Chapter 142: Martial Arts training (3) (1/2)

In the backyard of Granny's cozy little hut, Aiden and Lily were standing in front of Number 3. While Aiden could keep his calm as he waited for his Master to start the session, Lily wasn't this patient.

After a few minutes of suffering in the stifling silence, she squirmed and painfully exclaimed.

”Don't be like this Master! Tell us what to do!”

Seeing the impatient girl, Number 3 sighed exasperatedly, placing her right hand over her forehead.

”Be patient, Lily. Master has her reasons.” Aiden calmly answered instead. ”Try to keep your cool, this is already part of the training.”

Before Lily could respond to his words, Number 3's gentle voice calmly reached their ears. It was like if she was standing next to them, leaning against their ears, silently whispering into them. It was truly magical.

”Sit down and close your eyes, children. Clear your minds and calm your hearts.” Her enchanting words were like a gentle summer breeze, they found it incredibly soothing.

Obeying her words, both of them sat down on the lawn cross-legged. Closing their eyelids, they tried following her words, with differing success. For Aiden, this wasn't the first time he did this exercise, back in the past when Number 3 taught him the basics, they used to spend time meditating, clearing their souls. Remembering how he used to accomplish that serene state of mind, he deeply exhaled a few times.

As for Lily, she wasn't known for her calm and patience regarding these matters. Sitting on the ground, she opened her left eye from time to time peaking at her surroundings. Seeing how both master and Aiden was sitting and doing nothing, she sighed and followed suit.

However, after a few minutes of painful silence, her thoughts came back towards her two doggos… Sam and Biggy. What were they doing right at this moment? Are they bored? Are they missing her? No, this doesn't matter right now! She needs to focus on the training, otherwise, she wouldn't be useful in the future!

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind once more and try to follow along once again.

All this time, while her eyes were closed, she was clearly listening in on the girl. A small imperceptible smile curved on the edges of her lips, which quickly vanished as Number 3 continued to focus to immerse herself in meditation.

After a short while, as she felt the girl's fidgeting movements once again, she gently breathed, whispered into the air. A magical, invisible current carried her words, to the girl, so she could listen to it without interrupting the boy.

”Breathe in, then breathe out Lily. Calm your heart. Feel the feeling of breath entering and leaving your lungs. Feel as life circulates within and without, the energy of the calm breeze, the gentle sun… Feel as they echo through your heart. Let this noise pass through you, be unshakable, remove the disrupting thoughts from your mind and you will reach the serene state just like Aiden.”

Listening to her master's words, Lily took in a deep breath, then after a few seconds, she slowly exhaled. As the air left her lungs, she repeated the process. Eventually, she could feel as her heart rate became slower, the rhythmic rapid beating became a slower much more majestic thumping sound. Eventually, she calmed down and became just as still as her brother. Nothing could shake the tranquility she felt for the first time.

Almost an hour passed like this. Aiden kept his perfect calm, immersed in his inner soul world, calming his heart from the raging emotions and clearing his mind of all the unnecessary, disturbing thoughts. Although there wasn't a skill that the system generated for him as of yet, he felt that it shouldn't be that far off if there was any at all.

He could feel and enjoy the tranquil peace just as a child would enjoy his mother's loving embrace. He was alert, completely aware of his surroundings, yet at the same time he was calm, clear-headed, he was at peace with himself at this moment.

While Lily didn't experience such a profound state, she also managed to gain a lot from her first session of meditation. In the past, she saw her brother do this exercise from time to time, mostly with Master during the end of their training sessions. Back then, she couldn't understand the benefits. Now, however, she felt as if all the troubles and pain she experienced in her short life so far didn't matter anymore, they were irrelevant. They only served to shape her life, to guide her towards her beloved brother, her Granny, and towards Master. There's no point in feeling sad about what happened in the past anymore.