Chapter 36: Practice and Dialogue

In the southern corner of Aurelia Pinehold, a few humanoid combat puppets pieced together from worn-out iron plates were placed. This was the spot where the members of the base practiced their martial skills. The combat puppets had overall strength equivalent to the normal level of creatures in the nearby area.

Leon held a spear longer than himself, having practiced here for nearly an hour.

During this time, Leon continuously practiced two skills: thrusting and stabbing. Beside him was a small silver pot with flames not too large, but enough to keep the liquid inside constantly boiling.

Leon practiced with both determination and slowness. He was learning the long-handled weapon combat technique, which required being on the back of a dragon to fully utilize.

Compared to the fist techniques he had learned earlier, this combat style was far more challenging. Aside from mastering the direction of weapon use, there was also a mysterious footwork involved, as well as special requirements regarding breathing and focus.

Leon knew that in the future, he would be using the spear. But so far, he hadn’t even managed to fully execute the first move. He could barely pull off half a move before his technique became chaotic, or his strength was entirely depleted.

Yet, Leon persisted. He understood that this combat style surpassed everything he had learned so far; it was the key to his growth.

During Leon’s practice, Victor arrived. He didn’t disturb Leon but quietly observed from a distance.

Leon noticed Victor’s arrival but didn’t stop his practice immediately. Only after completing the round of thrusting exercises did he plant the spear into the ground and turn to look at Victor.

"Senior Victor, you’re here too," Leon said, walking towards the small pot beside him. Using a spoon, he scooped a ladle of soup with meat from the pot and took a bite.

The meat soup in the pot was something Leon had cooked himself. After emerging from the dungeon, he realized how important it was to learn a craft beyond just studying.

Thus, Leon took the initiative to learn basic cooking skills, mastering three types of battle meals, supply meals, and practice meals.

Of course, since Leon’s nature was mainly of the shadow attribute, the nine recipes he mastered were primarily shadow-attribute undead recipes. The main ingredients were mostly meat treated with necromantic magic, or mushrooms and insects, which were materials commonly found in shadow-attribute environments.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

The pot he was currently cooking contained the practice meal known as “Stewed Insects and Herbs.”

[Stewed Insects and Herbs: Restores 100% stamina in 30 seconds. If eaten within 15 seconds, grants a 10% experience boost for 1 minute.]

This stewed meal was actually a relatively simple recipe. Typically, it involved chopping up common insects or mushrooms, adding a certain amount of water, and stewing it.

Initially, it might not taste great, but with continuous water and ingredient replenishment, the final flavor of the stew turned out quite decent.

Those who made this dish often carefully preserved the leftover broth when leaving. Next time, they’d use it to cook, which had the same effect but tasted far better than starting from scratch.

Ever since Leon learned to cook, he’d been eating this stew during practice. The broth had already been reused over ten times by now.

Earlier that morning, while doing his daily tasks, Leon had casually collected some small bugs from the nearby area.

These bugs were something Leon had heard about from the locals at the base the night before. For years, they had been living off such insects.

The bugs Leon found were mostly two kinds. One was a sand scorpion from beneath the sand. These small creatures weren’t big, with the largest being only palm-sized. Their shells couldn’t be used to craft gear, and their venom wasn’t lethal, but they made for excellent food.

Cracking open the scorpion’s shell revealed meat similar to crab. If he found some smaller, tender scorpions, the taste would be even more delicious.

Moreover, the venom that couldn’t kill enemies made for a decent seasoning. Added to the soup, it gave off a spicy, stimulating flavor.

The other type was a mud grub found beneath the rocks. These bugs resembled fat, white silkworms and were not easy to handle. Eating them raw, while highly nutritious, wasn’t easy to digest.

The correct way to eat them was to pin the thumb-sized mud grubs onto a stone slab with an iron needle, sun-dry them, or sprinkle salt on them to draw out the moisture. The remaining dried skin could then be fried in oil, tasting almost like regular beef. In cooking, its effect was equivalent to a normal-sized piece of meat.

While completing his tasks, Leon casually caught quite a few sand scorpions and mud grubs. Before starting practice, he had already prepared them.

He placed the pot there, consuming a portion of the stew during breaks, and adding more processed insect meat until Victor showed up.

Carefully pouring the leftover broth into a silver flask, Leon ate the remaining meat chunks before speaking to Victor. "Senior Victor, have you finished today’s task?"

Victor sat down across from Leon. "It’s done, so I came over to practice. I didn’t expect you to have switched weapons. Are you not planning to follow the Reaper’s path anymore?"

Previously, Leon had an affinity for both shadow-attribute magic and physical combat, allowing him to follow the path of both magic and martial arts. The most popular cultivation path in this direction was the legendary Reaper’s path.

This path involved using a scythe in combat and curses in magic, eventually enhancing one’s control over undead forces. Once the job was secured, one could fight in close combat, cast curses, and command undead minions to easily snatch away the enemy’s life.

But now, Leon had switched to practicing with a spear. It was no wonder Victor was puzzled.

In response to Victor’s question, Leon smiled. "Didn’t you also switch to multiple paths before finally following the Soulbinder path? Although I spent a long time on the Reaper’s path, I eventually realized it wasn’t suitable for me. Now I’ve changed direction and am working hard towards this new path."

"Is it because of something you obtained in the dungeon?" Victor asked directly. "I don’t know what you got in there, but I’ve seen your efforts these past few months. The path you’re following now is completely different from the one you were on before. Starting over means all your years of hard work would be in vain. Have you thought it through?"

"I thought it over seriously for a month when I received the mission," Leon replied confidently. "In the dungeon, I was constantly worried about what would happen if I failed, especially since I had already sold all the materials I collected for the Reaper’s path before entering.

Luckily, my luck wasn’t bad. The mission was completed, and I obtained the key item. I believe I have enough time to start over."

"But your initial learning was wrong. The Reaper’s path focuses on strengthening control over undead, while the path you’ve chosen now is focused on building an undead city. You should be studying necromantic architecture, something you can’t achieve quickly," Victor pointed out directly.

"What do you mean, Senior?" Leon asked, looking directly into Victor’s eyes.

"Today, I used a summoning technique as per Lady Ember’ request. I think I know what Lady Ember is looking for here, and there are things among them that could be useful to you. I can tell you how to get them, but you’ll need to help me."