Training Begins

"Hmm?" Zhang Ruofeng blanked out for a full two seconds, then recalled the words he had tossed out as a casual brush-off. He couldn't help but feel bewildered; it was just a random compliment, so how could the cat-girl in this shop have taken it to heart? That shouldn't be possible. And what was with Xin Mu's expression? Jealousy? Zhang Ruofeng had never imagined he would see that look on Xin Mu's face.

"This is a world where the strong are respected," Fura said, finding Zhang Ruofeng's dazed expression somewhat amusing. "A Level 6 adventurer, upon leaving Orario, could single-handedly wipe out an elite legion of any nation and walk away unscathed. Such powerful adventurers are practically the overlords of this world, though most of these top-tier individuals have no interest in such affairs. It has only happened once in the last 100 years."

"What happened?" Zhang Ruofeng had no interest in building relationships with other women, so hearing the goddess bring up a different topic, he hurriedly asked.

"At that time, a Level 5 adventurer belonging to the Odin Familia, known as Hammer of the Earth, had his hometown slaughtered during a war between two nations. His parents were both killed. Upon hearing the news, Hammer of the Earth was consumed by rage. He took a Level 4 adventurer he was close with, Weeping Spear, and the two left Orario. They launched several surprise attacks on the nearly ten thousand soldiers of the warring nations, killing over 7,000 of them. It threw both nations into a panic and even forced the king of the side that ordered the massacre to come out and apologize in person. However, Hammer of the Earth kept killing until he reached the general who had issued the order. After that, he vanished from the public eye; no one knows if he died or went into hiding." The goddess slowly recounted the anecdote she had heard from other gods. According to other deities who had already descended to the lower world at that time, the Guild had once commissioned three Level 6 adventurers to stop Hammer of the Earth's revenge, but in the end, the three Level 6s only made a symbolic attempt to intercept him, allowing Hammer of the Earth to slip out of Orario quietly and trigger the subsequent uproar.

"Are Level 5 adventurers really that powerful?" Zhang Ruofeng found it hard to believe, but since the words came from the goddess, they certainly weren't a fabricated story. Thus, Zhang Ruofeng didn't dare to be certain. Two people destroying an army of 7,000—what kind of strength would that require?

"And in this season, from late spring to late summer, it is the mating season for creatures like beast-kin. Although they aren't like the Amazons who spend almost the entire year seeking out the strong to bear offspring, demi-humans possess both human and beast traits, so their desires also rise during specific periods." The goddess chuckled teasingly again. "Do you think you said the wrong thing just now?"

"I was wrong." Zhang Ruofeng shrugged helplessly. If a single compliment from him could make someone fall in love, he felt it was pure nonsense.

"Although you aren't considered a powerhouse yet, don't forget that clothes make the man. Since the two of us chose this outfit for you, we naturally feel you look great in it. Don't you trust your own goddess's eye?" The goddess looked at the indifferent Zhang Ruofeng and pressed him. "Besides, you seem to have an odd sense of inferiority about yourself. Do you think you're ugly?"

"Hmm? I'm just a normal person. Not ugly, but not handsome either." Zhang Ruofeng was struggling to handle the goddess's sudden aggressiveness, but he felt like something was off.

"Hmph~" The goddess hummed noncommittally and silently took a sip of her drink. Having just been lectured, Zhang Ruofeng naturally didn't dare say much more. He continued to drink his iced lemon water in silence and began to ponder the training plan he had just formulated.

The three of them walked out of the shop in a heavy silence. Once outside, the goddess began chattering away, teasing Xin Mu, who kept a cold face, occasionally responding or retaliating. Zhang Ruofeng walked behind the two, lost in his own thoughts.

"He's back to being a block of wood again," the goddess whispered to Xin Mu. Xin Mu nodded. Although both she and Zhang Ruofeng had experienced mana exhaustion, she had passed out immediately afterward, while Zhang Ruofeng had forced himself to complete many tasks before dragging his shattered spirit to Perman's shop. Therefore, the damage from mana exhaustion was far less severe for her than for him. Moreover, Zhang Ruofeng wasn't as cold as she was, so his current behavior was like a delayed reaction. This state was something Zhang Ruofeng, who used to be called a monk, often displayed, but the current Zhang Ruofeng really was like a block of wood.

"Whatever, whatever. Tonight, we'll make Zhang Ruofeng cook something delicious to compensate us!" Fura came up with a great idea. Without waiting for Zhang Ruofeng's consent, she grabbed Xin Mu and headed toward the market, knowing full well that Zhang Ruofeng wouldn't get lost. Zhang Ruofeng, having just snapped back to reality, could only offer a helpless, bitter smile.

After two days of recovery, Zhang Ruofeng's condition had finally returned to its peak. The dazed Zhang Ruofeng vanished, and with his status updated, his spirit and energy were even stronger. Zhang Ruofeng was now among the top tier of Level 1s. If he were to fight one-on-one, more than half of the people in Orario would likely be no match for him, as over eighty percent of adventurers were only Level 1.

"Are you ready?" Zhang Ruofeng looked at Xin Mu, who was fully equipped with armor, bracers, and elbow guards. Xin Mu turned to look at him. The two were less than ten steps apart, and Zhang Ruofeng, wearing nothing, stood opposite her and asked.

"Ready." As soon as Xin Mu finished speaking, Zhang Ruofeng lunged toward her. They had agreed to conduct a mock battle; Zhang Ruofeng wanted to teach Xin Mu some close-quarters combat techniques to protect herself and help her develop combat awareness, as Xin Mu was a complete novice when it came to fighting.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Zhang Ruofeng heard the sound of wind being torn as two wooden daggers were thrown from Xin Mu's hands. Zhang Ruofeng slammed on the brakes, his body leaning forward to let the flying daggers pass over his head. The speed of the daggers Xin Mu threw now shocked him. His plan to tank the daggers to reach her side faster had failed; the speed of her daggers far exceeded his expectations. Even though they were wooden, taking a hit would definitely be painful.

"Whoosh." Hearing the wind tear again, Zhang Ruofeng knew Xin Mu had aimed for his pause point and thrown another dagger. With his body leaning forward, this dagger was indeed hard to dodge. He gritted his teeth and lunged straight ahead. Seeing Xin Mu, who was preparing to throw the next dagger, show a hint of panic, it seemed that his failure to dodge in the way she expected had caused a pause in her next strike, for which she had already adjusted her body's explosive angle.

"Three steps left." Zhang Ruofeng counted the distance between them silently and continued his charge.