his catch, Owen roasts the bunny while snacking on the berries.

"Good job. I see that you are getting used to your new powers. Keep absorbing and spending spiritual energy while you move through the forest. That's how you establish a strong foundation before we move on to the next grade." Eagle said as Owen started to eat. "Now, as soon as your finish, I sense a demon stag in clearing to the east. that will be your next target. Be careful; even though it is unranked, it doesn't mean that it cannot defend itself."

Hearing this, Owen could not keep his excitement in check and ended up biting his tongue. After shedding a tear from the pain, he packed everything he wouldn't need into his ring and started making his way to the clearing.

"Listen as you make your way there. I have some more things to teach you," said Eagle as Owen moved through the trees again. "There are three different practices you must train according to eastern cultivation. Firstly is training spiritual force. This is what powers our techniques, so it is crucial. Secondly, you will need to train your body. One cannot increase their spiritual force if their body isn't strong enough. Thirdly is the mind or spirit. It is the hardest to train but will help increase your potential as well as your senses. If you noticed I was able to sense a monster kilometers away, I'm able to do that because of my mental strength."

Owen stayed silent as he listened and was mulling over everything. It is the first time Owen has heard of this type of training. From what he's been exposed to from his Bounty Hunting Master, he knew that most methods of leveling up involved monster cores. Though he has heard that Magicians have different training methods, they still relied on monster cores for leveling up.

"Do I need monster cores to advance in grade?" asked Owen.

"No, but many still use them to advance. Monster Cores contain a large amount of natural spiritual energy. You can use that energy to level up, but if your foundation isn't strong, It'll hinder your potential. It is best to advance without monster cores, in my opinion. So give them all to me," said Eagle while smiling. "Besides, that was part of our deal, remember? I need monster cores to keep running since I don't have a body that can gather spiritual energy."