After leaving Ron's store, Woon and Eric headed straight to the inn for a meal. They had hurried to Ron's shop early, so they were ready to eat. Upon entering the inn, they ordered food and found a table nearby.
"By the way, Woon, since you have a new weapon, I'll give you a new gift too!" Eric announced.
"This is too much! You and Ron have been incredibly kind to me!" Woon exclaimed, glancing at the katana at his waist.
"Don't worry about it!" Eric replied, then added, "Here, read this whenever you have free time!"
Eric handed Woon a book titled The Book of Five Rings. Woon's eyes widened in recognition.
'Wait, The Book of Five Rings? Isn't that the book written by Miyamoto Musashi?' Woon thought, a familiar name echoing in his mind.
"Book of the Five Rings…" Woon murmured aloud.
"Yes, it's the first copy my family ever acquired for me. It'll help you improve yourself!" Eric explained.
'I need to double-check this!' Woon's internal monologue continued. "So, who wrote this? He seems impressive!" Woon asked, trying to sound casual.
"Of course! He's the one and only Miyamoto Musashi!" Eric declared proudly.
'What?! Did people from Earth also come here? But Musashi already died in my world… how?' Woon's mind reeled with confusion.
"Oh, he's that good, huh? You praise him highly."
"Of course! He's the undefeated champion; he never lost a battle or a duel!"
"Oh, really?" Woon said, trying to process this revelation. 'Well, he really was! But such a person lives here? It's truly exciting!'
"I'm getting pumped up!" Woon grinned.
"Why?" Eric asked, curious.
"Because such an incredible person lives in the same world as me!"
"Why? Isn't a great person already in front of you?" Eric teased.
"You're not included!" Woon shot back with a laugh.
Their food arrived, and they ate heartily. Afterward, Eric left, explaining he had family business to attend to, while Woon headed back to Ron's shop for more training.
Woon arrived to find Ron still preparing the shop for opening.
"Hey Ron, let me help you!" Woon offered.
"No, don't! I can do this!" Ron protested.
"No, I insist on helping. This is the least I can do to repay my debt to you!"
"Just do whatever you want!" Ron conceded with a sigh.
They worked together, cleaning dust from the sword displays, organizing weapons, and handling other necessary tasks. By the time they finished, the shop looked brand new.
"Thanks for the help!" Ron said gratefully.
"No problem! By the way, can I borrow the training room?" Woon asked.
"Sure, just clean up after using it!"
Woon entered the training room and immediately began reading the book Eric had given him. As he read, Woon became utterly fascinated by the book's contents.
'Posture, mindset, learning the path of life, and martial arts… a person needs to be calm and adaptable, like water.' He absorbed the wisdom. "It's incredible… being able to adapt to any battle while remaining calm."
After finishing the book, Woon unsheathed his katana, adopting a low stance, holding the blade downwards. He closed his eyes, focusing intensely. The room grew silent, so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat pounding loudly.
'It's quiet… concentration is the key!'
Woon opened his eyes, the silence still profound.
'This is divinity! I feel it! Imagine being in a state of concentration where it's so quiet.'
"Hooohhhhh." Woon exhaled slowly.
He spotted a fly buzzing around. Woon imagined it as his target. After observing it for a moment, Woon suddenly moved, gripping his katana tightly. He attempted a swift downward slice at the fly. It darted away. Before it could escape, Woon unleashed a barrage of thrusts and slashes, but still, he couldn't connect. Frustration began to build, but the newfound divinity helped him maintain his composure.
'I can't hit it!'
Woon continued his flurry of attacks, yet the fly remained untouched, its erratic flight path making it almost impossible to predict.
'Concentrate!'
As he intensified his focus on the fly, one of his attacks finally connected, clipping the fly's wing. It lost its balance and began to fall. Before it hit the ground, Woon unleashed another barrage of precise thrusts, striking the fly accurately until only scattered pieces remained.
"Hooh, that was quite a challenge!" Woon said, breathing heavily.
He sheathed his katana and sat on the ground.
"Now that I think about it, aren't these weights too light for me?" Woon looked at the weights strapped to his wrists and ankles. He realized he'd been wearing them daily and had grown accustomed to their feel.
"I think I'll commission Ron for new weight straps! But first, I'll clean up the fly remains."
Woon exited the training room after tidying up and headed to Ron's smithing room.
"Yo Ron, can you make me something?" Woon asked.
"What is it?" Ron replied.
"Weight straps. These are too light for me now. I think I need twice the weight!"
"Sure, just leave your old weight straps. I'll melt them down again!"
"Great! Here you go. When do you think you can finish them?"
"You can pick them up tomorrow!"
"Awesome, thanks! I'll be going now; I think Eric's at the inn."
"Sure!"
Woon left the shop and walked through the bustling street. As he navigated the crowd, he noticed a sign near a large gathering of people.
"What? 'If you beat me, you'll get 100 Gold'?" Woon read aloud.
"Is this real?" he wondered.
Woon pushed through the tight spaces in the crowd until he saw what everyone was watching: a sword fight between a civilian and a fully armored person who appeared to be a knight. The crowd cheered loudly, with some placing bets. Suddenly, the knight rushed forward, striking his opponent's sword, disarming him. The knight then pointed his sword at the civilian.
"I surrender!" the civilian quickly said.
The crowd erupted in even louder cheers.
"Alright, who's going to fight our mighty knight here? Just one gold, and you might have a chance at a hundred! Who will take it?" a man, seemingly with the knight, shouted to the crowd.
"I do!" Woon called out, raising his hand.
"Okay, guys, we have a challenger!" the man yelled, hyping up the people.
Woon handed over one gold coin and stepped forward. People immediately began betting, though as expected, most placed their wagers on the knight, confident he would win.
"Are you sure? You look like an aspiring knight at best," the knight sneered, his tone arrogant.
"I'm good, but you'll be the perfect person to test my strength!" Woon replied, a confident glint in his eye.
"How arrogant you are!" the knight scoffed.
The crowd roared, eager for the duel. The man began counting.
"One… Two…"
"Three! Duel begun!"
Woon unsheathed his katana, adopting the same low, defensive stance he'd used earlier, blade pointed downwards, ready for both attack and defense.
"This is your end, boy! Lowering your guard is the worst mistake you can make!" the knight bellowed, rushing forward.
But Woon was already concentrated, his divinity making his surroundings silent, his focus as sharp as a spear. The knight raised his sword high, attempting a powerful overhead strike. However, Woon countered with lightning speed, unleashing a fast thrust directly at the knight's armor. The blade connected at the precise maximum reach of his arm, not only pushing the knight back but also leaving a visible crack in his armor.
Before the knight could even regain his footing, Woon suddenly appeared in front of him, his blade already at the knight's throat.
"Can you still fight?" Woon asked, his voice calm.
"I surrender!" the knight stammered, his face pale.
'my body feels so light now that the weights is gone I feel like I can fly!' woon thought.
The people were utterly shocked by what had just happened. In the blink of an eye, the battle ended with Woon's overwhelming victory.
"Hohoho, money, ahahaha! It's the best!" Woon crowed, taking the gold from the man and immediately rushing back to the inn where he found Eric waiting.
"Dude, I just won 100 Gold! It was easy!" Woon exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Did you get it from the con artist over there?" Eric asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You mean the knight?"
"No, he's just experienced with a sword. He acts like a knight, scamming people. They deserve to lose their money!" Eric scoffed.
"Con artist, huh. But still, money is money, ahahaha!" Woon laughed.
"Let's eat, my treat!" Woon offered, holding up the sack of gold.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Eric grinned, already anticipating the meal.