(Rodova Military Academy – Practical Combat Grounds)
Leo, like many other students vying for a spot on the Circuits team, often trained well past midnight at the practical combat grounds—relentlessly sharpening his techniques and pushing each skill toward perfection.
With only ten days remaining until Selection Day, he stood on the cusp of a breakthrough. Every one of his unperfected skills hovered just above the 0.1-second activation mark—agonizingly close to perfection, yet still out of reach.
But now, for the first time, Leo felt a surge of confidence. He was certain he could push through to the next tier within the coming week.
Yet, standing at the threshold of advancement, he came to a frustrating realization—he had no idea how one actually broke through from the Master realm to the Grandmaster realm.
He understood the requirements, sure. But the process itself? The exact mechanics of the transformation? That remained a mystery.
Which is why, after wrapping up tonight's training, Leo went to find Major Hen, to ask him about the same.
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"What do you mean you don't know how to break through? That's the most basic knowledge even seven-year-old kids learn in school," Major Hen said, staring at Leo like he'd grown a second head.
"How did you even become a Master-level warrior if you don't know how to break through?" he asked again, this time with visible irritation, as for a moment, he thought Leo was purposely messing with him—but Leo remained quiet.
"If you're trying to piss me off, boy—" Hen began, but then paused as his eyes widened slightly in realization.
"Aghhh—your memory loss," he muttered, rubbing his temples as he let out a long sigh. "Right. Forgot about that."
He seemed to suddenly remember that Leo had suffered memory loss before being admitted to the academy—a detail Leo had revealed during his first bout against Su Yang at the start of the semester.
Hen had pushed that fact out of his mind, mostly because over the past five months, Leo had never once behaved like someone who lacked fundamental knowledge.
He carried himself with confidence, strategy, and instinct—never once seeming lost. That's why it took Hen a moment to remember that Leo genuinely lacked some of the basic knowledge needed to survive in this world.
"Alright," he said, folding his arms as he looked at Leo with a mix of pity and mild frustration.
"I'm assuming you don't even know the difference between a Master and a Grandmaster warrior beyond the name?"
Leo gave a small nod.
"Alright then. Let me start from there. Then I'll walk you through the process."
"A Master-level warrior," Hen began, "is the peak of what your species can naturally become. That's it. There's no universal standard for being a Master. It's based entirely on the limits of your race."
"Technically, you should be called a 'Master Human Warrior'—not just 'Master Warrior'—but since Rodova is an all-human academy, we don't bother using the full title."
"A Master Human warrior, a Master Orc warrior, a Master Elf warrior—they're all different. Their power is capped by what their species can physically and mentally handle."
"An Orc Master is naturally going to be stronger than a Human Master, just like a Dragonkin Master might have far more mana than either. That's why there's no single standard across races."
Leo nodded in understanding.
"If an average Human Master can carry a 200 kg load across one kilometer without slowing down, a Master Orc might be able to carry 700. But they might lack the same agility or reflexes in a flat-out dash, and between all the myriad species, discrepancies of the like are many."
"However, that's not the case with Grandmasters," Hen added, as Leo replied with a quiet, "I see."
"A Grandmaster breaks that ceiling."
"Species doesn't matter anymore at that point. The title becomes universal. A Grandmaster Human can go toe-to-toe with a Grandmaster Orc—or even win on any metric—because the body isn't just running on biology anymore."
He let the words hang for a moment before continuing.
"When someone becomes a Grandmaster, their body starts operating on mana as its main power source."
"Muscles, nerves, organs—everything gets rewired. They're no longer bound by the meat and bone they were born with. Mana powers their strength, endurance, and speed."
"The reason people respect Grandmasters so much is because they've undergone a transformation. They aren't just stronger—they've evolved."
Leo stayed silent, but the look in his eyes showed he understood.
"A Grandmaster is still mortal, of course—they can't go on forever without food or sleep," Hen clarified. "But they can maintain peak function for an entire week without eating, and stay awake for three days straight without breaking down, while a Master warrior can never do that.
As unlike masters who rely on physiology for survival, Grandmasters rely on mana."
With the foundation laid, Hen moved on.
"Now," he said, stepping closer. "Let me tell you how that transformation actually happens."
"As you already know, there are five requirements you must fulfill before you can even attempt to break through. Without all five, you don't even get to touch the threshold."
Leo gave a small nod, confirming that he knew that much at least. Which made Hen feel slightly relieved.
"Alright. Since you know that, let me explain why each of those thresholds is necessary."
He held up one finger.
"First is Physical Limit. Your body needs to be trained to its absolute peak. Muscles, bones, tendons—everything, because if your body can't handle what's coming, it'll get torn apart mid-process."
Leo's eyes widened slightly.
"There's no guarantee of success, Leo," Hen said firmly. "Reaching the threshold doesn't mean you're safe. It just means you're ready to risk your life. The breakthrough process is lethal if you're not fully prepared."
Up until now, Leo had thought that reaching the threshold was the hard part. He had no idea the actual breakthrough itself was where the real danger began.
"Second is the Mental Limit. You need unwavering focus and iron willpower. The process is agony, pure and simple. If your mind isn't strong enough, you'll pass out—or lose your mind—before you're even halfway through."
Hen raised a second finger as Leo nodded.
"Third is Meditation Manual Perfection. All manuals that guide a user to the Grandmaster stage are different, but they all serve one purpose—to refine your mana circulation. Through constant repetition, your circuits become smoother, more stable and your control over mana becomes sharper—-"
"That's crucial for surviving what comes next," he said, raising a third finger.
"Fourth is Mana Saturation. Your body must store as much mana as it physically can, because without that internal reserve, you won't survive the moment your system gets drained. You'll need it to come back from the brink of death"
He raised a fourth finger with a grim expression.
"And finally..." Hen said, his voice quieter now, "...is Skill Perfection. As you probably already know, once the breakthrough starts, your body will be flooded with dangerous levels of unstable mana."
"Your only way to get rid of it is to unleash every skill you've mastered, one after another, to burn through the poison before it kills you."
He raised the fifth and final finger, a smug smile crossing his face.
Every phase of the breakthrough carried a lethal risk. And Hen knew Leo was finally beginning to realize just how serious it all was.
"Only when you've hit all five thresholds should you even consider starting the process."
"And once I explain how that breakthrough process actually works, you'll understand why I've been warning you so much."
Hen's expression hardened as he looked Leo dead in the eye.
"Believe me—I'm not exaggerating the risks at all."