The days drifted by like falling leaves.
One month.
Then another.
Emil continued wandering through the endless wilderness of the Forbidden Forest, never staying in one place for long.
Every sunrise marked the beginning of another day of cultivation.
Every sunset ended with another battle.
The forest had become his home.
Its rivers quenched his thirst.
Its beasts sharpened his blade.
Its silence became his closest companion.
---
Despite reaching Level 71, Emil became increasingly dissatisfied.
His cultivation was progressing.
His body was becoming stronger.
His Sun God Breathing Technique had grown more refined.
Yet...
Something felt wrong.
During every battle, he relied on the same techniques.
Sun Step.
Sun Sword Technique.
Energy Absorption.
They were powerful.
But they belonged to the Sun God.
Not to Emil.
"If I only rely on inherited techniques..."
"Then I'll never surpass those who came before me."
For the first time since receiving the system...
He stopped using every sword technique.
---
The system immediately reacted.
Ding!
Host has stopped practicing Sun Sword Technique.
Would you like to disable skill progression?
"No."
"I want to learn the sword itself."
Silence followed.
Several moments later—
Request acknowledged.
Independent comprehension mode activated.
---
From that day onward...
Emil trained differently.
He no longer filled every strike with spiritual energy.
Instead...
He practiced the most basic movement.
A simple downward slash.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Ten thousand times each day.
His palms bled.
His shoulders ached.
His muscles screamed.
Yet he never stopped.
---
The first week passed.
Nothing happened.
The second week passed.
Still nothing.
Even the system remained silent.
If someone had seen him, they would have thought he had gone mad.
A Level 71 cultivator...
Repeating the movements of a beginner.
---
One afternoon, while practicing beside a quiet lake, Emil suddenly heard laughter.
Several Forest Trolls had appeared.
Towering over three meters tall, they carried enormous wooden clubs.
One of them beat its chest and charged.
Emil slowly raised his sword.
No Sun Step.
No spiritual energy.
Just a single slash.
The troll swung first.
Emil moved half a step.
His sword traced a simple arc through the air.
The troll stopped.
A thin red line appeared across its chest.
Moments later...
Its body split cleanly into two halves.
The remaining trolls froze.
Even Emil looked surprised.
"I barely used any strength..."
The system spoke.
Ding!
Host's efficiency has improved.
Less energy. Greater result.
---
The remaining trolls attacked together.
Emil welcomed them.
Every battle became another lesson.
Rather than overpowering them...
He searched for the shortest movement.
The smallest adjustment.
The simplest strike.
Within minutes...
The battlefield became silent.
---
As weeks passed...
The beasts changed.
Forest Trolls no longer challenged him.
Instead...
Faster predators appeared.
Crystal Panthers.
Wind Hawks.
Shadow Lynxes.
Unlike the trolls, they relied on speed.
One mistake would be fatal.
---
During one hunt, Emil found himself surrounded by five Crystal Panthers.
The beasts moved without making a sound.
Even the wind seemed unable to detect them.
One attacked from behind.
Another from above.
Two charged from the front.
The last waited patiently for an opening.
Emil closed his eyes.
He ignored sight.
Ignored sound.
Ignored instinct.
Instead...
He listened to the movement of the air.
The slightest disturbance.
The smallest vibration.
Then—
He swung.
The blade moved almost lazily.
Yet a powerful gust erupted from the sword.
The wind itself followed the edge of the blade.
The nearest panther was thrown backward before the sword even touched it.
Another stumbled.
The remaining beasts retreated instinctively.
Emil slowly opened his eyes.
"The wind..."
His sword had cut the wind itself.
---
Ding!
Congratulations.
Host has comprehended Sword Aura (Beginner).
---
A new window appeared.
---
Sword Aura (Beginner)
A swordsman's will extends beyond the blade.
Effects:
- Sword strikes travel beyond physical reach.
- Increased cutting power.
- Reduced spiritual energy consumption.
---
Emil smiled.
"So this is the next step..."
This ability hadn't been given by the system.
He had earned it himself.
---
Over the following month, Emil incorporated Sword Aura into every aspect of his training.
He practiced on rivers.
His sword split the flowing water without disturbing its current.
He practiced against waterfalls.
His blade carved a path through crashing torrents.
He practiced beneath towering trees.
Leaves drifted around him untouched...
Until he sheathed his sword.
Only then did they silently separate into perfect halves.
---
His understanding deepened.
The sword was no longer simply a weapon.
It was an extension of his mind.
His body.
His spirit.
---
One evening, while meditating atop a cliff, the setting sun painted the horizon gold.
A gentle breeze passed.
Without thinking...
Emil drew his sword.
One effortless slash.
The clouds above split apart.
Golden sunlight poured through the opening like a divine blessing.
He stared at the sky.
Then laughed quietly.
"So this..."
"...is what it means to understand."
---
Ding!
Host has achieved a breakthrough through self-comprehension.
New Passive Acquired: Sword Heart (Beginner).
---
Sword Heart
A calm and unwavering state of mind.
Effects:
- Immune to fear from weaker opponents.
- Improved focus during battle.
- Faster comprehension of sword arts.
---
Moments later—
Another notification appeared.
---
Level Up!
Level 71 → Level 74
---
The system remained silent afterward.
It no longer guided him.
It simply watched.
The Sun God Fragment understood something.
Its host was no longer merely inheriting power.
He was creating his own path.
---
Far away, in the depths of the Forbidden Forest's middle region, a colossal beast slowly lifted its head.
Its scarred body was covered in cracked stone-like armor.
Its eyes burned with crimson madness.
The beast inhaled deeply.
It could smell blood.
It could feel sword intent carried upon the wind.
The madness consuming its mind only grew stronger.
Somewhere deep within its fading consciousness...
A final instinct awakened.
It sought a worthy opponent.
And fate was quietly drawing it toward the lone swordsman wandering the forest.