The morning sun rises.
Golden sunlight breaks through the seaside mist, countless sea birds flap their wings and chase the snow-white waves.
The young boy stands bare-chested in the waves, wearing only shorts. His skin has a slight bronze tint, his arms are broad and strong, and his muscles have a smooth and powerful aesthetic. Although there is still a trace of youthful innocence on his face, his well-built physique is not inferior to any well-trained elite warrior in the City Guard.
Aiven holds a training iron sword in both hands, his eyes looking levelly at the sword's tip, his breathing through his nose and mouth slightly in sync with a peculiar rhythm, as if each inhale and exhale resonates with all the muscles and bones in his body.
Although he is standing still, as the waves continuously hit Aiven, his whole body seems to be engaged in intense exercise.
And not the kind of exercise like running, long jump, or weightlifting which only targets specific aspects, but an all-encompassing exercise that involves every inch of skin, every muscle, every cell from inside out.
It didn't take long before his entire blood flow accelerated, and his skin became heated and red. Even in the slightly cool seawater, white steam was rising from his body.
As time passed, until the white steam almost formed a mist that wouldn't disperse, Aiven slowly exhaled, put down the iron sword, and returned to the beach to slowly relax his body.
After his body thoroughly recovered.
Aiven took out a slightly eerie bottle of dark green potion from his backpack and drank it without changing expression. Then he practiced fundamental swordsmanship movements unwaveringly on the beach, thrusting, chopping, intercepting, sweeping...
The moves were all simple swordsmanship techniques, but in Aiven's hands, they had a unique flavor refined by a thousand trials.
Two years have passed since the awakening of his memory.
Aiven has also grown into a handsome fifteen-year-old, tall and well-built, with slightly tanned skin due to long-term sun exposure, the kind of masculine type most favored by the seaside girls.
However, what slightly troubled him was that the girls who used to tease him not only didn't quiet down as he expected but intensified over the past two years, causing him to have to practice in such a secluded beach where no one would bother him.
"Alas, being too popular is also a kind of hassle!"
But such blissful troubles do not currently concern Aiven because...
"Display body data."
Name: Aiven Galliot
Attributes: Constitution 0.9 (1)
Strength 0.86 (1)
Agility 0.93 (1)
Intelligence 0.9 (1)
Skills: White Sail Swordsmanship (Mastery, including matching Breathing Technique, Swordsmanship, Magic Potion), Archery (Mastery), Grammar (Mastery), Nautical Knowledge (Beginner), Pharmacy (Beginner)
After two years of systematic and diligent training, fifteen-year-old Aiven has reached the Peak of Apprentice Knight, although none of his values have reached the theoretical limit of 1 point.
But after all, that is just a theoretical limit; Aiven's current physical quality is actually not inferior to the vast majority of Peak Apprentice Knights.
As long as he can obtain one more bottle of Black Sea Potion to aid his breakthrough and complete the brutal physical Extraordinary transformation, he can become an Official Knight and truly enter the ranks of the Extraordinary.
...
Besides reaching the peak of physical quality, the most significant change in the past two years is his signature ability, "White Sail Swordsmanship."
In just two years, he completed the transformation from Beginner Level to Master-level, a path others might not be able to complete in a lifetime.
The combat power difference between the two is like the difference between a well-trained warrior and a regular farmer, and the biggest mark of this is reaching the threshold of using the sword's "Secret Technique," initially possessing a trace of Extraordinary Traits.
However, this was not because Aiven had a sudden awakening after memory recovery and an explosive talent outbreak.
It was through real-time monitoring from the Data Visualization that every exertion, every move's effectiveness was instantly fed back, allowing Aiven to make timely adjustments, always progressing down the right path.
Making simple and repetitive practice much more efficient.
This dream-like training state for knights is even more effective than having a Master-level swordsmanship teacher guiding constantly.
One could say that Aiven, left to fend for himself without resources and guidance, has achieved his current success at this age all thanks to the Data Visualization!
The only thing that slightly discontented Aiven was that the Black Sea Potion initially procured with considerable effort has gradually lost its effect on him.
"Now it can only be used as a sports drink."
The Black Sea Potion Aiven consumed is a sub-version of Black Sea Potion, a simplified version completely made with ordinary materials, and as Aiven's physical condition rapidly improved, it has almost entirely lost its effect on him.
Even though Aiven continues to consume it, it is merely to squeeze out the last bit of the potion's value, otherwise not worth the life-threatening risk he took two years ago.
However, this miser instinctively overlooked that what nearly cost him his life two years ago was the highly valuable black pearl, not the potion ingredients...
As for where the black pearls went?
Aiven touched his stomach, indicating they were still palatable.
As a pragmatic person, Aiven didn't harbor any thoughts of keeping them as heirlooms; to be safe, he had already sold them to a jewelry store in three separate transactions.
And most of the Golden Lions received from selling the black pearls had already enriched Aiven's stomach.
Because during the apprentice stage of a knight's training, besides sword practice, breathing techniques, and potion assistance, the rapid growth of a knight relies on eating!
Ample nutrition is essential to support a mighty physique, and the adage of rich warriors holds true even in the Otherworld.
...
After finishing the daily unwavering knight training, Aiven put on his clothes and returned to the "White Stone Potion Shop."
Besides the slightly worn windows and doors, this small shop hadn't changed much in two years. Evidently, as its owner, Aiven had not invested much thought into this shop, maintaining the status quo was sufficient.
However, Aiven's only employee, Mr. Sangji, seemed to have realized something, becoming exceptionally earnest in learning the pharmacy knowledge Aiven started teaching him two years ago, and by today, he was nearly capable of handling it on his own.
Because, in this era, any kind of knowledge is precious, learning basic math and literacy costs a fortune, let alone advanced knowledge like pharmacy, equating to handing Sangji a bright path to changing his destiny.
Aiven still remembers how Sangji was moved to tears, almost wanting to sell himself, a truly exaggerated scene.
"Jingle, jingle..."
The doorbell rings.
"Mr. Aiven, good morning! Gleam just delivered two wild boar legs, don't forget to take them when you leave. I've already paid him, it's a total of eighty copper fuer coins."
Though amused, Aiven refused Sangji's offer to sell himself, yet Sangji's attitude toward him only grew more respectful.
"Yes, alright, I know," Aiven had been continuously ordering fresh game meat from Gleam and his hunter friends over the past two years, with Gleam occasionally delivering personally, a responsibility mostly handled by shopkeeper Sangji, becoming routine.
"By the way, Sangji, did you manage to gather any information about the navy recruitment nearby from the sailors?"
"Uh..."
With hands clutching the edge of the counter, Sangji hesitated to speak but finally gathered the courage to nervously say after seeing Aiven's determined look: "Mr. Aiven, are you really planning on joining the navy? My father has friends who are retired sailors, and while there's a big shortage in the navy, life drifting at sea is not as glamorous as we might imagine."
Aiven said nothing.
Sangji dared not look into Aiven's eyes, summoning the courage to make a final effort to dissuade Aiven from this dangerous idea: "The ever-emerging pirates, diseases, harsh weather, and even terrifying sea monsters from the ocean depths, the navy's casualty rate..."
As Sangji spoke, his voice grew softer, almost wanting to hide beneath the counter, and after waiting a while and seeing no reaction from Aiven, he realized he had no ability to change Aiven's mind.
He then placed a piece of paper full of writing on the table: "Mr. Aiven, please don't tell my mother it was me who told you, or she will kill me."
Seeing this note, Aiven finally smiled.
"Hahaha, thank you, Sangji, but you should change your character, being so timid won't make girls like you."
Laughing as he took the note from Sangji's hand, Aiven placed another prepared note into his hand.
"What is this?"
Aiven winked at him: "The treasure of the White Stone Potion Shop, you must take good care of it, Sangji!"
Looking at the "Live Fish Potion" recipe in his hand, a warm feeling filled Sangji's heart; being trusted and given responsibility felt really good.
So he shouted to Aiven, who was already at the door: "Don't worry, Mr. Aiven! I got engaged to Miss Sharon at the tailor's yesterday!"
Aiven stumbled, nearly falling, as the heart of a twice-lifetime bachelor seemed to suffer a ten thousand blows.