Staring at the glowing window in front of him, Lin Kai could hardly suppress his excitement. He had no idea what he would gain from absorbing the bamboo, but whatever it was, it had to be better than his current state.
"Should I deposit it first or absorb it now?" He hesitated for a moment, his excitement cooling down. He still had to deliver three bamboo trees before dusk. If he kept up his current pace, it would take at least another six hours—assuming he didn't take any breaks.
"Screw it." After a brief internal debate, Lin Kai made up his mind. It was his first day after all, and he figured there was a little room for error. Even if he failed to meet the quota, surely they wouldn't punish him too harshly.
Wasting no time, he grabbed the fallen bamboo tree and glanced around to make sure no one was watching. He then dragged it deeper into the thick forest. Once he was hidden from view, he finally exhaled in relief. Lin Kai had no idea what the absorption process would be like. He didn't want to risk causing a commotion before he knew what kind of changes were about to occur. His only hope was that it wouldn't create any flashy disturbances.
[Absorb Iron Bamboo?]
[Yes/No]
Lin Kai took a deep breath. His fingers hovered over the selection before pressing [Yes].
[Absorbing…]
Holding his breath, Lin Kai watched as the bamboo was enveloped in a thin layer of darkness. To his astonishment, the massive tree that was twice the size of an average man began to shrink. Within moments, it had completely disappeared, leaving no trace behind.
[Congratulations! You have gained Iron Bones.]
Just as Lin Kai was processing this message, a searing pain shot through his body.
"Argh!" Lin Kai stifled a scream, biting down on his lip as the excruciating sensation coursed through him. He had expected something, but this... this was unbearable. His bones felt like they were shattering and rebuilding all at once, each crack resonating through his entire being.
Inside Lin Kai's body, his bones were fracturing, the cracks splintering through them only to be mended by some unknown force. His skull, spine, ribs—everything was undergoing this torturous process. The relentless pain drove him to the edge of madness, his vision blurring as his body was pushed beyond its limits.
Never before had he endured such agony. It was as if every cell in his body was screaming in protest under this unrelenting torment. Time lost all meaning, and by the time the pain finally subsided, Lin Kai found himself lying on the ground, drenched in sweat, panting heavily.
He gazed at the sky, noticing that dusk had already begun to settle. A weak chuckle escaped his lips. "That... was hellish..." The memory of the pain sent shivers down his spine, and for a fleeting moment, Lin Kai thought death was a better outcome.
But thankfully, it was over.
"My strength..." Slowly, Lin Kai peeled off his soaked robe, his hands trembling as he inspected his body. After three months at the Iron Fist Hall, his body had undergone minor improvements. He wasn't frail anymore, but he was hardly muscular either—perhaps comparable to a bundle of matchsticks rather than just one.
But now…
"Nothing seems different," Lin Kai muttered with a frown. He flexed his arms, feeling his muscles, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary. If not for the surging power throughout his body, he would have suspected whether the absorption had even worked. It was at this moment when suddenly, a small screen materialized in front of him.
[Name: Lin Kai]
[Realm: 8th Step (False)]
[Skills: None]
"This…" His heart skipped a beat. Lin Kai stared in disbelief. After months of grueling effort, he had barely scratched the surface of martial arts in the Iron Fist Martial Hall. Yet now, not only had he entered the realm of martial artists—he had surpassed it, leaping into the eighth step in one go.
For a moment, he felt as though he were dreaming. How could someone like him, who had struggled for so long, suddenly jump to a realm most could only fantasize about? But the power surging through his body was undeniable—it was real.
Regaining his composure, Lin Kai rose to his feet and left the forest, walking back toward the dirt road. He wrung out his drenched robe and threw it over his shoulders. The cold air chilled his skin, but it was better than walking around naked.
"Once someone practices martial arts long enough, they enter the ranks of martial artists," Lin Kai muttered as he recalled what he'd learned at the hall. "The first realm is the ninth step—the realm of muscles."
He gripped the axe tightly in his hand and continued his quiet monologue. "To reach the ninth step, one has to refine their muscles, gaining the strength of five hundred pounds. Only then can they be considered ninth-rank masters."
Lin Kai paused, letting the weight of his newfound strength sink in. "But the eighth step... that's on another level. To reach that, one's bones must transform into iron, vastly increasing their raw power."
He fell silent, gripping his axe tighter. Without another word, he walked to the next bamboo tree and positioned himself in front of it. With a deep breath, he swung the axe with all his might.
Bang
A loud crash echoed through the forest as the bamboo split nearly in half.
"This... this..." Lin Kai stood frozen, staring in shock at the damage he had caused. It didn't seem real. Did he really just cut through half of the Iron Bamboo with a single swing?
It wasn't a dream. Lin Kai had truly entered the eighth step.
"But why does it say [False]?" Lin Kai couldn't help but narrow his eyes. While it was true that his bones had been refined, the same couldn't be said for his muscles.
After thinking for a long time, Lin Kai was suddenly hit with a hint of realization.
"Is that the case?" Lin Kai finally understood his situation. He may have refined his bones, but his muscles were still those of a normal human. This meant that even though he had the raw strength of an eighth-step warrior, he couldn't properly exert it due to the limitations of his body.
Although Lin Kai didn't know everything, he was fairly sure this was the case. To test his theory, he clenched his fists tightly before throwing a punch at the bamboo tree in front of him. The moment his fist connected, pain shot through his hand, causing him to grimace.
Just as he suspected. He didn't even use twenty percent of his power and had already hurt himself. No wonder the path of martial artists was like a stairway—one had to climb it step by step. Until he refined his muscles as well, Lin Kai could only tap into a fraction of his true strength.
With this realization in mind, he rubbed his aching hand, ignoring the discomfort.
"Looks like I need to find a way to refine my muscles too," he muttered absentmindedly, but no clear plan came to mind.
Him becoming an eighth-step warrior had been pure luck... perhaps beginner's luck. But unless he made active efforts, he knew luck wouldn't carry him much further.
Determined, Lin Kai shifted his focus back to his task. "But first..." Picking up the axe, he swung it at the half-cut bamboo tree, finally chopping it down completely.
If anyone had been present, they would have been terrified to see how easily he cut through the iron bamboo—a task that normally took hours for an ordinary person. This was the strength of a warrior, far beyond the reach of normal humans.
After chopping down the bamboo tree, Lin Kai picked it up, ready to transport it. But as soon as he touched it, a familiar window popped up in front of him.
[Absorb Iron Bamboo?]
[Yes/No]
"This..." Lin Kai stared at the window, at a loss for words. "Can I absorb it again?" he wondered. What would happen if he did? Would his strength increase, or would it stay the same? He had no idea, and the only way to find out was to try.
"But..." Glancing at the darkening sky, Lin Kai hesitated. The first time he absorbed the bamboo, the transformation took an entire day. He didn't dare imagine what would happen if he tried again so soon.
Suppressing the temptation to select [Yes], Lin Kai focused on chopping two more bamboo trees with ease. Afterward, he dragged all three trees toward the clearing.
By the time Lin Kai arrived, only a middle-aged man was sitting there. Nearby, a large pile of bamboo trees had already accumulated.
"You're back?" The man had noticed Lin Kai's presence. Opening his eyes, he glanced at the boy before his gaze settled on the three bamboo trees at his side.
"Good, you've completed the task." The man's usually stoic face softened with a smile, clearly satisfied with Lin Kai's work.
"Go on… be sure to come back tomorrow at the same time." With those words, the man gestured for Lin Kai to leave.
"Umm..." Lin Kai simply nodded, then moved the bamboo trees to the pile in the corner.
After giving the man one last bow, Lin Kai slowly made his way back to his room. Today had been the most fruitful day of his life. Not only had he absorbed something, but he had also stepped into the ranks of martial artists. No matter how he looked at it, his situation was perfect.