Ch. 8 - [Knight Squire] & [Solar Blessing (Incomplete)]
New Life As An Overpowered Mage With Infinite ClassesThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
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"Remember, everything begins with the breath."
Arnor spoke as he applied the essence oil along Robb's spine.
"Follow the rhythm I taught you. Inhale for seven beats, hold for three, exhale for five."
The moment the cool liquid touched his skin, a searing pain flared through him.
But Robb forced himself to concentrate and began adjusting his breathing rhythm.
Inhale, seven heartbeats.
He felt a warm current of air surge in through his nose and mouth, traveling steadily downward through his airways.
Hold, three heartbeats.
The current of air circulated within, resonating with the Scorching Essence Oil seeping into his body.
Exhale, five heartbeats.
As the stale breath left him, the feverish heat inside seemed to ease slightly.
"Good. Keep that rhythm."
Arnor's voice came through. "Now begin silently reciting the calming spell from the Solar Breath."
As he intoned the mantra, Robb felt the breathing rhythm begin to resonate with some kind of energy within.
Each breath seemed to trigger a tidal surge of energy inside his body.
The Scorching Essence Oil that had seeped in rode those tides, gradually tracing the outlines of his meridians.
The pain persisted, but it had taken on a rhythmic quality.
[Meridian restructuring detected]
[Current progress: 27%]
[Notice: Breathing rhythm has synchronized with meridians]
"Now enter the second layer of breathing."
Arnor's voice turned solemn.
"Inhale for nine beats, hold for five, exhale for seven. Remember, you must align it with the flow of your meridians."
As the breathing rhythm shifted, Robb felt the energy currents within intensify dramatically.
The meridians illuminated by the Scorching Essence Oil seemed to pulse between each breath, every throb bringing a jolt of sharp pain.
But strangely, the pain was no longer unbearable.
It felt instead like the rhythm of life itself, through steady, regulated breathing, the body's strength was slowly being drawn together.
"Final layer of breathing."
Arnor's voice reached him. "Inhale for twelve beats, hold for seven, exhale for nine. Remember, visualize the radiance of the sun..."
Robb adjusted his breathing as instructed. As the frequency changed, he felt his consciousness begin to undergo a wondrous transformation.
Within the cadence of his breath, he seemed to see a golden sun. Its light was scorching, yet it carried a power of absolute purity.
Remarkably, this wasn't a hallucination, it was a tangible sensation produced by the breathing rhythm driving the energy throughout his body.
With every inhalation, he could feel searing energy rushing from his limbs toward his core.
[Energy resonance detected]
[Current progress: 58%]
[Notice: First body tempering approaching critical phase!]
"Good, hold that state."
Arnor's voice turned sharp. "What comes next is the most dangerous part. The energy throughout your body will peak in a single instant."
As the last traces of Scorching Essence Oil seeped in, Robb felt as though his blood were boiling.
The illuminated meridians began pulsing violently, like countless rivers of fire raging through his body.
"Hold your breath!"
Arnor barked.
Robb immediately sealed his breath. In those brief seven beats, he felt all the energy in his body converge at his heart, forming a searing vortex.
The pain hit its apex, yet his mind was paradoxically clear.
[Energy approaching critical point]
[Potion Apprentice class detected, bonus enhancements granted.]
[Meridian restructuring efficiency increased]
[Energy absorption rate increased]
Robb felt a surge of satisfaction. The class synergy effect was even better than he'd imagined.
In this extreme state, he could clearly perceive the path of every meridian, every flow of energy.
This heightened perception was undoubtedly another benefit of the Potion Apprentice class.
"Exhale!"
At Arnor's command, Robb slowly released the stale breath.
In that instant, the accumulated energy burst forth like a breached dam, flooding through his entire body.
Meridians that had been agonizingly constricted suddenly opened wide, as though clogged river channels had been cleared all at once.
Every inch of muscle, every bone was undergoing a subtle transformation.
[First body tempering completion. 87%]
[Base evaluation received: Excellent]
[Class unlocked: Knight Squire (One-Star)]
[Notice: Partial meridians not fully opened. Second body tempering recommended after 24 hours]
[Class acquired: Knight Squire (One-Star)]
As a primary combat class, the [Knight Squire] brought attribute increases far exceeding those of an ordinary lifestyle class. Robb could feel unprecedented power surging within.
[Base attribute increase]
[Constitution. 0.5 → 1.2 (+0.7)]
[Spirit. 1.4 → 1.6 (+0.2)]
[Mana. 0.3 → 0.4 (+0.1)]
[Class skills unlocked:
1. Basic Swordcraft (Beginner)
2. Body Tempering Breath (Beginner)]
[Special bonuses:
1. Slight increase in martial skill EXP gain rate
2. Slight increase in physical training efficiency]
Compared to the gentle boost of the [Potion Apprentice], the combat class brought changes that were far more intense and immediate.
His once-vague muscle awareness became extraordinarily sharp, as if he could feel the existence of every single muscle fiber.
And the meridians reshaped through body tempering thrummed with entirely new vitality.
[Class synergy detected!]
[Knight Squire + Potion Apprentice]
[Bonus synergy enhancements]
[Potion absorption efficiency slightly increased]
[Meridian reinforcement effect slightly increased]
With the synergy between these two classes, plus the compounding boosts from unlocking more classes in the future, reaching the apprentice-level initiate threshold within three months now seemed well within reach.
When the last ripple of energy finally subsided, Robb was drenched in sweat. Even the stone platform beneath him had collected a small puddle.
"The fact that you stayed conscious through all of that is very impressive."
Arnor handed him an outer robe.
"Most people pass out during their first body tempering."
Robb took the robe and realized his hands were still trembling slightly.
The sensation of having his meridians reshaped had been overwhelming. Even now, a lingering trace of heat remained inside him.
"So this is the power of the Solar Breath..."
Robb murmured.
"No, this is only the beginning." Arnor shook his head. "What you experienced just now was merely the most basic breathing guidance. A truly complete body tempering still requires building on this foundation to..."
His words cut off abruptly, his gaze fixed on Robb's back.
"Wait, what is that?"
Robb craned his neck to look and found fine golden lines emerging across his skin, shimmering like threads of sunlight.
"Solar meridians?!" Arnor's voice trembled slightly. "Legend has it that only those under the Ancient Sun God's protection manifest this sign during their first body tempering..."
[Special talent unlocked!]
[Solar Blessing (Incomplete)]
[Solar energy affinity increased]
[Meridian durability slightly increased]
[Breathing technique skill EXP gain rate slightly increased]
Robb studied the notification on the panel, feeling both thrilled and uneasy.
This special constitution was undoubtedly a boon, but it also meant attracting more attention.
"I'd suggest you keep yourself well covered from now on."
Arnor's tone had returned to its usual calm, though his eyes remained complicated.
"A body like this... tends to pique certain people's interest."
He didn't elaborate, but Robb knew exactly who he meant, the mages who were always on the lookout for experimental subjects.
"Speaking of which..." Arnor abruptly changed the subject. "Didn't you say you were going to apply for that assistant position at the herb shop?"