Misty Forest.
"Shasha."
It was the faint sound of a breeze brushing through the canopy.
A leaf stem trembled, and a yellowed leaf with curled, moth-eaten edges detached from the branch.
It spiraled downward.
Like the millions of its kind already on the ground, in three seconds, it would become part of the forest's brownish-yellow leaf carpet.
Then, over the course of four to five months, it would gradually wither and decay, eventually becoming the faint nutrients that nourished some clump of weeds.
*Whoosh—*
A gust of wind, unnatural but far more violent and sharp, interrupted this process.
The languid leaf, already abandoned by the trees due to its loss of life force, was shattered almost instantly by the biting gale.
It turned into tiny, fragile fragments of leaf debris, scattering and dancing in the air like dust.
Some landed on the rough, textured bark of a nearby oak; some fell upon the tender, crisp stems and leaves on the ground.
Some followed the turbulent airflow, sticking to the ends of thin, black, messy hair.
*Swish!*
Shaking his body vigorously, Xia Nan brushed off the leaf fragments and grass debris clinging to his clothes and hair.
He turned his head and looked behind him.
As if some beast had charged through, a ten-foot-long crushed trail, oozing sap, was carved starkly into the forest floor amidst the dense grass and tough shrubs.
It looked like the effect was decent.
However, Xia Nan couldn't help but frown, unsatisfied.
What he was currently practicing was, naturally, the combat technique taught to him two days ago by the barbarian, Fugan—
【Fang Hunt】.
The effect the other man had demonstrated that day was exceptionally absurd; he had nearly collapsed the entire cave, and dozens of goblins along with their Hobgoblin leader had been smashed to pieces like bowling pins.
In reality, however, the positioning of 【Fang Hunt】 was more akin to a "dash" or "displacement" technique.
Whether offensive attributes were added during the execution of the technique depended entirely on the individual caster.
As for the attack effect he had seen then—spreading through the corridor like an ice snake and carrying a hint of mental intimidation—Xia Nan was more inclined to believe it was a potency inherent to the Barbarian class itself.
As for being able to smash monsters to powder, while 【Fang Hunt】 likely provided some bonus to speed and kinetic energy, it ultimately came down to the barbarian's exaggerated physical strength, which was comparable to gold and stone.
While it hadn't reached the point of feeling "scammed," after practicing for these few days, Xia Nan felt a lingering sense of "expectation vs. reality."
He wondered when he would ever reach that "lawnmower" level of efficiency.
Fortunately, it was a genuinely useful and existing combat technique.
Unlike many of the suspected technique books he had bought from general stores in town—which felt like "robbing Peter to pay Paul," a terrible training experience of plugging one hole only to open another—the practice of 【Fang Hunt】 gave him a steady feeling of progress, much like his previous 【Whirlwind Slash】. He felt he was moving forward step by step, improving a little bit every day.
Even if a problem arose during the process, once he spent the time and energy to solve it and form the muscle memory, he wouldn't repeat the mistake.
Actually learning it even gave him a faint sense of security.
The specific training method and some of the surface principles of the technique became clear as he grew familiar with it.
Through high-intensity training, he coordinated the muscle groups of his legs, waist, abdomen, and back to release the stored power within a very short window of time.
Adjusting step frequency, controlling speed...
Combined with a special breathing method to improve the technique and timing of power exertion, he adjusted the center of gravity of his entire skeletal structure into a range suitable for triggering the technique.
To put it more simply, as an analogy
It was like a winter wolf lying in ambush deep in the snow, staring at its prey and poised to strike.
Exploding with all its strength, it pounced forward like a spring.
The blade was its fang and claw.
Originating from the barbarian tribes of the Northern Highlands, 【Fang Hunt】 was initially developed by a gifted combat master who imitated the hunting movements of powerful predators and combined them with human physical advantages.
According to Fugan, practicing in snow that reached the depth of one's calves yielded the best results.
However, since they were currently in the heart of the continent without a suitable environment, he had to make do.
Of course, beyond all that, there was one most critical point to mastering the 【Fang Hunt】 technique
Before every training session, with the barbarian's help, Xia Nan had to let a certain special cold qi emitted by the other man penetrate deep into his body along his muscles and meridians.
—This was no longer necessary after reaching the entry level.
Although he had seen online in his previous life that many professional athletes used similar "ice baths," those were usually after strenuous exercise to relieve muscle fatigue and accelerate recovery.
This was completely different.
He didn't know the specific principles behind it; after all, he had no precision detection equipment, nor was he an expert professor in the field. Being able to have a vague understanding of his current training direction was already quite good.
As for the rest...
One could only say
In a fantasy world, don't ask too many questions.
"Huu..."
His chest heaved as he let out a long breath.
Within the long stream of white mist billowing from his lips and teeth, one could faintly see tiny, crystalline ice particles.
He reached out to touch his waist, abdomen, and thighs; his skin temperature had returned to normal.
Knowing the cold qi was exhausted and further practice would yield little result, Xia Nan turned around and walked toward the camp.
He needed to find the barbarian to "recharge" again.
...
...
The cold wind was bone-piercing. The whistling snow-grit felt like ten thousand blades scraping against the man's rough, tough skin.
In the gaps between icy rocks, the embers of charred firewood glowed faintly, and burnt pine resin turned to ash, melting into the snow powder.
A pale, broken bone pierced through a thick beast-skin coat, and the smell of blood, thick and pungent as rust, filled his mouth.
"They are still here."
Beneath the tangled thorns, a collapsed totem condensed into a phantom figure of an ancient, elderly man amidst the white, dim light.
"Bite the frost, and death shall not descend."
"Chief..." The rugged man slumped in a pool of blood murmured in a low, hoarse voice, his wolf-skin cloak already stained crimson.
"Let the ashes be born as snow. The ancestral spirits protect you upon the monoliths, my child."
Withered fingertips, sprouting fungal mycelium like the halo beneath winter clouds, penetrated the leather clothing and gently touched his chest.
"Live on, carrying the name of the Frost-Throat Clan."
"Fugan."
...
*Crack!*
A piece of wood fiber suddenly burst under the heat of the fire, making an abrupt sound.
In Fugan's ice-blue eyes, which looked like frozen ponds, a barely perceptible ripple stirred.
He looked up toward the edge of the camp.
Amidst the swaying bushes, a figure carrying twin swords was struggling to break free from the surrounding thorns and shrubs.
Tightening the cloth bag hanging at his waist, Xia Nan greeted the other man and walked into the camp.
The barbarian before him was the same as always.
The firelight reflected in his eyes; he made no unnecessary movements and uttered no sound.
He simply sat by the campfire, still as a block of ice.
Xia Nan had grown used to it. After two days of contact, he had formed a preliminary impression of this powerful high-tier professional.
To be honest, if it weren't for the highly indicative beast-skin attire and the clan-heavy surname, he wouldn't have believed the man was a barbarian.
After all, in the eyes of the world, this race—symbolizing the primitive and the rugged, with a profession that drew power from rage and nature—was always entwined with words like "reckless," "straightforward," and "crude."
Yet the Fugan beside Xia Nan was like an icy rock enveloping a fire, suppressing all intensity and restlessness beneath a freezing chill.
And if one day the flames roared and melted the thick layer of ice, the terrifying rage beneath, capable of smelting gold and stone, would reappear in the world.
"Finished?"
A low, heavy voice came from ahead.
Surprised by the other man's initiative in speaking, Xia Nan hurriedly drank the hot water in his mouth.
Taking a deep breath and exhaling cold air, he pointed to the increasingly fine ice crystals in the air.
"Yeah, used it all up."
Then came the classic silence.
Despite being the one to start the conversation, once Xia Nan replied, Fugan stopped talking again.
It felt awkward to Xia Nan.
But he was used to it.
He knew the other man hadn't failed to hear him, nor was he pretending not to answer; it was simply his personality.
At least when Xia Nan asked questions regarding the combat techniques over the past two days, Fugan had taught him very meticulously.
While he didn't answer every single question, he often helped Xia Nan find the sticking points through action, solving them easily.
From start to finish, he was calm and taciturn, as if all his rage was masked by the frost and chill he emitted.
Having practiced hard around the camp all day, Xia Nan wanted to rest for a moment.
He wasn't in a hurry to have the other man replenish his cold qi.
Instead, he drew his beheading longsword and patiently maintained it, while asking tentatively with some hesitation and curiosity
"You saw it before... my 【Whirlwind Slash】... which profession should it belong to?"
On the continent of Efara, the condition to obtain a professional level was
Master three combat techniques corresponding to the profession, and train one of them to the "Proficient" level.
With the foundation of his predecessor and the possible bonuses from the system panel, Xia Nan had already raised 【Whirlwind Slash】 to max level.
This meant he only needed to learn two more combat techniques to complete his promotion.
But what troubled him was that, even today, he still hadn't figured out the specific category of 【Whirlwind Slash】.
He could only hope that Fugan, whose strength and experience far exceeded ordinary professionals, could help him solve this puzzle.
Unexpectedly, however, Fugan simply shook his head slightly.
"Difficult."
The number of combat techniques in this world was more numerous than the snowflakes scattering in an ice storm.
Even the human "Legends" standing at the peak of the pyramid could not identify the origin of every single technique.
Especially for common professions like "Warrior" or "Rogue," the techniques under their umbrella were countless.
—Even the Adventurers' Guild continued to collect and update a vast number of techniques every year.
Furthermore, because of the different geographical locations of the various guild branches, the common types of techniques on their lists varied significantly. For example
The Adventurers' Guild in Needlefish Bay collected techniques leaning toward underwater combat and long-range attacks.
While the branch in Rockshadow City, located in the Underdark, possessed a large number of techniques suitable for narrow terrain.
Under these circumstances, Fugan could only judge based on the characteristics of 【Whirlwind Slash】 that it belonged to a basic melee-type profession.
Seeming to notice the disappointment in Xia Nan's eyes, the barbarian looked up at the sky and suddenly stood up.
He turned and left the camp.
"Follow."
The dull voice came.
Xia Nan hurried to keep up.
...
【Fang Hunt】.
Although it originated from the highland tribes, the technique itself did not rely on "Rage," the core power of the barbarian.
It was simply the purest physical technique catalyzed by a harsh natural environment.
Therefore, like the overlap between two circles, it belonged to two basic professions simultaneously
【Warrior】 and 【Barbarian】.
This was one of the reasons why Fugan decided to teach 【Fang Hunt】 to Xia Nan even without being able to confirm the origin of 【Whirlwind Slash】.
And on the other hand, the most critical reason why he felt Xia Nan didn't need to worry about having to start over due to choosing the wrong technique type was...
*Crunch.*
A tree branch lying on the meadow was crushed by a descending leather boot, making a crisp sound.
Xia Nan looked at the foul-smelling goblin cave before him, whose appearance looked familiar.
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"Again?"
In truth, he wasn't very resistant.
He had practiced 【Fang Hunt】 against the air for two days and had learned the basic power exertion techniques.
Following the barbarian's logic as he remembered it, it was indeed time to accelerate the proficiency of the technique through actual combat.
After all, the other man's time was limited; being a bit aggressive was normal.
But unexpectedly, Fugan's actions this time were completely different from before.
Not only did he not suppress his aura beforehand, allowing the overwhelming pressure of a high-tier professional to spread wildly through the air, but he also actively walked in front, leading Xia Nan straight into the cave.
While still in the corridor at the entrance, Xia Nan could already hear the panicked, terrified screams of the goblins deep inside the cave who had sensed the unwelcome guests.
Then,
*Awooo—*
A long, piercing wolf howl, accompanied by a freezing wind, echoed between the stone walls.
Xia Nan felt goosebumps break out all over his body.
At the same time, those noisy, grating screams seemed to be swallowed by the wolf howl, vanishing completely.
When the two entered the open space deep in the cave, nearly thirty goblins were already lying scattered about, eyes rolled back, unconscious on the ground.
In the entire area, only one Hobgoblin who looked barely adult remained, clutching a nailing hammer in its hand, trembling and curled up in the corner of the cave.
Xia Nan had a strange expression.
He actually saw deep terror on the face of this savage, bloodthirsty monster that had killed countless low-level adventurers.
Fugan stopped and casually picked up a wooden club belonging to one of the goblins from the ground.
Frost covered its surface.
He tossed it lightly toward the Hobgoblin.
*Bang—*
Ice crystals mixed with rubble exploded instantly in the dim cave.
The wooden club slammed firmly into the rock wall.
And the Hobgoblin's right hand, which was holding the weapon, was severed at the root and fell to the ground.
The force was controlled perfectly; aside from that, the creature suffered no other injuries.
He had even thoughtfully helped Xia Nan by sealing the wound with frost to prevent excessive bleeding and loss of combat effectiveness during training.
"Go."
He said.