Chapter 59 : Iron breathing

Arthur stood barefoot on the rough sand, every small movement sending sharp waves of pain through his battered body.

His ribs throbbed with each breath, his shoulders felt unbearably heavy, and even standing upright felt like a task his body wanted to refuse.

He shifted slightly and winced. "...Are we really starting right now?" he asked, his voice strained.

Yuna stood in front of him, calm as ever, her eyes silently observing him as if measuring every weakness he had. She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she asked, "What do you think your biggest weakness is?"

Arthur frowned. "Right now? Everything."

Yuna shook her head. "No. Be specific."

Arthur clicked his tongue. "Fine. I’m injured, I’m tired, and—"

"Wrong." Her voice cut through him sharply.

Arthur’s brows furrowed. "...Then what?"

Yuna stepped forward. "You lack strength."

Arthur blinked. "...That’s it?"

Yuna’s gaze sharpened. "Not the kind you think." She tapped his arm. "Your muscles?" Then his chest. "Your stamina?" Finally, she pressed lightly against his abdomen. "Your structure."

Arthur frowned deeper. "...Structure?"

"Your core," she corrected calmly. "Your internal frame."

Arthur stared at her. "...Internal frame?"

Yuna nodded slightly. "Right now, your body is like an empty container."

Arthur’s brows pulled together. "...Empty?"

Without warning, Yuna flicked his shoulder. Arthur’s body shifted slightly from the impact.

"When force enters," she said calmly, "it travels freely." She stepped closer, her eyes locked onto his. "There is nothing inside you to stop it."

Arthur went silent.

Yuna continued, "You hit Julia yesterday, didn’t you?"

Arthur’s expression tightened. "...Yeah."

"And what happened?"

Arthur looked away. "...Nothing."

"Nothing," Yuna repeated, stepping closer. "But when she hit you—"

Arthur instinctively tensed.

"—you collapsed."

Silence filled the space.

Arthur clenched his jaw. "...Yeah."

Yuna pointed at him. "That’s the difference. You rely on external strength." She tapped her own body. "She relies on internal strength."

Arthur frowned. "...What does that even mean?"

Yuna exhaled slowly. "It means your body is hollow."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "My body is what again?"

"Your body is hollow," she repeated without hesitation, stepping closer. "You have power, but no density. You can hit—but you can’t withstand being hit."

Arthur exhaled sharply. "...So what? I just need to get tougher."

Yuna shook her head. "No. You need to learn how to breathe correctly."

Arthur stared at her. "...That makes even less sense."

Yuna turned slightly. "Fine. I’ll show you." She stood still, completely relaxed, almost careless. Then she looked at him. "Punch me."

Arthur sighed. "Again with this..." He paused. "Just one thing—can I punch your face—"

"Do you want to live in the forest permanently?" Yuna cut in immediately.

Arthur straightened. "I apologize for my arrogance, Master."

He stepped forward and threw a punch into her torso.

His fist landed—and stopped.

Arthur’s eyes widened. It didn’t feel like hitting flesh. It felt like hitting something solid. Dense. Unmoving.

He pushed slightly. Nothing.

’What the hell... is her body made of... metal?’ he thought.

A sharp pain shot through his knuckles. "Damn it..." he winced, pulling his hand back.

Yuna smiled faintly. She hadn’t moved. Not even slightly.

Arthur stared. "...What was that?"

Yuna replied calmly, "That is what your body lacks." She stepped closer and pressed her finger lightly against his chest. "That is why you will start from the beginning."

Arthur frowned. "...The beginning of what?"

"Iron Breathing."

Arthur blinked. "...What... breathing?"

"Yes."

Arthur stared at her. "You’re telling me... after all that... I need to learn how to breathe?"

Yuna didn’t react. "That’s exactly why you’re weak."

Arthur’s eye twitched.

Yuna continued, "Strength is not just muscle. It is how your body handles force. When you were hit yesterday, what happened?"

Arthur sighed. "...I lost my breath."

"Exactly." She stepped closer. "You didn’t just get hit... you collapsed from the inside."

Arthur went quiet.

Yuna raised her hand slightly. "Listen carefully. Iron Breathing is the foundation of internal strength." She tapped his chest. "It turns your body from something soft... into something solid."

Arthur frowned. "...Just by breathing?"

"Not just breathing," she replied, her gaze sharpening. "Correct breathing."

She looked at him. "Watch closely... this is how it’s done."

Arthur narrowed his eyes, forcing himself to focus despite the pain.

Yuna inhaled—but it was different. The air didn’t rise to her chest. Instead, it sank deep into her abdomen, expanding it outward in a controlled manner, like filling a sealed container. Her spine straightened naturally, her ribs aligned perfectly, and her entire posture stabilized without effort.

"This is the first phase—Filling," Yuna said. "You are not just taking in air... you are creating internal pressure."

Arthur’s eyes sharpened. Her upper body barely moved.

Then she held the breath—but her body didn’t freeze. It condensed, as if everything inside her compressed into a single unified structure.

"This is the second phase—Compression," she continued. "You seal the pressure inside and let it spread through your entire frame... your body becomes one piece—no gaps, no weak points."

Arthur swallowed. Even without touching her, he could feel it. Her presence felt heavier. Denser.

Then—

TSH.

The exhale came out sharp, short, and focused. In that instant, her entire body tightened—not like flexing muscle, but like reinforcing structure from within.

"This is the third phase—Release," Yuna said. "Not to lose pressure... but to direct it."

Arthur’s eyes widened. "...your whole body just changed... it’s like everything locked together."

"Because it did," Yuna replied. "Iron Breathing forces your diaphragm, core, muscles, and spine to synchronize. When done correctly... your body stops behaving like separate parts and becomes a single reinforced structure."

Arthur frowned. "...so when you got hit earlier..."

"The force didn’t disperse—it met structure," Yuna cut in. "Your body is loose sand... mine is forged iron."

Arthur exhaled slowly, then corrected himself mid-breath. "...that’s insane."

"No," Yuna said. "What’s insane is that you’ve lived this long breathing incorrectly. Now do it."

Arthur inhaled.

His chest rose.

"Stop." Yuna pressed his chest down slightly. "You’re lifting the breath upward again. That means you’re losing pressure before it even forms."

Arthur adjusted awkwardly, forcing the air downward. "...this feels wrong."

"That’s because you’ve been wrong your entire life."

Arthur’s eye twitched—but he continued.

He inhaled again—deeper this time, pushing the air into his abdomen. It felt unstable, like trying to hold water in a cracked container.

"Hold."

Arthur held the breath. His shoulders tensed. His neck stiffened.

"Wrong."

THUD.

Her knuckle struck his ribs instantly.

Arthur staggered, clutching his side. "Damn it—!"

"You’re locking the wrong areas," Yuna said calmly. "The pressure must stay centered. If it leaks upward... your structure collapses."

Arthur gritted his teeth and tried again.

He inhaled—slower, deeper, focusing only on his abdomen.

"Better," Yuna said.

Arthur held the breath. He consciously relaxed his shoulders, forcing everything to stay centered.

For a brief moment—

His body felt different.

Stable.

"Now release."

Arthur stepped forward.

TSHHH.

The exhale came out sharp—not perfect, but controlled. His core tightened instinctively.

For the first time—

His body didn’t feel like it was collapsing.

Yuna didn’t hit him.

Arthur blinked slightly, surprised. "...that felt... solid."

Yuna’s eyes narrowed faintly. A small flicker of surprise passed through her gaze.

Then she said—

"Again."

Arthur inhaled again. This time it was smoother. The air sank naturally. His abdomen expanded with less resistance.

When he held it, his body aligned almost instinctively.

Yuna noticed.

She didn’t interrupt.

Arthur exhaled—

TSHHHH.

Sharper. Cleaner.

His body tightened faster this time.

More naturally.

Yuna’s gaze sharpened slightly as she thought, ’He’s adapting too quickly...’

Arthur frowned at his hands. "...I can feel it... the pressure... it’s like everything inside is tightening together."

Without warning—

THUD.

Yuna struck his abdomen again with solid force.

Arthur winced as pain spread through his body—but he didn’t collapse. He staggered, but held. His breath didn’t completely break.

Arthur’s eyes widened. "...I didn’t lose it."

Yuna stared at him silently for a moment. Then she said, "Again."

Arthur inhaled—no hesitation this time. The motion flowed naturally—his abdomen expanded, pressure built, and his body aligned.

He held it.

Compressed it.

Then—

TSHHHH.

Released.

Clean. Stable.

Yuna watched him. And for the first time—her expression shifted slightly.

"...Interesting," she murmured.

Arthur looked up. "...What?"

Yuna crossed her arms. "Most people take weeks to feel internal pressure... but you’re already stabilizing it. Your body learns fast... or maybe it was always capable and just lacked control."

Arthur smirked slightly. "...don’t sound so impressed... you’ll ruin your image in my mind."

Yuna’s mouth twitched faintly. "Since you’re doing well... I’ll let that slide."

Then she added calmly, "Don’t misunderstand—this is only the beginning. As you continue, this breathing will reshape your body. Your diaphragm will strengthen, your core will become denser, your muscles will learn to contract together instead of separately... and eventually your body will maintain this structure naturally."

Arthur inhaled again, slower now, more controlled. "...so this is how I stop getting folded every time someone hits me."

Yuna replied calmly, "This is how you stop being weak from the inside."

She turned slightly. "And remember this—Iron Breathing is only the first. There are many breathing techniques... each one will change you further... and each one will be harder than the last."

Arthur groaned quietly and thought, ’Of course there are... you won’t let me live peacefully after all.’

Yuna suddenly glanced at him. "Did you just think something rude?"

Arthur’s breath hitched slightly, but he replied quickly, "Of course not, Master... why would you think that?"

Yuna narrowed her eyes. "Just a feeling."

Arthur forced a smile—but his breathing didn’t break this time.

He inhaled.

Held.

And exhaled—

TSH.

Time passed.

For two straight hours, Arthur continued the breathing cycle. Every time his rhythm broke—

THUD.

A strike from Yuna landed. Each one stronger than the last. Each one forcing him to correct himself.

Arthur’s body trembled. Sweat drenched him completely. His breathing became heavier—but more controlled. More stable.

At some point, he started regretting every life decision he had ever made.

’You bastard system... this is all your fault,’ he complained internally.

The system responded instantly.

[What did I do?]

Arthur replied in his mind, ’You didn’t stop me when I accepted her offer.’

The system answered calmly.

[Don’t blame me for your weakness... also, I have something to report.]

Arthur frowned slightly as he continued breathing. ’What is it?’

The system replied—

[The quest given to you earlier... has just been completed.]

Arthur’s eyes lit up instantly.

[You can claim the reward anytime you want.]

Arthur’s breathing continued—but now, there was a faint excitement burning behind his eyes.