Golden Finger?

By the time Sean finished washing up and returned to the sitting room, half an hour had passed. Nick, the academy servant, had also returned to Sean's dormitory and neatly arranged the meal on the dining table in the sitting room.

He was holding a candlestick in his right hand, its candle casting a bright glow. Together with the candles already on the table, it immediately brightened the somewhat dim sitting room.

When Nick saw Sean, he immediately bowed and said, "Sir, your dinner has been prepared. You may enjoy it whenever you wish!"

He then pointed at a metal cup beside the dinner and explained, "Sir, this is the Cold-Expelling Potion prepared for you by the infirmary. Please remember to take it after dinner. It will be somewhat beneficial to your health."

Sean smiled and nodded, then walked to the table and sat down. Rather than eating immediately, he said to Nick, "Nick, thank you very much for taking care of me these past two days."

Sean then took the purse from his waist, fished out a silver coin, and handed it to Nick. "This silver coin is for you, a reward for your hard work. It also represents my gratitude. You've worked hard."

When Nick saw the silver coin Sean offered him, a fawning smile immediately appeared on his face. One silver coin was equivalent to nearly three months' wages for an academy servant like Nick. He quickly took the coin and said in a cheerful yet respectful voice, "Thank you for your generosity, thank you very much... Sir, you truly are a generous gentleman. May you always remain healthy..."

Hearing Nick's almost sycophantic praise, Sean casually waved his hand and smiled. "I'm much better now. After a good night's rest, I should be able to attend class normally tomorrow. Once you finish tidying up later, you can go back and rest."

"Yes, sir. I think I can take my bedding back first..." As he spoke, he pointed to the pile of bedding against the wall. It had originally belonged to Nick, and he had slept on the floor in the sitting room passageway the previous night.

He continued, "After that, I'll brew you a pot of milk tea and bring it over. Do you have any other instructions, sir? Please feel free to ask. I'll take care of them immediately."

Sean smiled gently and nodded at Nick. "I have no other instructions. Go attend to your work now. Thank you again for your meticulous care." After saying that, he fell silent and picked up his knife and fork, preparing to enjoy his dinner.

"Enjoy your dinner, sir..." Nick said when he saw Sean had no further orders. He immediately bowed, picked up his bedding, and left Sean's room, closing the door behind him.

The reason Sean had hurried Nick away was because he had only just transmigrated here. He was worried someone might notice something off about him, causing unnecessary trouble or even threatening his life and freedom. He had read transmigration novels before, especially ones involving physical transmigration. He deeply despised the idiotic behavior of those who became high-profile the moment they arrived, as if they wanted the whole world to know.

Fortunately, he had only transmigrated in soul, and he had an identity here. He desperately needed to absorb the original Sean's memories and merge them with his own so that he could truly become Sean Winchester.

Judging by the current situation, Sean estimated that the process would take around two to three days. Tomorrow was Thursday, and the morning class was Mathematics and Law Class. The mathematics of this world was not even as advanced as Earth's middle school curriculum. As for the Empire's laws concerning nobles, they were quite basic to someone of noble birth like him, and Sean had already mastered them.

So he could easily continue resting for another day. However, Friday's schedule included Equestrian Training Class, which was held only once a week. It was one of the major courses he had previously chosen, so missing it would seem rather abrupt.

Putting aside those distracting thoughts, Sean focused on the seemingly lavish dinner before him. He truly was hungry. The Smoked Beef carried a faint gamey smell and was only barely edible. Seasonings and Spices were expensive and scarce in this world.

Perhaps in the future, he could try to find plants that could replace the seasonings from his previous life. If he found them, it would surely be a hugely profitable venture. Of course, he would have to wait until he had enough strength to protect himself. Otherwise, a good thing could easily become a disaster.

The Fruit-Flavored Salad was also only average, though some of this world's unique fruits had quite distinctive flavors. Fortunately, the white bread spread with honey tasted excellent. It was delicious and filling.

Although the dinner was not particularly tasty, Sean still finished it in less than twenty minutes. After all, he had not eaten all day. Given his current age and the knight training he usually underwent, it was only natural that he had a good appetite.

He set down his knife and fork, picked up the napkin beside him, and casually wiped his mouth. Then Sean picked up the Cold-Expelling Potion placed nearby. The cup was not large, and its material looked like brass.

Looking at the metal tableware and metal cup, Sean thought that this world apparently had yet to develop more suitable and convenient materials such as glass and porcelain. Once he had gained sufficient strength, he could try making and selling them to meet his financial needs.

Sean removed the lid and raised the cup before his eyes. The Cold-Expelling Potion gave off the bitter scent unique to medicinal herbs, and its color was a dull dark brown. Sean lowered his head and thought for a moment. Feeling that nothing unexpected would happen, he stopped overthinking it and quickly gulped down the potion in several mouthfuls.

Sean could not help frowning as he painfully swallowed the bitter medicine filling his mouth. At that moment, a light knock sounded outside the door. He immediately guessed that servant Nick had returned to collect the dishes. He got up and opened the door, only to find Nick standing outside with a large metal kettle in hand. Steam still rose from its surface, clearly showing that the water had only recently been boiled.

When Nick saw Sean open the door, a respectful smile immediately appeared on his face. He bowed and said, "Sir, I'm terribly sorry to have kept you waiting. I also brought you some hot water..."

Sean nodded and stepped aside from the doorway, then gestured for Nick to enter. He himself returned to the dining table and sat down. Once inside, Nick immediately began making tea. What passed for tea in this world seemed quite novel to Sean.

It was mainly made from powdered fruit from a certain plant, mixed with milk and Brown Sugar. It felt a little like coffee, though it tasted more like hot cocoa. Soon, Nick respectfully placed the brewed tea before Sean on the dining table. At the same time, he said, "Sir, your milk tea. Please enjoy..." He then began placing Sean's dinner utensils into a wooden meal box one by one.

Sean took a sip of tea and smacked his lips. He then put down the cup and said, "You've worked hard, Nick. Once you've finished cleaning up, you can return and rest."

"Yes, sir. It'll be done shortly. Please wait a moment..." Nick said as he tidied up quickly. Several plates were soon packed into the meal box. Carrying the box, Nick said, "All done, sir. Do you have any other instructions?"

When he saw Sean wave to indicate there was nothing else, Nick said, "Then... goodbye, sir! Once again, I wish you good health!" After bowing, Nick carried the meal box out of the room and gently closed the door.

After watching Nick leave, Sean sat for a while before getting up and walking onto the balcony. His dormitory was on the top floor of the academy residence, the third floor. The two floors below were also student dormitories, though they were generally occupied by students from families of slightly lower standing. Sean, after all, came from a Viscount Family.

Among the nobles within the Linshui City region, the vast majority held only the rank of knight. Even barons, who ranked only one level higher, appeared quite distinguished by comparison.

The sun had already completely set. The night was as black as ink, while countless distant lights flickered faintly.

The evening breeze drifted past, carrying a slight chill. Judging by the season, it should be around April or May. The seasons in this new world were fairly similar to those of his previous life. Yet the two moons in the sky, one large and one small, one bright and one dark red, made Sean feel both fascinated and curious.

What interested Sean most about this new world was the knight class that possessed extraordinary power. In his original world, extraordinary power existed only in legends and in people's imaginations through novels and films. Yet the original Sean had seen it with his own eyes.

A Formal Knight possessed physical qualities several times greater than those of an ordinary person. In Sean's memories, he had personally seen a Formal Knight defeat more than twenty fully armed soldiers in only a few minutes during training.

Before that Formal Knight, those soldiers had been like infants standing before a fully grown man. The enormous disparity in strength had deeply shocked the original Sean, stirring within him the urge to become a knight. That Formal Knight had served in his family's territory as his father's Lord's Guard Captain.

According to what the original Sean knew, those capable of becoming Formal Knights were one in ten thousand. Among the Empire's vast population of tens of millions, there were no more than three hundred individuals at the Formal Knight rank.

To become a Formal Knight, one not only had to master formidable weapon combat techniques and superb horsemanship, but more importantly, one had to possess the Knight Breathing Secret Method, which could strengthen one's physique and even surpass the limits of the human body. Sean had naturally and fortunately inherited the legacy of his predecessor.

He could hardly wait to test the secret method's effects, but he restrained his eagerness. First, he silently recalled the relevant details of the breathing method. It was said that using the breathing method while undergoing knight training produced the best results in developing the body.

When using the breathing method alone, however, it did not matter whether one was sitting or standing. Based on Sean's previous experience, each circulation of the secret method took only half an hour.

Sean carefully checked the method of the breathing technique against the cultivation experience inherited from his predecessor. After confirming that there were no mistakes, he no longer hesitated. He silently closed his eyes and slowly relaxed every muscle in his body, gradually controlling his breathing until its rhythm matched that recorded in the secret method. Perhaps because he possessed the original Sean's training experience, Sean quickly entered a meditative state.

As the secret method circulated, Sean soon felt warmth spreading through his body. It was as though a warm current flowed through him with every inhalation and exhalation, while a tingling sensation appeared across his body. Sean was somewhat puzzled, since this had not existed in the original Sean's memories.

Fortunately, the Knight Secret Method continued operating without anything bad occurring, which put Sean at ease. At this point, every muscle in his body trembled slightly, and his body rose and fell with the rhythm of the breathing method.

Nearly an hour passed without Sean noticing, and he was completely absorbed in his cultivation. Suddenly, Sean's awareness spread throughout his entire body, as though he had broken through an invisible membrane. He instantly felt that his body and mind had become one, with no barrier remaining between them.

Only an instant later, he understood that he and Sean were no longer separate. He was now Sean. Even before his closest relatives, he was confident he could deceive them completely, with no possibility of exposure. A surge of excitement rose within him, only to be immediately suppressed.

His perception completely spread throughout his body, sensing every aspect of Sean's body without the slightest omission. Within the world of his perception, Sean's body became digitized. Sean was astonished to sense that his physical attributes were:

Strength: 1.227 Constitution: 1.241 Agility: 1.335

Although it was utterly unbelievable and made no logical sense, Sean instantly understood that these were his current physical attribute values. At the same time, he immediately understood that the normal average value for an adult man was approximately 1.