Upon returning to the pool, Han Ming’s first task was to fill a large pouch with the spring water. He then dug out the weighted accessories that had been deeply embedded in the ground. As he unearthed the last one, he noticed a pair of dark green shoes woven from an unknown plant. They looked quite beautiful.

What’s this?

As soon as Han Ming put on the shoes, they seemed to come alive, sprouting countless thread-like tendrils that wrapped tightly around his feet.

“What the hell!” Han Ming exclaimed, quickly tearing off the shoes and tossing them aside. His heart raced as he realized the shoes were alive!

After a moment of hesitation, he reconsidered. These must have been left by Catherine. They probably weren’t dangerous. The shoes had been buried deep, which was why he hadn’t noticed them earlier. If Catherine had left them for him, there must be a reason. Besides, if she wanted to harm him, she could have done so easily. She didn’t need to resort to tricks.

Screw it, I’ll wear them.

Han Ming put the shoes back on, and the tendrils wrapped around his feet again. This time, he was prepared and didn’t panic.

Once the tendrils fully entwined his feet, Han Ming felt as if the shoes had become a part of him. It was as if countless roots had grown from the shoes, anchoring him firmly to the ground. But when he lifted one foot, the sensation disappeared.

Could it be…?

Han Ming’s eyes lit up. He was starting to understand.

He quickly picked up three sets of weighted accessories and put them on. Instantly, he felt as if a thousand pounds were pressing down on him. To his surprise, his feet remained firmly on the ground without sinking.

Now he fully understood the shoes’ purpose.

Holy crap!! These were tailor-made for him! Han Ming was deeply moved. He hadn’t expected Catherine to be so thoughtful. In that case…

“Catherine! Catherine!”

The air blurred, and Catherine appeared before him, her expression as cold as ever.

Despite having seen Catherine’s beauty multiple times, Han Ming still found it hard to resist. He thought to himself, if she ever smiled, he might just die on the spot…

Ah… now’s not the time for that!

“Catherine, can you give me a container? I want to take all the crystals from the third level,” Han Ming shamelessly asked.

Without a word, Catherine tossed him a cloth bag. “This is the last one. Don’t expect anything else from me. Remember, this storage bag can only hold inanimate objects. It has a size limit—nothing larger than five meters, and it can only hold up to five cubic meters of items.” (Of course, these measurements were based on the otherworld’s standards, which Han Ming’s mind had adapted to after his language was synchronized with this world.)

Wow! A spatial storage bag! Something he had only read about in novels! Han Ming was ecstatic.

“Wait, don’t go yet…” Just as Catherine was about to disappear, Han Ming realized he should make all his requests at once. Otherwise, she might not appear again.

“Uh… you’re a wood-element mage, right? Could you… maybe… help me carve a weapon from the remnants of the World Tree? It’s too hard for me to handle,” Han Ming said, his face red with embarrassment. He felt bad asking for more, but he had no choice. The small wooden stick he had been using was too light and awkward.

“What kind of weapon do you want?” Catherine asked coldly. Even she didn’t understand why she kept agreeing to Han Ming’s requests. By her nature, a mere mortal like Han Ming shouldn’t even be worthy of speaking to her. Yet she had not only saved him but also granted his unreasonable demands multiple times. This was unprecedented. Perhaps she had some inexplicable expectation of him. She had a vague预感 that this boy might achieve something extraordinary in the future, though the possibility seemed almost zero to her.

“An axe! A huge axe! The bigger, the better! The heavier, the better!” Han Ming quickly replied.

Catherine waved her hand, and the remnants of the World Tree trembled. A massive branch broke off and floated in the air, shedding layers until it transformed into a giant axe over two meters long. The axe was larger than Han Ming himself, with a handle specially designed to fit his smaller hands. The axe head alone was almost as tall as Han Ming. Carved from the World Tree’s remnants, the axe exuded an ancient, majestic aura, adorned with intricate patterns that gave it a unique beauty.

“Thank you! Thank you!” Han Ming’s eyes sparkled as he admired the perfectly crafted axe.

Catherine nodded. “The stick you used before was just a withered branch. This axe is made from the core of the World Tree. Its hardness and weight are incomparable. Also, don’t summon me again unless I choose to appear.” With that, she vanished.

Han Ming nodded vigorously at the empty space. He stepped forward, grabbed the axe handle, and tried to lift it…

It didn’t budge!

Han Ming’s jaw dropped. This… this is way too heavy! He could easily lift a boulder five or six meters tall, but he couldn’t move this axe an inch.

This is a joke, right? Han Ming wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and laughed awkwardly.

But it didn’t matter. He could only wear three sets of weighted accessories now, with more than a dozen sets still unused. Maybe once he could wear them all, he’d be able to wield the axe. Though by then, he’d probably have to remove all the accessories to do so.

After moving all the accessories to the entrance of the Water God’s Cave and tossing the water pouch into the storage bag, Han Ming was determined to conquer the third level. If the pool water ran out, he’d refill it. He wouldn’t stop until he cleared the third level.

He quickly cleared the first level of weak skeleton soldiers and moved to the second level, this time wearing four sets of weighted accessories.

His goal was clear: not to kill enemies, but to train his agility. He needed to navigate through hundreds of giant skeleton soldiers! Only then could he hope to conquer the third level.

Once he could move smoothly with four sets, he’d add a fifth, then a sixth, and so on! He endured countless injuries, pushing his limits, even risking his life, all to grow stronger. The thought of his deep-seated hatred and the impending invasion of his homeland left him no choice. He wasn’t one for grand speeches or sentimental thoughts, but he knew one thing: he was a man! A man who would stand tall and do what was right!

Over time, he continuously shuttled through the Water God’s Cave. Each failure on the third level drove him back to the second to train further. He added more and more weighted accessories, and his strength soared.

Time flew by like a song…