Chapter 15: Erza
[A breathing technique is a method of respiration created by Yoriichi Tsugikuni. It does not require special energy. As long as one has the aptitude to use it, it can be used. The Host has already used Sun Breathing while transformed and now possesses the aptitude to use it.]
"So, that means I can use Sun Breathing in my normal state?"
[Yes.]
"That's great!"
Ren was even more excited. If there was ever a time he was at his weakest, it was without a doubt before using his Take Over.
Right now, for example, he was just a glass cannon. If he got taken out before he could transform, it was game over.
Besides, he didn't want to have to go all-out for every single enemy. If some random grunt from a Dark Guild showed up, he couldn't just transform to deal with them. That was unsustainable.
The cost of transformation was massive. If enemies came one after another, he'd burn through all his magic power, no matter how much he had.
Therefore, the best solution was to make his base self stronger—strong enough to handle most situations without needing to transform at all.
Then, he could save his Take Over magic for opponents so strong he had no other choice.
Sun Breathing could dramatically improve his physical condition. If he could achieve "Total Concentration: Constant," he could maintain the breathing 24/7, and his body would passively grow stronger and stronger.
He decided to act on it immediately. Ren sat cross-legged and began the breathing technique.
A few moments later, he stopped, his face pale and covered in sweat.
"I can't do it! I can't do it at all! Just one minute of Total Concentration Breathing and I feel like I'm dying! It's too painful! My lungs hurt, my ears hurt... they're pounding... my eardrums... Aaargh!"
Ren slapped his hands over his ears, striking them several times until the sensation finally subsided.
"That scared me to death! For a second, I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my ears!"
"System, what's going on? It felt so smooth when I used it during the transformation! Why can't I do it now?"
[Previously, the Host's body was that of the character card. Now, it is the Host's own. The Host's base foundation is too weak, which is why it failed.]
"Then how do I strengthen my base?"
[1: Run 10 kilometers every day. 2: Perform breath-holding training 10 times a day, increasing from one minute up to ten minutes. 3: Practice Sun Breathing for 20 minutes every day.]
"That doesn't sound too hard. I'll start tomorrow morning."
After taking a shower, Ren lay down in his new house and had a wonderful night's sleep.
The next morning, before the sun had even risen, Ren was up. He got dressed and began running laps around Magnolia Town.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the air was crisp and cool—perfect for a run.
The 10-kilometer distance was almost exactly one full loop around Magnolia.
Ren finished in about 30 minutes, which was much faster than his previous time. In his old life, a 10k run would have taken him about an hour. It seemed his physical body had improved quite a bit just from crossing over.
Next was breath-holding. This was simple. He just filled a large basin with water and held his face in it for as long as he could. He tested his limit and found he could only last about a minute and a half.
Finally, Ren sat cross-legged in his yard and practiced Sun Breathing.
By now, the sun was high in the sky. Ren stood up, ready to head to the guild. The 20-minute requirement wasn't all at once. Besides, breathing techniques could be practiced anywhere, anytime. The effects were best when his body was fully rested.
Just as Ren stepped out his door, he saw Mira and Elfman walking over.
"Ren!" Elfman waved as soon as he saw him. Since their mission together, he and Ren had become good friends. Mira had handled Ren's guild registration and helped him find a house. The two siblings were the people Ren knew best in the guild.
"Morning, Ren! Did you rest well last night?" Mira greeted him with her usual radiant smile. Seeing it, Ren felt his entire mood lift.
"Very well. Thanks so much, Mira. If it weren't for you, I never would have found such a perfect house."
"It was nothing. You helped Elfman a lot, after all. Just think of it as a thank-you gift."
"A thank-you gift? I almost forgot. When you two have time, you should come over for dinner. I'll cook. We can call it my housewarming."
"Ooh... I don't think I can refuse that."
"Ren, you can cook?!" Elfman looked at him, surprised.
"I'm decent." What Chinese man can't cook?
The three of them chatted as they walked to the guild together.
Soon, other members began to trickle in. For many of them, coming to the guild was like going to work. Even if they just goofed off all day and didn't take a single job, they would still clock in. Hanging out with their friends was a lot more fun than being alone.
After eating and drinking his fill, Ren went to the request board to find a suitable job.
He skipped the B-Rank missions. His priority was A-Rank.
A-Rank missions all had rewards of 1,000,000 J or more. Most of them were "Subjugation" type quests. This was the most dangerous category, involving the hunting of powerful magical beasts. This world was brimming with magic power. Just as humans had mages, animals had monsters. The strongest magical beasts were said to be even more powerful than the Ten Wizard Saints.
Ren scanned the board and picked one with a 1,000,000 J reward. It wasn't too far from Fairy Tail, about a day and a half of travel. That meant three days for the round trip. Factoring in the mission itself, it would take about four or five days.
Adding in some rest time, he could probably do one A-Rank mission a week. That meant four A-Rank missions a month. Plus the free monthly pull from the system... at this rate, it would take him about two months to get a 10-pull.
Just as Ren was about to tear the request from the board...
A stern voice rang out. "No! You cannot take that job."
Ren looked in the direction of the voice. The first thing he saw was a head of striking scarlet hair. A beautiful face, a suit of silver-gray armor, a black pleated skirt, and black boots. She looked valiant and heroic.
Ren recognized her in an instant.
"The Fairy Queen—Erza!"