["Breathing Techniques" were created by Yoriichi Tsugikuni and do not require special energy. As long as the user possesses the aptitude for them, they can be used. Since the host has previously used Sun Breathing while transformed, he already meets the qualifications to use it.]
"So that means... I can use Sun Breathing in my everyday state too?"
[Yes.]
"That's awesome!"
Kaien lit up with excitement. If there was ever a moment he was weakest, it was undoubtedly when he wasn't using Take Over Magic.
Take now, for example—he was basically a glass cannon. If he got knocked out before transforming, that would be game over.
Plus, he didn't want to go full power every time some random enemy showed up.
If every low-level thug from a dark guild made him transform just to deal with them, that'd be ridiculous.
Transformation came with a massive cost. If enemies kept coming one after another and he had to use Take Over each time, no amount of magic power would sustain him.
So the best solution? Get strong enough that he didn't need to transform in most fights.
If he ran into someone so strong that he couldn't win without transforming—then he'd bust out the Take Over Magic and his anime character cards.
Sun Breathing could drastically enhance physical attributes. If he could maintain "Total Concentration: Constant," he'd be using the breathing technique twenty-four hours a day. Over time, his body would gradually become stronger.
With that in mind, Kaien immediately sat down cross-legged and began his breathing practice.
Before long, he stopped abruptly, drenched in sweat and pale with shock.
"I can't do it! I just can't!! I only did full concentration breathing for a minute and I nearly died! It hurts so bad—my lungs, my ears... my eardrums are throbbing... aaagh!"
He smacked his ears with both hands repeatedly until the pressure eased up a little.
"That scared the crap out of me… I seriously thought my heart was going to burst out of my ears—!!"
"System, what happened?! I was breathing just fine back when I was transformed. Why doesn't it work now?"
[Previously, the host's body was that of a character card. Now you're using your own body, which lacks the necessary base stats. That's why it doesn't work.]
"Then how do I raise my base stats?"
[1: Run 10 kilometers daily.
2: Hold-breath training 10 times a day, starting from 1 minute, gradually increasing to 10 minutes.
3: Practice Sun Breathing for 20 minutes a day.]
"Doesn't sound too bad. I'll start tomorrow morning."
After taking a shower, Kaien settled into his new home and had a great night's sleep.
The next morning, before sunrise, Kaien was already up and dressed, jogging around Magnolia.
The horizon had just begun to brighten, and the air was crisp and cool—perfect running weather.
A full loop around Magnolia was roughly 10 kilometers.
Kaien finished in about 30 minutes, much faster than he used to. Back then, it'd take him a full hour to run 10 kilometers. It looked like his physical stats had improved without him even noticing after crossing over to this world.
Next up was breath-holding training, which was simple enough—just dunk his face into a large basin of water and hold it as long as he could. The longer, the better.
Kaien gave it a try. His current max hold time was around 90 seconds.
Finally, he sat cross-legged in the courtyard and began practicing Sun Breathing.
By the time he was done, the sun was already high in the sky. Kaien stood up, ready to head to the guild.
Sun Breathing required 20 minutes of use per day, but it didn't all have to be in one go. It could be used anytime, anywhere, and worked best after his body was well-rested.
Just as he stepped out the door, he saw Mirajane and Elfman walking toward him from down the street.
"Kaien!!"
Elfman immediately waved when he spotted him. Ever since they went on a mission together, Kaien and Elfman had gotten along great. Mirajane had helped Kaien join the guild and even helped him find housing—these two siblings were the people Kaien knew best in Fairy Tail.
"Morning, Kaien. Did you sleep well last night?"
Mirajane greeted him with her usual bright smile. Just seeing her adorable expression instantly lifted Kaien's mood.
"Yeah, thanks. Honestly, if it weren't for you, I never would've found a place I like this much."
"No need to thank me. After all, you helped Elfman. Just consider it a return gift."
"A return gift? I almost forgot! You two should come over sometime. I'll cook. Think of it as my housewarming party."
"Ooh… I guess I can't say no to that."
"You can cook, Kaien?!"
Elfman looked at him, surprised.
"Eh, I'm decent!"
'Cooking is a basic life skill every adult should have, right?'
The three of them chatted as they walked to the guild together.
Soon after, other members began trickling into the guild. For many, coming to the guild was like clocking in at work. Even if they didn't plan to take any jobs, they'd still show up to hang out.
Eating, drinking, and goofing off with your friends was way more fun than being alone.
After Kaien finished breakfast, he walked over to the request board to look for a job that suited him.
He ruled out B-rank quests for now—his priority was A-rank quests.
A-rank missions all had rewards of over 1,000,000J. Most of them were subjugation types.
Subjugation jobs were the most dangerous kind. They involved taking down powerful magical beasts. In this world overflowing with magic power, humans had mages—but animals had monsters.
Some of these magical beasts were even stronger than the Ten Wizard Saints.
Kaien scanned the board and picked out one that offered a reward of exactly 1,000,000J. It wasn't too far from Fairy Tail—about a day and a half's travel. Including the job itself, he'd need around five days.
Factoring in rest, he figured he could finish one A-rank job a week. That meant four a month. Add in the system's monthly free draw, and that gave him a 10-pull every two months.
Just as Kaien reached out to take the request—
Makarov's stern voice rang out:
"You can't take that job!"
Kaien turned toward the voice—
And immediately saw the striking figure of a woman with long, bright red hair. Her beautiful face was framed by silver-gray armor, a black pleated skirt, and tall black boots. She radiated presence and strength.
Kaien recognized her instantly.
"Titania, Queen of the Fairies!"