Chapter 8: Acquiring the Breath Technique
Chapter 8: Acquiring the Breath Technique
The shattered crimson moon still hung high in the sky, unchanged through the night and day.
But the thick smog that once enveloped the Black City had, at some point, thinned to near invisibility.
The usually deserted streets now had a few figures moving about.
It was true!
On this day each month, the Black City enjoyed a rare moment of safety, not only from the half-dead creatures but also allowing the underground miners a brief respite.
"Huff..."
Karl exhaled a cloud of foul breath, tightened his grip on the items in his hand, and headed straight for the Laka Market.
The dangers of the Black City weren't limited to the half-dead creatures.
There were also the living!
The monthly safe day attracted an unusually large crowd to the market, and the bustling voices could be heard from afar.
Karl pushed through the crowd and stopped at a stall, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Colom?"
This was Colom's usual stall, but the owner had been replaced by a young boy, thin as a rail, his ribs visible through his tattered clothes.
"Do you know Uncle Colom?"
The boy looked up, pausing from arranging the stall and rubbing his hands together. "Uncle had to leave for a while, so I'm helping out. Just tell me what you need."
"You?"
Under his cloak's hood, Karl's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
The 'stall owner' was far too young, and his tattered clothes revealed every rib.
Despite the boy's eagerness to prove himself, his appearance made it difficult to trust him.
"Karl!"
At that moment, Colom's voice called out from nearby.
"I knew you'd come today."
He hurried over, grabbed Karl's arm, and pulled him towards an empty corner.
Before Karl could speak, Colom whispered, "I've found a way to get the Breath Technique!"
"Oh!"
Karl's eyes lit up, momentarily ignoring the foul breath of the man standing so close to him.
"How so?"
"Hehe..." Colom chuckled, pulling a book from his chest. "To get this Breath Technique, I had to spend all my savings from the past few years. Luckily, the seller was in a rush to leave the Black City; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to afford it."
"Of course, we're old acquaintances, so we can negotiate the price."
Karl's heart raced as he looked at the book, and for a moment, he felt an urge to kill and take the treasure.
The Breath Technique!
This was a mystical art that granted ordinary people extraordinary power!
"Perfect."
He took a deep breath to calm his impulse, then placed his items on the stall.
"I've brought some good stuff this time."
"Compressed beef canned meat, thirty-two pounds, fresh for at least a year, and premium fresh milk. All brought from outside."
"Gulp..." Colom's throat rumbled as he looked at the items, his one eye gleaming.
The canned meat that could stay fresh for a year was worth a fortune in the underground mines.
Fresh milk was also a valuable commodity.
Life in the Black City was tough, but there were newborns, and fresh milk was essential for them.
"Um..." Karl pointed, "Can I take a look first?"
"No problem." Colom's small eyes twinkled as he handed over the book, adding, "I have a few more pages, but you can't learn it from just reading the book."
"I understand."
Karl nodded, taking the book and quickly flipping through the pages.
It was real!
Although he had never practiced a Breath Technique, he knew many Knight Attendants and had heard snippets of information. He had also specifically inquired about Breath Techniques.
He could distinguish the authenticity of the technique.
Poison Wolf Breath Technique!
A common name, probably not high-ranked, but any Breath Technique was good enough for him.
"Hmm?"
Karl's gaze shifted as he touched the text on the pages.
"These words... were they written recently?"
"Yes."
Colom nodded.
"But it doesn't affect the technique, does it?"
"It doesn't." Karl looked up and spoke softly.
"It seems the seller didn't just sell the technique to you; they probably sold it to others as well.
"Colom's expression changed.
Karl's guess was right. The man's bid was too high; a single person couldn't possibly consume that much.
So, Karl simply copied a few copies of the Breath Technique and sold them to several buyers.
'We're old friends, and I won't hide it from you,' Colom began. 'There are indeed other sellers in the market who, like me, sell the Poison Wolf Breath Technique. But can you be sure that the copies you buy from them are complete?'
'I've never cultivated a Breath Technique, but I know that a single mistake in the technique can cost lives.'
He spoke with conviction:
'The copy I have has not been altered in any way!'
Karl remained silent.
Indeed.
His goal was to obtain the Breath Technique, and it didn't matter where he bought it from, not even the price.
Of course, he couldn't fully trust the other party either.
'The Breath Technique is of no use to me. We can negotiate on the price, and there's one more thing.'
Colom leaned forward and spoke in a low voice:
'Do you want to leave Black City?'
'Leave Black City?' Karl raised his eyebrows. 'I can't afford the 2,000 Black Stones for the Butterfly Lady.'
'Not the Butterfly Lady,' Colom waved his hand. 'I know of a group that can secretly smuggle people out of here to the nearby Viteli City, and it only costs 300 Black Stones.'
'Secret Passage?' Karl's face changed, as he had heard such rumors but never considered trying it.
'If we're caught, it could cost our lives!'
From time to time, several corpses would hang on the tall wooden frame at the market entrance, most of them being people who tried to escape the city.
'Dead people?' Colom sneered. 'In a place like this, what's the difference between living and dying? It's just a matter of time.'
Karl still shook his head.
He had a way out and wasn't desperate enough to take such a risk. He changed the subject:
'Let's talk about the Breath Technique.'
'Alright!'
Colom sighed.
After a while, the two negotiated the deal, and Colom waved to the boy at the stall.
'Her name is Aya. If I'm not around, you can find her. Don't be fooled by her small stature; she's very clever.'
'Aya?' Karl examined her. 'A girl?'
'Yes.'
Aya rubbed her hands, and her big eyes stared at him intently. 'Uncle, please take care of my business in the future.'
Karl touched the book in his arms, feeling his heart racing. After leaving the market, he hurried back to his residence.
Having waited for so long to obtain the Breath Technique, he was eager to try it.
'Hmm?'
'Bang!'
The sheathed broadsword collided with a wooden stick, and Karl's body retreated, stabilizing his stance in the alleyway.
Several shadows lurked in the alley.
Two people lay on the ground, barely breathing.
This seemed to be a murder scene, and he had intervened out of concern for being spotted.
Unjust disaster!
'Gentlemen,' Karl held the sword and stepped back, speaking solemnly. 'This has nothing to do with me, and I didn't see anything.'
'Hmm...'
Among the crowd, a robust figure stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Karl, especially lingering on the broadsword.
'Boss!'
Someone whispered, 'Should we...?'
'Never mind.'
The burly man's voice was muffled as he waved at Karl.
'Go!'
Karl retreated step by step. Once at a safe distance, he turned and sprinted away, disappearing in an instant.
'Boss.'
In the alley, someone spoke.
'That man probably hasn't cultivated a Breath Technique. It shouldn't be hard to track him down.'
'No need.'
The burly man interrupted, 'His sword movements are steady, so he might have some skills. And the bulging sleeves could be hiding sleeve arrows.'
'The key is...'
'He doesn't have any goods on him. Killing him won't gain us anything. There's no point in taking unnecessary risks. Let's clean up this place first.'
'Yes.' The subordinate nodded and held a bloodied longsword, approaching one of the fallen men and stabbing him with a swift motion.
'Pfft!'
Blood splattered.
(End of Chapter)
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