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A thought emerged:I should quit eating meat, quit drinking alcohol, wear clothes that don’t harm beasts in the process, refrain from violence, meditate for six hours a day, wake before dawn, sleep on a wooden board, and detatch myself from all worldly pleasures...
Adam’s face twitched violently.
Absolutely not!
A drop of sweat trickled down the side of his forehead. If it weren’t for the Lotus erasing the Will of the soul — the part that contained the personality and individuality — he believed he would have already shaved off his head by now and lived the life of an ascetic monk.
Overcome worldly desire? The youth sneered as he got out of bed and put on training clothes.
If that monk had truly overcome worldly desires, he wouldn’t have been consumed by greed and attacked Magus Stockholm.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Even a monk is not safe from the allure of the Lotus.
Behind the Rabbit Hole stood a large stable that housed dozens of finely bred destriers. It also served as a parking area for patrons who arrived on horseback, and the constant sound of neighing horses and busy stablehands filled the air throughout the day.
Attached to the stable was a small open courtyard. Though modest in size, it provided enough space for training. Every morning before work, Adam could be found there practicing combat techniques beneath the rising sun.
"Morning, Magpie!"
The stablemaster and the hostlers waved at the youth as he stepped into the courtyard. They had long grown accustomed to him showing up in the wee hours of the morning to do what they jokingly referred to as "dancing."
"Morning, guys." Adam waved at the fellow staff members of the tavern.
Everyone at the Rabbit Hole called him Magpie. It was a nickname born from the unusual color of his hair. Adam didn’t mind it in the slightest. He knew the name came from a place of affection. Everyone at the tavern liked him.
"Dancing again, are we?" The old stablemaster glanced at him and jested.
Practicing the Astral Tyrant Manual did make its user look as though he were dancing in a drunken stupor.
"Heh, not quite." Adam grinned. "Today, I’m going to switch things up a little."
He arrived at the center of the courtyard, feet firmly planted on the ground. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled deeply. He repeated the breathing exercise a few times.
The monk’s memories had taught Adam many things. But rather than gaining raw power, he had acquired deep insights and instincts.
The monks of the Celestial Bodhi Temple practiced a body enhancement manual known as [Bodhi Vajra Physique]. However, Adam had no intention of learning it, as he believed the [Astral Tyrant Manual] to be vastly superior.
Though incomplete, the [Astral Tyrant Manual]’s teachings still eclipsed every other body enhancement technique in his vast library of memories.
That said, the monk’s memories contained many combat techniques, monk-specific arts, and higher-level insights that Adam could fuse with the [Hand of Doom].
As for how powerful the resulting fusion would be, even he did not know.
But the potential was limitless.
Adam’s eyes snapped open, gleaming with mysterious depths.
The first thing to emerge was footwork — the foundation of all combat techniques.
He stepped forward, then sideways, then spun. His movements were fast and enigmatic, carrying him through the courtyard in a blur of shifting angles and flowing transitions.
Every step was placed with purpose. Every movement flowed naturally into the next. There was no wasted motion, no hesitation, no imbalance.
Years... decades... centuries... a lifetime of experience surfaced in his consciousness!
The monk’s understanding of footing, balance, and body positioning had become Adam’s own.
He glided across the courtyard like a disciple of the Celestial Bodhi Temple, his feet tracing invisible paths through the air. His body remained perfectly centered, no matter how abruptly he changed direction.
The stablemaster and the hostlers fell silent. So did the horses.
For a brief moment, as the raven-haired youth moved beneath the morning sun, it was easy to imagine a martial master from the famous Celestial Bodhi Temple practicing in the courtyard.
Adam finally came to a stop at the center of the courtyard. He exhaled a plume of steam.
The next moment, his expression twisted.
The muscles in his legs suddenly spasmed. Pain shot through his waist, calves, and thighs. Adam yelped and nearly collapsed on one knee.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!"
He hurriedly grabbed his leg and hopped in one place.
The monk’s memories had become his. His body, however, was another matter entirely.
Muscle memory was real.
The monk had spent countless years tempering his body, refining every movement until they became second nature. Adam’s mind understood the techniques perfectly, but his muscles, tendons, and joints lacked the conditioning required to execute them properly.
The result was immediate pain. A lot of pain.
As the cramp slowly subsided, the youth rubbed his aching legs and grimaced. His body would need time to adapt. It would need time to grow stronger. It would need a lot of hard work and perseverance.
Only then could it fully sustain the techniques and movements of an expert Paladin from the Celestial Bodhi Temple.
The backdoor of the building swung open, and one of the chambermaids stepped into the courtyard, waving a letter in hand.
"Magpie!" she called out cheerfully. "A letter for—eeeek! What happened to you?"
"Don’t mind me," Adam said, forcing a smile as he massaged his legs.
His mind then drifted to what the girl had just said.
A letter? Could it be...
"Who’s it from?" Adam blurted out, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
The girl snapped out of her stupor and awkwardly handed him the letter with an encouraging smile.
"Congratulations!"
Adam eagerly snatched the letter from her hands.
The moment his gaze landed on the wax seal stamped on the envelope, he burst into laughter. He laughed and laughed and laughed.
The stablemaster and the hostlers exchanged puzzled glances.
Meanwhile, Adam could barely contain his excitement. He tore open the envelope and quickly skimmed through the letter inside. His excitement only grew.
He had passed the Adventurers’ Guild’s practical test and interview with flying colors!
Now, only the initiation mission remained.
And it would begin the following day.