Sword's Path of The Reincarnated Painter

I feel like puking up my dinner from last night, but knowing how precious food is, I forcefully swallow it back.

"Eugh. Sh- I hate Portal."

"Well, you're going to need to get used to dimensional shift eventually. After all, the most convenient mode of transportation is Warp Gates made by imperial mages."

"I hate those imperial mages or whatever."

"I bear the same sentiments."

Genuine animosity could be heard from his impassive voice.

In some twisted way, a sense of camaraderie between us began to take form.

'I will keep those imperial mages in mind then.'

Since Master hates them as well, there's no reason for me not to hate them either.

After saying those words, Master's pace speeds up. Hurriedly I trailed behind, my ear perked warily at my whereabouts.

Birds chirping, ruffling peaceful vibrations of vegetation, crunching of dead leaves scattering all over the path I walked.

"Whoa!"

I almost trip on a tree root. I am very unfamiliar with a forest environment; due to living in a modern society, I have never stepped foot in a jungle or any wild environment to speak of.

'I do remember having hiked on some mountains with my family, though.'

That's the closest I have ever been to connecting myself with nature.

Except for the time I almost got buried alive, that is.

"This is why you need this experience."

His tone is serious and filled with conviction. I won't deny the necessity of this survival lesson; after all, I intend to become powerful. What kind of strong person immediately falters the moment they step foot in a forest? It won't be me, that's for sure.

"I understand, Master."

With my current hearing and perception, I could immediately discern a lot of the wildlife in my immediate one hundred meters radius; farther than that, I will have to put in some effort.

I could hear the crawling of bugs, the slithering sounds of what I can only assume is a snake, and there are also the vibrations of small creatures running at high speed.

The forest brought me an alien sensation of tranquility; oddly enough, instead of calming me down, all of my neurons seemed to be on high alert.

'Is this what they call primal instinct?'

The instinct of our ancestor seeped deep into my DNA; it gave me the wariness necessary for survival. Of course, it was a dull, almost unnoticeable change in my psyche, but I was keenly aware of it due to my heightened senses.

Suddenly, Master stopped, and aware of his presence, I also follow his action. Stopping myself from any movement

I am now deep in the forest; our walk might not be long, but our speed was fast. At a leisurely pace, I could reach a decent speed of thirty-five kilometers an hour.

"This should be sufficient. I will be going now; you fend for yourself here; I will pick you up on the 53rd of Moon."

'Oddly specific date.'

Though today is the 52nd of Moon, it was sufficient to say tomorrow, a seed of suspicion takes root in my mind.

'This old man is planning something. I don't know what it is, though.'

"Yes, Master!"

"Remember, if you meet an Outsider, try your best to kill it. It's going to affect your evaluation. You don't want to perform badly on your test, right, Roan? Your mother would be so sad and upset."

"…Yes, Master."

'What in the manipulating tactics is this? He's said it like I'm a primary student… wait, I am.'

'I knew it that this would be a lesson; he just said that to make Terrisa happy.'

Though complaining, I was not too surprised; this old man is definitely the kind of teacher who throws a kid into the ocean and tells them to swim.

After five months—one month and a half—of spending time with him, albeit still not close, I could understand him to some extent.

Our first meeting, also his first 'test,' was meant to teach me the value of strength, my powerlessness, and my wastefulness in utilizing my advantage.

While he did say to think what I wanted to think, at the end of the day, what his intention is doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. What matters is that I learned an unforgettable lesson that day.

"By the way, I have—"

Before I could finish my question, his presence was gone; there was no longer a master in front of me. In front of me now is the endless lush vegetation untouched by civilization.

But before he's gone, he leaves behind an echo.

"If you do well today, I will teach you Mana Sense."

"Shit, he's tempting me with that again."

Mana Sense is something he used to tempt me into doing these kinds of tests. I have a fair share of tests under this excuse, though most of it was just me sparring—getting beat one-sidedly—with him.

Anyways, now that I am all alone in a forest without food or water. I need to devise a plan so that I can survive the day.

In technicality, I do not need water or food to survive one day in the wilderness, but the mental anguish will definitely be something I don't look forward to.

So, first on the list.

"Let's go find a river or lake. Preferably a river."

I am no survival expert, but clean water is more important than food under all circumstances. I don't have any particular interest in survival books, but I do have some surface knowledge in wilderness survival.

Like running water is safer to drink and purify than stagnant water. And a good way to find water is to follow an unsuspecting animal.

'I could do that.'

With that a flimsy plan in mind, my journey began.

***

Hour 1:

Before doing anything, I decide on a way to track my way. Though it has to be extremely conspicuous. As a blind person who barely has a sense of direction, this is what I come up with.

Making a trail using my sword.

Yes, I was that simple; at all times, I should use my scabbard to carve out a path so that when I touched the ground, I wouldn't get lost too easily.

There may be a better way to do this, but I'm no blind survival expert, so this has to make do.

Scrape.

Scrape.

Scrape.

Scrape.

Hopefully, with minimized reverberation, this wouldn't alert small animals.

…

I managed to detect a small animal in my vicinity; it doesn't spot me yet, so I trail behind it at a considerable distance.

To not lose faint vibrations of running from the animal I am following, I keep most of my attention on it.

From touching the ground and checking the pawprint of the animal, I can determine that they are small in stature; the distance between each pawprint is quite small, meaning their body is compact and excels in speed.

'A prey animal, maybe a rabbit? It is similar to the rabbit I caught back in the orphanage, but there's a difference.'

I didn't discard my vigilance. Instead, I raised it by a notch; periodically, I would scan my surroundings with my hearing once in a while to keep track of unexpected changes.

The vibrations I can pick up from the ground are not very substantial due to moisture, but they are enough to keep track of predators.

Though questioned about my decision to follow this rabbit-like creature, I persistently try my best to keep up with it while remaining hidden from detection.

Occasionally, the rabbit would engage in a fierce chase with predators, but somehow it always manages to come out on top.

'It is quite impressive.'

Due to my big size and imposing sword, predators like snakes or bears tend to avoid me. Meaningless struggle after is not survival.

Eventually, an hour passed, and with it I reached my destination.

Hour 2:

Following the rabbit, I managed to reach a water source; though not a river, it is more than I could ask for.

Tap.

Tap.

Rhythmic tapping of my scrabbad echo off the close space.

'Looks like I'm in a cave. Great, now I have a shelter.'

Tapping the ground hard with my sheathed sword.

Clenck.

'Yep, it's rock solid. My tracking method is now useless.'

Though I now have a clear surface to put my hand on, so I wouldn't exactly be helpless without the sword trail.

'Anyways, let's go check it out.'

There could be some dangerous beast living here, but if I don't go too deep, it should be fine.

In the distance, a waterfall was running, flowing smoothly into a small pond. Various prey animals seem to see this place as a safe place where they can vulnerably drink water.

This sight would have been a magnificent scene if not for the fact that I can't perceive it with my eyes.

'Hah, whatever, at least I found water, and with small animals here it means that I don't have to worry about food.

'This place is great. It's almost too convenient to be honest. But I don't mind.'

After admiring the waterfall with my ear. I decided to delve deeper into the depth of this cave.

'Even if it's dangerous, I at least need to survey my new residence.'

It was a stupid and impulsive decision, nevertheless not unnecessary.

Hour 3~4:

I have spent more time trying to gauge the size of this place, yet the vast expanse still surprises me.

'Sure, I wasn't running at max speed, but this is absurdly huge.'

The cave started to become too huge for my liking; the bigger the cave system, the more diverse the ecosystem. With it comes unknown danger.

On Earth such things would be too significant, but on Tyros, where even a kid could kick the strongest man on Earth's ass while eating their breakfast, I wouldn't put my money on this cave being normal.

'This cavern must be like those crystal caves back on Earth, right?"

I occasionally got pricked by some protruding rocks, but after some examination, it would be anything but rocks. It was crystals, a whole bunch of it concentrated here.

'Damn, I regret not going on that trip back then.'

The info I could have learned while on a trip to a crystal cavern would have been somewhat helpful in dealing with this situation, even if we exclude the magical aspects.

After wandering around the shallow depth, I decided to go outside of the cave to get some wood.

Following the wall, I make my way back in amazement.

'This cave is too good to waste; I'll make base near the entrance. Hopefully it would give me leeway to run away from outside and inside threats.'

That's the plan; in the meantime, I need to harvest some wood and make a fire.

Hour 5-7:

It was more time-consuming than I thought. I would have been faster if I had engaged in combat with some of the animals on the way instead of taking the long way.

At the end of the day, this is a survival test; any danger is unnecessary danger.

After some grueling hours playing the waiting game with beasts, I could only assume that it was a group of Outsiders. I finally make it back to the base.

It may sound odd that there are Outsiders here in the wilderness; there are two possibilities.

There is a Rift nearby.

The Outsider, after integrating with the nature for a long time, became an indigenous species.

Both probabilities have their issues, yet they lead to the same conclusion.

'I'm fucked.'

Either way, there is a high chance of this forest having a colony of monsters, so avoiding them is of utmost priority.

'Is this why he chooses this forest? I know that it would be easy, but this is insane.'

I can't possibly take on a horde of monsters even if they haven't reached the First Ascension. That would be suicidal.

'Is that why he said I should kill all of the Outsiders I meet? Should I separate them and take them out one by one? I can't possibly do that in 24 hours.'

Anyways, putting the evaluation aside, I make my way deeper into a cave, reaching its outer rim. There I tried my best to light a fire from memory.

'I should take two sticks and rub them together, right?'

With both hands holding a stick and a chunk of firewood right in front of me. I began rubbing the sticks together.

It broke.

'Was I too strong? I guess I am. Again.'

Again.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Again.

And Again.

'I guess I don't need fire right now.'

I think killing some Outsiders now has its merit.

With some resolution, I begin a hunt for Outsiders.

'Hopefully they're pack creatures.'

Hour 8:

They were pack creatures.

I'm not too sure about the species, but they shouldn't be kobolds; maybe it's goblins or a maul dog; their footsteps have similar shapes after all.

I do have some elementary education before this test about various common species of Outsiders. Though I didn't really remember the exact description of their appearance, I fully committed the shape of their foot to my mind.

Of course, due to various environmental factors, fully determining a species of Outsiders through their foot shape alone is improbable.

'I should be able to do this.'

They may be pack hunters, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to lure one out of the pack with a careful trap. underprepared

'Hmm… This is tricky.'

Setting up a trap with decent lure while not knowing the species while also being blind is a tall task even for me. But taking them on all by myself poses much more significant risk.

'Wait, I don't have rope or a shovel.'

I forgot that I was poor; well, poor wouldn't be the right excuse, more like underprepared.

'Shit, then my only option is somehow finding a lone Outsider then.'

My task here is both a hand-off survival lesson and a test of adaptation—at least that's what I infer. So, I need to at least hunt something to prove my improvement over the last five months of arduous training.

'This is so stupid.'

…

After a while of hiding and snooping around the bushes, I manage to find a lone Outsider; this one appears to be a harvester of its colony since it has been picking up random stuff off the ground for a while now.

'A great prey, but just to be sure I'll wait.'

I need to pay attention in case there are support of other Outsiders; in any case, it would be wise to make sure there aren't any protectors nearby.

Growing impatient by the minute, the Outsider slowly approached my hiding spot. My urge to attack grows relative to the distance.

'I could assassinate it… let's go for it.'

Step. Step. Step.

'Three…'

"Gruk, Guke ger guk."

It sounds like some silly song.

'Two…'

Closer and closer, unknowingly the innocent creature moves toward the Door of Passing.

'One…'

With my longsword in hand, I lunged at the alien creature. It was fast, sudden, and most importantly, unexpected.

In one fell swoop, the sword reached the beast's abdomen.

'I missed. That's just great.'

Due to having no sight and no formal training in swordsmanship, I decided to follow up with a kick, making it fall to the ground, as it is the most reliable method of incapacitating your foe.

Swoosh

My bare foot touched the leafy cover; behind those leaves was rough hide with a spike-like surface. It was like sandpaper but a hundred times worse.

'A Desert Dweller? I thought they only lived in hot climates. Maybe it's variant… Was it Woodland Stalker? Maybe it's a different one.'

Ignoring the pain, I committed the kick and finally took down the Stalker(?).

Repeatedly, I stabbed the beast with my sword in various places; after determining where its head lay, I headed straight for the kill.

'It was so much easier than the kobold; was I just weak, or was that kobold incredibly strong?'

A sudden rush of unknown strength seeped into my pores, entering my system, finally settling inside of my circuit.

'So, this is the so-called EXP. How pleasant!'

It's a novel experience. Though I do not get stronger immediately, after refining those foreign strands of mana, I should be able to achieve a breakthrough.

'Great! Now let's get back to the camp… Is this stalker eatable? Whatever it is, it will only attract unnecessary attention.'

Besides, the group of animals inside the cave wouldn't go anywhere.

Hour 9~10:

Tap.

On the way back, I had many encounters with Outsiders, though they didn't seem to be similar to the Stalker I killed.

This forest appears to be populated by a variety of wildlife and Outsider species, making it extremely diverse.

'Is this some kind of national park? How are there so many species? Now, I am not even sure if the first group of Outsiders I met was the same as the Stalker I killed.'

It was almost inconceivable that such a place existed at all on Tyros due to the immediate extermination notice on all rifts issued by the Adventure Guild the moment an opening was detected.

'How can the old man even find places like this… Whatever, it doesn't matter; I need to raise my status now.'

Making my way inside the cave, counting the distance in my head, I stumble on the pile of wood I collected hours before, making me wobble and almost fall down.

'Guess I overshot it.'

Sitting down, I meditate for a bit, trying to refine the untamed alien mana. After attempting to wrestle for control for approximately thirty minutes, the mana relented.

'It's a bit slow…'

After relinquishing its control, the mana slowly incorporated itself into my being at a very slow pace.

'It would take until tomorrow for all of this energy to be digested. In the meantime, my stomach also needs to digest something.'

 The animals inside their sanctuary suddenly felt chill, yet they didn't move as they believed nothing would happen to them; many years of relaxation have dulled their sense of danger.

Hour 11~13:

'How long has it been? 11? 12? Half a day should have roughly passed.

Lying comfortably after a hearty meal, I suddenly got bored.

With no activity in mind, my body became languid yet craving action.

The fire burns brightly beside me, bringing warmth to the lonely cave.

Before beginning the hunt, I succeeded in creating a makeshift bonfire.

After catching a rabbit, or something similar, I'm not sure, I skinned it and then let it bleed out. Finally, the preparation process was done.

While I cooked it thoroughly, almost burning it, I reminisced about a time when my father—a butcher—taught me about preparing animal meat; a sudden wave of sadness overcame me.

'Thanks, Dad.'

A smile showed its crescent; it was a fond memory. Even though I didn't inherit his business, I was glad to be his son.

…

'What to do…'

Maybe I should swing my sword. I heard that one way to train swordsmanship is to swing a sword a thousand times or something.

'But there may be sudden ambushes. I can't afford to be tired then.'

Regardless, I am bored out of my mind with nothing to do; even if I sacrifice a bit of my stamina, I wouldn't be that significant.

'Hah, it seems like regression in age comes with the impulsiveness of youth.'

Though my rational mind screams out, my impulsive side won at the end of the battle.

'Fine. Just a thousand.'

It wasn't a thousand.

Hour 14~20:

I have fallen into a trance; something I didn't realize while swinging the sword back when I was in training is how horrible my alignment is.

Struggling to even pick up the sword, I didn't care about if I got the swing right or not. Now holding a proper sword, it feels as if a new world was open to me, a world filled with flaw.

'How is my hand coordination so poor!'

It was one of my strongest suits, yet after not training my coordination in the ten years of my new life, my dexterity has fallen off hard.

'I can't call myself an artist like this. I need to fix this.'

Hours passed since that fleeting thought, but a goal has been set. Yet Rome wasn't built in one day.

Ilay, with my back toward the rock wall of the cave, completely exhausted, my hand is numb, and my wrist is now screaming due to my various exercises to strengthen flexibility.

'It wasn't worth it. But I did make some progress.'

Now I can swing the sword in a straight line most of the time and can change my trajectory somewhat by twisting my hand.

Though crude, it was an achievement that only took roughly six hours, which is faster than I expected.

'Maybe it's muscle memory.'

Not likely to be the case, but there is no more explanation I could think of since mana doesn't help in this regard.

'Maybe… this body… is j…ust… that… tal…ent…. So… sl..ee…

Though I need to stay vigilant, unknowingly I fall asleep soon after due to the comfort of the blazing fire and the buildup of fatigue.

Hour 21~25:

It was the first time in a while that I got a good sleep, though my muscle was still sore; it was much better than when I was training with my master, Luben.

But there is one question in my mind after waking up.

'Why am I still here?'

Day 2:

'Shit.'