Chapter 8: A Fatal Blow

This game is absolutely mind-blowing!

Tang Shen took the refined steel sword directly from the system backpack and gripped it in his hand. The blade was cold to the touch, sending a jolt of clarity through his mind.

In both his previous life and this one, Tang Shen had never wielded a cold weapon. Back then, controlled knives were strictly forbidden, and in this life, he had yet to awaken. So he'd never touched a weapon like this before.

Yet now, holding it, there was not a hint of awkwardness—as if he’d always known how to wield it. Instead, a surge of eagerness welled up inside him.

What man hasn't dreamt of becoming a swordsman, wandering the world with a blade at his side?

In this moment, Tang Shen felt an invincible spirit blossom within him, as though he stood atop the highest peak, surveying all others beneath him.

Of course, he knew it was just a fleeting rush of confidence. But he had to admit, it felt exhilarating.

“Let’s go! Time to hunt some monsters!” Tang Shen exclaimed, excitement bright in his eyes.

Ever since Kuina had become his disciple, she’d stood quietly by his side, watching Tang Shen with curiosity. She had to admit, her new master really had no flaws—her first impression was that he was rather handsome.

Perhaps it was her imagination, but in this brief span of time, her master’s bearing seemed to have subtly shifted, growing sharper and more imposing.

Just then, Tang Shen’s eyes glimmered with a piercing light, his whole being radiating self-assurance.

“Hunt monsters?” Kuina was momentarily baffled, then quickly understood. “You mean beasts?”

“That’s right. Lead the way,” Tang Shen nodded.

Soon, Kuina led Tang Shen toward the back hills of Frostmoon Village, where a forest skirted a mountain.

As Kuina explained, when she practiced swordsmanship, aside from diligent training, she would often come to the back hills to hunt vicious beasts. It was a way to gain experience and hone her sword skills; after all, sparring in daily life was nothing like real combat and earned no experience. Especially in Isshin Dojo, where apart from her father, she had no worthy opponents left.

Secondly, it was for the beasts’ carcasses—more precisely, their meat. Whether one cultivated the sword or the body, abundant nutrition was essential, and meat was indispensable. Most of their nutrients came from the flesh of beasts and the fish caught from the sea. Living by the mountain, they relied on the mountain; by the sea, the sea. Sword practice and food supply went hand in hand, so once the apprentices at Isshin Dojo mastered even a little swordsmanship, they would routinely team up to hunt.

A swordsman who never saw blood was no true swordsman. Though Kuina was only eleven, she had started seeing blood at the age of five. Of course, she had yet to kill a person.

Frostmoon Village was a peaceful place, never visited by pirates, so her experience was limited to fighting beasts and sparring.

Tang Shen marveled inwardly, reminding himself once again never to treat this as a mere game for entertainment—or he wouldn’t even know how he died.

His earlier restlessness gradually faded as he left the village and reached the edge of the forest. His mindset had settled.

He was still weak—there was no room for arrogance or impatience.

Giant ancient trees soared into the sky, their branches interlacing and blocking out the sunlight.

Tang Shen couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of his eyes, staring for a long while before sighing from the bottom of his heart, “They’re enormous!”

No anime could compare to this visceral sight. Standing before these towering trees, he realized his own insignificance. Each trunk looked hundreds, if not thousands, of years old.

To put it in perspective: compared to these trees, the biggest on Earth were like ordinary people standing beside his magic staff. At least, that’s how Tang Shen saw it.

“Assist your master and cover me!” Tang Shen swung his arm and strode proudly into the woods.

Kuina hurried to keep up. The moment she entered the forest, her seemingly harmless gaze sharpened, becoming as keen as a mother leopard’s. An aura of menace emanated from her, her steps feather-light and agile, toes barely making a sound.

She wasn’t targeting Tang Shen, but he suddenly felt a chill down his back.

Realizing it was Kuina’s gaze, he steeled himself. He didn’t have many great strengths, but he was a quick learner and skilled at imitation—a survival instinct from his past life.

Soon, his quarry appeared.

A rabbit.

Yes, a rabbit—called a Fang Rabbit, named for its enormous, razor-sharp teeth.

He used Scout, a skill he’d gotten from a reward pack. It could reveal the details of targets equal to or below his level, and sometimes higher, though the higher the target, the lower the chance of success.

He cast Scout on the rabbit.

Beast: Fang Rabbit
Level: 1
Dao Power: 1
Evaluation: For you, this is a being to look up to. Young man, strive hard!

He was lucky—though he was only level 0, Scout hadn’t failed.

But upon seeing the information, Tang Shen nearly flipped the table, his face turning ashen.

Dao Power 1, yet the system deemed it an existence above him. Damn, just how pathetic was he? According to Kuina, this was the weakest beast around—anyone could kill one.

Clearly, his guesses about Kuina and the average marine in this world were spot on—if not even more absurd.

This truly was a world of superhumans.

Of course, Dao Power was only a measure of fighting strength, not all-encompassing. And with a powerful disciple covering him, what did he have to fear?

With a disciple at his side, who could threaten him?

Tang Shen exhaled deeply, hand resting on his steel sword, calm settling over him.

Intermediate Drawing Technique was no joke—the knowledge of every detail swept through his mind, as if he’d rehearsed it hundreds of thousands of times.

In short, his head was full of dazzling maneuvers.

Staring at the Fang Rabbit, which was hunched over munching on fruit, Tang Shen’s eyes flashed. This was a perfect opportunity.

His posture was correct, his movements precise, power gathered.

Go!

With a sharp stomp of his left foot, he shot forward like an arrow.

Even faster was the sword in his hand. In the instant he lunged, the refined steel blade sprang from its sheath, so swift the eye could barely catch it—just a streak of light.

He halted, the sword clattering back into its scabbard as he slowly straightened.

The Fang Rabbit, still gnawing on fruit, froze.

A moment later, its neck split cleanly, the head tumbling off as blood spurted.

KO!

His first hunt—success!

And a one-hit kill!

“Yes!” Tang Shen felt an unprecedented rush of exhilaration. It was exactly as he’d imagined—the timing, speed, and angle of the strike matched the simulations in his mind. The moment he swung, it all flowed together in perfect harmony.

Handsome, and powerful.

That was Tang Shen.