WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈
Chapter 25: Breathing Technique (1)
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There were plenty of long-running vs debates across the continent, not just arguments over who was the strongest.
Elves vs demonkind
Dogs vs cats
Summer vs winter
West vs east
There were countless others, but people usually refrained from most of them because they tended to cause conflict.
That only applied to everyday life, of course. The Gallery showed no mercy.
People spent their time fighting over which was better whenever they got the chance.
When things occasionally got too heated and turned into hatred toward a group, the Head Mod personally stepped in.
Among all these topics, though, one was especially controversial.
[Post title] Mana Cultivation Method vs Inner Energy Cultivation Method
[Post] Vote for which one you think is better.
[Post] 1. Mana Cultivation Method: 50%
[Post] 2. Inner Energy Cultivation Method: 50%
└ How the hell are they both at 50%?
└ Everyone's clueless. Mana Cultivation Method is better...
└ Don't talk shit. What's so good about it? lol
└ You're from the Central Plains, aren't you?
└ No? I'm from the Messiah Empire.
└ Must be a noble.
└ Not a noble, I'm a knight lol
That debate was none other than Mana Cultivation Method versus Inner Energy Cultivation Method.
It was a debate that had continued since ancient times and was still ongoing.
[Post title] The Origins of Mana Cultivation Method and Inner Energy Cultivation Method
[Post] The prevailing theory is that they were taught by following the example of Aris, the goddess of war and younger sister of Aragon, the god of magic.
[Post] Of the two disciples, one took charge of the west while the other took charge of the east.
[Post] The west gradually split into many countries, but the east still retained the name Central Plains.
[Post] Aris herself analyzed and studied the breathing of her older brother Aragon, so it was practically Aragon's Breathing Technique anyway.
[Post] That concludes today's mythology lesson!
└ Is Aris pretty?
└ You crazy bastard lol. Want to get arrested for blasphemy?
└ It's the Gallery anyway lol. So is she pretty?
└ Sadly, there are no records saying she was. Apparently, she always wore a helmet because she was at war.
└ Allfather Based on my research, the prevailing theory is that she was beautiful.
└ What makes you say that?
└ Allfather Aragon, the god of magic, once said, "My damn little sister is a pain in the ass, but she's pretty."
└ Aren't they just regular siblings? lmao
└ If he admits she's pretty despite being regular siblings, that says it all.
└ That suddenly makes it way more credible lol
└ Allfather Apparently, the two of them fought often. Whenever they did, mountains flew apart and seas turned over.
└ Holy shit.
└ As expected of gods;;
└ Allfather Every time, the chief god smacked them on the back.
└ Just a sibling fight on a bigger scale lol
└ Why are they so human lol
Just like in the myth, Mana Cultivation Method was dominant in the west, while Inner Energy Cultivation Method was dominant in the Central Plains.
As time passed, an interesting theory emerged.
[Post title] The West and East Had Different Breathing Techniques Because of Geography
[Post] The west had dangerous enemies to the north and south, including demonkind, elves, and more, so they had to produce as many capable fighters as possible.
[Post] That was why they spread the easy-to-learn Mana Cultivation Method far and wide to build up their strength.
[Post] The problem was that it also made it easier for unsavory people to learn Mana Cultivation Method.
[Post] As a result, farmers often beat knights senseless during rebellions;;
[Post] This was also why the countries had split into their current state.
[Post] Meanwhile, in the east, namely the Central Plains, the clans kept a tight hold on Inner Energy Cultivation Method.
[Post] Their culture was quite conservative, and the terrain was favorable enough that they had no significant internal or external threats.
[Post] So they only taught Inner Energy Cultivation Method to people they knew, while most farmers had no idea what it even was.
[Post] The academic consensus is that geography caused Mana Cultivation Method and Inner Energy Cultivation Method to diverge.
└ Oh. Thanks for the knowledge.
└ A lot of people in the east use Mana Cultivation Method these days. Is it because of cultural exchange?
└ That's part of it, and Mana Cultivation Method is easier to learn. Its depth is still shallow, though.
└ On the other hand, western nobles tend to practice Inner Energy Cultivation Method. It helps widen the gap.
└ So Inner Energy Cultivation Method is exclusive to the upper class.
└ Yeah, basically.
└ Not necessarily. Plenty of knights are taught Inner Energy Cultivation Method too.
Mana Cultivation Method was easy to learn but shallow.
Inner Energy Cultivation Method was difficult to learn but profound.
That was one of the deeply rooted beliefs surrounding each Breathing Technique.
It was half right, but there were plenty of flaws in it too.
[Post title] No matter the Breathing Technique, the best one is the one that suits you.
[Post] Look at Ash of the Messiah Empire. She became the strongest using Mana Cultivation Method alone.
└ Isn't that because she's weird?
└ Yeah, she is weird. Who cares if the process is different as long as you're strong?
└ Does the Hero use Mana Cultivation Method too?
└ I heard the Hero has a unique Inner Energy Cultivation Method from the Holy Kingdom.
└ Strong people are just strong, that's all.
No matter what it was, the strong remained strong. It was practically a universal truth.
Still, it was a matter of pride and history for both sides, so neither could easily let it go.
That was why it always turned into a vs debate whenever the opportunity arose.
For people who handled mana, it was an especially important matter of pride.
[Post title] Whether you use Mana Cultivation Method or Inner Energy Cultivation Method, upvote if you got some useful tips~
[Post] I'll start lololol
└ For real, they always spill all the good tips lol
└ I was stuck, but this helped me break through lol
└ When whales fight, the shrimp feast instead of getting crushed lol
└ I hope they keep fighting forever lol
Maybe that was why every argument inadvertently led to all sorts of useful information getting spilled.
There were plenty of users who talked nonsense now and then, but people knew how to filter them out.
Nothing laid someone's hand bare quite like a Breathing Technique.
‘Oh. Is she teaching him Inner Energy Cultivation Method now?’
Ash, the strongest person in the Messiah Empire and currently a professional shut-in, grew curious.
As usual, she had been browsing the Gallery while lazily lying around.
Heavenly Demon had started teaching Grylls Inner Energy Cultivation Method. At the time, Ash had simply let it pass.
The Heavenly Demon Ash knew would never teach Inner Energy Cultivation Method improperly. Even if she really was a scammer, that was fine.
If Grylls posted on the Gallery that Heavenly Demon was a scammer, the truth would come out eventually.
Of course, it was also possible that Grylls lacked talent, or that Heavenly Demon lacked the aptitude to teach.
Ash only needed to watch quietly and enjoy the show. At first, that was how she saw it.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Heavenly Demon. I got a nosebleed doing what you told me.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: What?!
“What?!”
Like Heavenly Demon, Ash couldn't help being startled.
It was rare to get a nosebleed while performing Dantian Breathing.
After questioning him in detail, Ash realized something.
‘Could Grylls be like me too?’
Ash had experienced the same phenomenon as Grylls.
She had a constitution that accumulated mana simply by breathing.
Every breath caused several times more mana than normal to build up inside her Mana Hall, the dantian.
Because of that, she had gotten nosebleeds simply from breathing, just like Grylls.
At the time, nobody knew what was happening, so it had been brushed aside without much thought.
No one had ever seen or heard of such a phenomenon.
Since it was the most basic of basics, she had initially thought she lacked talent.
Once she overcame that stage, though, her growth had become tremendous.
Ash could say that with certainty because she had experienced it herself.
‘Could it really be? Really?’
Ash asked Grylls one question after another.
The more she asked, the more she realized his constitution resembled hers.
They weren't completely the same, though. Grylls had mana building up because of an elixir.
Still, the fact that a huge amount of mana entered his body with each breath was the same.
‘Is it because he's in the Forest of Four Seasons?’
That was probably the case.
The mana density in the Forest of Four Seasons was several, perhaps dozens of times higher than in other regions.
It was only a hypothesis proposed by scholars, but it was credible.
‘The fact that there's an Adult Mandrake there proves it.’
The environment was different, but the conditions were similar. So Ash made up her mind. She would find a way to raise Grylls properly.
Looking at everything he had done so far, his talent wasn't bad either.
More than anything, he had more reasons than anyone to become strong.
He was in a situation where he had to grasp at any straw to survive.
‘If he becomes stronger than me... Hehehe.’
Ash smiled slyly. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.
The people she had raised until now had either disappointed her or run away.
Grylls was different. He was in the Forest of Four Seasons, so he couldn't run anywhere.
To escape the forest, he would have no choice but to become stronger himself. It was perfect.
‘I should teach him how to break through to the next stage first.’
Grylls's body was currently oversaturated.
When he tried to take in mana in that state, his body instinctively activated its defense mechanisms.
Ash was about to pass on a useful trick to solve the problem when an unexpected obstacle appeared.
“This person is really frustrating.”
Ash's pretty face tightened slightly.
It was an expression caught somewhere between dissatisfaction and exasperation.
‘Does she really have to be so stubborn?’
The obstacle was Heavenly Demon.
Whenever Ash tried to teach Grylls a Breathing Technique, Heavenly Demon objected.
Her attitude practically said that she had already claimed Grylls, so Ash should stay away.
‘She's from the Central Plains, so I understand, but...’
People from the Central Plains were extremely sensitive about teacher-disciple relationships.
They even said that a master was both teacher and parent, while a disciple was like a child.
In truth, Inner Energy Cultivation Method was a secret manual that wasn't passed down to anyone untrusted.
‘It means she trusts him that much.’
If Heavenly Demon had been stubborn for some ridiculous reason, Ash would have argued until the end.
But Heavenly Demon refuted her point by point with fairly solid reasoning.
In the end, Ash chose to take one step back.
Fighting here wouldn't help Grylls.
That didn't change the fact that they needed to open a path for him, though. So Ash made one final proposal.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Then I'll only share my know-how until Mr. Grylls can circulate mana. You call that Qi Circulation and Breath Regulation in the Central Plains, right?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: If you are only helping him with Qi Circulation and Breath Regulation, I have no objection. But I will pass on the formula that follows.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: I have no intention of being greedy beyond that point.
She wasn't lying. At least, not in words. She had other intentions.
Inner Energy Cultivation Method was difficult. Very difficult.
Both Breathing Techniques followed the same process until mana circulation.
But there would be a major difference in the formula that came afterward.
Unlike Mana Cultivation Method, Inner Energy Cultivation Method contained somewhat philosophical teachings.
For example, Mana Cultivation Method might say to send mana to this place or that place, but Inner Energy Cultivation Method was more complicated.
‘Water springing from the valley flows into the sea... Ugh. How frustrating.’
It didn't only have drawbacks, though.
Just as carp living in a river and carp living in a lake grow to different sizes, Breathing Techniques were similar.
Mana Cultivation Method had many shortcomings when it came to enlightenment, while Inner Energy Cultivation Method did not.
The formula contained all kinds of insights, which made it easier to advance to the next stage.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Is everything the same up to that Qi Circulation and Breath Regulation thing?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: It is. But had you not already sent Internal Energy to your middle dantian and upper dantian? That was what I heard earlier.
└ [Wild Grylls]: I don't know about that, but a strange energy did pass through my heart and brain before spreading through my entire body. Then it returned to my lower abdomen.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: How peculiar. It may have been a blessing in disguise that your dantians opened already. Perhaps you possess potential comparable to mine.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Does that mean I can shoot hurricane-level palm winds from my hands too?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Good grief.
“Pfft!”
Ash burst out laughing.
Heavenly Demon's exasperated reaction showed just how absurd Grylls was.
Still, it was nice to see him in good spirits.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: It would be best to begin with Qi Circulation and Breath Regulation. Listen carefully to my advice and that jagged stone's advice.
└ [Wild Grylls]: I'll take it to heart.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Surely you don't mean me by "that jagged stone," right?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: It seems you do have a conscience.
She had nothing to say to that. Ash nodded to herself.
But she had no intention of giving up. Grylls would look for Mana Cultivation Method soon enough.
‘He'll definitely say Inner Energy Cultivation Method is difficult.’
Grylls was an ordinary person. A polite ordinary person.
By Ash's standards, ordinary people, meaning commoners, were those who had only barely learned to read.
She didn't know much about Grylls's upbringing, but she knew it hadn't been good.
His parents had died in an accident, and he had lived alone. In that kind of environment, he must have been too busy surviving.
There was a high chance that he hadn't received a proper education. So Inner Energy Cultivation Method would probably be difficult for him to make much use of.
‘He says he came from another world, but could that possibly be true?’
That kind of role-playing gimmick was all too common in the Gallery.
He claimed one bomb could blow up an entire city. Who would believe that?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Qi Circulation and Breath Regulation is simple. You only need to repeat what you just experienced.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: The same thing might happen again, so it would be best to leave a longer interval between breaths.
Ash and Heavenly Demon shared their tips in hidden comments.
Grylls didn't reply after hearing them, presumably because he had begun the breathing exercise.
For a very long time, too. No comments appeared for over ten minutes.
Ash was just beginning to worry and type a comment when...
└ [Wild Grylls]: Ah. Sorry, my stomach suddenly hurt really bad;; I'll keep going.
└ This guy says his stomach hurts every chance he gets lol
└ Little shitter lol
It seemed Ash's concern had been unnecessary.
Whether his gut was bad or too good, this happened fairly often.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: It would be best to endure it even if your stomach hurts. Otherwise, you might fall prey to a Heart Demon.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Can a bodily function give you Qi Deviation?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Of course. There was once a fool who suffered Qi Deviation because someone asked how they breathed.
└ [Wild Grylls]: What the hell;;
It sounded ridiculous, but it was a rather famous story.
Mana circulation, Qi Circulation and Breath Regulation, required intense concentration.
Even someone speaking to you could easily break that focus.
└ [Wild Grylls]: I'll keep trying for now. How long did you say I have to do this?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Until you feel Internal Energy circulating throughout your entire body.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Heavenly Demon is right.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Okay. Thank you.
There was silence again for a while.
Ash wasn't particularly anxious this time.
Mana circulation generally took quite a long time each time.
She thought that if she waited patiently, he would leave a comment eventually.
[Post title] Is Mana Circulation Supposed to Be Like This?
Until she saw a certain post on the Gallery.
The title itself was ordinary, but the author was Wild Grylls.
Ash checked the post, wondering what problem had occurred this time.
[Post title] Is Mana Circulation Supposed to Be Like This?
[Author] Wild Grylls
[Post] I'm circulating mana as advised, but every time it completes a cycle, I feel like I need to take a shit. Is that normal?
“...”
For the first time in her life, Ash encountered an unsolvable problem.
“...What kind of nonsense is this?”
Heavenly Demon seemed to feel much the same.
Footnotes:
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