"I can even absorb techniques from humans..?"
Ricky muttered, his two antennae quivering in disbelief. His voice carried a mixture of shock and exhilaration, the sheer absurdity of this ability shaking him to his core.
He couldn't even begin to fathom just how ridiculously powerful this ability could become. If he could absorb techniques from others, then his growth potential was limitless.
As the implications sank in, his vision blurred for a moment, and another window materialized before him.
[Use 2 years of lifespan to learn the skill?]
Seeing the price, Ricky hesitated. Two years of his life—for just one skill? It felt like a steep price, an unreasonable demand.
But then, the memory of his near-death experience surfaced—the fire-breathing sword, the overwhelming force, the helplessness that nearly consumed him. The image of that knight—Jack Velcrast—flashed in his mind, and an intense surge of frustration burned in his chest.
He had barely survived.
This wasn't just a skill.
This was a step forward.
This was survival.
If he learned this technique, then maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have to flee like an insect, always scurrying into the shadows whenever a stronger being appeared.
Back on Earth, humans were the apex predators. Their dominance came from knowledge, from their ability to learn, adapt, and grow stronger in ways other creatures couldn't.
This new world might be different, but that fundamental truth remained unchanged.
And if humans could become powerful through knowledge, then so could he.
Thousands of thoughts sparked in his mind like a storm of lightning. Then, finally, his eyes hardened, his resolve solidified.
Without hesitation, he made his choice.
[2 years of lifespan deducted.]
The moment the system's cold notification sounded in his mind, an intense dizziness struck him. A tide of unfamiliar information flooded his brain—countless insights, breathing patterns, energy circulation methods—his consciousness swayed as if caught in a whirlpool of memories.
For several agonizing moments, Ricky felt as if his soul was being refined, tempered in ways he could barely comprehend.
Then, as the wave of knowledge finally settled, another notification followed.
[F-rank, Radiant Knight Thousand Refinement Breathing Technique successfully learned.]
Ricky's thoughts were still muddled as he tried to make sense of everything. His mind buzzed, his body tingled with an odd sensation, as if something fundamental within him had changed.
It took five minutes before he could think clearly again.
"What a terrifying technique..."
He muttered, his voice laced with both awe and deep contemplation.
But it wasn't just the skill itself that stunned him.
It was the world.
When he absorbed the technique, he didn't just gain knowledge of the breathing method. He gained glimpses of the vast, unfathomable world beyond.
The Eldros Kingdom. The Radiant Knight Order.
This forest, the one he had been aimlessly wandering in, was part of the Eldros Kingdom—one of the many human territories in this world. But unlike the flourishing heartlands of the kingdom, this region was a barren, mana-starved wasteland, unfit for knights and magi.
Mages and knights…
Beings who pursued strength by studying the world's mysteries, bending natural laws to their will.
And beyond them existed even more unfathomable entities—Spiritual Beasts, Mystical Spirits, and Divine Beings—each carving their own path of power, stepping over the weak to climb higher.
A world where only the strong could dictate their own fate.
A world where the weak were nothing more than stepping stones.
Ricky took a deep breath.
A shiver ran through his small, fragile body—not of fear, but of exhilaration.
How vast.
How terrifying.
How utterly exciting.
He let out a deep sigh and then moved.
His wings buzzed, carrying him toward a massive tree. He perched himself in the thick foliage, hidden from sight.
He had to cultivate.
---
The Path of Knights
Unlike Magi, who studied the laws of the world to grow stronger, knights focused on tempering their bodies, refining their flesh into weapons of war.
The Radiant Knight Thousand Refinement Technique was no different.
It was divided into three chapters—but unfortunately, Jack Velcrast had only obtained the first.
To access the second, Ricky would have to join the Radiant Knight Order and become a core member.
And the third?
Only the Head of the Order possessed it.
A technique so powerful that its complete form was hidden from even the strongest knights.
Ricky clicked his tongue.
Such distant matters weren't worth his time yet. Right now, he had to focus on mastering what he had.
---
The Struggle Begins
Time passed.
Days blurred into one another.
Every day, Ricky sat atop the same large boulder, his compound eyes shut tight, antennae twitching as he desperately tried to sense the mana around him.
And every single time—
He failed.
"Why can't I sense anything?"
Frustration laced his voice.
The first step of the technique was simple: perceive the mana in the air and guide it into the body. From there, a knight would refine it into raw power, slowly forging a Mana Core.
But no matter how hard he tried, Ricky couldn't sense a thing.
His frustration grew. He had the knowledge, the method—it was all there in his head!
So why?
Why wasn't it working?
…
Another day passed.
Then another.
Seven days slipped by like grains of sand in an hourglass.
And yet—nothing.
Now, Ricky sat at the edge of the boulder, mandibles clicking as he grumbled to himself.
"What am I missing?"
He was well aware that even the greatest geniuses needed at least a month to sense mana. Ordinary people took years.
But he wasn't ordinary.
He was a traveler. A system holder.
He should have surpassed the geniuses already!
So why was he still struggling?
As frustration simmered within him, another thought surfaced.
"...The fertilizer should be ready by now."
With that, his wings buzzed, and he took off.
Over a week had passed since he started preparing his fertilizer, and now it should be fully processed.
He wasn't about to waste more time sulking.
If cultivation wasn't working, then he would find another way to grow stronger.
And if this technique refused to yield to him…
Then he'd force it to.