Wizard: Starting With the Knights Breathing Method Chapter 1: Practicing for Two and a Half Years [Fully-Levelled Archery]

The month of the Northern Winds arrived in the year 1003 of the Holy Calendar.

Deep within the Blackwater Valley of Lake County, situated in the Black Mountain Province of the Emerald Kingdom, winter had taken hold.

A blanket of silver snow draped the river valley plains, where plumes of smoke rose into the frosty air from a few scattered wooden dwellings. Overlooking the land from a higher elevation was a fortress built against the mountainside. Though once impressive, its crumbling battlements and broken towers served as a silent testament to the declining fortunes of its master.

Upon the icy slopes outside the castle walls, a rabbit cautiously foraged within a frozen haystack, its ears twitching in constant vigilance against hidden threats.

Hidden behind a tree nearly seventy meters away, a youth clad in a white leather coat and a velvet cap remained motionless. His brown boots were buried deep in the drifts, his attire blending perfectly with the wintry landscape.

He raised a bow—not a simple tool for hunting, but a heavy weapon forged for the battlefield.

The silence was shattered by the whistle of a loosed arrow. In an instant, the rabbit collapsed, its head pierced through. A vibrant splash of scarlet stained the pristine snow.

[Archery Proficiency +1]

[Archery: Level 1 (9999/10000) Level 1 (Max)]

“Rabbit meat for dinner,” Levi murmured, licking his lips as he summoned his proficiency panel into view.

Levi SnyderArchery: Level 1 (Max)Riding: Level 1 (Max)Aristocratic Dance: Level 1 (Max)Hand-to-hand Combat: Level 1 (Max)Basic Swordsmanship: Level 1 (Max)

A faint smile touched Levi’s lips as he surveyed the data in his mind.

Finally, he had pushed his archery to its absolute peak. At this level of mastery, any target he locked onto was essentially dead the moment he drew his string. In his previous life, such skill would have been legendary, yet here, he was merely preparing for the path of a knight.

It had taken two and a half years of relentless effort to master the five fundamental disciplines required of the nobility: riding, archery, etiquette dancing, brawling, and swordplay. With these foundations solidified, he was finally ready to attempt the Breathing Method.

True knighthood only began once the Breathing Method was mastered. In a world plagued by constant natural calamities and human strife, even the powerful were vulnerable to the whims of supernatural forces.

The previous occupant of this very body, after all, had met his end at the hands of an [Evil Spirit].

Levi was a transmigrator.

He had awakened three years ago, at the turn of the millennium, inhabiting the body of a young noble. The proficiency panel had been his only source of security ever since.

According to the memories he inherited, the original Levi had been fishing in the Blackwater River when he pulled up a terrifying female corpse. Dressed in white with hollow eye sockets and tangled hair, her water-bloated skin marked her as a creature of nightmare—the Water Fairy, a legendary evil spirit.

That encounter had extinguished the original soul, allowing the modern Levi to take his place.

Knight Fred had discovered him unconscious on the riverbank, soaked to the bone and surrounded by rotting vegetation and dead fish. In his feverish state, Levi had muttered strange phrases like "I’m not in the air force," which the knight had misinterpreted as frustration over a poor fishing haul.

Levi kept the truth of that day buried deep. Explaining how he survived an encounter with an evil spirit was impossible, but the trauma remained. To this day, he refused to go near the banks of the Blackwater River.

Most commoners viewed evil spirits as mere folklore, having never encountered one. The same applied to the tales of Wizards—mystical beings said to command the elements of wind, lightning, earth, and fire. Even the experienced Knight Fred dismissed such stories as pure myth.

Yet, Levi felt a deep pull toward the path of a Wizard. It was a profession of mystery and supreme power; even the greatest knight was nothing compared to a true mage. He knew that legends usually held a kernel of truth, and having seen an evil spirit with his own eyes, he was certain Wizards existed outside of bardic songs.

However, he was a realist. For now, pursuing magic was a pipe dream; he needed to focus on the strength he could actually attain.

Since the age of ten, he had drilled his knightly skills daily. With the aid of the proficiency panel, he had reached the maximum level in all five areas in under three years.

Levi was confident that he could now outperform most veteran knights in these basics—especially archery—including Fred himself. At twelve years old, he stood 1.75 meters tall, his muscular frame contrasting sharply with his youthful features. He had already surpassed the physical limits of most grown men in this realm.

In an age where heavy steel and raw power decided the fate of battles, a strong physique was the ultimate currency. He was finally prepared for the next step.

The Breathing Method was a double-edged sword; attempting it without a sufficiently conditioned body or a strong will could lead to severe physical or mental damage. This was precisely why the five skills had to be mastered first.

Levi smiled, retrieved his kill, and began the trek back to the castle.

At the base of the hill, a silver-haired, middle-aged warrior watched him with pride. "If your father could see your prowess with the bow today, he would be overjoyed," the man remarked warmly.

This was Knight Fred, known as the Snake Knight by allies and enemies alike. The late Baron had once told Levi that Fred was the one man he could trust implicitly. This bond was evident; Fred had spent more time raising Levi than the Baron ever had, creating a connection deeper than mere service or even blood.

"You flatter me, Sir Fred," Levi replied. "But I have achieved nothing yet. I must begin the Breathing Method immediately to become a true knight. Winter is here, and the nights are long. Bandits and rival lords will soon look toward our borders. I cannot hide behind your shield forever. After my father fell, we lost the fertile Tulip Lands and the mineral-rich Storm Lands. This valley is all we have left. For the sake of the Snyder bloodline, I must grow stronger!"

He spoke with a feigned bitterness, his fists clenched in a show of youthful resolve.

The Snyder family crest depicted a black snake coiled around a candle, earning them the name "The Black Snake Family." His father, Baron Thord Snyder, had been a legendary figure—one of the Seven Hussars of the North and ruler of vast, prosperous territories.

Compared to the bleakness of Blackwater Valley, their former holdings were paradises. Levi had been born in the Flowering City, a place of lush plains and gentle rains, while the Storm Lands provided the family with immense wealth through its mines.

At their zenith, the Black Snakes commanded five thousand soldiers. The Baron himself was a Great Knight, a rank that placed him at the pinnacle of the martial hierarchy, surpassed only by the mythical Legendary Knights like the Lionheart or the Golden Knight.

Everything changed three years ago when the Baron was summoned by the Holy Church and the Kingdom to fight in the Millennium War against the Tuva Empire. He never returned, and the only word that reached the valley was that he had fallen in battle.

While the law stated Levi was the rightful heir to all three territories, the reality was far harsher. Understanding his weakness, Levi had made a calculated retreat to Blackwater Valley, the family’s ancestral starting point, under Fred’s guidance.

The rival Bloody and Silver Earls, backed by the powerful Duke of Montenegro, had moved quickly to seize the Tulip and Storm Lands. Rather than fight a losing battle, Levi had "gifted" those lands to the Duke to ensure his own survival. It wasn't a surrender in his mind, but a strategic withdrawal. Without the strength of a Great Knight, trying to hold onto such wealth was a death sentence.

With his proficiency panel, he was content to play the part of a disgraced, minor noble while he built his strength in secret.

He had no desire for a crown; his goals were personal. He wanted to reach the heights of a Great Knight, perhaps even a Legendary Knight, and eventually find the path to becoming a Wizard. Immortality and the power to walk the world without fear of the supernatural were far more enticing than politics.

Still, he had to maintain the appearance of a driven, vengeful young lord for the sake of appearances.

Knight Fred, moved by Levi’s speech, nodded with a smile. "Baron Levi, my lord, you have truly matured. Follow me; the time has come."