With Napoleon's mental command, a thread of Shadow Force internal energy swiftly mobilized.
This time it was First Level Shadow Force energy.
Its scorching intensity far exceeded what came before. Napoleon felt that when he channeled internal energy, the muscles, bones, and skin it passed through seemed to burn.
The Shadow Force energy flowed from his kidneys, along his back and waist, into his right arm, then gathered in his right palm and permeated the longsword.
Slash!!
The blade cut through the air with a tearing sound like ripping paper.
Then it viciously cleaved into the tree trunk before him.
This strike cut deeply into the trunk, penetrating halfway through the entire tree before jamming to a stop.
"Excellent!"
Napoleon's heart filled with joy.
He knew he had taken another great step forward.
Dragging his aching body, Napoleon returned to the wooden cabin to rest.
Over the next few days, he did nothing but lightly exercise his body, spending most of his time sleeping and resting.
At most, he accelerated the circulation of Ravencrest Method. Ravencrest Method could enhance his body's recovery capabilities.
He needed to prepare for the subsequent two-level breakthrough.
The incomplete Shadow Force manual contained three levels that could be cultivated!
************************
Oxenfurt - Bonaparte Estate
Sister Marjorie carried a basket containing several boiled eggs, some soybean cakes, and two pieces of dried smoked meat.
She emerged familiarly from the side door of the Bonaparte estate, greeted the gatekeeper, then walked out along the small alley.
Several children with pigtails ran past the alley entrance, fighting over a candied hawthorn stick held by the child in front.
Seeing this, Sister Marjorie sighed. She remembered when Little Eight was young, he was just as adorable, always chasing around in front of her asking for candied hawthorn.
Back then she was still young, only in her teens. After working at the Bonaparte estate, she occasionally received some reward money. What she didn't give to her parents counted as her own pocket money.
She would use this money to buy Little Eight some small treats. At that time, Little Eight was only a few years old.
But now...
Thinking of Little Eight's current state of mental disorder, Sister Marjorie's heart truly ached.
Walking along the main street in front of the estate for some distance, Sister Marjorie, as usual, gathered her thoughts and planned to pick up some small toys for her children at various stalls.
Today was a rare day off to rest at home. She planned to choose some surprises for her husband and children.
"My child, my child!"
Suddenly she saw a disheveled woman sitting blankly in a corner, murmuring to herself in a low voice.
That woman's face seemed somewhat familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere, but she couldn't remember for the moment.
She only looked twice, feeling somewhat pitiful.
So she took a cake from her basket and placed it before the woman.
"Eat this. These times... sigh."
She straightened up and turned to continue selecting what she wanted.
Slap.
Suddenly she felt her right hand gripped tightly by an ice-cold, slippery hand.
"Have you seen my child!"
A voice said.
Sister Marjorie's heart jumped in alarm. Looking back, it was indeed that woman who had been sitting on the ground.
She stared at her with bloodshot eyes, as if her eyeballs would squeeze out of their sockets.
"What are you doing? Let go!"
Sister Marjorie was frightened and quickly struggled free, stepping back two paces.
"Are you sick?!"
But the woman seemed to hear nothing, still staring at her fixedly.
Sister Marjorie cursed her bad luck under her breath, hurriedly lowered her head and turned to leave. She no longer wanted to buy anything, only feeling that the hand that had been grabbed ached faintly.
Crossing this street, she turned into a small alley—this was the shortcut home.
Although this route was more deserted, it could save considerable time without taking a detour.
The alley had several turns and was quite long. Both sides were lined with ordinary single-story houses taller than a person. The ground was covered with dirty water and scattered household waste.
Sister Marjorie looked at her wrist. The place that had been grabbed was already somewhat red.
"Bad luck! Really unlucky, sigh... I'll need to apply some medicine when I get home."
She stepped over a stinking puddle, but her cloth shoes with pink embroidery still got some dirty water on them, making her mood even worse.
She stamped her feet hard and walked forward a few more steps.
Thump.
Suddenly she bumped into someone.
Looking up.
"Have you seen my child?"
It was actually the same woman she had just encountered!
Sister Marjorie felt her heart leap, almost jumping out of her chest.
She stumbled back several steps, stepping into the stinking puddle without realizing it.
"You, you, you!!!"
This woman's eyes were blood-red, staring intently at Sister Marjorie.
"My child, my child!"
Sister Marjorie turned and tried to run.
Slap.
A withered hand gripped her arm tightly.
"Have you seen my child?"
The woman still had the same wooden expression, repeating this phrase.
"Help—!"
Half a cry suddenly echoed from the alley, then abruptly stopped, with no more sound.
.........
Three Days Later - Bonaparte Estate
Stepmother Margaret sat frowning on the wooden couch, looking at Sister Marjorie's relative who had come to report.
"Sister Marjorie still hasn't returned home? She asked for leave to visit family three days ago."
This relative, a man still bearing the distinctive earthy smell of the fields, stood somewhat awkwardly in the side hall.
"Big sister usually returns punctually, but this time the family waited and waited without seeing her. They got worried, and with all the recent incidents in the city, they sent me to ask..."
Margaret shook her head.
"She did leave quite early, even took some dried meat and cakes from the kitchen. After all these days, where could she go if she didn't return home?"
She was also becoming concerned.
"Trouble! Trouble!"
Suddenly urgent cries of alarm came from outside the room.
A maid ran in with a frightened expression.
"Second Lady! Trouble! Something happened to Sister Marjorie!"
"What's wrong!" Stepmother Margaret immediately stood up, her face changing color.
The man also paled, turning sharply to look at the maid who had run in.
"Sister Marjorie's body was found by someone in an alley on the city outskirts. She's been dead for several days!"
These words from the maid immediately stunned both Margaret and the man.
"Dead... ?"
Margaret sat down again in a daze.
*******************
Several Days Later...
Napoleon carefully felt the sensation of the blade in his hand.
Shadow Force energy flowed from within his body into the blade, like hot air slowly surging from within, then quickly dispersing and distributing evenly throughout the entire sword.
His body's injuries had recovered almost completely.
He planned to advance Shadow Force another level today, reaching the Second Level.
Now his body was increasingly adapting to Shadow Force stimulation. The injuries from advancing levels should be lighter than before.
Whoosh!
He began practicing Black Tiger Blade techniques.
Black Tiger Blade technique had three moves in total, but could be divided into dozens of variations.
He combined the variations he had comprehended with some variations Captain Garrett had taught him, linking them together into a much more complex sword technique.
On the open ground before the wooden cabin, Napoleon wielded his longsword, his entire form flickering with blade light and continuous air-cutting sounds.
The silver blade light rolled around him in a mass, almost enveloping his entire person.
Black Tiger Blade technique emphasized momentum, with many chopping and slashing moves, so practicing it carried quite a fierce intent.
Napoleon repeated the three blade techniques dozens of times in succession, his qi and blood surging. Shadow Force energy would occasionally infuse the longsword, suddenly increasing the power of his techniques.
Taking advantage of his surging qi and blood, he quickly sheathed his sword and silently commanded.
"Gold Finger!"
The modifier interface appeared.
Napoleon moved swiftly, pressing the modify button, then focused his mental attention on the Shadow Force column.
"Advance Shadow Force one level!"
He confirmed with his intent.
Whoosh.
Immediately the Shadow Force status jumped from First Level to Second Level.
Only this time the change was somewhat slow, not as fast as before.
Napoleon had just finished the modification.
He felt the Shadow Force energy within his body suddenly surge dramatically. Large amounts of Shadow Force energy seemed to appear from nowhere, rapidly increasing to two fist-sized masses stationed at both kidneys.
"This time my body seems adapted, and the Second Level only purely increases the total amount of Shadow Force energy. Should be fine."
Napoleon had read the manual and knew the Second Level was the safest level, so he dared to break through directly while practicing sword techniques.
After the Second Level breakthrough, Napoleon felt his body's previous reserves were drained once again.
Especially the accumulated Ravencrest Method cultivation.
This life-nurturing technique had begun condensing into a sphere under his daily diligent practice, forming an energy mass in his chest.
That energy mass was a sign that internal energy thickness had reached its limit and begun naturally increasing in storage.
But this Shadow Force breakthrough instantly consumed this Ravencrest Method energy mass completely.
Not only that, it also reduced the originally robust Ravencrest Method internal energy to needle-thin.
After breaking through to Second Level, Napoleon's heart settled somewhat. Calculating the time, it was about time for lunch.
"Young master, a new letter has arrived!"
Petite carried the food box through the courtyard gate, waving a yellow envelope sealed with red wax in one hand.
"Let me see it."
Napoleon inserted his sword into the scabbard hanging nearby.
Taking the envelope Petite handed him.
He extracted the letter and opened it, quickly scanning through it. His expression darkened slightly. He folded the letter back up.
"Petite, we should return."
He said calmly.
"Back to the Bonaparte estate?"
Petite was startled, then overjoyed.
"Yes, we're going home." Napoleon nodded.
The two quickly packed their belongings, ate their meal, then left a note at the courtyard gate before hurrying toward Oxenfurt.
From the small forest where the wooden cabin was located to Oxenfurt was about seven or eight li.
Napoleon wore his longsword at his waist. The sword was just ordinary refined steel, not some famous weapon, but it was thick and heavy, not easily broken.
By the time they reached Oxenfurt, Petite was exhausted. Midway, Napoleon had to carry her for a stretch before she could continue.
Napoleon's current cultivation of Shadow Force, combined with daily sword practice, made his body far stronger than before.
Especially the stimulating strengthening effects of Shadow Force.
Each circulation through his body felt like rolling hot energy nourishing his muscles and bones.