"Unfortunately, this breathing style offers me almost no improvement."
"The energy I accumulate by breathing for half a day can't compare to what I gain by simply lying in the sun for two seconds," Karl said with a casual shrug.
"Still, for ordinary people without any extraordinary means, it should provide a steady path to grow stronger."
Since it had been created by referencing the eternal sun and the nature of his own energy, Karl naturally gave it a name: "Let's call it the 'Solar Breathing Method.'"
With his decision made, Karl wasted no time. His figure flashed as he descended from the sky, returning to the Terra estate. He went straight to Dalton, who was supervising the recruits' training, and Philip, who was off to the side practicing swordsmanship alone.
"Dalton, Philip—come here a moment." Karl beckoned.
The two immediately stopped what they were doing, jogged over, and stood before Karl, puzzled. Philip, in particular, looked baffled. Normally, when Lord Karl had business, he spoke directly with the steward Hans or the War-Band Leader Dalton. This was the first time the two of them had been summoned together, alone.
Karl looked at the two men who had followed him from the earliest days and, in his view, possessed the most outstanding Heart-Nature and potential. A meaningful smile crossed his face as he reached out and patted their shoulders warmly.
"You two are in luck. Of everyone, you're the pair I place the greatest hopes in," Karl said with a smile.
He paused, watching their eyes light up, then continued, "Now, an opportunity lies before you. A chance to grow stronger—perhaps even to transcend the Mortal. Do you want it?"
"Yes! Absolutely!"
"My lord! We want it!"
Dalton and Philip answered almost in unison, their voices ringing with excitement, their eyes blazing. To them, such an opportunity was a dream come true. Only days earlier, they had watched Lord Karl soar through the heavens like a god. Even earlier, on the Erland border, the sight of him single-handedly deciding a battle and crushing an army bare-handed had been seared into their hearts. Nearly every Blood Angels Knight, while training, had fantasized about one day wielding power like that. Now that chance had suddenly, directly fallen into their laps—how could they not be thrilled?
Karl nodded, pleased by their reaction. "Good. Then listen carefully; remember every word I say."
"What I'm about to teach you is called the 'Solar Breathing Method.' Its core lies in combining visualization with breathing and in constructing an energy circuit."
"First, you must clearly picture a sun within your mind—feel its light, its warmth, its eternity, and its majesty—"
A few minutes later, Dalton and Philip, looking bewildered yet focused, finished listening to Karl's explanation. Visualizing the sun? Building an energy circuit inside the body? Following a three-short-one-long breathing rhythm? These concepts were new and difficult to grasp, yet they set their hearts racing.
At Karl's signal, the two sat down on the spot, facing the sun in the sky. They closed their eyes and strove to concentrate, trying to shape that illusory yet vital sun in their minds as Karl had taught. Karl stood quietly to one side, his brows knit in concentration, expectation in his eyes.
With a slight thought, he spread an invisible Bio-Force Field, isolating the space around Dalton and Philip from the outside clamor, creating a quieter, less distracting environment for their visualization.
"The Solar Breathing Method—I've verified it on myself, so naturally it's fine, but they're ordinary people of this world. Their Physique differs from mine," Karl mused silently. "Whether they can succeed, and how efficient their success might be, is still unknown."
Karl's gaze deepened. If this breathing method could truly succeed in them, even preliminary mastery would mean his future warriors could grow into superhuman beings far stronger and more controllable than Witchers. Dalton and Philip were the first explorers on this path; their success or failure was crucial.
From high noon, when the sun blazed overhead, until dusk, when the sky dimmed, the two men kept at it for hours. They remained seated, eyes shut, pouring all their spirit into that arcane visualization, striving to outline the sun clearly in their minds and feel its radiance and grandeur.
Yet the results were disheartening. No matter how they focused, the sun in their minds stayed hazy. Their thoughts were like unruly wild horses, galloping off at any moment. Sometimes it was weariness from training, sometimes daydreams of the future, sometimes thoughts of what to eat for supper.
As for constructing that peculiar energy circuit inside the body, they had no idea where to begin; they couldn't even sense a shadow of the so-called energy. The only thing they felt was that their bodies seemed a bit warmer than usual. But they couldn't tell whether that was simply the natural result of sitting in the sun for so long or whether the breathing method had actually taken effect—or if it was merely a psychological illusion.
When the setting sun stretched their shadows long across the ground, they finally opened their eyes, weary and defeated. They reported their difficulties truthfully to Karl, who had been standing watch the entire time.
"Lord Karl, I followed your instructions and tried hard to picture the sun in my mind," Philip began, sounding puzzled. "But it always stays blurry, and I can't keep my attention focused for long—I keep thinking of other things. As for building an energy circuit inside—I can't feel any energy at all; I don't know where to start."
Dalton sat beside him, nodding heavily. "Same here, Lord Karl. It feels… like we can't find the direction."
At their words, Karl raised an eyebrow, folded his arms, and tapped a finger rhythmically against his sleeve, lost in thought. "Looks like Dalton and the rest probably don't have even the slightest innate talent for perceiving and guiding mana."
Karl mused silently. In this world, that was nothing unusual; the vast majority of people lacked the qualification to set foot on that threshold.
Yet, observing them closely, he noticed sparks of potential hidden beneath their inexperience. If nurtured correctly, even these ordinary men might one day channel the Solar Breathing Method. It would be a slow, arduous path—much slower than his own—but the foundation was there.
"Very well," Karl said finally, his voice calm yet decisive. "You failed today. But failure is the first step to understanding. Tomorrow, we start again. This time, I will guide you personally through each movement, each breath, until your minds and bodies begin to align with the sun."
The two men glanced at him, their exhaustion mingled with renewed hope. Philip's brows furrowed, determination flashing in his eyes. Dalton's jaw tightened, and he let out a deep breath as if preparing himself for a marathon he hadn't anticipated.
Karl's smile was faint, almost imperceptible, but there was pride in it. The first attempt might have ended in frustration, but the first step had been taken. The path of Solar Breathing was not merely about strength; it was a test of patience, focus, and the heart. And in the days to come, Dalton and Philip would learn that sometimes the most extraordinary power was not born of talent alone, but of unwavering resolve.
As the last rays of sunlight dipped below the horizon, Karl's thoughts turned inward. If they can master even a fraction of this method, the Blood Angels' ranks will be filled with warriors far beyond ordinary men—warriors who could rival the most formidable Witchers. And perhaps, someday, even rival me.
With that, he turned, walking back to the Terra estate. Behind him, Dalton and Philip sat quietly, absorbing the lessons of the day, their minds filled with an image of a sun they had yet to fully grasp—but would, in time, learn to command.
The Solar Breathing Method had begun.
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