Chapter 65 : A promise

The next morning arrived right at 6:00 AM.

The sky was still soft with early light, the air cool and slightly damp, carrying the faint scent of earth and wood. A gentle breeze moved lazily through the trees, brushing against leaves that whispered quietly among themselves.

The world felt half-awake, suspended between night and day. Somewhere in the distance, birds chirped in uneven rhythm, breaking the silence just enough to make it feel alive.

Yuna walked toward the training ground in the backyard.

She wore her usual training outfit—a fitted, sleeveless Chinese-style martial dress with high slits along the sides, allowing free movement. The fabric hugged her figure perfectly, outlining her curves while still looking elegant and practical.

Her long pink hair was tied loosely, a few strands falling over her face as she walked, swaying gently with each step. The faint morning light reflected softly off her hair, giving it a subtle glow.

Her eyes held a hint of curiosity.

’Let’s see...’

’After losing twice... how is he holding up?’

’Is he sulking... or reflecting?’

’Disappointed... or determined?’

She stepped into the training ground.

And then—

She paused.

Arthur was already there.

Sitting cross-legged on the sand.

Eyes closed.

Breathing steady.

Inhale—

Hold—

Release—

TSH.

Dozens of broken reinforced statues lay scattered around him, silent proof of the past days of brutal training. Fine cracks ran across the remaining pieces, and the sand beneath him was uneven, disturbed by repeated impact and movement.

Yuna’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’...He’s already training?’

At that moment—

Arthur’s eyes slowly opened.

His gaze met hers.

A smile appeared on his face.

"I was just waiting for you, Master."

Yuna raised a brow.

"Is that so?" she said, crossing her arms. "I thought you’d be crying inside that tent after losing to her again."

Arthur chuckled lightly.

"Well, you thought wrong," he said. "If you think losing is something new to me... then you don’t know anything about me."

He stretched his neck slightly, the faint sound of tension releasing audible in the quiet morning.

"Up until now... I’ve probably lost more fights than you could count."

Yuna tilted her head slightly.

That answer—

Interested her.

"I see..." she said, her gaze sharpening. "That just makes me more curious about your background."

She stepped closer.

"I remember you said you were an orphan."

Arthur nodded.

"I am."

Yuna’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Then why do I get the feeling you’re not telling me everything?" she said. "Most orphans don’t casually stay in five-star hotels... especially the one I own in Arcania."

Arthur smiled.

A relaxed, almost shameless smile.

"You could say this orphan is self-made," he replied. "So you should be proud... someone like me is your student."

Yuna clicked her tongue.

"Tch."

"If you don’t want to tell me, just say so," she said, looking away slightly. "And here I thought we were getting close."

For a second—

Silence.

The breeze passed between them again, lifting a few strands of her hair.

Then—

Arthur burst out laughing.

"You know... you’re actually kind of cute sometimes, Master."

Yuna froze.

Then immediately looked away.

A faint red tint appeared on her face.

Arthur chuckled.

"Don’t worry," he said more softly. "I’ll tell you someday."

His expression changed slightly.

Not joking anymore.

"There are just some things from my past..." he paused, "...that I don’t want to remember yet."

His gaze lowered for a moment.

"They still show up in my dreams."

A brief silence followed.

Then he looked back at her.

"But when the time comes... when those dreams stop..." he said, "I promise—you’ll be the first person I tell."

Yuna looked at him quietly.

Then—

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"I’ll hold you to that."

Arthur grinned again.

"Of course you can," he said. "You’ll never find a guy as honest as me."

Yuna snorted lightly.

"Yeah, yeah... I’m sure of it."

Then her expression shifted.

Back to serious.

"Now then," she said, stepping forward. "Let’s get back to training."

Her eyes locked onto him.

"Tell me... why did you lose to her again?"

Arthur’s expression sharpened.

He thought for a moment.

"Well... in my opinion, I almost had her," he said. "But at the last moment..."

Yuna’s eyes narrowed.

"What happened?"

Arthur exhaled slowly.

"The exact thing you warned me about," he said.

Yuna didn’t interrupt.

"She changed her breathing technique," Arthur continued. "I remember her saying something like... Lightning Breath... and Phoenix Breathing."

He frowned slightly.

"And she used some kind of move... I couldn’t move my body at all."

His jaw tightened.

"And then... she finished me."

A brief silence followed.

Then—

Yuna smiled.

A sharp, satisfied smile.

"Well, well... looks like you do have some intelligence," she said. "Aside from being a pervert."

A vein popped on Arthur’s forehead.

Yuna laughed.

"Relax," she said. "I’ll explain what happened. Also there is one more breathing technique that you will learn it’s called River breathing it’s used to maintain your stamina in a prolonged fight."

She stepped closer.

Her tone turned serious.

"But listen carefully."

A pause.

"Because this..."

Her eyes gleamed slightly.

"...is what you’re going to learn next."

Yuna stood a few steps behind him, calm and composed.

The morning air felt still, as if even the surroundings were listening. Even the faint sounds of nature seemed to quiet down, leaving only their voices to fill the space.

"Phoenix Breathing," Yuna said, her voice steady, "is the breathing technique I mentioned earlier... the one that allows the body to recover."

Arthur didn’t interrupt.

His full attention was on her.

"When she was about to be knocked out," Yuna continued, "the real danger wasn’t just her injuries... it was her brain losing stability."

Arthur’s brows furrowed slightly.

Yuna stepped forward slowly.

"When the body is pushed beyond its limits, oxygen flow to the brain becomes unstable," she explained. "Vision starts to blur... thoughts slow down... and then... consciousness fades."

Arthur exhaled quietly.

"Yeah... that’s exactly what I saw," he said.

"She corrected it," Yuna replied calmly.

Arthur leaned forward slightly.

"At the exact second she switched her breathing," Yuna continued, "she increased oxygen intake and stabilized blood flow to her brain. That alone was enough to stop her from blacking out."

Arthur went silent.

Processing it.

"Her awareness returned first," Yuna added. "The dizziness faded, her vision cleared, and her mind regained control."

Arthur asked quietly, "And her body?"

"Followed," Yuna said. "Not fully recovered... just stabilized."

She stepped closer and tapped his shoulder lightly.

"Her muscles regained basic function. The trembling stopped. Fatigue eased slightly. What normally takes minutes... she forced into seconds."

Arthur clenched his fist.

"So she wasn’t fine..."

"No," Yuna shook her head. "She was still exhausted. Just no longer collapsing."

She crossed her arms.

"The downside is simple," she added. "It consumes more stamina and energy than natural recovery. The body is pushed harder than it should be."

Arthur nodded slowly.

"So it buys time... but at a cost."

"Exactly."

A brief pause followed.

Then Arthur spoke again.

"And then... her speed changed."

Yuna’s gaze sharpened.

"Lightning Breathing," she said. "That’s where the fight turned... and where you got your ass kicked."

Arthur’s eye twitched slightly.

’She really doesn’t miss a chance to insult me...’

But he stayed focused.

"When she used it," Yuna continued, "her breathing shifted—short inhales, sharp exhales. That rhythm stimulates the nervous system."

Arthur frowned.

"Meaning?"

Yuna stepped closer.

"The brain sends signals to the body through nerves," she explained. "Normally, there is a slight delay between thought and movement."

She raised a finger.

"Lightning Breathing reduces that delay."

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

"Her brain processed faster," Yuna said. "Her reactions sharpened. The moment she decided to move... her body had already started moving."

Arthur’s grip tightened.

"That’s why I couldn’t react to the last move..."

Yuna nodded.

"You were still thinking," she said. "She had already acted."

Arthur went quiet.

Yuna continued,

"It also refines coordination. Her movements became more direct. No wasted motion. No hesitation."

She looked him straight in the eyes.

"Not just faster... but cleaner."

Arthur exhaled slowly.

"So she stabilized her mind... then sharpened it."

"Exactly."

Yuna paused briefly.

"But it depends on control," she added. "If her breathing rhythm breaks, that sharpness fades. Her movements lose precision."

Arthur lowered his gaze slightly.

"So she wasn’t fully recovered... just clear enough to act."

Yuna gave a small nod.

"She didn’t need full strength."

She turned slightly, looking toward the training ground.

"She only needed one moment where her body and mind worked better than yours."

Silence.

Then—

Yuna glanced back at him.

"A fight isn’t decided by who is stronger overall," she said calmly.

Her voice carried weight.

"Only by who is better... in the one moment that actually decides the outcome."

Arthur blinked.

Then quietly muttered under his breath,

"...Wow... that actually sounded ridiculously cool, Master."

Yuna looked at him flatly.

"Is that the only thing you understood from all of that?"

Arthur smiled, "Don’t worry I have a good memory so you don’t have to worry about me forgetting anything."