The moment he killed Tommy Han, a torrent of information, far more immense than when he had previously acquired [Horse Trainer: Initial Glimpse], flooded into his mind!
Gradually, he came to understand how to maintain a "fine, slow, deep, and long" breath while walking, sitting, or lying down. He learned how to switch to a thunderous, "explosive-style breathing" during intense exercise and even mastered a "sleep-style breathing" that could slowly accumulate Essence while he slept.
Slowly, he began to grasp how to use his mind as a guide, coordinating with specific breathing rhythms to direct the faint but tangible "Qi" within his body. He could precisely use it to wash over and nourish tired muscles, soothe tense nerves, and even accelerate the healing of wounds to a certain extent.
Eventually, he felt as if he could "see" his own internal organs. While not as clear as a dissection, he could gauge his body's level of fatigue and any potential hidden injuries by sensing the smoothness of his breath and the flow or stagnation of his Qi and blood.
Fortunately, the Murphy of today was not who he used to be. Having experienced two infusions of information, his mental fortitude was far beyond that of an ordinary person.
This wealth of knowledge on the [Breathing and Guiding Technique "Initial Glimpse"], equivalent to ten years of arduous cultivation, only gave him a slight headache and a moment of dizziness before he assimilated it completely. It was as if these skills had long been embedded in his very genes, becoming a kind of innate instinct.
However, Murphy keenly sensed that his raw strength and spirit hadn't noticeably increased. Only some of his body's expended energy had been replenished, and his fatigue had lessened slightly.
Perhaps his current physique, capable of killing a wild wolf with his bare hands, and his mind, able to sense a horse's emotions, already met the minimum requirements for using this Breathing and Guiding technique.
That was why there wasn't a drastic change like when he had received rewards before.
Or perhaps...
A bolder thought surfaced in Murphy's mind.
'Maybe there was a change, but it was something deeper.'
'For example, maybe the people of this world are fundamentally unsuited for practicing this Breathing and Guiding technique from another world. Is their "Qi" or are their meridians different from mine?'
'And because of the system's alterations, I, on the other hand, have gained the qualifications to cultivate it?'
This speculation made his heart stir.
'If that's true, then this seemingly basic technique might be exclusive to me in this world.'
'Perhaps when I become stronger in the future, I can find a few "lucky" individuals to experiment on and see what effect this Breathing and Guiding has on the people of this world.'
With that in mind, Murphy subconsciously adjusted his breathing according to the technique that now felt so familiar in his mind.
A sensation, fine as a strand of hair yet incredibly real and entirely different from the simple coolness of inhaling air, faintly rose from his Dantian. It flowed slowly throughout his body like a trickling stream, and wherever it passed, the soreness in his muscles and his mental fatigue seemed to be gently soothed, bringing an indescribable feeling of comfort and refreshment.
'Is this "Qi"?'
'What a marvelous feeling...'
A sliver of joy had just risen in Murphy's heart as he tried to refine more "Qi".
Just then, however.
GRUMBLE!
An intense feeling of emptiness suddenly shot up from his abdomen, accompanied by a sharp pang of hunger.
The cool sensation of "Qi" from moments before also abruptly became faint and unstable.
'Damn it!'
Murphy's heart sank as he immediately recalled the relevant knowledge.
'This is Refining Essence and Qi?'
'It requires consuming one's own energy as a foundation.'
'Without a sufficient supply of energy, I can't practice it recklessly!'
He immediately forced himself to stop the breathing rhythm and returned to his normal breathing pattern, not daring to try again.
It was then that Murphy squeezed the hilt of the Knight's Sword in his hand, as if finally snapping back to reality, and turned his gaze to Tommy Han's corpse nearby.
How to describe it?
There was... no feeling.
He even deliberately tried to recall the warm, gory sensation of brain matter and blood splashing on his face when Jimmy's head was blown off at dawn, and the nausea.
The intense physical revulsion and fear from that moment had been forgotten during the tense escape that followed, buried beneath extreme exhaustion.
But after the deep sleep that came with acquiring [Horse Trainer: Slightly Accomplished]...
Murphy's mind had sharpened greatly upon waking, and it seemed that primal, gene-deep instinct could no longer easily sway his emotions.
Now, looking at the grisly stump of Tommy Han's neck, the head that had rolled to the side with its expression frozen, and the dark red blood splattered everywhere, his heart was just as abnormally calm.
There was no nausea, no fear, no post-homicidal excitement or emptiness. It was like looking at a broken, insignificant object.
'Is this the effect of my increased Spiritual Power?'
Murphy analyzed his state. It wasn't just about being able to sense a horse's emotions or vaguely look within himself; it seemed he was also better at maintaining his mental stability, insulating himself from the negative impact of such gory scenes.
'What about positive emotions, then?'
He savored the thought. 'It probably dampens those too.'
According to the knowledge granted by Breathing and Guiding, extreme emotional highs and lows were detrimental to longevity. This kind of emotional stability was not a bad thing.
Of course, that didn't mean Murphy had lost his emotions entirely.
He recalled Tommy Han's final, bewildered expression and was once again struck by the immense difference between the social classes in this world.
Tommy Han's actions were like a child casually flooding an anthill, forgetting all about it the next day without a second thought.
He still felt anger and injustice, but the feeling no longer burned his reason like harsh liquor. Instead, it was like aged wine, settling in the depths of his heart, growing richer and more potent.
'There's no harm in it, so I'll just let it be.'
After that, Murphy didn't linger.
He quickly kicked some fallen leaves and dirt over the most obvious bloodstains, then dragged Tommy Han's body behind a thicket of bushes.
He didn't do a thorough job, as the wilderness itself was the best cleanup crew.
Before long, scavengers drawn by the scent would erase all traces of what had happened here.
Murphy didn't take the Leather Armor or Chain Armor, as they were too heavy and conspicuous. However, a careful search of Tommy Han's clothes yielded fifteen shiny Silver Coins and three Gold Coins engraved with a Griffin and a Crown, bearing the profile of King "Iron Fist" Henry.
This was quite the windfall. Based on a Groom's wages, one Silver Coin was roughly equivalent to four days of his pay, while the three gleaming Henry Gold Coins were worth an entire year of his hard work!
As for the Knight's Longsword, Murphy planned to keep it.
He had to keep it, at least until he was safely out of the Twilight Mountain Range.
It was the only sufficiently sharp weapon he could rely on right now.
He picked up the Longsword, chose a general direction, and set off once more.
「The rest of his journey was not smooth sailing.」
While passing through a dense thicket, Murphy first discovered the body of a Groom.
It was the elderly Groom who had once teased Murphy while he was up in the middle of the night feeding the horses, saying, "You care more about these horses than you do yourself, kid."
Now, he lay with a ferocious expression in a pool of blood, his chest pierced by an arrow. The clothing around the wound was stained dark brown with dried blood.
A few flies buzzed over the corpse, and the faint stench of decay hung in the air.
Seeing this Groom he had known die so miserably, a complex emotion stirred in Murphy's heart.
He silently skirted the body and decided to change his original route.
He didn't even dare to think about looting it, afraid of leaving any traces or alerting any enemies who might be lurking nearby.
After continuing for less than a mile, he saw another Groom's body.
He had some impression of this one, too. He was a Chief Groom in charge of the Knights' warhorses, who had probably joined the mission hoping to earn some merit.
His death was even more gruesome. His entire left arm had been severed at the shoulder and lay a few steps away. A wound on his neck was so deep the bone was visible, a clear sign he'd suffered a fatal blow after being seriously injured.
His eyes were wide open, frozen with the terror and unwillingness he felt before death.
These horrific sights made Murphy even more vigilant.
He couldn't help but wonder: if not for the safety guaranteed during the execution of Option 2, would he have met with such an accident?
No. He immediately rejected the thought.
'The system never guaranteed that Option 2 would be free of accidents, nor did it ever say it would definitely be completed.'
'The sample size is too small to be statistically significant.'
'I only believed in the system so fervently before to act without hesitation.'
'But after the fact, I have to calm down and analyze things.'
He gripped his Longsword tightly, hastily changed direction again, and continued onward with caution.
After Murphy repeatedly adjusted his path, he didn't encounter anyone else.
Afterward, however, he ran into several wild animals—a wild boar with ferocious eyes, and even a tiger that lurked and watched from the distant shadows of the trees.
In the past, Murphy would have been terrified.
Now, however, with his physique and perception, he could always sense danger before it arrived.
Especially after the baptism of killing someone with his own hands, his courage had grown.
When he encountered the boar, he quickly scrambled up a thick tree. The irritable beast rooted around at the base for a while before leaving in frustration when it realized it couldn't do anything.
Facing the more threatening tiger, Murphy likewise didn't hesitate to climb a tree. He hid among the thick branches, gripping his Longsword and holding his breath, until the dangerous, striped figure lost patience and silently departed.
For the sake of survival, these wild animals were far better than humans at weighing pros and cons. They wouldn't easily waste precious energy or risk injury on prey that was difficult to catch.
However, because he had detoured multiple times to avoid dead bodies, and because he could only use the Sun to get a rough sense of direction, he often ran into steep cliffs or impenetrable forests that forced him to take long detours.
As dusk fell, he had no choice but to spend a second night in the Twilight Mountain Range.
This time, he was better prepared.
He found a rocky alcove sheltered from the wind and built a crude but functional shelter from branches and broad leaves to protect him from the elements.
Famished, he foraged for some wild berries mentioned in his Horse Trainer knowledge as being safe for horses to eat. They tasted both sweet and astringent, but at least they eased his intense hunger.
Murphy kept his sword in hand and remained vigilant, but the enemies he expected—Miss Douglas's party, or even other survivors—never appeared.
The forest was silent, save for the sound of wind and insects, the distant, faint howls of wolves, and the low growls of unknown beasts. It was as if he were the only person left in the world.
The night passed with suspense but no real danger.
「At noon on his third day in the Twilight Mountain Range,」 as Murphy pushed aside a particularly dense curtain of vines, the view before him suddenly opened up.
A solid dirt road, packed down by wheels and footprints, appeared before his eyes like a gray ribbon.
He had finally walked out of the Twilight Mountain Range and returned to a road traveled by humans.