'The Hidden Weapon Skill... He actually managed to unlock it!'
A look of pleasant surprise filled Qin Fang's eyes as he watched the description for 'Hidden Weapon' materialize on the panel.
'...This Golden Finger is real!'
'I can actually develop it through my own efforts!'
For the past three or four months, although he had the Dagger Skill, his progress with it had been slow. Moreover, all his attempts to acquire more Skills through other means had ended in failure.
To be honest, he had some doubts about the effectiveness of this Golden Finger.
He couldn't help but feel anxious and insecure.
But now, through his own hard work, he had actually unlocked a brand-new Skill!
The joy he felt was completely beyond words.
This wasn't just as simple as gaining a 'Hidden Weapon' Skill...
It represented the undeniable reality of his Golden Finger!
After clenching his fist in delight, he couldn't wait to see what was different about these 'entry-level' Darts.
The moment he gripped a dart, he immediately felt a distinct difference.
They were the same Darts, but before, whenever he threw one, he had no idea where it would land or what the result would be.
This time, however, an indescribable sense of certainty washed over him the moment he gripped the dart.
He could clearly picture it in his mind: exactly what force and angle he needed to use to achieve a specific effect.
Following that feeling, he threw the dart without hesitation!
SWOOSH!
THWACK!
The second dart traced the same arc, instantly hitting the wooden board!
Qin Fang's eyes lit up.
With one dart left in his hand, he channeled the same feeling and flicked it out.
SWOOSH... THWACK!
The third one also buried itself in the board!
Qin Fang's eyes widened. He hurried forward, pulled out the four Darts, and returned to his spot.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
The Darts flew out one after another.
Every one of them hit the wooden board, sinking deep into the wood!
Qin Fang was stunned.
Although his accuracy was still questionable—he hadn't hit the bullseye...
...ever since 'Hidden Weapon' had appeared on his panel, at least every dart now landed securely in the board!
'...This is incredible!'
Qin Fang's eyes widened, and a sudden realization dawned on him...
"Is this... the effect of the 'Eternal Dao Fruit'?"
"As long as I master a Skill, I can always perform it in its optimal state?"
Even Qin Fang was shocked when this thought surfaced.
After all, a person's performance fluctuates.
It's like playing a video game. Sometimes, when you're on a roll, a Silver player can pull off Challenger-level plays.
But when you're having a bad day... you get completely thrashed.
Just because you've learned a Skill doesn't mean you can always maintain peak performance.
Why do acrobats go through tedious practice day after day? Isn't it just to maintain their optimal state?
It's true for competitive gaming, and it's true for acrobatics...
Clearly, cultivating Martial Arts... followed the same principle!
When you're in good form, a punch might carry more power.
When you're not, it might just be average.
But now, every dart Qin Fang threw was delivered with the optimal force he was capable of!
How could Qin Fang not understand what was happening?
It had to be the effect of the 'Eternal Dao Fruit' from his Golden Finger!
This made Qin Fang gasp.
The effect seemed inconspicuous, but it was undoubtedly terrifying.
Because it meant Qin Fang could maintain his optimal state at all times!
Even if he stopped practicing now, whether he picked up a dart after ten days, half a month, or even a year... he'd still be just as proficient!
This...
Qin Fang was shaken.
Then, his eyes began to shine with an unprecedented brightness.
In such a chaotic world, with a Golden Finger like this, as long as he had enough time...
Qin Fang's body trembled slightly.
Only after a long while did he let out a long breath.
He gradually suppressed the excitement in his heart.
Then he looked up and realized that, without him noticing, the sky had grown dark and his stomach was growling.
A wave of exhaustion then washed over him.
...Unbeknownst to him, he had been throwing Darts for several hours.
He hadn't felt it much while he was completely focused.
But now that he had snapped out of it, the full force of his body's fatigue rushed in. His arms were so sore he could barely lift them...
"Hiss..."
Qin Fang winced, his eyelids twitching. 'This body is still too weak... I need to recover as soon as possible.'
He thought to himself.
Then he let out a soft breath and glanced at the wooden board. 'Forget it. Haste makes waste. I'll stop here for today.'
He dragged his exhausted body toward the kitchen...
The house naturally had a kitchen, and there was a pile of firewood inside. Qin Fang had already cleaned it out today, so he could cook.
The staple foods Elder Wu had brought him were coarse flour and sorghum rice... But he was too tired to knead dough right now, so he could only rinse the sorghum rice and put it in a pot with water to boil.
Elder Wu had been very thoughtful; the supplies he brought included flint and tinder. Of course, Qin Fang had never started a fire this way before...
Fortunately, however, he had the memories of the body's original owner, who had often done manual labor. This task was naturally no challenge for him.
After deftly lighting the stove, Qin Fang started to cook.
'I'll just have some sorghum porridge for dinner.'
While waiting, he held a dart and fiddled with it, a glint in his eyes.
...Qin Fang found it to be a curious feeling.
Once you've mastered a technique, you can't help but want to use it.
It was like when you were a kid, holding a long, straight, thin stick, and you walked past a field of bright yellow rapeseed flowers... What would you do?
...Qin Fang was now holding that 'stick'.
But he knew his body's condition. His hands were incredibly sore, so in the end, he restrained himself...
An hour later, after eating, Qin Fang returned to his room.
He glanced at the panel from time to time.
The 'Hidden Weapon' Skill by itself wasn't much.
But the meaning behind it was immense.
This thing was called hope!
For the first time since coming to this World, Qin Fang slept soundly and peacefully...
...
For the next few days, Qin Fang's life fell into an extremely stable routine.
He spent every day in the courtyard, throwing Darts.
Now, every dart he threw could hit the wooden board, but his accuracy wasn't great. Only one out of every three to five Darts would hit the bullseye.
"Eternal Dao Fruit means that a mastered technique won't be forgotten, the application of force is perfect, and there are no amateur mistakes. But many factors affect accuracy, not just the technique of applying force... I still need to polish it..."
Qin Fang came to a realization.
After all, he was only at the 'entry-level'. It was impossible to immediately reach the point of 'never missing a shot'.
But with his complete immersion, his understanding of the Darts grew, and the numbers after Hidden Weapon increased quickly.
'Hidden Weapon (entry-level): 63/500...'
'Hidden Weapon (entry-level): 64/500...'
In just three short days, he had ground it up to over sixty.
At this rate, he would be able to advance from (entry-level) to (Minor Achievement) in less than a month.
And this speed was despite him only being able to practice for one or two hours a day...
Why?
His body was too weak.
This greatly limited his daily practice time.
Every half-hour of practice would leave him exhausted, requiring a lot of time to recover his stamina.
And the longer he went on, the lower his efficiency became.
"This can't go on."
Qin Fang frowned.
But to nurse his body back to health, the most crucial thing was...
Food.
But what was he eating every day?
Sorghum porridge, coarse grain buns, and some boiled vegetables...
There wasn't a speck of oil to be seen.
A diet like this could, at best, keep him from starving.
But to have enough energy to properly nourish his body?
That was out of the question.
But what could he do?
In his current state, he didn't even dare to leave the house. Without Elder Wu by his side, the moment he stepped outside, he could be identified as a refugee. He might even lose his life...
Sighing, Qin Fang could only maintain the status quo for now.
'First things first, I need to let this sunburn heal.'