Chapter 137 : Dwarf Blacksmith! Rock Breathing Technique!
Chapter 137: Dwarf Blacksmith! Rock Breathing Technique!
Overall, the total attribute increase was not as significant as when the Furnace Breathing Technique broke through.
The body-tempering effect of the second Breathing Technique was indeed inferior to the first.
It was like a fitness enthusiast who had already undergone years of comprehensive training being given a specialized lower-body training regimen.
There would be results, but not as noticeable as when they first began training.
This breakthrough brought no change to Leo’s Strength or Spirit attributes.
However, his Agility increased by 0.2.
This was already quite considerable.
After the breakthrough of the Lightning Breathing Technique—
Leo felt a visible change in his physique.
Just a moment ago, he felt his waistband loosen slightly.
Even the robe on his upper body became a bit looser.
Leo simply took off his clothes and examined his body.
Smooth muscles, a solid build—strong yet not bulky.
Clearly—
His physique had begun transitioning from a bodybuilding type to a combat-oriented build.
Leo’s ideal physique was that of a practical combat expert.
Strength combined with agility.
At this moment, when Leo activated the Lightning Breathing Technique—
A surge of heat flowed toward his lower body, and he felt a tingling sensation spreading from his lower back downwards.
A large number of Energy Factors began gathering in the muscle groups of his lower body.
The sensation was like an electric shock.
Leo’s gaze sharpened.
With a loud boom—
He lightly tapped the ground beneath his feet, and the surface instantly cracked apart in large fissures.
In the blink of an eye, Leo turned into a streak of lightning, reaching the opposite corner of the courtyard.
A distance of over ten meters—covered in a single step.
With the immense inertia, he nearly smashed through the courtyard wall.
“So this is Lightning Burst.”
Leo began to understand the function of this special effect.
By concentrating Energy Factors into the lower body muscles in a short time, it could generate explosive instantaneous speed.
This speed was roughly three times faster than when not using the Breathing Technique.
However, it seemed most suitable for straight-line bursts; complex terrain and turning might not be ideal.
Leo was extremely satisfied with this special effect.
Previously, what he lacked most was speed—and now, he had successfully made up for that weakness through his Breathing Technique.
As the saying went, in all martial arts under heaven, speed alone is undefeated.
This was a truth Leo firmly believed in.
With speed, he could fight if he could win—and run if he couldn’t.
Moreover, during the burst, he could launch surprise attacks with his swordsmanship.
The speed from the sprint could increase the force of his strikes.
Or he could initiate with a sudden dash and directly use Black Marsh to ambush enemies.
Leo’s mind began forming numerous tactical ideas.
Now, he had too many trump cards.
But to make full use of them, he needed someone to spar with.
Thinking of this, the first person who came to mind was Eve Sova.
“Damn Wilderness Knight Order.”
Leo clenched his fist, preparing to head to the dungeon to vent by sparring with the Beastkin.
……
The following days became extremely monotonous.
Until one day, the Kingdom Merchant Caravan arrived at Blackstone City as usual.
Leo once again went to take care of their business.
However, this time he didn’t purchase much—only some medicinal materials.
Although the situation in Blackstone City was turbulent, it had no effect on the Kingdom Merchant Caravan.
Their iron rule was to never interfere in anything beyond caravan affairs.
After becoming a Formal Knight, Leo had access to much more information than before.
As a Formal Knight, a considerable amount of Blackstone City intelligence was directly circulated to him.
Through this, he also learned more about the Golden Knight Order.
The group escorting the merchant caravan was only one of its squads.
Besides this squad, the Golden Knight Order also had war squads, guardian squads, intelligence squads, and others.
Among them, the most powerful war squad was responsible for external warfare missions.
The guardian squad handled the protection of the royal family and the Church.
The intelligence squad functioned like spies, scattered throughout the kingdom, infiltrating cities to gather intelligence for the royal family.
These four squads were what Leo knew publicly.
However, based on his experience from his previous life, Leo judged that the Golden Knight Order likely had additional divisions that were not disclosed.
From this perspective, escorting merchant caravans seemed like the easiest job.
After all, there was no need to fight or stay by the royal family’s side.
But at the same time, it likely held the least power—or virtually none at all.
After finishing servicing the horses of the Golden Knight Order—
The knight captain looked deeply at Leo, then patted his shoulder. “Alright, Knight Leo, take care.”
Leo felt the man wanted to say something, but there was a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
After the caravan departed, a fully armored Golden Knight stepped forward behind the captain.
“Holy Capital Great Knight, so it’s you. Crossing boundaries, aren’t we?” A playful female voice came from within the armor.
“Hm?” Holy Capital Great Knight Veltan turned and looked at the short knight behind him, surprise flashing in his eyes. “Mia! It’s actually you. What are you doing sneaking into my squad? Where’s that brat Flag? How is he watching over you?”
“Hehe, Flag? He’s watching someone else for me. If he could keep an eye on me, he might as well take my position.”
“You little girl. Blackstone City is in trouble, yet you’re acting so calm. Since when did you become so disciplined?” Veltan glanced sideways at Mia, clearly aware of something.
Mia clasped her hands behind her back and kicked forward as she walked. “Trouble? Just minor disturbances. I’ll watch the show first. Once all the small fry jump out of the water, I’ll step in and clean up.”
“You’ve grown up—so composed now. I’ll just wait to see you get dismissed.” Veltan rode forward, expression stern but with a faint smile.
“Getting dismissed would be perfect. Being a captain is annoying. Being a regular member is much freer.” Mia stopped and waved at him.
“If possible, keep an eye on that kid for me. He’s a good kid.” Veltan continued forward, waving as well.
Mia watched her old friend leave. “Leo Laide, huh? Since you’re not some well-connected noble, I’ll see whether you’re truly qualified.”
……
After the Kingdom Merchant Caravan arrived, a dwarf blacksmith named Stark came looking for Leo.
“Leo? I heard you want a weapon forged?” Stark’s voice was deep and heavy.
Leo looked at him, then instinctively lowered his gaze.
This was a burly dwarf with a thick beard and a fierce appearance—but only about one meter tall.
Realizing his gaze might be impolite, Leo quickly looked away. “Yes. And you are?”
“Hmph! Another one speaking so politely.” Stark snorted, clearly impatient. “I’m Laforin’s friend. Since he asked me to forge a weapon for you, stop wasting time and tell me—what do you want?”
Leo went into his room and brought out the Thousand-Year Cold Iron Laforin had given him.
He carried the box with one hand and placed it in front of Stark.
“This is the material. What do you think suits me?” Leo had heard that blacksmiths understood weapons best, so he wanted Stark’s opinion.
Stark opened the box, lifted the deep-blue metal with both hands, and examined it with effort.
“Hah! You’re asking me? I think you’re suited for a hammer!” Stark spoke loudly, spittle flying and sticking to his beard, making him look rather unkempt.
Leo was speechless—getting scolded right away.
Still, he remained patient. People with tempers like this usually had real skill to back it up.
“Master Stark, I don’t want a hammer. I want a sword.”
“A sword? Why didn’t you say so earlier? With your build and strength, I thought you’d suit a hammer. If you want a sword, then hurry up—what kind?” Stark had just weighed the cold iron—it was nearly a hundred jin, yet Leo held it in one hand like a wine bottle.
“……” Leo looked at the impatient dwarf. “In that case, a greatsword. Preferably one that can deliver a decisive strike with strength.”
“Oh, and if possible, leave a movable socket. I currently have an Eye of the Thunder Lizard.”
Leo stated all his requirements.
“That’s it?” Stark seemed to find it simple. He spat into his hands twice and rubbed them together. “Then I’ll get started.”
“So fast?” Leo realized the dwarf truly was impatient.
“Of course! The sooner I finish, the sooner I can go drink. Come, come!” Stark called outside, and several assistants quickly carried in forging tools. “Fastest fifteen days, slowest sixteen—guaranteed done.”
Seeing how much he spat, Leo had a servant bring him water.
“No need. Bring me the strongest liquor in Blackstone City.”
Soon, the sound of hammering echoed throughout Leo’s courtyard.
……
Half a month passed in a flash.
Blackstone City was busy yet carried a strange sense of calm.
Hunting missions were in full swing, and the Knight Hall had resumed potion supply.
Lady Manta had been working nonstop, and Green was also extremely busy.
Before crafting the Tier 3 potion, Leo had assisted Lady Manta several times with Tier 2 potions.
At this point, crafting Tier 2 potions gave him very little experience.
Still, something was better than nothing—he used it as a way to rest his body between Breathing Technique training.
With the help of that quarter bottle of Tier 3 potion—
Leo’s Furnace Breathing Technique made significant progress.
【Breathing Techniques: Furnace Breathing Technique Phase Two 75/100 (Black Aura Coating)】
His first Breathing Technique was now only a quarter away from breakthrough.
If the Wilderness Knight Order continued supplying sufficient Catalysts—
Then in just over a month, he should break through Phase Two.
During this period, Leo had also placed his third Breathing Technique into his Second Mind’s training slot.
After reaching Phase Two, the Lightning Breathing Technique’s progress had slowed noticeably.
In comparison, using Tier 3 Body Tempering Potion to train the still-beginner Rock Breathing Technique was far more efficient.
Just three days ago, this technique had also successfully reached Phase Two.
【Rock Breathing Technique Phase Two 1/100 (Force of a Thousand Jun)】