Chapter 93: 001: I know you
West of the Ramos Duchy, in a certain forest.
Late at night.
On the open ground, a campfire crackled and popped, its dancing flames illuminating the figures seated around itâa young girl, as beautiful as an angel, and a young man of the same age, whose large black-framed glasses gave him a scholarly air.
After days of hurried travel, Lynch and Avery had finally left the Saladin Kingdom earlier that morning without much trouble and had successfully entered the boundaries of the Ramos Duchy.
At last, they could breathe a little easier.
By the fire, Lynch was sitting cross-legged, breathing in a rhythmic pattern. Around him, milky-white mist stirred, occasionally surging into his body through his nose, clearly showing that he was cultivating the Knight Breathing Method.
Tonight, the Fighting Spirit was far more intense than usual, and the mist surrounding Lynch was almost tangible.
As the Knight Breathing Method reached a certain point in its cycleâ
âWhoosh, whoosh!â
A sudden, fierce sound of wind-breaking arose, and the white mist around Lynchâs body condensed into two long, slender white dragons. Following his breath, they quickly surged into his nostrils.
Moments later, Lynch opened his eyes.
A bright gleam flashed through them, similar to the gleaming eyes of feline predators in the night.
Lynch stood up.
âCrack, pop!â
With just a simple movement, a string of crisp cracking sounds erupted from his body, like beans popping in a hot pan. His muscles emanated an intense feeling of power.
Lynch raised his hand and clenched his fist.
An unprecedented sensation of strength coursed through his entire body, converging into his palms. He felt confident that, if there were a stone in his hand at this moment, he could crush it to pieces.
He opened his system panel and took a quick look:
Knight Breathing Method Level 4: 3/30000.
He had finally leveled up!
Yes, at that very moment, Lynch had accumulated enough skill points through relentless effort to break through the barrier of the Low-level Knight and successfully advance to a Mid-level Knight!
It had not been easy!
It had already been three years since heâd become a knight. In the past three years, Lynch had never skipped a single day of trainingâthe sweat heâd poured into his practice could practically be measured by the ton. Finally, he had endured long enough to reach this breakthrough.
Donât underestimate the value of being a Mid-level Knight just because someone like Count Edmund, who possessed such power, was casually killed off. In truth, the strength of a Mid-level Knight is formidable.
Strength: 13.5, Agility: 13.8, Constitution: 13.2.
The average attribute coefficient had jumped from 8 to 13, an increase of 5 points, attaining a level 13 times stronger than the average humanâa terrifying scale.
In terms of sheer strength alone, Lynch could now effortlessly lift more than 500 kilograms. If he wielded the Cross Sword, heâd be capable of dealing over 10 energy points in damage, equivalent to the power of Mid-level Apprentice Magic!
Such prowess rendered Lynch an unstoppable force on human battlefields, a fully armored and armed warrior capable of decimating a thousand-man army. A force to be reckoned with, indeed!
Bear in mind that thousand-strong armies were typically a feature of mid-to-large noble territories, emphasizing the might of a Mid-level Knight.
Achieving the rank of Mid-level Knight was no easy feat.
Take Lynchâs recently departed homeland, the Saladin Kingdomâthere were thousands of knights across the kingdom, but those who had reached the level of Mid-level Knight numbered fewer than a hundred. Even within the Wizard World, Mid-level Knights could rival ordinary Refining System Mid-level Apprentices.
âThe battlefield truly is the best training ground!â Lynch thought.
Originally, Lynch had been a fair distance away from advancing to Mid-level Knight. With regular training, it would have taken at least another six months of hard work to max out his skill level.
But thanks to a series of recent battles, various facets of his knightly skills had seen substantial growth, allowing Lynch to achieve his breakthrough ahead of scheduleâŠ
âSo? Judging by your look, youâve broken through, havenât you?â At this moment, Averyâs voice rang out.
Lynch withdrew his aura and smiled, âJust made some progress in my knight training.â
Avery remarked, âI donât quite understand why youâre so fixated on human martial arts. Wouldnât it be better to devote more of your energy to magic? As for physical strength⊠if youâre craving it, you could make certain alterationsâthatâs your specialty, isnât it?â
Lynch shrugged and said nothing, merely smiling.
The advantages of knights were evident to those who understood; for those who didnât, explaining would be futile.
A trace of displeasure flickered across Averyâs browsâwas she annoyed at being ignored?
Regardless, she said no more but suddenly walked over to Lynch, hands clasped behind her back. Standing close to him, she straightened up, stood on tiptoe slightly, and brought her face directly toward his.
This unexpected gesture of intimacy startled Lynch for a moment. Before he could react, Avery suddenly reached out and snatched something from in front of him.
Lynch felt a looseness on the bridge of his noseâhis black-framed glasses were now in her hand.
He frowned, âWhat are you doing?â
Without replying, Avery tilted her head, studying him thoroughly. Soon, the corner of her mouth curled upward.
She grinned and said, âI knew I wasnât mistaken.â
Lynch asked, âMistaken about what?â
Closing her eyes and smirking, Avery raised one hand, casually dangling Lynchâs glasses between two fingers before tossing them aside. âBack at the Dew Spring, I noticed your true appearance didnât quite match your demeanor and aura.â
âAt first, I thought you were just wasting a handsome face by lacking any sense of style, but now I think I understand you.â
Opening her eyes, bright with mischief, she asked, âWhy are you hiding yourself?â
Snatching back his glasses and putting them on again, Lynch replied, âNone of your business.â
Understand me? Weâve only known each other for a few days, and you think you can claim this so boldly? Just because you caught a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg, you assume youâve seen the whole of me?
Even I wouldnât dare say I completely understand myself. Bold claimâŠ
âIs it because of Alfred?â Avery abruptly asked.
Lynch looked at her with skepticism, âUp until now, youâve never struck me as someone who enjoys gossip.â
Nor as someone so chatty.
Avery shrugged, mimicking him. âWho knows? Maybe this is the real me.â
After a pause, she continued, âDonât change the subject. Is it because of Alfred? Are you disguising yourself to guard against him?â
Lynch smirked, mimicking her once more, âWho knows?â
âHaha!â
Avery burst into laughter, then mockingly declared, âThirty years ago the river flowed here, thirty years later it flows there. Donât think too highly of yourselfâour difference is only temporary! Someday, Iâll surely surpass you!â
âWhy?â
âBecause of my effort!â
Tilting her head, her silky, auburn hair cascaded like maple leaves, and she smiled brightly, âThat moment, I truly made a mental note.â
Lynch twitched his lipsâReally? You?
Turning away, Avery added, âBut looking at it now, it was really just your glasses, wasnât it?â
Her curious eyes fixed onto Lynch, âIn that case, Avery Karina Tavendish.â
âItâs a pleasure to meet you, sir.â
With grace, she gave Lynch a bow, as if saying:
Iâve figured you out.
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