Chapter 25: Chapter 25

The Sis Territory issued three vials of Ignition Potion to each apprentice per month, not because it was reluctant to invest more, but because even three vials were more than sufficient.

Rushing to drink a vial of Ignition Potion like Ron did last night was actually an enormous waste.

The function of Ignition Potion was to counteract the cold invasion brought on by the Breathing Technique. But a single vial of Ignition Potion, in the hands of a Knight, was enough to support several rounds of Ice Breathing. And the Life Energy produced by a single round of Ice Breathing was limited.

In other words, while Ron had gained a large amount of Life Energy by prematurely drinking a vial of Ignition Potion, in terms of total volume, he had actually already wasted several times that amount of Life Energy.

For the wealthy, efficiency was paramount, and they didn’t care about waste. But Ron was not wealthy. He hadn’t even seen what money looked like up to this point.

The Ignition Potion he had used last night was a gift from Jason. To have so carelessly wasted a vial filled him with a sense of guilt.

“So, is the 【Fire Concealment Method】 a technique that preserves the potency of Ignition Potion?”

“Yes, and no.”

Justin himself didn’t fully understand it either. Racking his brains, he could only repeat the instructor’s words:

“The Fire Concealment Method allows us to perform five rounds of Ice Breathing at once, but the rate at which Life Energy is generated is suppressed. It gradually recovers over the course of about half a month. So, what does that make you think of?”

“Combined with sufficient food supplies and Sword Stance training, it allows the trainee’s physical fitness to receive a rapid boost in a short period of time!” Ron offered his guess.

In battle against sources of chaos like Aberrant Beasts and evil spirits, a combatant’s physical fitness was indeed a very important foundation, but it was not the decisive factor.

At least in the area around the Sis Territory, even Senior Knights were not sufficient to dominate the battlefield on their own.

Therefore, when it came to training hard metrics like physical fitness, the Sis Territory made every effort to minimize the time spent, dedicating more time to battle formation and practical combat training that could have a decisive impact on the outcome of a battle.

This point could be glimpsed from Morris’s training arrangements for the Blood and Fire Squad. Formation and battle formation training alone accounted for half the time!

The remaining half had to be split between Sword Stance training, which improved physical fitness, and practical combat training. How much time would ultimately be allocated to each remained an unknown for now.

But Ron could already see that the territory intended to cultivate their ability to improve independently. In other words, to train them to advance on their own outside of formal training hours.

Since other aspects like battle formations and practical combat inherently involved interaction with others and couldn’t be conducted solo, this collaborative training content would likely become the primary focus going forward.

…

“By the way, has Instructor Morris already taught you the 【Fire Concealment Method】?” Ron asked.

“He has, but I’m still a bit dazed even now! With the instructor’s help, I somehow muddled through my first 【Fire Concealment】.”

After saying that, Justin quickly added, “The next one won’t be until half a month from now.”

He had just mentioned that the Fire Concealment Method allowed a person to perform five rounds of Ice Breathing at once, so Ron was already mentally prepared for the half-month interval. This made him feel deeply grateful toward Instructor Morris.

The man had given him this opportunity to make amends. Otherwise, he might have had to wait until half a month later, or at least four or five days, before he could possibly learn the Fire Concealment Method.

Falling behind a step at the starting line meant who knew how long it would take to catch up!

At this thought, he viciously shoved a chunk of meat into his mouth and chewed in huge mouthfuls. With the assistance of the 【Comprehensive Body Refinement Technique】, Ron recovered to peak condition in less than half an hour.

The biggest difference from when he arrived this morning was that the once-abundant Life Energy within his body had become extremely sparse, barely perceptible. And this was the absolute ceiling that the 【Comprehensive Body Refinement Technique】 could currently reach.

…

“Come with me once you’ve eaten your fill!”

Just as Ron finished preparing and was about to look for Instructor Morris on the training ground, the man materialized from who knows where and told him to follow.

Arriving at the same corner of the grounds where they had previously conducted Sword Stance training, Morris finally stopped. “You earned this opportunity for yourself, but don’t expect me to give you any special treatment. Take out the Ignition Potion that was just issued to you!”

“Yes.” Ron retrieved the potion vial from the hidden pocket inside his clothing at his chest.

“Open it, drink it, then perform the Ice Breathing!”

“Yes.”

The same actions Ron had already performed once last night. The moment the potion entered his mouth, he once again felt that searing sensation akin to molten lava flowing through him.

Last night he had been alone, but now Instructor Morris was right beside him. When he saw Ron completely swallow the potion, the expression on Morris’s face instantly turned extremely grave:

“Perform the Ice Breathing, quickly!”

Saying that, he slapped Ron on the back. The force of this palm strike was neither too light nor too heavy, perfectly easing Ron into the rhythm of the Ice Breathing.

Afterward, Morris kept one hand pressed against Ron’s chest and the other still braced against his back, sensing Ron’s breathing state, ready to intervene at maximum speed if he detected any errors.

Fortunately, Ron already had three prior experiences with Ice Breathing. Last night in particular, with the aid of his Light Orb’s unique properties, he had grasped the very essence of the Ice Breathing Technique.

This time, he made no errors whatsoever. And between two rounds of Ice Breathing, Morris pressed a finger heavily against Ron’s chest, simultaneously reminding him:

“Remember this position, remember this sensation, keep breathing!”

Ron didn’t dare let his attention wander for even a moment, continuing the Ice Breathing. As for what position and what sensation, he could completely wait until he returned tonight and use his Light Orb to repeatedly “watch the replay.”

Consecutive rounds of Ice Breathing were something Ron had never experienced before. A normal single round of Ice Breathing normally produced a large amount of Life Energy, and this time, it seemed Life Energy was produced as well.

But it gave a distinctly illusory sensation.

Come to think of it, Life Energy was inherently a virtual energy conceived by the human mind, reflecting a state the body exhibited under the influence of the Breathing Technique.

And now, two manifestly different instances of Life Energy gave Ron an even deeper understanding of its essence.

The reality reflected by this phenomenon was highly likely that the body was simultaneously sustaining two identical states through some unknown mechanism.

This was the 【Fire Concealment Method】.

And its limit was not merely two times. It was determined by the amount of “cold” that a single round of Ice Breathing could generate, against the finite “heat” contained within the Ignition Potion.

After four such rounds, Morris halted Ron’s fifth Ice Breathing. He said, “This time my estimate was wrong. You have more talent than I anticipated. To make up for the Ignition Potion potency you lost this time, I’ll give you an extra vial! Now go cool off in that snow pile over there!”