Chapter 180: Training from the Master (Part 2)

Chapter 180: Training from the Master (Part 2)



The young man who had just guided them suddenly became quite enthusiastic, chatting more as he led the way.

"So, your name is Rain, right? I'm Basque, and my father is Baron Landonia of the Golden Coast. I also have an older brother."

Rain glanced at him upon hearing this.

No wonder, based on Rain's perception, the young man had likely just become a full-fledged knight, and his strength was not particularly impressive, clearly falling short of those who trained on the island.

It made sense; being a local, he probably received some special treatment from Master Gunther.

This was understandable; while Master Gunther was dedicated to his swordplay research, he still needed someone to handle miscellaneous tasks.

Aside from other matters, someone had to take care of the cooking.

For instance, Rain himself required over ten pounds of food per meal to meet his nutritional needs.

However, if he could add some ferocious beast meat, it would be much better, but the cooking process was time-consuming and laborious. Having a dedicated person for this task would undoubtedly save time and effort.

Basque continued, "You'll have to give it your all later."

"Following Master Gunther's usual practice, you'll have a maximum of three days to complete the first training task, or you'll have to leave."

Rain found this a bit strange, wondering why the young man had suddenly become so enthusiastic.

But after a moment's thought, Rain seemed to understand.

Basque's behavior was likely not due to Master Gunther or Rain himself.

The answer became clear—it was because of Kayla.

Indeed, before long, the boy named Basque quickly shifted the topic to Kayla.

He rubbed his hands together and asked with a hint of embarrassment, "Rain, you must be quite familiar with Miss Kayla, right?"

Rain smiled and replied, "Yes, otherwise, she wouldn't have written me a letter of introduction, right?"

"Yes, yes, so what's your relationship with her?" Basque continued his inquiry.

Rain furrowed his brows slightly, and Basque immediately waved his hand, quickly saying, "Rain, don't misunderstand. I'm asking if Miss Kayla is engaged?"

Rain was taken aback by this! Miss Kayla was already engaged! Basque's expression was a mix of shock and disappointment.

Rain gave him a speechless look and said, "I shook my head because I don't know."

"Oh, so that's it! That's great!" The boy's emotions shifted rapidly.

"But don't get your hopes up. Kayla prefers those stronger than her, and your strength..." Rain glanced at him and immediately poured cold water on the boy named Basque.

"Don't look down on me, Rain! I'm only sixteen, and I'm already a full-fledged knight. I'm training under Master Gunther so I can excel in the ennoblement examination!"

"Although I'm slightly weaker than Miss Kayla, it's just a small gap, and I believe I still have a chance." The boy's tone shifted, and he spoke with confidence.

Rain looked at him but didn't continue the conversation. However, in his mind, he silently added, 'You have no chance because your opponent is...'

The two soon arrived at the center of the island, near the simple stone houses built from rocks.

Only then did Rain realize that due to the angle when he was on the coast, he had only seen seven or eight stone houses.

In reality, some houses were obscured by others, so there were over ten in total.

"The ones with a circle on the door are occupied, and the ones without are vacant. Rain, you can choose any room you like." The boy waved his hand, indicating that Rain could pick any room.

Rain circled around and found that these stone houses seemed to be regularly cleaned, all quite tidy. He randomly chose one and carried his luggage inside.

At this moment, Basque patted his head and said, "Rain, there's one more thing. If you want someone to take care of your meals, you'll have to pay a fee, and the same goes for your horse."

"How much?" Rain nodded, finding it reasonable.

"If it's a nutritious meal with ferocious beast meat, the price will be higher. It's 10 imperial gold coins per day for three meals. But most people choose to add an extra meal in the evening, which is much cheaper."

"For the horse, it's one imperial silver coin per day for care."

"Deal! I'll pay for a month in advance."

Rain directly gave Basque 303 imperial gold coins.

"Wow, you're rich! I'll clarify that I don't want to round down the amount; this money is for your family, not me." Basque exclaimed after receiving the money.

Although he was also a noble heir, being the second son meant his family's share would be largely divided among his older siblings, and this was on the condition that he demonstrated his investment value.

Rain didn't mind; he had just made a fortune at the Zalar Rebellion Army's base, so spending this money didn't hurt.

Additionally, the money-making beauty, Jennifer, had also prepared extra funds for him before his departure.

Therefore, money was not an issue for Rain at the moment.

"Okay, then who will take care of my horse?" Rain nodded and looked around but didn't see any stables nearby.

"That's simple; just leave it to my servant. Grand! Take care of this gentleman's horse!"

Suddenly, from the farthest stone house, a young servant rushed out, bowed to Rain and Basque, and said, "Yes, sir, Master Basque."

After making these arrangements, Rain thought for a moment and then put his chrome iron set and pig-headed mace in the room. He wore the black waistcoat with gold and silver embroidery that the beautiful woman, Jennifer, had prepared for him and walked out of the stone house.

Upon seeing Rain's stylish and understated luxury outfit, Basque was momentarily stunned and muttered under his breath, "He looks good, but this is training, not a fashion show."

Rain paid no heed to such jealous remarks about his good looks.

The two of them headed towards the spot where Gunther had just been.

At that moment, Rain couldn't help but ask, "Basque, what exactly is this first task?"

Basque smiled mysteriously and said, "Guess!"

Rain's face darkened.

You're not a beauty, and you want me to guess!

Guess what!

Seeing Rain's displeased expression, Basque restrained his smile and became slightly more serious. "It's about cutting seaweed."

Rain was taken aback, and his steps momentarily paused.

This doesn't seem too difficult, but it seems too easy.

"Cutting seaweed?" Rain asked in surprise.

He had assumed that the first task would involve fighting some kind of marine creature, which would likely be quite challenging.

Otherwise, with so many young people practicing nearby the lighthouse, sweating profusely, it would mean that they couldn't even pass the first hurdle and enter the gate!

But could it be that the seaweed in this area had some peculiarities, making it challenging? Rain wondered.

"That's right, it's about cutting seaweed, but this seaweed has incredible resilience. I'm not exactly sure why, but it's very difficult to cut through. You'll see for yourself when you try it later," the boy nodded affirmatively.

He was in charge of logistics here, practicing with Master Gunther while also handling various odd jobs. He was quite familiar with the master's habits.

The first step, or the first task, began with cutting seaweed.

The seaweed in this area, known locally as tough seaweed, had a sticky membrane on its surface that was insoluble in water, often causing swords and other sharp weapons to lose their force upon impact.

Even when pulled out from the seabed and stripped of this membrane, the seaweed itself was remarkably resilient.

When dried and twisted together, it could be used as a rope for sailing ships, indicating its extraordinary toughness.

"However, Rain, if you know how to use a knight's longsword, the difficulty of completing the first task should be significantly reduced."

Rain's heart stirred, and he began to understand why Basque had made that suggestion.

The cross-sectional area of a two-handed sword was much larger than a one-handed sword, resulting in greater resistance when wielded underwater.

However, Rain thought for a moment and asked, "Has anyone completed the first task with a two-handed sword? Or what did Master Gunther mean by that?"

"Yes, but it's rare. He doesn't usually tell people, but I've heard him say that you should use whatever weapon you're comfortable with for cutting."

"If you don't follow his advice, you'll likely struggle to complete the subsequent training tasks."

"In that case, I won't change it! But thanks for the tip, Basque," Rain shrugged and smiled.

This young man seemed quite talkative but otherwise decent.

The two of them reached the other end of the island.

Master Gunther remained in his original position, instructing the young people in their sword techniques. Upon seeing Rain and Basque approach, he nodded slightly, indicating for Rain to follow.

Master Gunther led Rain to a nearby reef and pointed to the seawater, saying, "Underwater, there's a type of tough seaweed. Within three days, cut ten stalks with your sword, and you'll have completed the training task."

"Remember, use your sword, not your hands, to cut them."

"Understood, Master Gunther," Rain nodded.

As Rain followed Master Gunther's direction and gazed into the azure seawater, he realized that this island was located about twenty to thirty meters from the coastline, and the water around the reef was already over two meters deep.

About ten meters away from where Rain was standing, he could vaguely see the seabed, where numerous slender plants swayed gently.

These must be the tough seaweed Master Gunther had mentioned.

Without further questions, Rain took a deep breath and slowly stepped into the azure seawater.

Instantly, a cold sensation enveloped him, along with the pressure of seawater from all directions.

Being winter, the seawater was much colder than in summer, and even with Rain's physical fitness, he couldn't help but shiver slightly.

However, with a constitution of twenty-one points, Rain quickly adapted to the frigid marine environment.

After descending only three to four meters, Rain spotted the green belt-like seaweed growing from the seabed and stretching upwards. At that moment, a large group of these tough seaweeds swayed gently in the current.

This tough seaweed was different from what Rain had imagined; it resembled the seaweed from his previous life but was much narrower.

Without further thought, Rain brandished the faintly glowing greatsword in his hand and swung it directly at the swaying tough seaweed.

On the shore.

A young man with a bald head frowned slightly and glanced at Basque, saying, "Basque, didn't you tell him that using a two-handed sword to cut tough seaweed underwater is a disadvantage?"

Basque shrugged helplessly, "I did tell him, but what can I do if he doesn't listen?"

"Looks like another one who doesn't understand the situation. He probably thinks the seaweed here is the same as what he's seen before." Another young man said.

"Not necessarily. Kayla's recommendation might be very strong."

"Impossible. Look at his young age. He might have great talent, but at this age, his strength won't be that high.

"After all, strength requires time to accumulate."

"I also think he'll soon surface and request a change of sword from Master Gunther."

"Let's wait and see. When he realizes it's not working, he'll remember your words, Basque."

So, the group continued practicing their swordsmanship, occasionally glancing towards the surface where Rain was.

In the water.

Due to the greater resistance of water compared to air, Rain's swift strikes were significantly slower than on land.

When the greatsword slashed at the flexible seagrass, the seagrass swayed like willow catkins in the wind, barely resisting the force, merely shaking, and remaining completely unharmed.

Hmm? Rain hadn't expected this outcome.

His casual strike had returned without success.

He knew that this casual strike of his could even be difficult for a regular knight to withstand.

This realization caused Rain to narrow his eyes slightly, and he began to carefully observe this type of seagrass.

Although it was a clear day with the sun shining in the sky, the sunlight penetrating the sea was distorted by algae, plankton, and aquatic plants, resulting in low visibility.

However, Rain's dark vision wasn't significantly affected.

He could see that the seagrass's green surface had a nearly transparent layer of gel.

This substance must have deflected his previous slash.

Of course, in addition to this, the seagrass itself, swaying in the seawater, also made it difficult to exert force.

With these three factors combined, Rain's initial strike was ineffective.

Now that he understood the reason, Rain observed for a while longer, then slashed at the seagrass several more times.

Immediately, Rain began to grasp the trick.

He discovered that he needed to pay attention to the direction of the underwater currents. When the seagrass swayed to its extreme front or back, reaching a certain limit, only then would slashing it be most effective.

He planned to try again.

This time, his feet touched the seabed, and the mud instantly stirred, but Rain felt a sense of solidity at this moment.

'Limit Break!'

"Swish!" The dimly lit greatsword slashed through, creating a trail of bubbles.

A strand of seagrass was smoothly severed, and Rain, seeing this in the water, nodded slightly.

He didn't stop but continued with 'Swish, swish' slashes, as the more intense his movements, the more oxygen he consumed.

Even Rain couldn't breathe underwater like a fish, so he had to make the most of his time.

After grasping the trick, Rain, with his 83% limit break value, found this task relatively easy.

After all, this was just the first training task, and once the trick was mastered, it wouldn't be very difficult.

Finally, before Rain's breath ran out, he surfaced from the water.

The onlookers on the shore, including the young man who had spoken earlier, couldn't help but show their disappointment.

Because it had been less than five minutes, and even Burnett, the strongest among them, had only succeeded on his second attempt.

Obviously, it was impossible for Rain to succeed in such a short time. So, his resurfacing meant either he was planning to take a break and try again or intended to request a change of sword from Master Gunther.

"See? I told you, even with strong talent, strength doesn't necessarily follow. I understand the nature of most noble heirs, enjoying superior cultivation conditions but..."

Suddenly, the young man's words came to an abrupt halt, his expression one of disbelief.

The others looked on in confusion, then they all stared in shock.

Hiss! Many of them sucked in a breath of cold air.

Behind Rain, who was dripping wet, a long bundle of seagrass trailed, and by the quantity, it was clearly over ten!

"How the hell is this possible so fast?" The young man exclaimed, pointing at the scene.

"Is there anyone among us this fast?"

"How long did it take you, Doug?"

"Around two hours," Doug replied in a low voice.

"And you, Arturo?"

Arturo's face flushed slightly, "Half a day."

Everyone's gaze fixed on Rain, silent.

"Very good. You've surpassed my expectations. You've passed the first training task."

"Now, give these seagrass to Basque, and then follow me." Master Gunther, rarely showing a smile, led Rain into a stone house.

"Sit cross-legged on the stone slab." Master Gunther pointed to a large stone slab in the middle of the house.

"Yes, Master."

"Now, I'll teach you an underwater breathing technique, more accurately called an internal breathing method. It's an ancient technique that can integrate with the knight's breathing technique you've been cultivating, further enhancing your abilities."

"Regardless of the breathing technique you've been practicing, this internal breathing method is compatible with all."

Hmm?

Isn't he learning swordsmanship?

Why is he learning this internal breathing method?

But learning something good is always beneficial.

Just then, footsteps approached from outside, and Rain recognized Basque's footsteps.

Sure enough, a voice from outside said, "Master, I've ground the seagrass juice as you instructed."

"Bring it in!" Master Gunther instructed.

As Basque brought in a half-barrel of greenish liquid, a grassy fragrance filled the air, accompanied by a subtle hint of the sea.

Rain knew that this was probably the tough seaweed he had cut earlier, but at this moment, he still didn't know what its purpose was after being juiced.

"To learn how to breathe through your skin instead of your mouth and nose can be quite challenging at first," Master Gunther continued.

"The concept of breathing through the skin is quite abstract and hard for ordinary people to comprehend. If you apply this fresh tough seaweed juice all over your skin, it will help you accelerate your understanding of this inner breathing."

"However, the juice of the tough seaweed evaporates very quickly in the air. After about half an hour, the effect of aiding your understanding will start to weaken."

"This is your second training task. I hope that within three days, you can master this inner breathing technique. If you still want more tough seaweed juice, you can go and cut some more in the sea." After finishing his explanation, Master Gunther left the stone house.

Beside him, Basque listened with a puzzled expression, muttering to himself, "Huh? That's strange. Usually, it's a requirement to complete it within seven days, but why has it been reduced to three days for Rain?"

"Could it be that Master Gunther has a different opinion of Rain? That shouldn't be the case."

After hearing Master Gunther's words, Rain suddenly realized the meaning behind the first training task.

The first step was indeed challenging, requiring a high level of proficiency in both the tested knight's breathing technique and swordsmanship.

Even for a senior knight, it would likely take several hours of repeated attempts to complete the task. For a regular knight, it would be even more difficult.

But this was a threshold, and only by meeting this requirement would the subsequent training tasks have any significance.

Apparently, the tough seaweed was meant to accelerate the understanding of this inner breathing technique.

If it took a long time to barely complete the task of cutting the tough seaweed, then the subsequent task of mastering inner breathing within three days would become nearly impossible without the help of the seaweed juice.

Therefore, Rain understood that these training tasks were likely interconnected.

Rain took off his clothes and applied the pale green seaweed juice all over his skin.

Soon, he felt a cool substance slowly seeping into his skin as he held his breath and focused on the sensation.

After half an hour, a system prompt sounded:

[You have trained in inner breathing and your understanding has improved!]



[You have learned a new skill - Inner Breathing]



[Your Inner Breathing skill has improved, +1 Experience]



Excellent!

Looking at the newly acquired skill on the Extraordinary Knight panel, Rain had now learned the inner breathing technique, albeit at level 1 (1/100).

Rain checked his attribute panel:

Name: Rain Karan

Occupation: Extraordinary Apprentice Wizard Level 4 (345/1000) / Extraordinary Knight Level 4 (277/1000) / Extraordinary Beastmaster Level 5 (64/2000) / Armorer Level 1 (17/100)



Constitution: 21

Strength: 19

Agility: 17

Spirit: 25

Remaining Skill Points: 6

Despite having 6 remaining skill points, Rain decided not to rush into allocating them. Instead, he chose to follow Master Gunther's advice and improve step by step.

Rain believed that each step of Master Gunther's plan had a specific purpose, leading towards a particular goal for the apprentices to comprehend.

After using up the barrel of tough seaweed juice, Rain returned to the seaside once more.

This time, as Rain approached the reef, several young people nearby turned their attention to him. They knew that Rain was not just any noble offspring but a formidable dragon crossing the river.

However, Rain had no intention of engaging in small talk with them.

After repeatedly using the tough seaweed juice, he wanted to seize the opportunity to harvest more tough seaweed and accelerate his mastery of inner breathing.

Rain's robust figure slowly submerged into the seawater.

Instantly, he felt the coldness of the water and the pressure from all directions.

The biggest difference from the previous time was that Rain seemed to sense his skin 'breathing.'

The sensation was very subtle, but his keen perception allowed him to detect it.

If before, breathing through the mouth and nose accounted for 99%, and skin breathing for 1%, now the mouth and nose breathing had reduced to 95%, while skin breathing increased from 1% to 5%.

Rain closed his eyes, carefully sensing and experiencing this change.

After a while, Rain began to swing his faintly glowing greatsword, harvesting the tough seaweed!

Having understood the inner breathing technique, Rain could also stay underwater for slightly longer.

As Rain dragged a bucket-like bundle of tough seaweed onto the reef by the shore, the setting winter sun cast its golden rays upon the sea and Rain's body.

From both the young people around the white lighthouse and those practicing swordsmanship on the island, Rain was bathed in dazzling golden light.

As Rain stepped onto the shore, he seemed like a divine being descending from the heavens.

The young Basque watched this scene, muttering to himself, "The gap between people is real."

"But it shouldn't be that big!"

Suddenly, he realized what was happening and quickly ran towards Rain.

From his posture, it seemed he intended to take the tough seaweed from Rain and grind it himself.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end