Lord of the Frozen Winter: Starting with Daily Intelligence Reports

“It’s about the successful development of the ‘Knight Growth Potion’! We just finished brewing the first batch and were so excited that we—we—celebrated a little and hadn’t had time to tell you! How did you know?!”

“Wow, it’s done?” Louis’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he leaned forward, “Are you serious? It’s not a semi-finished product; it’s truly complete?”

His earlier mischievous thought of teasing was instantly thrown to the back of his mind.

Silco heard him sounding so excited he could jump on the table and dance, and he breathed a sigh of relief. From a small ice crystal cabinet under the experimental bench, he carefully took out a metal box wrapped in thick cloth.

“Since you’re here, you’ll be the first to witness the results.”

He uncovered the cloth, opened the lid, and took out a glass bottle containing the potion.

The potion in the bottle displayed a strange purplish-red hue, its surface seemingly surrounded by a faint halo, like a sleeping creature gently breathing.

Even without opening the stopper, a subtle scent filled the air, both sweet and with a faint stimulating sensation.

“This is the Knight Growth Potion you mentioned,” Silco said, as if introducing his own child. “It was successfully developed by combining Cang Wen Honey and Frost Blood Red Berry as main ingredients, along with alchemy transformation techniques and low-temperature extraction methods.”

Louis’s eyes widened: “It looks extraordinary—that light, it’s like a soul flowing.”

“That’s the Qi factors naturally moving,” Silco pushed up his goggle-like eyewear. “It indicates its activity is very stable.”

He paused, a hint of pride in his eyes: “Cang Wen Honey is warm and long-lasting, capable of stabilizing Qi flow, suitable for apprentices with ordinary talent. Long-term consumption can alleviate the hidden internal injuries from training.”

“But relying solely on it is too slow.” Silco pointed to the faint purple light in the bottle. “This is Frost Blood Red Berry, extremely high in magic concentration, capable of greatly accelerating Qi condensation. What would originally take three years for a beginner knight to advance now only takes a few months.”

His tone shifted, his eyes gleaming: “The key is the fusion. We extract ‘slow-release factors’ from the honey to neutralize the ‘magical catalysis’ of the red berry, refining it into this potion that can steadily release and continuously enhance.”

He paused, his tone serious: “It’s not just a supplement; it’s a strategic resource. From basic knight conditioning to advanced breakthroughs, it covers the most core stages of a knight’s growth. You want to cultivate a reserve knight order? This stuff is the heart of your logistical support.”

Louis nodded; he naturally knew this, as he was the one who asked Silco to create it.

Silco scratched his head, clearing his throat a little uncomfortably: “Ah, well, this is actually mainly Jian Ni’s credit.”

As he spoke, he pointed to the side, where the girl who had just nervously hidden behind the curtains was standing.

The girl seemed not to have expected to be called out, her face instantly turning crimson, and she lowered her head:

“I’m just an alchemy apprentice good at potion configuration. The main thing is that the theoretical proportions haven’t had time for complete testing.”

“It’s already very impressive,” Louis looked at her sincerely and nodded in affirmation.

He changed the subject, looking at Weil beside him: “Didn’t you say you’ve been stuck at the High-Rank Formal Knight stage for a long time? Try the effect.”

“Hmm—I’ve been stuck for almost half a year,” Weil scratched his head with a troubled expression.

Louis almost laughed out loud hearing that.

Half a year?

One must know, it’s normal for ordinary knights to be stuck at this stage for ten or eight years.

Even those with better talent would take three or four years to steadily break through.

Was this a live demonstration of a genius’s humblebrag?

“Alright, stop feigning pity, drink it quickly.” Louis directly handed over the potion, his tone too lazy to complain.

Weil took the bottle without asking further questions.

He never doubted Louis’s words, whether it was strategic commands or experimental potions.

There was no reason, just like you wouldn't question if the sun would one day not rise, would you?

The blood-red liquid gently swayed in the bottle, a faint purple glow flickering like a weak heartbeat.

“Good luck,” Jian Ni whispered.

“Thank you,” Weil smiled at her, then tilted his head back and drank it all.

Weil tilted his head back and drank the potion in one gulp.

In just a few seconds, his whole body suddenly trembled, and his eyes showed a mixture of pain and surprise.

“Huh!”

The next instant, as if a scorching energy burst within him, surging from his abdomen like a wildfire, sweeping through his entire body along his blood vessels.

“Whew...”

The young man struggled not to fall, instead immediately sitting cross-legged, closing his eyes, and beginning to practice his breathing technique.

The initial burning sensation was like scorching flames on bone, but under the guidance of his breathing rhythm, the violent energy gradually became gentle, as if clear spring water was poured into his meridians, slowly flowing and nourishing his limbs and body.

His skin faintly glowed red, and the aura around him slowly rose, becoming stable, solid, and powerful.

A moment later, the surrounding air seemed to ripple slightly. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

“This is...” Louis’s gaze sharpened, somewhat disbelieving.

The aura of an Elite Knight!

That’s right, Weil at that stage finally broke through.

Thirteen years old, and he became an Elite Knight!

He subconsciously glanced at the now empty potion bottle, then looked at the young man whose aura was surging before him, muttering, “This potion... it’s too effective.”

When Weil opened his eyes, there was still some haziness in them.

Louis asked, “How do you feel?”

The young man pursed his lips, trying to organize his words, yet looking troubled: “It’s—it’s just—I feel like I, I really got stronger.”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Louis couldn’t help but laugh.

“No, it’s just that my whole body feels lighter, my Qi feels alive, and my mind is clearer, but I can’t quite explain what’s going on—” Weil scratched his head, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face, “I’m not very good with words—”

“You don’t need to be good with words,” Louis sighed lightly, patting him on the shoulder, “You just need to keep getting stronger.”

Then he suppressed his astonishment, turned his head to Silco: “How much of this potion do you have left?”

“Seven doses, mainly due to material issues.” Silco spread his hands, his tone somewhat regretful. “Cang Wen Honey is easy to cultivate, but Frost Blood Red Berry is the biggest problem. This batch is the first fruit from the experimental field, and the quantity is indeed not much.”

“It’s also the first time it’s been cultivated, after all.” Louis nodded, expressing understanding. “Even if it’s little, at least there are results. It’ll be much easier when the next batch doubles in yield.”

He changed the subject, looking at Lambert, who was standing to the side.

“You go arrange it. Have someone find five knights who have performed the best recently, picking some from various ages and cultivation stages. I want to see the potion’s effects on different people.”

“Yes, Lord Louis!” Lambert immediately accepted the order and left.

In less than half an hour, he returned to the laboratory with five knights.

Among them were battle-hardened old knights, aspiring young Qi practitioners in their early twenties, and even a young Apprentice Knight, all with expressions of anticipation and bright eyes.

“I’ve kept track of your recent achievements,” Louis said straightforwardly. “As a reward, each of you will receive a special Qi potion. It’s refined by our own territory, used to accelerate your cultivation.”

Upon hearing that they would be gifted a mysterious potion for “strengthening cultivation,” surprise and excitement simultaneously ignited in their eyes.

“This—is this specially prepared for us?” The older knight, with weathered eyes, murmured, as if afraid he had misheard.

“We can still use such a precious potion?” The young knight blinked, his voice trembling slightly.

“I’ve never drunk anything of this caliber in my life!” Another lean, middle-aged knight could barely conceal his ecstasy, his fingers trembling slightly as if holding a sacred relic.

“Can even an Apprentice Knight like me drink it?” The youngest Apprentice Knight stared intently at the faint purple light in the bottle, utterly incredulous.

“Drink it,” Louis said calmly, yet with a hint of encouragement. As soon as these words were spoken, the five men instantly ignited like fuses, exchanging excited glances, and almost in unison, they said:

“Thank you for your generous grace, Lord Louis!”

“Long live Lord Louis!”

“Bottoms up!”

“I can’t wait to break through!”

“May this strength be used to repay Red Tide!”

They received the potion as if it were a priceless treasure, gently pulled out the stopper, and smelled the slightly sweet scent mixed with a hint of coolness, and awe once again appeared in their eyes.

The purplish-red liquid slowly flowed in the bottle, its faint glow flickering like a soul; every drop seemed to condense their desire for power.

“To our destiny,” the older knight murmured softly, tilting his head back and drinking it all.

“Drink it, I want to become stronger!” The young man’s lips curved into a smile as he gulped it down.

So, the five men successively drank the potion, and almost simultaneously, their bodies trembled, some frowning, some gritting their teeth, their expressions becoming solemn and focused.

They immediately sat cross-legged, activating their familiar breathing techniques to guide the medicinal power, entering a state of cultivation.

A moment later, a faint warm current surged in the air, as if some mysterious pulsation echoed within the room.

The floor trembled slightly, and invisible waves of Qi, imperceptible to the naked eye, quietly spread out from the five individuals, like ripples on a water surface.

Silco and Jian Ni had already taken out paper and pens, rapidly recording their changes for future improvement reference.

Louis stood to the side, arms crossed, his gaze quietly sweeping over the five figures, a faint smile playing on his lips.

About a quarter of an hour later, the first to break through was the middle-aged knight who had been stagnant at the peak of the initial stage.

He suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp light bursting forth, sweat pouring down his body, and he exhaled a long, turbid breath.

“I broke through?” He looked at his hands, half-believing, gently clenching his fists, feeling the smooth and surging flow of Qi within his body, so excited he almost shed tears.

“I was stuck at the Initial Elite Knight stage for four whole years—this potion actually helped me cross the bottleneck!”

Another followed closely, his face slightly flushed, clearly the medicinal power had not yet allowed him to break through, but he was still beaming with joy: “Although I couldn’t break through, I feel that the total amount of Qi in my body is almost 20% more than before.

The circulation is also more stable; this is like the result of two more months of cultivation!”

“Me ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) too!” The youngest Apprentice Knight excitedly looked up, his voice filled with unconcealed excitement, “My Qi feels like it’s been lifted, naturally spreading throughout my body—I never thought I could have this feeling!”

The others, more or less, gained benefits of varying degrees.

Although not everyone broke through instantly, the feeling of “cultivation efficiency being multiplied” filled them with hope for the future.

They all stood up, once again facing Louis, cupped their fists in unison, their expressions grateful:

“Thank you, Lord Louis, for the potion!”

“Your subordinate swears to repay Red Tide with the rest of his life!”

“This kindness is etched in our hearts, never to be forgotten!”

They had never imagined that Lord Louis would be so generous as to bestow such precious medicine upon them.

Looking at their faces, flushed with excitement, a satisfied light flashed in Louis’s eyes.

“The effect is even better than expected,” he secretly evaluated in his mind. “Although it’s not a divine medicine like those in games that make you ‘take off on the spot with one gulp,’ it already possesses the strategic value of qualitative transformation, and more importantly, it can be mass-produced.”

“This batch of potions is just the initial version,” he turned to Silco and Jian Ni, smiling. “Once the Frost Blood Red Berry matures on a large scale, we can mass-produce it to cultivate a knight class truly belonging to Red Tide Territory.”

“We will optimize the management of the main materials,” Silco immediately added, his expression serious. “At the current efficiency, the next round can refine twenty to thirty doses.”

Only after the five knights departed joyfully did Louis slowly withdraw his gaze, his mind rapidly sifting through the entire process he had just witnessed.

Breakthroughs were concentrated among those in bottleneck periods, especially those stuck at the common rank threshold.

This indicated that the optimal use of such potions was for ‘assisting breakthroughs’ rather than ‘forcing growth.’

This potion was not some legendary divine medicine that could transform one’s body with a single drink.

It was more like a supportive springboard, providing precise thrust at the right moment.

Especially for knights stuck at bottlenecks, it could save months, or even years, of arduous cultivation time.

This improvement in efficiency was the true key to shifting the combat power structure.

In the future, as long as the raw material supply remained stable, the potion could be mass-produced, becoming a strategic resource for Red Tide Territory.

More importantly, the success of this experiment not only verified the potion’s efficacy but also fostered a stronger sense of belonging among the knights. They would firmly remember who made them stronger and who could make them stronger.

Then Louis looked at the last two remaining potions, pondered for a moment, and casually handed one of them to Lambert beside him. “You drink one too,” he said casually, as if merely sharing a cup of tea.

Lambert took the potion, bowed slightly: “Thank you, Lord.”

He wasn’t overly excited; after all, given his relationship with Louis, he would undoubtedly receive one, but gratitude still filled his heart.

“This last bottle...” Louis looked at the final bottle of purplish-red glowing potion in his palm, thoughtfully. “I’ll keep it for myself, to drink when I hit a bottleneck.”