Chapter 20: The Upcoming Celebrations.
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Emmy was breathing heavily as she stood on the race track that was in the underground training center. She wasn't allowed to sit down because the system said sitting down after exercise could be mentally detrimental.

When she asked why it said this.

[It inhibits the formation and reinforcement of discipline. Sitting or resting immediately after a hard task will reduce the impact it has and the Host will get lazy.]

That's what it said, and even though Emmy thought it didn't make any sense she still followed the system's instructions.

"Hah~ I'll practice my energy cycling in the corner," Emmy sighed, going over to a corner where nobody could see her.

She took one look at the others to see Harlin stretching. Andre and Arie were both talking to each other but Arie looked tired, the opposite of his brother who seemed as if he wasn't out of it just yet.

Fischl was talking to both Sebastian and Ansgar but while the former seemed to have caught what she was saying, the latter just stood in confused silence. Emmy stopped looking at the others and started focusing on the energy in her body.

Noticing that familiar blue stream with tints of silver, she willed it to move faster through her body to increase her healing. She continued this for a while before she stopped opening her eyes and breathing out a silver mist.

"That's new!" Emmy said, watching as the mist dispersed in the air.

"What's new?" A voice sounded behind her.

"Ah! Harlin! You have to stop doing that," Emmy glared at him and he chuckled sheepishly.

"I saw you in the corner and came to see what you were doing, turns out you were... meditating?"

"Yeah, kind of. It helps me to control my vision and it calms me down."

"Cool, can you teach me?"

"Uh... what, you want to learn, I mean meditation is kind of boring you know. Are you sure you want to," Emmy tried to scare him off, she asked the system for help in the meanwhile.

'Isn't this bad? He wants to know how to meditate, what do I do?'

[It isn't such a complication. There are many types of meditation, should you want to pass on that of the Energy kind, it is your choice. The system is a training device meant to push the host to their full potential, the techniques are the Host's to distribute.]

[The risks will also be the Host's to shoulder and so are the potential consequences.]

"Yes, I want to, unless you are not willing to teach me," Harlin said, noticing her discomfort and giving her a way out.

Emmy thought about it and seeing Harlin's hopeful expression only made her feel more complicated. She tilted her head and nodded.

"Hah~ I'll teach you and only you, for now. You are now my subordinates no? However, I should warn you that if you were to betray my trust..." Emmy left the implication hanging.

"Okay, is a meditation that complicated? Isn't it just breathing?" Harlin was suddenly nervous seeing Emmy's serious expression.

"Come here and sit on the ground I'll teach you how to do it," Emmy was still somewhat nervous and asked him to sit in a more secretive spot.

Harlin came over to Emmy's side and sat down cross-legged. He shut his eyes and waited for Emmy to tell him what to do. Emmy placed her hands on his back and breathed, saying.

"Breathe through your nose and try to feel the air moving through your entire body. Try to see inside of yourself as you do so, try to grasp the energies that flow through your body."

"Okay, I'll try."

Emmy stepped back as she looked at Harlin, her mind swirling with thoughts on whether her decision was right or not. She shook her head she would just ask him to not speak of any of this to anyone until she was ready to spill.

'Is this meditation technique precious in any way? Also, where is it even from?' Emmy asked, suddenly curious.

[It is not particularly precious. It is merely a technique to raise awareness of the body's energy and awaken the heart for the user to utilize it.]

[Unable to fully answer the question. The technique is ancient.]

'That's a lot of information, I only need to find out how ancient it is.' Emmy thought looking at the ceiling.

She continued to watch Harlin as he tried to access his energy and put it under his command. She waited and waited and... waited. Emmy blinked.

Huh?

Is awakening your Energy heart and circuits... actually hard?

[Yes.]

[When the host bonded with the system the host's energy heart was partially awakened, allowing for easier access.]

That you for your helpful answer, Emmy walked up to Harlin curiously. She placed her hands on his back and used her energy to "inject" it into his. She only used a tiny bit of energy but she nearly collapsed as she felt some sort of barricade attack her.

Emmy jumped back cautiously, she looked at Harlin for a while before relaxing. Confused she looked at her hands and asked the system.

'What was that?'

[All living beings contain Energy inside them.]

[Rebound. When foreign energy invades the body, the energy in the body fights back to safeguard the user. As the input was quite small you need not worry about permanent damage.]

'If it was large then?' Emmy nodded suggestively, opting for the system to continue.

[The Host wouldn't have been so relaxed if that was the case, only if you aim to overpower the opposing energy will it break through the defense of it. Otherwise, the rebound will severely damage the invader. It also depends on the amount and strength of the energy.]

'Damn, so I almost got beaten without me noticing.'

[Affirmative.]

"Huh. That is slightly terrifying, you don't suppose you could stop the backlash from this don't you?" Emmy said as she began looking a Harlin again.

"Ugh..." Harlin groaned as he cracked his neck and looked at Emmy, and she squinted at him.

"Are... you okay? Did you succeed in seeing the airflow threw your body?" Emmy asked, hopefully looking at Harlin.

"I think I did, it looked somewhat... chunky? I don't know what I saw but it wasn't air of any kind it looked more like some river of stone. My imagination seems to be quite good," Harlin said as he got up his bones cracking a bit as he got up.

"Did you feel any discomfort?" Emmy asked, "Like during the middle of the session, did something impact you in any way?"

"Impact? What do you mean impact, though I did feel a bit uncomfortable for a while there, it did help me see what I told you about. Hmm... So you're telling me what I saw was real! Then do you know what it is?"

"I don't know, I thought only vision users could access it. Though your case is curious, perhaps it's what your nature embodies. I don't know much I'll ask my teacher, they should know," Emmy said as she really didn't know but lied a little as well.

"Well thanks, I guess," Harlin scratched his head, "It was interesting but what are you doing this weekend?"

"Nothing. Why do you want to know?" Emmy asked looking at Harlin.

"Uh it's my birthday in a while and I thought it would be good to have you there. Get to know the boss a bit more, and the others are coming as well. I haven't asked Fischl yet but she'll come... right?"

Emmy thought about it for a while and decided on agreeing to the suggestion. Since she was their "Boss" she should learn more about them and this also gave her time on whether to also include the rest of the group in this meditation thing.

"I'll go and I'll bring Fischl along as well, Well we will see each other there I suppose."

"Yes, Boss!"

"Hah~ About the meditation I think you should continue, and maybe you should try again to see if you can grab the energy," Emmy was going to leave but she had one thought and stayed.

"Okay? I'll try it when I get home."

"Nice, check with me if you ever get it under control or something, also a little tip. Try to sense the separate beat underneath the beat of your heart, bye!" Emmy said before running away.

"Wait!"

"Hahaha! Catch me if you can."

Emmy ran toward Fischl who was waiting for her at the entrance and the other boys who stood there together with her. She grabbed Fischl and together they quickly rushed to the elevator.

"Huh?" Fischl said, running with Emmy, barely keeping up, and looked at the boys chasing after them.

"Let's get into the elevator," Emmy didn't know why she did that but it was a good source of cardio and was incredibly impulsive.

It felt good.

****

"That wasn't very nice, Boss!" Harlin groaned as he stood heavily breathing as he watched the impassive Emmy.

"I'm your Boss, no complaining," Emmy grinned, seeing the tired boys filled her with a deep sense of satisfaction.

"But Boss!"

"No complaints."

Emmy shifted the tired Fischl on her arm as she looked at the boys.

"Now onto business, I'm sure most of you know Harlin will be having his eighth birthday this weekend and you have agreed to attend. I will also be going and..."

Emmy looked at Fischl, who looked at her. They both communicated with their eyes and Fischl nodded tiredly, leaning on Emmy's back.

"Fischl will also be going, all of us will be coming over to the adventurers guild early in the day and we will go over to my house to dress up. Then we will move over to Harlin's house to commence the celebration. Any questions?"

They shook their heads but Arie raised his hand. Emmy pointed to him and gestured for him to speak.

"Why your house?" He asked and ignored his brother, Andre, who was pulling his shirt.

"It's big and it's empty, any other questions?" Emmy asked again and this time no one raised their hands.

"Then go about what you all want to do, Fischl and I will be leaving."

"Bye Boss!" They chorused.

Emmy waved and departed with Fischl.

=====

The people of Teyvat were once able to use the elements long before the Archons got the Gnosis, Zhongli himself said that in one of his voice lines. Signora used [The Art of Liquid Fire] to transform into a living flame. Thus it allowed her to fight abyss monsters and live for 500 years. So, I'll classify this [Meditation] as the same category without the same consequences.

Don't how else to justify it though, so drop it if you don't like it.

Have a good day!

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