I Devour the Multiverses and Collect Worlds, Beauties, and Trophies

Practicing Techniques and Hunting Beasts

I wasn't concerned about getting lost, as the only mountain peaks around were the ones the Blood Moon Sect was built on. Since they were quite tall, I could just look for them and walk in that direction.

I ventured straight into the forest, hoping to walk toward the center, though I didn't know where the center was. Hopefully, I would get lucky and be traveling toward it, or even if not, I hoped to go farther than the other disciples on their hunting trips so I could still find beasts for myself.

Birds were singing in the trees as I walked fast but not to the point of running. I wanted to get to my hunting area as soon as possible.

After about half an hour of walking, I was kind of bored. I thought I should practice my techniques while walking. Not just that, I should practice using the terrain. You never know when I'll be running from a crowd of assassins in a forest, or maybe I'll be the assassin doing the chasing. I imagined myself running through the forest and hitting a tree with all my limbs sticking out like a cartoon character, and the assassins rolling on the ground, laughing their asses off while trying to point and wiping the tears from their eyes. Hmm a no, let's practice.

As I walked by a tree, I punched it. Bark and wood fragments scattered everywhere. Even with my reinforced body, it still hurt a little. I decided it would be best if I bought some type of glove; otherwise, my fingers were going to be sore tomorrow.

I opened the shop and started looking through all the types of gloves. Some were more like gauntlets, but I really didn't need that much metal. After looking and some consideration, I settled on a long leather glove that went three-quarters of the way up my forearm, with thicker leather on the backside and thinner leather on the palm and underside. The glove also had overlapping metal plates made from grade 3 material to protect the fingers while still remaining flexible.

With my new gloves, I tried punching the tree again.

Boom!

Splinters and fragments scattered everywhere as if a small cannon had hit it. Ahh yes, much better. No more knuckle pain.

I decided to practice by picking a tree a little ways away in the direction I wanted to go, then practice the footwork while running and jumping onto and off trees, over or passing under the fallen ones while making my way to my target. Then, strike while moving and don't even stop. While still moving, pick a new target, rinse and repeat.

I took a few steps back, focusing my mind, and took off. Bang! Punch the tree as I pass. I spot another tree about 15 yards ahead for my new target. Take three more steps, there's a fallen tree still propped off the ground at an angle. I jump and use it as the next place to step. Up ahead and off to the left, there's a thick tree with no branches on the lower half. I take my next step off the log and onto the side of the trunk, then off the trunk onto a branch of the tree in front of it and back to the ground. After a few more steps and jumps, I reach the target tree. I strike Bang! as I pass; I've already found the next target.

As I keep repeating this process of randomly deciding my next step, whether it be the ground, a tree, a branch, a rock, etc., I can feel myself improving much faster than ever before. This excites me; I'm sure by the time I go back to the sect, I'll have perfected my techniques.

Bang!

Bang!

Boom!

The sound of my practice echoing off the trees made it sound like a mini war that could be heard in the vicinity. If there were ever beasts here to start, there sure aren't now.

I practiced the rest of the day and all night. When I saw light start coming back to the forest, I stopped. By now, I'm thinking I'm far enough from the sect that I should start hunting. I'm only a half-step away from perfecting my techniques, so they will definitely be perfected by the time I get back. My footwork now became instinctive, a part of every step I took. I also noticed how I started by randomly picking my next place to use as a foothold, but as time wore on, I started to be able to pick the most optimal path to the target. This was an unexpected great benefit as it will probably serve me forever in any multiverse with forests, no matter the power level.