“Uhm, it’s getting a bit bright outside. It’s nearly five…I should get some sleep,” Olivia muttered as she peaked through the window. “But…Lilith hasn’t returned yet. Does she normally take such long walks–”
BAM!
The front door violently swung open with a loud thud, startling Olivia. Her expression quickly morphed to shock upon witnessing the injured Lilith stumbling her way inside. Her blood painted the knob of the door.
“Urgh…Olivia.” Lilith muttered. “You’re…still up?”
“L-Lilith!? W-What happened to you!?” Olivia questioned with visible concern as she quickly approached her friend. “Y-You’re injured badly!”
“...My weakness…was shown to me again…” Holding Olivia’s shirt to comfort her own self, Lilith muttered. “I still…couldn’t kill…”
“...Y-You should…sit down…and catch your breath,” Feeling her friend’s frustration, Olivia replied in a low tone. “I-I’ll call the NPC…”
- * * *
Darkness was purged from the house as the rays of the beaming sun had permeated through the windows of the living room. In the brightened living room, Lilith and Olivia had received the company of the NPC and the doctor.
Although her physical wounds were treated, there was nothing to be done about the depressed frown and scrunched eyebrows Lilith had as she sat feet up in a fetal position on her couch.
“So, you went to take a walk, and you were encountered by two super soldiers, huh?” The NPC said. “They seem to be getting a lot more active it seems.”
“...Sorry, doctor. Even though you just healed me…I went and got myself injured again,” Lilith muttered. “You even had to come here so early.”
“Don’t worry about that. I just want to see you doing alright, Lilith,” The doctor assured.
“...Everytime I think I got stronger…I always meet another wall,” Lilith muttered as she grabbed her head and shook in frustration. “Despite all that I’ve done…I still have so many limitations.”
“L-Lilith…” Olivia muttered as she and the NPCs spectated with silent concern.
“What will…the developer do next…to get what he wants–”
With a gentle hand to the shoulder, the NPC snapped Lilith out of her onset of panic.
“Calm down, Lilith…panicking will get you nowhere,” The NPC said.
“...But, I just can’t take it anymore. I barely used a couple of my splintering attacks without feeling like I’m gonna pass out,” Lilith said. “And…I don’t have it in me…to kill.”
She couldn’t even go on a walk in peace… Olivia pondered. Just how much does she need to suffer?
“It doesn’t matter…if I get results. I’ll never be enough,” Lilith muttered as she hid her face between her knees. “I just can’t…take it…anymore.”
“...I see, so that’s how you see it, huh?” The NPC replied. “But Lilith…that means you don’t care about protecting Nathan anymore, if you’re giving up, right?”
“H-Huh?” Realizing the implications behind her own words, Lilith gazed at the NPC with widened eyes. “T-That’s not what I–”
“That’s not what you meant? Then what is it then?” The NPC replied in a stern tone. “You don’t have a proper resolve in your actions? Can’t make up your mind? I can see why you can’t kill your enemies.”
“H-Hey! Don’t say that!” The doctor yelled.
“I want to protect Nathan! That’s why I’ve trained so hard with you!” With a regained will, Lilith yelled as she got up. “But I’m not as strong as I need to be right now!”
“Heh, is that what you think? From what I gathered, the soldiers you fought not only had the environmental and numbers advantage, but you received injuries due to lack of experience with your skills, and the mental block that stopped you from killing,” The NPC explained. “After all of that you still won technically. I believe you’re stronger than what you believe”
“...I can’t call that a win.”
“I see. Well, even though your day off was ruined, I don’t think you’ll mind receiving some training,” The NPC remarked.
“Yes! I’d love nothing more right now!”
“Good. This training will be much different and more intense than before. You will work on those weaknesses of yours,” The NPC explained. “We will begin with the first thing…breathing.”
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“W-What? You’re going to teach me how to…breathe?” Lilith remarked as she, Olivia and the doctor gazed at the NPC with confusion.
- * * *
Taking their conversation to the outside, the NPC prepared to train Lilith once more.
“Uhm, what do you mean by showing me how to breathe?” Lilith questioned. “I-I’m so confused.”
“Have you ever heard of the Chinese martial art called fa jin?” The NPC questioned.
“Uhm, that’s the first time I’m hearing that.”
“Well, it’s basically the art of dropping a lot of force in a short amount of time. An art that causes an explosive release of power,” The NPC explained. “I once got the grasp of it from a certain woman. She explained that taking deep breaths and releasing them during your strikes is the secret behind that explosive power.”
“I see.”
“With your blessing that’s based on physical exertion and constant strikes, learning the timing to tense your body through the intake and release of oxygen would significantly improve your performance,” The NPC continued. “That technique would definitely pair well with you. You could see up to a fifty percent increase in your abilities.”
“...That certainly sounds amazing,” Lilith replied as she rubbed her chin. “Where do I begin?”
“Simple…do what I do,” The NPC said as he eased to the ground. He folded his legs beneath himself and clasped his hands together, as if he started to meditate. Lilith simply gazed with slight confusion.
“Y-You want me to do that?”
“Mhmm, whenever you’re ready,” The NPC replied.
With her cheeks turning red out of embarrassment, Lilith followed the NPC’s actions.
“Good, now you’ll practice by taking deep breaths while slowly exhaling,” The NPC advised. “Try to take those breaths as slowly as possible as they travel deep into your gut.”
“O-Okay.” Agreeing to the NPC’s words, Lilith began to take slow, audible breaths. Feeling as though she took enough, Lilith followed up by exhaling that same breath.
“Do it slower next time,” The NPC advised. “You have to get used to it.”
“A-Alright…” Lilith replied. I-Is breathing in and out really needed to learn this technique?
Once more Lilith inhaled before exhaling, though there was a longer delay before she expelled the air from her lungs.
“Well that was longer, but your shoulders are rising a lot,” The NPC said as she repeated the process. “You’re clearly trying too hard. If you lift your shoulders like that, it’ll kill the whole-body connection, and your strikes won’t be as strong as they should be.”
“Hmm…” Lilith hummed. Inhale…exhale…she kept repeating the process. With the constant corrections the NPC gave not limited to keeping her shoulders relaxed, an hour had whisked past.
Sigh…I never knew it’d take this long… Lilith pondered with a slight expression of boredom and exhaustion.
After watching her, he got up from the ground.
“Huh? Where are you going?” Lilith questioned.
“Don’t worry about me…I’ll be back. For now, you will stay here and practice the slow breaths,” The NPC replied. “Keep at it, you’re quite talented due to the blessing you received.”
“...Okay.”
This training is far more different than what I’ve experienced…or expected, but I can’t complain. Lilith pondered as she refocused on her breathing practice. It doesn’t matter how much patience and diligence I need…I’ll master this to get even stronger!
- * * *
“So you’re teaching her fa jin, huh? That’ll definitely suit her, so that’s a great idea,” Gazing down at the horizon from atop a cliffside, the developer remarked. Behind him was the NPC. “She could utilize the full extent of her blade’s strength if she could strike harder, after all.”
“I wanted to teach her this earlier, but I suppose now was the perfect time,” The NPC replied. “I guess learning that from her all those years ago came in handy.”
“Yeah.”
“...Lilith is facing quite overwhelming pressure now. Getting hunted and persecuted by the government, all while doing the best she can to keep Nathan safe,” The NPC said. “It’s quite unfortunate that she has to go through this herself without Nathan with her.”
“Haha, what are you saying? She clearly hasn't grown enough if there are things in this world threatening her,” The developer replied. “And she could only get this far because she’s alone…her dear little Nathan can’t distract her right now.”
“...I suppose that is a way to look at it.”
“That’s the only way to look at it…” The developer countered. “But it’s clear you want me to acknowledge the ‘work’ Lilith has done so far. I’ll probably get the blacksmith to prepare something good for her.”
“...Forgive me for asking, but what do you wish to achieve in the end?” The NPC questioned. “Do you simply wish to cause chaos in this world by pitting the game characters against the world’s powers?”
“Hmm, I thought I told you before. The gods who look down on this world possess a thousand year long debt, and its payment has been long overdue,” The developer responded. “For this debt to be repaid, the game characters…or a specific few is a core necessity.”
“I-I don’t understand…why you’d require their services…against beings like gods,” The NPC replied. “How could they possibly help you–”
“Alright, now you’re asking way too many questions,” The developer interjected. “All will be revealed in due time…you’ll learn what I’ve already known…as long as you keep following me.”
“...I see.”
“You should return to Lilith…I’m sure she’s waiting on you to help her,” The developer said as he changed the subject. “It’s a shame I can’t visit my dear game characters without the mood being brought down instantly.”
“...You’re right…I’ll be going now,” The NPC responded as he immediately vanished.
“...Heh, starting to get a soft spot for Nathan and Lilith, huh?” The developer muttered to himself.
- * * *
The NPC had returned to Lilith’s home, and the sight before him brought about a tilted head of interest from the NPC. Low, relaxed shoulders as she slowly inhaled, and an equally relaxed posture as she exhaled, Lilith had already grasped the fundamentals of fa jin.
“Oh? It’s not perfect, but your body is far more relaxed,” The NPC said as he garnered Lilith’s attention. “Good job…you really are a fast and talented learner.”