Chapter 15: The Path of the Sun
[Breathing is a breathing technique created by Tsugikuni Yoriichi. It doesn't require special energy; anyone with the aptitude to use breathing techniques can use it. The host has used Sun Breathing during transformation and already possesses the aptitude to use Sun Breathing.]
"So, I can use Sun Breathing in my daily life now?" Ren asked the empty room, his mind still reeling.
[Yes.]
"That's great!"
Ren was even more excited after hearing this. This was a game-changer. If there was a time when he was weakest, it was undoubtedly before using Take Over Magic.
His base form was a 2-Star Mage. A nobody. He was a glass cannon with an 'off' switch. If a random Dark Guild grunt or even just a sufficiently fast opponent attacked him before he could transform, he would be killed.
This was his biggest weakness.
His Take Over magic was borrowed power. It was immense, god-like, but it was temporary and had a time limit. But Sun Breathing... this was different. This was a skill. This was a technique he could learn and integrate into his own body.
Moreover, he didn't want to go all out every time he encountered someone. If a random Dark Guild grunt appeared, he couldn't just transform into Ulquiorra's Resurrección form. The magic consumption was enormous. If enemies kept coming one after another, even with boundless magic power, he couldn't sustain it.
Therefore, his best approach was to strengthen himself. He needed to become strong enough to handle most enemies without needing to transform at all.
When he encountered opponents so strong that he couldn't deal with them in his base form, then he would use Take Over Magic with those anime characters.
Sun Breathing could significantly improve a person's physical fitness. If one mastered Total Concentration: Constant, they could maintain the breathing technique 24 hours a day, and their physical fitness would gradually become stronger. This was his path. This was how he would bridge the gap between his pathetic base form and his monstrous transformations.
As soon as he thought of it, Ren immediately sat cross-legged on the floor of his new, empty house. He closed his eyes, recalling the perfect, effortless flow of energy he'd felt while in Yoriichi's body. He focused his mind and took a deep, shuddering breath.
Inhale.
The moment the air filled his lungs, agony erupted in his chest.
In no time at all, Ren stopped, collapsing to the floor, his face filled with terror and drenched in sweat.
"I can't do it at all, I can't do it!" he gasped, clutching his chest. "Just one minute of full-focus breathing like that... it's like dying!"
It was too painful. It felt like he had inhaled fire. His lungs were searing, his ears were thumping with a deafening, painful pressure, and his eardrums felt like they were about to burst.
Ren vigorously clapped his hands over his ears, and after several continuous claps, he finally felt some relief.
"You scared me to death! For a moment there, I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my ears—!!!"
This was the crushing reality. Yoriichi was a being of perfect physical grace. Ren... was just Ren.
"System, what's going on? When I used the breathing technique just now, it was very smooth! Why isn't it working now?"
[Just now, the host's physical fitness was that of the character card. Now it's the host's own. The host's own foundation is too weak, so it's not working.]
"Then how can I improve my own foundation?"
[1: Run 10 kilometers daily. 2: Perform breath-holding training 10 times daily, starting from one minute and gradually increasing to 10 minutes. 3: Use Sun Breathing for 20 minutes daily.]
"It doesn't seem particularly difficult. I'll start tomorrow morning."
After showering the agony of the attempt away, Ren lay down on the bed in his new home and had a wonderful, peaceful sleep.
Early the next morning, before the sun had even risen, Ren got up early, got dressed, and began his long run around Magnolia Town.
At this time, the sky was just beginning to lighten, from a deep indigo to a soft gray. A hint of coolness was still in the air, a light mist rolling off the canal. It was perfect for running.
10 kilometers was roughly one full circuit around Magnolia Town, from his house near the river, past the quiet market, around the base of Kardia Cathedral, and back along the opposite bank.
Ren paced himself, his breathing steady. This new body was still a marvel to him. It was young, full of energy, and responded to his will in a way his old one never had.
He finished in about 30 minutes, which was much faster than his previous speed. Before, it used to take him about an hour to run ten kilometers. It seemed his physical fitness had unconsciously improved a lot since he transmigrated, even before his training.
Next was breath-holding training. This was simple: he went to the riverbank, found a clean spot, filled a large basin with water from his house, and submerged his face. The goal was to train his lung capacity, a key component of the breathing techniques. The longer he could hold his breath, the better.
Ren tried it, and his maximum breath-holding time was only a minute and a half. It was a pathetic, humbling number, but it was a start.
Finally, Ren sat cross-legged in his new yard and used Sun Breathing. It was agony. Every inhale felt like his lungs were being stretched on a rack, and every exhale left him dizzy. He couldn't maintain it for more than a minute at a time. But he pushed through, resting for a few minutes before starting again, until he had accumulated his 20 minutes for the day.
By this time, the sun had already risen high. Ren stood up, his entire body sore but feeling... alive.
He stood up, preparing to head to the Guild. He needed a job. He needed more pulls.
Just as Ren stepped out, he saw Mira and Elfman walking over from not too far away, likely on their way to the guild themselves.
"Ren!!"
Elfman immediately waved hello when he saw Ren. Since their S-Class mission together, Elfman's attitude had changed completely. He now saw Ren as a true "Man."
"Good morning, Ren-kun! How was your rest last night?"
Mira still greeted him with a beaming smile. Seeing Mira's adorable smile, Ren's mood immediately brightened.
"Very good, thank you, Mira-san. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have found such a satisfactory house."
"Don't mention it," Mira giggled. "After all, you also helped Elfman. Consider this my way of returning the favor."
"Returning the favor? If you hadn't mentioned it, I almost forgot," Ren said, a smile playing on his lips. "When you two have time, come over for dinner. I'll cook myself, as a housewarming celebration."
"Hmm… I can't refuse that," Mira said, her eyes sparkling.
"Ren-kun, you can cook?!" Elfman looked at Ren with some surprise.
"I'm not bad!" Ren said with a confident grin. "A man has to be self-sufficient, right? I've picked up a few skills."
The three chatted as they arrived at the Guild together.
Soon after, people gradually started arriving. For many in the Guild, coming to the Guild was like going to work. Even if they spent the entire day just laughing and joking without taking on missions, they would still come to the Guild to check in.
Eating, drinking, and having fun with companions was much more interesting than doing it alone.
After eating and drinking his fill (on the house, thanks to Mira), Ren went to the request board and started looking for suitable work.
B-rank missions were not being considered for now; his target was the higher-priority A-rank missions.
A-rank missions were requests with rewards of 1,000,000 J or more. Most of these requests were for subjugation. Subjugation missions were the most dangerous type of work, mainly involving the defeat of various powerful Magical Beasts.
Ren scanned the board and chose a mission with a reward of 1,000,000 J. "Subjugate the Chimera of Mount Bosca." This mission wasn't too far from Fairy Tail. The journey there would take about a day and a half, so a round trip would be about three days. If he added the mission itself, the total time would be about four to five days.
'One A-rank mission per week, that's four A-rank missions per month,' Ren calculated. 'Each A-rank quest gives one gacha pull. Including the monthly system-given gacha chance, it meant he would have a chance for a... five-pull? That's still too slow.'
He needed a 10-pull for a better shot at a gold. He'd have to work harder.
Just as Ren was about to tear off the request, deciding it was better than nothing...
Makarov's authoritative voice rang out, cutting through the entire guild's chaotic noise: "No! You cannot take this job."
Ren froze, his hand halfway to the paper. He turned, looking toward the second-floor railing where Makarov was standing.
But the Guild Master wasn't looking at him. He was glaring down at someone at the base of the stairs.
Ren looked in Makarov's direction, and his eyes landed on a figure that made his breath catch.
What met his eyes was striking, long, scarlet hair. A beautiful, serious face. Polished, silver-gray armor that gleamed in the guild hall's light, covering her torso. A simple black pleated skirt, and black long boots, giving her a heroic and spirited appearance.
She was radiating an aura of pure, unadulterated power and absolute authority. It was an aura that screamed S-Class.
Ren recognized her identity at a glance.
"Fairy Queen — Erza!"
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