Chapter 3: Consuming the Life Fruit and Breaking Through to Apprentice Knight
Chapter 3: Consuming the Life Fruit and Breaking Through to Apprentice Knight
Thoughts swirled in Thor's mind. Various ideas intertwined, and finally, he let out a light chuckle. Without any hesitation, he directly stuffed the Life Fruit into his mouth.
As soon as he bit down, the fruit's flesh turned into a warm stream, spreading throughout his entire body. The next moment, Thor felt an intense heat envelop him. Simultaneously, the previously faint life energy within him started to surge rapidly.
The life energy contained within the Life Fruit was immense. As a primary ingredient for high-level life potions, it could potentially help an Earth Knight advance to a Sky Knight. Such a vast amount of life energy was like an ocean for someone who hadn't even reached the level of an apprentice knight.
Fortunately, the life energy in the Life Fruit was very gentle and wouldn't cause the body to explode. The excess life energy, even if not absorbed, quickly merged into Thor's flesh, laying a solid foundation for him.
Despite this, the overwhelming heat was unbearable. Large beads of sweat dripped down from him. Thor felt as if his body was being inflated with air, the discomfort growing increasingly intense.
Clenching his teeth, Thor swallowed the rest of the fruit in a few quick bites. Then, he sat cross-legged, forcing himself to calm down and began practicing the knight's breathing technique.
The Dresrosa family’s breathing technique, called the "Eagle's Breath," was one of the most advanced methods, highly effective in harnessing life energy. As soon as Thor began using it, he felt an emptiness before him. Tiny particles of life energy started gathering at his chest.
Time ticked by. Thor's clothes were soaked with sweat and then gradually dried. As the crimson moonlight began to decorate the sky and night fell, Thor suddenly opened his eyes.
At that moment, he noticed a change in the entire world. He could clearly see tiny dust particles in the air and hear the sounds of insects outside the window that were inaudible before. He could even hear the footsteps of servants in the hallway.
The whole world seemed different now. No, it wasn't the world that had changed, but his perception of it had undergone a tremendous transformation. His senses had significantly sharpened, and his body was changing accordingly.
If one could see inside his body, they would notice a tiny green speck of light the size of a grain of rice suspended in the center of his heart, emitting a faint glow. The blood in his heart was continuously being infused with this green light, spreading to his entire body.
This green light, the Life Seed, was the source of the extraordinary power known as "Knight" in this world. Only those who had condensed a Life Seed could be called apprentice knights, as the Life Seed endowed them with incredible strength, agility, reflexes, and sensory perception.
Every apprentice knight possessed strength far beyond that of ordinary people. Even if they sought the patronage of a noble, they would receive considerable benefits. In Thor's memory, each apprentice knight in his father's knightly order earned ten silver coins a month—an amount that a typical three-person household would need a year to spend.
This was why Thor chose to consume the Life Fruit. Perhaps if he had handed the fruit to his father, he could have remained a parasite, living comfortably without contributing. But Thor wasn't sure about that; the Dresrosa family's rules were stringent, and he couldn't be certain his father would allow him to stay idle.
Moreover, would he really want to be a parasite after transmigrating to this world? The allure of extraordinary power and a fascinating world was undeniable to any transmigrator, and Thor was no exception.
Given these circumstances, his choice was obvious. As for his father, Thor believed that with the Daily Information System, he would still have opportunities in the future.
A smile appeared on Thor's face. He clenched his fist instinctively. "Now, it's time to meet Father!" he murmured, standing up and calling a servant to assist him with washing and changing.
When he emerged from his room, he looked immaculate, his demeanor noticeably different. Walking through the castle, he caught the eyes of several maids, who murmured among themselves after he passed.
"Master Thor seems different today!" one maid noted.
"Yes, he looks more radiant!" another agreed.
"Master Thor seems much more handsome today!" another observed.
Thor's sharpened hearing as an apprentice knight allowed him to catch their comments even after he'd walked away. This didn't surprise him. Condensing the Life Seed naturally brought about significant changes, noticeable even to ordinary people.
If he reached the level of a official knight, these changes would be even more pronounced, unless he could reach a higher level and conceal them. As an apprentice knight, however, he couldn't do that yet.
But there was no need for him to hide. With just over two days left until his coming-of-age, he needed to demonstrate his strength to his father, Engel Dresrosa, the lord of Dresrosa Castle.
Thor made his way to the third floor of the castle, the highest point in the Dresrosa Castle, where Engel Dresrosa, the Count, often spent his time. As usual, at this hour, Engel was in the study, reading.
Engel Dresrosa was leafing through a book titled "A Comprehensive History of the Continent." However, his thoughts were not on the book. "Ninety years have passed," he sighed, his voice tinged with worry and melancholy. The room fell silent again, until...
"Knock, knock, knock!"
The door was gently rapped, and the butler, Charlie, announced, "My lord, Young Master Thor requests to see you!"
Engel Dresrosa snapped out of his reverie. "Thor?" He furrowed his brows slightly. He hadn't paid much attention to his ninth son, whose talent was mediocre at best, ranking near the bottom among his children. Still, he decided to see him.
"Let him in," Engel responded after a moment's thought.