Waiting ~ Practice

After the meal, Lu Heng stood there, listening to the faint hum of the Mech-Driven Butler clearing away the dishes as it slowly faded into the distance.

It was very quiet in Moonview Valley.

There are no enemies to kill, and no conflicts to intervene in.

Lu Heng turned and walked towards the Astrology Room.

The Astrology Room was located towards the back of the Fortress, dimly lit, with star charts etched on the stone walls. It was where he usually calmed his mind. He walked to the stone floor, sat down, straightened his back, and closed his eyes.

The Greedy Wolf Power slowly circulated within his body. He didn't deliberately urge the power, but simply followed the flow, reviewing each previous battle bit by bit.

He recalled the solid feedback of the blade striking the Black Iron as he shattered the shield. He remembered the Mycelium repeatedly coiling around him, only to be severed by the opponent's blade, then sprouting again from the soil, relentlessly binding the five people. He also remembered the indescribable stagnation in the air when the Forest Will spoke out out of nowhere. Finally, he remembered the pool below, where the water pulled at the Mycelium, dragging the blade, making all methods of exerting force on land feel sluggish and awkward.

I slowly went through these images in my mind, identifying any blockages or inconsistencies in the flow of energy, and gradually straightening them out.

Without distractions or a rush for quick results, simply focus on quietly building a solid foundation.

He sat there for the entire night.

As the first faint light appeared on the horizon, Lu Heng opened his eyes. After sitting quietly all night, all his fatigue had dissipated, and his breathing was tight, without the slightest leakage. He got up and walked to the balcony outside the Fortress.

A breeze blew in from the valley entrance, carrying the damp scent of grass and trees. The view stretched outwards, the continuous forest extending to the horizon. The three areas were quiet; there was no sign of the flames of battle, no sound of screams.

Lu Heng gazed into the distance.

I wonder when those survivors outside will be able to take down the Portal.

He possessed immense strength, yet he was stuck in place. To take action, he was either bound by the rules of the Forest Will or couldn't find a target. Since there was nothing else to do, he could only continue honing his skills.

The next three days were the same, with no change in the routine.

As soon as it was light, he went to the flat open space in the valley to practice his swordsmanship.

Holding the Star Blade in his hand, the pale purple starlight was contained within the blade, not radiating outwards. There were no fancy moves; he practiced repeatedly only the actions that could be used in actual combat: horizontal slashes, diagonal cuts, short close-range thrusts, and reverse slashes.

With each swing of the knife, he felt the power travel from his waist and abdomen to his shoulders, then down his arm to his wrist, and finally to the blade. If there was even the slightest misalignment or deviation in the trajectory, he would stop, readjust his posture, and try again. Over and over, he would make his body firmly memorize the most crisp and clean way of generating power.

After swinging his sword for a long time, his arm ached and his muscles were tense. He sheathed his sword and went straight to the deep pool below the waterfall.

He leaped into the water, breaking through the surface.

The icy water enveloped my entire body, the water pressure coming from all directions, making my eardrums throb. In the water, all my usual rhythms became ineffective.

He first practiced holding his breath, submerging underwater and enduring the suffocating feeling that kept rising in his chest, gradually increasing the time he could stay underwater. He stabilized his body, resisting the force of the current, and preventing his body from floating and swaying. He tried stepping, turning, and moving short distances in the water.

Once he had adapted to the physical condition, he summoned the Star Blade.

Swinging a knife underwater creates significant resistance, slowing the blade's speed and making it easy to veer off course. Lu Heng abandoned wide, sweeping slashes, focusing instead on short, fast, and deadly strikes. With each strike, he felt the water's pull on the blade, constantly adjusting the timing and angle of his attack.

At the same time, the Mycelium of the Blood Taisui fungus was released. The mycelium spread out in the water and was immediately pulled and dispersed by the water flow. He slowly practiced controlling it, exploring how to make the Mycelium form faster in the water and not be easily broken by the water flow.

When it got dark, he returned to the Astrology Room.

He sat down again, calmed his mind and regulated the Greedy Wolf Power within his body, stabilized the feelings accumulated from practicing swordsmanship and underwater training during the day, and settled the newly formed physical memory.

On the first day, he was able to calm down and patiently repeat the training.

The second day, the repetitive actions began to bore people, but they continued at the same pace.

By the third day, frustration slowly built up.

Lu Heng climbed out of the pool, water droplets dripping down his chin and neck, landing on the stones. He gripped the Star Blade, his fingertips tightening around the hilt.

He was well aware of his current strength, and he was gradually making up for his weaknesses in land combat, Mycelium control, and underwater warfare. However, he had nowhere to use his abilities. There were no fights he wanted to engage in, the monsters he could clear were hiding and not coming out, and some targets were protected by the rules and could not move.

The long wait and monotonous cycle wore down his patience. He felt a surge of resentment, but couldn't find an outlet.

Just then, the Survival Bracelet on my wrist suddenly lit up.

The cold, hard text jumped out line by line.

[Global Region Announcement: The Blackwater Swamp Portal has been destroyed.]

Lu Heng lowered his eyes and looked at the Wristband screen.

I stared at those words for a long time. After so many days of lifeless waiting, finally one part was successful.

With the first precedent, a faint hope arose in his heart; the remaining two should also be resolved smoothly. He suppressed his surging emotions and continued to wait for further news.

Another day has passed.

The Wristband lit up again.

[Global Region Announcement: The Hill Valley Portal has been successfully destroyed.]

With both teleportation Portal resolved, Lu Heng looked at the announcement, his expression slightly easing; the situation seemed to be improving.

This easing of restrictions didn't last long; a glaring red announcement quickly followed.

[Urgent Announcement: The attempt to breach the Mist Forest Portal has failed.]

[All survivors involved in the battle have been eliminated.]

The relief brought by the previous two pieces of good news vanished instantly.

Before he could think much about it, a series of crisis announcements kept being updated.

[The Mist Forest Portal malfunctions, and a large number of Green Demon are pouring out.]

[The Green Demon swarm begins to surge and spread towards the outer areas.]

[Global Region Announcement: All survivors are now allowed to enter the Mist Forest's radiation zone and freely hunt any overflowing Green Demon.]

Lu Heng read through all the announcements from beginning to end.

The boredom, stifling feeling, and pent-up frustration of the past few days vanished all at once.

A faint excitement surfaced in his eyes.

No longer needing to be trapped in the Moonview Valley, endlessly cycling through arduous training, no longer needing to passively wait for news from others. The restrictions previously imposed by the Forest Will no longer bind him here. The Green Demon spreads outwards, and hunting privileges are lifted.

Finally, he could begin.