Knight Abilities Explained

After saying that, he paused before continuing.

"Next are the characteristics of knights at each rank—or rather, the powers they possess.

First comes the apprentice stage.

Knights at this stage use breathing techniques and resources to temper their physical strength.

Beginner knights

need to reach a strength of 120,000 jin.

Intermediate knights

need to reach a strength of 240,000 jin.

Advanced knights

need to reach a strength of 360,000 jin."

Hearing this,

Wayne was somewhat surprised. Could this strength correspond to the thirty-six runes wizards needed to imprint?

If so,

that was far too terrifying.

And it seemed the instructor had seen through Wayne's thoughts,

so he continued.

"Don't be surprised.

It is exactly as you imagined. In the knight system, every 10,000 jin of strength corresponds to

precisely

one Heaven-and-Earth Rune in the wizard system.

The reason for this

lies in the fundamental difference between wizards and knights. Wizards use knowledge and spiritual power

to lever the power of heaven and earth,

and every rune is the embodiment of that power.

Knights are exactly the opposite.

Cultivation in the knight system lies fundamentally in the damage an individual can unleash. Only upon reaching the seventh-rank Holy Dragon Knight stage

do they begin to lever the power of heaven and earth."

Wayne nodded slightly, his doubts finally resolved.

At that moment,

the instructor spoke again.

"All cultivation during the apprentice knight stage is meant to prepare for the leap

from apprentice knight to first-rank Black Iron Knight—

the ultimate leap,

or rather, to bear the Seed of Life.

To advance to a first-rank Black Iron Knight, one needs one jin of first-rank Black Iron, which is absorbed and converted into energy

to condense a Black Iron Seed of Life.

Once it is successfully condensed, one advances to a first-rank Black Iron Knight. Subsequent cultivation consists of continuously absorbing first-rank Black Iron

to strengthen the Seed of Life.

At this stage, first-rank Black Iron Knights will finally reveal truly extraordinary power,

unlike apprentice knights,

who are simply strong.

Knights at this stage can fly through the air.

Once a first-rank knight reaches the pinnacle of cultivation, attaining completion,

their body will become like

first-rank Black Iron itself; ordinary attacks will find it difficult to shake their flesh."

As his words fell,

two terms appeared in Wayne's mind: [Tank + Warrior].

That's right.

Based on the instructor's description, knights were, in Wayne's eyes, a combination of the two—they could take hits and dish them out.

They were simply absurdly overpowered.

Then the instructor's voice rang out once more.

"After that come second-rank Bronze Knights, third-rank Silver Knights...

all the way to sixth-rank Diamond Knights.

Their cultivation is basically the same, except that the materials they absorb differ.

However, cultivation in the knight system

undergoes a qualitative transformation at the seventh-rank Holy Dragon Knight stage."

Hearing that,

Wayne became interested.

He focused his spiritual power and looked at the instructor, who continued explaining.

"The reason seventh-rank knights undergo a qualitative transformation

lies in the Magic Beast they contract.

The full name of a seventh-rank knight is [Seventh-Rank Holy Dragon Knight]—a knight contracted with an elemental dragon.

Among seventh-rank knights,

they are the most powerful, and thus bear that name.

But most people

do not have the opportunity or fortune to contract a dragon, so they choose other Magic Beasts

to obtain the bloodline of those Magic Beasts.

A worthless seventh-rank knight has no power whatsoever to resist before a top-tier seventh-rank knight.

Of course,

the potential of the Magic Beast you contract will also determine whether you can enter the eighth-rank Rule Knight stage.

If you wish to advance to an eighth-rank Rule Knight,

then an elemental dragon is the bare minimum."

He paused after saying that.

"As for ninth-rank Sanctuary Knights above that, even I do not know what abilities they possess. The same goes for ninth-rank Omniscient Wizards,

because no one has advanced to that rank yet."

Wayne nodded slightly to show that he had remembered it. Of course, he had no choice but to nod.

After all, in the classroom,

Wayne was the only student. The instructor's gaze was fixed on him, and it felt as though he would be beaten if he failed to respond.

How could Wayne dare let his mind wander?

Sure enough, after seeing Wayne nod, the instructor seemed to feel that he was no longer performing a one-man show, and only then did he continue.

"The final part is the daily cost of knights at each rank.

The reason I am explaining this

is that you will recruit followers later on. To keep you from losing your heads and recruiting too many followers at once,

this course

has been made mandatory at the Lord Wizard Academy."

He paused.

"Actually, from first-rank to eighth-rank knights, the daily expenses all have three basic standards corresponding to their ranks:

namely,

Vitality Potion + Dragonfang Rice + the corresponding cultivation item.

For example, the corresponding item for a first-rank Black Iron Knight is first-rank Black Iron.

The corresponding item for a second-rank Bronze Knight is second-rank Bronze...

Before the sixth rank, they are minerals.

The corresponding items for the seventh and eighth ranks are magic plants and potions of the matching rank that enhance elemental power.

..."

As his words fell, the instructor looked at Wayne.

"That concludes the lesson.

Next is question time. What questions do you have?"

After thinking briefly,

Wayne organized his questions. "Teacher, I have five questions.

First, how do knights compare with wizards?

Second, how does one recruit knights?

Third, the academy's knights and knights from other regions, such as those under various lords—

in comparison,

which are stronger?

Fourth, why does the dragon a knight contracts determine whether they can advance to an eighth-rank Rule Knight?

Fifth, are there any seventh-rank knights who contracted other Magic Beasts yet possess power comparable to Holy Dragon Knights?"

Hearing this,

the instructor looked at Wayne and revealed a charming yet exceedingly dangerous smile.

"You really are a slippery one. The questions you asked

obviously

go beyond the scope of this lesson."

He shook his head. "But since you are the only one in this class,

you are fortunate.

So I will explain them to you.

First, how wizards compare to knights. If you are asking about combat power,

then I can tell you clearly

that before the seventh rank, knights are not as powerful in combat as Lord Wizards. This is especially true upon reaching the sixth rank,

where the gap between those of the same rank is even greater.

That is because knights do not undergo their qualitative transformation until the seventh rank, while wizards undergo theirs

at the fourth-rank Star Wizard stage,

where they experience their first qualitative transformation. Then they undergo another at the seventh rank. That is the comparison in combat power between knights and wizards."

Hearing this,

Wayne naturally caught the loophole in those words.

"Lord Wizards?

What about Elemental Wizards?"

The instructor chuckled. "That depends on each individual's foundation

and their fundamentals.

After all, Elemental Wizards are not as monstrous as Lord Wizards, every one of whom is recruited for possessing top-tier talent.

And even if they imprint only the most standard wizard arrays, knights and Elemental Wizards cannot compare with them.

Of course,

that comparison applies only before the seventh rank. At the seventh rank, every powerhouse who has reached that stage

has their own trump cards.

Even the weakest seventh-rank powerhouse can casually kill swathes of sixth-rank knights and wizards."

Hearing this,

Wayne thought for a moment before speaking. "Their fundamentals?

What exactly do you mean by that?"

Faced with Wayne's question, the instructor gave a simple answer:

"Take knights as an example. If at every rank,

the resources they cultivate with—

say, ordinary first-rank Black Iron—are replaced with first-rank refined steel, or even elemental metal suited to their affinity, which they absorb for cultivation,

then such a knight,

do you think they would lose to an ordinary Elemental Wizard?"