At Kraun's home on Skunk Street, the table was already laden with dishes.
Crystal Pork Knuckle, wild mushroom stew with chicken, stir-fried pork intestines, braised beef, pork belly, and scrambled eggs with wood ear mushrooms.
The cook brought out the final dish: sour soup beef.
Alan sat upright at the table, staring at all the delicacies and swallowing repeatedly.
"Dig in, dig in!"
As soon as Kraun said the words, Alan's hands flew into action, knife and fork dancing.
The meal lasted an hour or two, and both host and guests enjoyed themselves.
"I never imagined you were such a good cook. No wonder a Werewolf came in to steal food! I was puzzled at the time. Since when did Werewolves start eating cooked food?"
Geralt raised his ale and drained it in one go. Kraun eagerly moved to refill his glass.
"Tell me, what's on your mind?"
The white-haired Witcher chuckled and set down his glass.
Was I really that obvious?
Being seen through embarrassed Kraun, who wasn't usually one to blush.
"Heh heh." He scratched his head to hide his awkwardness, then asked, "How do I deal with a Werewolf?"
He didn't want to run away just yet. The bigger the city, the more complicated its mix of people. He was too weak at the moment; going there would only bring him misery.
The Witcher toyed with the glass in his hand and murmured, his meaning hard to read, "Werewolves, Vampires, and other Dark Creatures fear Mithril. If you can use a Mithril weapon to wound them, you can greatly weaken them. After that, you can kill them or carve them up as you please."
"That simple? What's Mithril?"
"Simple?" Alan laughed from beside them. "Big brother, Mithril is an Alloy made by Alchemists. As for the price, it's about one Gold Shield per gram. A Mithril one-handed sword weighs around three to five kilograms. If you've got the money, then yes, it's simple."
Was he kidding me? The Witcher and his apprentice didn't look like the sort of rich people who could afford Mithril weapons.
"Joking aside," Geralt said, his tone turning serious. "Silver weapons will do in a pinch. Or you could have a large-caliber handgun custom-made. That's the most convenient way to deal with a Werewolf. If you have neither, then you'll need a strong body—stronger than a Werewolf's. Then you won't have to fear one."
"An ordinary person can still deal with an ordinary Werewolf by training their body to its limits. You're a Spirit Controller, but unfortunately, your symbiotic spirit doesn't increase your physical abilities. Otherwise, dealing with a Werewolf would be easy."
The meal hadn't been a waste after all. He'd learned something useful.
Kraun nodded, deciding how he would handle things.
The next day, the morning sun rose above the horizon, its golden rays bathing the earth.
Kraun formed the Great Sun Seal with both hands and visualized the Red Sun hidden within his body, radiating light.
In a daze, he felt the Red Sun within him vying with the sun outside.
When his body began to feel hot, he stopped visualizing and slowly concluded his practice.
[Golden Light Incantation: 1594/50000; First Rank]
He let out a long sigh, wondering when he would finally advance at this rate.
The time in which he could quickly increase his proficiency was too short. And as his proficiency grew, the points he gained from Visualization became fewer and fewer.
Kraun hastily finished his meal, then headed out toward the church.
Nick weighed the little pouch in his hand, unable to hide the astonishment in his eyes.
A hundred Gold Shields, and barely a month had passed. The young man had already managed to gather the sum.
His ability to earn money was beyond anything Nick had imagined.
"Can you tell me how you did it?"
Kraun answered casually, "I can make Blood-Boiling Potions now."
Blood-Boiling Potions! The Father wasn't an herbalist, but he knew the name of that potion.
It was in great demand. The church's Knights needed it after their first ascension of life essence.
"Father, can I accept your training and become a Crusader?"
"Do you remember what I told you?"
"I do. I have to cover my own training expenses, and if evil creatures threaten the faithful in the parish, I can accept your call without conditions."
Nick nodded. "I need to submit an application to the church before you can become an official member. For now, you can only be a candidate warrior. Are you still willing?"
If he hadn't learned that Kraun was already a very capable alchemist, he wouldn't have explained all this.
Kraun hadn't actually made up his mind to throw in his lot with the Church of the Lord of Flame. Hearing this, he felt more pleased than worried.
He suppressed his joy, fell silent for a few seconds, then answered as if weighed down by the decision. "I'm willing."
"Don't worry. I'll do everything I can to apply for official membership for you. Now, I'll give you your first lesson!"
The sky was overcast, and a light drizzle fell.
There was a wide open space in the church's back courtyard. Nick wore half-plate armor as he instructed Kraun, who stood in the training area.
"Crusader warriors are selected from among ordinary believers. At the beginning, training is nothing more than exercises in strength and technique. Combined with a special herbal formula, it enhances the body."
"At this stage, proper nutrition and rigorous training are enough to bring the human body to its physical limit. Trainees at this stage are called Acolytes."
"Once you reach a certain standard, potions and a Breathing Technique will elevate your life essence, and a Seed of Life will form within your body. Only then will you officially become a Crusader warrior and achieve Transcendence."
"Training is exhausting and painful. Without enough nutrition, you won't just fail to get results—you'll wreck your body. Proper nutrition requires a great deal of meat, which in turn requires a great deal of Gold Shields."
"After achieving Transcendence, you'll realize that everything has only just begun. Ordinary training methods can no longer improve your physical abilities. You'll have to rely on a Breathing Technique."
"Practicing a Breathing Technique requires enough potions to help you progress faster. Improving your Breathing Technique, in turn, improves your physical abilities. To become more combat-ready, you'll need better weapons and armor, which will cost even more Gold Shields and possibly Spirit Coins."
Kraun raised his hand to ask, "Father, what are Spirit Coins?"
"They're the hard currency of the Transcendentalist world. Once you enter that circle, you'll naturally come across them. For now, you need to focus on rigorous physical training. Remember to pay the two Gold Shields for meals each day. I'll give you the herbal formula for training later. It doesn't require any rare ingredients. You're an herbalist, so make it yourself and save some money."
"Now, you're an Acolyte of the Crusader Order. Obeying orders is your duty. Put on this Sand Vest and run a hundred laps around the training area."
"Yes," Kraun replied, his voice crisp and loud.
He immediately ran over to where the equipment was stored. He put on the weighted vest, strapped weighted sandbags to his legs, wrapped his arms in weighted sandbag guards, and began running full of energy.
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