The scorching sun filtered through the dense foliage, casting dappled shadows on the ground. A young man, dressed in white, stood beneath a tree, sword in hand. His long black hair fell freely, tied casually with a black rope to keep it in place.
The young man was youthful, yet his physique was impressively agile, and his eyes, in particular, always seemed incredibly sharp.
Nearby, under a shady tree, Lily Eastwood savored a candied hawthorn, occasionally glancing at the young man practicing swordplay. "What a foolish boy," Lily muttered.
In Lily's view, the main skill of Foxfire Mountain Lodge was fire, especially the 'Demon-Slaying Divine Fire,' considered the finest in the world. As a disciple of the lodge, the man should focus on mastering fire control.
As a member of the Eastern Spirit Clan, Lily had the ability to bestow fire upon others. Once he mastered controlling the fire, he could harness the clan's legendary divine fire. Hence, learning fire control was more important for him than swordsmanship.
If he wanted to practice swordsmanship, he would be better off with the Smith family, renowned for their swordsmanship, or the Black Blade family, known for their ruthless nature.
Sam, the young man, had no idea what Lily was thinking, and even if he knew, he wouldn't care. He stood quietly in the shade, completely focused. Sweat covered his forehead, and beads of it slowly soaked into his eyes, yet his eyes remained wide open, his expression serious, like a hunting hawk.
"Clang!" A clear, resonant sword clang suddenly resounded as he slashed forward.
Nearby, Lily licked her candied fruit with her tender white tongue, glancing up as Sam engaged in yet another routine gesture. She curled her lips in boredom. "Silly boy."
"Finally, one thousand," Sam murmured softly.
After continuous effort, he had achieved the feat of drawing his sword a thousand times.
As he whispered, a mechanical voice echoed in his ears. "Ding, congratulations, host! You've successfully drawn your sword a thousand times. Your strength has increased."
Along with the voice, Sam felt a surge of power flowing into his body, sensing his strength growing even more.
"Ding, congratulations, host! You've reached the Foundation Establishment stage."
A smile formed on Sam's lips. After three years in this world, reaching this stage was no easy task.
Three years ago, Sam unexpectedly arrived in this world. Meeting Daisy Eastwood and Lily Eastwood, he realized he was in the world of Fox Spirit Matchmaker. Overwhelmed with excitement, he fantasized about the future, especially the many beautiful women in this world.
There was the gentle and beautiful Daisy, the pretty and lovely Lily, the commanding Rachel Red, the aloof Yara Red, the cunning Rose Red, and the adorable Susie Red.
On his first day, he was captivated by Daisy. Seeing a real person, a character from anime, he understood the allure of her beauty.
Initially, his unique demeanor, unlike the men of this world, caught Daisy's attention. But soon, he caught the attention of Jack Phoenix, who secretly warned him.
Proud and arrogant, Sam didn't care about Jack's threats. However, during an outing, he was nearly devoured by a monster. Fortunately, Daisy saved him just in time.
Between life and death, Sam saw the true nature of this world, where strength reigns supreme. He suspected the monster attack was orchestrated by Jack, but no one believed him. Jack, the esteemed eldest disciple, seemed beyond treachery.
Faced with reality, Sam began to cultivate diligently. But his aptitude was mediocre. Despair set in until a few months ago when he heard a mechanical voice while practicing swordplay.
He realized he had a system that empowered him through swordplay. Excited, he discovered that becoming stronger required complete concentration. Each strike had to be perfect to count. Simply swinging the sword, no matter how many times, wouldn't yield success.
With determination, he practiced diligently. After months of effort, he achieved the goal of swinging the sword a thousand times, increasing his strength.
"Ding, congratulations to the host, you have completed the achievement of swinging the sword a thousand times, triggering the next stage of the task."
"The next stage is to swing the sword 10,000 times," the voice announced.
Sam's face fell upon hearing the new task. It had taken him months to reach a thousand. Ten thousand strikes seemed a daunting challenge that could take years.
And so, his journey continued.