During the rest of the break, Lin Qin took on several more mercenary jobs. He deliberately chose gathering or hunting missions that required him to enter the outer reaches of the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
Having learned his lesson last time, he became much more cautious. Whenever he entered the woods, he stayed alert the entire time, extending his mental power slightly to sense his surroundings. He no longer readily trusted any stranger or animal that seemed harmless.
In actual combat, he put the results of his usual arduous training fully on display. The Battle Qi of a fifth-level warrior, combined with his precise control, allowed him to kill first- and second-level magical beasts efficiently. His instantaneous Earth Spike Spear and flexible Earth Wall Technique also played a crucial supporting and controlling role in battle.
Once, he encountered a third-level magical beast, an Iron-Backed Mountain Cat. It was incredibly fast, with razor-sharp claws and fangs. Rather than meet it head-on, Lin Qin used Earth Spike Spear to restrict its movements and the Earth Wall Technique to create obstacles. In the end, he seized an opening and pierced its eye with his sword.
Another time, he needed to gather an herb that grew only on cliffs, and had to deal with a low-level Wind Element magical beast, a Sharp-Clawed Eagle, circling overhead. He used the terrain to create cover with the Earth Wall Technique in a hollow in the cliff, waited patiently for his chance, then knocked it out of the sky with a precisely aimed Earth Spike Spear.
These battles were not especially intense, but they gave him valuable experience in wilderness survival and actual combat. He learned how to recognize the traces of magical beasts, how to use his surroundings, and how to deliver the most effective attack in the least time.
His mercenary rank also rose from Black Iron to Bronze. The purse at his waist gradually filled out, holding not only gold coins but also a few low-grade Magic Crystal Cores and some materials from magical beasts.
Before the break ended, Lin Qin returned to the Ernst Institute. He did not rest, heading straight to the back mountain.
Compared with when he had left, his presence was more restrained, his gaze steadier, and his movements carried a sharpness tempered by actual combat.
He drew his greatsword and began to swing it. His movements were still precise, but they now carried a different quality. Every slash bore the decisiveness he had shown while fighting magical beasts in the Magic Beast Mountain Range; every block incorporated the quick adaptability he had needed to counter ambushes.
The same was true when he practiced magic. His Earth Spike Spear thrust at more unpredictable angles, and the shapes formed by his Earth Wall Technique were better suited to the demands of actual combat.
When Luo De and the others saw him return, they gathered around and peppered him with questions. Lin Qin briefly recounted some of his experiences, leaving out the dangerous parts. Even so, his roommates could sense the change in him: an indescribable air of someone who had weathered a storm.
The new semester began. The classes continued as before, and so did his training. But Lin Qin's mindset had changed. What he learned at the institute was preparation, while his experiences in the Magic Beast Mountain Range were a chance to test and apply it. He knew he needed to find a balance between the two.
He still went to the Warrior Division to train every day and sparred with Barker. Barker could clearly tell that Lin Qin's swordplay had become harder to predict, his defense more watertight, and his combat awareness had improved by leaps and bounds.
"Did you run off somewhere for special training during the break?" Barker couldn't help asking.
"I took a few mercenary jobs," Lin Qin replied.
Barker understood, then sighed. "Actual combat really is the best teacher."
Lin Qin couldn't agree more. His Heaven Rewards Diligence ensured that his training was efficient, while actual combat had brought those powers to life.
Standing in the back mountain, he looked toward the Magic Beast Mountain Range. He would return to those vast and dangerous mountains.
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