Chapter 20
The professor looked worried. As the cause of the situation, I just hoped we could move on to another topic quickly.
“Anyway, I sent a request to the Academy Knights to search for the missing students. They’re busy, so I’m not sure they’ll act right away.”
“That’s serious. I hope they’re found soon.”
“Exactly… I never expected to lose three students right from the start. At least this Eric kid might return. But the other two? There’s no chance they’re coming back. It’s a big problem.”
No way.
Eric will never return. If anything, the other two have a better chance of coming back.
“What happened to the other two?”
“One didn’t accept being placed in Class B and transferred to the Southern Academy.”
“…What?”
“Crazy, right?”
The professor laughed bitterly, looking frustrated.
“I was shocked too when I first heard. A student refusing the Academy’s class placement? Turns out, even at the Southern Academy, he ended up in Class B.”
“Well, serves him right.”
“Haha… As a professor, I just hope he does well wherever he is. At least he didn’t end up like the last student, whose future is completely gone.”
“What happened to that last student?”
“They died.”
The professor sighed, his face serious.
“They were from the Olberin family, one of the ten great houses… No explanation, just news that they were dead. I haven’t been a professor for long, but this is the first time something like this happened. Still… maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. Ray Granble.”
“Yes?”
“You gave me some relief.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I never thought you’d be placed in Class B. With your family background, I assumed you’d be in Class A for sure.”
“I probably wouldn’t have made it into Class A anyway, since my meridian sensitivity is weak. Even if nothing had happened with my family.”
“I didn’t mean it that way, sorry… Ugh.”
The professor shook his head and sighed again.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought up your family so soon after everything that happened. But I mean it—I’m really glad I get to teach you.”
“I’m honored to learn from you too, Professor.”
And I wasn’t lying.
I remembered how my older brother praised Professor Totten non-stop. Said he was amazing at teaching swordsmanship.
“I feel the same. I actually had the chance to be the Class A teacher, but I chose Class B instead—even before I knew you’d be in it.”
“Isn’t Class A better in general?”
“Usually, yes. Class A students are from prestigious families with high meridian sensitivity. They’ve already learned basic swordsmanship, so it’s easier to teach them advanced techniques. Professors are evaluated based on their students’ growth, so taking Class A is a huge advantage—especially for a young professor like me.”
“You’re the youngest professor at the Northern Academy, right?”
“That’s right.”
The professor gave a sheepish smile and nodded.
“Still, I thought I could teach better in Class B, so I chose it.”
“You’re a swordsmanship professor, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then wouldn’t Class A be better for swordsmanship too? They probably have more potential, considering their families.”
“You’re not wrong. But those kids rely too much on aura.”
That’s a good thing, right? Why is that a problem?
“Well, this is more about my personal beliefs… If you have strong aura, your physical abilities—strength, speed, reflexes—also increase instantly. With enough skill, you even get special powers. And this all depends on your natural meridian sensitivity, not hard work. So students usually end up relying on aura instead of swordsmanship.”
“I see…”
Is that really true?
That world doesn’t concern me much. My brother and sister still trained hard in swordsmanship, though.
“On the other hand, swordsmanship doesn’t make you strong right away. You need deep understanding and time to improve.”
“So you wanted to teach students who don’t rely on aura.”
“Exactly. That’s why you’re the ideal student for me.”
The professor picked up my application form and waved it.
“I’ll still need to verify this, of course. The document says you have 1-star aura but 7-star swordsmanship… Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“So… you can use the Unity Sword Technique?”
“Yes, I can. But you skipped a step.”
“Skipped a step?”
“I completed training in the 4-star technique, the Flowing Sword. I’ve only briefly touched the 5-star technique, the Smooth Flowing Sword.”
The 4-star Flowing Sword is about understanding the flow of movement. The 5-star Smooth Flowing Sword is about handling that flow naturally and effortlessly.
“But somehow I skipped over the rest and reached 7 stars. That’s why I said the middle is missing.”
“Huh, that’s very unusual. Your records mention something happened, but…”
The professor looked over the papers, then skipped the heavier topics.
“Anyway, I won’t question it now. The inspectors probably looked into it already. What about the 6-star technique, the Phantom Sword?”
“I can’t use it.”
“At all?”
“Not at all.”
I really don’t know anything about it. I’ve never learned it or seen it used.
Which is typical for the Phantom Sword.
“I see… This might be a first in the Sword King family’s history.”
The professor thought for a moment, then looked toward a door in his office.
“In that case, we need to study. Let’s move to my research room. Ray Granble.”
Professors at the Academy have private research rooms.
They’re basically just training and sparring spaces, called Sword Labs or Aura Labs depending on their specialty.
“Before we begin, I’ll give you a personal lesson on what the Phantom Sword is.”
The professor drew a line on the floor with his wooden sword.
Phantom Sword.
The 6-star technique of the Sword King family.
It allows you to make your killing intent real enough for your opponent to feel it.
Phantom Sword has no physical form. But it still affects the target.
The professor repeated what I already knew.
To be honest…
I don’t get it at all, Professor. It sounds too vague.
“You don’t understand Phantom Sword?”
“It’s a technique that uses intention to make the opponent react to an illusion.”
I suddenly remembered something my father told me years ago:
“The target of a Phantom Sword reacts to something that’s not really there, which creates an opening.”
“That’s the beginning and end of Phantom Sword—it’s about confusing your opponent.”
“Still don’t get it?”
“That’s okay. One day you’ll train in Phantom Sword yourself, and then you’ll understand naturally.”
Yeah, Father…
That day has come. Too bad I didn’t understand it naturally.
From what I can gather, Phantom Sword is about deceiving the opponent with illusions.
To fight it, you need either your own Phantom Sword or a very strong mind and body.
At least, that’s the theory…
But what even is this illusion?
It’s like a dream. Does a dream have a form?
If it does, is it still a dream?
“Let’s start the practical lesson.”
Now I’d find out.
This wasn’t theory anymore.
But Professor Totten didn’t swing his wooden sword.
He just moved his upper body slightly forward.
Then—
“…!”
Something flew at me.
I didn’t know what it was, but it felt dangerous. I ducked and rolled to the side.
“…?”
But nothing had actually come at me.
Still, I felt something. What was that?
“That’s Phantom Sword,” the professor said with a smile.
“You reacted like it was your first time. Experience is key. Now, don’t dodge this time. Just stand still. You won’t get hurt.”
“Yes, Professor.”
I stood up slowly. Again, something shot at me.
No warning, no movement.
This time, it felt more real.
Like a blade—or an arrowhead. I couldn’t see it, so I just closed my eyes.
“….”
Would it still feel the same with my eyes shut?
Yes.
The sharp energy stabbed at my chest. I couldn’t hold on and collapsed to my knees.
“Ugh…”
“It hurts, right? But you’re not actually injured. It just shocked your senses.”
The professor was already standing in front of me.
When did he get there?
“Amazing.”
I took his hand and stood up.
“I didn’t even notice you moving toward me. It must be because of that technique.”
“That’s the point. You fool the opponent with illusions and hide your real movement. If they don’t know how to counter it, they’re helpless.”
He was absolutely right.
This was real. A technique using only the human mind, not aura.
“How do I use Phantom Sword?”
“How did you use Unity Sword?”
The professor asked playfully.
I thought for a second, then shook my head.
“I don’t really know.”
“Exactly. Me neither.”
“…”
“Just kidding. I’d be a bad teacher if I didn’t know.”
The professor smiled and continued.
“First, you have to master 5-star swordsmanship.”
“You mean Smooth Flowing Sword.”
“Yes. You must move naturally, like a dance. You respond to the opponent and adjust your flow without thinking. To do that, you need to fully understand your own form.”
“Form” means being able to flow through all the sword moves you’ve learned without stopping.
If you do it consciously, that’s the 4-star technique.
If you can do it without thinking, that’s the 5-star.
“Once you can do that, you’ll start to form a perfect sword in your mind. When you can bring that form out instantly, that’s the start of Phantom Sword.”
“That’s the lower part of 6-star, right?”
“Exactly.”
I knew the theory. Applying it was another story.
“You still look confused. But once you master Smooth Flowing Sword, it’ll come naturally. And since you’ve already gone beyond that, let’s move on.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Once you form your ideal sword in your mind, you must be able to draw it at will.”
“Isn’t forming and drawing it the same?”
“No.”
“They’re different.”
“Drawing it means projecting it outside your body. It’s still imaginary, but it must feel so real that it seems to exist in front of you.”
“But in the end, it’s just imagination, right?”
“Yes. And that’s why the next step is important.”
Suddenly, a sharp energy burst out from the professor in all directions.
It was so sudden, I couldn’t react.
Just sensing it gave me chills down my spine.
But it wasn’t real. My body still reacted, though.
Unlike Phantom Sword, it was wild and uncontrolled.
“I’ve never seen this before.”
“Seen?”
“I mean, it felt like I could see it. I can’t explain it…”
“That’s normal.”
The professor calmed the energy and took a deep breath.
“That’s killing intent. It’s what happens when the desire to harm is projected outward.”
“Is it different from the thought of killing?”
“Yes. A thought is just a thought. Anyone can have one. But killing intent is focused and projected.”
“How do you learn to do that?”
“The best way is to experience a battlefield. It’s full of killing intent. If you’re exposed to it enough, you’ll learn how to project your own. That’s why some swordsmen volunteer to fight on the front lines to train in Phantom Sword.”
“Did you train on the battlefield too?”
“I was sent there right after graduating. But you won’t get that chance, so for now… I’ll just hit you a lot.”
“With your Phantom Sword?”
“And while we’re at it, help with my research.”
The professor spun his wooden sword and sighed.
“Swordsmanship Level 7. Unity Sword.”
“….”
“It’s a tough skill. Even understanding it is hard. So few people use it that it’s hard to study. Will you help with my research?”
