Exploration 2

For the next three days, Lin Sheng did not enter the dreamscape again, nor did he even dream at all.

Every night, he rested exceptionally well.

Each day, aside from studying and reviewing, he went out to find a place to practice his swordsmanship.

He was practicing now to integrate and absorb the memories of the Rotten Swordsman.

That fellow had been a captain in the Black Feather City patrol, a product of the classic aristocratic academy system, and had practiced a full set of basic sword techniques every day, which was how Lin Sheng had gained a comprehensive system of swordsmanship.

The techniques the other party had mastered were clearly more than just one, but in the fragmented memories Lin Sheng inherited, there was only one.

Of course, he was already very satisfied.

After all, this was the first time he had mastered a true sword technique; previously, he had only been using basic moves to trade blows with his enemies.

Beyond the sword techniques, what he looked forward to most was the part of the fellow's memory concerning the Valen Temple.

In the fragmented memories, the Valen Temple did indeed possess special secret arts capable of rapidly increasing physical strength. However, these secret arts were kept hidden, available only to the official warriors within the temple.

Most crucially, according to the memory fragments obtained this time, the temple truly mastered a special method of cultivation, a way to break through limits more quickly.

In other words, a true, special Limit Breaking Method.

The incredibly formidable Rotten Swordsman from before had only been a second-level warrior in his own memories.

In these fragmented memories, a third-level warrior in Black Feather City was automatically entitled to certain town privileges.

If a third-level warrior were willing to attach themselves to a family, the treatment they could receive would even be equivalent to that of many high-ranking citizens.

This made Lin Sheng look forward all the more to when he could break his own limits and step into the third level.

Soon, the period of calm came to an end.

On March 31st, finally, the dreamscape could be entered once again.

A fine, drizzling rain fell from the sky like silk threads, drenching Lin Sheng, who was dressed in his pajamas.

The moment he opened his eyes, he felt a cold, wet sensation on his face, the backs of his hands, and his neck.

"It rains in this hellhole too?" Lin Sheng quickly scanned his surroundings.

He was standing in the same place where he had killed the Rotten Swordsman, with the Triangular Black Eagle Flagpole standing to his left.

"Strip the clothes first!"

Without a second thought, Lin Sheng rushed over and began to peel the clothes off the corpse of the Rotten Swordsman.

"Yo, it's a woman?" As soon as he put his hands on the body, Lin Sheng was slightly taken aback.

"No, wait, the pectoral muscles are just a bit large." He immediately recognized the difference.

The garment on the Rotten Swordsman was like a large piece of black tablecloth with a hole cut in the center, through which the head was inserted.

The style was simple to the point of absurdity.

The lower garment was a long black skirt, split at the side, with gray trousers worn underneath.

A string of decorative silver beads was tied to the belt at the waist, along with a coin pouch.

Lin Sheng reached out and tore off the coin pouch.

The gray-white pouch had the structure of an old-fashioned satchel and was only the size of a palm.

He unfastened the cloth flap, turned it upside down, and shook it.

Clatter.

A small black object fell to the ground.

Lin Sheng quickly picked it up; it was a key, a saw-toothed key with a round handle. A small, vertical pupil symbol was engraved on it.

"This symbol." Lin Sheng held it up before his eyes to examine it closely. "It's very similar to the vertical pupil I saw at Ravel's place."

He scrutinized it carefully, then quickly raised the Black Sword in his hand to check the symbol on its blade.

The two symbols, one large and one small, were lined up together, looking much the same.

"The style is the same; it must be the same symbol."

Lin Sheng felt a sense of suspicion.

"There is no doubt that this symbol must represent something—perhaps an organization, a faction, or a belief? Any of those are possible. And since this symbol can be openly carved on doors and sword blades without fear of being discovered, it is clearly not some cult or a mark unacceptable to the public."

He cast his gaze toward the massive Black Feather City not far away.

"Perhaps the answer lies there."

After putting his things away, Lin Sheng stripped off the Rotten Swordsman's outer garments in short order and managed to put them on himself.

The top was a bit large. It was clear he was too thin.

"I need to strengthen my muscle and physique training." Lin Sheng sighed, looked at the Black Sword in his hand, and then looked at the one in the corpse's hand.

The one in the corpse's hand had a thicker, wider blade. The crossguard was circular, perfectly protecting the palm. The hilt was of a suitable thickness and wrapped in thin, anti-slip gauze.

Finally, the end of the hilt was not the usual spherical shape, but a sharp spike, with traces of blood still lingering on the tip.

"This one looks significantly more powerful."

Lin Sheng decisively discarded the Black Sword he had obtained from Ravel and bent down to pick up the black sword held in the corpse's hand.

"Since they were both obtained from Rotten Swordsmen, I'll just call these black swords Rotten Longswords."

He lifted the Rotten Longsword and weighed it in his hand; it was heavier than the previous ones, and by quite a margin.

"It's probably close to ten pounds. Impressive."

The one he had been using before was only four or five pounds, so this one was nearly double the weight; he would need some time to adapt.

Next was the dagger that had caught him off guard earlier.

The dagger was unexpectedly heavy, at least three or four pounds, and after a moment of hesitation, he decided not to take it. Carrying just the sword was exhausting enough.

He buried the dagger beneath the flagpole, thinking he might be able to find and use it if he returned later.

Gripping the sword with both hands, Lin Sheng began to wander around the city again.

In the darkness, the weeds surrounding Black Feather City swayed continuously in the wind, emitting a rustling sound.

He walked for a long time by the moonlight, but he didn't encounter a single monster.

Instead, he had walked too quickly and was now panting, his body feeling fatigued.

My stamina is too weak.

Lin Sheng leaned against the city wall to rest. Carrying the ten-pound longsword for so long had left him somewhat exhausted.

I need to find a way to quickly improve my physical endurance and strength. Daily training helps, but it's too slow.

He sighed inwardly.

After resting for a while, the rain gradually stopped.

His clothes were soaked through and his body felt cold, but his heart was burning with anticipation.

He now had a rough map of Black Feather City.

He had also planned out the route regarding Valen Temple and LS Bell; all that remained was to enter the city!

"My strength has improved, and I've wandered around for so long without finding any living creatures. It seems I have no choice but to enter the city."

Lin Sheng licked his lips, his gaze drifting as he held his sword.

"However, since I just switched swords, there's no need to rush. I'll adapt to it first, then prepare to enter the city."

After pausing for a while, he stood up and continued to search for prey while holding his sword.

But this time was different from before; he was heading back, no longer exploring other areas.

Walking along the city wall meant he didn't need to worry about navigation. Returning was much faster than exploring.

Before long, Lin Sheng returned to the front of the city gate archway.

The archway was deep and dark, with gusts of cold wind blowing out from within.

Lin Sheng looked up at the top of the city gate.

After the rain, the mist had dissipated, revealing jagged battlements atop the city gate.

Behind the battlements, the pointed roofs of black towers loomed vaguely in and out of sight.

The moonlight spilled down, bathing the entire city wall in a silvery glow.

Lin Sheng withdrew his gaze, tightened his grip on the Rotten Longsword, and strode toward the archway.