The next day, as dawn broke.
Rhode awoke from his lightning tempering and glanced at his stats panel, slightly startled to see an increase of two energy points.
Normally, a night of lightning tempering would only yield one point.
"Was it because I killed that giant serpent yesterday?" Rhode stroked his chin. It seemed that fighting stronger creatures yielded energy more efficiently.
No matter. Time for breakfast.
Rhode took a deep breath. The morning forest air was exceptionally fresh, invigorating his mind and spirit.
His gaze swept the surroundings, quickly locking onto a large yellow ox leisurely grazing nearby.
The ox stood over two meters tall, its body a vibrant golden-yellow, with sharp horns jutting skyward from its forehead.
"You'll do," Rhode chuckled, charging forward.
Whoosh! His speed was so great it stirred up a fierce gust, creating a tremendous commotion.
Having survived in this forest for so long, the ox's alertness was beyond question. It instantly reacted, turning its head toward Rhode.
Moo! With a furious bellow—clearly annoyed at having its breakfast interrupted—the ox stomped the ground and charged head-on, its horns gleaming coldly.
"Feisty one, aren't you?" Rhode shook his head.
Before closing the distance, he suddenly swung his sword mid-air.
Sssshhh! A pale blue Sword Aura erupted from the blade, tearing through the air like lightning and striking the ox's head.
Boom! Dazzling arcs of lightning exploded, infused with the Sword Aura's razor-sharp intent.
In an instant, the ox's iron-hard head—its pride in dominating the forest—was split open, blood gushing out. Its eyes were blinded, and it let out agonized cries.
"Long-range slashes really can't match the power of a direct strike," Rhode mused.
In the blink of an eye, he flashed past the ox, the wind from his movement sending its fur flying.
Carried by momentum, the ox continued forward for another three or four meters before its head abruptly split apart, tumbling to the ground. Blood sprayed like a fountain from its severed neck.With his back to the large yellow ox, Rhode sheathed his sword and began preparing a beef feast using the available resources.
Sizzle...
The raging flames crackled as fat dripped into the fire.
Tearing into a large beef leg, the tender and juicy meat sliding down his throat, Rhode pondered quietly.
Sword Aura was a ranged attack method for swordmasters, and its power naturally couldn't compare to a direct slash of the blade.
However, Sword Aura was one of the signature techniques of a swordmaster—and also the coolest ability.
During the Summit War, the world's greatest swordmaster, Hawkeye Mihawk, split the earth and shattered icebergs with a single slash of his Sword Aura, shocking the entire world and cementing the reputation of a true swordmaster. It was simply awe-inspiring.
"The essence of Sword Aura lies in a swordmaster compressing and refining the force of a slash to a certain degree before releasing it, forming a Flying Slash."
This involved physical strength and one's comprehension of swordsmanship—two factors that complemented each other.
The greater the strength and the deeper the understanding, the more refined the Sword Aura, the stronger its power, and the farther its reach.
After over a month of tempering his body with lightning, Rhode's physical condition had improved drastically compared to when he first arrived in this world—so much so that it could be said his strength had multiplied several times over.
But compared to true powerhouses who had stepped into the threshold of mastery, he was still relatively inexperienced.
Just as Koala had said, if it came down to pure strength and speed, any ordinary swordmaster could suppress him.
"Still, with the Thunder Power enhancing my body, my base speed should be close enough. Strength-wise, I'm probably still lacking."
Rhode narrowed his eyes slightly. As for his comprehension of swordsmanship, with the powerful talent of Swordsmanship Specialization, he would never be inferior to anyone!
"Fight during the day to gain energy, temper my body with lightning at night to strengthen my physique!"
Rhode's path was crystal clear. He only needed to persist step by step, and before long, he would shed the title of "the weakest swordmaster in history."
...
Two days passed quickly.
The time for the combat mission finally ended, and the Revolutionary Army's assembly signal echoed across the island. The recruits ceased their activities one after another and headed toward the gathering point.
In the forest, five shadowy figures relentlessly assaulted a handsome young man.
These figures were lynxes—extremely agile, swift as lightning, with razor-sharp claws and fangs, yet possessing the physical prowess rivaling that of tigers. They were among the top predators of the jungle.
Yet, astonishingly, under the fierce assault of these lynxes, the young man moved as if strolling through a garden, effortlessly evading attacks from all directions with graceful ease.
Such keen reflexes were truly remarkable.
"Is it over?"
"Then I won't play with you anymore."
Hearing the horn that resounded across the island, Rhode smiled faintly. Suddenly, he gripped his sword hilt and swung.
Whoosh!
A pale blue ring of Sword Aura erupted outward, sweeping in all directions, accompanied by faint crackling arcs of electricity before exploding.
The surrounding lynxes, caught off guard, were struck head-on by the Sword Aura, each sent flying with bloody wounds.
At such close range, the force of the Sword Aura was more than enough to slice through the lynxes' not-so-durable hides and bones, dealing fatal damage.
At the same time, the Thunder Power infused within the Sword Aura robbed the lynxes of any chance for a desperate counterattack.
One slash, five kills.
With a metallic clang, he sheathed his sword and strode toward the gathering point.When Rhode arrived at the shoreline, the area was already crowded with reserve members. His sweeping glance confirmed Rez and others were among them—though slightly injured and looking somewhat disheveled, their spirits remained high.
Nia was present too, seemingly engaged in casual conversation with friends.
Rhode had no interest in socializing. He walked off alone to a corner and opened his status panel for a quick review.
"Seventy-three energy points when landing on the island... now it's eighty-eight?"
He wasn't surprised.
During the latter two days, as the more formidable beasts were gradually eliminated, finding powerful creatures became increasingly difficult, naturally reducing his energy gains. Had he not located a den of mountain lynxes to spar with, the yield would've been even lower.
Still, fifteen additional energy points marked a significant boost to his Thunder Power.
"That guy's way too antisocial," Nia murmured, shaking her head slightly as she observed Rhode standing alone, making no effort to bond with his teammates.
"But he's earned that right. With his talent, he'll probably graduate from the reserves soon anyway."
Her gaze drifted toward another solitary figure at the far end of the crowd—a young man standing apart just like Rhode.
"I wonder how Shano performed on this mission?"
"Word is he single-handedly wiped out an entire crocodile pack deep in the jungle!"
"Swordmasters' offensive capabilities are on another level. We really can't compare in that regard."
The squad leaders exchanged awed whispers, their eyes fixed on the proud young swordsman.
Even among captains, hierarchies existed, and Shano clearly stood above them.
Nia found it amusing. Crocodiles? Were they really more impressive than that giant serpent? She couldn't help but wonder which swordsman would prevail in a duel.
After brief consideration, she settled on 30-70 odds—Rhode at thirty, Shano at seventy.
Though Rhode wielded that miraculous Thunder Power, his physical conditioning couldn't even match hers, let alone advanced martial arts training. In an actual fight, his chances seemed slim.