Chapter 16

Luo En wanted to ask more, but seeing the other's gloomy expression, he chose to temporarily suppress the doubts in his heart.

He knew very well that in this strange and terrifying dark world, sometimes knowing too much was not a good thing.

And after saying goodbye to Andre and returning to the dormitory, Luo En still couldn't calm down. Those strange scenes kept emerging in his mind, lingering and making him feel waves of nausea.

"Where on earth did Locke get that kind of forbidden drug..."

He whispered to himself, then opened the system panel to check his status:

【Luo En Ralph】

【Age: 15】

【Current combat profession: Knight Squire (One Star)】

【Current life profession: Magic Potion Apprentice (One Star)】

【Attributes: Constitution 1.4, Mental 1.6, Magic 0.4】

【Skills:

Basic Magic Potion Science (Proficient), Basic Meditation (Entry), Slime Splash (Entry), Magic Potion Refining (Entry), Herb Identification (Entry), Basic Swordsmanship (Entry), Breathing Body-Tempering (Entry)】

【Special Talent: Dual Soul, Protection of the Sun (Fragment)】

【Strength Level: Knight Squire】

"At least I have a golden finger; I don't need to take those crooked paths." Luo En felt a little comforted looking at these steadily improving data.

Moreover, according to the current speed of meditation improvement, there might be hope for promotion within this month, and then many problems would be easily solved.

Just then, a muffled sound came from the neighbor Dalunde's room, interrupting Luo En's thoughts.

"Damn sonic spell! Why did it fail again..." Angry cursing came through the wall.

Luo En shook his head with a bitter smile; the level of persistence of this neighbor was indeed admirable.

Although he failed every day, he never thought of taking shortcuts, but at this rate, he would likely not pass the apprentice assessment either.

But he didn't have the time to worry about other people's business anyway...

Night fell, and the Black Fog Forest fell into silence.

But in some hidden corners, there were still people conducting shady transactions.

"Have you heard? Another servant died in Tower No. 3."

"Sigh... that guy Ma Kusi has been researching some curse witchcraft lately, and his methods are particularly vicious."

"Tsk tsk, but being his servant at least keeps you alive. Although it's very uncomfortable every night, it's still better than those unlucky ones who become experimental subjects and monster dung."

Scattered discussions came from the end of the corridor, where several gorgeously dressed and gaudily decorated female servants were gathered.

They had a bit of arrogance on their faces; after all, in this world where the strong prey on the weak, being able to attach oneself to the strong could also be considered a form of capital.

Luo En stood behind his door, his five senses enhanced by body-tempering, and could clearly hear those whispers through the door.

Although most of it was boring gossip, occasionally he could hear some useful information.

"That Locke was also stupid to the core, actually going to find a black market merchant to buy forbidden drugs."

"But it has nothing to do with us anymore. Those guys only target candidate apprentices who are close to their deadline. Anyway, those people are doomed, so they might as well make an extra profit..."

"Black market merchant..." He silently noted this term in his heart; having one more channel was always a good thing.

The footsteps gradually faded away, and the corridor fell into silence again.

And where he couldn't see, those servants who were deliberately discussing loudly, after leaving the dormitory area, quickly gathered respectfully in front of a gray-robed person.

………………

Early the next morning, when the sky was just beginning to brighten, Luo En lost his sleepiness. Thinking that he still had time today, he quickly climbed out of bed.

Because there was still plenty of time before he had to go to work at the herb shop in the apprentice market, he simply sat at the table and opened the "Corona Swordsmanship" notes Andre had given him.

This was a special swordsmanship that complemented the "Corona Breathing Method," emphasizing using breathing to guide body rhythm, making the sword momentum as fierce as the sun.

It should be said that the school was quite generous to these candidate apprentices. Although the single rooms in the dormitory area had no furniture, the space was large enough that he had more than enough room to practice sword-swinging inside.

"Start with the most basic opening move." Luo En picked up the wooden sword and stood in the center of the room.

【Basic Swordsmanship training started】

【Please use the Corona Breathing Method to guide the movements】

After two sessions of body-tempering, he already had a deep understanding of the rhythm of the "Corona Breathing Method."

This rhythm could not only guide mental power but also make every movement of the body full of power.

Taking a deep breath, he began to practice the most basic slashes according to the essentials in the notes.

At first, he was a bit clumsy, but as his breathing gradually synchronized, his movements became more and more fluid.

Every sword swing was coordinated with the rhythm of his breathing: inhale to store power, hold breath to focus, exhale to slash.

The wooden sword drew trajectories in the air, bringing up a slight sound of wind.

【Basic Swordsmanship experience +1】

【Basic Swordsmanship experience +1】

【Basic Swordsmanship experience +1】

……

"Progress at the entry level is indeed very fast."

Luo En looked at the data on the panel, a smile appearing on his face.

The perfect fit between this set of swordsmanship and the "Corona Breathing Method" made him feel like a fish in water during practice, coupled with the speed bonus for swordsmanship skills from the [Knight Squire] profession.

Every time he swung the sword according to the correct rhythm, he could feel his understanding of this set of swordsmanship go a step further.

That feeling was like his muscles remembering a special rhythm, making every movement full of power.

"This actually gave me a new line of thought..." Luo En realized: "'Using breathing to guide the sword,' I feel it can be applied in actual combat."

He continued to practice basic slashes, and the trajectory of the wooden sword gradually became rounded and fluid.

Under the guidance of correct breathing, even the simplest movements could contain a special rhythm.

Just as he was practicing vigorously, a series of urgent knocks on the door interrupted his training.

"It's me." Andre's low voice came through.

Luo En put away the training wooden sword, wiped the sweat with a towel, and went to open the door.

After opening the door, he found that this Highness, the Thirteenth Prince, had a very anxious expression.

"There is something I must tell you." Andre said while closing the door, his voice very low:

"I just found out that the reason Locke took such a desperate risk was because he received some news."

(End of this chapter)