Chapter 66 : Burndown

Arthur frowned slightly, then looked at Yuna with sharp eyes and said, "What about that technique she used... the one where my body froze? I’m telling you right now—I’m learning that no matter what."

Yuna smiled.

A slow, amused smile.

"Oh, that?" she said casually. "That technique is incredibly difficult to master. Even Julia only knows that one variation she used on you."

She crossed her arms.

"And not everyone can learn it, you know. Most people spend years trying... and still make no real progress."

Arthur didn’t even hesitate.

"Doesn’t matter," he said. "Just tell me how to do it."

Yuna’s smile deepened.

Then—

In a blur—

She stepped forward.

Before Arthur could react—

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Her fingers pressed against specific points around his neck.

Arthur froze.

Instantly.

His arms dropped loosely.

His body went limp.

His tongue slipped out slightly as his control vanished.

His eyes widened.

’...What the hell—’

But he couldn’t speak.

Couldn’t move.

Yuna stepped back and made a playful finger-gun gesture.

"Bang."

Then she blew on her finger dramatically.

"It really is a fascinating technique, isn’t it?" she said smugly. "Not to brag... but if I wanted, I could’ve killed you with just those taps."

Arthur remained completely still.

Like a broken statue.

Tongue still out.

Yuna tilted her head.

"At least say something."

A pause.

Then she burst out laughing.

"Oh right... you can’t."

Another quick tap—

Arthur’s body unlocked.

He stumbled slightly, gasping as control returned.

"Hah—!"

He took a deep breath.

Then glared at her.

"I really want to curse at you right now..." he said, still catching his breath, "but the only thing stopping me is that—"

His eyes lit up.

"—that move was so fucking cool! Please teach me that!"

Yuna smirked.

"I’ll try," she said. "But it depends on whether your stupid brain is capable of understanding it."

Arthur’s mouth twitched.

’...Ignore the insults. Worth it.’

Yuna stepped forward slightly.

"Listen carefully."

She raised a finger.

"It’s called... Pulse Break."

Arthur blinked, stars practically in his eyes.

"...That sounds awesome."

Yuna continued calmly.

"It’s based on a principle similar to acupuncture... but weaponized for combat."

Arthur frowned slightly.

"...Acupuncture?"

Yuna nodded.

"The human body has hundreds of nodes," she explained. "Points where nerves, blood flow, and muscle signals intersect. In medicine, these points are stimulated to restore balance... but in combat, they are struck to destroy it."

She crouched slightly and pointed near his shoulder.

"This point connects to a nerve pathway controlling arm movement," she said, then traced her finger along his ribs, "this one regulates diaphragm control," and finally tapped lightly near his neck, "and this one affects neural stability and consciousness."

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

"...So there are multiple points all over the body."

"Yes," Yuna replied. "And they are not isolated—they are connected through pathways. Strike one, and the effect spreads... strike several in sequence, and the disruption compounds."

She traced an invisible line in the air.

"Julia didn’t attack randomly... she followed a pathway."

Arthur frowned.

"...A pathway?"

Yuna nodded.

"Think of it like a circuit," she said. "Each point is a node, and your body is the network. When struck in the correct order, the signals begin to fail one after another."

Arthur’s expression darkened.

"...So she shut my body down step by step."

"Exactly."

Yuna continued calmly.

"The first strike disrupted your limb coordination by interfering with motor signals. The second destabilized your breathing by affecting diaphragm control. And the third targeted a neural junction... causing your body to lose command entirely."

Arthur exhaled slowly.

"...So it’s not about strength at all."

"No," Yuna replied. "It’s about knowledge."

She crossed her arms.

"Pulse Break works because your body constantly relies on these pathways. Even without techniques, your nerves, blood flow, and muscles operate through these intersections."

Arthur frowned.

"...So anyone who understands these pathways could do this?"

Yuna shook her head slightly.

"Only a few people in the world—people I can count on my fingers—have truly mastered it."

Arthur raised a brow.

"Is it that hard?"

"Yes," Yuna said simply. "Because precision alone isn’t enough. You need timing, sequence, and response. Each point reacts differently depending on movement, breathing, and tension."

She smirked slightly.

"Without that... it’ll just look like you’re randomly touching someone. And they’ll probably report you to the cops."

Arthur took a slow step back.

"...That serious, huh?"

"Very."

Arthur thought for a moment, then said, "So Julia... she wasn’t just hitting points. She was reading my body too."

Yuna nodded.

"Yes."

Arthur looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers slowly.

"...That’s why I couldn’t move... even though I wasn’t seriously injured."

Yuna’s voice came calmly.

"Your body wasn’t damaged."

A brief pause.

"It just stopped responding to you."

Silence lingered briefly.

The weight of everything Yuna had just explained hung in the air.

Then Arthur looked up again.

"...So how do I counter it?"

Yuna’s gaze sharpened slightly.

"You master it."

Arthur blinked.

"That’s not an answer," he said flatly.

Yuna stepped closer.

"You don’t escape Pulse Break by avoiding it," she said calmly. "You escape it by understanding it."

Arthur frowned.

"...Understanding it... how?"

Yuna raised her hand and lightly tapped his shoulder.

"By reopening the pathway."

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

"...You mean hitting myself?"

Yuna shook her head.

"Not blindly," she said. "You need to know where, how, and when. Some points restore flow. Some stabilize signals. Some reconnect disrupted pathways."

She stepped closer, her voice steady.

"And if you truly master it... you won’t even need to touch yourself. You’ll use internal pressure—your own control—to reopen pathways mid-combat."

Arthur’s eyes lit up.

"...That’s insane."

Yuna continued,

"A true master of this technique doesn’t just shut others down... they become extremely difficult to shut down themselves."

Arthur clenched his fist slowly.

"Because they can fix it instantly..."

"Exactly."

Yuna nodded once.

"The moment disruption begins... they correct it."

Arthur exhaled slowly.

His breathing remained steady.

Inhale—

Hold—

Release—

TSH.

"...So I need to understand my own body at that level."

"Yes."

Arthur looked down for a moment.

Then smirked.

"...That’s not going to be easy."

Yuna’s lips curved slightly.

"It’s not supposed to be."

Arthur rolled his shoulders as he stood properly.

"...But it sounds awesome."

Yuna glanced at him.

"I hope you can maintain that enthusiasm when we actually start practicing it."

Arthur sighed dramatically.

"You really know how to ruin the mood, don’t you..."

Yuna ignored that completely.

"Let’s start," she said.

Her tone shifted.

More serious.

"With this, your basics will be complete."

Arthur’s expression sharpened.

"And after that..."

Yuna’s eyes gleamed slightly.

"We move on to the real thing."

A pause.

"My martial art."

She spoke clearly.

"The Celestial Dragon Flow."

Arthur froze for a split second.

’...There it is.’

His heart started beating faster.

’One of the most broken martial arts in the entire game...’

’And I just... got it handed to me?’

A grin slowly formed on his face.

’How did I get this lucky...’

The system’s voice echoed inside his head.

[Did you forget your Luck stat has increased, Host?]

Arthur blinked.

’...Right.’

A small smirk appeared.

’Guess almost dying in that dungeon was worth it after all.’

───────────────

Two months passed just like that.

───────────────

Inside the Republic of Arcania.

The Grand Arcania Hotel stood under heavy security.

Dozens of high-rank hunters surrounded the entire area.

The atmosphere was tense.

Oppressive.

At the front—

The President of Arcania himself stood waiting.

Sweat dripped down his forehead.

Beside him stood several high-ranking officials.

All of them nervous.

All of them silent.

Then—

A loud sound echoed from above.

WHRRRRRRRR—

A helicopter descended from the sky.

Wind blasted across the area as it landed.

The blades slowed.

Then stopped.

The door opened.

A figure stepped out.

A woman.

Her hair was black as the night sky, flowing down her back in smooth strands. Dark goggles rested over her eyes, giving her an unreadable, cold presence.

She wore a sleek combat suit—form-fitting, designed for battle. It exposed just enough of her skin and neckline to emphasize her figure without sacrificing functionality. Every detail of her appearance radiated authority.

She looked to be in her twenties.

Beautiful.

But terrifying.

This was—

Jessica Evan Imperius.

The moment she stepped forward—

The President and the officials rushed toward her.

They bowed immediately.

Deeply.

"Ms. Jessica," the President said nervously, "it is an honor to have you in our nation. If you need anyth—"

"Cut the crap."

Her voice was cold.

Sharp.

Commanding.

The man froze.

Jessica didn’t even look at him properly.

"I have no interest in visiting this pathetic nation," she said.

Silence fell instantly.

Then—

She looked at them.

Her gaze—

Heavy.

Oppressive.

"Answer me one thing."

The President swallowed hard.

"You can ask anything, young miss."

Jessica spoke.

"I received intel... that my younger brother was last seen here."

Her voice dropped slightly.

Dangerously.

"At this hotel."

She slowly looked across all of them.

"Now tell me..."

A faint killing intent filled the air.

"Where is he..."

A pause.

Her voice turned icy.

"...before I decide to burndown this entire nation to the ground."

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A/N:

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