Part 37 – Harsh Training (1)
I thought the old man was talking nonsense, but he was right.
I did everything he told me, and to my surprise—it actually worked.
This old man definitely had a hidden identity…
But now wasn't the time to figure it out.
Only four days were left until the tournament.
With Henry, Adriana, and Don participating, I had no chance of winning first place.
I had to learn these techniques.
Right now, I was doing exactly what the old man told me—
Meditating.
But this meditation wasn't normal.
It was completely different.
In my previous meditations, I circulated mana through my heart and brain, letting it flow through my veins and rotate throughout my entire body.
But this time—no.
I had to split the energy.
Half inside my body, half outside.
I had to focus mainly on my hands and legs,
So I could release mana outward like a straight sword—
And make the magic last.
Because normal magic spreads out and fades quickly.
But this technique didn't.
It was extremely difficult.
I had to neutralize and balance both internal and external energy.
I was meditating when suddenly—
THWACK!
A stick hit my head.
"Ow! Why are you hitting me?!"
Old man: "Because what you're doing is wrong."
"What do you mean wrong? I'm doing it correctly!"
Old man: "This way of circulating mana is wrong."
"I learned this from Ziar and the Academy!
From the books!"
Old man: "And they are wrong."
"What do you mean wrong?!"
Old man: "Inside the human body, what things are the most important?"
"Hands, legs—"
Old man: "Inside the body, idiot."
"Heart, brain, lungs, kidneys—"
Old man: "You don't need to list the rest.
The most important things are your brain and your mind."
"Well, that's what I'm doing—
Using my mind."
Old man: "No.
In this method, you only give your brain a short central role—
Connecting mana from your head to your heart.
The heart does the main job.
It spreads about 90% of the mana throughout your body."
"What's the heart's job?"
"Managing blood flow and mana."
Old man: "Inside the body.
Meaning—your body gets injured, and with the help of your brain, it heals.
The heart only works inside your body.
It spreads everything evenly.
It has nothing to do with external mana flow.
Understand?"
"Uh… yes. No."
The old man looked at me with a stare full of insult.
Old man: "A two‑year‑old child understands more than you."
I burst out laughing.
"Well, what does a two‑year‑old understand? They can't even control their own poop."
THWACK!
Another hit.
Old man: "Shut up! Why are you laughing?!"
He continued:
"Think of it like the knights of the Church and the Empire.
Church knights don't care about the outside world—they only protect religious order and the Church.
But the army handles both internal security and external enemies."
"Well actually, the Church now handles both internal security and external enemies—"
THWACK!
Another hit.
Old man: "Why do you answer everything I say?!
Are you brainless? Did they put iron instead of a brain in your skull?!
The heart is only for the inside.
The brain is for inside and outside.
Understand? Or should I beat you until you understand?"
He raised the stick.
"No no! I understand! I swear on whatever you believe in—I understand!"
(I absolutely did not understand.)
…
Old man: "Fine. I'll show you so you understand.
I've done this many times, so I can do it in a fraction of a second.
And you must learn to do it too."
"You've done it many times—how am I supposed to do it in one try?!"
Old man: "First of all—you must be fast.
In the tournament, no one will wait for you to meditate and say, 'Don't attack, let me meditate first.'
You must imagine and execute it while fighting.
And if you do this technique incorrectly—
You'll end up paralyzed or dead."
I froze.
"W‑what do you mean…?"
Old man: "You're basically telling your heart to shut up and do its job extremely fast.
If you fail to manage it, the heart releases a violent surge of energy.
Your brain can't handle it.
Result?
Paralysis—if you're lucky.
Brain death—if you're not."
My hands and legs started shaking.
That meant certain death.
I would definitely die.
But if I didn't do it…
I'd return to the Academy and be humiliated.
Everyone would say I only got in because of the Church.
They'd say I didn't deserve to be there.
I'd be expelled, sent back to the Church, and mocked until I died.
But if I died now—
I'd die with honor.
My fate was cursed anyway.
I died a pathetic death in my previous world—
A world with no system, no goddess, no help.
At least this time, I'd die with dignity.
"I'll do it."
Old man: "Good. Now shoot an arrow at me. Quickly."
I grabbed my legendary bow,
Unfolded it with a flick,
Picked up an arrow,
And fired at him in a fraction of a second.
He didn't even move.
He simply deflected the arrow.
I stared at him, stunned.
How?!
What?!
Impossible.
Old man: "See what I did?
I created a defensive barrier outside my body.
Now it's your turn."
End of Part 37