Free Web NovelChapter 72: Chapter 72: Breakthrough, Middle Level Warrior
Tending to the herb garden wasn’t complicated, but it was very time-consuming.
In particular, some herbal seeds required too many preparatory steps before planting, making it quite troublesome.
Duane worked from nine in the morning until sunset, and his Basic Planting Skill Level only increased by 20 points.
His associated Basic Herbs Skill Level also only increased by 25 points.
"My lord, you’ve been busy all day. It’s time to go back and rest!"
Ronald called out to remind him.
With the Baron present, he felt immense pressure while working, making him even more tired than usual.
Usually by this time, he would have already been home resting for an hour or so.
Duane glanced at his attribute panel: Basic Planting (Entry 198/200)
He was so close to breaking through; he didn’t want to wait until tomorrow.
"Let’s work a little longer."
Duane said, "Let’s finish up this section."
Ronald immediately felt an immense pressure wash over him.
’It’s like, how can an employee have the nerve to leave work when the boss is still there?’
With no other choice, he could only bow his head and continue tending the herb beds.
CLIP-CLOP CLIP-CLOP...
The sound of hooves approached. Duane stopped working and looked up to see Evans, the captain of the second unit.
He dismounted at the edge of the herb garden and said something to John and Jack, who were standing guard.
Soon, Jack was running over to Duane.
Clearly, something had happened.
"My lord, Bard from the Broken Wave Gang has brought a large group of men over with the contract fee you mentioned!"
Yesterday, the Holy Hand Association had arrived with great fanfare, highlighting the Baron’s status.
Today, the Broken Wave Gang’s arrival was just as impressive, causing the confidence of all the Guards to soar.
Black Forest Island was now the Baron’s domain; everyone had to obediently come and pay tribute.
"Bard came in person?" Duane asked in surprise.
"Yes, and they say his injuries haven’t even healed properly yet."
’Bard really has some nerve. Daring to come here before his injuries have healed... isn’t he worried I’ll just deal with him on the spot?’
He mulled it over for a moment, then gave his orders. "Have Kaelon and Raymond entertain our guests. I’ll go over after I’m finished here."
"Also, have Julian and Ralph take inventory of what the Broken Wave Gang brought and tally it all up."
"Oh, right. Have the kitchen prepare a banquet, and tell Bard we’ll be dining together tonight."
’Bard coming in person definitely means more than just delivering the contract fee. He most likely has something to discuss.’
Duane thought about the banquet he’d held for Simone and Kalina.
’Could it be that this made Bard mistakenly believe I was teaming up with the Holy Hand Association to eradicate the Broken Wave Gang?’
’That doesn’t sound too bad, actually.’
Duane went back to work, keeping his head down.
At the side, Ronald’s heart sank.
He had just been thinking the Baron would leave immediately for the castle to meet his guests, which would mean he could finally go home and rest.
He never expected that even with guests waiting, the Baron would insist on finishing the job.
To be honest, in his nearly forty years of life, this was the first time he had ever seen or heard of a noble so dedicated to farm work.
’Sigh... I can’t be this lazy!’
Ronald forced himself to rally. ’The Lord is working so hard, what reason do I have to slack off?’
The two of them worked for another hour or so as dusk fell.
[You have successfully planted Hemostatic Grass. Skill Level +2]
[Basic Planting Skill Level has broken through. Skilled (0/300)]
[Attribute points +0.2]
"Finally reached ’Skilled’!"
Duane straightened up and stretched.
In that instant, a stream of planting knowledge flooded into his mind.
This knowledge covered the planting of various crops, including grains, fruits, vegetables, and common herbs. It was vast and complex.
Much of it, Duane felt, he would never even use.
But this knowledge had value. Just because he couldn’t use it now didn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to in the future.
Besides, even if he couldn’t use it, that didn’t mean others couldn’t.
"Jack, John, bring my horse. We’re heading back."
As he called out, Duane went to a small ditch nearby to wash his hands. The day’s labor was over.
"Ronald, I won’t be coming tomorrow. You can handle things here on your own."
Ronald quickly bowed. "Yes, yes! My lord, rest assured, you can leave this place to me!"
He instantly felt a great sense of relief.
Riding on horseback, Duane opened his attribute panel.
[Level]: Basic-level Warrior
[Strength]: 10.0
[Spirit]: 2.3
[Attribute points]: 0.2
’Let’s see if I can break through!’
Duane used up all 0.2 of his attribute points.
[Spirit]: 2.3→2.5
[Level Breakthrough, Middle Level Warrior]
In an instant, the Fighting Qi Seed in Duane’s heart finally sprouted!
Accompanied by a powerful heartbeat, a wisp of blue Fighting Qi emanated from the Fighting Qi Seed!
The sensation was like a fresh bean sprout poking its head out of its shell.
Along with this surge of Fighting Qi, Duane’s physical constitution was once again enhanced.
He looked at his attribute panel.
[Strength]: 10.1
[Spirit]: 2.6
The level breakthrough had increased both of these attributes by 0.1, a minor improvement.
Duane couldn’t help but extend his hand. With a thought, sky-blue Fighting Qi rapidly circulated from his heart and coated his palm.
"So this is Fighting Qi... Extraordinary Power!"
Duane’s heart surged with excitement.
Nearly two months after transmigrating, he had finally mastered one of this world’s forms of Extraordinary Power.
Jack and John, flanking him, witnessed this scene, their eyes wide with shock.
They were no longer the ignorant manor guards they once were. After spending time with Kaelon, they had not only been trained but also had their horizons broadened.
Furthermore, as Basic-level Warriors themselves, they knew exactly what a Middle Level Warrior was capable of.
The two exchanged a look, their eyes filled with utter shock.
’The Baron actually broke through to become a Middle Level Warrior!’
’If we recall correctly, didn’t the Baron just become a Basic-level Warrior a month ago?’
’This speed of advancement is terrifying!’
’Could it be that after Lord Carter’s death, his outstanding talent was passed on to the Baron?’
Duane paid no mind to the shock of his personal guards, focusing instead on the changes in the Fighting Qi within his body.
When Iron Hammer had his impromptu breakthrough during their duel, he had used his Fighting Qi recklessly and quickly faced the problem of depletion.
Duane felt he was in a similar situation.
A newly advanced Middle Level Warrior’s Fighting Qi Seed hadn’t had time to be nurtured yet, so it couldn’t store much Fighting Qi.
Moreover, Middle Level Warriors, unlike Advanced or Human Tier Warriors, didn’t possess a Qi Sea or Meridians to store additional Fighting Qi.
When Fighting Qi was drawn out from the heart, a portion of it would inevitably dissipate or be absorbed by the body.
For example, if Duane drew ten wisps of Fighting Qi from his Fighting Qi Seed, after dissipation and absorption, only six or seven wisps would actually reach his hand.
Only upon reaching the Earth Tier, when the Fighting Qi Seed, Qi Sea, and all the body’s Meridians were fully opened, could one perfectly control their Fighting Qi.
And only from the Earth Tier onward could a Warrior potentially unleash the full power of a Combat Technique.
Middle Level, Advanced, and even Human Tier Warriors were all weaker in this regard.
People like Raymond and Kaelon, who could fight above their level, were a minority.
Their victories depended on their own skills, but also on the fact that their opponents weren’t exceptionally strong.
In any case, Duane had finally shed the label of "a mere mortal for life" and taken another huge step on the path of the Extraordinary.
’Now that I have Fighting Qi, I can learn some Combat Techniques.’
Duane dispersed the Fighting Qi on his hand.
The few Combat Technique manuals left behind by his predecessor’s father, Carter, had certain requirements for Fighting Qi control and amount, which he couldn’t meet yet.
However, he could still learn the most basic Combat Technique for a Middle Level Warrior: Fighting Qi Slash.
This Combat Technique was simply about coating a longsword with Fighting Qi to form a Sword Aura and then swinging it outwards.
Its power was average, it wasn’t difficult to learn, and there was no dedicated manual for it. Most Middle Level Warriors could master it after a bit of practice.
For Duane, learning Combat Techniques would not only increase his combat strength but also provide him with a new way to farm attribute points.
