Chen Tian groggily opened his eyes, his head feeling as heavy as if it were filled with lead. He struggled to move and found himself lying in a bumpy carriage.
Beneath him was a hard wooden plank covered with only a thin layer of dry grass, which made his whole body ache. The wheels rolled over the uneven road, the carriage creaking and groaning, making his stomach churn.
The carriage was filled with a pungent smell of sawdust, mixed with the musty smell of hay and the rotten odor of old objects, making it nauseating.
The surrounding area was filled with bulging sacks and wooden crates, the sacks filled with grain, with grains occasionally falling out from the gaps.
The wooden crate was firmly nailed in place and bore the baron's coat of arms—a soaring eagle. The coat of arms was somewhat faded, indicating that the carriage had been in use for a long time.
"Where am I?" Chen Tian muttered to himself, when suddenly a flood of unfamiliar memories rushed into his mind. He felt dizzy and confused as those memories overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.
Chen Tian sat up abruptly, his mind a jumbled mess. The memories weren't his, yet they felt incredibly real. The two sets of memories intertwined in his brain, leaving Chen Tian unable to distinguish whether what he was seeing was real or an illusion.
Without hesitation, he patted his head to clear his head a little, and the two memories gradually separated and became clearer.
Chen Tian remembers that he was originally an Earthling from the 23rd century. He was a world-class genius with a great reputation in the scientific research community. However, as he got older, his physical strength declined, and Chen Tian's abilities continued to decrease.
Chen Tian, who has a rather radical personality, participated in a cutting-edge quantum chip implantation research project. If the experiment is successful, Chen Tian will become the smartest human in the world thanks to the superior performance of the quantum chip.
But now, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar world, with a memory in his mind that didn't belong to him. It seemed he had failed; a bitter smile appeared on Chen Tian's face. This situation was clearly exactly the same as in 21st-century time-travel novels.
"If those who study the multiverse knew about this, they'd probably be overjoyed! If they knew that participating in quantum chip implantation could allow them to travel through the universe, they might fight tooth and nail for that spot." Chen Tian thought to himself, wondering about his colleagues who had gone completely mad while researching the multiverse.
However, Chen Tian recalled the experiments he had undertaken to maintain his peak intelligence and even to break through to higher levels, risking everything to implant quantum chips. His elder brother might not be so bad, but he himself wasn't much better off.
After letting out a helpless sigh, Chen Tian continued to organize his memories.
"Kingdom of Loding... Green... Baron's Territory... Knight's Breathing Technique..." Chen Tian muttered these unfamiliar words under his breath, his heart filled with doubt and unease. He realized that he had not only transmigrated, but had also merged with the soul of this boy named Green.
"It seems I'll have to adapt to this new identity." Chen Tian nodded, deciding to accept this reality for the time being. He gathered his thoughts and began to recall Green's memories.
This is a world similar to medieval Europe, and the continent where Chen Tian is located is called Osfil Continent. Hundreds of kingdoms exist on it, and these kingdoms are constantly fighting each other. Every year or two, news of a kingdom's demise will arrive.
The kingdom Chen Tian was in was called the Kingdom of Notting. It was a relatively large kingdom in the surrounding area. The kingdoms that posed a threat to the Kingdom of Notting were the neighboring Kingdom of Saladin and the Maslow Alliance.
However, the Maslowian Alliance is peace-loving, the entire country highly values commerce, and has never waged war against other countries.
On the contrary, the Kingdom of Saladin frequently clashed with the Kingdom of Lodin on the border. The two sides had their share of victories and defeats, but the struggle never stopped. Both sides wanted to completely annex the other and expand their own territory.
However, this struggle also led to the prevalence of a military meritocracy in the kingdoms of Nottingham and Saladin, with countless ordinary civilians gaining military merit through enlistment and rising through the ranks to become nobles.
The territory where Chen Tian lived was one of them. During a war more than a decade ago, the ruling family of this territory, the Cloth family, acquired this fiefdom because the current baron beheaded an enemy knight on the battlefield.
The Kro family is considered a relatively wealthy minor noble family in the northern province of the Kingdom of Notting.
The territory is located beside the Annapurna Mountains, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a river originating from the Annapurna Mountains flowing through it. The territory is so vast that even by horseback, it would take an hour to traverse the baron's domain.
That's all the memory of the environment goes on. In this medieval-like world, transportation was underdeveloped, and most people never left their homeland in their entire lives. The Grimm of this world didn't have much more information about the outside world in his memories; even this information came from Old Grimm's explanations to his predecessor.
Thinking of Old Green filled Chen Tian's heart with warmth. He forced himself to suppress the unusual emotions within him. Chen Tian knew this situation was unavoidable.
Old Green's real name is unknown; everyone calls him that, and Old Green accepts it readily. He never objects or reveals his real name, and over time, this name has become the accepted one.
During the last war against the Kingdom of Saladin, Old Green served in the same army as the Baron of the territory. In one operation, while protecting the Baron, Old Green was stabbed. Although he survived, he suffered a lingering injury that prevented him from continuing his breathing exercises. After the war, the Baron appointed him as the territory's warehouse manager—a leisurely but well-paid position.
Old Green enjoyed a special status throughout the castle, and no one dared to disrespect him. Those who mocked Old Green were captured and drowned in the river that flowed through the territory by the baron.
Old Green himself was very humble. He never showed arrogance because of the Baron's generous treatment.
As for the relationship between Green and Old Green, Green was an orphan adopted by Old Green. Old Green found him in the snow one winter when he went to the market to buy supplies.
At the time, Green was just a baby. He was placed in the snow, but he did not die. Instead, he was full of energy, which seemed very strange.
Old Greene also conducted a follow-up investigation and found that no child was born on that day in the entire baronial territory, which made him even more convinced that Greene was a gift from God.
Old Green lost his fertility due to an internal injury, which made him even more attentive to Green. Old Green treated Green like his own son, caring for him meticulously from a young age. Green was also very filial, and the two had an extremely harmonious relationship.
Recalling these memories, a bright smile appeared on Chen Tian's lips.
The carriage struck a huge rock, and the violent shaking pulled Chen Tian out of his reverie.
Without continuing to recall memories of Old Green, Chen Tian quickly organized his thoughts and continued analyzing the information he could extract from his memories.
In this world, there exists a transcendent power known as the Knight's Breathing Technique. Through this breathing technique, people can activate the life seed within their bodies, thereby gaining immense power. Knights are ranked from Apprentice to Paladin, with a total of four ranks.
Knight Apprentice: After learning the basic breathing techniques and forming the Life Seed, a peak apprentice can possess strength beyond human limits. Calling them a match for ten thousand men is no exaggeration. According to Chen Tian's analysis, an ordinary Knight Apprentice is roughly equivalent to Captain America, a popular protagonist in 21st-century movies. All their abilities have reached the pinnacle of human capabilities. Human wave tactics are useless against them. Truly, one man can hold off ten thousand.
Formal Knights: Knights who have activated their life seeds through years of training possess strength far exceeding that of humans. They can engage in direct hand-to-hand combat with all sorts of ferocious beasts in this world and emerge victorious. In this world where extraordinary power exists, the strength and speed of the beasts far surpass those of their previous lives, and they are extremely ferocious. Some of the more powerful beasts could be described as tanks. And formal knights who can rival them can be called human tanks.
Great Knight: The seed of life grows further, sprouting and taking root in the soul, creating a semi-transparent life barrier around the body that novices can break through. Its vitality is tenacious, and its lifespan increases dramatically, allowing it to live up to 200 years. According to the descriptions in my memory, these Great Knights' life barriers could probably withstand cannon fire.
Paladin: As the title suggests, they are extraordinary and divine. The life seed of a Paladin fully matures into a great tree within their soul. They can transform external energy through breathing techniques, fight without ceasing, and easily cleave mountains and shatter rocks with a single swing of their sword. They are the greatest pillar of a kingdom, possessing a lifespan of 400 years, ensuring the long-term survival of a nation. It can be said that the existence of a Paladin is the greatest guarantee of a kingdom.
"This world is truly wondrous," Chen Tian thought to himself. As memories flooded in, Chen Tian had accepted his new identity. "From now on, I will live in this world as Green."
Considering the border frictions, and the fact that both kingdoms are currently in a period of recuperation due to the last war.
"So, I'm living in a relatively peaceful period," Green thought to himself. He was filled with curiosity about this world, but also realized that he needed to acquire power as soon as possible in order to gain a foothold in it.
If the next war breaks out and the king conscripts soldiers, and I'm one of them, with my skinny arms and legs, I'd probably just be cannon fodder on the battlefield. Who knows, I might be casually killed by some regular knight.
Just then, the carriage suddenly stopped. Green heard an old voice outside: "Green, we've arrived." He lifted the curtain, jumped off the carriage, and saw a bustling market.
The market was located in the heart of the baron's territory, a vast area with easy access in all directions. People came and went, bustling about, with shouts of vendors, bargaining, and children's laughter all blending together in a lively atmosphere.
Old Green parked the carriage outside the market, found a tree at random, and tied the horse to it.
He walked straight toward the market, not worried that anyone would steal his carriage. In the entire baron's territory, everyone knew this carriage.
Old Green walked for a while and found Chen Tian still standing there in the carriage, stunned.
"Green, what are you daydreaming about? Come and help me!" Old Green called out with a smile.
"Oh, coming," Green replied, and quickly followed.
The two began busily purchasing daily necessities. Green helped while observing their surroundings. Although the market was bustling, most people were dressed in coarse cloth and had simple, honest faces, clearly indicating they were not well-off.
"The standard of living in this world doesn't seem to be very high," Green thought to himself.
Old Green led Green to various shops, where they bought all sorts of daily necessities. Green obediently followed behind, placing the purchases in the car. This behavior was consistent with Green's previously quiet nature.
Just as the two finished purchasing everything they needed and were carrying large and small bags, they hurried toward the carriage.
"Old Green, I have a question," Green suddenly said.
"What's the problem?" Old Green put down the items in his hands and turned to look at Green seriously.
"I want to learn the Knight's Breathing Technique," Green said earnestly.
Old Green paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "You're really impatient. Don't worry, I'll teach you the breathing technique once you're an adult and your body has fully developed."
"Why do we have to wait until we're adults?" Green asked, puzzled.
"Breathing techniques put a lot of strain on the body, and practicing them before adulthood can easily damage one's foundation," Old Green explained.
"Then why can the Baron's son practice breathing techniques from a young age?" Green knew that the Baron's eldest son had started training from childhood.
Old Green wouldn't lie to him; Green simply wanted to know the reason. Old Green looked at Green in surprise, knowing that Green had never asked about breathing techniques before, so why was he being so eager today? Nevertheless, he patiently explained.
"Practicing breathing techniques requires sacrificing life force. The condensation of the life seed is a process of consuming life force. Although knight apprentices can possess strength far exceeding that of ordinary people, this is obtained by consuming life force. If they cannot break through to become formal knights and allow the life seed to fully take shape, absorbing external energy to nourish themselves, they will soon die due to the enormous consumption of life force."
"The Baron's son was able to withstand such a huge drain on his energy at such a young age because he was infused with the Baron's life force. If the Baron's son had been trained rashly without the help of a formal knight, he would have only met his death."
"However, a formal knight can only support one person at most. Look at the baron's other sons and daughters, they are the same as you, they can only start training when they come of age."
Having learned the reason, Green stopped asking questions, silently picked up the things he had bought, and followed behind Old Green toward the carriage.
Chen Tian was also very fortunate that Old Green happened to possess the Breathing Technique. It should be noted that the Breathing Technique was a standard skill for nobles, and it was almost impossible for ordinary commoners to possess it.
Old Grimm joined the army during the war between the Kingdom of Notting and the Kingdom of Saladin, and achieved some military merits. He gained the appreciation of a certain official knight, who taught him the breathing technique.
Although old Green is no longer able to cultivate, the breathing technique itself is extremely precious. In the entire territory, besides old Green, only the Baron and the Captain of the Guard possess the breathing technique.
Countless people throughout the Baron's territory wanted to curry favor with Old Green in order to inherit the Breathing Technique. And Green could obtain the Breathing Technique from Old Green without paying any price.
However, Old Green seemed to notice that this was the first time Green had paid so much attention to breathing techniques. After walking in front of him for a while, he suddenly said, "But if you're willing, I can teach you swordsmanship and archery skills in advance."
Green, who was walking silently behind, suddenly heard Old Green's words. He immediately raised his head.
"What? Teach me swordsmanship in advance! Of course I'm willing." Green would certainly not refuse the opportunity to learn ahead of time.
When Old Green heard Green agree, a slight smile appeared on his aged face. Old Green didn't say anything more, but his pace toward the carriage quickened noticeably.
After loading all the purchased items onto the carriage, Old Green had Green sit in the back and continued driving the carriage back to the castle. The sound of hooves echoed on the road once more.
As he traveled, Green gazed at the scenery outside the window, his mind filled with countless thoughts. He knew he was about to begin a completely new life. In this unfamiliar world, he had to learn to adapt, to survive, and to take control of his own destiny.
In his previous life, Greene pursued knowledge and power without hesitation, conducting highly dangerous experiments.
In this world, Green also has a firm will to pursue new power and knowledge.
"No matter what, only by becoming strong can I control my destiny." Thinking of the knights in his memory who possessed the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, Grimm clenched his fist and made up his mind. He must gain power.
The carriage moved slowly forward, heading towards the castle's storeroom, where Green and Old Green lived.