Two months passed by,
"Swish!"
Ryou stood bare-chested with his hair fluttering in the breeze as he practiced his Nature breathing style. He swung his long sword made of heavy stone in a certain rhythm.
Unlike two months ago, his entire physique has undergone a remarkable transformation; his previous average form has transformed into a ripped physique.
Such transformation isn't humanly possible in two months, but thanks to the breathing method, he was able to absorb some kind of energy present in the world to replenish his muscles.
In the first month, he just trained his body and familiarized himself with the breathing pattern and different sword styles. From the next month, he started practicing the breathing method and style.
After a month of practice, he can execute the nine forms of Nature breathing, but to bring out their true potential, he needs to incorporate them with the breathing pattern.
It was extremely difficult. Every time he fails to maintain his breathing method when his practice reaches the Ninth Form: Dance in the Void.
It's the same this time. Ryou's stone sword fell to the ground as he stood gasping for air, entirely exhausted. Failure didn't frustrate him.
In fact, if he practiced with a normal sword, then he may have completed the last form, but doing so would make his practice harder in later stages.
For a month, he persisted so that he could complete all the forms of his breathing style in one fell swoop. Now, the time has come for him to switch to the ordinary sword.
Ryou took a short break to recover from his fatigue before taking out the standard-sized katana that was dull gray in color. Holding the Katana, he had a feeling of nostalgia.
On earth, he's proficient in sword skills as his mother, who's a Kendo Grandmaster, trained him from a young age.
Though his sword skills are enough to fight the ordinary demons, they won't be of much help when he faces Demons that have special abilities. For that, he needs to master his Breathing method and sword style.
Unlike the heavy sword that he had been slashing for the past month, holding the metal sword now felt as light as a feather in his grip."
After practicing a few basic sword moves, he quickly got the hang of switching between the heavy stone and metal swords. Swish! Each time Ryou swung his blade, it sliced through the air with a sharp, tearing sound.
"Alright, let's start!"
Relaxing his mind, Ryou inhaled in a specific breathing pattern and slashed his sword horizontally. "First Form: Wind Slash."
The slash looked simple and elegant, yet it generated a gust of air pressure that scattered dirt and dry leaves.
"Second Form: Current of the Ocean."
Followed by the First form, Ryou took a step back while swinging his sword in a circular motion. Unlike the first form, this move lacked strength, but it was similar to the calm before the storm.
'Third Form: Setting Sun' Ryou spun his left foot in a full circle and brought his sword down diagonally in a straight slash.
'Fourth Form: Mother Earth' With slight pressure on his feet, he leaped into the air before slashing his sword downward.
'Fifth Form: Lightning Storm' Kicking off the air mid-leap, Ryou dashed forward at extreme speed while slashing his sword multiple times in diverse styles.
'Sixth Form: Shadow World' Ryou maneuvered in a certain pattern as if he were a shadow itself. This move didn't have any sword styles as it's supposed to be combined with the next form.
'Seventh Form: Gravity Rift' Coming out of the sixth form, Ryou performed a powerful diagonal downward slash, pouring every ounce of strength from his arm into it.
"Eighth Form: Time Zone." Upon reaching this step, Ryou's breathing pattern shifted, dramatically enhancing his senses and speed.
The drastic rise in perception and speed gave him the feeling of being invincible, it was as if time itself stopped in his eyes.
However, this power came at a cost. The form drained his strength to zero, preventing him from progressing further. It's also the reason why he wasn't able to perform the next move for so long.
Since this form had no fixed sword style, he reused one of the earlier forms to complete the step. With a horizontal slash, he transitioned back into the seventh form.
"Ninth Form: Dance of the Void." This form was a combination of all eight previous forms, performed in reverse sequence.
Exhaling in a precise breathing rhythm, Ryou pushed through, executing each move with sheer willpower, fighting the exhaustion that threatened to make him drop his blade or collapse to the ground.
"Swish!" As soon as he completed the First Form: Wind Slash, Ryou dropped to the ground, gasping for air, completely drained.
But then, a strand of mysterious energy seeped into his body from nowhere, bursting through every cell within him. The exhaustion disappeared, replaced by a feeling of revitalization.
Ryou could feel his flesh and bones strengthening. Yet the magical sensation lasted less than five seconds before vanishing completely.
"Oh shit! I forgot to maintain my breathing method," Ryou cursed himself, opening his system panel to check for any changes.
[~ Name: Ryou
Race: Ordinary Human
Skill: Nature Breathing - Unranked [1/5]
Demon Points: 0 ~]
Just as he expected, there was a change. In the skill section, his Nature Breathing had increased by one point. "I did it!"
After two months of non-stop training and practice, he finally managed to raise his experience in the Nature Breathing style. It was just one point, but he could already feel the difference
Ryou laughed aloud, overwhelmed with joy. He had finally taken the first step on the path to becoming strong. Then, he recalled that magical sensation earlier. "Was that... Natural Energy?"
He immediately asked the system, "System, is this 'Natural Energy' the same as the one in the Naruto world?"
"Yes. Natural Energy exists in every world where there is life. Your Nature Breathing is built upon Natural Energy as its foundation."
"But why does it improve my body?" Ryou asked, as it's unlike what's shown in the Naruto series.
"Nature Breathing style is the product of the System, and its uses are superior to what the Host has learned from watching Naruto. To feel its wonders, practice it to the highest level!"
Ryou has the feeling of being mocked by the System. It was as if it were saying, 'Just because you don't know, doesn't mean it can't be accomplished!'