"If you are so serious about the sword, then give up on mana," said Lilia with a solemn tone.
The instant she uttered this Zo and everyone present froze.
"Giving up on mana, do you mean that I should..." Zo words trailed off.
Without Lilia needing to further explain, Zo understood what she meant when she said that he should give up on mana.
What Lilia meant by "give up on mana if you are serious about the sword" was that he should stop using mana as energy and instead shift to another form of energy more suited for swordsmanship which was : Aura.
Mana wasn't the sole energy in this world. There were many other types of energy; some races, like demons, had their own energy that no one besides them could use.
There were also energies not tied to a specific race; mana, in this case, is the most widespread, most used energy, and probably the most powerful due to its high versatility. Mana is like an all-rounder energy that could be used in literally every field possible.
However, it's not because it can be used in every field that it's the best suited in all of those fields.
Sometimes, some kinds of energy are better suited for a task than mana; this is the case with 'Aura.'
Aura is the energy that most people specializing in a weapon use; it's primarily an energy for weapon users because it synergizes better with them. That's the reason most knights in the world use Aura as energy.
Contrary to mana, being able to use Aura isn't innate for humans or any other race. To not just feel but use Aura, one needs to train for many years. However, it's not guaranteed that training will awaken Aura. Some people train their entire lives but never manage to awaken to Aura; that's how the world is—unfair.
For those who do manage to awaken Aura, it's often a life-changer because there isn't a single power or organization that would refuse to take you in, regardless of your background. That's why those with less talent in mana always try to awaken Aura.
As Candace has said, in this world, even if you have a 'trash talent,' as long as you diligently train, you will eventually transcend your talent one day. The existence of energy like Aura proves it and also explains why people thought of Alex as lazy.
Back then, Alex had also considered awakening Aura but ultimately decided against it for a simple reason – to awaken it, you need to give up on mana. It's impossible to use both Aura and mana simultaneously.
If you choose to give up on mana, you would never be able to use it again. That's why Alex resisted shifting to Aura; awakening Aura was a gamble. Imagine deciding to give up on mana, attempting to awaken Aura, and then failing. You would become someone worse off than even normal people who had never trained in their lives, as at least normal people have a bit of mana in their bodies.
The worst part and the reason Zo was very reluctant to give up on mana was the fact that the moment you give up on mana, you lose your ability.
In the case of humans and the majority of races, mana serves as the fuel for their abilities. Switching from mana to another energy means you couldn't activate your ability any longer because you're not using the proper fuel. Since you can never use mana again after giving it up, it essentially means losing your ability.
So choosing to give up on mana means giving up on your ability!
"If you are serious about the sword, then swap your mana with Aura. In the case that you prefer keeping your ability, stop using the sword. Trying to use swordsmanship while using mana hinders progress in both your swordsmanship and the use of your ability. Don't be greedy; you need to choose which path to tread," said Lilia.
After she finished speaking, the training ground fell into silence, with no one speaking, understanding that it was better to keep their mouths shut and let Zo make his decision.
The tense silence that enveloped the training ground reached its climax when Zo shook his head.
"I will keep the sword and continue using mana," said Zo confidently.
Lilia frowned.
"Didn't you hear what I said? Continuing like you are now is only going to-"
"Thanks for your concern, but I made my decision. I will keep using the sword and mana. I will find a way to perfectly synergize my ability with my swordsmanship," said Zo confidently.
"Then it is settled," said Lilia with a pleased smile.
"Wait, is that the answer you were hoping for?"
"Not really, but I feel that your answer is the most fitting one. After all, no great person has succeeded by doing exactly the same thing as others or giving up on their dreams because some say it's a lost cause. If you believe the path you're on is the best, then continue on it. I just hope you won't regret your decision."
"I won't!" replied Zo with a determined face.
"Good, now let's end this whole thing; I have my training to resume," said Lilia as she charged at Zo.
Half an hour later...
"Haa, it's already finished," sighed Alex in disappointment as he stood up.
"At least it was a good show," replied Grace.
"It would have been better if those last ones didn't just stay in their places waiting to be eliminated, not even trying to struggle," said Alex while looking disappointedly at Marina, En, and Nox. However, they completely ignored him, knowing he was just trying to get under their skins.
"Tsk."
Alex turned to the other members of the branch.
"From today onward, Lilia will be in charge of training our soldiers," declared Alex.
No one objected; they had just witnessed Lilia besting their best generation both in strength and skills, after all.
"Well, that's all for today—"
"Come with me."
Before Alex could finish speaking, Grace took him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him out of the training ground.