Chapter 56 : Breathing Technique Test
Chapter 56: Breathing Technique Test! Intelligence Gathering!
Leo felt that this was just like in his previous life when playing games—being only 0.1% experience away from leveling up. It was an agonizing, restless sensation, as if countless claws were scratching at his heart.
He glanced again at his status panel.
【Leo
Strength: 2.6
Agility: 1.6
Spirit: 1.5】
Over the past half month, by practicing the Breathing Technique, Leo’s Strength and Agility had each increased by another 0.2.
The progress of the main technique he focused on, the Furnace Breathing Technique, had also been steadily rising.
【Breathing Technique: Furnace Breathing Technique Stage One 46/100】
In these two weeks, Leo’s Breathing Technique had gained 10 points of experience.
“That old granny—no, Granny Gu—really didn’t lie to me. The meat of the Headhunter Tribe truly can help cultivate the Furnace Breathing Technique.”
The efficiency of grinding experience had increased by nearly one-third.
At this rate, in another three months, his Breathing Technique should break through to the second stage.
However, it seemed that Headhunter Tribe meat wasn’t always available.
And there was another problem—it was expensive.
During this half month, both the Quasi-Knights and Knight’s Squires had been preparing for their assessments, causing Leo’s horse maintenance business to shrink drastically.
He figured that after the assessments, when spring—the season of rampant breeding—arrived, business should recover.
In fact, Leo already had a new plan in mind. He had dabbled in some medical knowledge.
Combined with his max-level Mount Control experience, he could try assisting with animal births in the future—that would be an even more expensive service.
Moreover, as the number of horses increased, his business could further expand.
After reading ten pages of a book, Leo closed it, then took out a small pouch of Headhunter Tribe jerky as a snack for watching the event.
After applying body-tempering potion to himself, he began circulating the Breathing Technique, preparing to grind its progress while watching the Quasi-Knight assessment.
At the same time, accompanied by the sound of a drumbeat, the assessment of the Quasi-Knights began over fifty meters away.
Unlike Knight’s Squires, the evaluation of Quasi-Knights mainly depended on their accumulated battle merits.
The year-end assessment only accounted for a small portion.
More than anything, it served as a platform for the Quasi-Knights to exchange and interact.
Leo scanned the entire field. Laforin and the other three great knights were seated at the front.
As for Ray, the enforcement knight he had seen before, he personally presided over the assessment.
The Five Great Knights had all gathered today, each wearing their armor and swords in full, appearing especially solemn.
Leo looked toward Ray. Behind him still followed the same short-haired recording officer from last time.
However, this time, Ray’s demeanor was clearly more restrained.
He deliberately kept a certain distance from the short-haired recording officer, and his gaze no longer wandered.
Leo knew that among the four knights on the platform,
the sharp and capable female knight was Ray’s wife—the Grey Rhino Female Knight, Ross.
At this moment, she stood with her arms crossed, like a strict parent, watching Ray’s every move from afar.
Clarsen, with his bald head, remained as serious as ever.
At the center, Laforin and Anthony—known as the “Hand of Victory”—were constantly discussing something.
Anthony held a stack of papers, occasionally making marks with his pen.
Leo then looked to the other side. The Quasi-Knights seemed to have naturally formed small groups of three to five, chatting among themselves.
It appeared they were not as nervous as expected.
The Breathing Technique test was meant to evaluate their training progress.
But in truth, whether tested or not, they all had a clear understanding of their own strength and level.
Ray, standing below the stage, began announcing the rules of the assessment.
The method was straightforward—the first item was to test the progress of their Breathing Technique.
What surprised Leo slightly was that there was actually a specialized device for measuring Breathing Technique progress.
From afar, Leo saw that on the left side of the training ground stood a device. Its main body was a glass chamber taller than a person.
Above the chamber was a curved tube with scale markings, extending from the top and connecting to a spherical container on the side.
Inside the spherical container was a gray-black liquid.
Looking at this apparatus, which resembled a mercury thermometer, Leo faintly sensed a trace of modern science.
He felt that in this world, there were faint signs of scientific development.
But perhaps due to the overwhelming strength of individuals, the progress of science had been suppressed.
After Ray finished announcing the rules, the assessment began immediately.
Leo watched as a robust Quasi-Knight arrogantly removed his shirt, preparing to enter the chamber.
“Nice physique. His muscles seem even more developed than mine. But for actual combat, they’re a bit too bulky.” Leo took a bite of jerky and casually commented.
But in the next moment, Leo frowned. He suddenly recognized the muscular man.
The distinct scar on his face brought back his memory.
This was the scar-faced man who had come with Zoro to nail horseshoes that day.
Leo didn’t like this guy much. Narrowing his eyes, he watched as the scar-faced man stepped into the chamber and began circulating his Breathing Technique.
At the same time, the gray-black liquid in the spherical container on the right began to rise slowly.
From over fifty meters away, Leo could only see roughly, unable to make out the exact height of the liquid column.
But when he activated Hunting Moment,
his vision instantly zoomed in. At that moment, he could see the liquid column clearly.
There were scale markings on the container, and the liquid level stopped at 74.
The short-haired recording officer began to record the result.
However, judging from the scar-faced man’s expression, he seemed dissatisfied with his performance.
Leo shifted his gaze and ultimately locked onto Anthony on the platform.
He noticed that Anthony acted like a judge, constantly marking something on the papers in his hand.
From Leo’s position on the watchtower, he faced Anthony directly, but from this angle, he couldn’t see the contents of the paper at all.
However, when he activated Hunting Moment and focused his gaze on the bright silver chestplate on Anthony’s chest,
Leo suddenly felt as if he were sitting directly across from him.
That metal chestplate was like a mirror, clearly reflecting the contents of the paper.
“Carlos, knighted five years, from Rova City. Father is the Count of Rova City, mother is the only daughter of Duke Osit. Bold personality, acts recklessly.
Special Note: Rumored to have had an affair with a male servant.
Last year’s results:
Swordsmanship Rating: B
Breathing Technique: 75
Specialty: None
Total battle merits that year: 165.”
This seemed to be the report card of the scar-faced man named Carlos.
“His Breathing Technique was 75 last year, and 74 this year—did it actually decline? Can one’s realm regress? Or is it a measurement error, or just poor performance this year?”
Many thoughts ran through Leo’s mind, but his gaze ultimately settled on one particular line.
“Special Note: Rumored to have had an affair with a male servant.”
After seeing this sentence, when Leo looked again at Carlos inside the chamber, he unconsciously clenched his buttocks.
Better to stay farther away from these muscular men in the future.
This world was far more open than his previous one.
With his handsome face and well-built physique, he might end up attracting unwanted attention.
Then, Leo noticed that Anthony drew a cross next to Carlos’s name.
Although Leo didn’t know what it meant,
he still felt a sense of satisfaction.
A cross mark certainly wasn’t a good sign.
Leo was glad that he had taken the time to come watch the Quasi-Knight assessment.
Although he didn’t recognize most of these people,
for him, this was an excellent opportunity to observe and gather intelligence.