The Protagonist Already Knows

Chapter 29: Intent and Mana

Thursday passed without a hitch, as I attended classes like normal, actually trying to take notes while paying attention, and trained with my sword in the training hall against AI dummies.

During this time, my mark was like a hot potato, switching among the people who were closest to me.

*Ring~ring*

As my final class on Friday began, I found myself standing under the blazing sun in the middle of a massive coliseum that rivaled the size of soccer stadiums back on Earth.

There were also countless wooden dummies around the coliseum, placed on the soft sand-like ground that did not slow movement at all.

Just like everyone else in the coliseum, I held my sheathed sword, wiping the sweat off my forehead and gazing at the figure standing at the edge of the coliseum and...under the shade.

"Seriously, why the hell do we have to stand here!?"

"Really, why can we just stand in the shade!?"

"Shhh, don’t talk, I heard he’ll chop off your head if you do!"

"Don’t you know his hand can cut through obsidian?"

"I heard that simply touching the body...causes you to be stabbed by a sword."

Only one person beside me stood silently, her crimson-red hair seemingly bathing in the sunlight.

Haerin.

Alternatively, standing comfortably in the shade, the figure with an overgrown white beard and combed-back white hair... took a foldable chair out of his backpack as if we were at a beach.

"..."

Only after comfortably sitting in the chair did he finally begin speaking, gesturing for us to come forward and huddle in the shade.

"Although many of you may know me by a different name, please refer to me as Grandmaster Kim."

"All of you have voluntarily chosen Swordmanship as your elective, so you are here for one reason."

"You believe in the power of Martial Arts above Magic. As of now, you have chosen intent over mana."

Drawing a couple of laughs, Grandmaster Kim suddenly added jokingly.

"Or your mana capacity stat is...subpar. Don’t worry if it is; mine is as well, and I can destroy any one of those magicians!"

"Martial Arts encompasses everything relating to the use of intent, while Magic relates to the use of the external force of mana."

As Grandmaster Kim paused, a student suddenly asked.

"Grandmaster Kim...aren’t intent and mana one of the same? You need intent to absorb mana...?"

Shaking his head, Grandmaster Kim responded.

"Magic only requires one to realize their intent. Then...magicians simply abandon the concept."

"However, the entirety of Martial Arts revolves around intent."

Raising her hand as Grandmaster Kim nodded her head, Haerin, the only person now standing under the blazing sun, asked.

"Grandmaster Kim, can’t a person be both a Magician and a Martial Artist, then? They can use mana while simultaneously developing their intent."

Nodding his head, Grandmaster Kim answered vaguely.

"At the start, one could. But, in the end, you must choose one or the other. One cannot strengthen their body with both intent and mana, or imbue their weapon with both intent and mana."

Not allowing any more questions, Grandmaster Kim continued.

"Although both your Mana Mastery and Martial Realm are not accounted for in your status menu, the ranks of both are extremely different."

"The stages of Mana Mastery are concrete: for example, the first stage of mana mastery is being able to not only absorb mana but feel that mana flowing through your body. Everyone at the first stage of Mana Mastery may do the same thing."

"However, Martial Arts is different. Everyone has a different first realm. There are only loose rules, and you yourself will know exactly when you’ve reached it."

"This is because Martial Artists use a wide range of weapons, whether it be an axe or a bow. Martial Artists train in very different ways."

Scanning the crowd of curious students before him, Grandmaster Kim simply said.

"If you’re wondering...everyone here is of the lowest rank."

Immediatly, objections flew into the air.

"How can I be the same rank as this guy!? He’s never beaten me!"

Even Haerin’s expression hardened at the Grandmaster’s words.

However, ignoring everyone, Grandmaster Kim simply said.

"There is only a requirement to achieve ’A Loose Thread,’ the first realm of Martial Arts. You must create your own or adopt a weapon Art, no matter its grade or difficulty."

"...?"

At those words, many students stood there in confusion.

"I already mastered my family’s sword art, though?"

"Me too. My tutor said I was perfect."

Standing up, Grandmaster Kim said before turning around.

"To remind everyone, a weapon art isn’t simply how you use your weapon. It involves how you breathe, how you think, how your emotions change whenever you hold that weapon."

"Everything must be constant and logical; your weapon art must explain how every single part of your body, your thoughts, and your brain act when you hold a weapon.

"Please try to think deeply, all of you. What does wielding a sword or any weapon for that matter mean to you?"

"Why did you pick up the sword, and why did you continue to keep on picking up that sword?"

"Why do you want to win? What do you want to achieve...and how does the sword play a part in you achieving that goal?"

"Now all of you go practice. Unfortunately, I won’t be of help to you in this process."

With those words, Professor Kim sighed deeply and walked away, leaving us behind in the coliseum alone.

"..."

"Did he just leave?"

"What the hell are we supposed to do!?"

"Thank god there’s a drop period!"

"Yeah, I’m dropping this class and taking Mana Mastery like everyone else."

"I have no idea why I tried to be different and take this class...I’m out."

As some students simply walked out of the coliseum after our Professor, angrily muttering, I looked behind Grandmaster Kim’s chair, finding a stack of wooden weapons.

The number of weapons matched the number of students in the class, and within moments, I found an exact wooden replica of my Dao alongside Haerin’s broadsword.

Had he created...wooden versions of each of our weapons so that we could practice?

Pausing, I glanced at the foldable chair left behind.

"Why is there... a sword cut on the seat of the chair?"

Putting the ripped chair seat aside, I picked up my wooden Dao and found a motionless wooden dummy to practice on.