CHAPTER 96: 96 I CAN’T WAIT FOR THAT SCENE (2/3)

"Ha..."

Opposite the middle-aged knight hesitating whether or not to completely abstain, Herbert held his sword, panting slightly.

"Cough, cough."

Previously he tried his best attack in that moment, and he didn’t expect it to be so powerful.

Nor did he expect it to drain so much of his strength, almost like it emptied him entirely.

"So tired..."

Herbert now felt like a salted fish; although his stance still appeared upright, he actually didn’t want to move a single finger and just wanted to lie lazily on the ground and recover.

As the Archbishop warned him before, Herbert’s body still wasn’t ready to bear such an overpowering strength.

He was like a delicate vessel, filled with contraband not meant for its current capacity, and each use would crack this fragile vessel a bit.

He urgently needed a method to improve his physical fitness, and the Molten Hell bathing plan must be put on the agenda quickly!

"But, well, it seems things are a bit different now."

Herbert squinted, mobilizing the new ability he had recently gained.

Gurgle.

With a soft sound only Herbert himself could hear from his stomach, he felt it noticeably deflate a bit, digesting some stored energy.

The next moment, he felt a rush of vitality surging through his limbs, repairing those damaged parts.

Herbert moved his hands and feet, feeling everything as usual... no, even better than before!

The torn muscle fibers rapidly grew and recovered, becoming stronger and more resilient than before.

This was actually similar to the principle of fitness, destroying muscle fibers actively and then waiting for them to recover and grow stronger.

And with his ability to mutate flesh, Herbert only consumed a third of his body’s energy to achieve multiple times the effect of traditional training.

Moreover, it was immediate, without the next-day effort and pain of getting out of bed.

"With this muscle growth effect, who needs the forbidden Power of the Nine Dragons!"

Great.

This way, he didn’t need to grow sharp horns to gain stronger power.

Herbert’s joyful expression didn’t escape Garen’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but sigh:

"Only tired for such a short while? Even his recovery ability is excellent, how much divine blessing did that god give him..."

Jealous.

So very jealous!

Though it felt a bit inappropriate to say, why was his own god so stingy... cough, cough, cough!

He only dared to briefly think about it without delving deeper, fearing he might offend the generous god who blessed him.

Of course, even though he was thoroughly envious, even wanting to become like Herbert, Garen still displayed great poise on the surface.

His wavering only lasted a moment, and he was already calm again.

A Paladin who took the Poverty Oath wouldn’t go mad with jealousy, would he?

Garen showed the humility a mature Paladin should exhibit. Sheathing his blade, he nodded slightly to Herbert and said:

"You performed excellently, far beyond my expectations. As long as you persevere and keep training, I believe you’ll become one of our best in the future."

Perhaps even a leader of the Justice Faction!

But he didn’t voice this next thought, only keeping it to himself.

Although he was eager to see that day come, he still felt some concern.

Though Herbert’s talent was exceptional, he was still very young, his mindset not yet fully mature.

Unclear of the young knight’s character, Garen hesitated to give too much praise, fearing it might make the talented youth arrogant, ultimately destroying him.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir." Herbert sheathed his sword, bowing respectfully to Garen.

"Yes, today’s training ends here. Continuing further won’t yield much. Go back and think about it well."

In Garen’s view, while Herbert had regained basic mobility, he was already at his limit, and further training would only be counterproductive.

Rather than wasting effort achieving little, it was better to stop now, allowing him to rest well.

"Understood, thank you again for your guidance."

Herbert understood what was on the other’s mind but didn’t specifically state it.

He still needed to give them some time to accept it, not to show off too much all at once.

This middle-aged Paladin might appear stern, but he earnestly practiced with him all morning, giving plentiful guidance.

In fact, not only Garen, but other members of the Knight Order also offered many suggestions and help to Herbert.

And, should it be said, it’s truly the base camp of the Paladins?

After showing talent enviable and even jealousy-inducing, he felt no malice at all.

Some people were envious to the point of deep sighs, some even chuckled with admiration, but he didn’t feel any negative malice.

Oh... although there was no malice, Herbert did notice a complex feeling, full of confusion, incomprehension, bewilderment, and even a bit of terror.

Who was that?

Oh, it’s you.

Herbert looked at the disheveled man and couldn’t help but laugh, asking, "Blake? What are you doing here? Do you need something from me?"

"Uh... Your Highness, cough, cough, cough."

Blake blinked absentmindedly and finally came to his senses, realizing where he was.

"Phew phew phew!"

He spat out sand and gravel with effort, then placed his big hands on Herbert’s shoulders.

"Your Highness! Just now, was all of that real!?" Blake’s expression was excited, and his voice trembled slightly.

"Hmm? Of course it’s real. What kind of question is that?"

Herbert raised an eyebrow, pushing away his hands, then smiled curiously and asked:

"I’m right in front of you. How could it be fake? Besides, you just saw it with your own eyes, didn’t you?"

"Well..."

"People change, Blake."

Seeing Blake’s dazed expression, he chuckled and asked back, "Or did you think I was just wasting time hiding here in the Monastery?"

"How much do you think I’ve been through here?"

"I..."

Blake lowered his head in shame and said, "The city’s nobles, including the other Dukes at the Duke’s Mansion, they’ve all been saying you were here..."

He hesitated, unsure whether to express the insulting words.

But Herbert wasn’t curious about them and nodded lightly, saying calmly:

"Heh, whatever. Let them say whatever they want."

The white-haired youth turned and walked out of the training field without looking back, seemingly casually saying:

"I hope they keep talking, keep talking until when I stand before them...they still have the courage to keep talking."

"I’m really looking forward to that moment."