Felix continued to stand atop the ocean and began to get accustomed to his new breathing sequence. Eventually, he did not need to consciously synchronize his breathing to the rhythm of raindrops.
Just as he thought he would have to keep breathing manually for the meditation to continue, the same silhouette appeared again.
Felix was stunned that he broke his breathing sequence. After he composed himself, he saw the silhouette swinging his sword slowly in wide arcs, then gradually increasing the speed. When he reached the peak of his speed, he slowed down again and started at the beginning.
Felix furrowed his eyebrows. The silhouette was not dancing. He was not including a distinct foot work on his training.
He thought. Maybe, it's a drill for swinging the sword.
Felix followed the silhouette, swinging the sword slowly in wide arcs, then beginning to increase the speed.
They were at it for an hour. Felix did not notice the passage of time. Since he was not on his actual body, he did not feel tired at all.
After a while, the silhouette suddenly changed his swinging drill. He began to train his balance.
He practiced standing on one leg, shifting his weight smoothly between stances while performing strikes.
Felix copied the silhouette and almost lost his balance after his first strike. He tried again and again until he got the hang of it.
The silhouette halted and pointed at his nose, seemingly conveying something for Felix.
Felix frowned. But he instantly realized what the silhouette was trying to convey when he pointed at his chest.
My breathing!
He had forgotten the breathing sequence earlier, so he immediately breathed in rhythm with the raindrops.
The silhouette smiled and he spoke for Felix before the dream ended.
Felix was stunned. All he saw was complete darkness now.
So, that wasn't part of the meditation? I triggered the effects of the sword again?
The Guide's voice echoed in his mind.
[Yes. That was the supplementary mortal exercises that the Sword Immortal himself developed and finalized. He called them Raindrop Meditation, Water Swing Drill, and Balance Training.
In the Stage 1 of his sword technique, the goal was to build body control, fluidity, and precise, repeated movements. The techniques that would be developed on this stage are called Drizzle Slash and Pattering Step, which consist of three levels.
Unlike other Beast Tamers in your world, for you to progress requires exercises and meditation instead.
Hence, after the Raindrop Meditation for an hour, you should go outside and exercise with the Water Swing Drill and Balance Training.]
Felix fell into deep contemplation. Suddenly, the words that the silhouette had spoken earlier finally reached him.
"A raindrop is weak alone, but countless raindrops carve stone. So must your body and blade be trained—persistent, flowing, and precise."
Felix nodded. He engraved the silhouette's words deep inside his mind.
Without hesitation, he returned to his meditation again and visualized raindrops hitting a roof. He realized it would be best to follow the rhythm if it came from sounds.
After an hour of Raindrop Meditation, he opened his eyes and realized his parents were staring at him.
Sarah asked, her tone was hopeful, "How did it go?"
If his son's meditation was successful on his first try, establishing connection with his summon to harness the energy of the world, then his potential was definitely higher than theirs.
Felix replied, "It was successful, Mother. I've also heard from my sword that I had to go outside and exercise. My way of cultivation was actually different from you two."
Meditation was a type of cultivation in the world of Beast Tamers. It was the primary way to cultivate their body and their beasts steadily.
There were other types of cultivation, such as consuming an energy of a beast core but for beasts to develop their core they would be at the commander rank, and there was also eating meat of higher rank beasts.
However, the most affordable and effective way of cultivation was meditation.
Sarah was shocked and almost burst into tears. The words of her sister, saying her son's summons was trash, was finally proven wrong.
Noah grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to his embrace, caressing her hair as he whispered, "You don't have to worry about your son anymore. He can take care of himself and his future."
Felix, of course, heard his father's whisper and smiled.
He placed the sword on his bed and walked towards them, crawling to their bed and embraced them tightly.
His mother wept and he had to console her.
"Like what my father said, mother, you don't have to worry about me. My summon turns out to be a blessing in disguise, too. I don't care what others think, I'll pursue my dream in my own way, even when they think it's strange and ridiculous."
His mother nodded and embraced her husband and son tightly.
…
Felix carried the sword in his hand and left the apartment. The apartment building has a wide open space before the gate.
There were cars and motorcycles parked there.
The apartment building consisted of three floors. The higher the floors, the better the quality.
Felix walked towards a maple tree.
He stopped on the other side of it, to prevent others from catching him exercising at 8 pm.
Without hesitation, Felix practiced standing on one leg, shifting his weight from time to time between stances.
When he believed he could perform balance training while striking, he did not hesitate to strike in wide arcs.
However, he lost his balance and stumbled on the ground.
The Guide's voice echoed in his mind.
[Don't be greedy. Do the exercises separately.]
Felix chuckled awkwardly. In the dream, he did not exercise the Water Swing Drill and Balance Training simultaneously. He just thought of it, thinking he could catch two birds with one stone.
Without hesitation, he returned to exercises again and started with the Water Swing Drill.
With the Flowing Rain Sword on his grasps, he slowly swung the sword in wide arcs.
He did not build up the speed yet, he only did so when he felt the momentum was finally established…