The Power of the Ripple

After reading the mission, Link immediately remembered it. This seemed to be the plot of the first part of a classic manga he had read before, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

In his previous life, Link had read this manga and remembered it quite clearly. He knew that Jonathan later received Baron Zeppeli's help, learned the Ripple Energy passed down in Tibet, and ultimately fought the vampire Dio in a final battle, completing his classic revenge story.

Although it was a mandatory mission, Link was not required to complete it immediately. He decided to make preparations first. As he recalled, the manga seemed to have begun serialization by now, so he promptly got hold of the original manga and began studying it.

Jonathan, the protagonist of the manga, possessed the fairly orthodox heroic character of this era. He had a strong sense of justice and was a powerful fighter in his own right. After learning Ripple Energy, he could even defeat Dio, the target of this mission, in a one-on-one fight.

However, Link guessed reality would not be that simple. The system had given no further hints, and he did not know how he would be inserted into the plot, so he decided to prepare as thoroughly as possible.

Following the plot, Link made meticulous preparations. Before choosing to carry out the mission, he dressed in late nineteenth-century British attire, though he had a large backpack on his back. Only then did he confirm the mission.

Immediately afterward, Link felt his head grow heavy. When he came to again, a village brimming with British charm appeared before him.

Link walked through the village, surveying his surroundings. To the left of the road beneath his feet stood rows of fences, while low walls lined the right. Bushes appeared at short intervals on both sides, a very common sight in England.

"Link!"

At that moment, someone called out behind Link. He turned and saw a man and a woman standing side by side not far behind him.

The man was powerfully built, with thick brows, large eyes, and an upright air. Though he supported himself with a bamboo cane, he gave off an extremely dependable impression. Link recognized him at once as the protagonist, Jonathan Joestar, while the woman beside him was his girlfriend, Erina.

"Hi, Jonathan. I heard your house caught fire, and I thought something had happened to you. I never expected you to be hiding here. How are your injuries?"

Link glanced at the bamboo cane in Jonathan's hand and at his arm before greeting him. According to the system's prompt, Link's current identity was Jonathan's good friend. He had come to visit after learning that Jonathan was recuperating here.

"It's nothing serious. I'll recover after a while." Jonathan answered, but when he noticed something strange in Link's expression, he was greatly startled. Someone had unknowingly come within a short distance of him.

Jonathan's fighting skills were formidable, and his senses were keen. The fact that someone had approached him silently proved just how capable that person was!

Link and the other two all turned their gazes toward the suddenly appearing man. He wore a flamboyant top hat, had two carefully groomed curled mustaches above his lip, and gray streaks at his temples. He appeared to be somewhere in his forties or fifties.

"Jonathan Joestar and Mr. Link Bennett, as well as that young lady—you must be Miss Erina Pendleton."

After saying that, he suddenly moved. Crossing several meters in an instant, he appeared right before Jonathan.

The man's sudden movement immediately put Jonathan on guard. He swiftly shielded Erina behind him and assumed a counterattacking stance, but the man's words distracted him.

"Though you survived the power of the Stone Mask, you could never have killed someone wearing it. The one who wore the Stone Mask is not dead!"

"What?!" Upon hearing that, Jonathan immediately recalled what had happened. He truly had not found the Stone Mask among the ruins.

While Jonathan was shocked and distracted by the man's words, the man took the chance to jab Jonathan with his right hand. Force penetrated his body, and Jonathan instantly let out a muffled groan.

Erina cried out instinctively. Link stepped to Jonathan's side in vigilance, but did not attack, because he had already confirmed the man's identity. He was Baron Will A. Zeppeli, the teacher who would teach Jonathan Ripple Energy.

Baron Zeppeli ignored Link and Erina and continued speaking to Jonathan, who had already fallen to his knees. "Yes, yes! Force every last bit of air out of your lungs!"

"Uwah!" Jonathan, kneeling on the ground, soon cried out in surprise. He stared blankly at his injured right arm. "W-what? My body, my arm..."

As he spoke, Jonathan rose to his feet and said joyfully, "The pain in my arm is completely gone! I'm fully healed!"

After his excitement subsided, Jonathan looked at Baron Zeppeli again. "Who exactly are you? Can you tell me how you healed the injury on my arm... This injury should have taken at least one or two months to fully recover, but you only poked me a few times, and now there's no pain at all. It even feels as though I was never injured..."

"Fate guided me to find you." Baron Zeppeli remained perfectly composed, fully displaying the art of showing off. "Mr. Jonathan Joestar, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Baron Will A. Zeppeli."

Link said nothing, allowing him to put on his mysterious act. In truth, he was deeply interested in Ripple Energy as well, so he simply followed the plot and watched Zeppeli show off.

"Why did you help me? Why do you know my name?" Jonathan rushed forward and demanded loudly. Faced with the suddenly appearing Baron Zeppeli, he had far too many questions.

However, Zeppeli the mystic clearly had not had enough fun yet. His body flashed, and he appeared behind Jonathan in an instant. His speed was astonishing. Not only were Jonathan and Erina startled, but even the prepared Link was somewhat shocked. The man's speed was truly incredible.

"Come with me, and you will see the answer." Seeing that the image of a mysterious master he had crafted was beginning to take shape, Zeppeli adopted a solemn expression. "Once you have seen it and learned who I am, your fate will change!"

Jonathan remembered Baron Zeppeli's words about fate guiding him here. Filled with doubt, he followed behind Baron Zeppeli and eventually arrived at the riverbank.

Knowing that the next scene would be Zeppeli showing Jonathan the power of the Ripple, Link naturally did not want to miss it and followed them directly.

The clear river was not very deep; an adult could easily wade across it. Standing at the riverbank, Baron Zeppeli said, "I shall explain my purpose for coming later. First, I will explain what happened inside your body and demonstrate the energy that breathing can produce."

As Zeppeli spoke, he stepped into the river. "This is an ability I cultivated over many years. In the mysterious lands of the East, it is known as the Ripple Hermit Style!"

"???" Jonathan and Erina, who knew only God, both looked utterly confused, while Link carefully observed Zeppeli's breathing and movements.

In the Eastern world of cultivation, breathing exercises were the most basic of foundations. Link wanted to see exactly how the Ripple Hermit Style unleashed such powerful force. At the same time, he was determined to obtain the Ripple Hermit Style for himself.