Chapter 10: Knight-Level Strength

Roy scanned his surroundings and noticed a sturdy, ancient-looking iron sword on a nearby weapon rack that was unsharpened, making it perfect for training.

He walked over, grasped the hilt, lifted it, and then moved to an open area in the training ground, swinging the iron sword in slashes and strikes.

The wind from the sword howled, and with each movement, he became more adept.

"Although it's a bit heavy, it's not as hard to handle as I imagined!"

After testing it out, a smile appeared on Roy's face.

"My physique and strength have improved by over thirty percent. At this rate, I'll soon achieve knight-level strength and have a certain degree of self-defense!"

This was close to what he had researched beforehand.

The Minor Physique Enhancement Potion had about a 35% enhancement effect, calculated based on the average person's baseline.

Theoretically, it could be stacked multiple times.

Once one reached the limits of a mortal in this world, which was knight-level, the potion would lose its effectiveness.

"Knights are a type of melee profession and a title that has existed since ancient times, often serving as followers of wizards.

It starts with knight squires, whose physique and strength are not much different from ordinary people, just with some additional martial skills.

After learning the 'Knight Breathing Technique' and breaking through the limits of a mortal, one can become a low-level knight.

Such individuals possess about twice the physique of an ordinary person, with noticeable improvements in speed and reaction. The differences in strength and other attributes depend on the level of training.

But it can generally be considered a twofold difference, as most ordinary people in this world are laborers and militia, giving them a higher baseline.

This is the theoretical limit achievable by consuming the Blood Persimmon Potion.

Although this is still quite weak, at least it means I have a certain degree of self-defense! Because even Botning and the others are merely at the enhanced level of low-level or mid-level knights!

If I continue to improve, who knows who will be afraid of whom!"

Roy nodded to himself, feeling quite satisfied.

"However, it takes time to digest the potion's effects; I'll continue in a few days!"

...

In the blink of an eye, it was September 20.

Life in the tower was monotonous yet fulfilling, as everyone worked hard towards their promotions.

During this time, Renien and others couldn't help but complain about various things, such as the difficulty of making money and the hardships of studying.

Roy paid no attention, focusing solely on his improvement.

However, another matter caught his attention.

A familiar mid-level apprentice had died during a mission! "That little Peter guy... he actually got bitten to death by a man-eating flower. How careless!"

"Sigh, it's all because of the forced mission; that was supposed to be handled by a senior apprentice!"

"Actually, during this time, not just little Peter, but several senior apprentices have also died in the wild and never returned..."

This piqued Roy's interest, prompting him to hasten the creation of a second Blood Persimmon Potion, raising his physique to 170%.

Knight-level strength is not solely composed of physique and strength.

It also encompasses many other aspects.

But Roy's goal was not to become an exceptionally powerful knight.

He simply wanted to strengthen his physique so that he wouldn't be too weak.

Thus, he didn't spend his time and energy on training but rather on other matters.

By September 25, after digesting the potion's effects, he successfully brewed the third vial.

"Huh?"

This time, it felt different from the previous two vials.

"Did I accidentally create a superior product?"

Roy suddenly recalled that under certain fortuitous circumstances, alchemical wizardry could produce effects far exceeding those of standard qualified products, or even special items with fewer side effects!

This was an unexpected delight.

"Could it enhance my physique even more?"

Looking at the potion, which was darker in color and had a stronger bloody scent than before, Roy took another gulp.

The effects were indeed stronger; after consuming it, it took a whole night for the restlessness in his cells to finally settle down.

When Roy saw the dawn breaking, he rushed to the training ground to test it out.

The iron sword, which he could already handle, felt even lighter, and his breathing was steady throughout, with precise and powerful strikes.

He quickly adapted to the enhanced physique and endurance, revealing a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"So I've already reached 170% of an ordinary person's physique, and now it's increased by over 50%! That means my physique and strength have reached about 220% of an ordinary person's!"

It was at this moment that Roy realized if he had consecutively consumed three superior products, his potential limit might be even higher.

However, he didn't feel regret, as such a small difference wouldn't significantly impact the overall outcome.

"My advantage lies in my Alchemy Talent; I can't afford to waste time and energy on inefficient training.

So I might as well skip training altogether and focus on boosting my paper stats or using alchemical weapons to enhance my combat power, which is more practical.

Besides, various mechanical devices, magical potions, and so on can have a much greater impact in the early stages than these!"

Thus, after comprehensive consideration, Roy, with the Magic Stones he had painstakingly saved up during this time, headed to the residence of an older apprentice.

"Are you the one looking to buy equipment on the bulletin board?"

"That's right."

"I have it ready; come in and take a look."

Roy nodded and stepped inside.

The older apprentice took out a cleverly crafted device from the Alchemy Room—a gauntlet-style high-pressure jet pump! It resembled a sturdy gauntlet made of alloy, providing good protection.

The older apprentice boasted, "I put in a lot of effort to create this lightweight and durable tool.

Look, it has a built-in launch system that can trigger three high-pressure jets of liquid for attack.

This completely meets your requirements."

Roy personally tested it with water and found it was designed to mimic the apprentice-level wizardry "Acid Splash."

"Acid Splash" can shoot out a small corrosive liquid ball for close-range attacks.

The final power depends on the filling material, not the mechanism itself.

After some haggling, Roy ended up spending 30 Magic Stones to buy three vials of acid and the matching high-pressure canisters, perfectly filling the gauntlet.

The older apprentice smiled and said, "Would you like to take a look at other items as well? Besides the gauntlet, I have many hidden mechanisms and concealed weapons that can help you have several means of self-defense in a short time."

"Forget it..."

Roy pondered for a moment and shook his head.

The cheap ones were mostly useless.

The expensive ones were beyond his current means, so he couldn't afford them for now.

Thus, he didn't pursue it further.

In contrast, he was now more interested in developing another type of potion.

"When a person experiences certain stimuli, such as excitement, fear, or tension, the adrenaline secreted can accelerate breathing, heart rate, and blood flow, providing more energy for physical activity..."

Such things also existed in the Wizard World, and when combined with certain magical potions, they could temporarily enhance combat power! This could serve as a substitute or even stack with powerful techniques like "Berserk"!

(End of Chapter)