Cornflower Witch

Chapter 5: Learning Breathing Techniques (Thanks to Little Kiyohime for the great victory of the Alliance Leader)

Nighttime, the woods behind the village.

Hiltiya stood quietly in the clearing in the forest under the moonlight, her eyes closed. The silver moonlight fell on her, making her hair and dress glow with a faint halo, serene and slightly sacred.

She first slowly adjusted her breathing, gradually searching for the subtle rhythm of her blood, and then gradually immersed herself in it, synchronizing her breathing, heartbeat, and consciousness, a strange feeling spreading throughout her body.

The state of each part of the body gradually emerged in my mind, from the touch of the skin, the presence of muscles, the activity of internal organs, to the subtle sound of blood flowing, everything became clearer little by little.

She had never felt her body so vividly before, as if she were taking control of it for the second time. Fresh and delicate sensations came from every part of her body. At first, it felt a little strange, but she quickly adapted. This made her senses more acute and improved her control over her limbs.

At this moment, Hilti opened her light blue eyes, looked up at the branches and leaves not far above her head, and deftly reached her fingers into the gaps between the leaves to pick a green fruit from among the dense foliage. In the process, she did not touch any leaves, which was a rather wonderful feeling.

Just like in a table tennis match, when the opponent hits the ball, even if you know you should counterattack, your wrist may not be able to synchronize with your vision. Sometimes you may miss the target or be unable to determine exactly where the ball will land on your paddle.

Brain: I think I can catch that ball.

Hand: No, you can't.

As her perception and control of her body improve, she can precisely place the ball on the racket in a split second and better control the force to produce unexpected results, whether it's backspin, reverse spin, or more special moves.

Breathing... Adjusting the frequency... Sensing the rhythm of blood... Synchronized immersion

In the sea of ​​consciousness, the dense and delicate blood-red network completed its cycle once again, and the sexual energy in the blood was subtly enhanced in the process.

('Breathing Technique' Completion +6)

After completing this cycle, Hiltiya calmed her breathing and emerged from that strange state, feeling a slight soreness spreading throughout her body.

That's all she can practice for today, otherwise she'll accumulate hidden injuries. She checked her progress.

[Breathing Technique Lv.0] (Blood Rhythm): An undeveloped ability, current progress (24/100)

Today she completed three cycles of training, and her progress increased by 12, 6, and 6 respectively. At this rate, it will probably take another week to fully master the skills.

After finishing her breathing exercises, she picked up the wooden sword that was placed under the tree and recalled the basic techniques that Frien had taught her during the day, practicing swinging the sword.

At first, she moved slowly, constantly adjusting her movements to make the force exerted more smoothly. At this time, the benefits of the breathing method became apparent. Because of her stronger control and perception of her body, she could perceive the subtle differences between movements, and thus she could continuously correct her movements based on these differences.

If an ordinary person learns swordsmanship without a qualified instructor, they can at most learn the general movements, merely imitating the form, and will find it difficult to truly master the art, ultimately reducing it to a kind of performance-oriented swordsmanship.

With the guidance of a qualified mentor, combined with practical experience and continuous refinement, one can gradually find the most suitable way to exert force and techniques after years of hard work. After becoming familiar with these techniques and engraving them into muscle memory, one can become a master swordsman. This process can take anywhere from five to more than ten years.

Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency +12
Basic Swordsmanship Lv.0: A skill still being learned, current progress (36/100)

After completing the entire practice, Hilti felt a little tired. She blinked, checked her progress, and thought that if she worked harder, she could probably learn Basic Swordsmanship Lv.1 by tomorrow.

By the way, her [Discerning Eye] cannot see other people's achievements in skills and techniques; it can only be used to observe her own progress. Perhaps she needs to improve her gender rank to further enhance this ability.

She had reaped quite a harvest today, and contentedly she sheathed her sword, walking lightly towards her dwelling.

Pushing open the door that revealed a faint light, Hiltya entered the room and found that Taliel was still awake, slumped over the table, listlessly staring at the candles. When Hiltya entered, Taliel suddenly looked up, her eyes instantly filled with joy.

"Tiya is back." The two had become much more familiar with each other over the past two days, and at the girl's request, she began to address her more casually, no longer using honorifics.

"Ah."

The girl nodded, sat down in the chair opposite Taliel, stretched her legs, and gave a small yawn, revealing her slender waistline. This lazy demeanor unintentionally exuded a strange charm, leaving Taliel somewhat mesmerized.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Seeing that Taliel was not moving, Hilti waved her hand in front of her, tilted her head and asked curiously, her silver hair and blue eyes were particularly captivating.

"It's nothing." Taliel bit her lip lightly, trying to clear her mind.

"Did Tia just finish practicing her sword?" Tia had told her that she was going to practice her sword after dinner earlier.

“Yes, now that I’m wandering around, it would be better to learn some ways to protect myself.” Hilti placed her hands on the table, then rested her head on one arm, gazing at the quietly burning candle in front of her.

"Tiya is working very hard."

Taliel wasn't that diligent; she only had a three-minute attention span for everything. If something was tedious or boring, she would find it difficult to persevere. So she admired people who could endure the boredom of studying. Her sisters Winnie and Tia were exactly like that.

Inspired by Tia, Taliel decided that she should also study the breathing technique properly tomorrow. If she could really master it, she would be amazing, and none of the big guys in the village could beat her.

Taliel almost chuckled at the thought of that scene, but in Sylvia's eyes, she looked rather silly.

What is this child thinking about now? Hilti shook her head, leaned against the table to relax and rest. She didn't really want to move at the moment, but she still had to take a bath later. Sigh.

……

On the afternoon of the fourth day, in a clearing in the woods.

Hilti and Taliel practiced with wooden swords, and a series of crisp sounds of their swords clashing rang out.

bang, bang, bang...

The two wooden swords clashed from time to time as the two men swung them.

In another exchange, Hilti nimbly adjusted her footwork, gracefully dodging Taliel's attack, then flipped her blade, knocking the wooden sword from Taliel's hand.

The thrown wooden sword arced through the air before embedding itself diagonally into the grass.

"Wow, what kind of technique was that? My sword suddenly flew out!" Taliel exclaimed, both curious and excited.

"This... I just did it on a whim." Actually, Hiltiya couldn't explain why she did that. It was just a sudden inspiration. She felt that doing it would send someone flying, and she could do it easily, so the action just happened naturally.

"Tia is amazing~" Talil praised her sincerely.

In the short few days they spent together, Taliel clearly felt that Sylvia was a very intelligent person with exceptional talent, and she learned everything very quickly.

"Could you teach me, Tiya?"

She began to learn to act coquettishly in front of this girl. If the other boys in the village saw her like this, they would be very surprised, because normally Taliel was just like a boy and would occasionally fight with other boys her age in the village.

"I can give it a try." The girl thought for a moment and decided to give it a shot.

"Okay!~"

Taliel picked up the wooden sword again and slowly practiced as Frien had taught her.

“No, that’s not how you generate power for this movement.” The girl shook her head. Although they looked similar, Talil’s performance was far inferior in terms of details.

"Don't move for now, I'll help you adjust." She walked over and held Talil's arms and forearms, adjusting her movements one by one.

"so……"

...(Taliel's 'Basic Swordsmanship' proficiency +1)

"Yes, straighten your legs and use your waist muscles..."

...(Taliel's 'Basic Swordsmanship' proficiency +1)

"It's like this, watch my movements..."

...(Taliel's 'Basic Swordsmanship' proficiency +2)

About two hours later, Taliel sat down under a tree, exhausted, her wooden sword lying to the side. "Huff, huff, so tired..." Although she said she was tired, her eyes were full of excitement and anticipation.

"I think I've figured out some tricks. Tia is amazing, even better than Lord Frien taught her!" She said this from the bottom of her heart.

The girl standing next to her seemed pleased and gently sat down, lifting her skirt.

"If you practice like this for another five or six days, you should be able to learn basic swordsmanship." Today, Taliel's swordsmanship proficiency increased by a total of 17 points, and her current progress is (24/100).

"Mmm \(^o^)/~" If she weren't so weak, Taliel would have wanted to shout with joy.

"I want to tell Grandpa that I can become a great adventurer someday!"

When she was little, she heard many of her grandfather's wonderful stories. She could recite them by heart: "Helping nobles deal with the corrosive slugs in the city's sewers," "Climbing Wind Howling Mountain to burn down the nest of the Grey Feather Vulture," and "Fighting a Poison Lizard in the forest." To this day, her grandfather still has a few dark green Poison Lizard scales in his cabinet.

“Tiya, listen to me, my grandfather traveled to many places back in the day…” Talil was now enthusiastically introducing the old village chief’s glorious achievements to the girl.

……

"It really sounds so appealing." Looking up at the bright sunlight filtering through the leaves, Hilti also fantasized about that exciting adventure, just like the countless games she had played before, with their various monsters, dungeons, and battles, which were always so captivating.

If given the chance, she would like to travel around and take advantage of the mission to see this vast and wonderful world.

;
The seventh day

Hiltia is already a familiar face in Linden Village. Almost every villager knows this unique, exceptionally beautiful, gentle, and kind girl and admires her. If it weren't for the huge difference in their social status, many young men would probably have pursued her and competed with her.

"Alright, you've all finished training." Carrying his wooden gun, Frien walked slowly past the group.

"The two best among you have already mastered the basic swordsmanship and spear techniques. If the others don't know them, they can ask them for guidance in the future." As he spoke, he turned around and glanced at everyone again.

"As for learning the 'breathing technique,' there's no need to force it. If you really can't do it, just eat more to build strength and agility, which will also enhance your power." Of the young people being taught this time, only Hiltiya learned the 'breathing technique.'

"I will be leaving tomorrow. If you improve your strength in the future, come to 'Three Towers Town' to find me. After my assessment, those who pass can join the patrol team. If you are even stronger, you will also have a place in the Baron's cavalry."

Compared to ordinary jobs in the village, the patrol team's treatment was much better, with some extra income. The cavalry, on the other hand, was the backbone of Baron Hollin's forces, responsible for dealing with various emergencies in the territory, and occasionally receiving rewards from the baron.

"Is Lord Frien leaving?" a student asked.

“That’s right, we’ll set off tomorrow.” He nodded and stuck the bottom of the wooden gun into the ground.

“I’ve been recuperating here for a week, and my fractures are almost healed. It’s time to go back and report to the Baron. As for that ‘Red Wolf,’ I know you are very worried that it will come back.”

"However, I can't stay in the village forever, after all, I still have to be responsible for the road safety of various villages and towns within the baron's territory."

"With the village's barrier in place, it shouldn't attack rashly again. If you're still worried, go to the Adventurers' Guild in Scorched Stone City and post a bounty notice there. I think someone will come and handle it."

"Alright, that's enough training for today. Dismissed!"

After everyone dispersed, Frien found the silver-haired girl in the back row, and the two talked under the tree.

"Miss Tia is going to Jiaoshi City, right?"

“Yes, Mr. Frien.” The girl’s voice was soft and charming.

"I will be traveling along the same route as you on my return to 'Santa Town', but we will part ways when we reach Heshi Town. You can travel with the caravan and continue towards Jiaoshi City. The market there is bustling and there are many people coming and going. You should be able to find some clues there."

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Frien."

“No need to be so polite. You saved many of my team members that day. I should be the one thanking you. Here, take this sword.” With that, he picked up a short sword that he had prepared beforehand from behind the tree and handed it to Hilti.

"Take it. Use it for self-defense on the road. The village blacksmith can't make such a good sword."

Upon receiving the sheathed short sword, Hilti expressed her gratitude once again.

[Refined Iron Sword] (Quality: Good): Forged from iron, crafted with skill, currently in good condition.

Hilti drew her short sword from its wooden sheath and tried swinging it. It was a bit heavy, but not a problem to use.

“Your strength isn’t enough yet, so you can’t use a heavy sword. Fortunately, you’ve already learned the ‘breathing technique.’ Use the ‘breathing technique’ to train, and your stamina will gradually catch up. You’ll be a strong young man no less than your peers.” Frien was quite satisfied with this temporary student.

"If you can take it a step further and reach the second stage of breathing techniques, then many strong soldiers will not be able to match your explosive power and speed."

"As for the three stages of breathing techniques, I don't know the specifics, but I've seen those knights. They can easily lift wild boars and lions bigger than themselves, and crush human bones with ease."

"I see." Hiltiya nodded, indicating that she would work hard to train from now on.

"I don't think you know anyone in Scorched Stone City. Here's a letter of introduction from me. You can give it to Miss Mylene from the Adventurers' Guild. She's a distant niece of mine, and we're on good terms. She should be able to help you."

"Alright, no need for thanks. If you have the chance, you can come find me in 'Three Towers Town' in the future. That's where Baron Hollin's castle is located, and I'll be stationed there regularly."

Although Frien told Sylvia not to thank him, the girl still felt a surge of warmth and gratitude. What he gave her might not be valuable, but it was exactly what she needed right now and solved too many problems.

"I will definitely visit you in Santa Town when I have time."

……

The day of parting is approaching, and Hilti is having trouble sleeping at night. She has finally become familiar with life in the village, and now she is going to a different, unfamiliar place. However, as Frien said, it is difficult to grow in the village and there are not enough resources. If she wants to find opportunities, she can only go to a larger place.

The girl rolled over slightly in bed and pulled up a little of her hair to prevent it from bending. Over the past few days, she had learned how to manage her beautiful but troublesome long hair.

On the other side of the room, Taliel lay on the wooden plank, fast asleep, occasionally muttering incoherent words in her sleep, seemingly fighting monsters and eating good food—something Sylvia was already used to.

Tomorrow, I'm leaving tomorrow. She raised her hand, looked at her slender, delicate fingers, and a few thoughts surfaced in her mind.

First, there was the Destiny Plate, shrouded in invisible threads and radiating a halo. In the center was the "Sleeping Girl" card with a silver vine border. Of the three empty slots below, one was filled, revealing a card with a pale red border. The border was imprinted with fine, deep red veins, like blood flowing silently.

The card contains a hazy, indistinct black humanoid figure, whose outline resembles that of a young girl. Inside the figure, a light red heart beats with a strange rhythm. Several blood vessels extend from the heart, penetrating deep into the black figure, with streaks of bright red flowing in and out from them from time to time.

[Breathing Technique Lv.1] (Blood Rhythm): Regulates blood flow rate through breathing, thereby enhancing overall strength and reaction speed. This ability places a strain on the heart and body and should not be used for extended periods (recommended not to exceed 1 minute/day); (Completion 56/300)

Even after learning the breathing technique, her daily completion rate continued to rise steadily. In about ten days, she would be able to enter the [Breathing Technique Lv.2] stage. This situation puzzled Hilti, because according to Frien, the difficulty of cultivation would increase as one progressed. It was possible that she would practice the cycle as usual, but her cultivation rate would not change at all.

For this reason, Frien's breathing technique has been stuck in the second stage for almost ten years.

Forget it, I won't think about it. Her understanding of the power of sexuality is currently limited, so she probably can't figure out the reason. She can only explore it later.

As for the sword and spear techniques she is teaching, she has a good grasp of them.

Basic Swordsmanship Lv.3: The fundamental skills of swordsmanship, the foundation of combat, current progress (125/900).

Basic Gun Skills Lv.2: The fundamental skills for using a gun, the foundation of combat, current progress (246/300).

She learned these two skills particularly quickly, and while teaching Taliel, she also gained some improvement herself. She just didn't know if there was any limit, since even the most powerful basic swordsmanship was still just basic swordsmanship.

With these, Hilti touched the sword sheath beside the bed, finally feeling a sense of security.

Phew, I should be able to get a good night's sleep. I'm heading to Jiaoshi City tomorrow.

Her body, lying on her side, was slightly arched, and strands of silvery hair slipped down her neck and shoulders. Sometime later, she drifted into a peaceful dream…

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(End of this chapter)