The Elven Cultivator

To catch Casius completely off guard, Anton's opening move was a killing blow.

The result was just as he'd anticipated: remarkably effective.

His first strike successful, Anton didn't pause. He moved like the wind, flashing before Casius and slashing horizontally with his black steel sword.

Casius's Long Sword had been knocked from his grasp during the initial impact. Now, he could only grit his teeth against the searing pain and attempt to block the incoming blade with his bare hand.

His Half-Undead Transformation had granted him a tough physique, one capable of easily blocking even fine steel weapons. Yet, the instant his palm touched Anton's blade, it sizzled, emitting a plume of acrid smoke as the skin and flesh charred and rotted away.

Anton applied a bit of pressure, and the blade sliced through the palm like a hot knife through butter, continuing unimpeded into Casius's neck.

SHINK!

A head flew high into the air, its twisted features frozen in an expression of sheer terror and indignation. It finally landed with a heavy thud among the rubble seven or eight meters away.

The headless corpse swayed for a moment before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

In the blink of an eye, the wilderness fell silent once more.

Harvey and his three companions stared blankly at the corpse on the ground, unable to process what had just happened for a long while.

'The terrifying enemy their entire party couldn't defeat... was dealt with so cleanly, just like that?'

Paying no mind to their shocked expressions, Anton walked over and began searching the corpse.

The results were somewhat disappointing. Aside from a few scattered coins, Casius had nothing else of value on him.

"Too bad he was broke."

Anton sighed.

'If this were a game, an elite mob like this would have at least dropped a Skill Book. But reality was so stingy it only coughed up a bit of cash.'

Shaking his head, Anton picked up Casius's fallen Long Sword. He used the tip of the blade to snap the hemp cord of the Gray Stone Necklace, tossing it to the ground. Then, with a flick of his sword, he precisely struck the gray stone.

CRACK.

The stone shattered, and a wisp of grayish-white mist escaped from within. It let out a faint shriek before instantly dissipating into the night wind.

These Gray Stone Necklaces were tokens for low-ranking members of the Ring of Annihilation.

A wearer could sense the presence of other tokens within a certain range. Paired with a specific passphrase, it served as proof of identity among the organization's members.

'Too bad the passphrase changed monthly. Otherwise, Anton wouldn't have minded posing as a member of the Ring of Annihilation. It might have come in handy on certain occasions.'

Anton then tossed the corpse and the Long Sword far into the jumble of rocks to prevent the scent of blood from attracting any Scale Rock Lizards.

Once that was dealt with, he dusted off his hands, returned to the campfire, and sat down. He looked over at Harvey and his companions, who were still standing frozen in place.

"Don't just stand there. Sit down."

Harvey and his three companions exchanged a look before silently sitting back down around the fire.

The bonfire crackled, casting their shadows long and short, making the life-or-death struggle from moments before seem like a mere illusion.

"Thank you," Harvey said, breaking the silence. He looked at Anton, his expression solemn. "We owe you our lives. If..."

Anton raised a hand, cutting him off with a small smile. "If you really want to thank me, then tell me more about the Eldron Plain."

Harvey paused for a second, then readily agreed with a nod.

He had been a wanderer for over twenty years and knew this land, which was cordoned off by the Dragon Race, like the back of his hand. He was familiar with the local customs and geography of many regions. After a moment of consideration, he began his tale.

Anton listened intently, occasionally interjecting with questions and silently committing the key information to memory.

The conversation continued late into the night. Only when the bonfire began to fade did a satisfied Anton bring it to a close. He then sat cross-legged and entered a meditative state to restore his depleted Spiritual Qi.

Not daring to disturb him, Harvey and his companions arranged a watch schedule, then leaned against the rocks to sleep in their clothes.

「The next morning」

After a simple meal of dry rations, Anton declined Harvey's invitation to accompany them to Bishui Port and departed without a moment's hesitation.

'He did plan on going to Bishui Port, just not right now.'

'Besides, he had no intention of getting too close to Harvey and his group.'

'The lives of ordinary humans were far too short. A friendship forged today might be nothing but a desolate grave to look back on tomorrow.'

'It would only bring him needless sorrow.'

'Even if he one day mastered the means to grant others longevity, he would only use it on those closest to him.'

However, before he left, Anton did give Harvey a word of warning.

Once the Ring of Annihilation discovered Casius was missing, they would likely target the last adventuring party he had been in contact with.

Those people were ruthless and capable of anything. It would be best for them to be careful.

...

In the days that followed, Anton's life was full and busy. He hunted Scale Rock Lizards by day and cultivated the Abyssal Sea Devouring Art by night.

「Five days later」

Estimating that the lizard meat stored in his storage talisman was enough to sustain his cultivation for two or three months, he finally set off to return to the Silver Moon Forest.

The first thing he did upon returning to the settlement was go to the treehouse where Romance lived and knock on the door.

There was no answer.

Anton raised an eyebrow. He walked around to the yard behind the treehouse and, just as he'd expected, saw Romance training. Her War Axe was a blur of motion, each swing powerful and sharp. Sweat trickled down her pale neck, catching the morning light in tiny, golden glints.

Sensing the movement, Romance turned. Upon seeing it was Anton, she immediately stopped her training and said, a little peeved, "You're finally back! Teacher Darian has already come looking for you twice. If you hadn't shown up soon, I would've run out of excuses to cover for you."

"You've worked hard," Anton said with a grin, tossing her a leather pouch. "A gift for you."

Romance caught it, noting its weight. "What is it?" she asked curiously.

"Scale Rock Lizard meat."

GULP.

Romance's throat bobbed as she swallowed.

Unlike other Elves, she had little interest in things like nectar and fruit; her one true passion was meat.

As a type of Dragon Beast, the meat of the Scale Rock Lizard was exceptionally flavorful and firm. Whether roasted or stewed, the taste was absolutely divine.

The Forest Guard would occasionally kill a Scale Rock Lizard or two that had wandered into the forest by mistake, using the meat to provide an extra meal for the Warriors at the training grounds.

Romance had managed to get a taste once before, and she'd been craving it ever since.

"Anton, you're the best!"

Romance's face lit up. She excitedly pounced on Anton, giving him a big hug and getting him all sweaty.

Anton didn't mind.

'The phrase "even a beautiful girl's sweat is fragrant" might have been a pervert's fantasy in his past life, but here among the Elf Race of the Dawn Continent, it was an incredibly accurate description.'

After the hug, Romance couldn't wait. She immediately rushed back into her house to grab some tools and start a fire.

Anton took the opportunity to get a meal of roasted meat out of the deal before heading back to his own place to sort through his gains from the trip.

'Although he'd run into a small incident, the hunting trip had been very successful overall.'

'From now on, a trip out every two or three months should be enough to meet his cultivation needs.'

'And with a plentiful supply of Scale Rock Lizard blood, he wouldn't have to be so stingy and meticulous when drawing Talismans. He could start practicing many different kinds.'

'He couldn't let his martial skills fall behind, either.'

'He needed to keep training the skills he'd already mastered to improve his proficiency.'

'And he had to learn new ones as well.'

'The Dawn Continent was home to countless types of Extraordinary Creatures, each with their own bizarre abilities. The more martial skills he cultivated, the more likely one would come in handy someday.'

'For instance, the Cold Abyss Sword against the Scale Rock Lizards, and the Divine Sun Sword Skill against the Half-Undead.'

'In any case, since he couldn't practice Techniques for the time being, he could use the extra time to focus on his martial skills.'

'Time to set a small goal: break through to the Middle Stage of Qi Refining by age sixty.'

Having laid out his future plans, Anton washed up briefly, then got into bed and began to meditate.

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