My System Doesn't Give Power

Zac’s frustration gradually faded, replaced by a far more troubling question. Why had the attack injured him when the mana coating itself had remained intact?

He lowered his gaze and carefully replayed everything that had happened. Armani watched in silence, giving him time to work through it.

After a while, she asked, "What other forms of mana coating were you trained in?"

Zac looked up. "Matilda said there were three fundamental applications: offensive coating, defensive coating, and compression coating."

Armani nodded. "Have you mastered Offensive Coating?"

"No. I can coat my arms, but I haven’t started practicing weapon coating yet."

Armani stared at him. "So the only thing you can currently do is cover your arms with an incomplete coating."

"Why do I feel another storm brewing?" Zac thought.

Armani released a long sigh and raised one hand.

Mana gathered behind her and condensed into an elegant throne. She sat down, crossed one leg over the other, and regarded Zac with open disappointment.

"Tell me something. As a swordsman, which form of coating should you have prioritized?

Zac hesitated. "Weapon coating."

"Correct. Yet instead of mastering the form most essential to your fighting style, you jumped straight into full-body defensive coating."

Zac remained silent, unsure how to defend himself.

"I’m not saying you were wrong to begin with your hands," Armani continued. "Coating your own body is generally easier than coating an external weapon, so using your fists to understand the fundamentals was reasonable."

"What I don’t understand is why you abandoned Offensive Coating before mastering it and moved on to Defensive Coating."

Zac opened his mouth to argue, but no answer came. He genuinely had no explanation.

Armani’s expression hardened. "You’re a swordsman with an elemental affinity. So tell me why you wasted your time trying to maintain a full-body defensive layer."

"I thought covering my entire body would offer better protection."

"You’re an idiot," Armani said flatly.

Zac stood there in silence, unable to argue with that assessment.

Armani rested one elbow on the arm of her Mana throne and regarded him with growing disappointment. "Did you ever stop to consider how you would actually use Mana Coating in a real fight?"

"I did."

"No, you didn’t." Her reply came without hesitation.

"You learned that full-body coating existed, decided more coverage meant better protection, and immediately chased the most impressive-looking option."

"For defensive warriors and variants whose entire fighting style revolves around enduring punishment, full-body coating is essential. Their role is to hold the front line, absorb attacks, and prevent enemies from reaching those behind them."

"But you aren’t a tank. You’re a swordsman." Her golden eyes sharpened. "You fight on the front line not merely to protect those behind you but to carve a path through whatever stands ahead."

"Have you never heard the saying, ’The best defense is a good offense’? That is especially true for a frontline warrior."

"Defence alone only stalls the enemy. That is the role of a tank. As a swordsman, your job is to cut your way forward."

"So your first priority should have been weapon coating."

She leaned back slightly.

"If you wanted to begin with your body because it was easier, then starting with your fists made sense. But once you gained control over that, you should have expanded the coating to every part of your body that could be used offensively."

"Your elbows. Knees. Legs. Even your forehead, if the situation called for it. A capable warrior does not treat the body as a single object. Every part of it can become a weapon."

"And after that, you should have focused on reducing the time required to shift the coating from one area to another."

After hearing her explanation, did Zac begin to picture how Mana Coating could truly be used in combat?

"In a real fight, you will rarely have the luxury of coating one area and simply leaving it there," Armani continued. "Your opponent will change angles, switch targets, use feints, and force you to react in ways you cannot predict."

"If it takes you several seconds to move the coating from one part of your body to another, you’ll already be injured, or dead, before the mana arrives."

"So once you learned to coat individual parts of your body, your next step should have been shortening the activation and transfer time."

"After that, you should have moved on to your sword."

Her tone became more serious.

"For a swordsman, weapon coating is not optional. Your blade is an extension of yourself. You use it to attack, defend, and control distance."

"If you cannot coat it properly, your offensive potential will always remain incomplete."

"And because you possess an elemental affinity, the next step should have been integrating lightning into the coating. First through your body, then through your weapon."

Zac frowned. "Wouldn’t integrating elemental mana be far more difficult than practicing defensive coating?"

"It would," Armani replied. "And it should be."

"But just because something is difficult doesn’t mean you skip it. Why do you think Matilda gave you more than two months to master the technique?"

"For an ordinary variant, fully mastering Mana Coating could take years. But your potential surpasses that of millions, perhaps even billions, of people."

"And despite possessing that kind of talent, you’re still looking for the easy way out."

Her gaze hardened. "If the people at the academy found out, it wouldn’t merely damage your reputation. It would stain your father’s as well."

Zac’s expression changed immediately. "That’s right," Armani said. "I fought beside your father. I know him better than you do."

"I never once saw him choose the easier path simply because the other one was harder, and I never saw him run from adversity."

"As much as his constant righteousness got on my nerves, the weight of the road never mattered to him. Only where it led."

She studied Zac quietly. "You’ve always wanted to know more about your father, haven’t you? Then let me tell you something."

Armani closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

"When the only road ahead led through hell, everyone else stepped back, but your father stepped forward and asked how long the journey would take."

"That was the kind of man he was."

Her voice softened slightly.

"I’m not asking you to become like him. I want you to become better than him, because that is what he wanted for you."

Silence settled over the clearing.

"Sorry," Zac said after a moment.

Armani looked at him and released a quiet sigh. "Don’t be. I became slightly emotional."

She paused before adding, "I understand why you’re ignorant."

"Ignorant?" Zac thought.

[That’s what I’ve been telling you all along.]

"You’re still green and don’t have enough real combat experience yet, and it shows in the way you think."

"Once you begin accepting missions and facing genuine danger, your view of the world will change. Your judgement will change with it."

"Being cautious is good. Cautious people examine the ground before taking a step. But excessive caution will leave you standing still while everyone else moves ahead."

Zac said nothing. For once, he was beginning to wonder whether she was right.

[Everything she said was completely true.]

The system paused before continuing.

[Although that explains most of your decisions, there was another factor. The Ice Chick provoked you, and your desire to beat her clouded your judgement. Instead of training intelligently, you rushed to achieve the same visible result as quickly as possible.]

"So this is all Ice Cube’s fault," Zac thought.

[That is not what I said.]

A faint smile tugged at Zac’s lips. "I know. I’m only joking."

"Sorry," Zac said again, lowering his head.

"I don’t need your apology, Zac." Armani’s response came without hesitation.

"This is your future, not mine. If you squander your potential or cripple your own growth through sheer stupidity, I won’t be the one paying the price."

"Instead of apologizing to me, apologize to yourself. Learn from the mistake and make sure you don’t repeat it."

Zac raised his head and met her gaze. "I understand."

"Good." Armani dismissed the Mana throne and rose to her feet. "Now let’s move on to the most important question."

Her golden eyes settled on the intact coating surrounding his body. "Why were you injured when your coating never broke?"

The question returned to the center of Zac’s mind.

He examined the coating around his body again, replaying the impact. Armani’s attack had struck his chest without breaking the outer layer, yet the force had traveled straight through it and ravaged everything inside him.

He considered several possibilities, but none felt complete. After a while, he looked at Armani with a questioning expression.

"There are two reasons," she said. "First, you failed to anchor yourself to the ground with Mana. That’s why the impact sent you flying."

"What?"

"Yes. If your body is strong enough to withstand the force, anchoring yourself isn’t always necessary. But when the impact exceeds what your body can endure, you need to brace yourself against the ground, not only through physical strength but with Mana Coating as well."

Armani paused before asking, "Now, for the second problem. Why do people paint their houses?"

"Why is she suddenly asking something so random?"

[Just answer her.]

"To prevent moisture, keep pests out, regulate the temperature, improve the appearance... and for a few other reasons."

"Correct. So you applied the paint to the outside."

Her golden eyes settled on him. "Why didn’t you do the same on the inside?"

"I don’t understand."

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