Leo drove his right sword straight into the ground. He threw all his back strength into it, and thrust his left sword forward.
At that exact moment, he felt it. His Spiritual Energy had just crossed into a new level!
The blade smashed into the Scorpion-tailed Lizard’s lower jaw. The lizard had strengthened its body, but the blow still threw it backward and snapped its hungry mouth shut.
At the same time, Leo’s whole body swung up in a curve, using the sword stuck in the ground as a pivot. His left foot kicked upward into the lizard’s jaw.
Two linked strikes, one after another!
The lizard lost its balance. The kick lifted it right off the ground.
Leo was still holding the sword planted in the dirt. He let go of his right sword and used it to jump back down. His left Bamboo Sword swept upward and turned into a thin white bolt of lightning.
*Boom!*
His upper body rose toward the lizard. The Bamboo Sword split open its belly, and it crashed down.
A painful scream echoed through the woods.
Before dying, the lizard’s tail whipped around in one last try.
But Leo had been expecting it. He twisted his sword cleverly and blocked that final strike head-on. Then he jumped aside, pulled the sword out of the ground with his right hand, and dropped into a defensive stance.
*Splat!*
The lizard hit the ground. Its body twitched wildly. It kept screaming from the pain in its belly.
Leo calmly looked around. There were no other Magical Beasts nearby.
He found a big tree and leaned against it. His breathing was very heavy.
In a moment, his whole body was soaked with sweat. His strength felt completely squeezed out.
Only a few seconds had passed since he beat the lizard.
Standing at death’s door, his hidden talent had fully woken up. Right before breaking into a new level, every bit of his power had been pushed to its final limit.
In that last strike, he had only used the skill Corvin taught him. The "Pure-White Edge"!
It meant gathering all his Spiritual Energy into a single point on the sword for just a moment. That let him strike with 110% of his full strength.
Before Leo put those moves together, someone had been hiding in the dark. That person had been watching him without making a sound.
Even if Leo had passed out after that final strike, this person could have easily finished off the lizard.
But in the end, Leo didn’t make a single mistake. With his two swords, he finished the lizard on his own.
And in the middle of that fight, his Spiritual Energy had crossed 30. He had reached the third rank of the first stage of Knighthood.
That was why he had felt that sudden jump in power.
On any path, the higher you climb, the clearer the feeling of success becomes.
After a few more heavy breaths, Leo saw the sky turning pitch black. His strength was coming back. And the lizard lay lifeless on the ground.
Looking at the dead lizard, nine-year-old Leo’s eyes sparkled.
"Master, you were right. A person only grows through hardship. I shouldn’t have been angry at you. Without your training, I might never have seen Mama again. Master, I’ll never complain again. Not even secretly in my heart." This story is hosted at NovelPing.
He turned toward the mountain top as he said it. He bowed his head with deep respect.
Then he carefully walked past the lizard’s body.
Even the weakest Magical Beast was worth far more than any wild animal. A Magical Beast this weak was still worth at least one gold coin.
Leo didn’t want to waste the chance.
He searched around for a sharp stone. With it, he cut off the lizard’s spiked tail. Then he tied it up with two vines so he could carry it home.
He met no more danger on the way.
He went straight to Eldrin Town. He ran into a shop and said he wanted to sell the body of a Magical Beast his master had killed.
In return, he got one gold coin and two silver coins.
Then, at last, he headed home.
It seemed like Mama already knew her son was coming home today. The moment Leo stepped through the door, he saw the most amazing meal he had ever seen laid out at home.
Master Corvin had kept his promise. He had sent delicious food for Mama.
Seeing it, little Leo felt even more thankful to Corvin.
"Mama, this is for you."
He handed all his money to Elena like a gift.
Elena was stunned.
"Where did you get this money?"
Leo didn’t want Mama to worry. So for her own good, he told a lie.
"Master gave it to me to give to you. He said Knight Squires can get a salary. This is my first year’s pay. And if I improve quickly, maybe I’ll get more rewards like this."
Strangely, Elena didn’t push for more.
She smiled. She took the money and said,
"Leo, listen carefully to your master. Understand?"
"Yes, Mama!"
Leo nodded again and again.
Elena asked,
"Is the training hard?"
Before he killed the lizard, Leo would have answered that question differently. The fear of the Owl-Ants’ nest had sunk deep into his heart.
But now, he shook his head. And he answered without hesitation. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
"Mama, it’s not hard at all. Master teaches me really well. He gives me great food every day. And he even lets me bathe in a hot pool."
Hearing this, relief spread across Elena’s face. She stroked her son’s head.
"Go on, hurry up and eat something."
After dinner, before going to bed, Leo didn’t forget one thing. He used the Elemental Training Liquid to boil herb soup for Mama.
He felt very proud of himself.
The next morning, he was on the road to Eldrin Mountain again. This time, he met no Magical Beasts on the way. He raced up toward the mountain top.
"Master, I’m back!"
He burst happily into the wooden hut.
Corvin sat there as if he had been waiting in that spot for a long time. He said lightly,
"Before today’s lesson, I’ll check whether you’ve forgotten what you learned. Tell me about Knight Squires and Standard Knights. And how knights move up in rank."
Leo answered without hesitation.
"Knight Squires are rated from rank 1 to rank 10. After their Spiritual Energy level passes 100, they can become Standard Knights."
"Standard Knights are rated the same way. Every 10 levels is one rank higher. And after passing level 200, anyone can take the Genuine Knight test."
"The Knight test isn’t only about Spiritual Energy. You also need to meet the ten Standards of a Knight."
"After becoming a Genuine Knight, you need 10 more levels to move past the first rank. Only after passing level 210 do you become a second-rank Genuine Knight. After that, the other eight ranks go up every 30 levels."
"At the final rank, add 50 more levels, which means passing level 500, and you can reach the fourth stage of Knighthood."
Corvin asked the next question.
"After becoming a Genuine Knight, why does each rank need a different amount of Spiritual Energy?"
Leo replied.
"Because only after entering the first stage of Knighthood can someone be called a complete knight. So every rank is just a kind of adjustment."
"You also taught me that no matter the stage, third, fourth, fifth, or higher, crossing the gap between the first and second rank is always the easiest."
Corvin asked many more questions. The question-and-answer went on for a full half hour.
Leo’s memory was amazing. He answered every question correctly. Not one small mistake.
"Good. You remember everything clearly. Now we can start today’s lesson."
Corvin looked at him.
"But first, I have one question. What do you think is the most important thing for a knight? Attacking? Or defending?"
Leo opened his mouth to answer.
Then he noticed Corvin’s eyes. They weren’t testing him anymore. They were deadly serious.
As if this one answer would decide everything.