Although the previous wood technique was decent, it was not what I needed right now. I wasn't even sure if what I was doing was the right approach, especially since I didn't have any teacher to guide me in martial arts.
"What the hell? I'm part of a noble family, and they don't even have a wood-element teacher in the entire household? What rotten luck."
Feeling dejected, I started searching through the remaining techniques.
When I tried to pick up the other wood-element manuals, I noticed that they were literally covered in dust, as if no one had touched them for centuries.
Frustration began to build inside me.
So no one here even has my attribute…
I had heard people say that the wood element was extremely rare, but it seemed that I had underestimated just how rare it actually was.
One by one, I picked up the remaining techniques and read through them. There weren't many, and most of them were either support-type techniques or lacked the offensive power I was looking for.
My mood started sinking.
"Do I really have to spend my entire life as a support fighter… depending on others to protect me?"
No.
That was unacceptable.
This world was a dog-eat-dog world. Even the strongest humans were not completely safe, and real monsters existed here.
I would never trust my life to someone else.
Betrayal was not uncommon in this world. When no one was watching, people could scheme and plot without hesitation.
And I had no intention of becoming part of that cycle.
---
There was only one martial arts manual left in the wood-affinity section.
I picked it up and started reading its introduction.
The technique was called:
[Natural Wood Mastery]
I sighed in frustration.
Another technique that wasn't what I wanted.
The description read:
This technique is mainly used for supplementary purposes. When gathering wood through natural mana, the user must possess a wood affinity, which is extremely rare.
The difference between natural wood and magically created wood is that "magic wood" disappears once the mana sustaining it runs out. However, by using this technique, the user can create real wood from mana, and that wood will not disappear.
In theory, this allows the user to produce unlimited wood.
However, the technique consumes a large amount of mana, and even producing the amount of wood equivalent to a single oak tree requires most of the user's mana.
Therefore, its practical usage is limited.
---
I closed the manual and sighed again.
If there were no other options, I might as well take the defensive technique from earlier. At the very least, it would help me survive in combat.
And now that I had decided to train as a knight as well, it would be useful for protecting myself.
I was about to return the manual when suddenly an idea struck me.
My eyes widened.
Wait a minute…
Everyone knows that mages can control their own magical elements after creating them.
So what if…
What if I learned Natural Wood Mastery and used it the same way my favorite characters did in the novels I used to read?
If I had enough control over the wood I created, I could shape it into anything and use it for combat.
The more I thought about it, the more excited I became.
A smile slowly spread across my face.
"Yes… this might actually work."
If I combined this technique with knight training, which focused on controlling mana within the body to strengthen it, I might even be able to create large wooden constructs or golems in the future.
I chuckled quietly.
"Hehe… I'll become invincible in no time."
But a moment later, I shook my head and pulled myself back to reality.
Even if I mastered control over wood, my mana capacity was still limited. To truly make this work, I would have to increase my rank and overall power.
And so far, I hadn't even started proper meditation or training in this world.
Yet here I was, already imagining myself ruling the world.
I sighed at my own foolishness.
Still…
I couldn't deny the excitement I felt.
For the first time since arriving in this world, I had found something worth pursuing.
A path.
And now that I had a path, I no longer felt lost.
Even if I didn't strictly need a teacher anymore, having one would still help me improve faster. If father managed to find someone suitable, it would certainly make things easier.
In the end, I decided to borrow two techniques:
One defensive technique.
And Natural Wood Mastery, which I intended to train as an offensive technique.
Even though it wasn't originally meant for combat.
I would make it work.
Although I couldn't learn techniques from other affinities, I could still practice meditation techniques, since most of them were neutral and not tied to any specific element.
With that in mind, I walked to the front desk of the library where the librarian was seated.
"I would like to borrow these techniques for the next month," I said.
After checking the manuals, he allowed me to take them outside the library.
Earlier I had felt frustrated and disappointed, but now my mood had completely changed.
I could finally see the path I wanted to follow.
"This month is going to be brutal," I thought.
"But I have to give it everything I've got if I want to fight against this terrible luck of mine."
Seriously.
What kind of reincarnation was this?
Everyone who gets reincarnated in stories receives some kind of cheat ability.
And I ended up with an element that even commoners considered weak.
I sighed again.
But this time, I wasn't feeling defeated.
I tightened my resolve.
Steeling my heart and mind, I whispered to myself,
"Let's get to work."
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