Only I Am A Reader

"Hey."

"H…ello?"

As Leo made it into the dining room early in the morning, Mia couldn't help confusingly glancing at him as he sat at the table.

The day before was already a big surprise. Even if it was his own birthday, Leo would barely join family activities other than the main party itself. Both Mia and Shawn didn't mind. In fact, they had already grown accustomed to it that the normal became the unconventional.

"Can I have a plate as well?"

Unbothered by his father's interested gaze as he ate his breakfast, Leo asked for his own. It wasn't like he was being neglected, rather, this was his first time joining breakfast in a while.

"Yeah, of course."

Turning on the heat under the pan once more, Mia proceeded to scramble the egg while her mind drifted away. Although Leo wasn't exactly a night owl, he wasn't that much of an early riser, especially since the school was on break. If nothing wrong happened, he would stay up a few hours to read in bed.

"Did something good happen?"

Shawn casually asked as he put his spoon down, Leo's poker face was unusually rosy today. This wasn't as rare as joining them for breakfast was, but it was the reason behind the entirety of this unusual behavior that Shawn was interested in.

"You could say that I liked yesterday's gifts quite a lot."

Leo smiled before putting the spoon in his mouth. He could understand why they were surprised. However, he could only imagine how they would react if they knew he even woke up 2 hours earlier.

Despite returning from the world where every minute wasted could result in his death, Leo's biological clock seemed to have come back with him. Even sleeping later than his old schedule by 3 hours still woke him up an hour or so after dawn.

The reason he came out from his room over an hour later was simple. Leo had spent that time in his Reading Space!

After the brief break, he naturally had to confirm the result of the 'transplant' he made the day before. Although he had thoroughly studied 'Sword Breathing' with the help of his 'Personal Book' back at the Sword Continent, Leo's current 'Breathing' was like stepping into uncharted territory, something that was immediately confirmed to be true an hour ago!

Yesterday, Leo had already noticed that Sword Breaker's buff seemed more effective due to his current body's limited Physique, so he barely glanced at it. However, an interesting new addition had definitely appeared in his Personal Statistics segment…

________________________

Personal Statistics:

---------------------

True Sword Breath: 400/400

Physique: 1.96 (+0.65)

Mind: 2.16

Sword Breath: 400.5 (+2)

________________________

His Sword Breath had long shed its restricted identity!

Over the 8 hours or so that he had slept, not only had Leo's True Sword Breath completely recovered, but he also obtained an additional half-point of progress towards the next grade. Most importantly, however, was the number in parentheses!

At first glance, Leo had no clue what that number specifically meant, but after using his senses to completely scan through the Sword Breath in his body, he immediately 'swordified' his hand and sprung into action.

Swish! Swoosh! Swish!

Executing 'Universal Sword Breathing' that he hadn't used in a long while, Leo anticipated the reaction from within. He wasn't merely testing the guess he had in regard to the change, he also wanted to see if his own body qualified as a 'Breathing Instrument'!

Let alone grade-9, Leo had simultaneously advanced to a grade unreachable by 'Breathing' at the same time he obtained his 'Sword Body', so testing this aspect was impossible. Now, however, he got to look at things from a different point of view.

'It's moving…'

The 'Sword Calligraphy' took even less time to complete as he was controlling his own body, its conclusion stirring the Sword Breath in his body as a particular part of it underwent a change!

During his scan earlier, Leo had already recognized a small lump that didn't really belong to him, temporarily occupying the space in his body since it had nowhere to go. Undeniably, this was the one affected by his 'Sword Breathing'!

Though the change only covered a tenth of it, this was something that Leo was already familiar with, Innate Breath Production!

Although the process he was used to originally produced under the simulation of the externally gathered breath, every bit of existing Sword Breath throughout the Reading Space or even Earth itself couldn't be considered external to Leo in any sense. His body was both the producer and the consumer! This infinite cycle was the true essence of 'Passive Breathing' that Leo claimed to have achieved before!

"I don't even have to do anything…"

________________________

Personal Statistics:

---------------------

True Sword Breath: 400/400

Physique: 1.96 (+0.65)

Mind: 2.16

Sword Breath: 402.5

________________________

Just one set of practice was all that he required to 'brand' the Sword Breath as his. Compared to the excruciating two hours of arm straining that he had to go through at the Sword Continent, Leo only required to spend less than 10 minutes a day to see progress beyond his old understanding!

Unbelievably enough, the half a point of progress that was already there proved that he didn't need to do even that! As long as he didn't care about the conversion rate, he would passively ascend in less than three months!

"That was definitely worth the trouble!"

Calculating the speed he could achieve if he 'signed-in' every day to collect the Sword Breath produced in his body, Leo could barely keep his overflowing elation in check. He felt like he was being rewarded for all the effort and pain that he endured back at the Sword Continent!

"Were they that good?"

Brought back to reality by Shawn's question, Leo confidently nodded. The gifts of effort that he received were more than just good!

"That's great to hear, you should join us more often."

"Naturally!"

Watching his father depart for work, Leo washed his plate before heading to the bathroom. This was just the start of his new lifestyle!