Chapter 89: Advancing to Grand Knight

Chapter 89: Advancing to Grand Knight



"Boom!"

The Rampage Potion, like an internal bomb, exploded within Karl's stomach, igniting his latent physical potential.

In an instant, Karl felt as if a switch had been flipped within his body, causing his life force to surge uncontrollably.

"Thump... Thump..."

His heart beat powerfully, and with each pulse, life-filled blood, transformed and enhanced, surged through his limbs and bones.

His organs seemed to come alive, ravenously consuming everything in their path.

Hungry! So hungry!

"Clack!"

Karl opened a prepared wooden box and grabbed a handful of high-quality beast pills, not bothering to look as he stuffed them into his mouth.

The potion's power, which usually required slow digestion and gradual absorption, was now rapidly refined by his body.

Anger and irritability surged within him, and he felt an overwhelming urge to destroy everything.

No wonder it's called the Rampage Potion.

At the same time, his life force became incredibly high, even reaching the tips of some of his blood vessels, which were expanded by the impact.

Burst strength and recovery...

In this moment, they skyrocketed! In just a few breaths, Karl had already entered the realm of the Grand Knight.

At least for this moment, his strength was no less than that of a Grand Knight.

However, this was merely the potion's effect, and if he couldn't stabilize his realm, it would instead cause severe damage to his body.

"Huff..."

Karl exhaled deeply, silently practicing the Titan Breath Technique.

Within the Fragment of the Divine Domain, he had absolute control over his body.

"Huff..."

"Inhale..."

"Huff!"

With each controlled breath, the restless potion power within him began to calm, and the raging life force was brought under control.

The broken limits, the unsealed blood vessels, they're slowly starting to adapt."

His emotions also stabilized.

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

His heart beat strongly.

It was like a high-pressure water pump, with increased load-bearing capacity and even more terrifying transformation efficiency.

With each beat, a vibrant life force emerged.

And as this life force surged through his blood and spread throughout his body, changes occurred in various parts.

His muscles became stronger, his bones denser...

His body,

seemed to be renewed and thriving.

The Knight signifies the condensation of the seed of life within the body, while the Grand Knight signifies that the seed of life has taken root and sprouted.

It is no longer limited to the heart but emerges in various organs, further driving the comprehensive evolution of the body)



The respiratory system, digestive system, immune system, nervous system...

All became more robust.

"Swish!"

Karl opened his eyes, and the gleam in his eyes seemed to illuminate the surroundings.

The stable life force within his body proved...

Success!

Grand Knight! Perhaps it was due to sufficient accumulation, or perhaps it was the Fragment of the Divine Domain's control over the physical body, but this breakthrough was incredibly smooth.

It was as if everything had fallen into place naturally.

In the following days, Karl adapted to the realm of the Grand Knight while also busy refining potions, cultivating meditation techniques, and practicing breathing techniques.

In his free time, he studied arcane knowledge.

One month later...

"Finally, things have stabilized."

After sensing the energy within his body, Karl waved his hand and summoned the data panel.

Name: Karl

Constitution: 3.6

Mental Power: 2.4

Source Quality: 0

Occupation: Grand Knight, Intermediate Wizard Apprentice

After advancing to the Grand Knight, in just one month, his constitution soared from less than three points to 3.6, and his mental power also increased accordingly.

"A constitution of 3.6 is not considered low for a Grand Knight, as the Titan Breath Technique provides a significant boost to constitution."

Karl pondered:

"According to my previous estimates, the constitution limit between Knight and Grand Knight should be around three points."

"A constitution of 3.6 is considered mid-range for a Grand Knight?"

"At the very least, it's mid-to-low range!"

"Then..."

"Bang!"

His body flickered, and he suddenly transformed into a giant nearly five meters tall.

Secret Technique - Gigantism!

Constitution: 4.8

Height: 4.8 meters.

At nearly five meters tall, he resembled a two-story building, capable of creating a hurricane with a single wave of his giant hand.

This transformation not only increased his constitution by one point but also enhanced various aspects of his body.

Even Grand Knights with a constitution above five would struggle to face a giant head-on, similar to a leopard and an elephant. Perhaps the leopard has denser muscles, but their size difference is too significant.

...

Hilltop Cottage.

Several people sat around a long table covered with exquisite embroidered cloth.

The table was set with various silverware and fine porcelain, accompanied by flickering candles, creating a soft and cozy atmosphere.

For today's gathering, Siebel wore an extravagant dress and even applied light makeup.

After a few drinks, her cheeks flushed with a delicate blush, revealing a rare hint of allure.

"Modality has already become a High Wizard Apprentice."

She murmured, her eyes distant:

"So fast!"

"Indeed," Lawson nodded, "I thought she would need two to three years of accumulation, but she broke through so quickly."

"Second Rank Wizard Talent..."

"It's truly enviable!"

"You can still be envious," her sister Heidi rolled her eyes and placed several plates of snacks on the table, "We Fourth Rank Wizard Talent holders can only look up to her, and we'll never be able to compare ourselves to her in this lifetime."

"Karl.

"She greeted him warmly, "It's your first time visiting Hilltop Cottage. Don't be shy, why don't you try some of the snacks I made?"

The aroma of cream blended with the scent of fresh grass, tantalizing the taste buds. The delicately sliced fruits on top were a delightful sight.

Karl picked up a piece and took a bite, nodding in satisfaction. "It's delicious!"

"I didn't expect Heidi to be such a skilled baker. I'll have to visit more often to enjoy this treat," he said.

Heidi giggled, her eyes curving with delight. "I'm glad you like it. You're always welcome here."

"Have more!"

Siebel, feeling a bit uncomfortable with their warmth, unconsciously pouted and changed the subject. "Have you heard? Cologne has captured several more cities in Gandor, and the situation is turning against them."

"It's said..."

"Will the Black Swamp be affected too? Will we have to face off against Cologne's wizards?"

"Siebel, you're not up to date," Lawson smiled and shook his head. "Just a few days ago, Cologne's front line collapsed, and two legendary knights were surrounded and killed on the battlefield by a large army."

"For a while, they probably won't launch another attack."

"How is that possible?" Siebel exclaimed in surprise. "Does Gandor Kingdom still have such capable generals?"

Karl looked up, his eyes widening in astonishment. After all, the decadence of Gandor Kingdom was well-known.

Several dukes were dead or injured, and the number of legendary knights had significantly decreased. Could someone still have the ability to turn the tide in this situation?

"It's not someone from Gandor, nor from Sachs Kingdom. It's Tak," Lawson replied.

"Thunder Spear Tak, leading the Black Armor Army, suddenly counterattacked, causing a massive defeat for Cologne."

"What?" Siebel asked, surprised. "Wasn't he Cologne's vanguard general?"

"Yes," Lawson confirmed.

"That was before. Now, he's married to Duna, the daughter of Sachs Kingdom, and has been promoted to a legendary knight."

Siebel blinked in surprise.

Karl's expression also showed surprise.

"Hmph..." Siebel quickly regained her composure, a cold smile on her face. "So, this time, he betrayed Cologne, defected again, and plotted the deaths of two of Cologne's legendary knights."

"That's right," Lawson nodded. "For this achievement, Tak was granted the title of Marquis in Sachs Kingdom and was pardoned from his previous wanted status."

"Hmm..."

"It's said that he personally killed the two legendary knights on the battlefield. His strength must be formidable."

Legendary Knight!

Usually on par with full wizards.

Of course.

Just as a grand knight is no match for a high-level wizard apprentice, a legendary knight is typically not a wizard's opponent.

"Look!"

Siebel glanced at Karl.

"I told you, as long as you offer enough benefits, this Thunder Spear will even betray the gods."

"Marquis..."

"It seems like Sachs Kingdom doesn't appreciate him either."

Killing two legendary knights from their side and marrying the princess, he should have been granted the title of Duke.

But he was only granted the title of Marquis, indicating that the people of Sachs Kingdom also despised Thunder Spear Tak's character.

"This has nothing to do with us."

Heidi waved her hand.

"Why talk about it?"

Like a typical woman, Heidi had no interest in politics or the frontline situation of the warring nations.

As long as the fighting didn't reach her doorstep, she wouldn't pay any attention.

"By the way!"

She turned her head and asked, "Karl, you don't need those gold coins urgently, right?"

"Gold coins?" Karl nodded. "I don't need them for now."

In the Swamp Alliance, transactions primarily used credits and magic stones. Karl lived a secluded life and rarely used gold coins.

"How about lending them to me?" Heidi's eyes lit up. "I want to make some investments. I'll give you a twenty percent interest rate annually, and we'll settle the account at the end of the year."

"If the loan continues, it will accrue interest."

Twenty percent?

Borrowing 100 and returning 120, with interest on the interest, this rate is not low.

"Heidi."

Siebel held Karl's arm, stopping him from responding impulsively. "What do you plan to do?"

"This..." Heidi's eyes flickered. "Some things are not convenient to talk about."

"You want to purchase real estate?" Siebel smiled and said,

"With more and more wizard apprentices in the Swamp Alliance, the land outside will become more and more valuable."

"Now is indeed the best time to make a move."

Karl suddenly understood.

The Black Swamp used to be a desolate place, a no-go zone for humans, with no trace of human activity within dozens of miles of its edges.

Now, it's different.

Although most wizards live in seclusion, they can't completely detach themselves from humans and become true hermits.

All their supplies and food come from human society.

Just like Adolph.

He was already quite indifferent to material possessions, yet he still had numerous servants and knight guards in his residence.

Other wizard apprentices also had ordinary people around them.

These people couldn't live in the Black Swamp for long periods, so they built a settlement outside, which was growing larger.

It's said

that there are plans to turn this settlement into a city.

If this is true, buying land now is undoubtedly a highly profitable venture.

For ordinary people, large transactions primarily use gold coins.

Moreover, due to the scarcity of resources and the high prices in the Black Swamp, the cost of living is almost ten times that of Signo City.

Even the treats on the table were worth several gold coins.

"That's right!"

Siebel had exposed Heidi's plan, and Heidi could only shrug.

"Do you want to join me?"

"With only a fourth-level talent in wizardry, she had given up on making significant progress on the path of wizardry. Instead, she turned her attention to studying cuisine and making money.

'How about we do it together?' Siebel pondered aloud.

She had this idea, but no time. Karl, with his mediocre talent, had no intention of giving up his cultivation either.

In the Foreign World, at the Free Port, the Scythe Brotherhood, like the Dragon King Merchant Guild, had a dedicated yard for storing sea goods.

'Mr. Karl, this way please!' A tall, scarred woman named Jacqueline led the way.

Although Karl had not been able to join the Scythe Brotherhood as he had wished, the connection between them had not been severed.

They maintained a good relationship.

'Regardless of the type, legendary creatures are difficult to capture and kill. Even large caravans wouldn't provoke them willingly.'

'This is a rare opportunity. We encountered a Serpenti.'

Jacqueline pushed open a wooden door and gestured inside.

'Please take a look.'

It was a spacious courtyard, empty except for a massive snake coiled within.

The snake's body was as thick as two people hugging it, and it was about thirty to forty meters long. Even its coiled body occupied the entire courtyard.

It was like a mountain range! Despite its lack of life force, it still exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

'A Serpenti?'

Karl's eyes flickered, and he took a step closer.

'Is this the giant snake that can petrify people?'

'Yes,' Jacqueline introduced, 'A young Serpenti is five to ten meters long. This Serpenti is clearly an adult, and its body is said to contain the bloodline of ancient flying dragons. After evolving to a certain degree, it can grow wings and break free from the Endless Sea.'

Karl nodded slowly.

The Serpenti's body was as hard as stone, its skin a yellowish-brown color, and it was covered in large scales resembling fish scales.

'This thing is terrifying!' Jacqueline's voice carried a hint of lingering fear.

'Its eyes can shoot out light that petrifies metal, and a single sweep of its gaze can kill a crowd of people.'

'Its body is surrounded by a mist that slowly petrifies any living thing that approaches.'

'Its skin is so hard that it's impervious to blades, and even a Grand Knight would struggle to withstand it, and a direct confrontation with it would be a challenge even for a legendary knight.'

'Oh?' Karl showed surprise.

'How did you manage to capture it?'

'Heh... ' Jacqueline scratched her head and smiled.

'This creature has a fatal weakness: it's afraid of mirrors. Mirrors can reflect the light from its eyes, and as long as you grasp that, even a group of ordinary people would have a chance to capture it.'

So that's how they did it.

Karl raised an eyebrow and gently stroked the snake's body.

Analytical Technique! Instantly, he perceived the intricacies of its body and bones, and his breath quickened.

Legendary Creature!

A truly extraordinary being!

Unlike common magical creatures, every part of this Serpenti's body held mysteries, and its entire body formed a perfect, self-contained cycle.

If Karl could analyze this corpse and modify himself, he could become a bloodline wizard.

Even a full wizard in Gandor might never encounter a legendary creature in their lifetime, let alone possess one.

But here!

Every year, there were captured legendary creatures, and analyzing just one could make him a full wizard.

With such advantageous conditions, not pursuing the path of a bloodline wizard would be against the natural order.

After all, the only challenge for bloodline wizards was analyzing legendary creatures, and with the right conditions, the chances of breaking through were immense.

Taking a deep breath, Karl asked in a low voice, 'How much for it?'

'It's not cheap. Five thousand Serenity Coins for an eye, two thousand Serenity Coins per meter of the body, one thousand Serenity Coins per bone segment, three hundred Serenity Coins per scale, and two hundred Serenity Coins per unit of blood.'

'If you buy it all, I can give you a discount. Two hundred and fifty thousand Serenity Coins.'

What?

'How much?'

'Two hundred and fifty thousand Serenity Coins!'

'...'

Karl sighed and slowly withdrew his hand.

Two hundred and fifty thousand Serenity Coins was out of the question, and even twenty thousand would require him to empty his savings.

Fortunately, he was not yet at the stage where he needed to challenge becoming a full wizard, so he didn't need to purchase a complete legendary creature.

'Except for the eyes, I'll take one of everything else.'

'Alright!'

Jacqueline nodded.

...

Fragment of the Divine Domain.

In the center stood a large slab, surrounded by snake meat, bones, scales, and blood.

Karl held dissection tools and, using wizardry, began to analyze the Serpenti's body.

Snake,

A reptile with a long, slender body divided into three main parts: head, trunk, and tail.

Its mouth could open wide, and its forked tongue was flexible, allowing for quick movement through muscle contractions and its own body's bending.

(End of Chapter)

There were scale bones, wing bones, palatal bones, and transverse bones...

"The skin, skeleton, muscles, respiration, digestion, circulation, nerves... It's not much different from ordinary snakes, but in terms of strength, it's almost like a completely different species."

Karl put down his dissection tools and turned to write and draw on the jade tablet, recording the analysis one by one.

"Serpenti has the ability to petrify everything, which is similar to the function of venomous snakes. Venomous snakes have poison sacs that secrete venom, and Serpenti also has a poison sac in his body, but it secretes a mist that petrifies people and can exist for a long time."

"The strength of the body is related to extraordinary qualities..."

"Petrification!"

"It's similar to the fossil spell of a golem, a wizard spell model. It's much easier to deduce and analyze."

To become a qualified bloodline wizard, one must have a thorough understanding of the structures of various creatures.

The process of analysis and experimentation is even more essential.

Roberta was able to initially cultivate herself into a golem because she had a lot of experience cultivating spider women.

Of course.

Even more people died at his hands!

"Buzz..."

The jade tablet glowed slightly, and Karl stopped his movements, looking at the spell model that appeared on it.

Or,

A fragment of the spell model!

To fully analyze Serpenti, one must have a complete body and perform various experiments.

Now, these are just experiences to accumulate, and when the time comes, he will be able to quickly get started.

"No rush!"

Karl whispered,

"Even with the aid of potions, it takes at least a year or two to reach the level of an intermediate wizard apprentice, let alone achieve a complete breakthrough?"

"Without at least three to five years, or even ten years, it's simply impossible."

"During this time, I'll accumulate experience and save up serenity coins. By then, my spiritual power will be sufficient, and I'll have enough money."

"I'll break through all at once!"

...

"Clang!"

"Bang..."

Karl, bare-chested, held a great hammer and swung his arm, slamming it down on the iron plate in front of him.

"Clang..."

Sparks flew.

"Hiss!"

The red-hot steel plunged into the water, immediately emitting a thick white smoke that also obscured Karl's bright red body.

After an unknown amount of time, Karl tossed the sword embryo that he had hammered to a certain degree onto the ground and picked up a water jug from the side, pouring it into his mouth.

"Glug, glug..."

A large jug of water was quickly emptied.

"Ah!"

Leaving the fragment of the divine domain, Karl went downstairs, where Siebel was sitting with her legs crossed, sipping tea.

Seeing Karl's bare upper body, his well-defined muscles caught her eye, and she licked her lips.

"Knights do have their uses, at least they have good physiques."

"Did you bring the things?" Karl ignored her teasing and put on a long robe.

"I did." Siebel pointed to the basket beside her, which was filled with various potions, and asked curiously, "What do you need these potions for?"

These potions were ordinary and had no use for wizard apprentices.

"I have my uses for them." Karl picked up the basket and examined each bottle, his face showing satisfaction.

"Good, they meet the requirements."

He had been busy with forge breathing, meditation, alchemy, and analyzing Serpenti... He didn't have much time to craft potions.

So, he outsourced it to her.

"Of course." Siebel was confident, "My talent for potions has even been praised by my mentor. If you want to do business with ordinary potions, you can find an agent."

"Old Harry would be perfect choice!"

Wizards have all sorts of mysterious methods and can craft many things that ordinary people would find unbelievable.

These transactions require corresponding merchants.

Wizards usually don't appear in person, firstly because their time is precious, and secondly, they consider it shameful.

Agents were born.

"I'll consider it." Karl nodded. "Just a moment."

He turned around, went back to his room, and brought out an item, which he handed to Siebel.

"Here!"

"A petrification ring, capable of emitting a petrifying light with the power of an intermediate wizard apprentice. However, it can only be used ten times before it becomes useless. This is a month's worth of potions as payment."

"I never thought..." Siebel took the ring with a look of surprise, gently caressing the ring on her finger.

"You've actually become an alchemist!"

Alchemists are wizards skilled in crafting enchanted items.

Previously, when Karl studied alchemy, Siebel had criticized him for being too distracted. She never expected that he would now be able to craft enchanted items.

"Um..."

Siebel licked her lips and spoke softly.

"I heard you've been using magic stones to buy potions?"

"Yes." Karl sighed. "Potions are too expensive, and without them, my training is too slow. My mentor's inheritance is running low."

"Actually, using magic stones to buy potions is not a bad idea. I have credits, and it's more cost-effective to exchange potions with credits. Give me your magic stones, and I'll exchange them for potions."

"Hmm..."

"If there aren't enough magic stones, enchanted items will do too!"

With an alchemist by his side, Siebel didn't mind being a middleman and making a profit.

"Well..." Karl rested his chin on his hand. "I'll consider it. It's not impossible!"

However, some of his items were not suitable for public view, so after sending Siebel away, he would have to make a personal trip.

End of Chapter

Chapter end