Before going to sleep, Ethan suddenly remembered—he had bought a special sword technique a while ago. The Light Sword Technique.
Tomorrow, he would head out for a hunt. Preparation was crucial; who knew what kind of unexpected situations could arise?
Ethan opened the skill interface and began to read its contents. A crisp notification sounded in his mind:
[Ding! A sword technique is detected. Comprehend?]
"Yes," Ethan responded silently in his heart.
[Ding! Light Sword Technique has been upgraded to Primordial-grade: "Absolute Speed Sword Technique."]
Primordial-grade didn't mean something as destructive as universe-level power. It meant origin—the foundation of all things. Just like how the bloodline of a hundred-generations-later child would be diluted compared to their ancestor, the Primordial version represented the original, undiluted form of a technique. The absolute best, without flaws or gaps.
The Light Sword Technique focused on speed. It had nine layers, and when fully mastered, it could boost one's speed to three times their normal limit.
In the world of martial arts, nothing was more terrifying than speed. If you could cut down your opponent before they could even blink, then it didn't matter how strong they were. A threefold speed boost could change everything.
For example, a Level 9 Martial Warrior had an average speed of around 80 m/s. With the Light Sword Technique at full mastery, that speed could reach 240 m/s—equal to that of an ordinary Level 9 Martial Master. That kind of boost was staggering. No wonder special techniques were so expensive.
Now, Ethan had comprehended the Primordial version—Absolute Speed. The principle was the same, but the power... was on a different level.
This version had only three levels:
Level 1: 3× speed
Level 2: 6× speed
Level 3: 10× speed
It may seem like just a few stages, but speed is a complex concept in physics. There are many variables to consider.
A man with 60kg of force won't necessarily be faster than someone with only 20kg of force.
In fact, a tenfold increase in speed is more powerful than a fiftyfold increase in strength.
Ethan currently had a base speed of 150 m/s. With a tenfold multiplier, that would become 1500 m/s—the level of a high-tier Martial Grand Master. And this tenfold multiplier would scale with him as he grew stronger.
Excited, Ethan began practicing the technique in the courtyard. Two hours passed in focused training.
[Ding! Absolute Speed Sword Technique Level 1 completed.]
With that, Ethan now had an 8x strength boost from his Level 6 Sword Intent and a 3x speed boost from Level 1 of the Absolute Sword Technique.
After training, Ethan took a shower and went to sleep.
The next morning, Ethan woke up at 7 a.m. He casually opened his status panel:
[Master: Ethan Hunt
Physique: 123.2
Spirit: 123.2
Talent: Infinite Comprehension]
He now possessed the strength of a Level 2 Martial Master, with an extra 23 tons of base strength beyond that. With his multipliers, he could face off against even a Level 9 Martial Master without issue—while still technically being just a Level 9 Martial Warrior.
After freshening up and eating breakfast, he noted that his parents hadn't returned home the night before. They had booked a hotel nearby and seemed to have found a renewed passion. Who knows? Maybe I'll have a little brother or sister soon, Ethan chuckled inwardly.
Then, he made his way straight to the Alliance Hall and called Charles.
Charles arrived shortly and invited Ethan into his office.
"I must say, Ethan," Charles said with a chuckle, "your imagination is amazing. This sword design, even the manufacturing company asked if they could buy the rights from you,hahaha."
He then presented the sword to Ethan.
The blade was a masterpiece of engineering and craftsmanship. It shimmered with a subtle bluish hue, like frost under moonlight. The fuller was etched with intricate runes—arcane and elegant. The hilt was designed for perfect grip, wrapped in dark leather. This was "Frost Mourne".The sword measured 1.2 meters—90cm blade, 30cm hilt.
It was elegant, yet exuded deadly precision.
Ethan touched the blade and felt a chilling cold. It was a C-9 series sword. With enough strength, one could battle a Level 9 Grandmaster-level beast—and the sword would remain unscathed.
He felt an overwhelming urge to wield it right then and there, but restrained himself.
Then Charles said, "I found a suitable team for you. The captain is a Level 9 Master, and the rest are also master-level. The vice-captain is already here. Let's go meet him."
Ethan smiled, "Thank you, Supervisor."
Charles waved him off casually. "Don't mention it," he said with a smirk.
Together, they walked out. The sword was strapped to Ethan's back. Dressed in a black shirt and white pants, his handsome features and tall frame gave off a heroic air.
As they exited, Ethan saw a yellow-skinned man sitting on a sofa with a woman beside him. They were chatting.
Upon seeing Charles, they both immediately stood and bowed.
"Hello, Supervisor Charles. It's an honor to meet you, sir."
Unlike Ethan's casual demeanor around Charles, others weren't as relaxed. Charles was a King-level Martial Artist—the highest level most of them could ever hope to meet.
Emperor-level experts were like deities; King-level was the peak of reality for them.
The two—Vice Captain Lukas and the sniper girl Rin—were visibly tense. Last night, Charles had suddenly summoned their team. The captain wasn't available, so they had come instead, feeling incredibly nervous.
Charles nodded in satisfaction. That's the proper attitude, he thought. Then he glanced at Ethan, who was still as free-spirited as ever, and sighed inwardly. What can I do with this kid?
"The team's name is Twin Sword Team," Charles said,"Relax. No need to be so nervous.I've called you here today to introduce someone. He'll be joining your team. His safety is your topmost priority. You're the best team available—don't let me down."
He then turned to Ethan and introduced him.
Ethan stepped forward and smiled, "Hello, brother. I'm Ethan Hunt. Nice to meet you all. I'll be in your care from now on."
Lukas was momentarily stunned, then the realization hit him. He was ecstatic.
A golden opportunity! To form ties with a person close to a King-level expert!
He then gave the brightest smile in his life infront of Ethan and said,
"Hello, Brother Ethan! You're a dragon among men! Don't worry, your safety is 100% guaranteed with us!"
Charles left them shortly after.
Ethan chatted with them for a while. The girl's name was Rin, and she was the team's sniper. Ethan greeted her as well.
"Let's go, Brother Ethan," Lukas said. "Let's meet the rest of the team. The captain will be there too."
Ethan nodded and followed. They rode in a military vehicle to a bar run by the Alliance Hall.
There, Ethan met the rest of the team.
The captain was Remond Grey, a tall man in his early 30s who used twin swords. He greeted Ethan with open arms and a wide grin.
Two more members were introduced—Mike and Tyson, twin brothers. Mike used a short sword, while Tyson wielded a hammer. They both nodded in greeting.
Lukas, as Ethan soon learned, specialized in energy guns capable of injuring monsters.
After introductions, they sat down and ordered tea and coffee. Ethan noticed they didn't drink alcohol.
Seeing his curiosity, Lukas chuckled. "Before heading into the wilderness, we don't touch alcohol. That could be fatal."
Ethan nodded in understanding and ordered a coffee himself.
Remond grew serious. "Ethan is new to the wilderness. For his first hunt, we should choose an area with low-level monsters and low density. What do you think?"
Lukas nodded. "Agreed. Area 37 should be ideal. It's close to the city, with relatively weaker monsters."
Everyone agreed.
Remond turned to Ethan. "Have you bought all your equipment? If not, we can help."
Ethan was touched by their sincerity.
"No need, Captain. I've already bought mine."
He then displayed his gear.
Mike's eyes bulged. "Damn, is that a sword from the Alliance? I've never seen one like it! Which grade is it?"
"It's a C-9 custom-made sword," Ethan replied with a slight grin.
The rest of the team went silent for a moment—then their eyes widened like footballs.
"C-9? Custom made? You can afford that? Are you secretly a bigshot?" Mike gasped. "Please, let me hug your thigh! You're my boss now! If you tell me to go west, I won't even glance east!"
Mike lunged at Ethan, who promptly kicked him away. "Get lost, you pervert!"
The group burst into laughter.
Ethan then showed them his D-9 armor, which caused another round of gasps. Armor, after all, was even more expensive than weapons.
With his daily show-off complete, Ethan felt extremely satisfied inside.
Then, the team stood up, ready to head out into the wilderness.
Ethan's eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation.