The Deathbird on Death's Shoulder (Please Follow-up Reads)

[Death]'s Shoulder's [Deathbird] (Please Follow-up Reads)

Ripple Power.

The second realm of Golden Cross Slash.

A force-exertion technique more advanced than Vibration Power.

Only when Levi grasped this power did he realize the world of swordsmanship was so fascinating.

"Knight Fred said that if I grasped Ripple Power, it would be equivalent to mastering a sword technique that was at least excellent grade."

"With my excellent-grade Black Snake Breathing Technique, plus the excellent-grade Golden Cross Slash, and the support of the Third Order Frost Wolf Breathing Technique, I wonder what level my strength has reached. Fred should be back soon. When the time comes, I'll have to have a proper spar with Knight Fred."

"But what I've grasped is only the initial Ripple Power. Fred has immersed himself in ripples for more than ten years. Maybe what he's mastered is Advanced Ripple Power. I can't get arrogant."

Levi felt at ease. The emotions that had been suppressed for too long were fully released with the successive breakthroughs of his breathing technique and Golden Cross Slash over these past two days.

"The knight stage can be divided into four ranks: Low-Rank Knight, Mid-Rank Knight, High-Rank Knight, and Peak Knight. But once one reaches the Great Knight stage, there are no so-called rank divisions. I've just broken through now, so I should only be a Low-Rank Knight. It's just that my true strength should already be at the mid-rank level."

Levi wanted to test his strength, but unfortunately, there was simply no one in the territory who was his match.

Moreover, it was hard for Levi to use a killing move like Golden Cross Slash against his own people.

"Forget it. I'll go smith first and stabilize my realm."

The current Levi had already come to regard forging as a way to cultivate his temperament and steady his state of mind.

Forging was a technical craft, and also a craft that tested patience and focus to the extreme.

In Levi's view, breathing technique cultivation and forging complemented and promoted each other, making them especially suitable to practice together.

The furnace burned, the bellows puffed, and the dagger obtained from the unknown killer was reforged by Levi.

Crackle, pop, clank, clang.

Beneath the blast furnace, Levi poured out his sweat.

Time slowly passed, and a pitch-black short dagger gradually took shape under Levi's hammering.

After a series of procedures such as quenching.

[Forging Proficiency +2] In Levi's hand, there was already an extra dagger.

Compared to the strange, curved appearance of the previous dagger, the dagger Levi reforged was closer in shape to the Bronze Shortsword from the Warring States period of his previous life, proper and standard.

Levi played with it for a while, and even tried using a high-level force-exertion technique like Ripple Power with it. In the end, he succeeded.

Just as Knight Fred had said, compared to a sword technique, Golden Cross Slash was more like a force-exertion technique. If one truly reached some unfathomably profound realm, even a hammer, or even a Gatling, could release Ripple Power.

It was just that the current Levi could only use Ripple Power through this kind of bladed weapon.

Moreover, he discovered that compared to his sword, Frostmourne, this dagger could withstand the torment of Ripple Power more easily.

"It's still a matter of material. Frostmourne was only made of ordinary iron. Although the workmanship and quality are good, if I want to use Ripple Power however I please, it's obviously not enough."

"If only I had those high-tech alloys from my previous life."

"When I have the chance in the future, I'll still have to use better materials to forge an exclusive sword for myself."

After finishing the forging work, Levi returned to the castle and began setting about building a secret room that belonged exclusively to him inside the castle.

Early the next morning, Knight Fred returned to Black Snake Castle with a team of men, travel-worn and dusty.

Levi went out to greet him and smiled. "How did it go?"

"Young Master Levi, fortunately, I did not fail you."

After Knight Fred dismounted, he handed a bag to Levi.

Levi opened it and looked, discovering a bottle of Ambergris and a pile of Gold Coins.

"Thank you for your hard work, Fred."

With this, the heart Levi had kept suspended finally settled.

Thinking about it, that made sense. As a Formal Knight, as long as Knight Fred did not actively stir up trouble, how could anything usually happen to him?

"Does the Emerald Merchant Guild have Ambergris in stock now?" Levi asked.

Knight Fred shook his head. "No. The people from the merchant guild said they won't have any Ambergris in stock for a long time. I asked around before I found out why. The Dragon Breathing Technique practiced by the White Horse Knight and the other members of the Royal Family also requires Ambergris as a secret medicine ingredient. It would have been fine in the past, but because of the Millennial Holy War, the Tuva Empire, which is the main producing area of Ambergris, has already banned the export of Ambergris to the Emerald Kingdom. The number of Earth Dragon Beasts within the Emerald Kingdom is pitifully small, almost extinct, causing Ambergris to become increasingly scarce."

"At this rate, in the future we may only be able to obtain Ambergris by going to the Tuva Empire," Knight Fred said.

Levi frowned. He had not expected the war to affect him in this way.

"Still, the existing Ambergris is enough for me to use for a while, so I'm not very anxious. But in the end, I have to find a way to solve this. Black Snake Secret Medicine is a great help for cultivating the Black Snake Breathing Technique. It doesn't just increase cultivation speed; it can also continuously strengthen my physique. I can't stop taking the medicine."

Levi pondered.

"Right, judging from the looks of it, you've already advanced to Formal Knight, Young Master Levi," Knight Fred asked with a smile after they returned to the council hall.

"That's right, Fred. Just a few days ago, I officially became a knight and condensed the Seed of Life."

Levi did not hide anything from Knight Fred. Knight Fred was someone he could trust. If he had harbored any disloyalty, Levi would have died countless times when he was young.

"Becoming a Formal Knight in three years. Your speed is no worse than a genius like your father. If your father could see your current achievements, how happy he would be. What a pity..." Knight Fred sighed with some emotion.

"If Master were still alive, how good that would be." He could not help murmuring.

After the master and servant had finished grieving.

Levi told Knight Fred about the assassination attempt that night.

Knight Fred was first incomparably self-reproachful, because it was only because he had not been at Levi's side that this assassination incident had occurred.

Then he held that bird-beak mask, his expression grave, and slowly said.

"This is a Deathbird Mask."

"Deathbird?"

"Yes. According to legend, the Deathbird is a black divine bird that stands on the shoulder of Death. Once the Deathbird opens its beak and cries, someone will die. Its appearance is like a Crow. There is an organization whose members walk the world wearing Deathbird Masks, accepting enormous commissions from others to assassinate anyone, whether commoners, nobles, or even the Royal Family."

"This organization is extremely mysterious. In the kingdom's history, their shadow seems to be visible in some major events."

"This organization is called Voice of the Deathbird. According to rumor, the founder of this organization was a Legendary Knight."

"Which one?"

"Thousand-Faced Knight, Nameless!"