52: The beginning of a legend

"Lord!"

Ross stood up to greet him after sensing Reyn's presence, pausing his cultivation.

"I am gratified to see everyone practicing so diligently."

"Lord, you bestowed Silver Rank magical beast flesh upon the brothers to increase our strength. It would be a problem if everyone didn't work hard."

"Where is Chris? How is his recovery?"

Chris happened to arrive just then and immediately responded loudly upon hearing Reyn calling him:

"Lord, I'm here. I've mostly recovered."

Chris was very excited to see Reyn.

After returning to the territory, Reyn distributed recovery potions to Chris and several heavily injured warriors.

Among the twelve, six had died from excessive blood loss at the time. To the remaining six, including Chris, Reyn gave each a bottle of Intermediate Recovery Potion. Having recovered, they were now able to move freely, though it would take some time to regain their combat strength.

"Mage Cecilia's Healing Art was very effective. Combined with the recovery potions you bestowed, Lord, the brothers are recovering quickly."

While Reyn was pursuing the Shadow Leopard, the injured warriors were brought back to Red River Town for treatment. However, since there were no high-level doctors in Red River Town capable of treating severed limbs, everyone was at a loss and extremely anxious.

After hearing about it, Cecilia, who was in the castle, took the initiative to step forward and used her Healing Art to treat several warriors.

According to what Cecilia later told Reyn, she was not a specialized healing mage, and her Healing Art was quite ordinary with average effects.

The main reason she could reattach the warriors' severed limbs was that the wounds were clean, the limbs were not damaged or missing, and the time since they were severed was relatively short.

Therefore, the Healing Art had a good effect, reattaching the limbs. The surviving warriors were spared from becoming disabled, which was a blessing among misfortunes.

Reyn was extremely grateful for Cecilia's intervention; otherwise, he would have had to endure not only the death of six men but also the loss of five disabled warriors who could no longer fight.

"It's just a pity that six brothers still died in battle."

Chris felt distressed thinking about the fallen brothers, and the others around him were also in low spirits. Losing six men at once was the Guard Army's greatest casualty in battle so far.

"This Shadow Leopard attack has also exposed some issues with the territory's Guard Army, the core of which is that the Guard Army's strength is not enough."

"If our strength were sufficient, a single Shadow Leopard wouldn't have caused such heavy casualties and thrown the entire territory into a panic."

Reyn raised his voice as he looked at the Guard Army warriors gathering around.

"Therefore, I have decided to teach you our Derrick Family's Breathing Technique, the Wild Wolf Breathing Technique, to improve your strength."

The originally bustling scene fell silent instantly because of Reyn's words. Everyone around looked at Reyn motionless, as if a freezing spell had been cast on them.

After a moment of silence, Eric was the first to be unable to contain his excitement and asked loudly:

"Lord, what did you just say? You're going to teach us your family's inherited secret technique, the Wild Wolf Breathing Technique?"

"Is this true?"

The rest of the people also looked at Reyn with disbelief, while their eyes were filled with hope. A Breathing Technique was something they dreamed of obtaining; it was a treasure that could change their destinies.

"Since I've said it, it's true!"

"However, one thing needs to be clarified. Previously, you all chose to follow me from the Border Defense Army to the Red River Territory as my followers."

"Now, I am going to teach you the Derrick Family's Wild Wolf Breathing Technique. It is a Silver Rank Breathing Technique, one level higher than the War Bear Breathing Technique in the Border Defense Army. Such a precious secret technique is not taught to you so simply."

"I hope you can understand this!"

The impatient Eric was already somewhat eager, especially after hearing that the Wild Wolf Breathing Technique was a Silver Rank secret Breathing Technique.

"Lord, we will listen to whatever you say. We'll do anything you ask, as long as we can learn the Breathing Technique."

Beside him, Dean, who was following behind Eric, was even more impatient. Having lingered at the Black Iron Peak for too long, he understood all too well the benefits of learning a high-level Breathing Technique.

It was because the War Bear Breathing Technique he practiced was of too low a level and had poor effects that he had been stuck at the Black Iron Peak, unable to break through for a long time.

Especially after eating the Shadow Leopard meat yesterday, he clearly felt that the Bronze Rank was within reach, just a step away. He felt he could break through with a bit of effort, yet he fell short every time.

Ultimately, it was because the War Bear Breathing Technique was too rudimentary and its level too low. Dean believed that if he could learn the Silver Rank Wild Wolf Breathing Technique, he would soon be able to break through to the Bronze Rank.

Dean took over from Eric and said:

"Lord, I can swear an oath of loyalty to you right now. From now on, I entrust my life to you, Lord."

Dean's words caused the expressions of those around him to change slightly. Swearing an oath of loyalty was different from being a follower.

Followers still had the right to choose freely; if they didn't want to continue in the future, they could choose to withdraw and no longer follow Reyn.

If one swore an oath of loyalty, it was a lifelong commitment. In the future, they would share life and death with Reyn and never abandon him. If they wanted to withdraw, it would be considered betrayal, and everyone knew the fate of a traitor.

The fate of a traitor was death. Everyone detested those who betrayed their oaths, so if it were an oath of loyalty, one usually had to consider it carefully.

Reyn was very satisfied with Dean's attitude. Since he was offering such a great benefit, he naturally required a corresponding sacrifice from them.

"What Dean said is what I want to tell you. To learn our Derrick Family's Wild Wolf Breathing Technique, you must swear an oath of loyalty to me and share in my glory and shame from now on."

"Furthermore, I will allow you to pass the Wild Wolf Breathing Technique to your direct descendants in the future, but in exchange, your descendants must also swear loyalty to me and the Derrick Family."

"Only by being loyal to me are you qualified to learn the Wild Wolf Breathing Technique. If you are unwilling to be loyal, you cannot learn it. Now you can make your choice; I will not force you. This is your own decision."

Ross was the first to drop to one knee. He had long since tied his destiny to Reyn's and had already wanted to swear loyalty. However, his personality was reserved; he had actually been following Reyn in this manner all along without saying it out loud.

Moreover, Ross had also stayed at the Bronze Peak for a while. Breaking through to the Silver Rank was not easy, but he had a premonition that perhaps his chance to break through had arrived.

On the other side, Eric, Chris, Dean, and others quickly followed Ross's lead and knelt on one knee. As for the veterans Wayne and Alger, they were just as fast.

Who wouldn't want to break through to the Silver Rank? This was their lifelong dream!

Behind the several captains and squad leaders, the ordinary warriors gathered on the periphery also did not hesitate and knelt on one knee one after another.

They didn't even know the War Bear Breathing Technique. Would they hesitate now that an even higher-level Breathing Technique was before them?

Just a little thought made it clear—only a fool would refuse.

As for risking their lives, they had been doing that all along; now they had simply found a high price to sell themselves for.

"I, Ross..."

"I, Wayne, Alger, Chris..."

"Hereby swear to Lord Reyn Derrick to be loyal to my master for this life, to love what he loves and hate what he hates. If my master grants me what I deserve, then my words and actions shall surely follow his will, without any violation!"

The loud oath echoed through the barracks. In the eyes of these men, only a fanatical adoration for Reyn remained.

At this moment, Reyn drew a unique and brand-new path for their lives.

This path might be full of thorns and accompanied by death, but this is how legends are born.

They did not yet feel it, but at this very moment, they were on the path of a major turning point in their lives.

The path of the Legendary begins here!