Gale March Breathing Technique

It did not rely purely on physical strength. It could mobilize the user's internal energy, attach it to their fists and feet, and unleash even more terrifying destructive power.

Unfortunately, though.

Lance had yet to officially take a class, nor had he learned any skill that could build up an energy pool.

So for now, he could only stare helplessly at the part concerning energy manipulation.

"Looks like I'll have to get a Breathing Technique first and see if I can unlock an energy pool."

Lance clenched his fist, sensing the fierce moves imprinted in his mind.

This was like being handed a pillow just when he was getting sleepy.

He had been worrying about where to find a suitable unarmed combat skill to meet the class requirements for the Pale Sentinel.

Yet a gift Amber had casually given him had directly solved that huge problem.

Lance looked at the remaining stack of cards on the table, his feelings becoming somewhat complicated.

He carefully put the cards back into the black velvet box.

This gift was far too valuable.

He seriously suspected that Amber, that silly big girl, had no idea the item concealed such a function.

"I still need to find Amber tomorrow."

Lance rubbed the box, feeling as though it was burning his hands.

Although he had already learned the skill and could not exactly spit it back out, he needed to explain things clearly to her.

If he simply accepted the benefit without saying anything, he would feel somewhat guilty.

After clearing away every bit of remaining trash in the yard and scrubbing the borrowed grill clean,

Lance finally dragged his somewhat exhausted body back to the second-floor bedroom.

He lay spread-eagled across the soft new bed, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.

Though parting with his friends had left him a little melancholy, he knew that sadness would not change anything.

Only by becoming stronger could he reunite with them someday in a better state.

"Sleep."

Lance turned over and pulled the blanket over his head.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

Starting tomorrow, he would no longer be a clerk who only knew how to copy documents.

He was a true full-time adventurer now, and it was time to make a push toward becoming a Pale Sentinel.

The next morning.

Now that he had quit his job as a copyist and become a full-time adventurer, on top of the enormous sum he had made selling medicine,

Lance felt it was time to completely upgrade his outfit.

Early in the morning, Lance slipped into the noisy craftsman district with practiced ease.

He had come here several times before and had long since formed a rough plan for his upgrades.

This time, he did not spare a single coin. He bypassed the ordinary leather shops and entered an armor store marked by a hammer sign.

After careful selection and bargaining, Lance settled on a finely crafted reinforced chainmail shirt.

It was lined with thick monster hide, while its outer layer was woven from countless fine iron rings.

It was not light when worn, but its heavy weight gave him an unparalleled sense of security.

Lance tried moving his arms, and the iron rings rubbed together with a faint rustling sound.

The defensive power of this composite construction was far beyond that of ordinary leather armor.

If he had worn this sturdy gear on the shoal back then, those Goblins' stone spears could never have pierced his lower back so easily. At most, they would have left a few bruises.

What pleased Lance even more was that the chainmail shirt came with an integrated chainmail hood.

As long as he pulled up the hood, it would protect the back of his head and his neck, saving him the cost of buying a helmet separately.

Naturally, the remaining pieces had to be upgraded as well.

He replaced both his bracers and greaves with heavy leather-and-iron protective gear. The metal strips fixed onto them were no longer cheap pig iron, but refined steel.

As for handheld equipment, he ruthlessly discarded the wooden round shield that had nearly been ruined.

In its place was a kite shield covered in thick steel plating.

This kind of shield was narrow at the bottom and broad at the top, offering greater coverage. Its pointed lower edge could also serve as a deadly weapon in close combat.

Along with a sharp new shortsword.

Once he had put on the entire set of equipment, Lance stood before the mirror and looked at himself, armed nearly to the teeth. He nodded in satisfaction.

The whole set had cost around twenty-two silver coins, but the quality was truly excellent.

This equipment would be enough to let him swagger through the outer regions of Copper Creek Forest.

Lance pulled up his chainmail hood, covering most of his face, and headed for the Adventurers' Guild fully armed.

When he pushed open the doors, the guild hall was bustling with voices.

The complete success of the joint clearing operation had restored vitality to the once somewhat deserted quest hall.

A large number of gathering quests had been posted, and countless adventurers crowded around the commission board, selecting suitable targets.

Lance did not hurry over to join the commotion.

Instead, he instinctively glanced toward that familiar counter.

The brown-haired girl who always wore an energetic smile and occasionally slacked off was not there.

In her place stood an unfamiliar middle-aged receptionist.

It seemed Nia had taken the day off.

Last night's farewell gathering had indeed hit that innocent girl rather hard. She probably needed some time to process her emotions.

Lance let out a quiet sigh and withdrew his gaze.

Everyone had their own trials to face.

Besides that, he also noticed that the guild was filled with many more young men and women dressed in violet-colored clothes today.

Under the guidance of people who seemed to be instructors, they followed different groups out of the guild.

Perhaps they were the academy students Nia had told him about.

After watching for a few moments, Lance paid them no further attention and headed straight for the dedicated merit exchange counter.

His top priority today was not taking quests to earn money, but carefully choosing a Breathing Technique that suited him.

Although the moves of the [Azure Dragon Supreme Essence Style] had already been imprinted in his mind, without energy to drive them, the most essential part of the skill could not be displayed.

He urgently needed a Breath Combat Technique to unlock the energy pool within his body.

"Please check my current merit points."

Lance handed over his badge.

The clerk behind the counter took the badge and operated the bulky magic-powered machine for a while.

"Mr. Raven, you received 2 merit points for reporting the anomaly at the gathering site last time."

"Along with your outstanding performance in supporting the vanguard and rescuing teammates during this joint clearing operation, the guild has specially awarded you 20 points."

"You currently have a total of 22 merit points."

Twenty-two points.

Lance looked at the number and nodded slightly.

For a newcomer, that was already no small sum.

"Please let me see the exchange catalog for Breath Combat Techniques."

The clerk handed him a thick booklet.

Lance opened the catalog, his finger swiftly sliding over its pages before finally stopping at the bottom of the first page.

Recorded there was the Breathing Technique with the lowest exchange threshold currently available through the entire guild.

[Gale March Breathing Technique: 100 merit points required for exchange]

This was already the cheapest common option in the booklet. The other Breathing Techniques started at three or five hundred points apiece.

Breathing Techniques occupied a foundational position in this world's class system.

Tracing back to the barbaric era even older than the first generation of Heroes, humanity had yet to grasp the mysteries of high-level magic and could only become food before those terrifying mythical creatures.