'Prophet…?' Mario thought, falling into contemplation as he delved into his simulation memories. 'Why is it that, despite having half a century's worth of simulation experiences, I haven't heard anything about him?'
Even during his four months at the Celestine Hotel, he had searched for any information on the Prophet. His simulated self had done the same after watching a match between unique skill holders.
Yet even in the far more comprehensive libraries of the Eight Academies, the Prophet was mentioned only a few times.
He set the question aside, shifting his thoughts as his index finger unconsciously tapped the desk. 'Special type, huh…'
His gaze fell on the proficiency panel, which he called again.
'...Could my Unique Skill be considered a Special type?'
He couldn't help but entertain the possibility, especially after experiencing the effects of the simulation.
Although Mario was lost in thought, he remained attentive, listening to everything Instructor Seth was saying.
Instructor Seth cleared his throat to regain composure before continuing. "Anyway, the reason for that classification is that your choice of cultivation might affect your Unique Skill."
Seeing some students frown in confusion, he clarified, "What I mean is—it won't negatively affect your Unique Skill. But if you choose the right cultivation path based on your skill, it could become a huge advantage for your future strength."
"As most of you know, there are three types of cultivation techniques you can choose from: Knights, Martial Arts, and Swordsmanship. However, there is actually another one, created by our King..."
Instructor Seth paused briefly. "It is said this cultivation technique was developed after studying how the three traditional cultivations work, as well as the cultivation methods used by mages..."
Noticing Instructor Seth's tone, Mike couldn't help but lean toward Mario and whisper, "Hey, don't you think this instructor might be a fanboy of—"
His whisper was cut short as a sharp breeze rustled a few strands of his hair. Looking down, Mike realized Instructor Seth had paused and was staring directly at him.
'…Did he hear me?' Mike gulped, feeling the weight of the stare. 'Damn it, Mouth… you almost got me in trouble.'
Finally, he muttered under his breath, lowering himself slightly, "I… I'm sorry."
Instructor Seth gave a subtle, expressionless nod.
"The cultivation method created by our King is called the Spirit Cultivation Technique. To practice it, you must either purchase it using points or achieve a high rank in the upcoming test."
"Unlike the other three cultivation methods, which strengthen you with each realm you reach, the Spirit Cultivation Technique was designed entirely to assist Unique Skill holders."
"Most of you probably don't know much about it since only a few of you can already use your Unique Skill. But using a Unique Skill comes with a price. Most Unique Skills cause mental fatigue, emotional flatness, forgetfulness, and other side effects."
Instructor Seth turned back to the board and wrote again. "This happens because, although Unique Skills don't require energy in the conventional sense, they aren't without cost. Rather than consuming something outright, they place a constant strain on the user. In most cases, this manifests as mental fatigue—but in truth, it is the spirit itself that bears the burden."
"The stronger the Unique Skill, the heavier that strain becomes. Over time, it doesn't simply drain you—it wears you down, grinding against your spirit with each use. That is why our King developed a cultivation technique specifically to strengthen the spirit."
Hearing that, Mario lifted his head and looked at the instructor below.
'Is it possible that this feeling is caused by that…?'
He slowly placed his palm over the center of his chest, where the emptiness lingered. 'If so… could I recover if I practiced that cultivation technique?'
'But if I practice that… I won't be able to train in sword cultivation.'
After a moment, Mario raised his hand.
Instructor Seth noticed and gave a slight nod.
"Sir, if we practice the Spirit Cultivation Technique, does that mean we would have to rely solely on our Unique Skills? Since we wouldn't be able to train in the other three cultivation paths?" Mario asked, his voice low, knowing the instructor would hear him.
Instructor Seth paused briefly before answering. "As for that, the reason you cannot practice multiple cultivation techniques at the same time lies in the conflict between their energies."
"As most of you know, Swordsmanship uses a form of energy called Sword Qi." He raised his hand, palm open, and a thin, translucent white energy—like a wisp of air—slowly gathered at its center. "This is Sword Qi."
He let it disperse before pointing to his forehead. "Sword Qi is stored in the upper dantian, the center associated with perception, focus, and control."
"The Knight cultivation technique, on the other hand, uses Life Qi." He pointed at his heart. "Life Qi is stored in the middle dantian, regulating vitality, emotions, and internal balance."
"Lastly, Martial Arts relies on Blood Qi." His hand moved lower, pointing just below his navel. "This energy resides in the lower dantian, the foundation of physical strength and endurance."
"Although each type of energy has its own place within the body, the conflict arises when they are used," Seth continued. "Some of you might think of using one type at a time—but that has already been attempted."
He paused briefly. "The result… was no different from a balloon bursting."
The students couldn't help but stiffen, their expressions changing as the image settled in their minds.
"According to our studies, this doesn't happen because the energies clash directly, but because the human body cannot withstand more than one type of energy. Each carries different properties, and the body simply isn't built to handle them simultaneously."
Instructor Seth then pointed to the center of his chest. "However, the cultivation method created by our King is different. It does not cultivate a specific type of energy. Instead, it draws upon the surrounding energy to temper and strengthen the spirit itself. Because of that, it does not conflict with the other cultivation techniques."
Hearing this, Mario let out a quiet breath. 'I see… If that's the case, then I can practice it alongside swordsmanship.'
Although he knew it would slow his progress in sword cultivation, he wasn't particularly concerned. Swordsmanship was a path of understanding—the way of the sword required time above all else. And with his Unique Skill, he could make up for that.
Meanwhile, Instructor Seth continued, "…Although it can be practiced alongside other cultivation techniques, it is far more difficult to cultivate. That's why—"
His sentence was cut short as the watch on his right wrist lit up.
Seeing it, he exhaled softly and turned his back to the students. "Alright. It seems my time is up. We'll continue this after the test next month. For now, focus on your training—especially those of you from outside the capital."
His gaze swept across the room, briefly pausing on Mario, then Liam, and finally the black-haired, blue-eyed young man.
Seth walked toward the door, then stopped as if remembering something. "Right. The locations of instructors for each cultivation path are already stored in your watches—just check them. And one more thing: most of you can probably get a general understanding of your Unique Skills from their names, so choose your cultivation paths carefully."
"That's all."
With that, he slid the door open and stepped out.
Mario also stood and passed by the four, heading toward the door.
"Mario," a voice called from behind.
He glanced back to see Mike, with Ron catching up from behind.
"So, which cultivation path are you going to take?" Mike asked, tapping his shoulder.
Ron chimed in from beside him, "All three of them are going with Martial Arts. I'm going with Swordsmanship… though I forgot to order a custom-made sword."
"…Well, I guess I'll make do with a standard sword then." He shrugged.
"Swordsmanship," Mario said, keeping his pace.
"Looks like it'll just be the two of us as swordsmen, then. Do you have a sword ready?" Ron asked, falling in step beside him.
Mario gave a slight nod.
Hearing that, Mike walked to Mario's other side. "Aren't you going to reconsider? I know being a swordsman is cool, but you could still take up swordsmanship later, even if you start with martial cultivation."
Mario understood what Mike meant. From his memories of the second simulation, he already knew that while a person couldn't cultivate two paths simultaneously, it didn't mean they couldn't learn skills from another path.
That's why some knights could practice sword techniques while some swordsmen trained martial arts. However, reaching high mastery in a skill from a different cultivation path was extremely difficult.
Mike hesitated. "…Besides, our private martial instructor from before said that being a swordsman—while it builds a balanced physique—is far weaker than martial artists who focus on strength and defense."
Ron raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his face. "Really? Then why don't we test that later? How about a sparring match?"
Mike immediately shook his head, clamming up at Ron's words. He knew that although Ron had become far quieter after awakening his unique skill—even around him and Jacob—he wouldn't let anyone belittle swordsmanship.
And he knew he couldn't beat Ron and would only end up taking a beating as only Jacob could spar with Ron on equal footing.
Mario shook his head slightly, letting out a quiet sigh as they stepped out of the classroom. He glanced at his watch and opened the map showing the instructors' locations.
Unbeknownst to the group of five, a certain black-haired, blue-eyed young man had been watching them before they exited. His gaze bypassed the two beside Mario, locking onto Mario himself.
'Is he the one Arthur mentioned?' the young man thought, recalling Arthur's words about a certain emerald green-eyed youth. 'Well… he's the only one with that eye color, so maybe it's him.'
He allowed a faint smile to form, then rose and checked his watch, bringing up the academy map along with the instructors' information.
'Hmm… which cultivation path should I take?' he wondered, studying the three options. 'Instructor Seth said we should choose a path that suits our unique skill… but…'
He called up his proficiency panel in his mind. Ignoring the empty skill section, he focused on the unique skill display.
[Unique Skill: Six Senses]
'What kind of skill is this, anyway?'
As he mulled over his thoughts, voices reached him from outside—Ron asking, Mario answering.
"Which instructor are you heading to?"
"Instructor David."
"Instructor David…?" the young man murmured, eyes scanning the map for the instructor's information and location.
'A swordsmanship instructor, huh…' he thought, recalling Arthur's cultivation path. 'Well, he's a swordsman too.'
'Maybe I should...'
'Ah, whatever. Might as well follow the same path.' He rubbed his temple as a dull headache pressed in, shook off the hesitation, and stepped out.