"Martial skill: Monkey Leap (+)."
[Stage: Not yet initiated.]
With a thought from Su Wen, the martial skill entry began to change.
He didn't know whether an increase in his present strength would also affect "himself" in the future spacetime, where "he" was being hunted.
But since the narration had given him a hint, there was no harm in trying.
"Martial skill: Monkey Leap (+)."
[Beginner stage: You have found the first steps on the path. Your leaps contain a subtle trace of the true meaning of agility.]
Su Wen suddenly rose and said to the Battle God, "Brother Battle God, I gained some insights from watching monkeys leap and developed a movement technique. Let me demonstrate it for you."
After improving Monkey Leap, a faint, elusive sense of agility spread through his heart, making him want to try it out.
In any case, this was his office, and the Battle God was just sitting there chatting with him.
With nothing else to do, it was perfectly reasonable to show the man a talent, right?
"Let's see your performance!"
The Battle God laughed and gestured for him to begin.
Hearing that, Su Wen immediately began to leap and bound about. As his figure flickered, his movements flowed with an elegant grace.
"Interesting."
The Battle God's eyes lit up, and he watched closely.
A movement technique and speed were nothing to make a fuss over.
What really interested him were the energy fluctuations that were prompting changes in the movement technique.
It seemed the performance the God of Wealth had mentioned really was a performance.
[God of Wealth from the past spacetime! An unseen force from spacetime acts upon you, effectively resolving your regret. Memories of the Monkey Leap martial skill echo through your mind.] [Using the Monkey Leap martial skill, you dodge the giant worm's attacks with greater ease.] [The giant worm seems to notice the change in you and gradually stops chasing and intercepting you. Just as you think it is about to give up, it raises its head and makes a strange sound.] [The ground begins to shake, and several giant worms nearby start heading toward your position.] [God of Wealth dogged by misfortune! You came from the past to the future and never belonged to this spacetime, yet you dared to slaughter so wantonly and brazenly. Now you're getting your comeuppance, aren't you?] [You are confident you can evade one giant worm's pursuit, but with several giant worms surrounding you and attacking at once, there is no need for you to survive with your current level of movement technique.] [So you continue to regret, regretting that you did not raise your movement martial skill to a much higher level in the past.]
Su Wen: "..."
The meaning of those words was already perfectly clear.
I can't hold out anymore. Hurry up and spend some money!
The next moment, Su Wen willed it, and the martial skill entry changed again.
"Martial skill: Monkey Leap."
[Proficient stage: Your skill has reached the height of perfection. Your leaps contain a measure of the true meaning of agility. As your qi and blood gather, you can leap into the air like a nimble monkey, greatly increasing your speed.]
The moment Su Wen upgraded Monkey Leap, the Battle God's expression changed slightly.
Holy shit!
How did Brother God of Wealth suddenly get a feel for it just by hopping around?
Did he... have an epiphany?
At his level, he could naturally see the sudden improvement in Su Wen's movement technique. If his movements had been fluid before, now they could be called silky smooth.
"Brother God of Wealth, a monkey-like movement technique like yours is better suited to leaping through a jungle."
"Jumping around in an office is a little restrictive for you," the Battle God said with a smile.
"Our organization has an underground training base. It's better suited to you. Want to go?"
"No need," Su Wen replied. "I'm just jumping around for a bit."
The Battle God smiled and shook his head, murmuring to himself, "Just... he had an epiphany with one jump. That's pretty casual, all right."
"No matter, I can take you there directly!"
With that, the space around them changed.
The moment Su Wen landed, he had gone from the God of Wealth's office to an underground jungle training ground.
"The jungle is where your movement technique can truly be performed!"
"There are recordings of the whole session here, too," the Battle God said. "After you're done jumping, you can watch them and review your performance, see if there are still any problems with your movement technique."
Looking at the jungle training ground ahead, Su Wen had no time to marvel. He leaped straight in and began to bring out the speed of the Monkey Leap martial skill in earnest.
He also wanted to see how fast he could run using Monkey Leap at full speed.
"The God of Wealth's movement technique goes rather well with the Basic Body Tempering Method."
A flash of starlight appeared, and the Star God suddenly materialized.
"Have you been keeping an eye on the God of Wealth this whole time?"
The Battle God frowned as he looked at the Star God.
The Star God did not answer him, merely watching Su Wen's movement technique in the training ground in silence.
"Do you value the God of Wealth, or are you worried about him?"
"Haven't you been busy repairing the grand array lately?" the Battle God continued. "You don't even have time to explore Arrow Realm, yet you have these spare moments to watch the God of Wealth?"
After a long while, the Star God said, "The God of Wealth is very important. Nothing can happen to him!"
"I can see that."
"I'm going to calculate this movement technique. Take your time chatting with the God of Wealth."
With that, the Star God vanished.
"Really busy, huh?"
"I was thinking we could get together for a meal tonight," the Battle God said with a sigh.
"He's so busy, yet he still has to keep an eye on the God of Wealth's every move. Star God... did he calculate something?"
"Or is it that special energy?"
"Hmm... it seems like energy that automatically develops after the body grows strong. It's a little like life force."
"The God of Wealth is getting more and more interesting."
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
[God of Wealth who loves to regret! Your regret has received unseen help from the past spacetime. With the help of the power of spacetime, your movement technique has become even silkier.] [When several giant worms reach you and surround you to attack, you deftly evade them with your silky movement technique. As you flee, you dive into every hole and squeeze through every opening you come across.] [Finally, through your unrelenting efforts, you succeed in enraging the giant worms, and they begin summoning more of their kind again.] [Speechless God of Wealth! You know full well that if the giant worms come from every direction and surround you, no matter how good your movement technique is, you will have no chance of escape.] [With no other choice, you stimulate the power of your qi and blood to the utmost and apply it to the true meaning of agility.] [In an instant, your speed surges.] [As you race along at tremendous speed, you begin leaping madly. Before long, you shake off the giant worms pursuing and intercepting you.] [But unfortunately, you seem to have arrived in an unknown place. It is dim and pitch-black, and strange sounds can even be heard among the darkness, making one's hair stand on end.] [Bewildered God of Wealth! You escaped the wolves' den only to enter the tiger's lair, and this eerie, sinister place seems even more dangerous than being surrounded and attacked by giant worms.] [As you carefully proceed, a voice seems to be calling out to you incessantly.] [Following the voice's call, you look ahead and to the left. There, you see a ruined tombstone, and you can faintly make out some writing on it.] [The first thing to enter your eyes is the inscription in large characters: The Battle God's Tomb!]