Chapter 34: The Difference Between State and No State
"State?" Unknown was confused by this term.
Then he heard the voice of that majestic person:
"The state—let me simplify it for you—it's like the modes and transformations in the stories and novels you used to read, but far more complex. There are countless types of states, and each state has its own unique abilities. A state can be psychological, physical, mental, or Beyond understanding. These are the types you can understand for now."
Unknown was amazed by what he heard, but when he reached the phrase "these are the types you can understand for now," he was puzzled and asked:
"Why can't I know the rest?"
The man sighed and said,
"To be honest, at your current level, you simply can't comprehend them. You must become much stronger, go through specific experiences, and understand certain things in order to grasp the rest."
Then his voice turned serious:
"But don't underestimate what I just told you. The states I described can make you far more powerful."
He continued,
"Back to the point: a state affects everything in a person—from how they think to how they fight. Everything about them shifts depending on the state they are in. It's a complex concept, but it's something to be understood rather than explained."
Then he began cutting down a nearby tree into wood, and faster than the eye could follow, it turned into a wooden sword.
He said to Unknown:
"Follow me."
Unknown nodded. He didn't understand much about the state yet, but he felt he soon would.
They walked near the arena, covering about 200 meters until they reached a one-meter-tall and one-meter-wide square-shaped rock. Behind this rock stood a massive mountain.
Unknown was surprised by the shape of the rock but didn't pay much attention to it.
The majestic man looked at Unknown and asked:
"Can you cut this rock with this sword?"
Unknown replied:
"I can't do that."
Then he thought to himself:
"How could I even cut this?"
The man looked at him, then handed him the wooden sword and said:
"Try it first."
Unknown was surprised, but he obeyed.
He stood close to the stone and began to imagine the best possible way to cut anything. Then he remembered the technique he used against that man.
He moved his body to become flexible enough and said to himself,
"This technique is all I've got. Let's give it a shot. If it works—it works. If it fails, what can I do?"
Unknown took a comfortable stance, placing his left hand in the middle of the wooden sword and his right hand on the grip.
He took a deep breath, then struck with all his might.
BOOM!
A loud sound rang out—air tearing and splitting around him.
Unknown looked at the rock and the sword in astonishment.
He was amazed at the strength—or rather the sharpness—of his strike.
The terrifying sound of the air splitting, and the feeling that followed the strike... the sensation of air tearing and surging... thoughts began to form in Unknown's mind, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't grasp them.
He didn't dwell on it for long.
Then, Unknown looked at the rock. Honestly, after witnessing the power of his strike, he expected the rock to be split—or at least damaged.
But it wasn't. It remained completely intact. In fact… flawless.
Unknown was confused, then remembered the wooden sword in his hand.
He thought:
"There's no way this sword survived that. It must have been destroyed."
He was about to finish his sentence when he looked at the sword...
It was completely unharmed—not a single scratch, not even any sign of use.
After seeing this, Unknown began to feel lost.
He started thinking about everything happening—
the strike, the rock, the untouched wooden sword, the technique he used...
But suddenly—
The majestic man's voice cut off Unknown's train of thought:
"Don't be surprised. This is no ordinary rock. It's a skill-measuring stone.
And that wooden sword? It's not ordinary either. It's bound to a special concept. It won't break from a trivial strike."
He continued:
"Now, back to the point. Why do you think I asked you to strike the rock?"
Unknown frowned at first, but after hearing the question, his frown softened and he replied:
"To test my skills?"
The majestic man smiled and said:
"No. To show you the true strength of a state. Let's say your body's current strength is ten, and your skill level is also ten.
Now I will match your exact strength and skill—without any changes—
and I'll use the same technique you did... but this time, I'll use a state."
He said this while taking the sword from Unknown.
Then he said with serious tone:
"Step back a little and pay close attention."
Unknown nodded and stepped away.
He thought to himself:
"Let's see how strong this so-called state really is..."
The man stood, took the same position as Unknown—
his left hand in the middle of the wooden sword, right hand on the grip.
But this time...
He closed his eyes.
Suddenly,
the pressure in the atmosphere around him rose intensely.
Then...
He struck the same strike.
Half a minute later...
Unknown's jaw was dropped in shock.
In front of him...
The rock was sliced in half. Perfectly.
And behind it...
That massive mountain...
Was cut in two.