Just after Benny finished speaking, Lucas saw Eric charge straight forward. He pinned Benny against the wall with both hands and said, "If I ever find out you've betrayed the boss, I'll kill you myself."
Benny stared stubbornly into Eric's murderous eyes. Although he had exposed the boss's secret just now because he had been showing off, he would never betray the boss. Besides, since when did Eric get to lecture him?
Seeing that the two were getting serious, Lucas hurried forward to pull Eric back and said, "All right, let him go. He didn't do it on purpose. It's no big deal to give Master Drake the Battle Qi cultivation method. He's part of our tribe too. Just don't give it to outsiders!"
Benny nodded in shame as well. Since Lucas had spoken, Eric let him go.
Lucas found it rather troubling. By rights, these two had no real conflict, yet they simply couldn't stand each other. One was cold-faced and aloof, while the other was mischievous and kind!
They were just like Sasuke and Naruto in Naruto: The Tale of the Otsutsuki Dough Boys Saving Their Mother. They were born at odds, yet drawn to each other!
If Lucas hadn't known he was a transmigrator, he would have suspected that those two were the protagonists of this era!
When they got up the next morning, Lucas and most of his friends had already broken through to Third-Rank Warrior, so they no longer needed to attend morning training. That morning, Lucas went to Drake's smithing workshop with Benny and Eric.
What Lucas found somewhat regrettable was that, after Benny mentioned the Battle Qi cultivation method yesterday and Eric shouted him down, Master Drake had clearly become less enthusiastic than before, even though Lucas ultimately still made a deal with him using the cultivation method.
Lucas sighed inwardly. Forget it. I'm only here to learn smithing because I hope that swinging a heavy weapon like a sledgehammer while forging might help me grasp Wielding Something Light as Though It Were Heavy.
He had used Wielding Something Light as Though It Were Heavy during his last brush with death. Unfortunately, his attempts to use it again afterward had all failed, so he had come here hoping to try approaching it from another direction by using a heavy weapon like this.
In the mornings, Lucas taught Master Drake some of the knowledge needed before cultivating Battle Qi, and then Master Drake taught them about smithing. In the afternoons, the three of them began swinging sledgehammers to forge iron!
Naturally, Lucas wasn't foolishly relying on brute force alone to swing his sledgehammer. He had previously taught Benny about building momentum with hammer-type weapons. Lucas was trying it himself too, and he also used the method of absorbing Battle Qi through the hammer's recoil, dispersing the Battle Qi he absorbed throughout his flesh to strengthen his body.
A year quickly passed. Master Drake had successfully cultivated the Battle Qi Lucas taught him, and over that year, Lucas also learned how to forge equipment and fuse and temper weapon blanks.
During that year, Lucas's physical body also advanced to Fifth Rank Warrior, while his Battle Qi reached the fourth rank. Unfortunately, even after swinging a sledgehammer for a year, he still hadn't fully grasped Wielding Something Light as Though It Were Heavy. That state came and went, and his control over it was inadequate.
By then, Lucas had more or less achieved his goal, and he said goodbye to Master Drake that day.
Drake looked at the three young men, who had clearly grown much stronger over the past year. He knew they probably wouldn't be spending long stretches in his workshop anymore, so he said, "You're all nearly adults now. I suppose you won't be coming here anymore. Off you go!"
Lucas bowed to him, then turned and left. Eric followed Lucas's example and paid his respects, while Benny knelt and bowed in the formal salute to a teacher.
After leaving Master Drake's place, Lucas said to his friends, "I'm a Fifth Rank Warrior now. I'll be leaving to gain experience in a while."
Eric and Benny said, "Boss, take us with you too."
Lucas shook his head and told them, "You're only fourth rank warriors. It's too dangerous for you out there."
But Benny said urgently, "But..."
Eric caught hold of him and said directly to Lucas, "Boss, if I'm not mistaken, your Battle Qi is almost at Fifth Rank Warrior level too, isn't it?"
Lucas nodded to Eric, then said, "Yes. You're perceptive, as always."
Hearing that Lucas didn't deny it, Eric told Benny, "We're too weak right now. If we follow the boss, we'll be a burden to him."
Benny looked at Lucas, then at Eric. All he could do was say dejectedly, "All right, then."
After saying goodbye to them, Lucas went to Windsor's home. He stood hesitantly at the entrance. Just then, Windsor's mother came out and saw him. She said warmly, "Oh, Lucas, come in. My little girl has been talking about you these past few days."
Windsor heard her mother's words from inside the house and hurried out. She said to her mother in annoyance, "Mother, what nonsense are you saying?"
Windsor's mother smiled, knowing her daughter was embarrassed.
Lucas and Windsor walked into the house hand in hand, only to see Windsor's father sitting in the center of the main room with a dark expression. Despite having lived two lives, Lucas felt rather awkward. After all, he was wooing a young girl now, and her father had caught him.
He hurriedly let go of her hand and greeted Windsor's father. "Hello, Uncle."
Windsor's father gave Lucas a noncommittal grunt. Unable to figure out his temperament, Lucas said nothing more. Windsor's father said nothing either, leaving them all standing there awkwardly!
Windsor's father took a sip of water, then said to Lucas, "Our ancestors' dying wish was to obtain Battle Qi. Thank you for the Battle Qi cultivation method."
Lucas waved a hand and said, "You're too kind, Uncle."
Windsor's father said nothing further on the matter and asked directly, "What have you come here for this time?"
Lucas said awkwardly, "I'm already a Fifth Rank Warrior, and I plan to go out to gain experience. So I came to say goodbye to Windsor."
When Windsor heard that Lucas was leaving to gain experience, she recalled how dangerous their encounter with a fourth-rank magical beast had been last time. She hurriedly said, "It's too dangerous. I'm going too."
Lucas took her hand and said gently, "It is too dangerous. That's why I'm not taking any of you. Benny and Eric aren't going either!"
But this time, Windsor said firmly, "No, I'm going too."
Windsor's father, Wilson, gave a loud cough and said, "He's right. Don't make trouble."
Windsor still turned to her father and said, "But I still want to go."
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