23 Breakthrough
20 low-grade blood crystals could be turned into one high-quality blood crystal. And 20 high-quality blood crystals could be turned into one superior blood crystals. Besides raising vitality, superior blood crystals also increased his perk [Knight Physique] as well as his other physical attributes.
However, the runes had to be drawn with magic crystal powder. As for gathering 20 high-quality blood crystals, it required him to kill 20 knight-level creatures. The task itself was not very difficult, but finding the creatures was quite the hardship.
After spending six months in isolated training, Drake broke through and passed the bar of 100 proficiency in the Moonfall Swordsmanship. It was in the realm of Grand Knights. Unlike before, where he was forced to take care of many matters, he focused on training only. He would simulate enemies and swing his swords tens of thousands of times every day, each time growing more proficient than the last time.
Thereafter, Drake organized an expedition to clear a nest of knight-level Sky Eagles located more than fifty miles away from the frozen city. Each sky eagle dropped up to 5 high-quality blood crystals, enough for Drake to gather hundreds of them, enough to grant him enough resources to raise his attributes.
[You have consumed [Superior Blood Crystal]. Your knight physique improves slightly. Your vitality rises slightly. Your Strength rises slightly]
[You have reached the Grand Knight Threshold...]
[You have awoken the perk [Grand Knight Physique]. Your body grows stronger, faster, sturdier]
[Your comprehension of Moonfall Knight Swordsmanship increases]
[You have awoken the Passive Skill [Sword Aura]. Not only does it passively increase your regeneration rate, aura can be used to strengthen your strikes]
[Sword Aura - Passive Skill
Sword-related skills deal 60% more damage]
[Name - Drake Moonfall | Age - 16 Years Old
Race - Human / Wereraven
Demonic Raven Bloodline (Stage I) - 29% Purity
Attributes:
Strength - 3.8 (+3.5) | Agility - 3.0 (+2.5) | Vitality - 7.0 (+3.5) | Magic Power - 8.0
Perks: Demonic Raven Bloodline (Stage I: +0.5 Strength, +0.5 Agility, +0.5 Vitality), Grand Knight Physique (+3.0 Strength, +3.0 Vitality, +2.0 Agility), Sword Aura (Sword-related attacks deal 60% more damage)
Skills: Moonfall Knight Swordsmanship (103), Magical Knowledge (50), Etiquette (45), Archery (56), Architecture (60), Horsemanship (40), Cartography (26)...
Spell: Demonic Raven Vision (56), Shadow Touch (30)]
A sixteen-years-old Grand knight. It was quite the unprecedented achievement.
These experiences also allowed Evangeline, Ross and Arthur to break through the knight realm. Drake also fed them with 5 high-quality blood crystals each.
However, if the family knew that Drake's bloodline purity had reached 29%, he would be subject to a strict interrogation. There hadn't been anyone with such high bloodline purity since the birth of the patriarch. Even him wasn't born with such high bloodline purity, and used countless elixirs to push it to 25%.
However, Drake now possessed a bloodline purity of 29%. Perhaps that was part of the reason why his magic power rose so fast. The higher the bloodline purity, the more likely it was for Moonfall Familiy heirs to breakthrough through acolyte realms. With 16% of bloodline purity, Drake was likely to become an intermediate acolyte just through meditation. With 21% bloodline purity, he had the potential of becoming an advanced acolyte. With 29% bloodline purity, reaching the peak rank acolyte realm like the patriarch was almost assured, given time. Reaching the Magus Realm wasn't impossible either.
Still, blood crystals no longer increased his bloodline purity. It seemed like it was only effective on individuals with 29% or lower bloodline purity. It seemed like the technique he had inherited from the necromancer Moundir was not ordinary. Otherwise, Magus Households related to the bloodline path would not have gone extinct.
[Name - Evangeline Heart | Age - 21 Years Old
Race - Human
Attributes:
Strength - 2.1 (+1.0) | Agility - 1.8 | Vitality - 3.8 (+1.0) |
Perks: Knight Physique (+1.0 Strength, +1.0 Vitality)
Skills: Porfield Military Swordsmanship (51), Administrative Skills (38), Litteracy (30), Etiquette (25)...]
[Name - Arthur Snow | Age - 35 Years Old
Race - Human
Attributes:
Strength - 2.0 (+1.0) | Agility - 2.5 | Vitality - 3.8 (+1.0) |
Perks: Knight Physique (+1.0 Strength, +1.0 Vitality)
Skills: Porfield Military Swordsmanship (41), Stealth (34), Butler Skills (30)...]
[Name - Ross Holly | Age - 29 Years Old
Race - Human
Attributes:
Strength - 2.9 (+1.0) | Agility - 1.4 | Vitality - 4.0 (+1.0) |
Perks: Knight Physique (+1.0 Strength, +1.0 Vitality)
Skills: Porfield Military Swordsmanship (45), Horsemanship (40), Formation (22)...]
The Frozen Knight Order had grown significantly as well.
It grew in numbers, reaching 350 members.
Among them, 150 soldiers reached preparatory knight realm.
Since it reached a significant size, Drake created three orders.
The infantry order was the biggest with 200 soldiers. Most of them are ordinary.
Elites, capable of riding horses, reached the 100-men big cavalry order.
As for the rest, they were soldiers with above-average accuracy. They learned to wield crossbows and siege weapons. They made up for the 50 remaining soldiers. Although it was the smallest division, once they held a position, they could easily decimate enemies.
In the past months, Frozen City was attacked twice.
The first time, an orc tribe sought revenge, and was decimated by Ross' leadership as he led the cavalry, destroying the orcish ranks.
The second time, the cavalry wasn't even needed, as the third division created a line of crossbow hunters. They decimated the 500-wolf-strong wolf tide in a matter of minutes, a hundred meters away from the targets, safe as they were on Frozen City's walls.
At this point, Drake had 'finished' his task of making Frozen City an independant city, strong enough to be defended without the use of a stationned acolyte.
However, by then, Drake had grown ambitious. He wanted to make his own force in the family. Although there still remained slightly more than a year before he had to return from his 'exile', he was reluctant to part with this city that was growing by the day.
