Chapter 28: Progress

Robin felt pleased inside, but on his face he acted as if nothing had happened, flicked out a silver coin and handed it to the old man: "These few plants look good; I'll take them back to plant. I'm not taking advantage of you—is this silver coin enough?"

Upon seeing the silver coin, the old man instantly beamed with delight, nodding repeatedly: "Enough, enough! Sir Knight, you're truly generous!"

Robin understood clearly; the old man not only didn't know the effects of these herbs, he also didn't know their price.

Obviously, he was just an ordinary laborer tasked with gathering these weeds to send to the Lord's Manor; as for the value of these weeds, he knew nothing at all.

Although Eric, Lily, and the others were somewhat puzzled by Robin's behavior, seeing his expression normal, they didn't ask further. Tomson then came over and whispered: "Robin, what are you doing with those weeds? Could they be something special?"

Robin smiled, lowered his voice, and said: "These aren't ordinary weeds. I'll explain when we get back."

The four said goodbye to the old man and continued toward the military camp.

On the way, Robin's mood was exceptionally pleasant. He hadn't expected to gain such an unexpected harvest from this trip into the city.

Although Dragon Blood Herb and Cateran Root aren't especially precious herbs, they spent three gold coins when buying them.

This shows the importance of knowledge monopoly.

After returning to the military camp, Robin immediately summoned the few people to his room, closed the door, then took out those few herbs from his pocket and carefully placed them on the table.

"Is this the weeds you just picked up?" Lily asked curiously, reaching out to touch them, but Robin stopped her.

"Don't touch them; these aren't ordinary weeds." Robin smiled mysteriously, then explained: "These are Dragon Blood Herb and Cateran Root; Dragon Blood Herb greatly boosts blood and energy, while Cateran Root strengthens tendons and bones. Our Leopard Bone Soup requires these two herbs!"

Upon hearing this, Eric and Lily widened their eyes in shock.

Tomson was even more excited, nearly jumping up: "Really? Then we're going to make a fortune!"

Robin nodded, but then reminded: "These herbs aren't rare, yet they can sell for so much in the market; the profits involved aren't something we knight apprentices can meddle with, so from now on when we see that old man we can only buy small amounts, lest we attract the attention of the Lord's Manor."

Eric and Lily quickly nodded.

In that case, they are taking advantage of the Lord's Manor.

"These are all raw medicinal materials, different from what they sell to them, so I need some time to study how to prepare them."

Lily excitedly said: "Robin, you're amazing! Actually finding these treasures in a pile of weeds!"

Eric also showed an approving smile: "It seems we're really lucky this time. With these herbs, our strength will surely increase much faster."

Robin smiled, but his mind remained tense.

Although discovering these herbs was an unexpected joy, how to use them is the key.

He decided to start researching the formulas in that book tonight, striving to quickly prepare a medicinal soup suitable for them.

Night fell, and the military camp gradually grew quiet.

Robin sat at the desk, carefully flipping through that ancient book by candlelight, his pen occasionally scribbling on the paper.

His eyes shone with focused light; he now wished to read the entire Herbal Record, but a quick skim wouldn't be recorded by the system, so he had to read it carefully and thoroughly.

This meant that for a period of time ahead, his cultivation speed could only slow down.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Robin finally studied the entire Herbal Record from start to finish carefully.

The book's content not only deepened his knowledge of herbs, but also gave him mastery of several new medicinal soup formulas.

All of this was thanks to the few Dragon Blood Herb and Cateran Root he had unexpectedly obtained.

With a stable and inexpensive herb source, Robin and the four would go to the Black Forest each week to hunt high-level beasts.

Using the materials obtained from hunting beasts, plus Robin's carefully prepared medicinal soup, their cultivation began to advance rapidly.

Robin had a clear judgment of the three's cultivation progress:

Lily's breathing method experience had already exceeded 340, just one step away from breaking through to Knight Apprentice Mid-stage. However, she had encountered an intangible bottleneck, unable to rise as quickly as before.

Such a bottleneck can only be overcome through time's accumulation and constant practice; it cannot be rushed.

This is the benefit the system brings—there is basically no bottleneck; he just needs to grind experience desperately.

Eric's cultivation speed is astonishing.

His breathing method experience has already broken through the 500 mark, and he temporarily hasn't encountered any bottleneck restrictions; cultivating feels like a fish in water, progressing extremely fast.

Robin speculated that Eric's talent might be even higher than they imagined.

Tomson's situation is somewhat puzzling. Although he also puts effort into cultivation, his progress lags far behind Lily's and Eric's; his breathing method experience is only around 120, and his cultivation effect is almost half that of the first two.

Robin felt somewhat helpless about this, but he also knows that everyone's talent and physique differ, so cultivation speed naturally varies.

Although Tomson lagged behind, his effort and perseverance are still commendable.

What surprised Robin most was himself. Although he had spent a lot of time over the past half month studying the Herbal Record, his breathing method experience still rose steadily, even surpassing Eric's to reach 520.

This made him realize that his understanding and application of the breathing method seemed deeper than others', and his cultivation efficiency was also higher.

"It seems the combination of herbs and cultivation can indeed bring a great improvement," Robin thought to himself.

He decided to continue researching the application of herbs in depth, while also helping his partners break through their respective bottlenecks.

One evening, the four sat around the campfire, and Robin distributed the prepared medicinal soup to everyone.

Lily took a sip, her brows slightly furrowed: "Why does this medicinal soup taste a bit strange?"

Robin smiled: "This time I added some new herbs; the effect will be stronger than before. However, the medicinal potency is also more intense, so after you drink it you must immediately begin cultivating, don't waste the efficacy."

Eric nodded, gulped down the medicinal soup in one go, then sat cross-legged and began to circulate his breathing method.

Tomson and Lily followed suit, promptly entering a cultivation state.

Robin watched the three's focused expressions, his heart full of anticipation.

He clearly knew that as long as they persisted, breaking through the bottleneck was merely a matter of time.

And he would continue researching the combination of herbs and cultivation, leading everyone further.

The night breeze gently brushed, the campfire's light shining on the four's faces, making them feel especially warm.

Robin took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and prepared to begin circulating his breathing method.

The city's bell rang, sounding twelve times.

(End of chapter)