Being a knight is not easy

Chapter 283 Oppression
No one around him noticed anything unusual. They only saw William seemingly have a sudden epiphany and successfully complete the final test.

After passing the test, William breathed a sigh of relief and looked gratefully at Robin and Wind Chime.

He knew that his selection was due to Robin giving him special treatment, but he didn't know that the Wind Chime Illusion Technique also played a part. He secretly resolved to train hard and not let Robin down.

Looking at the newly recruited slave soldiers, Robin said loudly, "From today onwards, you are my subordinates. I will train you rigorously to make you true warriors."

But I will also give you the treatment you deserve. As long as you remain loyal to your lord and strive hard, your future will be full of hope.

Upon hearing Robin's words, the new slave soldiers shouted in unison, "Yes, Lord Roland!"

Their voices echoed through the village, filled with fighting spirit and hope.

This scene was witnessed by the other serfs in the village, which increased their curiosity and respect for Robin.

In the following month, the slave soldiers under Robin's command grew rapidly, especially in terms of physique, and had recovered to the level of ordinary people.

Robin's training methods were very effective; he not only focused on physical training but also on nutritional balance.

He also broke a Knight Power Fruit into pieces and divided it equally among twenty slave soldiers, a fact that even the slave soldiers themselves were unaware of.

Robin knew the value of the Power-Power Fruit, but in order to digest it quickly, he decided to take the risk.

The Rider Power Fruit emitted a faint glow. Robin carefully broke it into twenty equal portions.

While distributing food to the slave soldiers, he secretly mixed in small portions containing the power of the Power Fruit.

The slave soldiers were completely unaware and continued to wolf down their food as usual.

This was an alternative use of Robin's Power Fruit, and his idea proved to be very successful.

After consuming food containing the power of the Power Fruit, the slave soldiers' bodies began to undergo subtle changes.

They felt their strength gradually increasing, and the fatigue they felt after training disappeared even faster.

In the following training sessions, they performed even better, showing significant improvements in strength, speed, and endurance.

Nui was the first to notice this change during training. He excitedly told his teammates, "Have you guys felt full of energy lately? Training is much easier now."

William nodded in agreement: "Yes, I thought I had just gotten used to the training intensity, but it turns out everyone feels the same way."

Afterward, Robin would arrange for the slave soldiers to undergo moderate exercise, while ensuring they had sufficient food intake, especially meat hunted from the forest, which provided them with abundant protein.

So Robin began selecting the most physically fit individuals and teaching them basic breathing techniques.

This basic breathing technique is an improvement by Robin using the Power Fruit and the Dragon Breathing Technique. It is called the Dragon Breathing Technique, which can further enhance a person's physical fitness, strength, and endurance.

The most crucial thing is to speed up the refining process of the Power Fruit.

For these slave soldiers, this was a rare opportunity for advancement.

Nuy and William are among those selected.

Nue successfully made the selection thanks to his previously accumulated strong physique, while William also worked very hard during this month. He did not want to let Robin down and trained diligently.

His body also became stronger, which earned him Robin's approval.

This displeased the slave soldiers who were the first to follow Robin.

They felt they had followed Robin longer and put in more effort, so they deserved this opportunity. Of course, their dissatisfaction wasn't directed at Robin, but at William and the others who came later.

In their view, these newcomers, who had just joined, had already received such an opportunity, which made them feel very resentful.

One of the slave soldiers who followed Robin the first time was named Nutai. He frowned and said to his companion, "We've been following Lord Robin for so long, training like crazy every day. Why do these newcomers get this opportunity so quickly?"

Another slave soldier chimed in, "That's right, that kid William, he was so skinny a month ago, and now he can actually compete with us."

Although they complained in private, they dared not show it in front of Robin.

They knew Robin was a fair person, and since Robin had made this decision, there must be a reason for it.

But the resentment in my heart is not so easy to dissipate.

Robin sensed the subtle tension, but he didn't say anything directly.

He knew that this was a normal competitive mentality among the slave soldiers, and that if guided properly, this competition could be transformed into motivation for them to train hard.

If they can unite to put pressure on William, it will also increase the pressure on him and stimulate his competitiveness and rebellious nature.

Robin was well aware of William's potential, but he also understood that only through rigorous trials could William truly grow into a leader.

The discontent among the slave soldiers who initially followed Robin was, in Robin's view, a force that could be exploited.

So Robin secretly observed all of this, but did not stop the slave soldiers from showing subtle hostility towards William.

Moderate pressure can be like a fire, igniting the fighting spirit deep within William's heart.

During daily training, the five slave soldiers began to intentionally or unintentionally sabotage William.

For example, during teamwork training, they would deliberately not cooperate with William, causing him to make mistakes during the training.

Or, when assigning tasks, leave the most arduous and difficult tasks to William.

William was initially at a loss; he didn't understand why these people were targeting him.

But as this happened more and more frequently, his competitive spirit was gradually ignited. He didn't want to be looked down upon, and he didn't want to give up because of these people's刁难 (diāonán, making things difficult for him).

Although Nuy was also included in the list of those who would teach basic breathing techniques, he was the most hostile towards William.

In this atmosphere, he was the one who always took the lead in making things difficult for William.

Faced with this pressure, William began to train even harder.

The relationship between the two deteriorated rapidly, and they even clashed several times, but William was always the one who ended up getting hurt.

He would get up earlier than others every day to do extra training on his own.

At night, when everyone else was resting, he was still thinking about how to improve his abilities and how to deal with the difficulties caused by the slave soldiers.

His eyes gradually revealed a resolute and rebellious spirit; he was determined to make those who looked down on him look at him with new eyes.

Nuy is the first whetstone that Robin set up for William.

(End of this chapter)