Akata accepted it and asked a few questions to figure out where this fish was. He followed the directions and managed to make it to the river in the area. There he waited like the old man told him. He waited for about a day before he caught sight of the Poisontrap Fish. It was purple in color and very slender. But it’s body was a fully 3 meters long and its fins were as sharp as swords.

Akata took out his scythe and jumped up while he slashed at the tree branch he was on. Since he was right above the fish, the tree branch fell right in front of it. Blocking its path forward. The fish immediately turned around and darted backwards. It was extremely fast and very agile.

Akata took in a deep breath and used the Second Stance of the World Omen of Lord Dullahan technique, the Silent Meteor Kill technique. It was a move that was most effective while in the air and was extremely fast. Akata instantly attacked at where the fish was headed and cut its head off.

‘This was too easy.’ Akata thought to himself. He returned the fish to the old man. The old man nodded his head and laughed. “You’re so good. Maybe I can teach you a little something. Follow me.” He said.

He led Akata through the forest. As they went along they didn’t talk at all. Soon, the man became much more quieter, so Akata followed his lead. They ended up in a branch on a tree and the old man pointed off into the distance. “You see that Fanged Monkey right there? It is really fast and the only way to kill it cleanly is if you kill it before it notices you. Watch.”

The old man picked up his fishing rod and held it in the air. He slowly stood up and jumped toward the Fanged Monkey. While in the air he swung the fishing rod, sending the hook toward the Fanged Monkey. With a quick strike, the throat of the beast was cut open and it was dead. It might have seemed slow but it all happened in the time it takes to blink twice!

The man returned to Akata with a smile. “Let’s see you do it.” He said with a laugh. He pointed in another direction where another Fanged Monkey was standing and eating.

‘This is still apart of the trial so I better roll with it. I wonder what this is improving of me.’ Akata jumped into the air and once again used the fastest strike he could muster with his scythe at the moment, Silent Meteor Kill.

He aimed for the Fanged Monkey’s throat but the monkey looked up at him and then dashed off before Akata could even fully use his skill. Akata landed in the spot that the Fanged Monkey had just occupied and looked around blankly.

“Ahaha. I figured something like that was going to happen. You youngsters are too wild nowadays. You make yourselves too noticeable. You let your thoughts give rise to your motives and that lets your enemies know what you’re anticipating to do.” He laughed.

“What do you mean?” Akata was confused. From his point of view he should’ve succeeded. His attack just then was even a little bit faster than the old mans.

“You should attack without thinking about attacking. You should kill without thinking about killing. Act without thinking about acting. What you think may let your enemies know what you’re about to do.” The old man said somewhat seriously this time. “Here let’s give you a new target to try this on. How about this one.”

The old man pulled a book out from his bag and flipped through the pages. He landed on one and then showed Akata the page. It showed a two-headed deer-like animal with spotted fur. “Try to take this animal out. It usually hangs around the mountainous areas but that’s about all the information I have on it. It should be easy enough to kill. Once you do bring it back to me.” The old man said as he dashed off into the trees.

Akata was left standing there. “In the mountainous areas? What kind of information is that? All he did was show me a picture and tell me a wide general area like that, and I’m supposed to find, kill, and bring back that thing?” Akata let out a sigh as he climbed a nearby tree. He reached the canopy and looked out. In the distance he could see a mountain range.

His eyes twitched at the thought of the journey but then they filled with determination. Activating his new Shadowlight movement skill, Akata turned into a ball of black light and disappeared off into the distance. When he reappeared he was about 30 meters away from where he had been. He blinked in and out as he continuously made his way to the mountain range. He would occasionally stop and find something to eat and rest but then would get right back to moving toward the mountain range.

In this fashion, days passed by. His stamina increased due to his continuous use of his Shadowlight movement technique. Soon he was at the base of the mountain range. He had just taken a rest so he was feeling enlivened and immediately went to search for the two-headed deer creature.

It only took a day to find the deer. Akata stood in a bush looking at the deer in front of him. ‘The man said to act without thinking of acting. I don’t know what that means but I’m sure I can still kill this deer.’ Akata’s Bludhaven Scythe appeared in his hand and his eyes filled with the desire to slay this deer as fast as possible so he could get over with this trial.

The deer unconsciously lifted its heads into the air. Akata rushed out with blinding speed immediately appearing beside the deer and striking out with his fastest and most direct scythe skill, Guillotine Slice. The scythe slashed through the air and soon it hit the ground.

The deer looked at Akata menacingly as a purple light shot out of its forehead and attacked Akata. Akata immediately dodged the attack but not before it grazed him a bit. “Mental attack!” His mind was scrambled for a brief moment and the deer managed to run away from him.

Akata stood there at a loss. “What did I do wrong? Act without thinking about acting? Attack without thinking about attacking? Kill without thinking about killing? Ughh!” Akata let out a low shout and then calmed his mind.

“The old man is basically saying that I shouldn’t let my actions be known. Even if I know my actions that means my opponents can observe me to know what I am going to do. Or if they are sensitive to changes in the atmosphere like that deer then they might be somewhat aware of my presence or attack.

I need to calm down before I charge in and attack. My mind is my greatest weapon, it’s best not to let my opponents use it as well.” Akata said.

He rested for a few hours before going back out to search for the deer again. He soon found it and then waited for the right time to strike. His mind was extremely calm. Ever since the Ninth Cabin Trial, Akata had been able to calm his mind to a whole new level.

He cleared his mind of all thoughts and didn’t even think about the deer. It was as if he wasn’t even thinking at all. With a quick dash Akata slashed open the deer’s throat with his scythe. It happened so calmly and fast that the deer didn’t even notice it had been killed.

Akata looked down at the deer and a smile appeared on his face. Success. He picked up the deer and started to make his way back to the old man. On the way he had to protect the deer from other beasts and predators. He even had to fight off some mortals.

It took him some days to reach the old man. “Nice nice. It seems that you can learn after all. But it doesn’t end here. I want to know exactly how far you can go. Here’s your next target.” The old man gave Akata another beast to kill.

Akata would search for the beast. Calm his mind before killing it. Then return it to the old man where he would be given another target. This was how things were. Weeks passed, then months passed.

The old man was really kind and heartwarming. Akata eventually came to understand and like the man. At times he even forgot that he was apart of the trial. They travelled together across this foreign world and met many different people and beasts. The old man would teach Akata many things. Sometimes he would teach Akata about the world, or money, or beasts. Other times it would be about killing and what techniques to use.

Akata soon became attached to the man and considered him like a teacher. One day however, as they were walking through a town, they were ambushed by a group of people. It had happened too suddenly. They came out of nowhere, killed the old man, and then immediately fled the scene. Akata could do little more than give chase before losing them.

He quickly returned back to the old man’s side and cried. He cried for a long time. This old man had taught him many things and was very kind to him. Even though it was a trial he felt close to this person. After drying his tears, Akata found the book that belonged to the old man. He opened it up to see that it had many different pictures with brief descriptions of the pictures

The descriptions contained locations, tactics, habits, and all sorts of things. At the end of the book there were a few words. My Life's Hitlist. Akata took in a deep breath before calming himself down instantly. During this time, his mind had grown much calmer than it had been.

He closed the book and held it close to him. Then his eyes filled with determination. In the book he had found a single picture that caused his eyes to go bloodshot. It wasn’t a picture of a beast or a person but a whole building. It was a picture of a whole clan building. Akata stood up and then walked in the direction of the clan building. It was actually in the town he was in right now.