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1.07% Wizard + System / Chapter 2: CH2

Chapter 2: CH2

Helag distinctly felt the surroundings grow quiet the moment he stepped into the forest.

The animals in the forest noticed the intruder; the chirping birds and insects went silent.

Helag lightened his steps, adjusted his breathing, and began searching for his target.

Soon, a gray rabbit appeared ahead.

Helag drew his bow and nocked an arrow: "Deep Blue, activate aim assist."

[Calculating wind speed…]

A blue auxiliary line appeared in his vision. Helag adjusted his shooting angle, aiming at the rabbit.

Whoosh!

The rabbit's ears twitched, but it didn't have time to jump away before an arrow pierced its head.

Helag cautiously observed his surroundings. After confirming there were no abnormalities, he went to retrieve the rabbit.

He picked it up and weighed it; it was about 2 or 3 kilograms.

He wiped the arrow on the rabbit's fur and put it back in the quiver for reuse.

"My control over my body is still too weak."

Helag felt his control over his body was insufficient, lacking stability when shooting.

A few minutes later, Helag found another target.

In the northeast, two birds, a pair of red-spotted finches, were grooming each other on a tree.

Helag held his breath, drew the longbow silently, and aimed the cold, gleaming arrow at the lovebirds.

Whoosh!

One arrow, two birds!

The arrow pierced through both finches' heads, stringing them together like candied hawthorns.

The red-spotted finches were small, with little meat.

Wild animals were abundant here, to the point of being overrun.

Naturally, no one talked about animal protection.

By the end of the afternoon, Helag had a fruitful harvest.

Three rabbits, seventeen red-spotted finches, and two fish.

If his body could sustain it, and he had the strength to draw the bow, he could have continued hunting.

At dusk, as the setting sun cast its glow over the forest, Helag heard strange beastly roars from the depths of the forest.

He immediately sensed danger and quickened his pace to leave the forest.

***

At the castle gate.

"Did you catch all these?" The castle guard was dumbfounded, incredulous.

"Of course, here's the red-spotted finch you wanted. Pay up!" Helag said proudly.

The guard, seeing the string of red-spotted finches around Helag's neck, swallowed and awkwardly said, "I'll just buy five."

"Fine." Helag didn't expect him to buy them all. He would take whatever he could get.

Servants in the castle didn't have salaries, only receiving some reward money on certain holidays.

The guards had salaries, but not much.

Helag returned to the castle with his haul, attracting a lot of attention along the way.

"Where did this kid pick these up?"

"Rumor has it he hunted them himself."

"I'd rather believe those animals ran into trees and killed themselves."

***

"Old Henry, look at this!" Helag showed off his rabbits and fish.

"This…" Old Henry saw the arrow wounds on the prey and doubted his eyes.

"These rabbits and fish are for you, as a fee for borrowing your bow. Eat well and delay meeting the gods; they're always there anyway." Helag put down the rabbits and fish, smiling.

Old Henry didn't refuse, silently nodding, reminiscing while looking at the bow.

"Can I borrow the bow for a few more days?" Helag asked.

Old Henry, slightly dazed, said slowly, "It's yours."

"Huh? Mine?" Helag knew this longbow was Old Henry's treasured possession. Did he just give it away?

Old Henry waved his hand, "Take it. I can't draw it anymore. It's good someone can use it."

***

Back in his small house, Helag began skinning the rabbits and processing the red-spotted finches.

By nightfall, a rabbit and several red-spotted finches were roasting over the fire, and a fish was kept in a basin for later.

This world had few seasonings. Helag found some spicy wild herbs in the forest and used a bit of salt from the salt jar to make do.

Rabbits took longer to roast, while the red-spotted finches, with little meat, cooked quickly.

Helag took a bite of a red-spotted finch. It wasn't as sour as he expected; instead, it was particularly fragrant and crispy. The guard was right; the red-spotted finch was indeed delicious.

[Detected food compatible with physical enhancement. Consuming 150 red-spotted finches can increase strength by 1 point.]

Helag was shocked by the chip's prompt.

One point of strength meant he would go from a weakling to a strongman.

This world was indeed extraordinary. In his previous life, no food could drastically change one's physique.

The castle had official knights, said to handle dozens of ordinary people easily.

Baron Buck was a great knight, rumored to have extraordinary strength.

Helag had never seen it himself, having only been here a few days, always thinking that these were exaggerated rumors.

But now, he had more thoughts.

After eating off the red-spotted finches and rabbits, Helag finally felt full for the first time.

"Being full feels great." He lay on the bed contentedly and soon fell into a deep sleep.

***

The next morning, after finishing his chores, Helag again carried the longbow and entered the forest.

This time, his goal was clear: only hunt red-spotted finches.

At the same time, he paid attention to various plants in the forest, many of which were not found in his previous life and were unidentifiable.

Whenever he encountered a new plant, he would cut a bit and apply it to the back of his hand. If there was no reaction after a while, he would lick it and let Deep Blue analyze the components.

After a few days, Helag discovered a plant that could enhance his physique.

[Detected food compatible with physical enhancement, named Redleaf Fern. Consuming 5 Kilos can increase constitution by 1 point.]

In seven days, Helag ate 200 red-spotted finches and 7 Kilos of Redleaf Fern.

"Query current body status."

[

Helag Merlin:

Strength 1.4

Agility 0.6

Constitution 1.4

Spirit 1.2

] 

After eating 150 red-spotted finches, further consumption had no effect, as his body developed resistance.

Redleaf Fern was extremely bitter, but Helag forced himself to eat it to become stronger.

He also found that after increasing strength and constitution by one point each, agility automatically increased by 1, but spirit remained unchanged.

Helag clenched his fists, feeling the explosive power within.

During this time, Helag gained some fame, as he always returned from hunting with a full load.

He earned the nickname "Red-Spotted Finch Hunter."

Every time he returned from the forest, he was adorned with a string of red-spotted finches, hence the name.

"Helag, come out!" Old Henry's long voice called from outside.


Chapter 3: CH3

"What is it?" Helag opened the door to see Old Henry, with a young man in heavy armor standing behind him.

Helag recognized him as Knight Emil, the captain of the castle's guard.

This was a significant figure in the castle, and it seemed he had business with Helag.

"Are you Helag?" Emil asked, looking him up and down.

"Yes, Sir Emil," Helag replied honestly.

"Deep Blue, scan Emil's body data."

[

Emil:

Strength 2.1

Agility 1.6

Constitution 2.2

Spirit 1.1

containing unknown energy.

]

For the first time, Helag had a direct understanding of a knight's strength.

Although Emil's stats seemed only slightly higher than his, in actual combat, it would be a comprehensive enhancement.

An increase of one point in strength could mean a tenfold increase in combat ability, a completely different concept.

Emil also had some unknown energy within him, which Helag guessed was the knight's power.

Including this unknown energy, the combat capability would be significantly higher.

"I heard your archery is good. Show me," Emil said straightforwardly.

Old Henry gave an encouraging look from the side. Helag didn't hesitate and immediately went inside to fetch his longbow.

Emil looked around and pointed to a tall pine tree in the distance, "Can you shoot down the highest pine cone?"

"Yes, I can," Helag said confidently.

"Begin," Emil ordered.

Helag drew the longbow and activated the aim assist.

Now that he had enough strength, the longbow was fully drawn.

With a whoosh, the pine cone fell to the ground.

Emil nodded in satisfaction, "It seems you are a natural marksman. You qualify to join the guard. Follow me to the training ground."

Helag clearly had no choice but to follow Emil, while Old Henry grinned widely.

***

The castle's training ground was a spacious, flat area. It was training time, and many guards were practicing.

Emil's presence drew attention, but no one dared to ask questions. They continued training, even more diligently.

Emil led Helag to an open space and turned to him, "Helag, do you know why knights are strong?"

Helag didn't know and shook his head.

"Because of the breathing technique," Emil said solemnly.

"Breathing technique?" Helag heard this term for the first time.

"Yes, the breathing technique allows us to harness and utilize the hidden power within our bodies. Through years of practicing the breathing technique, we can not only strengthen our bodies but also potentially awaken the life seed. Those who awaken the life seed can be called knights."

"Can I awaken the life seed?" Helag asked.

"Not necessarily. Only a few lucky ones have this potential. Most people can never become knights," Emil explained.

He looked at Helag and continued, "You have a talent for archery. I will teach you the Earth Breathing Technique. I hope you can grow quickly and serve the baron."

"Thank you, Sir Emil, and thanks to the baron," Helag said, performing a standard loyalty salute with his right fist on his chest. He was good at these formalities.

"Remember, you owe everything to the baron," Emil said, satisfied with Helag's attitude. 

"Deep Blue, record all of Emil's actions, especially related to the Earth Breathing Technique," Helag commanded mentally.

[Recording started.]

Emil began teaching the Earth Breathing Technique, "Breathing is natural to everyone. The Earth Breathing Technique has a unique rhythm that generates a flow of energy within your body. This energy follows a specific path, gradually strengthening your muscles and bones…"

[Earth Breathing Technique recorded.]

After explaining the key points, Emil said, "Try it."

The Earth Breathing Technique involved many strange movements combined with a unique breathing rhythm. It was difficult for beginners to perform the movements correctly and grasp the breathing rhythm.

"Deep Blue, assist with practicing the Earth Breathing Technique."

Deep Blue quickly projected each movement in front of Helag. He began mimicking the first movement.

[Right hand up by one centimeter, left hand down by half a centimeter.]

After completing the first movement, Deep Blue corrected his posture and provided precise adjustments.

Helag adjusted his movements according to the chip's instructions.

Emil watched with some surprise and admiration but said nothing.

The Earth Breathing Technique had fifteen movements, each difficult.

With the chip's assistance, Helag struggled to complete the entire set, feeling exhausted and barely able to stand.

[Effective training detected. Repeating this set of movements 100 times can increase strength by 0.2, agility by 0.5, and constitution by 0.3]

"One hundred times doesn't seem like much," Helag thought, feeling motivated by the chip's prompt.

Persistence was easier when progress was visible. Helag felt highly motivated with immediate feedback.

Emil remained silent throughout the process. After Helag completed one round of the Earth Breathing Technique, he said, "You have talent! I will keep an eye on you."

Busy with his duties, Emil instructed Helag to continue practicing and left.

"Deep Blue, how long to complete 100 sessions?"

[Based on current physical condition, you can practice twice a day. After seven days, your body will adapt, allowing six to seven sessions per day. Estimated completion in 23 days.]

This progress was faster than Helag expected.

***

After that day, Helag's status changed.

He went from a lowly servant to a castle guard, earning five silver coins a month, along with armor and a longsword.

His meals upgraded to two per day, with meat every three days. However, this wasn't crucial for Helag, as he could hunt for meat.

Emil valued him highly, exempting him from duties to focus on practicing the Earth Breathing Technique.

Helag hunted in the forest daily and practiced the Earth Breathing Technique, repeating this routine.

Twenty days later.

[

First Stage of the Earth Breathing Technique completed.

Current status:

Strength 1.6

Agility 1.1

Constitution 1.7

Spirit 1.2

]

[Second Stage of the Earth Breathing Technique can begin. Repeating 1,000 times can increase strength by 0.4, agility by 0.5, and constitution by 0.5]

Helag smiled at the chip's prompt, pleased that his efforts had paid off.

His days were fulfilling, hunting, practicing, eating, and sleeping. Tomorrow, he would start a new course, as Emil would teach him swordsmanship.

Helag had a strong physique but lacked effective combat skills. Archery was only useful for long-range combat.

In this era of cold weapons, close combat was more common.


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