"Then... have I passed your test?" Rowan asked, unable to hide the tension in his voice.
Alya did not answer immediately.
Instead, she walked to the massive observation window and gazed silently into the endless sea of stars beyond.
Only after a long pause did she turn around.
"Your mental strength is impressive, and your willpower is exceptionally firm. You possess the basic qualifications necessary to study psychic force."
She paused.
"However..."
Rowan's heart tightened.
"However what?"
"Psychic cultivation is not merely a matter of technique," Alya said seriously. "More importantly, it requires an understanding of the fundamental nature of the universe itself."
Her sharp silver eyes met his.
"Are you willing to undergo one month of intensive training? During that month, you may face challenges unlike anything you've ever experienced."
"I am."
Rowan answered without hesitation.
"Good."
Alya nodded.
"Starting tomorrow, report here every morning at eight o'clock."
Her tone became noticeably stricter.
"Remember this. Once you begin, you cannot simply quit halfway through. If you abandon the training, not only will your time be wasted, but your psyche could also suffer lasting damage."
"I understand, Master Alya."
Rowan straightened his posture.
"I won't give up halfway."
"I hope you mean that."
Alya nodded again.
"Before formal training begins, I suggest familiarizing yourself with the foundations of psychic force. The institute's library contains extensive materials. Read them tonight."
That evening, Rowan headed directly to the institute's library.
Rows upon rows of ancient and modern archives filled the enormous hall.
He immersed himself in books detailing the history, theories, and cultivation methods of psychic force.
The more he read, the more fascinated he became.
"So psychic force has existed for such a long time..."
He turned another page.
"Even during the earliest stages of cosmic civilization, there were beings capable of wielding this mysterious power."
According to the records, psychic force allowed practitioners to manipulate matter and energy through pure mental strength.
True masters could even influence the fabric of space and time itself.
Some legendary psychic experts from history had moved mountains, shifted oceans, and torn open miniature spatial rifts through willpower alone.
"A truly incredible power..."
Rowan couldn't help but marvel.
"But the difficulty of mastering it is equally astonishing."
The following morning, precisely at eight o'clock, Rowan arrived at the institute's top floor.
Alya was already waiting.
Today she wore a simple research uniform.
Her silver hair was tied neatly into a high bun, making her appear even more stern and disciplined than before.
"Punctual."
Alya nodded approvingly.
"A good habit."
She folded her arms.
"How was your reading last night?"
"I finished most of the foundational material."
Rowan answered honestly.
"I now have a basic understanding of psychic force history and cultivation principles."
"A basic understanding is not enough."
Alya stepped toward the center of the hall.
"Psychic cultivation requires theory and practice to advance together."
She raised her hand.
"But before we begin formal training, I need to determine your current level."
A gentle psychic fluctuation spread from her palm.
A transparent sphere of light materialized in the air.
Complex energy patterns flowed within it like living rivers.
It was beautiful.
And mysterious.
"This is the most basic form of psychic shaping."
Alya gestured toward it.
"Try it."
Rowan took a deep breath.
He extended his right hand and focused.
Nothing happened at first.
Then faint ripples of energy appeared above his palm.
Minutes passed.
Finally, a tiny glowing point emerged.
It was blurry and unstable, nowhere near as refined as Alya's sphere, but it possessed a recognizable shape.
"Not bad."
Alya gave a small nod.
"Crude, but it proves you possess genuine psychic talent."
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"However, your method of using psychic force feels rather unusual."
She looked directly at him.
"Show me how you normally use it."
Rowan considered for a moment.
"Master Alya, I mainly use psychic force to control weapons."
He paused.
"Especially a technique called Starshatter Blade."
"Starshatter Blade?"
Alya frowned slightly.
"I've never heard of it."
"Would you demonstrate it?"
"Of course."
Rowan focused.
A moment later, a translucent psychic sword appeared before him.
Its shape resembled Voidslash closely, though it glowed with a pale blue radiance and was composed entirely of psychic energy.
"Interesting structure."
Alya observed carefully.
"Continue."
Rowan inhaled deeply.
Then he activated the core principle of Starshatter Blade.
The psychic sword suddenly split apart.
One became two.
Two became four.
Four became eight.
The multiplication accelerated rapidly.
Within seconds, hundreds of miniature psychic swords floated through the hall.
Yet it wasn't finished.
Rowan continued pouring psychic energy into the technique.
Hundreds became thousands.
Thousands became tens of thousands.
The entire chamber filled with countless shimmering psychic blades suspended in midair.
Every sword radiated sharp killing intent.
"This is Starshatter Blade."
Rowan maintained the massive formation while explaining.
"By continuously dividing a psychic weapon, I create a storm of blades capable of covering an enormous area."
"The more divisions, the larger the area of effect."
For the first time, genuine shock flashed across Alya's eyes.
"Simultaneously controlling over ten thousand psychic weapons..."
She stared upward.
"What an extraordinary degree of mental partitioning."
Her gaze returned to him.
"How did you learn something like this?"
"I developed it by accident back on Earth."
Rowan smiled sheepishly.
"At the time, I felt a single psychic weapon lacked enough power, so I experimented with splitting it apart."
"I never expected the results to be this effective."
"To independently create such a complex psychic technique..."
Alya slowly approached the floating swords.
Her voice carried unmistakable admiration.
"Your talent exceeds my expectations."
She carefully examined the formation.
"Each blade maintains structural integrity."
"The energy density remains remarkably consistent."
"This level of precision would challenge even experienced psychic practitioners."
"Thank you for the praise, Master."
Rowan scratched his head.
"Though honestly, I still think the technique has plenty of room for improvement."
"It does."
Alya nodded.
"Your Starshatter Blade is already highly developed."
She pointed toward the countless floating swords.
"But I have identified several flaws."
"Please teach me."
Rowan immediately listened attentively.
"The first issue is obvious."
Alya gestured toward the formation.
"You've increased quantity dramatically, but every individual sword has become significantly weaker."
She continued calmly.
"This is the natural weakness of division techniques. As numbers rise, individual power inevitably declines."
"I've noticed that myself."
Rowan sighed.
"But I've never found a solution."
"The second issue."
Alya continued.
"Maintaining so many divided constructs requires enormous mental energy."
She looked at him.
"How long can you sustain this?"
"Perhaps ten to fifteen minutes."
Rowan answered honestly.
"In an intense battle, maybe only a few minutes."
"Exactly."
Alya nodded.
"That is the problem of sustainability."
"In high-level combat, a few minutes is often nowhere near enough to determine victory."
Hearing her analysis, Rowan felt somewhat discouraged.
Starshatter Blade had always been one of his proudest techniques.
Yet in the eyes of a true psychic master, it contained so many weaknesses.
As if reading his thoughts, Alya smiled faintly.
"Don't be discouraged."
"Your foundation is already remarkable."
She folded her hands behind her back.
"Our goal now is simply to preserve its strengths while eliminating its weaknesses."
Hope returned to Rowan's eyes.
"Do you have a solution, Master?"
Alya turned once more toward the star-filled sky beyond the window.
"Tell me."
"Have you ever wondered why you're so obsessed with quantity?"
Rowan blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"Starshatter Blade pursues range and density through multiplication."
Alya turned around.
"But that approach inevitably sacrifices individual power."
She smiled slightly.
"Have you considered doing the exact opposite?"
"The opposite?"
Rowan was confused.
"Return to simplicity."
Alya spoke slowly.
"Seek the power of becoming one."
Rowan frowned thoughtfully.
"You mean... merging the divided swords back together?"
"Not merely merging."
Alya shook her head.
"I mean completely redefining the philosophy behind Starshatter Blade."
Seeing his confusion, she decided to demonstrate.
A psychic sword formed in her palm.
At first, it looked entirely ordinary.
"This is a basic psychic weapon."
"Watch carefully."
The sword began to change.
Not through division.
Through compression.
Its body grew denser.
Its glow became brighter.
Its energy became increasingly concentrated.
Though the sword's size remained unchanged, its presence grew heavier, sharper, and more terrifying.
"This is psychic condensation."
Alya explained.
"By continuously compressing psychic force, density and destructive power increase."
"Theoretically, the greater the compression, the greater the weapon's power."
Rowan stared at the blade.
It still appeared ordinary.
Yet he could feel the horrifying energy hidden within.
The compressed psychic force gave him the unsettling sensation that catastrophe could erupt at any moment.
"Now imagine this."
Alya's voice echoed through the hall.
"What would happen if you reversed Starshatter Blade?"
"Instead of turning one sword into ten thousand…"
She raised the condensed blade.
"What if you gathered the power of ten thousand swords into a single blade?"
The idea struck Rowan like a bolt of lightning.
His eyes widened.
For years he had focused entirely on creating more swords.
Never once had he considered reversing the process.
"That..."
Excitement surged through him.
"That's a completely new direction!"
"If it succeeds, the merged blade would possess the combined power of ten thousand swords!"
"Exactly."
Alya nodded.
"And it would solve both of your major weaknesses."
"Insufficient power."
"And excessive energy consumption."
"But there's one problem."
Rowan thought carefully.
"Wouldn't the attack range become much smaller?"
"Starshatter Blade can strike large groups of enemies."
"Balance."
Alya replied immediately.
"You must learn to balance power and range."
She smiled.
"Against armies, use division."
"Against powerful individuals, use convergence."
Rowan's eyes lit up.
"That's incredible!"
"The technique would become adaptable to any battlefield!"
"Perhaps."
Alya's expression became serious again.
"But theoretical possibility does not equal practical success."
"Condensation is far more difficult than division."
"It demands extraordinarily precise control."
"I'll learn it."
Rowan answered firmly.
"No matter how difficult it is."
"Good."
Alya nodded in satisfaction.
"Then let's begin."
"First, you will master the most basic form of psychic compression."
For the next several hours, Alya personally instructed Rowan.
The process proved far more difficult than he had imagined.
"The secret lies in uniformity and stability."
Alya demonstrated repeatedly.
"Every part must be compressed equally."
"Even the slightest inconsistency will collapse the entire structure."
Rowan followed her instructions and attempted to compress a simple psychic sword.
His first few attempts ended in failure.
Some swords dispersed completely.
Others became dangerously unstable.
"Don't rush."
Alya patiently guided him.
"Psychic compression isn't about force."
"It's about precision."
"Imagine you're carving a masterpiece."
"Every detail matters."
Failure followed failure.
Again and again.
Yet Rowan persisted.
Finally, during the third hour, he succeeded.
The compression was minimal.
But the psychic sword's power had increased noticeably.
"Excellent."
Alya nodded approvingly.
"You've grasped the fundamentals."
"Now we'll move on to something more advanced."
Rowan's curiosity immediately rose.
"More advanced?"
"Multiple compression."
Alya's silver eyes gleamed.
"Compress an already compressed structure."
"That creates even greater energy density."
It sounded incredibly difficult.
Still, Rowan agreed without hesitation.
As expected, the challenge exceeded all expectations.
Not only did it require greater precision, but it also demanded far stronger mental endurance.
After an entire morning of relentless practice, Rowan barely managed to achieve a second layer of compression.
His progress seemed small.
Yet Alya appeared surprisingly satisfied.
"We'll stop here for today."
She crossed her arms.
"Spend the afternoon practicing basic compression on your own."
"Tomorrow we'll continue."
As Rowan prepared to leave, he suddenly remembered something.
"Master, I have one question."
"The technique you mentioned earlier... the true fusion of all those blades."
"How exactly can it be achieved?"
Alya smiled faintly.
"Don't rush."
"You must first master compression."
"After that, we'll begin studying how to combine division and convergence into a single system."
She looked toward the stars.
"That process may take several weeks."
Rowan nodded firmly.
"I understand."
"I'll train hard."
And with a new path finally revealed before him, Rowan left the institute filled with anticipation for the days ahead.
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