At the edge of the Coniferous Forest Swamp, a slight rise formed from the tangled roots of ancient trees and years of accumulated humus became Loa's temporary shelter. The ground here was relatively dry, with an open view that let him watch for movements in the swamp waters, while dense forest screened the rear. It was a place that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Loa carefully cleared away the surrounding weeds and any possible snake or insect nests, then set up a simple warning perimeter around the camp with sharpened wooden stakes and tough vines. He also found large patches of dry moss and broad, thick leaves of an unknown kind, laying them beneath the natural rain shelter formed by a fallen dead tree in the center of the rise to make a crude but dry bed.
In the days that followed, the pace abruptly slowed, settling into a routine that almost felt like a return to his days of dedicated training in Fenlai City.
Every dawn, before the sky was fully light, when the gray mist hanging over the swamp was thickest, Loa was already up. First, he practiced a full set of basic sword techniques in the camp clearing. The Thousand-Forged Longsword sliced through the damp air with a steady hum, both loosening his muscles and keeping his touch sharp. Then came his unfailing internal cultivation. Sitting cross-legged, he guided gentle weapon combat battle-qi slowly through his meridians, focusing on nourishing the main channels that had once been covered in cracks and working with the medicine's effects to speed their repair.
In the afternoons, if the weather permitted, he expanded his range, cautiously exploring several miles around the camp and observing the activity patterns of common magical beasts. Occasionally, when he encountered solitary water-element magical