Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

"I’ve given this a great deal of thought..."

Gandar slowly spread the Sheepskin Scroll out on the wooden table.

His heavy, jet-black Armor clinked faintly as he moved.

"Although your Power has already broken through mortal limits and you’ve stepped into the Extraordinary Domain..."

He paused, a hint of praise in his eyes.

"To be honest, when I was your age, my Power was likely inferior to yours."

Roland wasn’t surprised that Gandar had seen through his level of Power.

After their intense battle just now, it was only natural for an Extraordinary Knight to accurately gauge his Power.

So, he wasn’t distracted by the praise, his eyes remaining locked on the Sheepskin Scroll as it unrolled.

Seeing Roland’s lack of conceit at his praise, a flicker of appreciation crossed Gandar’s eyes as he continued.

"But most of the Combat Skills I’ve mastered are beyond your current ability to wield... or rather, even if you forced yourself to learn them, their effectiveness would be greatly diminished."

Gandar’s fingers traced the edge of the Scroll.

"As for the rest, they would be of limited help in improving your Power, so..."

When the Scroll was fully unrolled, Roland could clearly see the three large, flamboyant words written upon it.

Crescent Moon Guide.

"After careful consideration, I’ve decided to teach you this Combat Skill, the Crescent Moon Guide. As for its effect..."

Gandar tilted his head slightly and gave Roland a meaningful look.

"I believe you’ve already experienced it firsthand in our battle just now."

’I’ve already experienced it?’

Roland frowned, searching his memory.

During their exchange, Gandar had remained on the defensive, employing only the most basic Swordsmanship techniques.

So Roland quickly pinpointed the moment.

It was the instant his Flowing Slash, empowered by Fermented Battle Intent, was about to strike Gandar.

The mysterious power that had pulled on his weapon, causing him to fall short at the critical moment.

At this thought, the scene replayed in Roland’s mind with growing clarity.

The subtle rotation of the wrist, the pull of a vortex-like current of air...

He was absolutely certain that the Power Gandar used to execute the Crescent Moon Guide hadn’t been any stronger; in fact, it had been a fraction weaker than the Power he’d used to block attacks.

This meant that if he could master this Combat Skill, he would have a chance to counterattack even against enemies whose Power far exceeded his own.

Moreover...

’The reason I was sent flying wasn’t entirely due to the vortex itself...’

’It was because my weapon touched the vortex, throwing me off balance. I was ultimately sent flying by the backlash from the force of my own Flowing Slash.’

’If the Crescent Moon Guide can produce such an effect, isn’t that like using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds?’

Seeing the look of understanding on Roland’s face, Gandar chuckled and pushed the open Sheepskin Scroll across the table to him.

"It seems you’ve figured it out. I created this Combat Skill, the Crescent Moon Guide, back when I was serving on the border to fight against the physically powerful Beastmen. The results were surprisingly effective."

A nostalgic glint appeared in Gandar’s eyes.

"At that time, I hadn’t yet fully mastered the Knight’s Breathing Technique, so this Combat Skill is just right for you..."

’Hadn’t yet fully mastered the Knight’s Breathing Technique...’

’He created his own Combat Skill just to deal with his enemies, and it turned out to be surprisingly effective...’

Hearing this, Roland gave Gandar a strange look.

’If I didn’t know who he was, I would’ve thought this Knight was deliberately showing off...’

"Alright..."

Noticing the look in Roland’s eyes, Gandar cleared his throat and patted him gently on the shoulder.

"With your talent, I imagine you won’t need much explanation from me. You should be able to study it on your own. However, before that, there’s one more thing..."

"Please, Sir Gandar."

Though he was itching to study the Crescent Moon Guide, Roland forced himself to look away from the Scroll.

However, Gandar’s next words made him freeze.

"Roland, are you interested... in serving in the Border Legion?"

’The Border Legion?’

The term was not unfamiliar to Roland.

His friend John, a Manor Guard, had once served in the Border Legion.

Roland had learned a great deal about it from their frequent chats.

Because the Golden Valley Kingdom was surrounded by enemies on three sides, it established three major Border Legions to guard the frontiers.

Although the living conditions on the border were harsh and involved daily battles, countless people still flocked to serve there.

Among them were even many children of nobility.

The reason was simple.

To earn military merits!

This was the most direct, most effective, and most indisputable path to attaining a noble title in the Golden Valley Kingdom.

Baron Fosling, for instance, had been granted his title and the fief of Black Water Territory precisely for his military achievements.

If not for that, with his status as a down-and-out noble, even a remote and barren place like Black Water Territory would have been beyond his reach.

However, serving on the border was not without its barriers to entry.

At least for a commoner like him, joining the legion required a specific connection for a recommendation, as well as a series of lengthy procedures like trials and selections.

John had warned him from personal experience that some of these stages were so thoroughly infiltrated by the nobility they were as porous as a sieve.

Soldiers of common birth, even those with considerable skill, were often deliberately hindered during the trials or assigned to the most dangerous front-line positions as cannon fodder.

Their credit for accomplishments was also easily stolen or shared out by the well-connected scions of nobility.

John himself had almost died on a reconnaissance mission that was supposed to be handled by a noble’s son.

All because he had offended the son of a minor noble.

It was precisely these deep-rooted and blatant injustices that made Roland, after learning this from John, hesitate to see it as a path to obtaining the Knight’s Breathing Technique.

But from what Gandar was implying, it seemed he could skip these complicated steps and directly enter service in the Border Legion.

And at a respectable rank, no less.

This was undoubtedly good news.

A flicker of joy rose in his heart, but Roland found himself unconsciously rubbing his smooth chin, his brow slowly furrowing.

In the Golden Valley Kingdom, obtaining a noble title meant gaining the qualification to practice the Knight’s Breathing Technique.

And this was exactly what he most desperately craved at this moment.

But this path of promotion was far from as smooth as it appeared on the surface.

Take Baron Fosling, for example. He had served on the border for more than a decade to earn his title, and that was with the lingering advantage of his noble bloodline.

For most others, like John, who had served during the same period as Fosling, they remained nothing more than Manor Guards.

Roland knew that with his current Power and Gandar’s patronage, he would surely accumulate military merits far faster than Fosling. But how long would that actually take?

Eight years?

Five years?

Even if it only took three years, he couldn’t afford to wait.

The memories of everything he had experienced since arriving in this world flooded his mind, and he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

’The Magic Elements are now quietly resurging, and Demons are already showing signs of a comeback. Even if I could earn a title and enter the Knight Academy within three years, mastering the Breathing Technique would still take a long time.’

’How much more time would I need to truly become an Extraordinary Professional?’

This wasn’t just Roland’s wild speculation.

Though the information he had was incomplete, after witnessing the might of an Extraordinary Professional Knight like Gandar, he was certain of one thing.

Mastering the Knight’s Breathing Technique was by no means a simple task.

By his calculations, the path from earning a title to becoming an Extraordinary Professional would take at least five, or even ten, years.

By that time, with the Magic Elements gradually resurging, what would the world have become?

"You don’t need to answer immediately."

Gandar sensed the hesitation in Roland’s expression and placed a broad hand gently on his shoulder.

The renowned Knight then took a badge that gleamed with a silver light from his waist pouch and placed it gently on the wooden table.

In the sunlight, the surface of the winged, silver badge flowed with a cold sheen. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"After you’ve thought it through, bring this and come find me in the Royal Capital."

Gandar’s voice was as solid as stone.

"Even if I’m not in the Royal Capital, you just need to give this badge to the officials at the recruitment office, and they will naturally understand what to do."

After speaking, Gandar brushed past Roland.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly spoke again.

"Oh, right. You should stay here and recover tonight. Don’t go wandering about."