Instructor David then turned and walked back to the stage. "Form a line in front of me," he said. "It's time for practical training."
The line quickly formed.
A muscular male student stepped forward first, stopping before Instructor David. David studied his physique carefully. The muscles were well-developed, but unbalanced—clearly shaped by labor rather than structured training.
"Have you ever wielded a sword?"
The student shook his head.
"Take an iron sword, but keep it in the scabbard."
The student bowed briefly, then moved past David toward the weapon rack.
Next, a thin young man stepped forward.
Without sparing him much of a glance, David said, "Take a wooden sword—find one slightly heavy, but still within your control."
One by one, David assessed the rest. Those with stronger builds were allowed to use iron swords, and if they showed prior experience, he permitted them to unsheathe them. The others were directed to wooden swords suited to their strength.
Then Rowan stepped forward.
"Wooden sword," David said after a brief look at his physique.
Moments later, it was Mario's turn.
Instructor David studied him carefully, and as he did, a faint frown formed on his face.
Mario's physique was different. His muscles were not only balanced, but refined—suited precisely for swordsmanship. More than that, their definition suggested something else.
'A first-stage cleansing…'
Instructor David lifted his head and fixed Mario with a sharp gaze. "Have you truly not yet mastered the fundamentals of swordsmanship?"
If Mario's physique had simply been the result of training and cleansing, David wouldn't have given it much thought. But this—this body was clearly shaped for swordsmanship.
Mario knew he had made a mistake, but he didn't panic. Meeting David's gaze, he answered calmly, "Not yet, sir."
David wasn't convinced. He held Mario's eyes, his gaze unyielding as a subtle pressure spread from him—an attempt to force the truth out.
Mario's expression remained steady, though his knees trembled ever so slightly under the weight of it.
Seeing that—and finding no trace of deceit in his eyes—David was already half convinced. Even so, he chose caution.
"Elly," he said, activating the watch on his wrist, "pull up this student's information."
He raised his wrist, pointing the device toward Mario.
[Wait a moment, sir,] a soft mechanical voice responded.
A minute later...
Ding~
David's watch chimed, and a holographic panel materialized, displaying Mario's information alongside his image.
He didn't look at it immediately. Instead, he let the silence stretch, watching Mario for any reaction.
Mario remained still.
Seeing nothing, David gave a faint shake of his head before finally turning his attention to the panel.
[Name: Mario (No Surname)]
[Age: 18 (Unknown)]
[Sponsor: None]
[Unique Skill: (Unknown Name)
Type: Possibly Growth-Type
(The subject claims his Unique Skill accelerates skill progression beyond normal limits. This has been verified by an advanced pulse-based lie detector, as well as confirmation from a Unique Skill holder specializing in Lie Detection.)]
[Place of Origin: Outside the Capital City]
(The subject arrived in the capital less than four months ago via a merchant vessel. He has resided at the Celestine Hotel since the academy's opening. Records show he lived without notable activity for approximately twenty days, followed by nearly three months of consistent physical training. He later underwent a cleansing procedure with assistance from Mr. Nathan, a manager of the Celestine Hotel.)]
The information also included several visuals: a photograph of Mario upon his arrival in the capital, a recording of his training, and another image taken after his cleansing.
Instructor David reviewed everything carefully, his gaze lingering on the images.
Finding no inconsistencies, he finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
If Mario were allowed to participate in the beginner's test a month later, and it was discovered that he was actually supposed to take the cultivation practitioner's test, there would be consequences for the instructor. Neglecting his duty might bring punishment—but that would pale in comparison to what Mario himself would face.
Mario could be expelled from the academy, banned from every academy in the nation, and his cultivation path permanently cut off. He could try traveling to another nation and applying to their academies, but that would require considerable wealth. Those schools, while also possessing unique skills, focused far more on the cultivation paths their nation specialized in—unlike this nation, which emphasized unique skills alongside all four cultivation paths.
'As long as he only trained his body… As for how he learned those methods, that doesn't matter.'
David's eyes shifted to the section detailing Mario's Unique Skill, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
'Possibly a Growth-Type…' He glanced back at Mario. '…It seems the four known holders may soon become five.'
'I wonder which specialization his Growth-Type focuses on. Spear mastery, swordsmanship, marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat…'
Though his curiosity stirred, he chose not to ask. Instead, he observed Mario once more—and noticed a bracelet partially hidden beneath his sleeve.
A weighted bracelet.
David's gaze changed, now carrying a hint of approval. "It seems you've undergone quite brutal training to achieve this transformation."
"Good!" He nodded. "Take an iron sword suitable for you."
"Thank you, sir." Mario adjusted his usual mask, bowed, and walked toward the weapon rack.
As he moved, a thought crossed his mind: 'Fortunately, I focused only on physical training…'
In truth, he hadn't anticipated the test, and his choice to stay behind instead of following Ron to begin cultivation had been unplanned—causing him to overlook the possibility of complications earlier.
'I'm still too careless…'
He paused in front of the weapon rack and selected a lighter iron sword, one he could wield comfortably even with the weighted bracelet on his wrist.
Finally, it was Zenith's turn.
David studied him for a moment before saying, "You'll be skipping sword training this morning."
"Why, sir?" Zenith asked, startled, thinking to himself, 'Did I do something wrong?'
David's tone remained calm. "It would be more helpful to train your stamina first."
"But… what if I fall behind the others?" Zenith's concern seeped into his voice. "Wouldn't that mean I might fail the test a month from now?"
"You won't."
Zenith hesitated, still unsure.
"Will you comply peacefully—or forcefully?" David's voice rose sharply, his earlier annoyance resurfacing.
Zenith flinched at the tone and immediately stepped down from the stage.
'What did I even do to make the instructor angry?'
Eventually, he could only run with that question in his heart.
Instructor David, however, continued watching him and finally said, "Elly, show me the information on a student named Zenith."
While waiting, he watched Zenith run, and seeing his expression, a smile unconsciously formed on his lips, feeling lighter in his stomach.
Ding~
Instructor David set aside his feelings and carefully examined Zenith's profile.
[Name: Zenith (No Surname)]
[Age: 18 (4/30/2578)]
[Sponsor: Arthur White]
[Unique Skill: Six Senses Type: Possibly a Support Type (The individual honestly stated that he didn't know much about his unique skill beyond the fact that upon turning eighteen, his surroundings became clearer, his hearing extended farther, his sense of taste sharpened, and his touch and smell became far more sensitive. He also admitted that he didn't understand the sixth sense, which was verified as truthful.)]
[Place of Origin: Outside the capital (...)]
David's calm expression faltered when he saw the familiar name in the sponsor field.
"Arthur…" he muttered, his eyes shifting to Zenith with a complex mix of pity and sadness. 'So… you know Arthur…'
'…I just hope you're not too close to him. Otherwise, you might get swept up in his troubles.' He shook his head and let out a quiet sigh.
Composing himself, he descended from the stage and stood firmly before the students.
"Before we begin, I'll inform you about the free skill book available in the library—take it later and practice with it. It will be helpful for your training," Instructor David said calmly. "Additionally, to speed up your progress and minimize downtime, you may use recovery pills, muscle support pills, and bone support pills. I'll cover the cost."
He paused briefly, then raised his voice so that all could hear clearly—including Zenith.
"Now, before we begin, I will demonstrate the eight primary directions of strikes and cuts. Watch carefully."
He then proceeded to slowly and carefully demonstrate each proper stance for the eight primary directions to the students—and Zenith.
Mario, watching Instructor David perform all the cuts, couldn't help but think of his own eight-directional slash swordsmanship skill, which had been built from the same fundamentals.
'…Should I master a different swordsmanship skill for the beginner swordsman rank?' Though it was merely a basic skill, it had accompanied him for half a century. He felt a faint twinge of regret at the thought of abandoning it, having grown so intimately familiar with its movements.
'…I'll decide after the test.' For now, he set the thought aside and continued observing Instructor David.
More than fifteen minutes later, Instructor David finished demonstrating the eight directional cuts—but didn't stop there. He followed up with a forward thrust as the final motion.
Straightening, he addressed the students, "As I've shown you, these are the proper stances for the eight primary directions, which form the minor fundamentals of strikes and cuts."
"The first strike I demonstrated was the vertical downward strike; the second is the vertical upward strike. The third is the horizontal strike from right to left, and the fourth is the same in the opposite direction."
Instructor David paused briefly. "The remaining four are diagonal strikes: left downward and upward, right downward and upward."
"And the last one is the thrust. While not technically a cut, it is equally important. I will teach it once you are all comfortable handling the blade."
"Now, form two lines back-to-back, leaving wide spacing between one another." He glanced at Zenith, who had paused mid-run, preparing to line up.
Instructor David locked eyes with him but said nothing.
Seeing that, Zenith could only halt, his expression dejected, before continuing to run despite his ragged breathing.
Instructor David glanced at the time. "For now, replicate the vertical stance I demonstrated earlier."
The students followed his instructions, trying to recall each movement precisely.
Once they had all assumed the positions, David walked to the center and approached the first student from behind. With the sheathed sword in hand, he tapped lightly at the young man's mistakes.
"Arms too stiff," he announced, his voice carrying to the entire group.
"Don't bend your knees that low."
"Your grip on the wooden sword is too tight."
"Straighten your posture."
The students adjusted as he instructed, and David nodded in approval before moving on to the next student.
For the next fifteen minutes, he corrected each student, calling out adjustments loudly. Still, due to differences in dominant sides and body mechanics, some struggled to follow.
Zenith jogged slowly along the line—practically walking from exhaustion—his eyes fixed intently on David, absorbing every correction.
Eventually, David reached Mario's position, pausing as he observed the young man's stance with a measured gaze.
He noticed that Mario's stance—from his feet to his knees, then to his posture, and finally to the sword—had only a few minor mistakes.
'Is this natural talent… or the effect of his unique skill?' David wondered, studying Mario's stance carefully.
Curious, he adjusted the subtle errors before saying, "Show me a strike."
Mario exhaled deeply and brought the sword down.
Feeling his own strike, Mario immediately noticed his mistakes, the cause being the unfamiliar weight of the bracelet on his wrist, but he didn't correct himself and instead waited for Instructor David's guidance.
Seeing this, David nodded inwardly. 'Just a few adjustments, and it should be perfect.'
After a moment, he said, "Adjust yourself according to the weight of the bracelet on your wrist—or even use that weight to aid your strike."
Mario nodded and struck down again.
Watching him, Instructor David thought, 'Whether it's because of his unique skill or not… it's undeniable that he has excellent comprehension.'
Executing a strike perfectly might be difficult, but what was truly harder was recognizing the mistakes and adjusting them based solely on verbal guidance—something that required real understanding.
"Very good. Now the only thing left is for your body to fully memorize that movement," Instructor David said loudly.
Hearing that, every student felt the urge to turn and look at Mario—but none dared break their corrected stance, fearful of being corrected again.
Zenith collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. 'Huff… is he really… huff… the person Arthur… was talking about?...'
'…Might as well… ask later…'
Instructor David then addressed the group. "Now all of you do the same."
Immediately, every student followed his instruction: swinging down, resetting their stance, and swinging down again—repeating the motion without pause.
Instructor David walked among them, correcting each student individually.