Chapter 22: The Secret Groove.

The Eighth Day

After building the shelter yesterday and getting enough rest, today, Ethan was supposed to begin hunting and foraging again. Time is of the essence, and he did not want to waste it. However, that did not happen.

From the time he woke up, he explored the surroundings of the place he was staying in. The reason was simple. Even though he thought he knew the outer area like the back of his hand from the experience in his past life, he soon realized something. There were still a lot of places he had never been in his past life, like the area where he had built his new shelter.

So even though time was of the essence, he still had to spend some time exploring, as that way he could know where the danger was and maneuver his way in times of danger.

Yesterday, after a brief exploration, he found a small pond near his shelter. After a bit more looking around, he found out that the pond was attached to some kind of waterway. He had some doubts that the pond was connected to something bigger. So, he followed the waterway in an attempt to find the main source of the pond.

As he followed the water upstream for about twenty minutes, he stumbled upon something unexpected. His guess turned out to be true. There was a huge waterfall crashing down jagged rocks into a crystal-clear pool below. The sound of the rushing water echoed through the trees. The view alone made him stop and stare for a moment.

As Ethan looked a bit closer, he saw there were many different beasts present here. From F rank to C rank. The surprising thing? No one was attacking one another. They just drank and bathed, as if they had an unwritten peace treaty among them.

The small pond near his shelter was nothing compared to this place. And seeing the size of the place, it seems like this place was the source of not only that pond but many water sources, like ponds and lakes around the forest.

This place was a huge bonus for Ethan. Not only did he secure another water source, albeit a bit far from his shelter, but he also found a great place for beast finding. A waterfall this huge was bound to be known by all the beasts nearby. The downside? It also meant more powerful beasts would be drawn to it.

Obviously, even if there were no powerful beasts among them, he would still not jump this place. Because there are just way too many beasts here. Even if they don't know how to coordinate, they can still make his whole existence go extinct if they just jump him at once.

Overall, though, it was a great find. So after putting it on his mental map, he started exploring the surrounding place.

While exploring the area nearby, Ethan came across another thing he wasn't expecting. A bigger surprise than the waterfall. Hidden behind a thick patch of brush and under a tangled mess of branches, he found a small grove. But what really caught his attention was what surrounded it.

Wilted, dying plants formed a rough circle around the place, almost like nature had drawn a line in the dirt, trying to hide this place from others. So it naturally piqued Ethan's interest.

He made his way to the entrance of the grove. As soon as Ethan stepped into the groove, his eyes lit up. He started to doubt his eyes for a moment, unable to believe that such a place was hidden in the outer area.

The place was packed with rare herbs, each one seemingly more valuable than the last. From the ground to the ceiling, everywhere that the eye could see, herbs filled the place. The air had this faint hum to it, and a soft glow was coming from some of the leaves, hinting at just how powerful these plants really were.

He crouched down, taking a closer look at the nearest bunch, careful not to step on anything.

The first thing that caught Ethan's eye was Shadowmoss. It was a deep green plant that gave off a faint shimmer when the light hit it just right. It was a favorite among hunters and assassins, known for helping people move quietly and blend into their surroundings. Of course, the process of making it into a pill was back-breaking, making the demand for it more than its supply.

Then he spotted Phoenix Bloom. Its petals were a bold, fiery red, and it gave off a gentle heat, like it was alive. This one was known for boosting stamina and protecting against extreme heat, making it a go-to for desert rangers and fire magic users.

But the real gem? A single stalk of the ultra-rare Lunarveil Grass. It glowed with a soft silver shine, its thin blades swaying even though there weren't any.

Ethan had only ever seen it once before in his past life. It was said to permanently sharpen the senses and heighten reflexes. It also gave a temporary boost, where it felt like time had slowed down. A single stalk of this goes for around 50k jeralds in auction, the highest going as high as 316k jeralds.

But the grove wasn't done surprising him just yet.

He spotted Skyroot Fern, blue and soft like feathers. When brewed into a tea, it was known to flush poison from the body, a lifesaver for anyone dealing with venom or toxins. It was especially popular among researchers and pharmacists for its healing nature.

Not far from that was Ironpetal, a tough, gray flower with a stem that felt almost like metal. Warriors used it in salves to temporarily numb pain and harden their skin in battle. It was a must to have for seasonal tanks during the invasion in his past life.

Then there were the Mistblossoms. Tiny, purple flowers that gave off a light, hazy fog. Rare and incredibly useful, especially for crafting smokescreens or tools to slip away unnoticed. Particularly popular among thieves and bounty hunters.

The sight almost moved him to tears, but he did not have time to be mesmerized. Ethan moved through the groove carefully, only picking the herbs that were fully grown. He made sure not to touch the younger sprouts or damage the roots.

He had the urge to take everything, like any normal and sane person. This place was a goldmine, but he knew better. If he picked all the herbs indiscriminately now, this place could never recover. If he left the young saplings alone, though, they could keep giving for years to come.

He knew that when nature gives you such a gift, you should always reciprocate it well. So even though it may seem a bit naive, he picked up only the mature ones that he deemed would be useful to him. He left the young herbs and the ones he deemed unnecessary alone.

By the time the sun had settled down behind the trees, Ethan had gathered a solid amount of rare, valuable herbs. He also mentally mapped out the grove's location, spotted some nearby beast hideouts, and even picked out a decent second spot that could work as a backup shelter if he ever needed it.

He did not have a single fight today, but the haul alone made this one of his most productive days yet.

Ethan was very satisfied with today. Mary, on the other hand, was in a completely different mood.

"Okay, seriously—just look at these materials! You're gonna love this layout, I promise!" she said, practically shoving a glowing catalog screen in his face.

Ethan leaned back, totally unfazed. "Can you not? I'm not blowing my free turn on buying building supplies. I am not going to blow it on anything silly either."

She let out an exaggerated sigh and crossed her arms. "Ugh, you're no fun. At least think about making a door for your shelter. You do want to survive, right?"

Yep. She was at it again, trying to pitch him something just like yesterday. Still, in her own overly enthusiastic, salesy way, she was trying to help.

{Well, she was trying to help herself, but that was not the point. The point is, she was trying to help someone.}

And just like that, the eighth day came to a close.

Tomorrow though? That was going to be different.

Tomorrow was a day for action.

Day 9.

The sun had just risen, casting a mellow golden glow over the forest. The air from his shelter felt especially fresh today.

"Yosh. Let's get the day started," Ethan muttered, stepping out of his shelter and stretching. The shelter was a compact structure of wood, rope, and large leaves. It was nestled up in a sturdy tree. While not a full house, it was stable, like a one-bedroom tree house with one open wall to keep an eye on the forest.

Mary's sarcastic voice rang out before Ethan could fully finish his yawn. "So what's the plan today? More exploring? Or are you gonna find something even more boring?"

She sounded exasperated, clearly out of patience. For once, she wasn't trying to shove a catalogue in his face.

Ethan gave her a sideways glance. "The sun just rose. How are you already here? Did you even go home last night?"

"Nope," Mary said in a mocking voice. "I was too busy admiring your handsome sleeping face. Just couldn't look away."

"Right. I'm sure that's exactly what happened," Ethan replied dryly, still stretching his hands.

Mary huffed and pointed at him dramatically. "For your information, I came to tell you I won't be around for the next week. You're on your own."

"Let me guess, still mad that I haven't bought anything?" Ethan asked with a smirk.

"What do you care?" she shot back. "It's not like you're gonna buy something just because I say so."

"To be fair, I did consider a few options," Ethan replied, raising an eyebrow. "You even explained their abilities to me, remember?"

Mary crossed her arms and scowled. "Oh, I remember alright. A 200,000-point cloak that resists elemental attacks under A-rank. A 150,000-point pair of shoes that triples your movement speed. A 540,000-point plant that's been extinct for centuries, one you could use to brew a body-enhancing elixir for your sister and Adrian. And let's not forget the 750,000-point pill that boosts all your stats by ten, which you wanted to give your sister."

Her voice was rising with every item explained. By the end, she was practically shouting.

"Can you blame me?" Ethan said calmly. "That cloak could save me from being one-shoted. The shoes would be perfect for escapes or stealth attacks. The plant could help those two grow stronger faster, and that pill? That's a game-changer. You know how hard it is for them to grow without special help."

Mary looked away with a loud "hmph." "Whatever. Do what you want. Just don't die while I'm gone."

White smoke began to appear around her feet, a sign of her departure. As she vanished, she added while showing her tongue, "And for the record, I was rooting for you. Idiot."

The smoke lingered longer than usual, swarming around Ethan's head.

He coughed, waving it away with. "Damn. Haven't seen her this pissed in forever. And judging by how much smoke she left behind, she's really upset this time."

A little while later.

Ethan was still coughing now and then, waving the last bits of Mary's smoke from his face. "Well, guess it's not all bad. Now I can go completely berserk without her always rebuking me."

That's right. During the time he was with Mary, he did not go all out with his training. Of course, it was not like Mary's rebuking was the only reason. He simply did not want to go full throttle from the start.

With Mary gone for a full week now and him being warmed up, Ethan would finally focus heavily on hunting and combat training.

Sure, he already fought quite a few beasts in the last eight days, but most of those fights had been reactionary. The monsters attacked first, and Ethan responded. And while those battles kept him sharp, they didn't give him the structured training he needed to grow stronger fast.

Now? That was about to change.

From this point forward, Ethan was going on the offensive. He would deliberately hunt down beasts, not just to survive, but to train and improve.

But don't get it wrong. He wasn't planning to throw himself at powerful monsters like an idiot. Ethan was many things, but reckless wasn't one of them. I mean, he is still a bit reckless, but he was not crazy. He planned to fight smart.

If the beast was stronger than him or if he was heavily outnumbered, he'd go all out with his sword, ability, explosives, and every tool at his disposal. He was even ready to use the two forbidden techniques he had banned himself from using ever again. Of course, if he can, his first reaction would be to escape in this escape.

But if the beast was equal to or weaker than him? That was when the real training would begin.

No explosives. No support tools. Just him, his sword, and his ability. Depending on the situation, he was even willing to limit himself further. Fight with one hand, restrict his movement, or withstand the attacks while standing still. The more dangerous the handicap, the more intense the growth.

Was it being arrogant? Maybe. After all, he did nearly die more times than he could count since arriving here.

But Ethan wasn't bluffing.

Because even if he didn't use his sword, even if he sealed off his ability, even if he tossed his explosives into a lake, he could still fight. And win.

How?

Well, that part... you'll just have to stay tuned to find out.