Chapter 51: Breakthrough
Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Breakthrough
John held a piping hot bowl, filled to the brim with Fire Source Beast Bone Soup.
He remembered the first time he’d had the soup. It tasted a bit sweet, a bit gamey, but it was the most delicious thing he’d ever had.
Now, nearly a month later, the Lord’s soup-making skills had advanced by leaps and bounds.
The soup’s color and flavor were now superb!
And him?
Not only had he made no progress, but his mood had soured. He no longer felt as carefree as before.
Even though the soup in his bowl was as delicious as ever, he felt a heavy pressure with every sip.
John couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the men beside him.
At first, Jack had been the one drinking the soup with him. Later, that changed to Michele, Evans, and Willie.
Later still, after Michele and Willie had their breakthroughs, two new faces took their places—group leaders from the first and third squads.
The faces beside him were constantly changing. Only he remained, a permanent fixture.
John knew that the remaining group leaders and soldiers were all eagerly waiting for one of them to have a breakthrough so they could take their spot.
Therefore, his continued failure to break through would inevitably make him the subject of gossip.
It was like hogging a latrine without taking a shit.
Fortunately...
John’s gaze returned to the bowl in his hands. ’This is the last bowl!’
After finishing this bowl, he would publicly ask the Lord to let him withdraw, and he was sure the request would be approved.
GULP, GULP!
John gulped down the hot soup, and a warm sensation instantly flooded his entire body.
He felt this way every time he drank the soup and had grown used to it.
But this time, after he’d drained the last of the soup, the feeling was somehow different.
The thumping of his heart seemed to mirror his own anxiety and nervousness. At the same time, warm currents began to surge from it.
’What’s this?’
John’s expression changed from bewilderment to shock, and finally to elation.
He put the bowl down, shot to his feet, and immediately began swinging his longsword right where he stood.
Evans and the other two watched in astonishment. A single question flashed through their minds: ’Is this slowpoke finally breaking through too?’
Yes, "slowpoke." That was the nickname they had privately given John.
John swung his longsword with all his might.
The heat from his exertions and the thumping of his heart resonated with each other. A seed sprouted and took root within his own heart.
He could feel it for real this time.
More than that, he could feel his Strength increasing. Even his gaze felt sharper than before.
"A breakthrough! I’ve finally had a breakthrough!"
"Hahaha...!"
John raised his sword, threw his head back, and laughed loudly, freely venting his elation.
"Quiet down, John!"
A stern voice cut through John’s laughter. Kaelon approached with a smile. "I’m glad you had a breakthrough, but don’t forget where you are."
John snapped out of it and hurriedly apologized. "Yes, yes, you’re right. I forgot myself!"
Only then did Kaelon congratulate him. "Congratulations. I think you should tell the Lord the good news."
John hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I’ll go right now."
But before he could, Duane emerged from the dining hall.
"There’s no need to tell me. I heard your laughter."
John immediately dropped to one knee. "Baron, please forgive my outburst!"
"Rise. A breakthrough is a good thing. There’s nothing to be ashamed of."
Duane wasn’t annoyed by the disturbance. On the contrary, he was very pleased.
With John’s breakthrough, he now had six Extraordinary Warriors under his command.
He never would have imagined this before coming to the island.
"How many bowls of Fire Source Beast Bone Soup was that for you?" he asked.
John answered honestly, "That was my thirtieth bowl. Thank you for your generosity, my Lord!"
Duane feigned a thoughtful expression, then looked at Kaelon.
"It took thirty bowls for John to see results, while the others needed far fewer. This shows his aptitude is about average. Therefore, I’ll use his number as the standard. I will provide a maximum of thirty bowls of Fire Source Beast Bone Soup, free of charge, to each of the remaining soldiers."
"Owington, you’ll be in charge of the records."
"Yes, Baron!"
Kaelon, listening from the side, understood. The Lord was establishing a rule, preventing another person even slower than John from emerging.
One or two bowls might not show any results, but thirty was certainly enough.
That much Fire Source Beast Bone Soup was incredibly valuable, yet the Baron was providing it for free. For these soldiers, it was an opportunity of a lifetime.
Kaelon couldn’t help but think that once the Baron’s new rule was announced, many men would probably say things like, ’If only John had taken a little longer to have his breakthrough.’
After all, the later John’s breakthrough, the more soup he would have drunk, and the higher the ration for everyone else would have been.
"Rest assured. I will convey your arrangements to every man precisely," Kaelon replied.
Duane nodded, walked back into the dining hall, and returned to his unfinished dinner.
Kaelon hurried to follow, waiting until they were inside the dining hall to ask in a low voice, "My Lord, we don’t have that much Fire Source Beast Bone Powder, do we? Isn’t thirty bowls per person too many?"
He was confident the Baron had the money for that much Fire Source Beast Bone Powder, but Black Forest Island was isolated at sea. There was nowhere to buy more, even if they wanted to.
Duane gave him a mysterious look. "Don’t worry. I’ve been brewing Fire Source Beast Bone Soup for so long that I’ve already come up with an alternative."
Kaelon was shocked. "My Lord, you’re going to alter an Extraordinary Recipe?"
Extraordinary Recipes weren’t something one could just alter on a whim.
The process involved complex mixtures of Extraordinary Energy; one misstep could be counterproductive.
If it were that easy, those recipes and formulas wouldn’t be so incredibly expensive.
Duane nodded.
"You’re... serious?" Kaelon asked in disbelief.
"Of course. Once the duels are over, I’ll start working on improving the recipe."
Duane said in a low voice, "You know of the Willow Tree, right? I used it to replace the White Crystal Fruit."
Kaelon instantly recalled seeing the Lord and Owington tinkering with the Willow Trees recently. So that’s what they were for; the trees had such an effect.
"White Crystal Fruit is expensive, but Willow Trees are everywhere. This modification of yours..."
For a moment, Kaelon was too shocked to speak.
Duane smiled faintly and warned him, "This is a secret. Keep it to yourself, and remember not to speak of it carelessly."
Kaelon’s expression immediately turned serious. "Rest assured, my Lord. Even if someone puts a sword to my throat, I won’t utter a single word!"
A discovery like this was a precious resource for the Nobility. Spreading the word wouldn’t just damage his own Lord’s interests; it would bring endless conflict upon them.
All the Grand Lords would want a piece of the pie, just like they did with the Secret Realm at Lakefront Manor.
Kaelon understood now. No wonder the Baron was willing to spend so extravagantly to train his men for free. In the future, he would surely be counting on these men to grow strong and protect him.
"Let’s put this matter aside for now."
Duane asked, "The duels start tomorrow. How are your preparations with Raymond coming along?"
Duane hadn’t asked them to be his sparring partners for the past few days, giving Kaelon and Raymond the chance to practice against each other and get into optimal condition.
"Rest assured, my Lord. Raymond and I are ready. We will give it our all tomorrow!"
They had already agreed in private that this was the Lord’s first open confrontation since arriving on Black Forest Island. No matter what, they had to fight it beautifully.
Regardless of whether the Lord won or lost his own match, they had to guarantee their own victories.
That way, even if the Baron lost, their side would still have two wins against one loss, allowing them to maintain the upper hand.
"Mm."
Duane nodded gravely. "It’s getting dark. You and Raymond are off patrol duty tonight. Let the three captains handle security. Get your rest."
"Yes!"
Kaelon left the dining hall.
He had to pass on the Baron’s new rule, and also discuss the night’s defensive arrangements with Raymond and the three captains.
Even though the Baron had told them to rest, they couldn’t just go to sleep without a care in the world.
They couldn’t afford to be careless just because the duels were scheduled for tomorrow.
Duane also skipped his sword practice that night. He sat at his desk and drew for two hours before lying down to rest, ensuring he would be in peak condition for the duels tomorrow.
This would be his first real battle!