1 Practicing for two and a half years [Full-level Archery]
Holy Radiance Year 1003, Month of the North Wind (November).
Emerald Kingdom, Black Mountain Province, Lake County, Blackwater Valley.
On the flat river plain, silver-wrapped, with smoke rising, there are scattered small wooden houses.
On high ground, a not-so-grand castle is built against the mountain, with collapsed towers and battlements, all indicating the downfall of the castle's owner.
On the slope outside the castle, amid snow-covered dry grass, a cute snow rabbit is foraging while being cautious of predators.
And seventy meters away, a young boy dressed in a white leather jacket, wearing a white velvet hat, and brown snow boots is hiding behind a crooked-necked tree, blending into the white snowy landscape behind him.
He slowly reaches out his hand, draws his bow, and no ordinary hunting bow but a military one.
Then, accompanied by the arrow's whistling through the air, the next moment, the snow rabbit falls to the ground, the iron arrowhead piercing its skull.
[Archery Proficiency +1]
[Archery: First Level (9999/10000) → First Level (Limit)]
"I can have roasted rabbit for dinner tonight."
Li Wei licked his lips, his thoughts moved, and he opened the proficiency panel.
Li Wei · Schneck—————
Archery: First Level (Limit)
Horsemanship: First Level (Limit)
Noble Dance: First Level (Limit)
Basic Combat: First Level (Limit)
Basic Swordsmanship: First Level (Limit)
...
Looking at the proficiency panel in his mind, Li Wei's lips curled up.
"The most difficult archery has reached its limit. Now, within the effective range of my bow and my field of vision, any prey I target can be hit every time. In the history of the kingdom, my archery skills can be considered as that of a master archer. And I'm just a knight's squire who has practiced for two and a half years."
"In two and a half years, I've mastered the five basic skills a knight's squire needs: riding, shooting, dancing, fighting, and swordsmanship. I've exceeded the mission requirements, and my physical fitness is well-trained. I should be eligible to learn the Breath Method now."
"Only by learning the Breath Method can I become a true knight in a world plagued by natural disasters and human calamities, a world where survival is a constant struggle, and where supernatural forces may lurk. After all, the original owner of this body might have been killed by [evil spirits]."
Li Wei is not a native of this world.
He is a transmigrator who was reborn into the body of a noble disciple three years ago, at the beginning of the first millennium of the Holy Radiance Era. His "golden finger" is the proficiency panel in his mind.
From the memories of the original owner before his death, it seems that the original owner encountered a supernatural being known as "Water Nymph" while fishing in the Blackwater River. The nymph's face was pale and swollen, and her skin was bursting with water, resembling the descriptions of a supernatural being in the local legends of this world. Then the original owner fell into eternal darkness until Li Wei took over his body.
Later, Baron Fredrick Knight, a retainer of the noble family, found himself soaking wet, lying by the river, surrounded by foul-smelling water plants and rotting fish. He was muttering inexplicable words like "I have no air force (phonetically translated from Fredrick Knight)" as if they were spells.
The true knight still believes to this day that Young Master Li Wei, out of frustration from not catching fish, lost his temper and went mad, even attempting to fish unsuccessfully by going into the water himself.
Li Wei, of course, did not mention the encounter with the supernatural being to anyone else. It would be difficult to explain how he survived such an encounter.
However, that supernatural being has become a psychological shadow for Li Wei, and he still dares not go to the Blackwater Riverbank to this day.
In fact, from what Li Wei currently understands, the legend of supernatural beings like the Water Nymph has existed for a long time, but the vast majority of people have never seen them, just like the legend of "wizards," who are said to possess control over the elements of wind, thunder, earth, and fire, yet no one has ever seen one.
Even Sir Fredrick Knight, who had traveled extensively in the Emerald Kingdom in his youth and was knowledgeable, regarded wizards as nothing more than legendary tales.
"Wizards, how noble and mysterious a profession. No matter how strong a knight is, they are just slightly more powerful muggles compared to wizards. In comparison, it's like comparing a martial artist to a cultivator."
Li Wei was filled with longing. Most legends are not groundless, so after witnessing the real existence of supernatural beings, Li Wei firmly believed that there must be wizards in this world, far beyond the simple tales told by bards.
But he also knew that pursuing wizards with his current abilities was too unrealistic. He needed to keep his feet on the ground and look up to the stars.
So, starting from the age of ten, Li Wei continued to train in the five basic knightly arts. Now, with the help of the proficiency panel, in less than three years, he had mastered all of them.
Li Wei was confident that the vast majority of formal knights, including Sir Fredrick, could not match his proficiency in the five knightly arts, especially his prided archery.
At the age of twelve, Li Wei stood at a height of 1.75 meters, appearing strong and robust. Except for a hint of youthful innocence on his face, he was stronger than many adult males in most aspects.
In this world with low productivity, most undernourished commoner males who grew up on black bread were not as sturdy as Li Wei.
This was an era dominated by cold weapons, and a strong physique combined with knightly plate armor that weighed tens of pounds provided a significant advantage in battle that a weak body could not match.
Now, everything was ready, except for the Breath Method.
Learning the Breath Method was not something to rush into. If the body's condition was not suitable, forcing it could lead to injuries or even madness.
This was why, before becoming a knight's squire, young squires were required to learn basic swordsmanship and basic combat to train their bodies.
Feeling in high spirits, Li Wei picked up the snow rabbit from the ground and turned back home.
On the slope below, a middle-aged knight with silver hair watched Li Wei with a satisfied smile on his face and said with a tone of great satisfaction, "If the Lord were still here, he would be very pleased with your archery skills."
This was Sir Fredrick Knight, referred to as the "Serpent Eagle Knight" by his enemies and retainers alike. He was the most trusted man by Baron Li Wei's father.
In fact, it was true. For Li Wei, the time spent with Knight Fredrick far exceeded that with the Baron.
So, to some extent, the teacher-student or master-servant emotions that arose from his close association with Knight Fredrick were even stronger than the blood ties he had with the Baron.
"Lord Fredrick, you are too kind. What I've done is not enough. I want to learn the breathing technique, become a true knight as soon as possible. Winter is here, and the long night is approaching. Roaming knights or bandits on the wilderness could invade our territory at any time, threatening our safety. I cannot rely on your protection forever."
"After my father's death, we lost the Tulip Territory in the south, where spring lasted all year round, and the Storm Territory in the east, rich in minerals. The barren and remote Blackwater Valley is our last homeland."
"I am the sole bloodline of the family, and for the Snick family, I must become stronger!"
"Glory belongs to the Black Serpent! And I am ready!"
Li Wei put on a resentful look, clenched his fists, and acted with determination.
"The Black Serpent Holding the Candle" is the emblem of the Snick family, which is why they are also known as the "Black Serpent Family."
His father, Baron Soder Snick, was not only one of the "Seven Knights of the North," the Black Serpent Knight, who made everyone's color change in conversations, but also the Count of Tulip Territory and the Lord of Storm Territory!
Compared to the Blackwater Valley, which has almost half a year of difficulty in agricultural production during the winter, Tulip Territory and Storm Territory were much more prosperous.
"I am the sole bloodline of the family, and for the Snick family, I must become stronger!"
"Glory belongs to the Black Serpent! And I am ready!"
Li Wei put on a resentful look, clenched his fists, and acted with determination.
"The Black Serpent Holding the Candle" is the emblem of the Snick family, which is why they are also known as the "Black Serpent Family."
His father, Baron Soder Snick, was not only one of the "Seven Knights of the North," the Black Serpent Knight, who made everyone's color change in conversations, but also the Count of Tulip Territory and the Lord of Storm Territory!
Compared to the Blackwater Valley, which has almost half a year of difficulty in agricultural production during the winter, Tulip Territory and Storm Territory were much more prosperous.
Li Wei was born in the city of Blooms in Tulip Territory. The climate there was humid, the plains were vast, and the soil was fertile, making it extremely suitable for settlement and development.
Although Storm Territory often experienced stormy weather, it was rich in minerals and considered a treasure trove.
During Li Wei's childhood, it was the peak period of the Black Serpent Knight, who had 5,000 soldiers under his command and relied on the valuable Storm Territory. He also had 500 fully armed and fierce cavalry. In this world with limited productivity, some weak dukes might only have such resources.
However, all of this was built upon the personal greatness of the Baron, this great knight.
If knights were somewhat famous in the martial arts world, skilled experts who dominated a region, then the position of a great knight could be compared to figures like the Central Plains' "Five Supreme Masters," who once shook the entire martial arts world.
Only legendary knights, such as "Lionheart Knight Rhine," "Golden Knight Greg," "Blood Knight Brad," "Snowflake Knight Fairel," and other legendary figures, could surpass the great knights.
The status of legendary knights in this world was similar to that of Dharma Patriarch, Zhang Sanfeng, founders of martial arts sects, or martial arts legends. In most cases, they could only serve as tools to set the power ceiling in stories.
"So, the Black Serpent Knight in his prime is the pinnacle of the world's visible military power pyramid.
And such a presence, after being summoned three years ago to participate in the millennium holy war launched against the Tuvan Empire by the Emerald Kingdom and the Holy Radiance Church, never returned.
In the end, all that Li Wei received was the unbelievable news of the Baron and all his warriors dying on the battlefield.
According to the kingdom's laws, titles are hereditary, and the three territories of the baron should be inherited by Li Wei, his only son. However, before inheriting, it requires an official declaration by a royal envoy.
Under the witness of the envoy appointed by the Emerald Kingdom's king, Li Wei became the new owner of the three territories under the Baron's command, at least in name.
In reality, considering the circumstances at the time, Li Wei willingly returned to the ancestral lands of the Soder Baron, the remote and barren Blackwater Valley. This territory had previously been administered by Knight Frederick.
The Bloody Count and the Silver Veil Count, who had long coveted his father's territories, effectively took control of the Tulip Territory and Storm Territory with the tacit approval of their master, Duke Black Mountain. The kingdom turned a blind eye to this.
Although legally, the territories of each lord are sacred and inviolable, in practice, the feudal lord system of the Emerald Kingdom has completely transformed to this day.
The open and covert struggles between lords are common. Li Wei disliked the feeling of being targeted, so he voluntarily relinquished the troublesome Tulip and Storm Territories, offering them to Duke Black Mountain.
As the largest territory in the north, the Duke of Black Mountain, the oldest and most mysterious knight among the 'Seven Knights of the North,' had long wanted to expand his influence in the south. Li Wei's 'prodigal son' behavior pleased Duke Black Mountain greatly.
The innocent have no guilt, but those with treasures bear guilt. In Li Wei's view, without a great knight and a sufficient number of fully armed and tough cavalry to deter external threats, possessing the Tulip and Storm Territories would be akin to courting disaster.
With the proficiency panel at his disposal, it was better to retreat to the remote and humble Blackwater Valley and become a minor lord.
In Li Wei's mind, he had no ambition to become a king or dominate. He only wanted to quietly practice his breathing technique and gradually become a knight, a great knight, and even a legendary knight. Then, he would follow in the footsteps of the wizards.
After all, based on what he currently understood, only wizards had the potential to achieve his goal of eternal life, and only wizards could truly fearlessly confront those supernatural creatures and monsters.
However, although he thought this way in his heart, he still had to maintain the appearance in front of Knight Frederick, his father's most trusted retainer.
Moreover, knight training required a large amount of resources and wealth, and in this world, wealth was essential.
So, Li Wei's plan was clear: learn the breathing technique, quickly become an official knight, then manage his territories to earn some money for his practice. After having enough self-defense power, he would travel to the seven kingdoms and embark on the journey to find the wizard.
The middle-aged knight Frederick quietly listened to Li Wei's youthful aspirations, and his weathered face revealed a pleased smile. "Baron Li Wei, my master, you are indeed ready now. Please follow me."
