Chapter 7 : The Breath of Black Flame

It had been a week since I woke up here.

During that time, Ethan continued training with Myers.

“Bro! Haven’t I gotten pretty good at blocking lately?”

Myers, holding a wooden shield, boasted confidently.

Thwack!

I struck his head with a wooden sword.

“Don’t get cocky. You’ve still got a long way to go.”

Though I said that, I was secretly impressed by Myers’ rapid progress.

Even without using mana, the precision of my strike, honed by real combat experience, was one that even seasoned knights would struggle to block.

‘To think he’s starting to parry it after just a week.’

Moreover, perhaps due to his large build, Myers’ muscles were growing steadily with proper meals and diligent training.

‘At this rate, he’s built a solid foundation.’

Ethan looked at Myers.

“How much do you know about the family’s secret techniques?”

“Nothing at all. Not just me—neither Sis nor Second Bro know anything either.”

“Then what mana breathing technique did you learn?”

“Just the one the family knights practice.”

“Have you achieved resonance?”

“Not yet…”

“You’ve been slacking, huh.”

“Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. From now on, I’ll teach you a new breathing technique, so use it to fill your mana core.”

“Huh?”

The Breath of Black Flame.

It was the secret breathing technique of the Ardan Duchy.

By using this breath to gather mana and completing all four stages, one could fundamentally transform the nature of their mana.

In the family, this altered mana was called the Black Flame, as it took on the form of dark, fiery sparks.

Igniting the Black Flame within one’s body was a prerequisite to being recognized as a true heir of the family.

For the past two hundred years, every head of the duchy had been a knight who successfully wielded the Black Flame.

Moreover, the ten secret techniques passed down in the family all relied on manipulating the Black Flame.

The standard breathing method taught to ordinary knights couldn’t produce it.

So, what choice was there?

You had to discard the mana you’d accumulated and start gathering it anew.

“The breathing technique I’m about to teach you is the Breath of Black Flame.”

Myers’ eyes widened at Ethan’s words.

Even though the technique was said to have been lost, he wasn’t entirely ignorant of its name—especially since it was the foundation for all the family’s secret techniques.

“The Breath of Black Flame… isn’t that the lost technique?”

“Correct.”

“How did you…?”

“It’s one of the techniques I restored before I fell.”

“Got it! If you teach me, I’ll learn it with all I’ve got, Bro! I’ll cast aside all the mana I’ve built up without hesitation!”

“Good. You’ll have to. How much do you know about the Breath of Black Flame?”

“Just what I’ve read in the surviving texts… I know it has four stages: Resonance, Sowing, Circulation, and Blooming.”

“So you know the names. You’re aware of Resonance, at least?”

Myers’ face scrunched up as if he’d been wronged.

“Bro! No matter how much I slacked, how could I not know about Resonance? Every knight goes through it. It’s the process of filling the mana core completely, right?”

“Wow.”

Was there anyone else in the world who could describe Resonance so simplistically?

Myers had been straightforward and brutish in my past life, and it seemed this life was no different.

“It’s about vibrating the mana core to align its wavelength with the mana in the atmosphere. That’s how you gather mana.”

“I know! I was just summarizing it. Honestly!”

His face betrayed his lies, just like always.

“Fine, let’s say that’s true. Resonance is the easy part—every knight goes through it, as you said. But Sowing is different.”

Sowing, Circulation, and Blooming—these three stages were unique to the Breath of Black Flame, unlike anything found in other families.

“Sowing is, as the name suggests, the process of planting a seed.”

“Planting a seed?”

To be precise, it was the process of planting the Essence of Fire as a seed within the mana core.

Myers nodded.

“So planting the Essence of Fire… it’s like sowing a seed, right?”

“Exactly.”

“How do you plant it?”

“You fill your mana core completely, then visualize that mana as flames, compressing it over and over. When you condense it into a tiny, seed-like form, it becomes the Essence of Fire.”

“Does that really work?”

“Yes, it really does.”

Countless ancestors had proven it.

There was no reason it wouldn’t work.

“The Breath of Black Flame will guide you through the process. But it requires strong conviction.”

“Conviction?”

“You have to repeatedly think of the mana as flames and fully believe it. Without that belief, even with the breathing technique’s help, the Essence of Fire won’t take root properly.”

“That sounds tough.”

Myers scratched his head.

Was it easy to think of mana as flames and believe it wholeheartedly?

Clearly not.

Then, a thought struck Myers.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to use magic? There are spells that create illusions or auditory effects, right?”

“Using such shortcuts would prevent you from awakening a true Black Flame. You’d only ever produce a half-baked version. Do you want that?”

“No way! If I’m going to use it, it’s gotta be the best!”

“Exactly.”

I patted the youngest’s head.

His mindset was befitting a member of the family: if you’re going to do something, it has to be the best.

Ethan felt the same.

“What about Circulation?”

“I’ll tell you when you reach the Sowing stage. Remember this: from the Resonance stage onward, don’t think of gathering mana—think of gathering flames. That’ll make the Sowing stage easier to overcome.”

“Got it!”

“I’ll recite the incantation for you. Start now.”

Myers sat cross-legged, and mana began to flow out of his body.

He started discarding the mana he’d accumulated without hesitation.

“Empty it, and fill it with flames.”

With his eyes tightly shut, Myers visualized flames.

Ethan Ardan.

The brilliant, scorching flames that would completely incinerate his eldest brother’s enemies.

“That’s it.”

Encouraged by those words, Myers gained confidence.

As his old mana was discarded, the mana of flames, the foundation of the Black Flame, began to fill the gaps.

Repeating the incantation, Myers fell into a trance.

When he opened his eyes again, the once-dark sky had brightened.

His mana core now brimmed with mana of a new quality.

“Well done.”

“Thanks, Bro!”

“If you keep training like this for about two months, you’ll complete the Resonance stage.”

“Got it! I’ll work hard.”

“Rest for today. Tomorrow, there’s somewhere we need to go together.”

The two entered the annex. Back in his room, Ethan looked at his wrist.

‘The resonance in this part is complete.’

The wrist was the most frequently used part when wielding a sword, so he had prioritized its Resonance.

Now that it was done, it was time for the Sowing stage.

Hundreds of mana cores.

What would happen if he planted the seed of fire in all of them?

He’d be able to move far more precisely and efficiently than if he relied on a single mana core to govern his body.

Mana flowing from a nearby core would reach its destination faster than mana traveling from the abdomen.

‘In my past life, I only used one mana core… but…’

There was no need for that now.

The mana core had burst open, naturally preparing itself for the process.

To handle hundreds of mana cores like this, the most crucial thing was overwhelming talent.

If one’s mana control or combat sense was even slightly lacking, managing so many mana cores would become more of a hindrance than an advantage.

Of course, for Ethan, this wasn’t an issue.

He closed his eyes.

In the small mana core located at his wrist, the Essence of Fire began to form.

The next morning, Ethan, who had been sitting cross-legged, rose from his spot.

It was a process he had already gone through once. Repeating it a second time wasn’t difficult.

The essence, compressed and re-compressed until it radiated intense heat, had firmly taken root near his wrist.

Stepping out of his room, Ethan ate breakfast with Myers.

After a hearty meal, he immediately summoned Hans.

“You called, Young Master?”

Hans exclaimed.

“There’s somewhere we need to go.”

“Just say the word, and I’ll guide you right away.”

Hans rubbed his hands eagerly.

This guy won’t starve anywhere he goes, Ethan thought.

Hans had an uncanny ability to understand exactly what was wanted.

“Those thugs we met last time—where’s their hideout?”

“Oh! You mean those lowlife punks? They’re holed up in the center of the village. Shall we head out now?”

“Yeah.”

Ethan followed Hans with Myers in tow.

Soon, the sight of a fairly large village came into view.

“That big building over there is their hideout,” Hans said.

“Rumor has it their so-called ‘Big Brother’ can use mana.”

“Mana?”

Ethan asked.

“Yes, that’s what I heard.”

“Got it. Myers.”

“Yeah, Bro?”

“Smash this place to pieces.”

There couldn’t be a better first real combat opponent for Myers to test the skills he’d learned.

These thugs used various weapons like daggers and clubs, and their attacks came from all directions, so he’d have to stay sharp.

“Got it, Bro!”

Myers, wielding a wooden shield and sword, kicked the door open with a commanding presence.

BOOM!

The nearby walls trembled with the loud crash.

“What the hell! Who’s the bastard… huh?”

“Isn’t that the youngest lord?”

The thugs tilted their heads in confusion.

The youngest lord, Myers.

He was one of the close-knit buddies they called “brother” around here.

For someone to barge in during broad daylight and kick the door like that, his face was the last they expected.

“Come at me, you bastards!”

Myers shouted, banging his wooden sword against his shield.

“…Who got the young lord drunk in the middle of the day?”

“That’s Second Brother’s job, isn’t it? But he’s recovering now, so why would he give him booze?”

Before they could continue their banter, Myers charged at them.

WHACK!

“Argh!”

One thug, struck by the wooden sword, collapsed frothing at the mouth.

Myers’ strength was monstrous.

No one could withstand a full-force blow from his wooden sword and come out unscathed.

“Damn it!”

“Subdue him!”

The thugs, wielding clubs, surrounded Myers tightly.

There were well over ten of them on the first floor alone.

Even after forming the encirclement, some remained.

Their gazes naturally shifted toward Ethan and Hans.

“And who the hell are you two?”

Five thugs, wearing menacing expressions, swaggered toward them.

Hans cautiously grabbed Ethan’s sleeve.

“Y-Young Master?”

Ethan smirked and threw a punch at the approaching thug.

Explosive power surged from the Essence of Fire in his wrist.

Even though he struck with far less force than before…

WHAM!

CRASH!

With a single punch, the thug slammed into the wall.

“Don’t mind me. Fight him.”

BOOM!

As the second loud crash echoed, the thugs turned to Myers in a panic.

“Eek!”

They hurriedly focused on Myers.

Fighting a human was better than facing a monster.

Ethan quietly began observing Myers’ first real battle.