Chapter 36: (Third Update, Requesting Continued Readership) Second Sword Technique: Wind, Flower, Snow

A 20% increase in the transformation rate had rendered Mo Wen’s entire chest and back into a puppet structure. When tapped lightly, the feedback was a distinct, hard sensation. In a sense, one could say this enhanced the defensive capabilities of his vital chest area, Mo Wen thought, finding a sliver of humor in his misfortune.

Inside the cabin, Mo Wen looked down at the Cursed Puppet, which stared back at him with a frozen smile, his fingers clenching subconsciously. Facing the avatar of a Gold-rank Black-Rust Demon, he would never have held out until his captain’s support arrived without using the power of the Cursed Puppet. Given the suddenness of the event and the fact that the captain had not been following close behind, Julia’s arrival within ten seconds was worthy of her legendary reputation.

Yet, the price of using the Cursed Puppet was far too steep.

"Does a deeper understanding of the puppet accelerate the transformation?" Mo Wen felt a heavy weight in his heart.

The puppet-based abilities granted by the Cursed Puppet after being sacrificed were indeed immensely powerful. The barrier that blocked the Black-Rust Demon’s avatar was called the "Cage of Puppets," which summoned a multitude of puppet hands to form a formidable shield; its strength was tied to the power of the Cursed Puppet itself and Mo Wen’s own spirituality. The subsequent high-speed movement ability was called "Puppet Strings," the effects of which need not be detailed. These two abilities alone gave him the power to wound a Black-Rust Demon’s avatar—though it was only a scratch, that in itself was extraordinary.

However, Mo Wen had an inexplicable feeling. The strength of the Cursed Puppet was suspiciously high, as if it were a lure specifically set for him by the "Forbidden Item: Puppet Kingdom." The more he faced danger and relied on the Cursed Puppet’s power, the faster he would transform into a puppet himself.

"Hoo..." Mo Wen took a long breath and made a decision: "From now on, unless it is a situation of certain death, I must never use the Cursed Puppet again."

At the same time, he reflected deeply on the recklessness of his actions tonight. His dream journey last night had vastly improved his strength, leading to overconfidence—a confidence that was further bolstered by his easy victory over the veteran Iron-rank Evans. This was why, despite knowing of the existence of dangerous objects, he had taken Evans and two other low-level Iron-ranks to investigate all over Starfall Port.

"This world is dangerous. I must be cautious, cautious, and even more cautious."

After repeatedly warning himself, Mo Wen put the Cursed Puppet away.

***

Had he not been in such a poor mental state, he would have spent the entire night practicing sword techniques. "In the end, I am still too weak."

The next day, having slept early and fully restored his energy, Mo Wen stayed indoors, dedicating himself entirely to sword practice. His craving for power made him unwilling to waste even a single moment. It was not until the sky outside the porthole was stained with a dim, dusky yellow that he stopped his movements.

[Following sword practice... proficiency in Sword Technique: Thousand Wind Flow has increased!]
[Sword Technique: Thousand Wind Flow - Mastery Lv.2 (130/200) → Mastery Lv.3 (30/400)!]
[Physique +0.3 (gained [Half-Puppet Body] bonus, originally 0.1), Spirituality +0.1!]
[Sword Technique: Thousand Wind Flow - Mastery Lv.3 (30/400): ...When using sword-type weapons, speed increases by 35% → 40%, precision increases by 35% → 40%. Second sword art acquired. Current sword art list: First Art: Storm Cut, Second Art: Wind, Flower, Snow.]
[Attributes: Physique 2.9 → 3.2, Spirituality 1.2 → 1.3]
[Status: True Puppet Curse (22% → 18%)]

Quietly sensing the changes in his body, Mo Wen looked down at the iron sword in his hand for a long time. The next moment, he raised the sword and assumed a simple charging stance. After about half a second, he slashed at a wooden crate two meters away. At this distance, his longsword should not have been able to touch the crate at all. Yet, as the sword descended, a sword mark about one centimeter deep appeared on the surface of the crate.

This was the second art of the Thousand Wind Sword Technique: Wind, Flower, Snow. The name referred to a continuous stream of sword energy, like petals and snow dancing in the wind. Of course, with his current strength, he was far from achieving that. To avoid damaging the cabin, he had used only one-tenth of his strength for this strike, yet even at full power, he was still a long way from manifesting a sky full of flowers and snow. Still, being able to project sword energy was a qualitative breakthrough.

It meant his attack range had improved from short-range to mid-to-short range. Sheathing his sword, Mo Wen felt pleased. At the Iron rank, most melee-oriented professionals did not possess long-range attack methods; his [Black Beast Crewman] class was no exception. He had not expected that unlocking the second sword art at Lv.3 of the [Thousand Wind Sword Technique] would grant him a ranged option. Though its power did not match "Storm Cut," it might prove miraculous in the ever-changing heat of battle.

After his initial joy, Mo Wen analyzed the situation calmly. "Unlike 'Storm Cut,' the use of 'Wind, Flower, Snow' consumes not only stamina and energy but also spirituality! This is likely why the Lv.3 attribute bonus for the Thousand Wind Sword Technique includes 0.1 spirituality."

Glancing at the dusky twilight, Mo Wen tidied himself up and stepped out, arriving before the dream-entry chamber. Before he could knock, the door opened automatically. Mo Wen smiled and stepped inside.

Julia was still sitting at the experimental table, busy with something. Seeing Mo Wen arrive, she kept her hands moving and said, "For your second dream entry, you won't need my assistance. Using the data from your previous entry, I've tentatively upgraded the experiment and given it a brand-new function. In about two dream sessions, the instrument can accumulate enough energy to let you 'replicate' an item that your dream-self has touched. I saved the energy from the last dream, which means that after this time, you will be able to 'replicate' a dream item."

"Dreams and reality are two sides of the same coin. Therefore, the replicated item can also be called a 'Dream Object.' Its existence will not affect the existence of the original."

The eyes behind Julia’s glasses were filled with fervor: "Turning dreams into reality, turning dreams into reality—only then can it be called true dream-realization!"

Mo Wen blinked. After understanding, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes. There were many treasures in the Mein Principality; to say nothing else, the "Holy Relic" inside the Sealed Box was certainly a treasure. If he could "replicate" a Dream Object, it meant that the treasures obtained by his main body and his dream-self could be shared.

Thinking of this, Mo Wen looked at Julia and asked expectantly, "Captain, can we bring things from this side over there?"

"Theoretically, yes," Julia nodded, then changed her tone: "But in reality, there are technical difficulties I haven't overcome yet. The replication of a Dream Object uses the special energy collected during your dream process. This energy relies on 'it' to function, but here on the main body's side... there is currently nothing that can replace 'it.' Therefore, other than your body, you can't bring anything over."