Edric opened his eyes, his gaze clouded with confusion. The last thing he remembered was opening his system’s gift box. Fragments of memory drifted through his mind like leaves scattered in the wind. "All right, I broke through to the Golden Knight," he thought, piecing things together.

What was a Golden Rank Knight? Simply put, they stood near the pinnacle of power on Silver Flower Island. A noble family fortunate enough to count even a single Golden Knight among their ranks would be instantly elevated to the esteemed status of Duke. These individuals were unparalleled in strength, their might surpassed only by the King himself—a figure of legend, known as the sole Legendary Knight.

After ascending to the rank of Golden Knight, Edric allowed himself a rare moment of relief. Few could now pose a genuine threat to him, and the constant vigilance he had maintained for months began to lift. For the first time, he imagined exploring the kingdom freely, with little fear of encountering another Golden Knight. His newfound power had granted him a freedom most could only dream of.

Yet, Edric had no intention of revealing his breakthrough to anyone. The reason was simple—he couldn’t explain how it had happened. A 15-year-old boy achieving the rank of Golden Knight was nothing short of a miracle, defying all logic and precedent. Such a revelation would send shockwaves through this island and far beyond. Even the mighty Flicker Empire might take notice, and the consequences of attracting that kind of attention were too dangerous to consider.

"I can finally explore this world!" he thought, reflecting on his breakthrough process.

When he ordered the system to upgrade, something unexpected happened. He had fainted. Unlike before, there had been no pain, no struggle, just an abrupt loss of consciousness. The events that followed remained a complete blank.

Turning his attention to the horizon, he noted the light of dawn creeping across the sky. The morning had arrived; he must have been out for hours.

“System interface,” he called.

Name: Edric Windwalker

Age: 15 years, 12 months, and 2 day

Task: None (29-day cooldown)

Techniques:

* Legendary Knight Training: 0 / 1,500,000

* Golden Mage Training: 58 / 275,000

Talents:

* Knight Talent: Legendary (0 / 2,400,000)

* Mage Talent: Average (0 / 100,000)

Skills:

* Flesh Control (White)

* Steel Hair Manipulation (Silver)

* Extreme Yang (Silver)

* See-Through (Silver)

Cheat: Low Level – Gains 1,000 XP per day

Available XP: 44,914

As Edric observed the system interface materialize before him, his thoughts churned. "It takes over a million experience points to break through to Legendary Knight!" he mused, the sheer enormity of the number pressing down on him. "At this rate, it’ll take at least four years—unless I can complete more system tasks to earn XP faster. Otherwise, I’ll be stuck waiting a long time before I can even dream of rivaling the king." The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Looks like I’ll be staying on this island for a while," he concluded, resigning himself to the reality of his situation.

Long ago, Edric had decided that he would only leave the island once he reached at least the rank of Legendary Knight—perhaps even Mythic Knight. But that was a concern for the distant future, and it was ridiculous to start worrying about years ahead. For now, it was time to celebrate his breakthrough and revel in his achievement of becoming a Golden Knight.

He rose to his feet, brushing off the faint dew that clung to his clothes. His surroundings were remote, a dense canopy of trees encircling him like a natural fortress. It was clear no one had witnessed his breakthrough. Yet, despite the isolation, Edric could see far beyond his immediate surroundings—farther than most could even imagine.

Thanks to his passive skill, he could see through anything thinner than half an inch. The leaves of the forest, which would typically obscure vision, were no longer an obstacle for him. His gaze pierced through the foliage, allowing him to survey the land unhindered, his vision stretching as far as the terrain permitted. In a place like this, the skill was invaluable. The forest offered no cover from his piercing sight.

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After determining his direction, Edric didn’t set off immediately. First, he needed to check his own body. "I broke through and became a Golden Knight. I should feel much stronger now," he thought, frowning. "But why don’t I feel any different?"

Confusion gnawed at him. When he had ascended to the rank of Silver Knight, the change had been unmistakable—a surge in his internal energy that left him with a palpable sense of power. But now, despite reaching the esteemed rank of Golden Knight, his cold internal energy felt unchanged, as if it hadn’t advanced at all.

Opening his palm, Edric summoned a sliver of his internal energy. To his surprise, it wasn’t silver like before—it was golden, radiating an intense light that illuminated the forest around him. Even in the morning sunlight, its brilliance was overpowering, casting sharp, dancing shadows across the ground. "Weird," he mused. "I don’t feel any different, but my internal energy is definitely many times stronger than before."

Seeking clarity, he opened the system interface and issued a command. “Release the sword.” A portal shimmered into existence before him, and from it, a golden sword descended, landing softly on the ground. Edric bent down to retrieve it, his fingers brushing against its surface.

The weapon was magnificent—its blade a luminous gold, glowing with a radiant light that seemed alive. Yet, despite its golden hue, it was far stronger than any metal he had ever encountered. This was the sword the system had gifted him, a treasure sword of golden rank.

Curious to test it, Edric funneled a minuscule—no, less than minuscule—amount of his golden internal energy into the blade. Then, with a casual swing, he slashed at the surrounding forest.

A deafening crack echoed through the air as hundreds of trees collapsed in unison, each trunk severed with flawless precision. The cuts were impossibly clean, as though made by the sharpest of razors.

Edric stared at the blade in awe. It had endured the immense energy without so much as a crack or blemish, its golden edge gleaming as if nothing had happened. "This sword can handle the full force of my golden energy without breaking... incredible." He couldn’t help but grin. The strength of his golden internal energy was far beyond his expectations. If he had used his silver energy, at most, one or two trees might have been felled. But now? Hundreds lay toppled in perfect slices.

"The strength of this golden energy isn’t just a little greater than silver—it’s tens of times stronger," he thought, gripping the sword tightly. Yet, a shadow of doubt lingered. "But why didn’t I feel anything different?"

Closing his eyes, Edric focused inward, delving into his meridians. As he concentrated, he saw it—golden energy flowing smoothly through his channels. It felt cold, just like his silver energy had, but the difference was undeniable. This energy was purer, sharper, and more concentrated. It was as if his previous energy had been refined to its absolute peak.

"It’s not that the energy changed in nature—it’s still the same cold energy as before. But now it’s so much more powerful. So much more…" Edric’s thoughts trailed off as understanding dawned. "Maybe that’s why I didn’t feel anything. The nature of the energy hasn’t shifted; it’s just become vastly more concentrated. It feels familiar, even though it’s completely different in scale."

He sighed, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "That explains it. My body didn’t recognize the leap in power because it’s still the same energy at its core." His gaze returned to the fallen trees, the sheer destruction leaving him in awe. "Golden energy… golden knight… everything about this is on an entirely different level."

Realizing he couldn’t truly gauge his strength by cutting down trees, Edric sheathed the golden sword at his waist and began heading toward the city. This time, he chose not to hide his presence. He had business to attend to—visiting his mother, checking on Mirelle and the others, and then returning to Marquis Alaric Windwalker’s castle.

...

As he approached the city gates, the guards stationed there immediately recognized him. Without hesitation, they bowed respectfully and stepped aside to allow him entry.

Edric acknowledged the guards with a small nod before passing through the gates, barely keeping his expression from twisting.

Due to his See-Through (Silver) skill, he could see entirely through the clothing of anyone not wearing metal armor. Once he entered the city, the effect became even more pronounced. With only a few exceptions—such as those wearing silver or steel armor—everyone appeared naked to his sight, regardless of their gender.

"I really need to learn how to control this," Edric thought with a grimace. For now, his lack of mastery over the skill meant he couldn’t deactivate it at will.

His hair swung wildly as he walked through the crowded streets, garnering strange looks from passersby. The peculiar phenomenon wasn’t due to the wind but rather the side effects of his Steel Hair Manipulation (Silver) skill, another ability he had yet to fully master. Each strand moved as if alive, reacting to his subtle emotions and thoughts.

"I hope this isn’t permanent!" Edric thought, exhaling a sigh. "If it is, this might just be one of the worst downsides of any skill I've gotten so far." He shook his head, determined to train himself to control both abilities.

"This sight thing is basically handcrafted for perverts," Edric mused with some irritation. "Thankfully, I’m no such person!" Edric didn’t consider nudity a big deal. In both his previous life and this one, he’d learned to treat it with indifference. Even so, he resolved to master the skill quickly and turn it off, both out of respect for others and for his own sanity.

As for his unruly hair, he pulled a piece of steel wire from his pocket and twisted it into a makeshift ponytail, restraining the strands. Though it looked a bit odd, it would suffice for now. Edric glanced at his reflection in a nearby window and nodded to himself. After today, he decided, he would let his hair grow even longer. In battle, it might serve as a hidden weapon or a surprising tool to overwhelm enemies, especially against unsuspecting foes.

With that thought, Edric strode forward, his mind already strategizing how to balance his rapidly growing arsenal of skills and powers.