Chapter 89: First Breath

I stared at Vicki with wide eyes, "You want me to what?!"

Vicki grinned; arms still outstretched. "Knock the wind out of me."

I blinked, "...Are you serious?"

Vicki's eyes narrowed, "Dead serious."

I hesitated for a moment, simply staring at her, "This is supposed to help me learn magic? How?"

"Remember I said that the Aperture is what is required to breathe in the World Energy and not the lungs."

I frowned.

Is she trying...to use...shock therapy?

Vicki continued, "If I get struck at my midsection with a heavy blow, then my body might be forced to breathe in the World Energy."

I fell silent.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to hit her...but...am curious...

My eyes landed on her stern gaze, narrowing, "Vicki...why are you so eager to learn magic?"

Vicki stared at me silently, "To get stronger."

To get stronger? Wait-

"What about Empty Dial?"

"I can't use it. I don't know how to.", she admitted, biting her lip, "Ever since that last time, I've not been able to use it again and I can't find out why."

Vicki never admitted to being unable to do something, she prided herself in her high intelligence so for her to say this...

I saw her hard gaze lock with mine.

She must be really determined.

HA...

I let out a sigh, and rose to my feet. My fist clenched tightly as I approached her.

It's not hard to infer why she wants to get stronger though...

I recalled her last words before she vanished, 'Am Sorry, Dave.'

She doesn't want to say those words again. She doesn't want to be weak anymore.

As I approached, her gaze and stance remained stalwart, not even flinching once.

TMP. TMP.

I raised my fist, took a deep breath, and then—

—pulled back at the last second, "If you puke, that's on you."

Vicki just smirked, "I'll be fine. Now hit me."

Alright...

HOO...FWOO

[Skill: Defense Arts (incomplete) has been activated.]

I swung my fist forward, aiming for her midsection.

BAM!

My knuckles connected with her lithe body and immediately she exhaled sharply, staggering back with a gasp.

Her eyes widened, tears gathering at the corners. A sharp shudder ran through her frame, and for a moment, she looked stunned—before suddenly clutching her stomach and doubling over, letting out a sharp cry.

ACK!

At her cry, my jaw tensed and my skin turned pale.

"Vicki?!", I stepped forward, immediately regretting my decision.

She held up a hand, stopping me.

HA...! HA...!

I watched as she panted heavily, struggling to breath. Her body trembled, her breaths coming out ragged and sweat dripping from her face.

ARGH!

She let out another sharp cry as she arched backwards, as if trying to gulp in air.

HA...! HA...!

I continued to watch, simply staring at her struggle.

I thought...I would enjoy this...

HA...! HA...!

But...

My expression turned to one of pain

I can't do it...

HA...! HA...!

I can't hate her...

I gritted my teeth and suddenly, stretched out my hand.

"Vic-!"

SWOOSH!

Suddenly something changed.

It was like something invisible shifted in the air.

"Huh?"

FWOOSH!

The magic circle engraved on the ground flickered and from it, faint strands of light rose from the ground and begun swirling around her frame. The dust in the room stirred, and I felt the temperature drop just slightly.

The air itself hummed.

My eyes widened in amazement, staring at Vicki, "What the hell?"

SWOOSH!!

The strands of light suddenly entered Vicki's nostrils, making her gasp – her body jerking as if she had just surfaced from deep underwater. When she lifted her head, her originally brown eyes glowed faintly with a faint hazel light.

I took a cautious step back, "Vicki…?"

She inhaled shakily, then exhaled, and just like that, the strange energy faded. The glow in her eyes dimmed. She blinked a few times before breaking into a wild grin.

"It worked!"

"What worked?! What just happened?!", I demanded.

"I breathed it in! I breathed in the World Energy! I felt it—just for a moment!", she exclaimed, clutching her chest, "It was faint, but it was there!"

I gawked at her, "You mean to tell me… punching you actually worked?!"

Vicki smirked, "Told you it would."

I didn't know whether to be impressed or concerned.

"W-wait...so you can use magic now?"

Vicki shook her head, "Didn't you hear? I felt it for just a moment."

My face fell slightly, "So...?"

Vicki raised a finger, "Grasping the feeling was the first step.", she then pulled up another finger, "Emulating that feeling is the next."

WHA-?! What does she-

Before I could finish my thoughts, she suddenly lunged at me.

"Wha—?!"

Her hands latched onto my shoulders, "Now it's your turn."

Oh, hell no.

"Wait, wait, wait—"

Before I could protest,

BAM!

She drove her knee straight into my gut.

ACK!

Pain exploded in my stomach, knocking the air out of my lungs. I collapsed to my knees, gasping like a dying fish.

Why the knee?!

A-ARGH!

Vicki crouched beside me, eyes gleaming, "Ignore the pain, and grasp your breath. Focus!"

I wheezed.

Easy for you to say!

Despite my thought, I adhered to her words.

Through the pain, I tried to concentrate. My body ached, my lungs burned, but somewhere deep inside…

I felt something; something I couldn't quite explain.

A flicker. A tingling sensation, just beneath my ribs. Faint, but undeniably there.

Is... this it...?

Vicki saw the shift in my expression, "You feel it, don't you?"

I clenched my jaw, nodding slowly, "...Yeah."

"Good.", she grinned, "Now, breathe it in."

I focused on the strange sensation, drawing it inward as best as I could. The tingling grew stronger, spreading through my chest like heat.

Then—

A sharp pulse ran through me, like an electric current. The air around me stirred, and the magic circle beneath us flickered faintly.

Vicki's grin widened, "That's it, Dave. You've got it."

I inhaled again, feeling the warm energy flow through me, it went through my nose, down my throat before settling in my body.

A-AH...

Suddenly, I felt a twinge of euphoria, just like the Leveling Up process.

But unlike that time, this was different.

HA...

I felt strangely calm, like I was laying on the bed of a five-star hotel.

This is it...

I grinned, "This is magic."

[You have gained 20 EXP.]

[Skill: Saturation is active.]

[Skill:] Saturation: A skill every human being is born with that allows one to connect to spiritual entities as well as perform miracles. This skill allows you to absorb the World Energy.

My eyes widened in surprise, staring at the system panel.

Saturation...

Involuntarily, I raised my hands, taking a look at the icy ones.

A swirling mist of cool air was being emitted from them, albeit slightly.

"Cool, huh?", I heard Vicki muse from the side, her eyes fixated on thin air.

Her panel...

I saw her smile for a moment before turning to me.

"So, you got 20 EXP too, huh?"

"Yep.", she beamed.

I smiled as well before saying, "So... now what do we do next?"

"What else?", Vicki raised her hand, "We keep punching each other, until we can emulate that process."

I let out a loud groan.

This is gonna hurt...