Aron let the warm water soak into his aching muscles, steam rising softly around him.
He took a slow breath, feeling the strain inside his chest ease a little.
Merl's calm voice echoed in his mind.
"Aron, your control has improved. You managed to regulate Emperor's Breath for around 30 minutes today."
Aron opened one eye and smirked slightly.
"Only 30 minutes… that's not enough."
"Not enough?" Merl sounded confused. "For a beginner, even 5 minutes is impressive. Your body is still young. You should be careful."
Aron dipped his head back into the water for a moment, letting the heat calm his mind.
Then he lifted his face again, eyes steady.
"I'm not planning to stop there."
Merl remained silent, waiting.
Aron looked at the ripples in the bathwater and whispered:
"I'm going to reach 24 hours."
The words were soft, but his determination was sharp.
Merl almost choked on her own silence.
"Twenty-four hours? Aron, that means breathing in perfect rhythm while awake, while walking, while training… even while sleeping. That level of mastery takes years."
Aron smiled faintly.
"I have time. And I'm not alone this time."
Merl's tone softened.
"It's not impossible… but it will be the hardest thing you've ever done."
Aron leaned back, feeling the warm water wash over him.
"That's fine. Hard things don't scare me anymore."
For a moment, the two stayed quiet — the sound of water gently moving was the only sound in the room.
Merl finally spoke again.
"If you truly want to reach 24-hour regulation, we will start small steps tomorrow."
Aron nodded.
"I'm ready."
His eyes stayed locked on the ceiling as he whispered to himself:
"I will control Emperor's Breath completely… no matter how long it takes."
The week passed in the same steady rhythm.
Morning training.
Midday stances.
Evening drills.
Night breathing practice.
And every moment in between, Aron pushed himself to regulate Emperor's Breath.
At first he could only manage 30 minutes.
Then 35.
Then 40.
Little by little, the time increased.
By the seventh day, he finally reached one full hour of nonstop regulation.
He stood in the training ground, sweat sliding down his face, chest rising and falling with controlled breaths.
"Merl," he said softly, "show me my Emperor's Breath mastery."
A faint screen appeared in his mind.
EB Mastery: 0.20 percent
Aron stared at the number.
"…Still 0.20?"
For a moment he felt confused.
He had trained nonstop.
He had pushed himself beyond anything he imagined.
He expected at least a bigger jump.
But then a realization hit him.
His body felt stronger.
His balance was perfect.
His stances were solid.
Wait…
His eyes widened slightly.
My entire martial foundation was supposed to take one month… but I finished it in one week.
And now I can regulate Emperor's Breath for a full hour.
That alone is insane progress.
Aron let out a small laugh.
"So mastery is slow, but the benefits are huge…"
Merl spoke gently in his mind.
"Exactly. Mastery rises slowly because the technique is extremely deep.
But your body is responding fast.
Finishing your foundation in one week is something only monsters would achieve."
Aron wiped his face with a towel.
One hour of perfect regulation.
A completed foundation.
And only 0.20 percent mastery.
He couldn't help but smile.
"If this is what 0.20 feels like… then I can't wait to see 1 percent."
Merl chuckled softly.
"Then keep going. You're already far ahead of normal growth."
Aron nodded.
"I will. This is only the beginning."
The wind blew gently across the training ground, and Aron felt something shift inside him — a small spark of confidence growing stronger each day.
Merl's voice grew calm but serious inside Aron's mind.
> "Aron, since your martial foundation is complete… you are now ready to step into the first realm."
Aron nodded slowly.
"I already know about the 12 realms of the tri paths. Martial, sword, and magic all follow the same structure."
"Correct," Merl said.
"And each realm is divided into three stages - initial, mid, and advance."
Aron clenched his fists lightly.
Merl responded without hesitation.
"Realm 1 - Foundation Step."
"It represents the beginning of true martial cultivation," Merl explained.
"After building a physical foundation, you must now connect your breath, body, and inner flow.
Aron took a slow breath.
"And how do I step into this realm?"
"Through breathing," Merl said.
"A proper breathing technique allows the body to open the first internal channel.
And fortunately… you already have one."
Aron understood immediately.
"Emperor's Breath."
"Yes," Merl confirmed.
"It is more than enough to push you into the first realm.
Now that your foundation is stable, you can begin advancing with it."
Aron looked at the night sky, determination rising again.
"So I continue training… but now with a goal."
"Exactly," Merl said softly.
"Your journey into the 12 realms starts here."
Aron took one more breath, steady and deep.
"Then let's begin."
A faint ripple ran through his body - the first sign of the path ahead opening.
Merl explained softly inside Aron's mind:
"Before you continue, you must understand the rule of the Foundation Realm."
Aron listened carefully.
"To enter Realm 1 in martial arts, you do not use mana or aura.
You do not force your body.
You only change the way you breathe."
Aron blinked. "Only breathing?"
"Yes. Martial arts is the path of the body.
Unlike sword path or magic path, this path does not rely on external energy.
You create strength from inside yourself."
Merl continued:
"To reach the Foundation Realm, you must merge your breathing technique with your body.
Every inhale must carry strength.
Every exhale must release tension.
Your body must follow your breath, and your breath must follow your body."
Aron closed his eyes, imagining it.
"You don't force anything.
You don't push your muscles.
You let the breathing technique energize your body naturally.
When the flow becomes smooth, the first realm opens on its own."
Aron nodded slowly.
"So I just… breathe correctly and let the technique do its work?"
"Exactly," Merl said.
"When your breath and body become one, the Foundation Realm will open.
This is the start of true martial cultivation."
Aron took a slow breath, feeling the
warmth move through him.
"Alright… let's begin."
Aron sat down on the training ground floor, legs folded, eyes half-closed.
He let Emperor's Breath flow naturally through him.
Slow inhale.
Steady exhale.
No force.
No tension.
Just rhythm.
As his breath settled, something inside him began to shift.
A faint blue glow rose around his skin — the usual color of Emperor's Breath.
But this time…
it slowly turned red.
Aron felt the change, gentle at first, like warm water washing over his bones.
Then the warmth grew sharper.
This is it…
The red glow pulsed once.
And then
Spark!
A small shock burst through his entire body, spreading from his chest to his arms, legs, and fingertips.
He gasped quietly.
In that moment, his breath and body felt connected… perfectly.
Merl's voice echoed with rare excitement.
"Congratulations, Aron.
Foundation Realm - Initial Stage achieved."
A faint screen appeared in his mind.
Reward: 10 Power Points
Aron opened his eyes, surprised.
"That's it? It was this easy?"
He remembered struggling for months in his past life.
Six whole months… just to reach the initial stage of sword foundation.
But now, it happened in minutes.
He frowned, confused.
"Merl… why is this so fast? Even if I have talent in martial arts now, this speed is too strange."
Merl answered calmly, as if she expected this question.
"There is nothing strange. You already know the reason."
Aron waited, listening.
"EB is not a simple breathing technique.
While you trained your body for the past week, the technique was silently aligning your muscles, bones, and breath.
Your entire body is already in perfect sync."
Merl paused before finishing:
"So you did not break through today.
Emperor's Breath simply allowed you to step into what you had already prepared."
Aron blinked slowly.
"…So the breakthrough was automatic because of EB?"
"Yes. You just sat down and breathed. EB did all the hard work."
Aron leaned back slightly, stunned.
"I didn't expect it to be this powerful."
"It is.
And this is only the beginning."
Aron clenched his fists gently, feeling the new stability in his body.
Foundation Realm - Initial Stage.
The first real step on the martial path.
And he had done it effortlessly… thanks to Emperor's Breath.
Aron lay back on the training ground floor, breathing steadily.
His body felt different now.
Stable.
Balanced.
Almost as if the world around him had become clearer.
Foundation Stage… I did it.
He allowed himself a small moment of rest, staring at the night sky.
But his thoughts quickly drifted to something else.
EB… Emperor's Breath. Just how strong is this technique?
It helped me complete my foundation in one week.
It pushed me into the realm without effort.
He closed his eyes, remembering the faint red glow, the spark that ran through his body.
What kind of breathing technique can do this?
A question surfaced in his mind.
"Merl, where did EB truly come from?"
He waited.
But Merl stayed silent for a moment longer than usual.
"Aron… there are things you cannot know yet."
Aron exhaled slowly.
"Yeah… I expected that."
He already knew Merl wouldn't reveal everything.
Some answers were locked behind his growth.
Some secrets were hidden too deep.
But Aron had one clue.
I found Emperor's Breath in the ruins of the Elva Kingdom.
That place was destroyed long before he was born.
A lost civilization… a forgotten land.
Maybe the truth was buried there.
If EB came from the Elva ruins… maybe something else is still hidden there.
Something connected to this technique.
He sat up slowly, stretching his shoulders.
But he shook his head.
"No. Not now."
He couldn't chase mysteries yet.
Not when he had just taken his first real step in martial arts.
I need strength first. Power first. Answers can wait.
He looked at his hands, feeling the faint warmth of Emperor's Breath still flowing inside him.
"For now… I'll keep moving forward."
The night breeze brushed
past him, carrying away his worries.
This was only the beginning.