Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

Chapter 327: Chapter 314: Ascetic Proverbs

This was completely different from the "Breathing Techniques" he was proficient in, the kind prevalent throughout the various kingdoms.

The Knight’s Breathing Technique focused on "guiding" and "merging."

It relied on a specific and prolonged breathing rhythm to gradually nourish the physique, temper the will, and accumulate an explosive "force."

This was a method of resonating with external Energy to strengthen oneself from within. Though the path was arduous, it could be called "gentle," as it emphasized harmony with the world.

But the technique recorded on this scroll...

Roland’s gaze was fixed on the diagrams depicting bizarre, contorted postures and the "pathways" of some kind of Energy within the body. He was filled with a profound sense of strangeness and confusion.

The core of this technique was not "guiding" external Energy, but "forcing out" one’s inner potential.

It required the practitioner to hold a static, specific, and extremely painful posture, combined with a brief, suffocating lock of the breath.

It wasn’t about drawing from the outside world. Instead, it forcibly compressed every inch of muscle, every bone, and even the deeper organs and nerves, pushing them to the brink of collapse and forcing them to erupt with their most primitive Power in a state of extreme pain.

The annotations on the scroll were cold and harsh, clearly stating that this was a form of ascetic training to "strip away weakness" and "crush one’s limits." By enduring pain far beyond what an ordinary person could imagine, one could forge a nearly inhuman body and level of control.

Between the lines was a reverence for pain that bordered on masochism and an instinctive rejection of bodily pleasure.

It didn’t seek harmony with the world. Instead, it resembled a cruel war waged against one’s own body, aiming to hone it into a pure, resilient weapon completely subservient to the will through extreme asceticism and self-discipline.

"This is... a complete perversion of the Breathing Technique."

Roland muttered to himself, his fingertips lightly touching the illustrations on the parchment that depicted practitioners enduring immense pain. He could almost feel an ascetic will that bordered on religious fanaticism.

The Knight’s Breathing Technique was certainly demanding, but it would never advocate for such an extreme method that rejected the external world and bordered on self-torture.

Staring at the unconventional, contorted postures on the scroll, Roland was silent for a moment before trying to twist his limbs into the first basic stance, just as the diagram showed.

But despite the astonishing flexibility and joint control granted by [Twin Martial Arts], his first attempt ended in failure.

It wasn’t that his body couldn’t achieve the pose, but the extreme tension that felt like it was tearing his muscles and fascia, combined with the suffocating sensation of holding his breath, instantly shattered his Concentration.

He released the pose, gasping violently as if he had just broken free from underwater.

On his second attempt, he barely managed to hold it for a few breaths.

The oppressive feeling from within was almost tangible, violently squeezing his organs and nerves, forcing them to erupt with their most primitive Power to resist the pressure.

However, just at the critical point where the Power was about to erupt, his instinctive aversion to the pain interrupted the process again.

The third time, the fourth time...

Each failure made him understand the cruelty and madness of this technique more clearly.

It wasn’t guiding Power, but forcing Power to emerge on its own through torture.

Until the fifth attempt.

Roland took a deep breath and once again twisted his body into that inhuman posture.

The intense pain arrived as expected, and the feeling of suffocation seized his throat.

But this time, he didn’t try to fight or endure it. Instead, he completely immersed his consciousness in the state of [Twin Martial Arts].

His body seemed to have lost the shackles of its joints, precisely conforming like a fluid to every subtle angle required by the diagram, without the slightest deviation.

The perception and control of the left and right halves of his body reached perfect synchronization amidst the extreme pain, jointly sharing and taming the frenzied Power surging within his frame.

Just as he felt his consciousness about to be drowned by the pain...

VMM!

Some kind of barrier was suddenly shattered.

The extreme pain suddenly transformed into an explosive, searing torrent that erupted from the deepest part of his body, instantly washing through his entire frame.

This was no longer the gentle nourishment of external Energy, but the purest Power, forcibly squeezed and extracted from his own life potential.

This Power was violent and scorching, but under the absolute control of his will and [Twin Martial Arts], it was quickly tamed and merged into every inch of his flesh, bone, and even deeper within.

Roland’s eyes snapped open. He let out a long, scorching breath and slowly released the posture.

An unprecedented sense of fullness and lightness simultaneously filled his body.

It was as if he had shed heavy, invisible shackles, or as if a dormant volcano within him had just begun to awaken.

His five senses became exceptionally sharp. The crackling of the campfire, the cry of a distant night owl, and even the flow of dust motes in the air were all unprecedentedly clear.

His control over his own muscles and bones also rose to a whole new level.

Roland looked down at his hands, feeling the dormant Power within him—a Power completely different from "force."

He had succeeded.

This extreme ascetic training was enough to make an ordinary person flinch in terror and could even cause permanent injury. Yet, thanks to the absolute control over his body from [Twin Martial Arts], he had finally, after several failures, managed to grasp the basics.

Just as Roland was carefully comprehending the changes within his body, a line of golden text suddenly appeared in his vision.

[Skill Learned: Ascetic Proverbs. Current Level: Level 1]

’Ascetic Proverbs?’

Roland raised an eyebrow at the name.

It wasn’t that he was being overly sensitive, but the word "ascetic" easily brought to mind a certain ancient Extraordinary Profession that had been annihilated before the Year of the End.

’Could it be...’

Roland’s gaze fell back to the bizarre diagrams on the scroll, and a theory formed in his mind.

’This Body Refining Technique called "Ascetic Proverbs"... is it actually the training legacy of the Martial Monks?’

As the realization hit him, a wave of joy spread through him.

’The [Shadow Perception] I awakened from that mysterious liquid already paved the way to becoming an "Assassin." Then, learning Supreme Slash and awakening my own faith gave me a glimpse of the possibility of becoming a "Paladin." And now, with this "Ascetic Proverbs"...’

’To think that in such a short time, I’ve come into contact with three completely different Extraordinary paths. This is truly...’

’Right!’

At this thought, he silently called out in his mind and summoned the Professional Panel that only he could see.

Looking up, he saw that his Faith Resonance progress, which had been stuck at zero, had now climbed to three percent.

’Just as I expected... improving my strength directly pushes the progress of Faith Resonance. In that case, as long as I keep getting stronger using the Professional Panel...’

Just as he was lost in thought, the sound of light footsteps interrupted him.

He followed the sound with his gaze and saw Teresa walking slowly toward him.

She leaned down and said in a low voice.

"Mr. Roland, Mr. Reggie is awake."

"I see. Thank you, Teresa."

Roland thanked her softly, temporarily suppressing his swirling thoughts. He then stood up and walked toward the corner where Reggie was resting, quickly arriving in front of him.

The mentor was in a wretched state.

He had multiple injuries, and his breathing was faint.

Although his life was no longer in danger, his strength had clearly been greatly diminished.

Roland briefly asked about his condition, then summarized the previous battle and their current situation.

After hearing Roland’s description, Reggie fell silent.

He coughed heavily a few times before speaking in a weak voice.

"So... Roland, what do you plan to do next?"