Wizard: Starting With the Knights Breathing Method

After reading the letter, Levi fell into a silent reverie, his emotions churning.

“Among the Seven Legends, you were the last one I hadn’t met. Why couldn’t you wait for me… Well, never mind. I will fulfill your last wish. Tulip Hill is my hometown too.”

At that moment, Levi felt a pang of sorrow, like a fox lamenting the death of a rabbit.

“But at least your legendary title lives on, passed down through the generations, much better than mine,” Levi murmured. He took out a cup of Snow Beer and raised it to the desiccated corpse before him, toasting across time and space.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

After finishing his drink, Levi carefully gathered the remains and belongings of the Snowflake Knight.

“The era of old legendary knights has ended. May all the deceased rest in peace. The new era will be forged by me, the supreme knight,” he declared solemnly.

The witch who owned this ring must have been quite powerful, judging by the high-quality materials inside. Among them, a pitch-black heart caught his attention.

“This is the heart of some kind of demon,” Levi thought.

He called over the Mind Flayer and asked, “Can you identify this?”

“Got it. Continue mining. Dig three feet deep in this canyon, and we’re bound to find more ores,” Levi commanded.

“Yes, master!”

Apart from the undead spirits guarding the array and patrolling, Levi’s other minions were all mining in Giant Ax Canyon. Levi, meanwhile, acted like a laid-back boss, resembling a coal baron.

“The Night Demon’s heart must be used to refine some kind of potion,” Levi speculated.

As if to confirm his guess, he discovered an ancient potion recipe shortly after.

“Eternal Darkness of the Night Demon, a fifth-circle potion requiring the heart of a fifth-level Night Demon, the heart of a level 4 Eye Beast, level 4 Lightless Grass, and Black Dew… Once concocted, this potion can increase crystallization success rate by about 15%.”

Levi was overjoyed. His search for a fifth-circle breakthrough potion had been fruitless, and this recipe, along with the Night Demon’s heart, was a godsend.

A 15% increase in success rate for a fifth-circle breakthrough potion was above average. Even the best potions only provided about a 20% increase.

Levi thought to himself, “If I can find a ready-made fifth-circle potion, great. If not, I can have someone make it.”

The Witch’s Family excelled in pharmacy, and their group surely included a fifth-circle pharmacist. He could ask Anya to connect him with a reliable pharmacist.

In addition to the potion ingredients, the ring contained some worthless wizard tools and common Ocean School of Thought spells. None of these caught Levi’s interest. However, in a corner of the ring, he found a carefully sealed box.

To avoid any traps, Levi activated his protective force field and opened the box.

Inside was a moldy, ancient black book. Levi stared at the blood-red characters on the cover.

“The Necromancer’s Codex… sounds ominous,” Levi mused.

He opened the book to the first page and read the introduction:

“Life is about to accelerate—Anonymous.”

“What on earth?”

Levi dismissed the cryptic introduction, skimming through the rest of the book’s contents. His heart began to race, and he had to force himself to calm down.

“This is a forbidden technique!”

He immediately shut the book, not daring to read further. He feared that he might unconsciously memorize the spells and be tempted to use them.

He wasn’t exaggerating—this was a book of forbidden knowledge.

The contents were filled with an extreme allure, guaranteed to entice those with weak wills into learning and using them.

Levi trusted his own willpower, but he felt it was better not to take any chances. Out of sight, out of mind.

These secret techniques offered immense power but came with terrifying drawbacks. The common downside was… a reduction in lifespan.

This was completely against Levi’s belief in longevity. Given his talents and capabilities, he didn’t need these forbidden techniques to gain power. He had better options.

The first forbidden technique was “Step of Ascension.”

This technique once circulated in the Endless Sea. A dark wizard leader, Mad Wizard Pucci, had comprehended this secret technique from a Grand Wizard’s Mark of Truth (detailed in Chapter 172).

This secret technique was touted as the “Path to Godhood.” Practicing it promised rapid progress, ultimately leading to godhood.

Pucci, who was said to be of average talent, became a Fifth-Circle Wizard at the age of four hundred by practicing this technique. He even encouraged others to learn it.

However, this technique had a dreadful side effect: it induced a “state of madness” in the wizard, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. The afflicted would spout nonsense and often attack others indiscriminately.

Pucci was soon captured and died of old age in prison within six months.

This pointed to the second effect of the technique.

The faster one advanced using this technique, the shorter their lifespan. In the most extreme cases, a wizard would break through one moment and die the next.

In addition to “Step of Ascension,” there was another forbidden technique with severe side effects: the “Nine Lives Secret Technique.”

By sacrificing their own lifespan to a great entity, practitioners could gain a boost in power.

The amount of lifespan sacrificed wasn’t fixed. It varied depending on the practitioner’s realm, race, the number of great entities involved, and the desired amount of power.