Issho took a deep breath and silently agreed with the system’s suggestion.
It was a very good suggestion.
If he went through the usual kind of hellish training, what would it even be?
Push-ups?
Running?
All of that would be too eye-catching… and far too time-consuming.
A faint breeze brushed past his face, carrying the damp scent of leaves and soil.
Too slow… too obvious.
He didn’t have any royal mansion or wide grounds where he could run freely.
And running around in the forest wasn’t exactly an option either.
In fact, just being here already felt like a gamble.
His reason for coming back to the forest was clear—to hunt animals.
But even that simple goal wasn’t as safe as it sounded.
The forest wasn’t just filled with normal animals.
Mixed among them were things far more dangerous—goblins, or mutated beasts that had grown strong enough to rival trainee knights… or even full-fledged knights.
In this world, there was a clear division of realms that Issho understood well.
At the most basic level were ordinary humans.
With proper training, they could grow stronger—because in this world, the more one trained, the more mana their body absorbed, gradually enhancing their physical strength.
That was the initial path—the path of a Blood Forging Knight.
But even reaching that stage wasn’t something everyone could achieve.
Only a few managed to become Blood Forged Knights.
And beyond that… it required talent.
Going to the second part—the Trainee Knight realm.
Generally, the basic strength of a trainee knight is around ten times that of a normal human who hasn’t trained much, just a basic person.
Issho quietly recalled the system’s words.
A basic, untrained person has 1 blood point.
Only when that blood reaches 10… will they be considered a Trainee Knight.
After that comes the breakthrough into the Knight realm.
Above that is Elite Knight.
Above Elite Knight is Grand Knight.
And beyond Grand Knight… is the Transcendent Knight.
That transcendent region is vast—broad to the point that it almost feels endless.
The definition of a basic transcendent-level powerhouse is simple, almost absurd in its simplicity: they can destroy any kingdom that does not have a transcendent-level powerhouse.
They can wipe it out from top to bottom… without even a scratch.
That statement might sound like an exaggeration.
But Issho knew better.
It isn’t exaggerated… not really.
He knew this much—it was true.
Generally, transcendent-level powerhouses are terrifyingly strong.
And even among transcendents, the difference in strength can be enormous.
For example, a normal transcendent—like those from the Kingdom Alliance—could be defeated within just a few moves by someone like his father, Duke Austin.
The gap wasn’t small.
It wasn’t even something that could be measured easily.
It was a territory where strength stretched endlessly upward.
Because at that level… a transcendent-level powerhouse keeps getting closer and closer—step by step—to the realm of gods.
Can they become gods or not?
Or how they become gods—those were entirely different matters, things Issho had no idea about.
Even as a member of the Pendragon family, his knowledge only reached this far.
A quiet breath left him.
“Very well then,” Issho said, his voice calm.
“Set my quests based on horse stance meditation.
Let’s do it.”
As soon as he made his decision, the quest panel updated.
The faint, familiar chime of the system echoed in his ears, and the words formed clearly in his mind:
“1.
Do horse stance meditation.
(0/60 min)
2.
Practice swordsmanship with Fujitora in Shadow Fighting.
(0/60 min)”
Issho, before transmigrating, had been an enthusiast of Chinese martial arts.
He had not only practiced the horse stance—he had mastered it.
So without hesitation, he stood up.
The ground beneath his feet felt uneven, covered with roots and fallen leaves.
He carefully placed his wooden stick—or more precisely, his supreme blade, Yakuza Kasen—against the tree beside him.
The polished wood brushed lightly against his fingers before he let go.
Then, slowly, he spread his legs.
Lowering his body, he sank into position, controlling every inch of movement until his thighs were parallel to the ground.
His arms stretched forward, parallel as well, fingers interlocked tightly.
His breathing steadied.
And with his sightless eyes already closed… he went still.
He entered the horse stance meditation.
The forest seemed to quiet around him.
With Observation Haki, Issho could feel everything—the faint rustle of leaves, the subtle shift of air, the distant movements hidden beyond his physical senses.
And within that awareness… he felt it.
Mana.
It lingered in the surroundings, thin yet present, like an invisible mist.
Slowly, gradually, it began seeping into his body.
A faint, tingling sensation spread across his skin, threading through his muscles, sinking deeper.
So this is how it feels…
The sensation wasn’t painful—but it wasn’t comfortable either.
Time passed.
He held the stance for five minutes.
Then, slowly, the strain began to build.
His muscles started aching, a deep burn forming in his thighs and core.
Without forcing himself further, he rose back to a standing position.
A quiet exhale escaped him.
He immediately began stretching—controlled, deliberate movements to balance his muscles and let them relax.
His joints loosened, the tightness easing little by little.
For around two minutes, he continued.
Then, without hesitation… he lowered himself once again.
Back into the horse stance.
Issho felt that his body had recovered surprisingly quickly.
Although not all of the muscle pain was gone, he still felt… good.
Not nearly in as much pain as he should have been, at least according to his previous memories.
A faint breeze brushed against his skin, and he rolled his shoulders slightly, testing the tension in his muscles.
Strange… it should hurt more than this.
Once again, he lowered himself into position.
He held the horse stance for around five to six minutes.
Then he rose, rested, stretched, and returned to the stance again.
Over and over, the cycle repeated—stance, strain, release, recovery.
Again and again.
Time slipped by almost unnoticed, marked only by the steady rhythm of his breathing and the distant sounds of the forest that his senses quietly mapped around him.
Finally, after one hour and forty minutes, Issho straightened his body after completing the last session.
Before he could even settle his breath, the system’s voice rang out:
“Congratulations, host, on completing today’s daily quest.
Blood +1, Mana +0.1, Observation Haki range +10 meters.”
As soon as the voice faded, a warm current flowed through his entire body.
It was sudden—gentle, yet powerful.
The aching in his muscles vanished almost instantly, as if it had never been there to begin with.
The fatigue that had built up over the long session disappeared completely.
His body felt light… refreshed.
As if he had not just endured such a harsh training session.
Issho let out a slow breath.
A small smile formed on his face.
“It seems,” he said, a hint of smugness slipping into his tone, “that I have quite a lot of talent in the Blood-Forged Knight area.”
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then—
The system spoke again, its tone as flat as ever.
“You are wrong.”
Issho’s smile stiffened slightly.
“Due to your mana circuit being crippled, and despite the advantage of being born with a mana circuit, you do not possess particularly high talent in this area.
In fact, it would be a miracle if you could increase your blood by 0.1 within two days.”
The words settled heavily.
“The reason you were recovering so quickly during the horse stance training,” the system continued, “was because you were completing a quest… and I was assisting.”
The brief warmth of pride within him cooled.
Just like that.