Chapter 224
Sir Schwartz, what do you think is a knights most important virtue? Baek Mu-Gun asked Schwartz, who was standing across from him.
Schwarts thought about it for a moment. That would be our faith in God and our loyalty, valor, and servitude to our Lord.
I see. Mu-Gun smiled bitterly.
Were you expecting a different answer, my lord?
I just think a knights greatest virtue is their willingness to fight for justice and world peace.
Are you saying that we should raise our sword for the sake of the world, not for God or our lord?
Not at all. You may do all that, but you should also be prepared to defend the world itself.
If you have to choose between those three, would you prefer to fight for the world?
Yes. As Gods representative, my duty to protect Avalon takes precedence over keeping Venatia and the kingdom safe. Now, let me ask you another question. Would you like to join me, Sir Schwartz? Mu-Gun asked.
Are you telling me to betray Count Wackins and swear allegiance to you, Lord Argon? Schwartz showed a hint of displeasure.
I am not telling you to betray Father, but there is something more important than him or Venatia. I am merely asking you to help me protect it. Saving Avalon also means saving Pantheon and Venatia, which means you will still ultimately be serving Father.
What are you trying to save Avalon from, my lord? Schwartz asked.
The Demon God.
What?
God has told me that the Demon God has descended somewhere in Avalon. The Wolfkans and other monsters sudden invasion are likely part of the Demon Gods schemes.
Would that not put Avalon at risk of being destroyed? Schwartz asked skeptically.
God granted me the strength to prevent that from happening. As their representative, I will do my best to stop the Demon God. I hope you and the Golden Lion Order join me, Sir Schwartz.
Hmm, if I could do as I please, I would choose to fight the Demon God with you, but I and the Golden Lion Order lack strength.
If you possess enough power, will you join me? Mu-Gun confirmed.
Definitely. Gaining such power overnight is impossible, though.
It isnt.
Huh?
I can grant you that strength.
Are you telling the truth? Schwartz couldnt hide his excitement.
If you make an oath on your honor as a knight to do your best to save Avalon from the Demon God, I will immediately give you the power you need, Mu-Gun firmly said.
Schwartzs eyes shook. The temptation was irresistible, especially since he was already faithfully attending to the conditions as a knight. Just like Mu-Gun said, he did not have to betray Count Wackins. There was no reason to hesitate.
I swear on my honor as a knight that I will devote my all to save Avalon from the Demon God, Schwartz promised.
If you break your oath and use the power I granted you for evil, you will have to pay the price of your crimes with your life, Sir Schwartz, Mu-Gun warned.
That will never happen.
I trust you. It is time to uphold my end of the deal, then.
Right now?
Yes. I will inject my Aura into you and use it to expand your Mana Circuit and unlock your second Mana Core, which will make you undergo Body Change. Mu-Gun explained, describing the process using terms commonly used in Avalon.
The martial arts system between murim and Avalon had pretty similar aspects. Mana could be likened to qi, Mana Circuit to blood vessels, Mana Core to dantian, and Body Change to metamorphosis.
However, while the Central Plains martial arts were focused on internal energy, Avalons combat arts[1] were focused on external energy. Hence, Avalons average internal qigong was relatively lower than the Central Plains.
The Knight Orders and royalties had unique Mana circulation methods that were equal to the Central Plains internal energy cultivation methods in earlier ranks. However, they paled in comparison to the Ascension-Realm ones.
Likewise, the Golden Lion Knights Mana circulation method could only take them as far as the Advanced Expert rank. Hence, While helping them become a Master using the Thunder God Enlightenment Spell, Mu-Gun planned to reconstruct their Mana circulation method as well.
The Demon God was not alone. They had the Wolfkans, which were an immediate threat to House Stonia, under their control along with other monsters. Since Mu-Gun could not take them all down alone, he had to get people who could help him. Recruiting the Golden Lion Order was just the first step in that plan.
Isnt Body Change something only Master-rank Knights can achieve? Schwartz asked in surprise.
Yes. Shouldnt you at least be that strong to fight against the Demon Gods followers? Mu-Gun nonchalantly replied.
Can I really reach it that quickly? Schwartz still seemed skeptical.
Sir Schwartz!
Yes, my lord.
Trust me.
Understood. From this moment forward, I will put my absolute trust in you and leave myself in your care, Schwartz said, having steeled his resolve.
Mu-Gun sat in a lotus position. Then sit with your legs crossed like mine.
As instructed, Schwartz mimicked him.
I will begin teaching you a new Mana circulation method, which I will use to help you achieve Body Change. Make sure you remember and start training with it.
Understood.
Good. Lets begin.
Mu-Gun put his right hand on top of Schwartzs head and his left hand on Schwartzs back. Using his hands as circulators, he then made the Thunder God Qi flow into him.
Schwartz flinched due to the huge amount of Thunder God Qi entering him. However, he soon calmed down the disturbance in him and entrusted himself to the qi.
Make sure to remember the path and sequence that my Mana is taking.
Mu-Gun slowly guided the Thunder God Qi according to the scriptures of the Vermillion Fire Sects internal energy cultivation method, the Nine Revolving Fire Art. He planned to pass it down to the Golden Lion Order along with the Nine Sky-Shaking Fire Blades, judging that those martial arts were the most suitable for them based on the Mana circulation method and sword techniques that they were using.
The Vermillion Fire Sect was one of the most well-known clans in murim until the Hell-Blood Demon Sect annihilated them. Their Ascension-Realm secret techniques were highly ranked in murim and were as complex and profound as they were powerful. Likewise, their cultivation method was also complicated, deep, and on a completely different level from the Mana circulation method that the Golden Lion Order was learning.
It would have been difficult to pass the Nine Revolving Fire Art down to them using normal means. Fortunately, the path that the Thunder God Enlightenment Spell paved directly into their body allowed them to easily pick it up.
Schwartz flinched every time the Thunder God Qi bore through his blocked blood vessels. He initially suspected that things had gone awry because of the shock he felt, but the refreshing sensation that surged over him right after blew his silent doubts away.
Now that his mind was clear, he focused on the pathway that the Thunder God Qi was taking, which was completely different from the Mana circulation method that he knew. His Mana circulation method focused on connecting his Mana Cores to the Mana Circuit in his arms and legs. On the other hand, the Mana currently moving inside him prioritized unclogging all the Mana Circuits all over his body, allowing them to expand. This was one of the requirements needed to become a Master.
I can reach it.
As his Mana Circuits continued to expand, Schwartzs expectations also rose. Following the Nine Revolving Fire Arts scriptures, Mu-Gun unclogged his blood vessels and did a hundred and eight circulation cycles. The process imprinted the Nine Revolving Fire Arts cultivation method on him and changed his Manas property to fire.
The more circulation cycle was done, the more his Mana increased. Schwartz could feel his body changing. His Mana, which used to flow like a stream, was now flowing like a huge waterfall.
However, Mu-Gun was not done yet.
- This will be painful, but trust me and hold on.
After telepathically warning Schwartz, Mu-Gun began to use Schwartzs turbulent Mana to break through the Life and Death Gateway. The pain made Schwartz tremble profusely. He felt as if lightning was constantly striking his head. Nevertheless, when fear swept over him, his belief in Mu-Gun allowed him to hold it all in.
Mu-Gun condensed Schwartzs Mana and strengthened it by coating it with the Thunder God Qi. It cracked the wall[2] of the Life and Death Gateway on the second collision and finally broke through on the third. The moment the Gateway opened, the Nine Fire Qi, which the Nine Revolving Fire Art had refined, soared up from his head and enveloped him like a protective layer.
Entering the Floating Samadhi state, Schwartz rose about three inches from the floor and sucked in the surrounding energy, creating what looked like a vortex with him at the center.
The Nine Fire Qi surrounding him gradually inflated in size. After absorbing as much fire energy as it could, it all seeped into his head and quickly filled the Mana Core in his lower abdomen. It then made its way to his heart, unlocking the second Mana Core and filling it to the brim.
Finally, Schwartz underwent Body Change. His skeletal structure began to twist and realign, reconstructing it. His muscles and skin then underwent the same process.
Soon, his body achieved the perfect form for martial arts and overflowed with volcano-like energy. Schwartz could instinctively feel that he had become a Master-rank Knight.
He could not believe it. Overwhelmed, he knelt in front of Mu-Gun.
Thank you. I will never forget the grace that you have given me, Lord Argon. I will do everything in my power to help you and defeat the Demon God.
Please stand up. Mu-Gun helped Schwartz up. If you want to face the Wolfkans tonight, you will have to adapt to your newly gained strength.
I will try to adapt as much as I can until the Wolfkans invade.
I would also like to ask you a favor.
Please tell me, Schwartz readily answered.
I intend to give the same power to the Golden Lion Knights as well, not just you. I hope you can help me properly convey my intentions to them.
Understood. I am certain that they will be willing to follow your will, Lord Argon.
I will leave it to you, then.
Schwartz bid him farewell and left the room. Mu-Gun remained inside, waiting for Schwartz to persuade the Golden Lion Knights with full confidence that they would agree.
It was the knights glorious duty to protect Avalon from the Demon God. Considering accepting his proposal would give them Master-rank power in return as well, they had no reason to object unless they feared dying in battle. Mu-Gun would not force anyone who had such thoughts.
An hour later, Schwartz came back in and informed Mu-Gun that the Golden Lion Knights had decided to join Mu-Guns cause.
1. Using combat arts when referring to Avalon to not confuse it with the Central Plains murims martial arts.
2. This is more like an imaginary wall.
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