Chapter 139 - 1 - 7

Reincarnation

"My head really hurts…."

This was Fang Ming's first thought upon waking up. It felt as if there was a cut on his head, hurting so badly that it seemed as if his head was about to split open.

The scene in front of him seemed like he was riding on a horse carriage. His body continued to bounce up and down along with the carriage's movement, impacting his wound. It was so painful that Fang Ming had to suck in several sharp breaths.

Opening his eyes, he surveyed his surroundings.

What filled his vision were walls formed from hollowed planks. There were also quite a few fair-haired and blue-eyed youths sitting around him with their eyes closed as they rested. However, none of them glanced in his direction.

He seemed to be lying down on the floor. Feeling the ice-cold ground underneath him, Fang Ming knew that his body would not be able to bear lying down any longer, or he would probably catch a cold. He hurriedly struggled to get up.

At that moment, he felt a sharp pain lancing through his head.

The pain arrived suddenly, and brought many strange memories along with it. Fang Ming's eyes rolled back as he fainted.

"Hi! Leylin! Wake up…."

Fang Ming heard this sound in his daze, and couldn't help but open his eyes.

"Is this reincarnation?" Fang Ming remembered very clearly that the last thing he had seen were the dazzling flames that had erupted from the energy reactor's explosion.

It was impossible to survive such an explosion without any method of self-protection.

Furthermore, on the planet he existed on, such a style of carriage and wooden planks were considered ancient antiques.

After organizing the new memories in his mind, Fang Ming gained some insight about his body and this world.

This was a realm similar to the European Middle Ages. A mysterious force also existed.

His current body was originally called Leylin Farlier, a son of a minor noble. As he had been tested to have the gift to become a Magus, his father, Viscount John Farlier, had pulled strings to allow him to become a Magus Apprentice. At the moment, he was on the horse carriage travelling towards a magus academy.

He saw that the one who had woken him up was a large, male youth.

He had thick eyebrows and large eyes, a tall and straight nose, and sparkling gold hair. Although his face was somewhat young and tender, his body was sturdy and well muscled, looking extremely manly.

Seeing that Fang Ming had awoken, the boy laughed happily , "Haha….Leylin, you're finally awake. If you had awoken even a few more minutes later, you probably wouldn't have been able to make it to dinner. I assume that you don't want to starve!"

Fang Ming lowered his eyes. After some thought, he figured out this person's identity.

"Thanks George!"

The youths who were together with him and heading towards the magus academy had all tested to be gifted to be Magi. This George was a legitimate son of a Count, and was also one of the favoured sons for that Count. In order to allow George to enter a magus academy, the Count had spent many resources and pulled strings.

"A count?" Fang Ming inwardly thought.

He flashed back to his current body's father, Viscount John Farlier, whose holdings were equal in size to a city in his previous life, with thousands of soldiers under his command. In this world, noble ranking was inevitably tied to personal strength. Since George's father was a Count, his holdings were likely at least the size of several cities, and his annual income was probably a few thousand gold coins. With such finances and power at his disposal, he still had to take so much effort in order to send George to a magus academy. Fang Ming couldn't help but wonder how did his father manage to do the same for him.

As Fang Ming pondered the question, another sharp pain flashed through his head, causing another scene to appear in his mind's eye.

It was a dark room, with old musty shelves lining the sides, filled with an ancient air. The surroundings were chock full with dust.

Under a dim light, John Farlier solemnly passed a ring to Leylin, saying: "Dear Leylin, this is our Farlier Family's Heirloom Treasure, a promise from a Magus. At that time, my grandfather had helped an injured Magus, who had in return gifted grandfather with this ring, promising him that if one of his descendants had the gift to be a Magus, he could use this ring and enter any magus academy for free! Now, I am giving this to you, in hopes that you can be the Pride of the Farlier Family, and uphold our legacy…"

The ring!

Fang Ming's eyes narrowed, and his right hand involuntarily went to his chest.

Under his clothing, he could feel the solid touch, like a metal ring was under there.

Heaving a sigh of relief in his heart, he thought to himself: Lucky! I'm not sure if those guys did not recognize it as a treasure, or perhaps there is some restriction. Either way, I'm lucky that this was not snatched from me!"

As a scientist in his former life, Fang Ming was extremely curious and interested in that mysterious strength, filled with the desire to research more about it.

Furthermore, he didn't want to be chased back home because he had lost such an important proof of entry.

Although I have taken over this body and accepted its memories, but I am still very different from the original Leylin. To his family members who have spent years with him, they would easily be able to see the difference! If they mistake it as him being possessed by the devil and perhaps beg or hire one of those mysterious magi to investigate, I might be found out…

However, if I can enter a magus academy, I will probably not return home for at least several years. By that time, if there are any changes in behavior, it would be considered normal. Furthermore, to be a Magus, it is probably normal to be strange and eccentric; if I were to act the same as the Leylin of before, it would be deemed strange then!

Just as he was in deep thought, a pair of strong large hands suddenly assisted him to his feet.

"What are you thinking about?" George asked.

"No… Nothing!" Fang Ming quickly shook his head, then clutched his head again, as it was still in pain.

He suddenly spun his head around and looked at George, causing George's heart to clutch suddenly, as if he was being stared at by a venomous snake.

"Dearest George, why didn't you wake me up earlier, and let me just lie on the floor like that for so long?" Fang Ming rolled his eyes and asked.

"Heh heh! I saw you having such a nice sleep, and thought you liked to lie down there!" George scratched his head abashedly. However, his eyes sparked with a cunning gleam.

Under Fang Ming's murderous glare, he finally raised his hands in surrender: "Fine! Fine! Who asked you to offend my goddess. Offending her is still fine, as bros, I am not such a petty person. Alas, the entire carriage is now treating you like an enemy, and I do not want to be isolated as well!"

"Offend? Goddess?" Fang Ming scratched his head, until he suddenly remembered why he was beaten up.

It was a girl named Bessita. Although she was only 15 years of age, but she her body was already developed and voluptuous, in addition to her watery big eyes, was a huge draw to the lecherous Leylin.

The original Leylin was no gentleman. He had lost his virginity at the age of twelve, and after that he had either seduced or forced his way with many others, and had by now slept with more than a hundred women!

He had been known as the Scourge of his father's holdings. As Fang Ming finished exploring the memories, he rolled his eyes once again in disdain. No wonder this body was so weak and frail, it wasn't just because of the injuries!

Thinking back, it was clear that Leylin had been too used to causing trouble in his own territory, and hadn't been able to control himself when he saw Bessita.

The first few times, it was still rather normal; flirting and making passes. Near the end, he had started resorting to violent means. When Fang Ming saw these memories, he couldn't help but label the original as an idiot.

That Bessita is a princess of a small country! And Leylin still wanted to rape her. Is his brains filled with glue? Sheesh!

What happened after this goes without saying. Leylin was taught a savage lessons by the bunch of 'Flower Guardians' 1, had actually died because of the beatings, which had eventually benefitted Fang Ming.

Heh heh! This Bessita, it seems she isn't as simple as I thought, how scheming! Fang Ming gave a cold laugh as he thought.

Fine! No matter what, since I have taken over your body, if I have the chance, I will take revenge for you! As for now, I am Leylin Farlier!

Fang Ming swore in his heart.

In Leylin's memory, he had not seen any signs of Asians, nor had he heard anything about China. In this new Western styled world, if he used his own Chinese name, it would be too dangerous!

When he looked around, he realized that there was no longer anyone else in sight within the spacious carriage. It was no wonder that George had come to call him.

"No matter what, I still have to thank you! George, do you have any medicine?" Fang Ming stood up and stretched his body. Although it still hurt in a few places, but it did not impede his movement, and the wound at the back of his head had already became a scab.

"Heh heh…I knew that you'd need this!" George laughed as he tossed a small bottle over, "This is my family's secret product. I heard that it's usually used during Knight's training, and is extremely effective against any bodily injuries!"

As George spoke, he looked around furtively: "Alright! Dinner is about to start. I'm going to head there first, you should apply the medicine quickly and hurry over too. Remember, do not tell anyone else about our friendship!"

After he finished speaking, he had ran off like a gust of wind!

Looking at George's figure disappear into the distance, Leylin couldn't help but massage his forehead. It looks like this Leylin has truly stirred up a hornet's nest. Was it such a big deal? In Leylin's memories, it seems like in this world, sexual relations are rather open…

At this point, he couldn't do anything to remedy the situation. Swiftly taking off his clothes, Leylin quickly rubbed the medicine all over the injuries on his body.

"Hiss… This damned George. Couldn't he help me apply the medicine before leaving?" Leylin drew several sharp cold breaths as he applied the medicine.

The medicine was extremely effective. As soon as he applied it, there was a cooling sensation and the pain vanished.

After he had dealt with the wounds on his body, Leylin put on his clothes and opened the carriage door.

Whoosh!

A gentle breeze blew across, and the sun was setting in the horizon, painting everything around with a golden hue.

"No matter what, it feels so good to be alive!"

Leylin's eyes moistened as he muttered.

Looking at the surroundings, he noticed several of the large carriages forming a circle to make a crude temporary campsite, with a large fire in the middle.

There were many youths around the fire, sitting and resting on cloth mats laid on the ground, laughing and playing with each other, while eating the bread in their hands.

Leylin walked towards a table where there were quite a few breads and juices placed. According to his memories, this was where food was distributed.

When he approached the area, he saw that there were a few people queuing up. As they spotted Leyin, they looked over at him with a look of despise.

Although Leylin thought of himself as thick-skinned, he still found it somewhat difficult to endure.

Still, he did not leave. No matter what, he still had to eat.

"Hurry up!" A hoarse voice rang out.

"So…Sorry! Lady Angelia!" A freckled boy quickly apologised and took his share of food before running away.

[Beep! Danger Alert! Danger Alert!] [You are extremely close to the source of danger. Recommendation: The Host should move at least 1000 meters away!]

1. Literal Translation of 护花使者, pretty much her wannabe escorts/protectors

A.I. Chip

"This is?"

Leylin's eyes widened when he heard the mechanical voice in his brain.

"Isn't this my old assistant A.I. Chip from my previous life? How did it reincarnate with me? This is unscientific!"

Leylin found it hard to believe. He said in his brain, "A.I. Chip! Scan my mind and search for locations of assistant systems!"

[Beep! Scan complete! No strange existences were found in the Host's mind!]

After a mere moment, the A.I. Chip's mechanical voice replied back.

"Now scan my entire body, and display my body's stats!"

Another mechanical sound.

[Beep! Scan complete!] [Fang Ming (Leylin Farlier). Strength: 0.4, Agility: 0.5, Vitality: 0.4, Status: Bleeding from back of the head, many injuries to the soft tissues] [No A.I. Chip present in the Host's body!]

A 3D hologram appeared before Leylin's eyes. It displayed Leylin's own body and showed stats on the side.

"No A.I. Chip? I know the A.I. Chip is equivalent to a material substance. How did it follow my soul through reincarnation? Leylin thought to himself, It seems like during the explosion or my reincarnation, some abnormality occurred, and the A.I. Chip's functions fused with my soul….."

"If I was still in my previous world, this would be a major discovery! It not only confirms the existence of the soul, but also shows that physical matter and the soul can possibly transform each other! This is definitely something that group of old men in National Academy of Sciences would go crazy over. It's a pity that I'll never see them again!"

This kind of A.I. Chip was essential to the scientists in the previous world. Because of issues with human rights and the conscious thought, this technology didn't have any intelligence of its own. It only had two functions: to analyze and to store information.

Its analyzing ability could only be used by following the Host's commands. It gathered data samples and reached a deduction based on simulations.

Its storage abilities were even simpler. It could use the data gathered from everything the Host's five senses experienced and record it down. Based on calculations from the previous world, this kind of A.I. Chip's storage area was enough to record over 10,000 years' worth of events.

"Why did the A.I. Chip and the soul fuse together? I'll ponder this kind of question later when I have the ability and qualifications to do so! But with this A.I. Chip, I have some resources in this world!"

The corners of Leylin's mouth suddenly lifted to form a brilliant smile. He knew that in this Middle Ages period, having a crystallization of future technology would definitely make his future path extraordinary!

"But! This Leylin's physique is really…" Leylin was speechless after seeing the stats in front of him.

This stats displayed were based on each aspect of an adult's physiology as a standard. Theoretically, the average adult's displayed stats would all be around 1. Although this Leylin was only 13-14 years old, his stats were still too low.

"Hm? That's not right. It's possible that the bodies of the people in this world are generally weaker! A.I. Chip, scan the bodies of the people around me and display their stats!"

[Beep! Task established! Beginning the collection of stats!]

In almost an instant, 3D holograms of the surrounding people's bodies appeared in front of Leylin, displaying their stats.

[Name: Unknown. Gender: Male. Strength: 0.9, Agility: 1.1, Vitality: 0.8] [Name: Unknown. Gender: Male. Strength: 1.2 Agility: 0.8, Vitality: 1.0] [Name: Unknown. Gender: Female. Strength: 0.8, Agility: 1.2, Vitality: 0.7]

"Well then! It looks like the bodies of these people are stronger than those from my previous world. This Leylin is even inferior to a girl…..I'm starting to feel embarrassed for him….."

Leylin scanned his surroundings. The people were all youths around his age. There was a seemingly very delicate and frail girl whose stats were tons better than Leylin's, causing him to feel utter despair.

"It looks like this Leylin is a useless leech, an excessively lecherous piece of trash with no control!"

[Name: Unknown, Gender: Male, Strength: 3.3, Agility: 2.5, Vitality: 3.2. Alert! Alert! This life form is excessively dangerous. Recommendation: Host should immediately move at least 1000 meters away!]

A red warning continued to flash 3 times in succession. This caused Leylin to fall into a state of shock.

"Average stats of 3.0!" After Leylin scanned the information several times to double check that the A.I. Chip hadn't made a mistake, he was left completely speechless.

"Even the world champion doesn't have this kind of stats. In the previous world, this person could easily dress up as Superman!"

As a scientist, Leylin understood well that a stat of 3.2 meant the person's fighting capabilities, viral resistance, and body recovery speed was all three times greater than a normal person's!

The various stats displayed being threefold greater than a typical person's wasn't as simple as just adding numbers together. What kind of concept was this?

It meant that this person could defeat dozens of people empty-handed, and even get past a group attack by 100 people. In his previous world, he really counted as a Superman!

"I'm afraid that a person with these kinds of stats could only be created by genetically modifying their biochemistry in a lab. Moreover, only the minimum would be reached! This world is indeed not a simple one!"

Leylin thought to himself as he looked at the person possessing these terrifying stats once again.

It was a black-clothed person responsible for handing out food. He looked like he was middle-aged, and he had a scar on his face that stretched from his forehead to his lip. It pretty much split his entire face in half, and looked extremely fierce.

The freckled boy from before was completely frightened by this person.

"This is the academy's servant responsible for receiving us. It's said that he's not a magus, yet he's already so frightening. What would a real magus be like then?"

Leylin suddenly discovered that a strong interest and curiosity about the profession of a magus had arisen inside him. It was to the point where he was itching to go to the academy now and investigate everything.

The line was really short, and it was soon Leylin's turn. After the black-clothed, scarred man gave Leylin a piece of white bread and some juice, he wordlessly waved Leylin away with an impatient expression on his face.

If it were the previous Leylin, even if he didn't dare to drag this guy out and lash him a few times because it wasn't his home, his expression still would've turned quite ugly, and would probably have ranted at the man a bit.

But the current Leylin was naturally not that stupid. Following his memories, he formally bowed and said, "Thank you! Mister!"

The black-clothed man remained expressionless as he watched Leylin turn to leave.

"Ai! I didn't think that Leylin would really seem like a noble after bowing!" The two youths behind Leylin couldn't help but secretly whisper to each other.

"Hurry up and move forwards!" The scarred man shouted, suddenly blasting the two's eardrums.

The great sound scared one of the youths so badly that he fell down onto the ground.

Leylin ignored the discussion behind him as he surveyed the area with a cold gaze. He then bitterly smiled, "Great! I'm really an unwelcomed person!"

When he looked at George, George also hurriedly turned his head away. His hands made a secret gesture behind his back.

"Eh! Fine! Since you gave me the medicine, I won't expose you!" Leylin sighed, then found a relatively remote place. Without caring whether or not the ground was carpeted, he sat down and began to eat heartily.

"This plain white bread isn't as good as that from the previous world! But according to Leylin's memories, this is already considered a food that one can only get during celebrations!"

Leylin thought as he ate.

Based on Leylin's memories, the production capabilities in this world were quite low. The white bread was an aristocrat's food. Normal, minor nobles could only enjoy it during celebrations of major holidays.

To typical peasants, who only had hard, nutritionless black bread to eat, this was a supreme delicacy.

When he thought of the black bread as hard as rocks from his memories, Leylin sighed, "It's a good thing that I'm quite fortunate; regardless of whether I'm a noble or a magus, I'm still in the upper levels of this world, so I won't need to suffer!"

He ravenously wolfed down the bread and downed the juice in one gulp as well. Leylin then wiped his mouth in satisfaction and returned to the carriage.

Based on the experience in his memory, noble youths would set up tents in camp and rest for the entire night before moving again. However, it was clear that nobody would invite Leylin to join them. He didn't have a tent himself, so he could only sleep on the cold and hard carriage!

"When I looked just now, there seemed to be 50 some apprentices, 25 black robes, and 3 of the highest status white robes!"

When he thought of the scene just now when he had been noticed from a distance, the hairs on Leylin's body rose.

Added on to that, the A.I. Chip's warnings of [Discovered an unknown radiation source!], [Received disturbance from unknown force field, impossible to scan!]

This formed a shadow in Leylin's heart!

"It looks like even with the A.I. Chip, I'm still extremely weak in this world! But it's precisely due to this reason that I desire to obtain the strength of a Magus!"

Leylin's eyes seemed to light up in flames.

"It's best if I sleep earlier! I still need to hurry on with the journey tomorrow!"

Leylin took off his jacket and laid it on the ground to make his sleeping more comfortable.

"So far, since this journey was started, it's already been over 3 months. We've passed through a few dozen kingdoms, yet we still haven't reached our objective. These ancient transportation conditions are really….."

He closed his eyes and fell into a daze. After some time, the carriage door opened with a bang.

Leylin suddenly sat up. His nose was then filled with the scent of a rose.

It was sweet and aromatic, extremely pleasing to the nose. It also made his body throb as to invoked his memories.

"Ley…Leylin! Are you well?" A pleasant, female voice said.

"Bessita? Please come in!" Leylin moved his body.

The fragrant scent in the carriage suddenly grew more powerful as a beautiful young girl entered.

She had fair skin and wore red, tight-fitting clothes that accentuated her voluptuous curves.

What was even harder for Leylin to forget was this girl's platinum hair and eyes like crimson jewels. Combined with her beautiful face, it presented an exotic charm.

This was the girl that caused Leylin to be beaten up, and even lose his life, Bessita!

"May I ask if you have anything to ask me?" Although this girl had developed quite well, and seemed extremely enticing to Leylin, having come from a different world and experiencing an endless barrage of beauties, this girl was only somewhat good-looking to Fang Ming.

His attitude was extremely cold and indifferent.

It was clear that this manner somewhat shocked the young girl, as the words she was about to say didn't leave her mouth.

After a long period of silence, she pulled out a small, glass bottle and placed it in Leylin's hands, "This… this is a medicine for injuries. If you apply it to your body, it'll help you! I'm… sorry!"

The girl bowed, revealing the ample, snow-white curves of her chest, causing Leylin's heart to race.

Knight

After she made her apology, the girl ran off like a startled little fawn, leaving her wonderful scent behind.

Looking at the disappearing red figure in the distance, Leylin was rather puzzled. "It was clearly Leylin who had assaulted you, why did you come to apologise? Is there something wrong with your brain?"

He touched the bottle in his hand, thinking to himself: "Did I misjudge her earlier? Could this Bessita be a kind-hearted girl?"

Leylin studied the glass bottle in his hand curiously. "It seems like they already have the technology to produce glass. Although, judging by the workmanship, it still seems rather rough, it is quite decent already!"

As he opened the bottle cap, a medicinal fragrance wafted out.

Following the habits of his past life, Leylin immediately said: "A.I. Chip! Scan this medicine and analyse its components!"

[Beep! Task Established! Begin Scan!] [Discovered unknown components. Starting simulated experiments!] [Experiments complete! Unknown Medicine has effect of strong itching! Duration: 7 days!]

"Eh!" Looking at the results of the experiment, Leylin was struck speechless. "I retract my previous statement; that girl is rather blackhearted!"

However, he soon had the feeling of an adult being pranked by a naughty kid.

"She is still a child after all! She can't use truly malicious tricks! Perhaps if it were a few years ahead, the bottle would be full of deadly poison instead!"

Looking at the bottle in hand, Leylin thought about it and decided to keep it. "I'll just keep this for now, who knows when it might come into handy in the future!"

After Bessita left, no one else came to disturb him.

Leylin lay back down. Though it seemed as if he were sleeping, his mind was actually working in overdrive as he thought through things.

"It seems like there shouldn't be any problems or risks of being found out by going to a Magus academy. Those white robed figures should be Magi, and I have walked by them a few times without drawing attention. It seems like they are also unable to detect anything strange about me. This means… entering a Magus academy should be relatively easy in that sense."

"However, according to rumours, Magi are all secretive and cruel, at least according to what Viscount John heard. It also seems that in the academies, there is extremely fierce competition amongst the acolytes of the same level despite it being against the rules to kill one another. I need to at least have some form of self-protection."

As he thought about that, he once again touched the ring hung around his neck, and held it in his hands.

The ring was jet black and nondescript. Within the inner ring, there was a small 'Y' inscribed, along with elaborate inscriptions around it.

"With the technological advancements of the Middle Ages, to be able to inscribe such a complicated pattern onto the inner ring is incomprehensible! However, regardless of the issue, as long as it has to do with the mysterious Magi, it shouldn't be surprising at all!"

Leylin muttered to himself, and issued another command: "A.I. Chip! Scan the ring in my hands!"

[Beep! Task Established! Begin Scan!] [Discovered unknown metallic components. Comparing to Data Banks. Insufficient Data. Unable to analyse!]

"As I'd thought! With the A.I. Chip's current level, it is still inadequate to analyse something that a Magus left behind!" Leylin sighed and stored the ring.

"How can I increase my power? This body of mine is truly too weak! It cannot even compare to those of the same age. That will not do."

"If it were my past life, I could still undergo genetic modification. Alas, there is no such option here. Perhaps I should explore this Leylin's memory once again, and see if there are any methods…"

Leylin thought to himself once again, then found a comfortable spot to lie down, thinking out aloud in his mind: "A.I. Chip! Scan the entirety of Leylin's memory and arrange it!"

[Beep! Task Established! Starting arrangement!]

In Leylin's former world, the world of science had always been of the opinion that the majority of the human brain's power was not being harnessed. Amongst that power was the ability to access every memory since birth.

Some memories, even if the person in question could not recall them, were actually still stored somewhere in the brain!

Now, as Leylin gave the command, memories of Leylin's entire life, from birth to his being chosen as a Magus acolyte and going on this journey, were all displayed in front of Leylin's eyes with the A.I. Chip's assistance.

Every single memory, down to what was eaten in every meal, as well as their tastes, were retained and displayed in his mind.

Such a large mass of memory was just too confusing, and was also full of useless information. In the past, Leylin had only taken what he had urgently needed, and ignored the rest.

At this point, with the help of the A.I. Chip, he was arranging and sorting everything out!

[Data sorting has been completed!] The A.I. Chip notification sounded out.

"Create a new file, named 'Leylin Farlier', and save it!" Leylin gave a new order.

[Beep! File created – Leylin Farlier!]

"New task, search the file for all possible methods for the host to improve strength quickly!"

[Beep! Task Established. Begin Search!]

In front of Leylin, innumerable amounts of data flashed past, seemingly forming a beautiful picture.

[Search Complete! Search Results – 453 methods!]

"So many?" Leylin paused a while as he thought. "Remove those with estimated success rate of 50% and below for the Host. Also, add another requirement: The Host must be able to carry out the strengthening method now. Begin filter!"

[Beep! Filter Complete. Remaining methods: 2!]

"Show them to me!"

[Method 1: Become a Magus.] [Method 2: Begin Knight training]

"Oh! Method 1 is not realistic at the moment; at least, not until I reach the Magus academy, Otherwise, how could I possibly learn how to become a Magus? As for the Knight training, I wonder what that is?"

As Leylin muttered to himself, he immediately assigned a new task. "A.I. Chip, assemble all memory regarding Knight training. Once it has been arranged properly, send it into my memory!"

After the data was directly transmitted to his brain, Leylin began to understand what a so-called Knight was.

In this world, there were several mysterious forces. However, the ones commoners had the most experience with were Knights!

Knights were warriors who had gone through tough training and had stimulated their inner life energy. Their physical attributes were way beyond that of a normal human.

To be a Magus, it required a specific kind of gift, and amongst tens of thousands of people, it was possible that there wasn't even one such person. However, being a Knight was different; as long as they were willing to put in the effort, anyone could become a Knight!

For these Knights, not only were their physical attributes several times that of normal humans, they were also well versed in using various weaponry, as well as in the killing arts. Some Knights even had special secret skills that could unleash a sudden burst of power!

The kingdoms of the common world, along with the nobility, were generally made up of Knights.

The Farlier family which Leylin was part of was also a Knight family. The original founder of the family had fought in wars together with the king, and had accomplished much meritorious service. Thus, they had been awarded with the Viscount title, as well corresponding holdings.

After an overall sweep of the information, Leylin remembered a scene from the past.

It was a small jungle in the viscount holdings, and John Farlier was wearing a warrior's outfit with a stern expression on his face. He was facing the infant Leylin as he said: "Today, I will teach you the secret skill that has been passed down in the Farlier family: the cross blade technique and the accompanying breathing techniques. You must remember that you can never teach this to anyone outside our family!" At that moment, Viscount John's face held an unprecedented stern look!

Alas, Leylin was still an infant at that point, and obviously did not put much thought into the matter, thus eventually forgetting it. Viscount John tried to force him into training a few times, but Leylin was so afraid of suffering and fatigue that after a while, even Viscount John had to give up.

"Sigh… an overly compassionate father leads to a failure of a son!" Only now did Leylin realise how the previous body's owner had became such a spoilt brat.

Although the young Leylin only knew how to act like a playboy and had totally forgotten everything about the Knight training for the family secret skill, Leylin managed to recover all of it with the help of the A.I. Chip.

Cross Blade Basic Sword Style: Horizontal Slash, Vertical Slash, Piercing Attack, Slanted Slash…

Footwork: Advance, Retreat, Dodge…

There was also the accompanying breathing technique. All of it appeared clearly in Leylin's mind, along with the experience that Viscount John had imparted.

The memory finally ended with Viscount John emitting white mist from his mouth as he manipulated his cross blade, and splitting a rock as large as a millstone in two with a single cleave!

"Hm… a Knight is considered the lowest mysterious power, yet they are already so strong! What kind of existence are those Magi who are high above Knights?"

Leylin's eyes burned with a fiery passion.

"Sigh! I have to take things step by step. I had better concentrate on this Knight's breathing technique first! Anyways, the Knight training does not clash with Magus training. At least I'll have some measure of self defense for now."

After a detailed analysis, Leylin discovered that the so-called breathing technique of this world was very similar to the internal qigong of his previous world, but was a lot more crude. It was very dependant on external stimulations to activate the inner life energy.

"According to rumours, if a warrior goes through the Knight training and is still unable to activate their inner life energy, the only option is to enter the battlefield and go through fierce and bloody battles. This is the only other way to trigger their inner life energy, and become a Knight!"

"A.I. Chip, transfer the knowledge of the cross blade technique to me!" Leylin issued his next order.

Soon after, a large amount of knowledge regarding the technique was transferred directly into his mind. It was etched deeply into his brain, as if he had been training in it since he was young.

"Isolate the cross blade technique and save it into a new file, with the filename of 'cross blade technique basics'!"

[Saved New File: 'cross blade technique basics']

As the A.I. Chip notification sounded out in his mind, Leylin's lips curved in a smile. With the help of the A.I. Chip, his learning speed was unbelievably quick – fast enough to make any so-called genius commit suicide from shame!

"Now that I have all the memories of it, it is just a matter of finding a cross blade, and going through some actual practice. If all goes well, I have confidence in mastering it within ten days, bringing myself to Viscount John's level!"

All these sword techniques are merely killing arts. The most important thing for Knight training is the accompanying breathing technique!" Leylin muttered to himself.

"A.I. Chip! According to my statistics, simulate and create the best model for me to start training the breathing technique!"

[Beep! Task Established! Host human model established! Begin simulation…]

As the mechanical voice sounded out, a 3D model of a human figure appeared in front of Leylin's eyes. It was transparent and shimmering in blue light, and appeared exactly the same as him – a 13 year old youth with Western features, brown hair, big eyes and bushy eyebrows.

The 3D figure repeatedly started training the breathing technique, constantly adjusting the frequency, rate and magnitude. Slowly, a red line could be seen moving around in the 3D figure's body.

After a few minutes, the simulation ended, and the A.I. Chip's mechanical voice sounded out once more.

[Simulation ended. Cross blade accompanying breathing technique – Time required for one revolution: 30 Minutes. 10 Revolutions will improve the Host's body by 0.05 strength, 0.06 agility and 0.03 vitality. The improvements will gradually lessen as the stats improve!

Warning: If the Host goes through long term training of this technique, it will result in residual damage caused to the Host body. Recommendation to think twice before starting.]

"Phew! This is indeed an impressive Knight training technique! As long as I persevere, I will quickly be able to improve my power! Alas, I wonder if there is any way to remove the effect of the residual damage?"

Leylin said with a faint smile.

At this time, the A.I. Chip's voice suddenly sounded out.

[Do you wish to optimise the breathing technique? Y/n/n]

"The A.I. Chip actually has such abilities?" A joyful look rose on Leylin's face.

Cultivation

"I never thought that this A.I. Chip's analyzing abilities could also work on the Knight breathing technique in this world!"

Leylin exclaimed and said: "Optimise immediately!"

[Optimisation initiating, estimated time: 125 minutes.]

"Yep, 125 minutes, which is over 2 hours; I can afford to wait!" Leylin felt at ease.

After waiting rather impatiently, the two hours finally passed. The A.I. Chip's voice sounded out right on time.

[The optimisation for the breathing technique has been completed. Time taken for breathing technique, 5 minutes 23 seconds, and the effects have all risen by 5%! The side effects of the injuries have vanished!]

"Very good!" This result made Leylin very satisfied.

If the effect was a 5% increase each time, then dozens of times, and even hundreds of times, would result in huge differences.

"Rumor has it that the cross blade technique and the breathing technique were obtained by the founder after dozens of bloody battles, where he finally obtaining it from the corpse of a Knight. Amongst the many Knight families, it is considered to be the upper middle grade!" "After the optimization of the breathing technique done by the A.I. Chip, I'm afraid it might even be comparable to the secret scroll techniques of those smaller kingdoms!"

Leylin quietly pondered, and immediately said in an impatient manner: "A.I. Chip, transfer the optimized breathing technique to the memory zone!"

The A.I. Chip chip duly carried out its orders and brought large amounts of images depicting the breathing technique back to Leylin's mind.

After a few minutes of transfer, Leylin gently rubbed his head: "I feel a little giddy, but this is a normal occurrence!"

Right now his brain was filled with large amounts of memories about the breathing technique and the many matching sequences of practised experience. Compared to an average person, he did not have to go on the roundabout route.

"I did not feel it in my previous life, but in this world, the A.I. Chip really gives me a huge advantage compared to an average person!"

Leylin mumbled on: "With this A.I. Chip's ability to simulate and analyse, I am able to obtain the same result as a person who has to go through 10 years of hard work and experience, I only have to do exactly what the A.I. Chip has presented, and I will be able to do things in the most accurate manner!"

The breathing technique had many contradictions, and some of them required more than a verbal explanation to be understood.

One had to go through the experience of training, and go along some complicated paths.,

Only then would they be able to gain enlightenment.

But these things could all be avoided with the A.I. Chip's analysing abilities.

"I'll give it a try!" Leylin thought, and his body laid on the floor in the shape of a cross.

According to the suggestions on the breathing technique which was presented by the A.I. Chip, there was no need to have any special actions to complement it, but just to find the most suitable and comfortable position.

"First, I must hold my breath for 65 seconds, then take three long and one short breaths. The duration and frequency must be..."

Leylin followed the description of the breathing technique, and gradually entered a state of cultivation.

He looked unconscious; his face was bright red and his temples throbbed as if carrying out some kind of exercise.

As time passed, Leylin's face grew redder, and eventually, he began to perspire out some faint black coloured fluid.

After he had maintained this process for over 20 minutes, Leylin opened both of his eyes and opened his mouth to exhale.

Phew! ! !

A black coloured breath was exhaled just like this.

Within his body, some cracking noises could be made out.

Leylin stood up and moved his four limbs. His whole body was warm as if he had just undergone a vigorous exercise.

"A.I. Chip, display my body's statistics!" Leylin ordered.

[Leylin Farlier. Strength: 0.4 Agility: 0.5 Vitality: 0.4 State: Mild injury]

Leylin remained impassive: "Change the method of display and move the data back to 10 decimal points. Also, make comparisons with the data before the cultivation."

With Leylin's orders, the image flickered, and the body statistics had shown 10 more decimal points. The last three numbers had not stopped changing.

[Beep! After comparison, undergoing the Knight Training increases the Host's strength by

0.005, Agility by 0.006, and vitality by 0.004]

The A.I. Chip faithfully relayed the message.

"Mn! Because this was the first practice, the figures are still climbing up!" Leylin analyzed and said.

"I've only cultivated for a bit over 20 minutes, but, the data's increase is already rather considerable. With perseverance, it's just a matter of time before I have the stats of a black-robed man!"

"Which is to say, those ten odd black robed men are all Knights!"

Leylin thought indifferently, "What a pity. According to my memory and the A.I. Chip analysis, breathing techniques have cultivation limits. The Farlier family's breathing technique can only be practiced once a day. Additional practice will not only have no additional benefits but will even cause harm to the body!"

"A.I. Chip, are there any methods to let me increase the number of times I can practice the breathing technique?" Leylin asked.

[Medicinal items are required as a supplement.] The A.I. Chip feedbacked.

"List all the necessary medicinal items!"

[Quinoline element, Marco 21, magnesium dioxide...] The A.I. Chip listed a whole bunch of medicinal items, which were all from Leylin's previous life.

"Is it possible to substitute any of them with other medicinal items or herbs?" This seemed to be an obviously impossible task, but Leylin furrowed his brows and asked anyway.

[A sample is needed to analyse the medicinal properties. As of now, the data is insufficient!] The A.I. Chip chip prompted.

"As long as there is a way, then it's alright!" Leylin heaved a sigh of relief.

He looked at his own body again. Because large amounts of sticky substance had been produced after the breathing technique training, his body felt very sticky, which was extremely uncomfortable to the touch.

Leylin frowned: "Looks like I'll have to wash up first!"

He began to make his way out of the horse carriage. It was midnight by this hour, and the various young nobles were all sleeping soundly in the tent. Leylin quietly stepped out of the carriage and ran towards a small river that was nearby. [Warning! A human is approaching!] The A.I. Chip prompted.

Leylin pretended that he was oblivious, and continued his advances.

"What are you trying to do?" A voice rang behind Leylin.

"So fast!" Leylin pupils shrank, "I had already been aware, but I was still unable to discover that he had arrived behind me. If he has any bad intentions, then I definitely won't be able to resist in any way!"

On the surface, he still pretended to be scared out of his wits: "Ah...Who? Who?" Leylin turned around his body to look back, seeing the black-robed man who had been distributing the rations earlier in the day. Leylin remembered his name to be Angelo. "Hel…..Hello! Sir Angelo! I feel that I'm a little dirty, and wanted to wash myself!" Leylin face was pale, as if he was frightened, and did not even have the capabilities to speak properly. "Wash yourself?" The black robed man furrowed his brows and wrinkled his nose. He could indeed smell a stench coming from Leylin.

"Alright! It is rather dangerous here at night, especially for young nobles like you bunch! Return quickly after washing!"

The black robed Angelo said. Not paying anymore mind to Leylin, he turned around and walked towards the heart of the horse carriage, where his tent was.

"Thank you for your reminders! Sir Angelo!" Leylin still said with a bow, no matter whether this man had heard him or not.

Always being careful had been part of his principles in life.

After seeing Angelo leave completely, Leylin then strode forward and headed towards the small river.

Angelo walked into his own tent and pulled down his mask, exposing his scarred face. "The substance expelled from the body after practicing Knight breathing technique? What a nostalgic feeling! Looking at these young people reminds me of my inexperienced self from the past!"

"What a pity, though, if I was also born of nobility, I wouldn't need to practice the Knight breathing technique. I had even risked being part of a Magus's experiment and ended up in this state..."

Angelo muttered. His shadow and the tent's overlapped into one body, in­differentiable from each other.

Along the way, Leylin casually plucked the wild flowers and plants and popped them into his mouth from time to time.

"I think that black robed Angelo must have realised something. But it doesn't matter, a nobility practising a passed down Knight breathing technique is just a normal occurrence." "Furthermore, he already has the physical qualities of a Knight, so he definitely has his own breathing technique, and won't need to get mine. Besides, even if he wanted it, it wouldn't be a big deal. I can just write it down and give him a copy…"

Since there was such a large difference in strength, Leylin did not have any intention of protecting the secrets of the Farlier family.

However, it seemed that Angelo did not even fancy the Knight breathing techniques from small noble families.

Chewing a grass stalk in his mouth, there was a bitter taste to it. However, Leylin did not mind and even had some nostalgic feelings of back when he was little.

[The analysis is completed, no beneficial properties towards the Host's body can be observed!] The A.I. Chip voice rang.

"Pui!" Leylin immediately spat out the grass stalk in his mouth and replaced it with another plant.

"Take down the shape and qualities of the plant earlier and save it. Now we will proceed with another round of analysis!" Leylin commanded in his mind.

[The task is completed! Beginning to analyse the qualities! From this experiment...] As the scene played out in his mind, Leylin could see very clearly the procedures of the A.I. Chip. [Beep! The experiment is completed. This unnamed plant has a mild paralysis effect!]

"According to Leylin's memories, this is called the Tri­Night Grass huh, A.I. Chip! Rename to

Tri­Night Grass, and save it inside the database!"

[Beep! Saving completed!]

"Mmn! This is 'Red Fruit', the taste is not bad!" Leylin plucked a bunch of fruits on a pile of shrubs.

These fruits were only the size of Leylin's thumb, and they had ripened on the top of a barbed vine. Their appearances were quite beautiful.

Leylin carefully avoided the barbs and plucked one of the Red Fruits.

He placed it into his mouth and bit down with a crisp noise. A sweet juice was squeezed out from the fruit, filling his mouth.

"Mm! The taste is the same as an apple's, just a tad sweeter." Leylin evaluated.

"A.I. Chip! Analyse..."

...

Along the way, Leylin saved data about over 30 kinds of plants and herbs. Unfortunately, none of them were of any use to him.

He arrived at the small river. The ear­piercing sounds of the trickling stream of water crashing against the rocks broke the silence of the night.

"A.I. Chip! Scan the surroundings!" Leylin commanded. Even if the black robed Angelo hadn't warned him, he still had confidence in avoiding danger with the A.I. Chip.

[Beep! The surrounded area has been scanned! There are no dangers within a radius of 20 li!] The A.I. Chip faithfully reported the message.

"Well, it's good that there is no danger. I don't want to run back to the camp midway through my washing. That will definitely make me the biggest laughing stock..."

Leylin muttered and he took off his outer robes and underwear, entering the river naked.

The icy cold river engulfed his body, refreshing him.

"This water is really cold, I am beginning to miss the water heater from my past life!"

Cross Blade

Ding!

Two steel swords clashed, emitting a crisp sound.

"Leylin! You are still not my match, give it up!" George used both hands and grabbed the hilt, and laughingly said.

"We aren't done yet!" Leylin shouted, and his legs moved in a strange footwork, and once again initiated an attack.

"Hah!" George swung the long sword in his hands, which brought a sinister rustling of the wind.

The cross blade in Leylin's hand swept, and blocked George's attack.

"Good! Your parry posture is not bad!" George praised loudly. "Careful! My next attack will be on your left leg!"

"Bring it on!" Leylin made his preparations.

"Watch me!" George swung the two handed sword in his hands, and made a beautiful yet deadly arc towards him, sending it towards Leylin's right leg.

Leylin retreated a step back, and blocked George's two-handed sword in midair with his cross blade, "You definitely said the left leg, you didn't keep your word!"

"Haha…..This is called tactics! It is to test your agility. My dad has always taught me, if one doesn't know how to scheme, then one day he will surely be played to death by others! I only want to scheme, not to be the target of schemes!"

George laughed and said, and then pulled back his huge sword.

"No more! No more! You are getting better each and every time! I wouldn't be able to beat you after a few more days!"

Scratching his puzzled head: "Leylin! My sword technique is passed down by a Grand Knight, I put in much effort, training with blood and sweat, so much so that my teacher said that my swordplay is better than the average Knight! Yet, you who can fight me to a standstill, how could you have been beaten by Ourin?"

"These sword techniques were taught to me by my father when I was younger, unfortunately

I had forgotten it, and I'm currently trying to practice more in order to recall it!"

Leylin clenched his fists, and his face turned red.

"Once I have strength, I will definitely seek revenge viciously, and break Ourin's legs!"

He looks like a hot blooded youngster who was filled with determination after a setback. "My dear Leylin, I believe in you. You will definitely fulfil your wish!" George patted Leylin's shoulder.

And with another look of pity:" Currently, with your ability, it is already sufficient to seek your revenge!"

After sparring, George had a rough understanding of Leylin's strength.

"Right now I can deal with one or two of them, but Ourin has five members!" Leylin was fretting over it.

Actually, he was already confident in dealing with Ourin and his gang, but without an excuse, how could he fool George into continuously practicing with him?

"Oh right, you mentioned Grand Knights earlier, what are they?" Leylin remembered

George's complaint earlier, and casually asked.

"You are talking about the Grand Knights? They are one realm higher than Knights. No matter where they go, they are considered a great existence! If one is lucky, a king might even be hospitable to them! And if one is willing to pledge loyalty, then they will definitely become a troop commander!"

"Their physical body has been pushed to the extremes, and rumours has it that apart from the long distance crossbow formation, even if a heavy cavalry troop were to charge at them, they won't be able to stop them from advancing!"

"So powerful!" Leylin muttered.

A commander of a troop has the same status of an earl, and even Viscount John had to greet them if he saw one.

A heavy cavalry troop is the peak of a troop's strength in this era of medieval weapons. Once they charged, even a smaller city's walls might fall. For a Grand Knight to actually be able to use merely their physical body to fight with them, how strong would they have to be? Looking at Leylin who had a yearning expression on his face, George laughed out loud and consoled: "You don't have to envy them, a magus has an even more mysterious and stronger power compared to that of a Knight. As long as you become a magus acolyte, your status is comparable to that of a Grand Knight. And if you become an actual Magus, then congratulations, killing a Grand Knight is easier than stepping on an ant. The various kings from kingdoms will all want to strive to be first and fear to be last in stuffing their beautiful daughters on your bed..."

"A magus is that powerful?" Leylin was skeptical " Then why are the black robes so cold to us, who have the possibility of turning into a Magus? They are naught but Knights!" "Hmm about this? I am not too sure, but a Magus's status is definitely very high. This was

told to me by my father! I can swear it upon my Borunin family's reputation."

George touched his nose and replied rather awkwardly.

"Alright! Alright! It's not like I don't believe you!" Leylin felt a little exasperated.

Speaking within his heart "A.I. Chip! Scan the person in front of me!"

[Beep! Name: George Borunin Strength: 1.9, Agility: 1.8, Vitality: 1.9, Status: Healthy] George's stats could not have been achieved just by standard training. According to him, he had trained with the Knights technique since he was young, and that was the reason he was able to achieve his current physique.

Warriors who had started cultivating the Knight breathing technique and thus improved their physique, but had not been able to ignite their internal life energy yet, were commonly known as preparatory Knights!

George's physique could be considered at the peak standard even amongst these preparatory Knights!

This was also linked to his nobility status and being able to use large amounts of expensive medicine to assist in improving his body's physique.

"Alright, we have sufficient rest now, let us head back! I do not want to return too late and find those black robes staring coldly at me!"

George looked at his surroundings, and the bright moonlight coated the surrounding with a layer of silver colour light, the tranquility of the night was occasionally interrupted by insect cries.

Leylin did not wish to attract attention during the day as they were travelling, so he sneaked out to practice with George at night.

Naturally, this did not escape the black robes, but after a few encounters, Leylin found their attitude to be extremely cold. As long as one did not wander too far away from the camp and cause trouble, they would not care about them.

"Just once more round, we'll head back!" Leylin said. "After this round, I'll return this cross blade to you!"

"En...Eh? George was a little absent minded, and then his eyes lit up. " Are you finally done using it? Gus had been bothering me for it!"

In order to train in sword techniques, the first requirement would be to have a cross blade! As nobility, there were many youngsters that wore warrior's robes, with a sword attached to their waist.

However, the previous Leylin did not do so, the reason being that it was too heavy, and it restricted his movements!

Because he found it troublesome, the previous Leylin had travelled without even a dagger on him. This had caused Leylin now to be in the awkward situation where he was totally weaponless, without even a cross blade to practice with.

For the sake of practising, Leylin turned his attention to the first friend he saw when he woke up – George.

Using threats of exposing their friendship, he had made George lend him a weapon and train with him!

Thinking back when George's eyes had turned white and had an expression as though he has met with a bad friend, Leylin laughed uncontrollably.

"Your swordplay is improving at an extremely fast pace! But do you really not need the cross blade?" George asked.

"I am rather familiar with Gus anyways so even if I were to lend it to you for a little while longer, it's not a big deal..."

"Thank you for your kind intentions! But I really do not need it!" Leylin smiled as he rejected his offer.

After this period of sparring, he had already seen through the secret technique of the Farlier's family. Furthermore, due to the A.I. Chip, his swordplay would always remain at its peak state so his skills will not go rusty due to not practicing the cross blade for a long time.

"Good, then we will fight one more match with the same rules. I will only use the same amount of strength as you will!"

As George said that, he picked up his big two handed sword and walked towards the centre

of the patch of grass, his sword emitting a cold light as it reflected the moonlight.

Leylin had also walked over, "Come on! This time, I won't hold back!"

He had thought of an experiment and had sent out the invitation in order to carry it out. "A.I. Chip! Establish Task! Analyse the opponent's strength and the surroundings to come up with the best plan to defeat him!" [Task Establishing. Beginning analysis.] [Simulation results – Host is unwounded, target loses his ability to fight. Please confirm on whether to turn on the vision aid?]

"Turn it on! " Upon Leylin's command, countless of blue lines appeared before his eyes that, as if turning the area into some sort of virtual world.

[According to the target's reactions, there is a 99.98% probability that the first attack will be the Host's right arm! Most Effective method of combating this: Sidestep, Jump Slash!] Following the voice of the A.I. Chip, the blue rays of light in his retina had already formed an image of George, raising his sword and slashing towards Leylin's right arm.

"Heh! Watch the sword!" George shouted, and as expected, he initiated the attack first, waving his two-handed sword. He charged over, the motion almost mirroring the projected image.

Leylin's lips curled, and dodged the attack, and he raised both his hands along with the cross blade. Leaping up high, he viciously swung it down.

Jumping Slash!

"Damn! How did this happen?" George cried strangely and ducked the cross blade with a roll on the floor.

Leylin's cross blade struck onto the floor, which brought up some of the mud and small pieces of stones.

George got up, a serious look on his face. He felt as if Leylin had predicted his attack, almost as if he had read his motions and knew them like the back of his palm.

"If you are not attacking, then I am going to counterattack!" Leylin said smilingly.

"Bring it on!" George stared nervously at Leylin.

Leylin gripped his cross blade, took a step forward and pierced forward! Every action and movement had all been accurately performed as seen from a textbook.

George made a blocking motion, but his body moved to the side instead, and as he dodged

the pierce, he countered Leylin's attack with a slash of his own!

[The best way to react: Left turn 50 degrees, Horizontal Slash!]

Following the A.I. Chip instructions, Leylin dodged George's large sword, and sent a horizontal slash, almost slicing George as he slashed.

The more they fought, the more perspiration formed on George's face.

His every move and action had all been parried perfectly by Leylin and his evading range had gradually decreased.

"I can't carry on like this any longer! I'll stake it all on this!" George fiercely swung his large sword and sent it clashing with Leylin's.

Bang! A piece of silver light flew out and directly pierced into the grass. It was the large sword in George's hands! The blade had not stopped quivering as it let out a 'weng weng' sound.

In the sparring area, Leylin's cross blade sword had touched horizontally at George's waist. "You've lost!"

"Indeed! I lost!"

George muttered, and then immediately stared at Leylin :"How did you do that?"

"It is actually very simple, after training with you for a long time, I have already remembered the sequence of your movements!" Leylin withdrew his sword and bowed smilingly.

"The...sequence of my movements?" George repeated.

"Yes, to put it in a simple way, everyone has a habit when they strike. As long as you can remember them, then it will be easy to arrange a trap according to the enemy's habits. I have used the same trick on you!"

"Phew!" George exhaled out a long breath, "I understand now!"

And then looking at Leylin momentarily, as if he was looking at a monster:" Your gift in sword technique is absolutely the best that I have ever seen! If you are not chosen to be a Magus acolyte, I will definitely recommend you to go to a kingdom's capital's Imperial Knight Institute!"

Disagreement

"Imperial Knight Institute huh?"

Leylin knew that the Imperial Knight Institute was the best Knight's institute in the Sarad Kingdom where George had come from. Not only were they recruiting nobilities, the entry requirements were also extremely high. It was said that only geniuses would be accepted! "Sword techniques are only my hobby, but being a Magus is my lifelong dream!"

A Knight's strength may be great, but it was still comprehensible by Leylin's standards, not exceeding the boundaries. However, the Magi from rumours were able to manipulate the elements, including lightning and thunder. They also attained a great longevity!

A Magus's greatness obviously exceeded the boundaries of a human, and Leylin could not even imagine it.

Furthermore, every Magus is a scholar filled with knowledge. Magi had strict attitudes towards experimenting with the secular world. They tried to study the laws of nature in order to achieve a massive amount of power to use for themselves! This lifestyle was more compatible with Leylin's previous life as a scientist.

"Yes! Even if it is a Grand Knight, they can only be the servant of a Formal Magus. The strength a Magus holds is something that is impossible for us to imagine..."

George's face turned serious and spoke the words in a sing¬song tone.

"Why is it that no matter what words you say, I get the feeling that they were spoken by a bard..." Leylin rolled his eyes a little.

"Haha... The reason I became like this is because my father sent me to court to undergo training for nobles!" George resumed his previous state.

Suddenly blinking his eyes, he said mischievously: "Leylin, you don't have a fiancee right?

Why don't I introduce my sister Molly to you! She is a beauty that is known far and wide..." "Scram!"

Under the moonlight, the two youths left the grasslands as they fooled around.

"Goodnight George!"

"Goodnight Leylin!"

After Leylin handed the cross blade to George and bid him farewell, he returned to the carriage.

The dimly lit carriage had only him inside. The interior of the carriage let off a very faint odour. The stench was a mixture of rot and sweat. Because of this, many noble youths refused to stay in the carriage any longer than necessary. Once they got to pit stops, they would escape to the grass fields outside like little wild horses coming out to play.

The concept of relationships in this world was very open-minded, all the more so for nobility. With the strong perception ability of the A.I. Chip, Leylin had discovered many affectionate couples around, which had led him to seek an even further location for him to train. Using his supervision eyesight to look at the wild battle scene, Leylin's heart burned in rage as this had made him recall the former memories of the spoilt brat.

"Who would have thought! After changing into a youngster's body, even my desires have increased..." Leylin smiled bitterly.

Calming his emotions, "A.I. Chip, show me my body's statistics!"

[Leylin Farlier. Strength: 1.5, Agility: 1.6, Vitality: 1.4, Status: Healthy]

It had been over a month since he first began practising the Knight breathing technique.

Right now, Leylin's body state had not only caught up to his peers of the same age but had also surpassed some. Against George, he had concealed his true strength, which had caused George to gauge his strength wrongly. "Not bad! I should proceed with today's cultivation!"

Leylin settled into a good posture and entered the state of cultivation. This was his homework every day. According to the A.I. Chip's instruction, after training at night, he should cultivate in the breathing technique again to have the best effects.

After 20 odd minutes had passed, Leylin was completely drenched in his perspiration, but the amount of black impurities that had flowed out were clearly less than before.

"Phew!" Leylin opened his eyes and looked at his body. He said in slight exasperation: "The breathing technique's effect is reducing, which is logical. According to the A.I. Chip's estimation, Farlier family's breathing technique, even after optimising will completely lose effect by the times I've enhanced my body's statistics to 2. This is the realm of Preparatory Knights. After this, I have I must use my own power, as well as the external stimulations from near death experiences, to attempt exciting the life energy. Only then will I be able to improve again..."

Thinking up to here, Leylin took out a yellow coloured fruit out from his pocket. There were some black spots on its surface, making it look quite horrifying.

Leylin directly placed it in his mouth, and then picked out a root of a herb, munching them together.

[Beep! The Host's body is slowly recovering from fatigue. It is possible to carry on with another round of the Knight breathing technique!]

The A.I. Chip's voice rang.

"That's great!" These herbal concoctions had been created by Leylin over the past month from countless experiments using the A.I. Chip. It could reduce his fatigue, and increase the number of times he could cultivate in the breathing technique daily.

With the addition of a few more body¬strengthening medicine, the quality of Leylin's physical body had improved at an extremely fast pace.

"Again!" Leylin once again entered the state for the breathing technique.

During the past month, the travelling party had already passed several small kingdoms.

Eventually, they had completely entered the wilderness.

There were very few people in the wilderness. It was only a desolate stretch of sand, with fresh markings from vicious beasts and horse mounted bandits.

Ever since the travelling party had first entered the area, they had already encountered danger several times. Although nobody had died, Leylin's sense of crisis had slowly grown stronger. He could not wait to quench his thirst for power.

When the rays of dawn shone brightly, the travelling party once again resumed its journey. Leylin sat alone in a corner with his arms crossed in front of his chest. The youths around him had all avoided him with disgust, allowing him to have quite a bit of space.

"I don't know what method Bessita used. The people in the carriage are still isolating me. If it were a regular youngster, this would've most likely driven them crazy ages ago! It's just too bad that they met me instead!"

Leylin contentedly stretched his back. He had trained late into the night yesterday, which had made him extremely exhausted. This empty space was sufficient for him to rest for a while. "However, this world sure is huge; the travelling party has been travelling for half a year, but they still have not reached their destination yet. We haven't seen the ocean yet either..."

As Leylin thought, he entered slumber with half closed eyes.

Ding ling ling!

At this time, the travelling party had already stopped. The black robed man shook the bell in his hands: "Ladies and gentlemen! It is time to get off the carriage to have lunch!" "It's that time again?" Leylin opened his eyes. "This kind of lifestyle is really boring!" After alighting the carriage and receiving his own portion of food, Leylin chewed on a piece of white bread as he walked towards the grassy area beside the camp site.

He had already used up the previously gathered substitute herbs, so he was preparing to restock.

As he walked, he casually observed the surrounding plants. "This is a Jade Root Fruit, there are already files of it in the database. It is useless to me!"

"Mn! Samun Grass, this is a kind of plant that can only be found in the wilderness. It can be harvested!" Leylin plucked a dirty, brown coloured stalk of grass. There were extremely sharp thorns on the grass's sides. Leylin carefully broke the blade in half and used his fingers to dab at the jade coloured liquid that had been constantly flowing out from the grass. An expression of disappointment appeared on his face as he placed his fingers in his mouth. "I found it, Flowerless Snake Fruit!" Leylin threw the Samun Grass on the ground. As he casually walked over, he noticed, through the corner of his eye, the same yellow coloured fruit that he had eaten yesterday, growing on a shrubbery. His face expressed happiness. "Hehe! What's this I see? Leylin! Should I be saying 'as expected from a minor noble of the village'? Are you actually eating wild fruits on the roadside? You have really tarnished the reputation of the nobilities..."

Just after Leylin had plucked the Flowerless Snake Fruit and placed it into his pocket, an annoying voice was heard.

"Is that Ourin?" Leylin raised his head and saw the murderer who had killed the previous host of this body.

Ourin had fiery red coloured hair, and there were ripped muscles all over his body. His arms were as thick as Leylin's thighs. He currently had his arms crossed in front of his chest as he smiled mockingly at Leylin.

There were a few nobility youths at his side, which had all coordinated to jest at him.

"A.I. Chip, scan their statistics!"

[Scan Complete! Ouri., Strength: 1.7, Agility: 1.2, Vitality: 1.5, Status: Healthy]

The A.I. Chip feedbacked.

Looking at the data in front of his eyes, Ourin's strength wasn't bad. His strength was almost as strong as two adult men. It was no wonder that he had been able to fatally injure the previous Leylin.

As a child of nobility, as long as they are able to endure sufferings and persevere in their training daily, coupled with the breathing technique, it is not strange to achieve such results. The nobles who were beside Ourin were not that strong; most of them were below 1. Leylin had even seen a pale¬faced youth whose stats ranged about 0.5, giving a run for the money for the previous Leylin.

Mentally calculating the stats, Ourin's strength did not differ much from his. But his sword technique and moves definitely couldn't rival Leylin's, as he had the help of the A.I. Chip. As for the rest of the youths, they were only there to increase their numbers. The disparity between his stats and theirs was too huge. It would be extremely easy to deal with them, like an adult bullying a child.

"Is there a problem?" Leylin asked his voice calm.

"You..." Leylin's reaction had obviously exceeded Ourin's expectations. He actually had no fury or fear, and that made him speechless.

"If it was the previous matter regarding Bessita, haven't I already apologised before? Bessita has also forgiven me..." Leylin added.

At the same time, his heart began to race; this could be a probe sent out by Bessita. After enduring for a whole month, had she finally been unable to endure any longer? "That's right! It's because of Bessita! She has forgiven you, but I haven't!" Ourin spoke loudly, his hands tightly clenched into fists.

"Alright! Then what do you want?" Leylin spread out his hands, as if helpless. However, there was a glint of mockery deep in his eyes.

Ourin hadn't imagined that Leylin would be so submissive, and struggled for a long time before spluttering: "You have to make an oath to never bother Bessita again in the future!" "Alright!" Leylin agreed immediately, and even placed his right hand on the crest pinned to his chest. The crest had a cross blade and a picture of a skylark on it, which was the emblem of the Farlier family!

"With my honour as a member of the Farlier family, I swear that I will never bother Bessita ever again on my own accord!"

Using a family's reputation to make a vow was the most serious oath a noble could take.

Those who had gone back on their words would meet with the disdain of all nobles. "So! Mister Ourin! Can I leave now?"

Leylin bowed slightly, with perfect noble's etiquette.

"Hold on!" It had not occurred to Ourin that Leylin would show no resistance, and at this point, his eyes contained an avaricious glint: "According to the noble's conduct, you still have to compensate. Hand over all the magic crystals that you have!" "Magic crystals!" The surrounding onlookers gasped in surprise.

"Magic crystals?" Leylin repeated. According to his memory, the magic crystals were a kind of currency between Magi. They were items of necessity for acolytes with no credentials to enter the academy.

Leylin did not know the exact amount required to enter an academy because he did not have even a single magic crystal on him. Viscount John had tried several methods to obtain magic crystals. However, he was unable to get even one. From this, one could see just how precious magic crystals were!

Extortion

Leylin had been avoiding meaningless fights.

In his opinion, the fun of winning against others couldn't be compared to the fun of enhancing his strength through cultivation.

Moreover, there's no hatred between him and Ourin. He probably even needed to thank him for heavily injuring the original Leylin, which had given him a chance for rebirth.

Leylin was a practical person. To him, face was never more important than reasoning.

Even using the honor of his family to swear wasn't the slightest loss for him. However, Ourin's request after that had touched the bottom line.

"You...you can't do that! Those black robed lords won't let you off!"

Leylin tightly grabbed onto the sack on his hands with a frantic expression.

"Haha...why would those black robes barge into our matters? Don't forget, you were beaten half dead by me previously, and no one had paid it any mind."

Ourin clenched his fist, and clear cracking sounds could be heard from his bones, "If you don't want me to break your bones one by one, obediently hand the magic crystals over!"

As Ourin drew closer, his large frame engulfed Leylin within his shadow.

Leylin observed his surroundings; this location was already quite far from the camp. Around him were only some lackeys that had been brought by Ourin. They were all looking at them as if they were viewing a show.

"Don't bother looking, no one will come to save you..."

Ourin grinned.

"Really? That's best then!" Leylin suddenly laughed.

His silhouette flashed. When Leylin reappeared, he was already behind Ourin, "Perfect, I can take revenge for that day's incident!"

A fierce kick was thrown out! Carrying intense wind, it kicked into Ourin's waist area.

Ourin felt an intense force coming from Leylin's leg, sending his body into the air!

Bang! Ourin fell to the ground, severe pain coming from his waist which made his eyes turn slightly red, "You dared! You dared! You actually dared to hurt me!"

"You're dead! I will hang you!"

Ourin ferociously stood up, rays of blood-thirsty and savage light shooting out of his eyes.

"This is the advantage of having a good constitution?" Seeing that the kick that he used fifty percent of his strength for did nothing much to Ourin, Leylin's pupils shrank.

"Ha!" Ourin waved his fist around like a violent black bear.

Leylin flashed sideways, dodging Ourin's fist. When Ourin's fist landed on the small tree behind, it actually left a deep dent. A strength of 1.7 is indeed not a trivial matter.

"Such a heavy punch. Even with my constitution, I can't withstand more than a few punches..." Leylin swiftly thought.

"A.I Chip! Simulate the best method to defeat him!"

[Beep! Task established! Starting assist mode!] A voice came from the A.I Chip. Its powerful calculation ability instantly came up with the best solution.

[Duck! Task established! Initiating assist mode.] The A.I Chip prompted. Leylin immediately crouched down, dodging the roaring Ourin's tackle.

[A flaw appeared in enemy's defense! Most effective attacking location: Armpit!] The A.I Chip's voice sounded.

Leylin's figure continuously flashed, dodging Ourin's attacks while also getting closer. "Do you know? Although your strength is powerful, you're not agile enough. This is the disadvantage of your body shape..."

As Leylin could still speak when he's attacking, it showed that he was still holding back.

"This...is this still the Leylin from before? He...why has he become so much more powerful?" The surrounding youths all opened their mouths in shock.

Under the everyone's expressions of disbelief, Leylin threw out a punch! It hit Ourin's armpit with his entire strength. Ourin, who had suffered the attack, fell onto the ground with a pained expression, and couldn't get up for a long time.

Leylin's full strength was at least 1.5 and wasn't very different from Ourin's. Furthermore, the place that he had hit was also the weak spot. Ourin fell onto the ground, his eyes bloodshot as he growled, "You're dead for sure! My family will not let you off!"

"Oh! Really?" Leylin remained indifferent towards Ourin's threat, and even gave Ourin a kick in his lower abdomen. Ourin curled himself up, like a cooked prawn.

Leylin squatted down, looked at Ourin with a face full of smiles, "Since you won't let me off anyways, do you think that it would be better if I just made the first move and killed you?"

At that moment, Leylin's smile at Ourin looked like the devil's.

"He's not joking, he really dares to take action!" Ourin saw the killing intent in Leylin's eyes. Suddenly, he felt as though he was being stared at by a tiger. The anger within his head completely vanished and was replaced with fear.

"Mister Leylin! Lord Leylin! You can't do that! I...I have the Dorlan family behind me. If you kill me, you'll get yourself in trouble!"

"Then do you admit your wrongs!" Leylin issued a ridiculing question.

"I admit my wrongs! I apologize... sorry!" Under the threat of death, Ourin succumbed quickly.

"Very good, I accept your apology. In addition, according to the law of nobility, I have the rights to request for compensation!"

Leylin said smilingly which gave Ourin a bad feeling.

"As compensation, hand all the magic crystals you have with you!" Leylin smilingly said those words of extortion.

"Oh! No! You can't do this! Do you know how many people have been sacrificed for my family to obtain these magic crystals?"

Ourin struggled to protest.

"Sometimes, it's just a simple multiple choice question in the world. Now, it's your turn. My dear Ourin, life or magic crystals, choose one!"

Leylin didn't seem to have any reaction to Ourin's begging. Instead, he stepped on Ourin's face, gradually increasing the amount of force he exerted.

The boots stepping on Ourin's face sent his head further and further into the ground, giving a suffocating feeling.

After a few minutes, Leylin released some of the pressure, "So? Have you thought through it properly?"

"Puah!" Ourin inhaled the fresh air in big mouthfuls. His face was now covered with mud and footprints, making him look hilarious.

However, none of the surrounding youths dared to smile.

One of the youths slowly began to retreat, wanting to leave this place.

Leylin picked up a pebble, [Wind estimation completed! Shooting orbit adjusted!]

Whoosh! The pebble hit the escaping youth's leg, sending him sprawling on the ground.

"Ourin, see that? Don't bother waiting for reinforcements...Furthermore, don't try to challenge my patience!"

Leylin looked at the surrounding youths. Those who had Leylin's gaze sweep past them all lowered their heads, their bodies trembling.

"Okay! I can give you the magic crystals! But I left them in the carriage! Follow me back to get them!" Ourin said in surrender.

"magic crystals are so important. You don't bring them with you, but leave them at the carriage,? Are you treating me like a fool?"

Such childish lies naturally couldn't get pass Leylin.

"It seems like you haven't had enough!" A ray of fierceness flashed across Leylin's eyes. He grabbed onto Ourin's arm and suddenly gave it a snap!

Crack!! Ear piercing sounds of fracture could be heard, followed by Ourin's miserable scream.

"If you still refuse to speak the truth, I'll break your other arm!"

"No! No! No! You can't do this, the black-robed lord won't let you off!" Ourin clutched onto his arm, rolling on the ground.

"Haha...why would those black robes barge into our matters? Did you forget that I was beaten half dead by you previously, and no one paid any mind to it?"

Leylin coldly smiled, sending Ourin's words back to him.

"Seems like you're really yearning for death!" Leylin was just about to go up and take action.

"Wait! Wait! Fine! I'll give you the magic crystals, but you have to swear that you will not take revenge on me anymore!" Ourin shouted with a pale face as he saw Leylin approaching him.

"Okay! I swear with the honor of my Farlier family!" Leylin answered.

Ourin's face turned green. Struggling to a half seated position on the ground, he took out a golden coloured pouch from his bosom and tossed it at Leylin, "All my magic crystals are here!"

Leylin took it and gave it a look. This was a palm-sized pouch made with gold and silver threads. In the center of it was a picture of an eagle and a shield, surrounded by many plants. It appeared to be a family symbol.

Leylin opened the pouch and saw over dozens of black coloured crystals quietly lying there.

[Beep! Discovered an unknown energy source!] The A.I Chip alerted.

"So? Can it be used?" Leylin had an excited expression on his face.

[Searching the database...information insufficient! The method of usage not found!"

[Alert! An energy source with unknown radiation. Recommendation: The Host's body to strengthen defense!]

"So it's like this?" Leylin inwardly thought, then turned to Ourin and asked, "Which academy are you going to?"

"Wet...Wetland Gardens!" Ourin had an ugly expression on his face.

"Wetland Gardens! I've heard before that the entry fee is ten magic crystals, right?"

"Correct! Where did you hear it from?" Ourin was a little surprised.

Leylin faintly smiled, looking a little mysterious. He had never heard of any Wetland Gardens before and was only bluffing Ourin since most of the school fees were basically all in rounded figures. It wasn't a big deal if he guessed it wrongly anyway.

"Okay! I'll return it to you!" Leylin took out three magic crystals from the pouch and tossed the pouch with the magic crystals back at Ourin.

"These three magic crystals will be my compensation!" Although he could take all the magic crystal now, Leylin is still unsure of the attitudes of the black and white robes on this matter. He also doesn't want to use himself to test out their bottom lines. Thus, he left Ourin the sufficient amount of magic crystals for the entry fee. That way, even if they quibbled about it, Leylin had an excuse.

"Tha...thank you!" Ourin's facial expression turned a lot better. If he were to lose all of these magic crystals and wasn't unable to enter the academy, he really didn't know how he'd face his family.

"Rest assured! I won't take your magic crystals!" Leylin raised his head and looked at the surrounding nobles, who all had their hands tightly clenched into fists. Seeing this, Leylin couldn't help shaking his head.

"Thank you, Lord Leylin!" Hearing Leylin's assurance, the other youths all felt relieved and immediately bowed.

"But! I want to request other compensation!" Leylin looked at a youth, the one that tried to escape but had been knocked down.

"The Cross Blade at your waist looks pretty nice!" Leylin looked at the youth, who looked a little frightened. Leylin then pointed to the Cross Blade at the youth's waist.

Having heard the hint, the youth hastily replied, "Lord, you can have it!"

"Haha! I won't hold back then!" Leylin took the Cross Blade from the youth. After gauging its weight, he nodded his head in satisfaction.

As a noble's sword, the quality of this crossed sword was excellent.

The hilt of the sword was decorated with beautiful flower patterns to prevent it from slipping from the hand. The scabbard was made from the skin of sharks, giving it a luxurious feeling.