Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 346 Weil's Bloodline Talent

Preparations for the trial chamber are underway.

The core area of ​​the Shadow Trial Grounds, the stone hall known as the "Willpower Breakthrough Altar," has now been completely sealed off.

Several assistant technicians dressed in alchemical white robes were busily adjusting the potion concentration and temperature control device around the central stone platform.

A faint white mist began to drift in the air above the altar; it was the atomized spores of the Shadow Moss. As the indoor temperature gradually decreased, it was slowly introduced into the various air circulation ducts.

This space was originally the main hall for the ancient Snow Oath worshippers, and its walls are covered with broken ritual patterns.

Those rings of eerie blue phosphorescence, flickering slightly in the thick fog, created a kind of almost tangible mental pressure.

In this tense atmosphere, several knights who were undergoing breakthroughs sat on the ground, immersed in their painful struggles, completely unaware of what was happening outside.

Their fighting spirit flickered around them, some trembled uncontrollably, and some even muttered incoherently under the influence of hallucinations, their foreheads covered in cold sweat.

This state is precisely the effect of the mental disturbance zone, forcing them to break through it.

In principle, the breakthrough process is divided into three stages.

First, there is the stimulation from fumigation.

The atomized spores enter the body directly through respiration, irritating nerves, amplifying mental perception, and forcing the subject's core will to be exposed to a certain extreme boundary state.

The second stage is drug catalysis.

The knight will be injected with a catalyst made from a blend of blue honey and frostblood redberry to stabilize his internal energy circuits, alleviate the side effects of the spores, and activate potential bloodline factors.

Finally, the tidal breathing technique is guided.

This is a technique that requires a high degree of concentration, used to guide the flow of Qi throughout the body and to achieve the final breakthrough under the triple state of "extreme cold + high pressure + hallucination".

However, in reality, things are far less rosy than the theory suggests.

When the core of battle aura is stimulated, it brings about intense hallucinations and mental confusion, often triggering fragments of fearful memories to surface. This tests the knight's composure in maintaining the flow of battle aura even on the verge of death.

Although there is a cure with the potion, the knight himself will still repeatedly break down during the process, and some will even fail completely and be forcibly stopped from the trial.

Standing in the observation room, Louis frowned slightly as he looked at the knight who had just fainted and was being carried away by the technicians.

"Is the intensity still too high?" he muttered to himself.

“It is indeed too demanding for an ordinary knight,” Arian replied in a deep voice, “but it is the best breakthrough method I have ever heard of.”

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

At this moment, the technician nodded to them, indicating, "Sir, everything is ready."

Louis turned to look at Will and smiled, "Then don't drag it out too long. If you don't break through within five hours, I'll be leaving."

"Huh?" Will was taken aback.

“Just kidding.” Louis patted him on the shoulder. “Relax.”

Arian was slightly taken aback: "Five hours? It usually takes two or three days for an elite knight to break through to the extraordinary level. If it takes more than four days to complete, it will be judged as a failure."

He paused, then added, "The shortest time we've recorded here is exactly twenty-eight hours."

Louis simply smiled and offered no further explanation.

He certainly knew these common-sense facts, but he also knew that Weil was different.

This boy, who had grown up beside him since childhood, was recognized as a genius by the daily intelligence system and had already shown the brilliance of his talent.

Moreover, according to Weil himself, he had actually reached the door, only one step away from the final goal.

Although his earlier joke, "I'll wait for you for five hours," was just meant to lighten the mood.

A secret expectation inexplicably rose in Louis's heart.

But this only made the boy's expression tighten for a moment, clearly making him even more nervous.

Arian noticed this and whispered a word of advice: "Relaxing a little will make it easier to get through."

Will nodded nervously, took a deep breath, and stepped through the stone gate.

The moment Will stepped into the stone hall, he sensed that something was wrong with the air.

The moment he stepped into the stone hall, a faint white mist filled the air, and a chill slowly crept into his brain along his nasal cavity, like fine needles gently pricking the depths of his consciousness.

Although he had not yet officially begun the breathing technique, he could already feel signs of his mind becoming subtly tense.

Several alchemists were adjusting the final temperature control and potion spray nozzles on the outside. The atomization device was running smoothly, and the scent of Shadowmoss had already spread.

Weil walked steadily in and stopped in front of the stone platform marked with the induction circuit.

He glanced instinctively toward the observation room, and sure enough, Louis was still standing there, nodding gently at him.

Will felt a sense of certainty, took a deep breath, and slowly sat down in the cold mist, adjusting his posture.

The meditation breathing technique naturally came to mind. He steadily guided the fighting spirit within his body to move in sync with the gradual cooling of the trial room, preparing himself for the next stage.

But the next moment, a sudden wave of mental pressure surged in like a tidal wave, and flames exploded deep within his memory.

It was the night the village was plundered, and the Snowsworn rode into the streets, their torches sweeping across the rooftops.

Weil was still young when his mother desperately dragged him out of the burning house and ran away.

Later memories became increasingly hazy; all I could recall were iron locks, whips, and a bloody wooden cage.

The guests who came to choose slaves looked at him with the same eyes that would scrutinize livestock.

"The goods are good, and the price is negotiable."

"His teeth are alright, I'll take him back and teach him."

Those scenes of shame etched into his very bones surged forth like a tidal wave under the stimulation of the spores.

Will could barely breathe; his entire body was weighed down and unable to move.

But suddenly, a warm light broke the gloom of the illusion.

It was as if some warm power was slowly unfolding in the deepest part of my consciousness.

He opened his eyes and looked out. At the edge of the chaotic illusion, a figure stood in the sky, reaching out to him like the first ray of sunlight shining into the abyss.

That was Louis. His figure was blurry, yet he shone brightly in Will's mind, like some kind of existence that could not be looked at directly, above the mundane and above everything else.

That was not just the image of the Crimson Tide Lord, but the only truly worthy goal in his life to which he could offer his loyalty, without doubt or wavering.

Just as dawn illuminates the snow-covered plains, it will rise without prayer.

In that instant, all the oppressive feeling seemed to find a foothold.

Will took a deep breath and suddenly quickened his breathing, causing his fighting spirit to boil like a raging fire.

His fighting spirit broke through the critical point, and in an instant, a circle of crimson flames erupted, which then condensed into flames that spun around him.

The entire stone hall seemed to respond to his awakening; red light exploded in the mist, illuminating Weil's tightly closed eyes and clenched teeth.

He finally broke through.

The red light in the trial room gradually faded, leaving only a faint warmth lingering in the low air.

Will sat quietly in place, the afterglow of the surrounding battle aura still lingering on his body.

He felt as if he had gone through an indescribable storm, as if his whole body had been peeled away and rebuilt.

The flow of fighting spirit within his chest was smoother than ever before, as if even his heartbeat was in sync with it.

He slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was that familiar figure.

Louis stood behind the glass, slightly surprised, yet with an undisguised sense of relief.

"Did I... succeed?" Will muttered to himself, his throat a little dry.

At the same time, a few soft murmurs could be heard outside the training area.

"Impossible! It's only been a short time!"

"He went in less than half an hour ago, right?!" "Was there some kind of malfunction?"

“No.” Arian’s voice was filled with undisguised shock. “The fact that he can still maintain the red aura emanating from him in this state means that he has completed a breakthrough to the extraordinary realm.”

"So that means he really only used less than thirty minutes?!"

For a moment, even the alchemy assistant who was adjusting the atomization temperature control system stopped what he was doing and said blankly, "The master just said he wanted to experience the fumigation stage himself. I just adjusted the temperature to the standard... and that guard actually completed the breakthrough?"

Louis chuckled softly upon hearing this, shaking his head with a helpless expression, but his eyes clearly revealed surprise and relief: "Never mind, I won't go in and join the fun today."

Arian gazed at the direction of the training room for a long time, and finally sighed in a low voice: "I remember... the fastest record was twenty-six hours. But he did it in less than half an hour."

The door slowly opened.

Will stood up and walked out step by step, his fighting spirit already subsided.

There was still a faint scent of medicine and spores in the air, but it was no longer a problem for him.

He walked up to the crowd and stood still as usual, showing no excitement.

Until Louis approached and gently patted his shoulder: "Well done."

Will opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.

This affirmation weighed more heavily on him than any honor in the world.

From this moment on, he truly stepped into the ranks of the Red Tide Territory's top forces, and was able to make even greater contributions to Lord Louis.

Will bowed his head and said solemnly, "Thank you, sir."

Louis laughed and said, "Don't be so polite with me, how are you feeling?"

“I’ve become much stronger, sir,” Will replied earnestly. “My battle aura is much clearer than before… and I’ve also awakened my bloodline talent.”

Those around were taken aback. The proportion of those who awakened their bloodline talents was not high; it was probably less than 30% among extraordinary knights.

“【Bloodline Talent - Absolute Defense】” Weil said in a low voice. “I can sense it… Once activated, my battle aura will automatically spread into a protective zone centered on me, which can protect the people around me.”

The scene fell silent for a moment.

"It's... an area-of-effect defense?" someone exclaimed in a low voice.

"This is perfect for a bodyguard..."

Arlian murmured, "Most bloodline talents tend to be offensive... This kind of pure defensive talent is still very rare."

But Louis's expression didn't show much surprise. Almost all peak knights awaken their bloodline talents, and Will already has that possibility.

He turned to look at Arlian: "Wasn't there a temporary training ground set up on the east side of the canyon? Take him there and test its effectiveness."

"Yes!" Aryan realized what was happening and immediately accepted the order.

The group quickly moved to a different location.

The canyon's enclosed terrain had long been used by the Shadow Valley team as a training ground, making it perfect for talent testing.

Several simple wooden observation platforms were erected at the edge of the training ground, surrounded by dozens of Red Tide Knights.

Everyone knew that this would be a rare demonstration of talent in real-world application.

Will stood in the center of the arena, took a deep breath, and quietly activated his internal fighting spirit.

[Bloodline Talent - Absolute Defense] Activated!
With each breath, a faint red glow emanated from his body, quickly expanding into a semi-transparent shield centered on him, covering an area of ​​about four meters, enveloping him and several Crimson Tide Knights beside him.

The shield was as thin as a curtain of water, yet remarkably stable.

The air and sounds seemed to be suppressed, and even the dust on the ground quieted down.

The first test knight to step forward was an extraordinary knight wielding a spear, with a burly build and intense fighting spirit.

He concentrated for a moment, channeled his fighting spirit to his arm, and unleashed a blue flame from his spear, stabbing fiercely at the shield.

"Boom!"

Sparks flew, and the spear tip bounced back like a heavy hammer. The tester staggered back three steps, the spear in his hand humming, his palm bones tingling, and a look of astonishment on his face.

The second knight switched to a broadsword, channeled his fighting spirit into both hands, and unleashed a horizontal slash, its sharp aura overwhelming.

The shield rippled slightly, deflecting the entire slash; not even a ray of light could penetrate it.

"That strike just now, in actual combat, would have been enough to shatter a rock wall," he said through gritted teeth.

The third tester was an elite specialist in penetration and rapid combos. He concentrated his fighting spirit at his fingertips and unleashed three consecutive thrusts, each carrying a red spiral of fighting spirit.

As before, the shield only rippled, without any flaws.

A murmur of amazement rippled through the observation platform, and everyone's gaze was almost entirely focused on the red light barrier surrounding Weil.

"too exaggerated……"

"These are all true extraordinary knights, yet they are completely unaffected."

"And he just broke through!"

"This talent, if used to protect Lord Louis, would be a godsend."

“Next, we will conduct a magic test.” This time, Louis stepped forward personally.

He raised his right palm, and a wisp of red magic gathered at his fingertips. It was just a slight fluctuation, but it made many people subconsciously hold their breath.

Louis did not use his full strength, after all, he did not want anyone to know his true strength. He simply used the most basic magic to start with the Compression Fireball spell.

"boom!"

The fireball shot towards the shield, but before it even made contact, it was repelled by a red light and instantly shattered.

He then tested ice spike combos, wind pressure cutting, and small lightning bursts.

Every spell was firmly blocked by the shield, and not even the aftershocks could penetrate it.

The final lightning strike landed, causing the shield to shake violently, its light rippled like waves.

Will's face turned pale, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he still stood ramrod straight.

Seeing that he was struggling, Louis slowly stopped.

Silence fell again on the sidelines.

"Using magic of this level... and it still didn't break?" someone exclaimed in a low voice.

"This is no ordinary shield..."

"He's only at the initial stage of the Extraordinary Realm!"

"And Lord Louis's spells just now far exceeded the limits that a knight can withstand."

"The magic was manipulated so precisely... it didn't seem like just a casual strike."

Louis slowly withdrew his hand, ignoring the gasps of surprise, and his gaze lingered thoughtfully on Weil.

He silently assessed the characteristics and practical value of the shield.

Will's [Absolute Defense] can cover several people in an instant, creating an extremely rare safe zone in the chaos of the battlefield.

Its dual ability to resist both physical and magical impacts means that it will no longer be just a means of personal survival, but may become a key fulcrum for commanders to deploy troops, transfer the wounded, and break through sieges.

"This ability could save many people on the battlefield in the future," he said in a low voice, his tone already carrying a sense of certainty after careful consideration.

Will said in a low voice, "I've always had a feeling this is some kind of arrangement."

He looked up at Louis, his eyes filled with an almost fanatical conviction: "This is the power that has been given me to protect you."

Louis smiled and said, "From today onwards, you will be my last line of defense."

Weil stood straight, his shoulders unconsciously tense, as if he had accepted some kind of vow.

He bowed deeply, his voice firm: "Yes, sir!"

(End of this chapter)