Wizard: Starting With the Knights Breathing Method Chapter 3: [Secret Medicine] and [Black Qi]

Levi was well aware of what Mad Knights were—warriors who had teetered on the brink of insanity one time too many.

As he felt a primal, ravenous hunger consume him, a sense of shock took hold, causing him to momentarily doubt his path.

However, his resolve hardened when he contemplated the terrifying evil spirits, the avaricious and devious nobility, and the relentless conflicts spanning the kingdoms.

"I will stay vigilant, Knight Fred. Thank you for the reminder."

Even so, Levi recognized the urgent need to generate wealth. If he failed, the impoverished Blackwater Valley would be unable to sustain them both; at worst, it might face a "cleansing" at the hands of the Church's Glorious Knights.

Fred nodded in approval. "Next, you must wear your armour daily, training with a shield and heavy weights. You need to synchronize your breathing method with these movements to ensure the heavy plate doesn't hinder you. Furthermore, there is a specific formula for the Snyder secret medicine; I recommend you commit it to memory."

Levi gave a nod of understanding. To accelerate his Cultivation, medicinal support was an absolute necessity.

The Snyder recipe was relatively straightforward: 50 grams of snake blood, a single snake gallbladder, 10 grams of powdered turtle shell, 10 grams of plant ash, three petals of a mandrake, one drop of ambergris, one drop of liquid amber, and 100 millilitres of distilled water.

With the exception of ambergris, all these ingredients were affordable and easy to acquire.

The quality of the medicine would fluctuate based on the specific snake blood and gallbladders used.

The ambergris, however, presented a significant obstacle.

In his past life, ambergris originated from the digestive system of sperm whales.

In this world, conversely, it was harvested from the oral glands of a creature known as the [Earth Dragon].

Kingdom bards described this beast as one of the most perilous predators in the wild.

These monsters were nearly indestructible and possessed a strange obsession with consuming glinting objects like jewels and coins.

Under ordinary circumstances, slaying one required either a grueling duel using the finest weaponry or a coordinated effort by five knights utilizing poison and massive crossbows.

The famed Legendary Knight [Lionheart Knight Ryan] had successfully hunted an adult Earth Dragon prior to his ascension to the Legendary rank.

This was considered a monumental achievement; previously, a trio of great knights had failed the task, resulting in the death of a promising young Great Knight.

Upon his success, the Lionheart Knight discovered 8,000 gold coins and a hoard of priceless gems within the Earth Dragon’s gullet.

On the open market, ambergris was often considered beyond price.

A mere vial of the substance was valued at one hundred gold pieces—the equivalent of five sets of masterwork knight armour, twenty vigorous young serfs, or a hundred well-fed cattle.

Given Levi's current financial state, such a purchase was impossible.

"I don't need the medicine just yet," he reasoned.

Throughout the following period, Levi’s progress unfolded steadily, and he found the journey far from tedious.

Knight Fred shared foundational knight theories with Levi, providing him with invaluable insights.

A breathing method serves as a technique to regulate respiratory rhythm while stimulating the blood potential within a knight, thereby refining and enhancing their physical form.

Because this enhancement far exceeds the results of standard physical training, one must consume massive amounts of food to fuel the energy expenditure.

Furthermore, different breathing methods yield distinct results.

The Black Snake Breathing Method is primarily focused on defense.

Once mastery is achieved, a practitioner can attempt to condense life seeds to transition into a formal knight. At that stage, physical durability is vastly heightened, granting a resistance to injury far beyond that of an average man.

Moreover, a translucent, dark, fluid-like membrane will manifest over the knight's arms, toughening the skin and musculature.

While it didn't grant total immunity to blades and spears, the protection was formidable.

Knights typically referred to this film as "Black Qi," though the Church labeled it "sacred power," claiming it was a divine blessing of protection.

In this age, the Church often acted as the shadow master of great kingdoms. To Levi, the institution seemed like a front for laundering wealth. If their deity was truly omnipotent, why were the cathedrals guarded by Glorious Knights instead of magic-wielding priests?

In essence, Black Qi is a phenomenon that arises alongside the mastery of breathing methods.

If a breathing method emphasized speed, the Black Qi might concentrate on the legs to boost the knight's agility.

Such is the utility of the breathing method. When a warrior reaches the rank of Great Knight, this black air envelops the entire body, reinforcing it completely.

Save for a few vulnerabilities like the eyes, a Great Knight becomes as invulnerable as an Earth Dragon.

On the battlefield, they are akin to walking gods—unstoppable forces and immovable bastions.

Because of this, Levi never truly bought into the story that his father had fallen in combat.

His father was essentially a god among men; how could he perish on a battlefield? With such power, escaping a losing battle would have been effortless.

While the intervention of a Legendary Knight was a possibility, such figures were highly independent. Even the Church and the monarchy struggled to command them.

Thus, he surmised that his father’s "death" was a calculated conspiracy by the Church.

To ensure his own survival, he chose to remain hidden in Blackwater Valley.

"Amass resources, construct high walls, and rule my own domain."

He held these principles close. He had no desire for a crown, but he was perfectly content being the absolute master of his own lands.