While attacking, Ken was constantly thinking about the situation he was in.
He was fighting his mother with his sword, but she didn't allow him to retreat in any scenario.
That didn't make sense.
Swordsmanship was all about the sword techniques and movements. He had been practicing swordsmanship for years.
He knew different moves, but he couldn't use most of them in this battle.
Except for the Uppercut slash, downcut slash, middle slash, and thrust, he couldn't use any other moves.
It wasn't because he didn't know them. He simply couldn't retreat his hand further than his body, which restricted him a lot.
Sure, his mother wasn't using any force and was only focused on defending, she was also letting him slide his sword for his next move, but not a single attack could reach her.
It's like she could predict all of his movements.
Every single time he tried to launcher a faster attack, she was able to counter.
'Why is this? Why can't I retreat? Is there a mystery behind it?'
Ken was confused. He was genuinely curious as to why he couldn't retreat.
But his mother didn't give him time to think. If he couldn't launch an attack, she would put more force in her sword, attack his hand, and make him drop his sword.
It was kinda confusing, but he kept attacking while thinking about the situation.
'No, mother must have some kind of reason behind this. She didn't tell me, so she wants me to figure it out on my own. But, how should I go about it?'
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Two swords kept colliding. There was no superhuman strength, no intense collision, just raw movements of the swords.
While blocking his attack, Flora was also thinking constantly.
'Should I tell him something? After all, I was taught by my uncle before I mastered Sword Momentum.'
Then, she looked at his face and denied her idea.
'No, even if I want to give him some hints, I can't do it now. Let's continue training for a week without giving him any information. Let's see if he can make any progress.'
'Since he has decided not to use his Bond, he will face even greater difficulties. If he can not get the hint within a week, I will force him to accept his bond.'
'Although Mighty King must have some kind of purpose, he can also increase Ken's talent and potential by several hundred times. Even if he has inherited some of our potential, it is nothing compared to Mighty King.'
'More importantly, I am only at King Realm. If I had reached Saint Realm, maybe my child would've inherited something more powerful from me. Anyway, I am going to make this a test.'
'If he passes this test, I will not ask him to use his bond. If he can't pass this test, I will force him to use his bond. That's it.'
As she thought about it, Flora realized her idea was the best.
After all, compared to the nature or plans of Mighty King, she only cared about her son's growth.
If he couldn't grow stronger than Mighty King within a short period of time, then it would be extremely troublesome.
With her injuries, she wouldn't be much of a help. And her husband could barely reach her level of strength within his lifetime.
Since Mighty King targeted Ken, he must need something from Ken. Since Ken didn't have any kind of treasure from birth, it meant Mighty Ken was interested in Ken's life.
Whether it was to take his life or to use him for something, she wasn't sure. But she knew Ken's future was going to be extremely dangerous.
That's why, unless Ken had enough talent, she would do anything to force Ken to swallow his hatred and use every help he could get.
While sparring, Ken asked.
"Mom, if I don't understand anything, will you teach me?"
Flora replied.
"Of course, but not now."
Hearing that, Ken narrowed his eyes and asked.
"If that's the case, you would've explained it to me before the battle. So, does that mean it takes a long time to awaken Sword Momentum?"
Flora nodded and smiled.
"Yes, Ken! It takes a long time. It took me almost fifteen days to awaken Sword Momentum. I want to see how long it will take you."
Hearing that, Ken's determination to get stronger became even stronger. He stared at his mom's face and said.
"Then, I will only take less than five days."
Hearing that, Flora suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! If you can do that, I will teach you a Sword Technique that I created."
Ken's eyes widened as he kept attacking.
"Really?"
Flora defended and replied.
"Of course! I have a powerful Sword Technique, but it is something only a talented person can learn."
"Then, I will definitely awaken it." Ken's belief became stronger as he continued attacking.
Flora shook her head and thought.
'Even for me, it took fifteen days, and I had the guidance from my uncle on my first day. Son, you are aiming too high. But it's good to have ambition.'
Although she didn't think her son could achieve this feat, she was happy about his declaration.
After all, the more ambition her son had, the harder he would try.
And, she was right. After having this kind of ambition, Ken focused all of his mind on one thing.
He let his body attack instinctively while thinking about his problem.
'If I want to awaken Sword Momentum, I must understand it. According to Mom, Sword Momentum is a belief manifested in our sword. But it can also be used on other things.'
'So, Sword Momentum doesn't need a sword to channel it. It should be a kind of energy, but more on a spiritual level. So, how do I awaken it?'
'Belief! It is the core component for Sword Momentum. Now, let's think about the hint Mom gave me. Retreat is not allowed.'
'She doesn't allow me to retreat. It's not like I am running away, but she doesn't even allow me to move back a little.'
'It's like she wants me to be more fierce with my attack and overwhelm her. But how can I do that? She is stronger, faster, and more experienced than me.'
'So, it shouldn't be possible, but since she expects me to keep attacking to awaken Sword Momentum, there must be something hidden in that hint.'
Suddenly, Ken's eyes gleamed. His sword moved, launching a powerful middle slash, but Flora easily blocked it.
'Swordsmanship isn't about shielding or piercing. Swordsmanship is about attack. It is about cutting my enemy. Sword can do different types of attacks, but every type is an attack.'
'It can be used for defense, but a sword is an offensive weapon. She doesn't want me to retreat because swordsmanship is not for defending.'
'But how is it related to Sword Momentum?'
Suddenly, something in his mind clicked.
'Of course! Just because I believe in something doesn't mean it will become true. In a world without supernatural events, many people believed the earth was flat.'
'But it was scientifically proven that the Earth is round. So, their belief can't be manifested. But in the world of the supernatural, even fact can be distorted.'
'Even the Spiritual Energy is distorting the fact. It is an energy. It should've mass, but it clearly doesn't. The particle of Spiritual Energy has no mass."
'So, in this world, belief does matter. Belief can be manifested. So, how can one's belief be manifested?'
'Now I understand. The first hint that Mom gave me. It should've been the core key behind Awakening Sword Momentum. I should've understood it.'
'But understanding is not going to be enough. I have to be practical with my efforts.'
Although Ken did find the answer, he kept it in his heart and continued attacking.
He wasn't retreating or even thinking about it. He just kept attacking and attacking.
From top to bottom, from bottom to top, from left to right, and from right to left.
Every single second of this sparring was spent on attacking.
Unlike before, his attacks were becoming more and more fierce. Even Ken was starting to notice a strange difference in his previous attacks and his current attacks.
'This is it. I haven't awakened Sword Momentum yet, but I can feel something in my growing like a tree.'
'Its foundation is a bit shaky, but my belief is strong. It can withstand anything. I finally understand what helps one manifest their belief.'
'It's courage.'