The day after Eust met Shook and Beta, he received a new mission from Sunny’s mission fruit.
Hunting missions and life missions were not Sunny’s current focus for ability development, and their rewards were not as beneficial as those from training missions.
Moreover, there is a bonus when completing life missions and choosing life-related rewards. Similarly, when completing training missions and hunting missions, choosing strength-enhancing rewards also has a bonus.
Naturally, Eust chose the training mission, which was most beneficial for his strength. The mission format followed Plan A while hunting and life missions were temporarily set aside.
Sunny detailed the new mission:
“Meow, Eust, the training mission requires you to complete 10,000 standard slashing swordsmanship exercises within 24 hours. The reward is a slight improvement in swordsmanship, and the penalty is losing your hearing for 24 hours. Meow!”
“Oh, this is a swordsmanship-related training. That’s good. My swordsmanship has just started, so I need more practice. Sunny, what exactly is the standard slashing motion?”
“Meow, Eust, just focus and imagine the motion. You’ll get the specifics through the mission fruit’s special ability. Meow!”
Eust began his swordsmanship training. He discovered that the standard motion provided by the mission fruit was more efficient than his usual training, so he decided to adopt it as his new standard.
However, completing 10,000 standard slashing motions wasn’t easy. If he trained for 10 hours, he needed to complete 2,000 slashes per hour. It didn’t seem like much at first.
Initially, it wasn’t a problem. However, the standard motion was draining his physical and mental energy. As his arms grew tired, continuing became difficult.
Even with reasonable breaks, Eust barely completed the task by evening. His right arm was too sore to lift, and he finished the mission through sheer willpower.
Lunch was simple, but Eust didn’t skimp on dinner. Returning to the inn, he ordered a lot of food, eating with his left hand, which improved his mood.
Eust’s awkward left-handed eating drew some attention, especially from little Rika, who came to ask about it. Since Eust often brought her small gifts, he had become her good friend.
Eust explained that his right arm was tired from sword training and assured her he would be fine by tomorrow, easing her worries.
Eust felt warm inside. Even in this pirate world, someone cared for him, even if it was a pure-hearted child. Whoever treated her well received her kindness in return, and Eust found comfort in that.
The next day, Eust’s right arm was much better, allowing him to practice basic sword moves without issue.
Thanks to the mission fruit’s reward, Eust noticed a significant improvement in his swordsmanship.
This mission fruit was indeed extraordinary. Directly improving physical attributes was standard, but other types of strength enhancements often surpassed it.
This time was no exception. Though the mission reward was described as slightly improving swordsmanship, Eust felt a substantial enhancement.
With no mission to complete that day, Eust planned a lighter training regimen to allow his body to recover fully.
Another piece of good news was that Sunny had fully recovered and resumed its special military cat training.
Eust knew Sunny’s cute appearance belied a strong will to become the strongest strategist cat. Sunny was serious about it.
Having such a companion was reassuring. Eust and Sunny could supervise each other, making the tedious training more bearable.
Two days after Sunny recovered, it issued a new mission, which was again swordsmanship training, much to Eust’s surprise.
This time, the mission required completing 10,000 sets of slash and upward swing combos within 24 hours. The difficulty was on par with the previous swordsmanship training. Eust gritted his teeth and completed the mission, gaining another slight improvement in his swordsmanship.
After two more days, Sunny issued a new training mission that wasn’t swordsmanship-related. Eust felt a bit regretful since the two previous swordsmanship improvements had greatly boosted his combat ability.
Previously, when Eust faced Bloodblade Karl, he was no match. His physical attributes and swordsmanship were both inferior.
Now, after just two swordsmanship improvements, Eust felt his skills were nearly on par with Karl’s at that time. Although he still lacked a finishing move, he could at least defend against Karl’s attacks.
In terms of specific numbers, Eust could previously handle two ordinary guards, while Karl could easily take on five. Now, Eust could likely handle four guards simultaneously, enough to fend off Karl’s basic attacks.
Eust’s regret stemmed from the new mission being basic physical training, requiring him to complete ten sets of “I Want to Be Strong” combo training within 24 hours, with a reward of a slight increase in physical attributes.
Although the physical training was tougher, Eust’s improved physique made it easier than the swordsmanship training.
Swordsmanship training required precise, standard movements with high mental focus, resulting in dual physical and mental fatigue.
Initially, Eust struggled with the techniques but mastered them with practice, reducing mental strain but not physical exertion.
The two swordsmanship training sessions not only enhanced his swordsmanship but also his mental state.
Eust even began to sense a faint awareness from his sword, the Tiger Cub, making him wonder if he had unlocked an ability similar to Roger’s “Voice of All Things.”
However, this awareness only applied to the Tiger Cub sword, likely due to the training rewards rather than his own abilities. Despite realizing this, Eust was still delighted.
He joked that with such benefits from just two swordsmanship trainings, he might eventually “soar to the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun.”
Of course, this was wishful thinking. He didn’t know that the Grand Line’s will limited the frequency of special rewards, only appearing when necessary.
In conclusion, Eust returned to physical training after two swordsmanship training sessions. He continued reading navigation books during his free time, growing increasingly eager to find a suitable navigator.
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