Ivan closed his eyes.
The castle was quiet. Even the soft hum of the stone walls faded into the background. He turned his attention inward. His body remembered the rhythm it had practiced for years. A rhythm passed down through his bloodline.
He straightened his spine. Shoulders relaxed. Breathing slow, deep, and deliberate.
Inhale.
Pause.
Exhale.
This was the Thornheart family's Knight's Breathing Method. A mid-lower-tier technique. Uncommon for baronial families. Most barons only trained in low-tier breathing methods—stamina, basic strength, nothing more. His family's method went beyond that. It focused on stable accumulation, subtle circulation, and controlled power.
Warmth gathered in his abdomen. Slowly, it spread through his body in faint threads. Stable. Reliable. Not flashy, but consistent.
"This method focuses on accumulation, not bursts," Ivan muttered. "Slow… steady… perfect for long campaigns."
He ran through another cycle. And another. Only after finishing did he open his eyes.
"NOVA," he said softly.
"Yes, Master."
"Analyze my current condition. With this method, how long until I reach Lower Knight?"
A soft blue light swept over him. Nova's scan was precise, slow, thorough.
"Analysis in progress," she said.
Ivan waited. Calmly. Methodically.
"Analysis complete," Nova said after a few seconds. "At your current physical condition, training frequency, nutrition, and method efficiency, it will take approximately five years to break through to Lower Knight."
Ivan's fingers clenched slightly.
"…Five years."
"Yes, Master. This assumes stable progression with no external enhancements."
He exhaled slowly. Five years. Respectable by normal standards. Many apprentices never reached Lower Knight at all. But for him—it was too slow.
"NOVA," he said, "explain the breakthrough process."
"Yes, Master." Nova's voice shifted, instructional, calm.
"A High-Level Knight Apprentice breaks through in three steps."
"Step one: Knight Seed Formation."
"A condensed core of refined chi forms near the lower abdomen. This seed becomes the foundation for all future growth."
"Step two: Circuit Transformation."
"The seed stabilizes, and chi forms a closed internal circuit. Muscles, bones, and organs strengthen continuously."
"Step three: Threshold Break."
"When the circuit completes a full autonomous cycle, the body adapts. The practitioner officially becomes a Lower Knight."
Ivan listened carefully. The bottleneck wasn't power. It was efficiency. Five years meant slow refinement, safe progression, minimal stress. Reliable—but far too slow.
"Analyze the Thornheart Knight Breathing Method," he said. "See if it can be improved."
Nova paused. Longer than before. Processing incomplete data.
"Analysis complete," she said at last. "Optimization is possible."
"How much?" Ivan asked.
"Limited," Nova replied. "Only one method is known. Without comparative data, improvement is minor. Estimated speed increase: twelve to fifteen percent."
Ivan remained silent. Better than nothing. But five years plus a small boost was still too long.
He lay quietly, thinking.
The Thornheart family had ruled and collected knowledge for centuries. Lands, wealth, and—most importantly—techniques. The library he visited was public. But there was another. A secret library. Hidden, protected, collected for over four hundred years.
Ordinary people could not enter. Especially someone like him—an illegitimate son. No claim. No inheritance. No rights.
But he did not care. Inheritance meant nothing. Knowledge mattered. Strength mattered. Survival mattered.
"NOVA," he said softly, "if I can access other knight breathing methods, can you analyze them?"
"Yes, Master. Even incomplete methods can be compared and optimized."
Ivan nodded. That was enough. He could learn more by comparing techniques, improving efficiency, and maybe shortening the time to Lower Knight.
He thought briefly of his father. The secret library would be protected, but he had a reason to ask. Not as a successor, not as an heir. Just as someone who needed the knowledge to survive and grow stronger.
Tomorrow, he would speak to his father. Ask for access. Explore the techniques collected for centuries.
For now, he closed his eyes again. Adjusted his posture. Focused on the Thornheart method.
One cycle. Two cycles. Warmth spreading through arms, legs, chest. Circulation smooth, controlled.
He felt the flow. The rhythm. A quiet promise of growth.
The night stretched quietly over Thornheart Castle.