Chapter 42: Thoughts

In the next two days, Ethan truly didn't interfere with any household affairs. He focused on finishing the staircase, even adding two extra handrails. His method was straightforward—he cut two longer logs, made slots, and set them along the staircase incline towards the ship. It wasn't beautiful, but it was practical.

The rest of his time was spent sending Little Yellow to patrol the territory. Initially, he wanted Little Yellow to fly over the Anji Mountains to check the orc territory, but considering the time it would take, he postponed it. The primary safety concern was still from the inland, and the area to be monitored was much larger than his own territory. If he wasn't worried about potential wizards at the border walls harming Little Yellow, he would have even considered monitoring the Duke of the Eagle's castle. For now, everything around them was safe, likely because their arrival was still unknown to potential enemies.

With little else to do, Ethan took Angelina's suggestion and went fishing by the sea. Surprisingly, he caught a meter-long grouper on his first try, perhaps because the fish here were not used to being fished and were less wary. The delicious catch was a pleasant surprise, but what shocked Ethan even more was the appearance of a new talent tree in his skills panel—different from his combat talents, this one was related to a side activity.

[Fishing] Passive Skill:

When fishing, fish will be automatically attracted to your aura. Each level increases the range of the aura, up to a maximum of meters. Current level: Lv0.

Sitting by the shore, Ethan found this skill amusing. It was useful for ensuring fresh fish in winter but seemed too trivial to invest points in, especially considering it would use his third talent slot. Not wanting to waste it, he decided to allocate his abundant skill points to unlock the third talent. After a moment's hesitation, he chose Unarmed Combat over Dagger Specialization, focusing on skills that enhance physical attributes:

[Unarmed Combat Mastery] Passive Skill Lv5:

Increases your precision, strength, and distance control in unarmed combat. Each level improves control.

[Breath Control] Passive Skill Lv5:

The essence of unarmed combat lies in the body, and controlling the body lies in breathing. Understanding and mastering breathing greatly enhances your physical potential. Each level increases your strength, speed, stamina, endurance, agility, and even lifespan.

Right after assigning the skills, Ethan felt his breathing become extremely difficult, as if inhaling and exhaling simultaneously. His brain lacked oxygen, and he collapsed into a chair, paralyzed. He knew this was due to his original breathing method conflicting with the new skill. Allowing his subconscious to lead the breathing and abandoning his old method, Ethan soon found his breathing smooth again. A warm current began to circulate rhythmically through his body, warming him even in the cold wind by the sea, making him sweat despite the 4-5 degree temperature.

Feeling the cool breeze like a summer wind, Ethan exclaimed, "Amazing!" Adjusting to the new breathing technique, he felt invigorated and full of energy. "I should have made this my primary talent. What a pity!"

Although a bit regretful, Ethan didn't dwell on it. There was no benefit in second-guessing his choices. With his enhanced physical attributes, he had a new idea. Previously, his physical strength couldn't be increased after converting 100 points of force. Curious, he tried again and found it possible now. He proceeded cautiously, converting a bit each day to gradually adapt, finding it easier than the original force adaptation.

Delighted with his progress, Ethan's stomach growled, reminding him to eat. Taking the grouper home, he decided to cook a delicious meal himself. Though he had promised not to meddle in household affairs, he felt justified since they didn't know how to cook Chinese dishes.

"There are only three cooking methods here: boiling, frying, and baking. The food fills you up but doesn't taste great. If only Lily could learn Chinese cuisine!" Ethan thought.

Then, remembering his [Fishing] skill, he wondered, "If there's a fishing skill, could there be a cooking skill too? If I could transfer the cooking skill to Lily using [High Interest], I could just relearn it if needed. Maybe I could also learn other weapons and transfer those skills to others, forming a versatile army!"

Excited by the idea, Ethan decided to test it out immediately.