บท 17: Achieving 2nd Rank Knight Apprentice

Inside a palace of a majestic city, A yellow-haired middle age King was sitting in his white marble throne with his hand holding his chin. He was in the middle of hearing the report of an elderly prime minister at the side that was rambling nonstop.

"Your Majesty, for the last report it's about the undercurrent that was happening in the rural area of the Kingdom, and it might have something to do with lost technology of the third Magus Dynasty era." The Prime Minister reported.

Hearing what the Prime Minister said, the King raised his eyebrow in interest before commenting, "What are you waiting for? Report it to me."

"Yes, as you wish, My King. It began with the report we got about a bandit that attack Xendra Viscounty but it seems to be a private knight of Count Sanchez dispatch in disguise." The Prime Minister reported with an interest in it.

"Owh? That idiot Sanchez? He must have been done so to expand his territory. Did he think the Kingdom will not know? This is breaking the law! As for the Xendra Viscounty, I remember that a few hundred years ago, there is an interesting history about that family." The king straightens up his back in interest.

"Yes, but this might have nothing to do with that, Your Majesty. It seems the sole reason for the attack is because of a certain Magus Apprentice that found a clue about a lost technology. And there is another report stating that the disguised knights died instantly with some kind of explosives magic." The Prime Minister continued summarizing.

This much information that the Kingdom manages to get indicated that it had a vast network of information spread throughout the Kingdom.

"An explosive Magic? To kill a group of knights even if all of them are Knight Apprentice in one go. Great Magus Rank Magi is needed to do the job or at least 10 or so Magus. Is there some expert helping the Xendra Viscounty?" The King asked in wonder.

"No, Your Majesty, that might not be completely true. There is also the mentioning in the report that a golem was spotted at the wall of Moonmoor town. There was also a rumor that a mysterious Chamber of Commerce appear in the town and selling all kinds of unique artifacts." The Prime Minister scrutinized his eyes while reading the report.

Well, the report of the unique artifact is obviously quite made up. It was normal in Medieval Age that a small incident evolves into a legend if it was long enough. Thought the rumor could only blame the goods being sold by the Chamber of Commerce to be ahead of its time.

"Golem? Unique Artifact? It is definitely the technology of the Ancient Magus Empire! Dispatch Great Magus Anthony as the envoy to uncover the technology!" The King ordered after hearing the mention of a golem and unique artifacts and being certain of it.

"Your Majesty, don't be too rash in making the decision. After knowing that his knight got obliterated, the Count sends all of his armies to take revenge but instead got captured without achieving anything at all." The Prime Minister advised with concern.

"What? Then, send the Knight's Third Order as well as 20.000 troops!" The King raised his eyebrow in shock before commanded with desire blazing in his eyes.

Knight's Third Order is one of the ten elite Knight Order of the Raivia Kingdom. It consists of knights with a cultivation base of a real Knight as the minimum.

"Yes, Your Majesty! The preparation for the march might take a month or so at the fastest since supplies were currently abundant in the Capital it won't be a problem!" The Prime Minister agreed.

"Oh, also tell them to be cautious with the current Viscount Xendra, he might be a brat but he probably had countless secrets in his grasp! We need to get the lost technology and couldn't let the secret fall into another party" The King advised with an unwell feeling.

"Yes, your wish is our command!" The Prime Minister bows and then left to prepare the army and inform the others.

'If I could get the lost technology, my Kingdom will be well protected by the Magus Institute of Ralonia. After all, the Raivia Magus Association and the Kingdom was only the puppet of that force." The King thought in dread.

***

Somewhere in the Xendra's territory, inside some kind of room in the back of the mansion near the hill. A boy was seen practicing a breathing technique in a middle with a close tranquil eye.

'Four days had passed since I got back from Oxford City. It's almost time for me to attempt a breakthrough to 2nd Rank Knight Apprentice.' I pondered as I was preparing my mental state for it.

"Vonix, if I were to attempt a breakthrough right now. How much the chance for me to succeed?" Suddenly I open my eyes and ask.

["Scanning Initiate…. Scanning Completed… From the data gathered of the host's body, it's 35% chance to succeed without any resource or assistance, if host were to use resource as the energy to help with the nanobot in host's body as a catalyst, host will certainly have a 100% chance of success"] Suddenly a monotone voice replied.

"Good." Then, I take out five vials of <High Nutrition Liquid> from my pocket and attempt to drink it.

As I was attempting a breakthrough with a higher energy intake than before, one vial won't be enough.

'Gulp… Cling'

Sounds of gulping and glass being thrown to the floor could be heard as I was downing the vial swiftly one by one as if drinking a drug before I take a meditation position and start practicing the breathing technique.

Suddenly a strange turbulence of qi began to swarm and encompassing my body. I start absorbing it to open the second acupoint which was the head acupoint. If there is anyone that didn't cultivate qi here, they would feel a strange air sensation from their skin.

'Boom'

A little explosion sound erupts near my body. Indicating that the breakthrough is successful. Then not long after that, an exhaling sound's heard,

"Fuuu… So, this is what it feels to open the head acupoint." I feel that the world seems clearer as if all things in the room could be perceived.

All of my sense becoming sharper than ever before, making me like a superhuman. The qi that piles in my body increase by twice the amount I had, before I had my breakthrough.

Since I open the head acupoint first, there wasn't much increase in physical ability. If I were instead open the leg or hand acupoint, my strength in a respective limb will soar but I choose the head acupoint first, as it will be needed in the near future.

Then, after I finish my breakthrough, I decided to test the limit of my newfound strength.

"Vonix, prepare the Battle Robot that I assembled a few days ago!" I requested as I flex my stiff shoulder with my hand for the prolonged practice.

["Affirmative, as the power exchange between two-party wasn't big enough, there's no need to make Battle Chamber yet"] Vonix replied monotonously.

"Battle Chamber? Gonna make that later." I clarified and noted that word while weighing the need of the Battle Chamber.

After that, I left the room where I was in, which was one of the rooms in the base used for meditation or for short a 'meditation room'. Then, I went into the training room in the base that could be used for small scale duel.

As I got inside, I see a 2.5-meter-tall robot with a stature like a knight, unmovingly standing in the middle of the arena with a sword in its two-hand that was plugged into the ground.

The robot had a strange small red dot that seems to be the eye in the middle of its face. And as I got near it, it's height easily dwarfing me.

I start gulping my saliva when I see the great figure of the knight.

'It's just a robot, there's no way that it was scary.' I thought to myself with despise.

"Vonix, be the referee and count to three before the battle start!" I ready my sword and my posture, as I commanded.

["Affirmative, the battle will start in 3… 2… 1… and begin…"]

Just as Vonix finished counting, the 'Battle Robot' instantly jump into action. It closing to me at insane speed that I was barely able to detect it with my newfound strength.

As it got right in front of me, it swings its blade ferociously with both of its hands horizontally to the left. At that time, I barely had enough time to move my sword to the left and defend the attack. And I got blasted back 5 meters and crash to the wall of the room after receiving that attack.

'Bang' A hard sound of flesh impacting the wall was heard.

"Uackkk" I puke out a small mouthful of blood from the impact I just receive from the wall.

The hard impact of the wall damages my ribs and lung a bit and force myself to puke a trace of blood from my mouth.

"That's… insane strength, this robot is too strong! Uhughh.. I estimate that even a normal 3rd Rank Knight Apprentice might not be its match" I complained hardly, as I thought in dread.

'If I were to open my hand or leg or even stomach acupoint instead, I will not be ricochet to the wall just from receiving that attack and the battle will not end so fast.' I pondered dissatisfied.

"Forget it, what's done is done!" I shout, as I painfully try to move my body to stand up and wipe a trace of blood from my mouth.

Then as if anticipating me to attack again, the robot instantly takes an offensive position. Seeing this, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

"What? Are you still dissatisfied? You win okay, so just let me go." I plead in desperation from the action of the robot.

Hearing my plead, the robot stops its offensive position and standing unmovingly in the middle of the room just like before.

After that, I heal myself inside a healing pod in the Biological Chamber since the wound I sustain was quite severe. Then, I left the room to go to the core area of the base, as I got a report from the exploration team that they had found something in the north.

As I enter and see the hologram screen in the core area. I see the vision of the robots that were being transmitted here.

In the middle of a lake, there was a big Ancient Magus Tower around 2 kilometers away from where the robots were located. There was a path leading to it, as it was located inside a perfect circular ravine with a waterfall encircling it.

And it seems that the reason why it was never found before was because of its rural area that was far from civilization and the map that leads the way.

"So, this is… what a Magus Tower looks like." My eyes shone in wonder from seeing the still majestic tower despite already been covered by a lot of moss and vine.