Absolute Soul
8. Respiratory Method

Alendra's family residence has a large backyard, Haikal often trained his physique there to prepare himself to become a Blazer, but today he does not do the routine he lived since elementary school.

Haikal sat on the grass by the fish pond in his backyard with two knees bent. He contemplated the low probability of becoming a Blazer.

Since childhood Haikal was quite stubborn and unyielding, but only this time he felt desperate like this.

He has been training hard with sweat and various other torments that others may never feel at the same age, but the results? Not so much in proportion to what we've been fighting for.

"Did the sky curse me?" Haikal threw a thin stone into the pond venting his frustration making the fish inside it blur.

When Haikal began to feel that he could not be a good Blazer, he suddenly remembered the voice of the girl who called his name during the process of summoning his first Soul Arc. While trying to remember it, Haikal's head throbbed hard.

Suddenly he held his head, but the throbbing did not last long, only about two to five seconds. Haikal was astonished to realize there was something strange about him.

Feeling no need to think any further, Haikal then got up and walked towards his room intending to meditate clearing his mind.

***

The next day, the students of class 1-A returned to conduct their Soul Arc summoning experiments for the first time. Salvia as well as several other disciples who had managed to summon their Soul Arc yesterday did not join in, they were training under Andre's guidance this time around.

While the others were practicing in the middle of the hall, Haikal sat on his back against the wall of the hall reading the book he had borrowed from the library. Previously he asked permission for Andre not to take part in the exercise this time on the grounds that he did not have enough soul energy.

Initially the reason was rejected by Andre, but when Haikal explained his experience while trying to summon the Soul Arc yesterday, Andre allowed it on condition that he should remain in the hall until the training hours were over.

That's why Haikal is currently reading page after page of the book he borrowed from the previous library. He wanted to find a way to increase his soul energy which was a problem right now.

"If only I had a sufficient amount of soul energy, maybe I could find my Soul Arc," Haikal murmured inwardly as he continued to flip through every page he finished reading.

Although yesterday he was desperate to see Heru's rapid development leave him, Haikal recalled why he wanted to become a Blazer even with low soul strength. He also recalled how hard his struggle was from the past until now. He doesn't want to let it all waste.

As Haikal turned the next page, his eyes widened as soon as he saw the name of the big point there, "How to use soul energy efficiently?"

Although this is not what he is looking for, it does not mean that this information is as good as it can be passed, right?

Then Haikal read it carefully until it felt like a quarter of an hour had passed. Haikal closed his book and let out a heavy sigh, "Efficient use of soul energy turns out to be as simple as managing the breath. I can't believe this information is rarely known to people."

According to the book he read, the use of soul energy is not only by flowing it throughout the body or Soul Arc, but must be controlled regularly. There are various methods to control the use of soul energy, but the easiest Haikal to understand and do today is breathing techniques.

By adjusting the breathing rhythm to the flow of soul energy, the use of excess energy can be suppressed far and even allows to store it back when unused.

The reason for Haikal's question is actually very simple. Because of the new inventions of this era, almost all information can be accessed through the internet, making print media such as books, newspapers, magazines, and others very minimal use.

Although Skymaze Academy is equipped with various sophisticated digital facilities, since a few years ago this academy began to use print media because it wants to preserve the culture of the previous era. Indeed, most parties do not support this, but the principal still applies it regardless of anyone's response.

There are rarely students who go to the library because all information can be accessed easily through the internet, making the academy library like an old book warehouse. Haikal himself borrowed books from the library because he did not find suitable information for him.

He put his reading book on the floor, then did what he got from it.

Shortly after starting to regulate his breathing, Haikal could feel the changes to his body. He clasped his hand as hard as he could, but strangely by breathing the energy he let out was not so much, but his strength increased.

"It's..."

As a high school student, Haikal certainly knows that breathing can affect physical strength. But, using it together with soul energy? He's never known this before.

Haikal got up and set his breath while preparing the horses to fight empty-handed. It circulates soul energy throughout the body, then levitates several blows and kicks beating the air while controlling its breathing.

"Breathing techniques can at least affect the flow of soul energy, but that only applies to the real body, not the efficiency as a whole...." Haikal's speech came to a halt when he realized something of this new method.

Haikal again sat cross-legged on the floor, but this time he instantly closed his eyes focusing on his soul while keeping his breath. Soon after the sensation of drowning into a puddle of water he can feel after all his senses dull, but there is a difference than before.

If before Haikal was able to hear the flashbacks of the past he had experienced, now he did not hear them in the slightest. Slowly but surely, he could feel his body continuing to sink into the darkness of the ocean, but Haikal was still a hundred percent conscious.

Thanks to the methods he learned earlier, Haikal was able to use them in his own consciousness. He can breathe in the bottomless ocean, but the pressure of the water makes his lungs tight and his breathing thin.

"Until when will this continue? Although the use of my soul energy was drastically reduced thanks to this method, it did not mean that my soul energy would not run out," he lamented that he did not find himself touching the bottom or seeing anything sword-shaped there.

Half of Haikal's total soul energy was drained, but he found no sign of his Soul Arc. When around his soul energy was only about 10% left and the signs of shortness of breath accompanied by a hazy view he found nothing.

"How long and far have I been drowning?" Feeling himself beginning to lose consciousness, Haikal thought it was time to put an end to this experiment.

When he decided to return to the real world, his body suddenly churned for no reason. Feeling the turmoil and wanting to confirm it, Haikal had opened his eyes to find himself in the Valhalla Hall.

"What just now?" His breath was puffing out of energy, but it was still better than yesterday. At least his soul energy was still left even if it was only a little.

He checked the digital clock stuck in the hall, it had been about ten minutes since he dived.

At the same time the practice ended and Andre directed his students to return to class, including Haikal.