Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: 32. Restraint (2)
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He opened his pocket watch to check the time.
It was 7:35 a.m.
Time to head out.
"Let's go."
"……."
Yeoreum shuffled out with listless steps.
Even as he silently watched her face, their eyes never met. She seemed in especially low spirits today.
Yoo Ji-tae stepped out onto the street with her.
The residential district. Dormitory buildings lined up in rows. The road was quiet due to the break. Normally, Yeoreum would chatter away about what she'd learned from him, but now she kept her mouth shut tight, making the street feel unusually silent today.
What's gotten into her?
The regressor pondered deeply. What could upset a baby dragon? Yesterday and today had been no different.
Suddenly, he recalled last evening. The question about whether he'd grown a bit. He hadn't answered easily back then. Because Yeoreum's achievements were lacking. But should he have encouraged her with empty words? If he had, her mood might have improved.
Before teaching Yeoreum, he'd read about a dozen books on education. Some said to praise the effort itself over the results. Not "you drew it beautifully," but "good job drawing it."
But did insincere praise hold meaning? Was praise without sincerity even praise? If you said "good job" all the time, wouldn't the real praise get diluted?
It was a soft, squishy dilemma. Unfamiliar to him, who usually worried about the world's end or slaying demon lords.
In any case, such topics were the kind where everyone had opinions but no ideal conclusion. The regressor didn't like dwelling on them.
He decided to do what he could.
The Lair Central Training Hall. Yoo Ji-tae entered the "Free Subspace Training Room" with Yeoreum. Without environmental settings, a white, translucent grid-patterned floor and walls greeted them.
"From today, we'll train using the restraints."
"……."
Yeoreum didn't even nod.
She looked completely unmotivated.
She plopped down on the subspace floor. He crouched in front of her, matching her gaze.
"What's wrong."
"……."
"Don't wanna do it?"
"……."
"If you don't, we'll skip today."
As he started to stand, with no reply, Yeoreum finally spoke.
"…You could scold me."
Her voice was gloomy.
He didn't understand right away.
"What do you mean."
"You said I could get scolded if I don't meet your standards."
"Why would I scold you?"
"Then I'd do better, right? Even if it was embarrassing. I'd grit my teeth and push harder out of anger."
"……."
"Don't say 'good job' when I succeed at something. Just be honest. Like, 'Are you happy with that?'"
"It was still good by your standards."
Yeoreum looked up.
Her face was a little angry.
"Saying that made me think I was actually doing well. When I was flailing around thinking I'd nailed it, how lame must I have looked to you? And I was all excited, clueless……."
"Yeoreum."
"I'm just hurt in my pride. If I suck, say I suck. Curse me when I mess up. Call me an idiot. If I don't meet standards, beat me till I do. I've already set aside a lot of pride for you. You can treat me rough."
Yeoreum bit her red lips.
"Cheeks or butt are okay."
"……."
"Stick or switch too. Yeah, that'd be fine."
"What…?"
"But no knives or whips. I lose it if I see blood."
Her words finally sank in.
Even demanding corporal punishment came from a dominant position. Fitting for Red Dragon kin, in a way.
He shook his head. She was being overly hasty.
"Yoo Yeoreum."
"What."
"No plans for corporal punishment."
"Better than looking weak."
"Enough. We have training to do. You want to get stronger, right? Wasting time whining like this?"
"No, it's not whining……."
"Drop it. If you're gonna repeat yourself, shut up and stand."
Yeoreum's lips pursed sullenly.
She brushed off her butt and stood. Her face said she was displeased. Probably with herself.
Suddenly, he wondered. Reds always craved strength, but not to this extent, as far as he knew.
"Anyway. How do you plan to restrain a dragon heart with that?"
"Don't worry about the tool."
Yoo Ji-tae held out three thin strands of thread, and Yeoreum looked skeptical.
"…Huh? You're restraining a dragon heart with this?"
She grabbed the black threads and swung them. They dangled limply like hair.
"I thought it'd be some fancy device. What is this."
"Don't underestimate it."
"Pfft. Who'd take this seriously? Just some random hair or whatever."
Her gloom was short-lived; she giggled.
She'd regret underestimating it.
Yoo Ji-tae silently placed the fragment on her palm. He recited the activation word. The fragment of Hell's Restraints climbed her fingers, entering her body to bind the dragon heart.
"Hm, doesn't feel like anything?"
And then.
Yeoreum's leisure vanished exactly five minutes later.
"Ngh, uh……."
Yeoreum let out a groan.
Her eyes widened at the unfamiliar sensation, looking up at Yoo Ji-tae.
"How's it feel. Bearable?"
"Wh-what?"
"Say the word if you can't take it."
It must be disorienting. All her mana as a dragon, super senses, resistances, blessings—everything bound.
Yeoreum, pressing her chest confusedly, asked.
"…Hey. What's the principle here? It's not just binding mana, right?"
"More complex. Think of it as smashing the body to the point it can't move. Your body will feel heavy now. Breathing hard. The mana that always followed you will rebel."
"Why go that far?"
"Combat power builds by breaking limits. Restraints force that state."
Of course, that state was excruciating.
The name Hell's Restraints comes from how it feels like being in hell for the bound.
As someone nameless had said long ago.
"Ah, ugh……."
Yeoreum clutched her shirt, twisting.
"Isn't that limit dangerous? My chest feels like it's burning."
"Normal. Probably worse for a Red Dragon."
"I-I'm so suffocated…… For real."
Yoo Ji-tae met her eyes.
"One more time. Yeoreum. Quit anytime you want."
"No one's quitting. I won't…… How long do I endure?"
"Till you quit."
"What?"
She startled, and her heart's mana flared lightly. Pain hit. "Nghhh," Yeoreum squeezed her eyes shut. As the crisis passed, she regulated shallow breaths to calm herself.
She smiled weakly at him.
"Hey."
"Yeah."
"I won't die, right?"
She wasn't exaggerating. First-time wearers really thought that.
Yoo Ji-tae had too.
But he shook his head. She wouldn't die. Absolutely not.
"Alright. Training starts now."
Yeoreum urgently retorted.
"Starts? It's already on?"
"Just wearing sandbags training? Moving in that state is."
"Hah……."
Yeoreum exhaled, muttering.
"Fucked…… For real……."
The 'restraints' guided her Pulse to full integrity. In past regressions, it took 24 to 30 months minimum.
Yoo Ji-tae aimed to finish in one month.
"I'm not exaggerating."
"I know."
"For real. So suffocated……."
Bound Yeoreum grimaced nonstop, thumping her chest.
Now, she'd adapt her limit-pushed body back to normal. Breathing. Walking. Moving.
First training: 'breathing.'
"Breathe properly from now."
"O-okay…… Hoo, hoo……."
Yeoreum closed her eyes, starting to breathe.
Fire-attuned mana gathered in her mana-deprived dragon heart. Her chest must burn like lit fire.
Thus, breaths short. Irregular.
"Hoo, hng……."
Her jaw, lips trembled visibly with each scorching pain surge.
"Breathe properly."
"O-okay…!"
"Breathe. Right."
"O-… Got it……."
Grimacing Yeoreum slowly breathed. Shuddering breaths reached his ears.
Far from regular.
"C-can't breathe. Suffocating!"
"Breathe. No talking. Focus only. Breath returns inevitably."
"Ah, fuck… Hah, hah……."
Hoo. Hoo…… Yeoreum closed eyes again, concentrating. Jaw clenched so hard, tendons showed under pale cheeks.
"Breathing still hard?"
"……."
"Want help?"
"N-no? Fine, fine."
"There's an easier way. Less efficient though."
"Said fine."
Hoo, hoo…… Yeoreum desperately regulated shallow breaths with deep exhales.
But each filled her chest with heat. Ugh, ugh. Couldn't even shallow breathe then.
"No matter the pain, keep breathing. Hard or easy, never stop."
"O-okay. Hah……."
Yet she didn't breathe straight.
Meaning her suffering time wasted valuelessly.
So Yoo Ji-tae raised his voice, growling.
"Breathe!"
"O-okay! Ngh……."
"Don't stop. Breathe."
"I got it!"
Yeoreum bit her lip. Hard enough red blood seeped.
Then breaths slowly regulated.
Training continued that day.
Till the very end. Yeoreum never asked for help.
Thanks to that, perhaps, her breathing had calmed by home time.
But nothing to celebrate.
Just the start.
After that day, Yoo Ji-tae and Yeoreum continued breathing training for days. Not just in the training room, but at home too.
Cough, cough!
Trapped in her room, Yeoreum coughed madly. "Unni, you okay?" Gaeul even peeked worriedly. But hypersensitive Yeoreum snapped.
"Close the door!"
"Mommy…!"
Her yell was sharp.
Startled Gaeul shut the door, looking to Yoo Ji-tae. He nodded. Don't worry.
Bom sometimes brought medicine, but Yeoreum refused even that.
Thus, Room 301 was icy for days.
Because Yeoreum acted like she was dying.
"Is Unni Yeoreum okay?"
"She's fine. Don't worry too much."
That's all he told them.
Four nights into breathing training.
Yoo Ji-tae's watch buzzed in the living room. Yeoreum's number.
First call from her.
"Yeah, me."
—Hey, I'm bleeding. This normal, right?
"What blood?"
—Just nosebleed, a bit…….
Burst capillaries.
Common in restraint breathing training.
But her voice trembled differently. She was scared. So he entered her room.
Lights off, darkness. Red eyes glowed faintly. Yeoreum huddled in bed corner. Tissues stained with blood everywhere.
Tissues stuffed in nostrils. Breathing through mouth.
"You okay?"
"Dunno. Called you 'cause I don't know."
Stress heavy, apparently. Red eyes quivered unstably.
"…Yeah. Let me see."
He gently laid her down, peering inside.
Thankfully, dragon heart intact. Body fine.
"I'm okay, right?"
Anxious voice again.
Mental stress blessings bound, perhaps. Facing anxiety head-on.
This baby dragon trembled badly. Might need to adjust restraint power a bit.
But as his mana entered her, Yeoreum realized.
"What? Don't."
"Nothing much."
"You're easing it now, right? Don't need it."
"Better eased if anxious. Results won't differ much."
"F-fine, don't."
Till the end. She wanted to overcome it herself.
No choice. As he turned to leave.
Desperate voice grabbed him.
"Where?"
"Huh?"
"Wh-where you going."
He turned.
Trembling voice couldn't hide anxiety.
"Stay here today……."