Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 177 Knight Growth Potion
"About... the successful development of the 'Knight Growth Agent'! We've just produced the first batch of the finished product..."

I was so excited, so... we celebrated a little, and I didn't even have time to tell you! How did you know?!

"Wow, it's finished?" Louis's eyes suddenly lit up, and he leaned forward. "Are you serious? It's not half-finished, it's really finished?"

He instantly forgot his earlier mischievous intention to tease her.

Hearing how excited he was, almost jumping on the table to dance, Hilko breathed a sigh of relief and carefully took out a metal box wrapped in thick cloth from a small ice cabinet under the lab bench.

"Since you're already here, let me show you the results first."

He lifted the cloth, opened the box, and took out a glass bottle containing medicine.

The potion had a strange purplish-red hue, and its surface seemed to be surrounded by a faint halo, like some sleeping creature breathing softly.

Even without opening the bottle, a subtle aroma filled the air—sweet yet with a hint of irritation.

"This is the Knight Growth Agent you mentioned." Hilko introduced it as if it were his own child. "It was developed using Azure Honey and Frostblood Red Berry as the main ingredients, combined with alchemical transformation and low-temperature extraction techniques."

Louis's eyes widened: "This doesn't look simple... This light, it's like a soul is flowing."

“That’s the natural movement of battle qi factors,” Hilko pushed up his goggles, “which means its activity is very stable.”

He paused, a hint of pride in his eyes: "The Cangwen honey is warm and long-lasting, and can stabilize the flow of fighting spirit. It is suitable for apprentices with average talent, and long-term use can alleviate the risk of internal injuries during training."

“But it’s too slow to rely on that alone.” Hilko pointed to the dark purple light in the bottle. “This is Frostblood Redberry, with an extremely high concentration of magic that can greatly increase the speed of aura condensation. What used to take three years to advance to the rank of junior knight can now be done in a few months.”

His tone shifted, his eyes gleaming: "The key is fusion. We extract 'slow-release factors' from honey, neutralize the 'magical catalysis' of red berries, and refine this potion that can release steadily and continuously enhance effects."

He paused, then said solemnly, "It's not just a supplement, but a strategic resource. From basic knightly meditation to advanced breakthroughs."

It completely covers the most crucial stages of a knight's development. You want to train a reserve knightly order? This thing is the heart of your logistical support.

Louis nodded; he naturally knew all this, after all, it was he who had asked Hilco to manufacture it.

Hilco scratched his head and coughed somewhat awkwardly: "Ah... actually, it's mainly thanks to Jenny."

As he spoke, he pointed to the side, where the girl who had hurriedly hidden behind the curtains was standing.

The girl seemed surprised to be called out; her face flushed red, and she lowered her head.
"I... am just an alchemy apprentice who is good at potion preparation... mainly in terms of theoretical proportions... I haven't had time to conduct complete experiments yet."

“That’s already quite remarkable.” Louis looked at her sincerely and nodded in affirmation.

He changed the subject and looked at Will beside him: "Didn't you say you were stuck at the high-ranking formal knight stage for a long time? Let's see how it goes."

"Hmm...it's been stuck for almost half a year now." Will scratched his head with a troubled expression.

Louis almost burst out laughing when he heard that.

Half a year?

It's worth noting that it's normal for an average knight to be stuck at this stage for eight to ten years.

Even those with better talent need three or four years to make steady progress.

He is...

Will the genius of Versailles be showcased live?
"Alright, stop playing the victim and drink it now." Louis handed over the potion without a second thought.

Weil took the bottle without asking any further questions.

He never doubted Louis's words, whether they were strategic directives or experimental drugs.

There's no reason for it, just like would you question whether the sun could one day be at odds with you?
The blood-red liquid swayed gently in the bottle, its purplish glow flickering like a faint heartbeat.

"Good luck," Jenny whispered.

"Thank you." Wel smiled at her, then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

Will tilted his head back and drank the medicine in one gulp.

In just a few seconds, he was jolted, his eyes showing a mixture of pain and surprise.

"Uh!"

The next instant, it was as if a ball of scorching energy exploded within his body, surging up from his abdomen and spreading like wildfire throughout his entire body along his blood vessels.

"call……"

The boy, barely managing not to collapse, immediately sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began practicing breathing exercises.

The burning sensation was initially like a blazing fire scorching the bones, but guided by the rhythm of breathing, the violent energy gradually became gentle, as if a clear spring was flowing into the meridians, slowly nourishing the limbs and bones.

His skin faintly glowed red, and his aura gradually rose, becoming stable, solid, and powerful.

A moment later, the surrounding air seemed to ripple slightly.

“This is…” Louis’s gaze sharpened, somewhat incredulous.

The aura of an elite knight!
That's right, at that stage, Will finally... broke through.

He became an elite knight at the age of thirteen!

He glanced subconsciously at the empty potion bottle, then looked at the boy in front of him whose breath was churning, and muttered, "This potion... is too effective."

When Wel opened his eyes, he was still somewhat dazed.

Louis asked, "How are you feeling?"

The boy pursed his lips, trying to organize his thoughts, but looked troubled: "Uh... well... I feel like I've really... become stronger."

“Isn’t that obvious?” Louis couldn’t help but laugh.

"No...it's just...I feel so much lighter, my fighting spirit seems to have come alive, and my mind is a bit clearer, but I can't quite put my finger on it..." Will scratched his head, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face. "I'm not very good at talking..."

“You don’t need to be good at talking,” Louis sighed and patted him on the shoulder. “You just need to keep getting stronger.”

He then suppressed his astonishment and turned to look at Hilko: "How many of these potions do you have left?"

"Seven batches, mainly due to material issues." Hilko shrugged, his tone somewhat regretful. "The Azure-veined Honey is relatively easy to cultivate, but the Frostblood Redberry is the biggest problem. This batch is the first fruit to bear fruit in the experimental field, so the quantity is indeed not large."

“It’s our first time planting it.” Louis nodded, indicating his understanding. “It may be small, but at least we’ve made some progress. If the next batch doubles in yield, things will be much easier.”

He changed the subject and looked at Lambert, who was standing to the side.

"Go and make arrangements to have five of the best-performing knights from this period come together, selecting some from different ages and cultivation levels. I want to see the effects of the potion on different people."

"Yes, my lord!" Lambert immediately accepted the order and left. In less than half an hour, he returned to the laboratory with five knights.

Among them were seasoned veteran knights, rising stars in their early twenties, and a young apprentice knight, all with expectant expressions and shining eyes.

“I’ve remembered all your recent achievements,” Louis said bluntly. “As a reward, each of you will receive a special battle aura potion. It’s made in our territory and is used to accelerate your training.”

Upon hearing that they would receive a mysterious potion to "enhance their cultivation," the five people's eyes lit up with surprise and excitement almost simultaneously.

"This...this was prepared especially for us?" the older knight, his eyes weathered, murmured, as if afraid he had misheard.

"We still need such a precious potion?" The young knight blinked, his voice trembling slightly.

"I've never tasted anything of this caliber in my entire life!" Another gaunt middle-aged knight could hardly contain his elation, his fingers trembling slightly as if he were holding some sacred relic.

"Can a trainee knight like me drink this?" The youngest trainee knight stared blankly at the faint purple light in the bottle, utterly incredulous.

"Drink up," Louis said casually, but with a hint of encouragement.

Upon hearing this, the five people instantly seemed to have a fuse lit, exchanging excited glances and almost simultaneously exclaiming:

"Thank you for your kindness, Lord!"

"Long live Lord Louis!"

"Done!"

"I can't wait to break through!"

"May this power repay the Red Tide!"

They accepted the medicine as if it were a precious treasure, gently uncorked the bottle, and smelled the slightly sweet scent mixed with a hint of coldness. Awe reappeared in their eyes once again.

The purplish-red liquid flowed slowly in the bottle, its faint light dancing like a soul, each drop seemingly embodying their yearning for power.

"To our destiny," the older knight murmured, tilting his head back to drink it all in one gulp.

"Drink it, I want to become stronger!" The young man smiled and gulped it down.

So the five of them drank the potion one after another. Almost at the same time, their bodies trembled, some frowned, some gritted their teeth, and their expressions became solemn and focused.

They immediately sat cross-legged, used their familiar breathing techniques to guide the medicinal effects, and entered a meditative state.

A moment later, a faint warmth surged in the air, as if some mysterious pulse was echoing in the room.

The floor trembled slightly, and invisible ripples of battle aura spread out from the five people, like ripples on the surface of water.

Hilco and Jenny had already taken out paper and pen and were quickly jotting down their changes for future reference.

Louis stood to the side, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over the five figures, a faint smile playing on his lips.

About fifteen minutes later, the first to break through was the middle-aged knight who had been stuck at the peak of the initial stage.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and intense, and he was drenched in sweat, exhaling a long, stale breath.

"I...broke through?" He looked at his hands in disbelief, gently clenching his fists. He felt the battle qi flowing smoothly and surging like a tide within his body, and he was so excited that he almost cried.

"I've been stuck at the beginner elite knight level for four whole years... This potion... can actually help me overcome this bottleneck!"

The other person followed closely behind, his face slightly flushed, clearly the medicine had not yet enabled him to break through, but he was still full of joy: "Although I have not been able to break through, I feel that the total amount of fighting energy in my body is nearly 20% more than before."

The circulation is much more stable now; it's like... the result of two extra months of practice!

"Me too!" The youngest apprentice knight looked up excitedly, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement. "My battle aura felt like it was being lifted up and naturally spread throughout my body... I never thought I could feel this!"

The others all benefited to varying degrees.

Although not everyone achieved a breakthrough in one fell swoop, the feeling of "cultivation efficiency being multiplied" filled them with hope for the future.

They all rose, faced Louis again, bowed, and expressed their gratitude.

"Thank you for the medicine, my lord!"

"Your subordinate swears to dedicate the rest of your life to the Red Tide!"

"This kindness will be etched in my heart and I will never forget it!"

They never expected that the lord would be so generous as to bestow such a precious medicine upon them.

Looking at their faces flushed with excitement, a glint of satisfaction flashed in Louis's eyes.

"The effect is even better than expected." He assessed to himself: "Although it is not the kind of miraculous drug in the game that can make you take off on the spot after taking one sip, it has the strategic value of driving qualitative change. More importantly, it can be mass-produced."

“This batch of potions is just the first edition.” He turned to look at Hilko and Jenny and smiled. “Once the Frostblood Redberries ripen on a large scale, we will be able to mass-produce them to cultivate a true knight class belonging to the Crimson Tide Territory.”

“We will optimize the management of the main materials,” Hilko added immediately, his expression serious. “At the current efficiency, we can refine twenty to thirty doses in the next round.”

After the five knights left in high spirits, Louis slowly withdrew his gaze, but his mind was quickly processing the entire process that had just occurred.

Breakthroughs are concentrated in the bottleneck period, especially those who are stuck at the threshold of advancement.

This indicates that the best use of this type of drug is to 'assist breakthroughs' rather than 'force growth'.

This potion is not some legendary miracle drug that can transform you completely after drinking it.

It's more like a springboard, providing precise thrust at the right time.

Especially for those knights who are stuck at a bottleneck, it can save them months or even years of hard training.

This improvement in efficiency is the key to truly transforming the structure of combat power.

In the future, as long as the supply of raw materials is stable, the drug can be mass-produced and become a strategic resource for the red tide region.

More importantly, the success of this experiment not only verified the efficacy of the drug, but also made the knights feel a stronger sense of belonging to him.
They will remember who made them stronger, and who could make them stronger.

Then Louis looked at the last two bottles of potion left, pondered for a moment, and casually handed one of them to Lambert beside him.

"You should have a bottle too," he said casually, as if he were just offering a cup of tea.

Lambert accepted the potion, bowed slightly, and said, "Thank you, sir."

He wasn't particularly excited, after all, given his relationship with Louis, he was bound to get a share eventually, but he still felt grateful.

"This last bottle..." Louis looked thoughtfully at the last bottle of purplish-red potion in his palm, "I'll keep it for myself and drink it when I get stuck at a bottleneck."

(End of this chapter)