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

Levi was well aware of the nature of Mad Knights—warriors who had teetered on the brink of insanity once too often. As he felt a primitive, raw hunger begin to consume him, he was momentarily startled and began to question his own path.

Nonetheless, his resolve hardened when he recalled the presence of terrifying evil spirits, the avarice of treacherous nobles, and the ceaseless conflicts waged between rival kingdoms. "I will remain alert, Knight Fred. I appreciate the warning," Levi replied.

Even so, Levi understood the necessity of generating income. If he failed, the desolate Blackwater Valley would be insufficient to sustain them both; at worst, it might attract a purging by the Church’s Glorious Knights.

Fred gave a nod of approval. "Moving forward, you must wear your armor daily, wield your shield, and engage in weight-bearing drills. You must synchronize this with your breathing method to ensure the heavy plate doesn't hinder your movements. Furthermore, there is a specific recipe for the Snyder secret medicine; I recommend you record it somewhere."

Levi nodded in agreement. To accelerate his Cultivation, medicinal supplements were essential.

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

With the exception of the ambergris, every ingredient was affordable and easily sourced. The quality of the snake blood and gallbladder would determine the potency of the medicine's effects.

However, obtaining ambergris would prove to be a significant obstacle.

In his past life, ambergris was a substance found within sperm whales. In this world, however, 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 creatures were nearly invincible and possessed a strange obsession with consuming shimmering objects like gems and coins.

Typically, taking one down required a fierce battle using superior weaponry, or a team of at least five knights using toxins and heavy crossbows to trap and execute it.

The Legendary Knight [Lionheart Knight Ryan] famously hunted a mature Earth Dragon prior to his ascension to Legendary status. It was a monumental achievement, especially considering that three great knights had previously failed the task, resulting in the death of a promising young Great Knight. Upon his success, the Lionheart Knight discovered a hoard of 8,000 gold coins and invaluable jewels within the Earth Dragon’s gullet.

Consequently, ambergris commanded an astronomical price on the market. A tiny vial was worth a hundred gold coins—the equivalent of five sets of masterwork knight armor, twenty prime-aged serfs, or a hundred healthy cattle. With his current wealth, Levi simply could not afford it.

"I can manage without the medicine for now," he decided.

During the period that followed, Levi began to see steady progress. He found the journey far from tedious, as Knight Fred shared fundamental theoretical knowledge regarding knights, which Levi found immensely helpful.

A breathing method is essentially a technique designed to regulate respiratory rhythm and trigger the blood potential within a knight’s body, thereby enhancing their physical form. This refinement far exceeds the results of standard exercise, requiring the practitioner to consume vast amounts of food to fuel the energy expenditure.

Furthermore, different breathing methods serve different functions. The Black Snake Breathing Method, for instance, is centered on defense.

"Once you have mastered this path, you can attempt to condense a life seed to become a formal knight. Your physical attributes will skyrocket, and your durability will far surpass that of ordinary men," Fred explained. Additionally, a thin, dark, fluid-like layer would coat the knight's arms, granting the skin and muscle incredible toughness.

While not entirely immune to blades and firearms, 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 bestowed by the gods.

In this era, the Church often pulled the strings of the Great Kingdoms. To Levi, the Church appeared to be little more than a front for money laundering. He reasoned that if their deity was truly omnipotent, the churches would be protected by magic-wielding priests rather than Glorious Knights.

Ultimately, Black Qi is a phenomenon that manifests alongside breathing methods. If a technique prioritized speed, the Black Qi might concentrate on the legs to enhance the knight's quickness.

Such is the strength of the breathing method. When a warrior reaches the rank of Great Knight, this black air envelops the entire body for total reinforcement. Aside from vulnerable spots like the eyes, a Great Knight becomes as impenetrable as an Earth Dragon. On the field of battle, they are akin to gods—immovable and irresistible forces.

Because of this, Levi never bought into the story that his father had fallen in simple combat. His father was essentially a demigod; how could he perish on a battlefield? Given his prowess, he could have easily retreated if the tide of battle turned against him.

While a Legendary Knight could potentially be a threat, such figures were fiercely independent, and even the Church or the Kingdom struggled to command them. Levi concluded that his father’s "death" was likely a Church conspiracy.

To ensure his survival, he chose to remain hidden in Blackwater Valley. "Gather resources, construct high walls, and rule my own domain," he thought. He had no desire for a crown, but he was perfectly content being the undisputed master of his own lands.