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Cedric arrived at the Sword Path Dojo - the 'classroom' where the Sword Path Class takes place.
The very mont he arrived, an intense surge of nostalgia hit him, which was a bit weird considering that he had only been away for 2 weeks, yet to him, it felt like it's been forever since he had last seen this place.
Another thing that he noticed was the atmosphere. With the Sword Heart, the overall feel of the dojo changed in his perception. He could sense the concentration of Sword Laws here, it's chaotic, dangerous, and fiercely competitive.
It felt way different than the first ti he arrived here. Back then, he only sensed the sea of Sword Intent, now he could sense the Sword Laws instead.
As entered the Dojo itself, he felt an intense and vigorous sharpness assaulting him. It pressed down on him, seemingly attempting to paralyze him. However, Cedric's Sword Heart seems stirred into activity.
It bared its fangs against the incoming sea of provocative Sword Energy. Establishing it's boundaries or politely telling it to fuck off. This reaction was instinctive and it happened without Cedric's consent.
"Hoho..." Cedric heard a familiar voice next to him. "Good, good. Young and energetic! That's what a Sword Heart should be!"
"Hello to you too, Senior Brother Thirdy." Cedric greeted.
With the improvents in his eyes, he had seen the guy sneaking behind him so he wasn't surprised. Were it not for his recent breakthrough, he wouldn't even feel the guy's presence at all. Still, Cedric was still too slow.
"Welco back, Cedric. Also, quit with the Senior Brother thing, I told you to just call Thirdy."
The cheerful guy slung his arm around Cedric as they walked: "But man, you sure are impressive huh? Not even halfway through the academic year and you already condensed a Sword Heart seed. No wonder the academy made an exception for you."
"I'm just lucky..." Cedric replied, wholeheartedly admitting this fact.
"Luck is also part of your strength. Just take the damn complint." Thirdy ruffled his hair and continued: "Anyway, Master is expecting you. Go to him first before you imrse yourself in training."
"Thank you for informing . I shall visit him now." Cedric replied before making his way to Uruk's office.
Since the start of the academic year, this will only be the third ti he's entered the Instructor's office. First was during his enrollnt to this class, next was the fiasco against that delusional guy who thought that he was a cheater, and finally, this ti.
"Instructor, it's Cedric." He said after knocking at the doors of the office.
"Enter."
Uruk's deep, strong, and vigorous voice sounded within. Cedric released a breath and entered the office.
As soon as he got in, he imdiately felt as if he was transported sowhere else. It was weird since visually, nothing was wrong; the office still looked the sa as he rembered it. Nothing was out of place.
However, there's a feeling of isolation here. It's as if this world was located in a completely different place. It is also steeped in Uruk's Sword Energy, even the teacup itself was included.
"Sit." Uruk ordered.
Cedric felt the compulsion behind his words. It was a subconscious force brought by Uruk's attainnt with the Sword and his unity with the Concept of Laws; that his very words also turned into a Law.
If Cedric didn't have the Sword Heart, he would've involuntarily complied. However, once again, his Sword Heart seed resisted this. Though unlike before, it didn't bear its fangs against Uruk. It just shook off the compulsive force behind his words.
Cedric still complied though. He sat on the available mat in front of Uruk and calmly waited.
The old blind man faced him after a few minutes. His eyes were closed and his expression serene. Before speaking, he took a sip of his tea. He then opened his empty eyes to look at Cedric before saying:
"Nicely done." Uruk praised, "The birth of your Sword Heart seed was flawless and natural. It has unlimited potential. Nurture it properly and take your ti."
"Yes, Instructor."
"Your progress is too fast. Normally, this would be a bad thing but to you, it's different." Uruk continued, "I've watched how you trained. I know that you could've gone faster but you limited your pace because you wanted everything to be perfect."
"You're imnsely talented - not just with the sword but with anything you set your mind on. However, things are only going to get more challenging from here on out."
"You have made contact with the Concept Laws - things that not even Acala herself could quantify using her miraculous system. Even if it's brief, you should've sensed just how profound it truly was, correct?"
"Yes, Sir. It is...a lot." Cedric trailed off a bit there.
He uttered no lies. Concept Laws were too profound. Even his many thought chambers had a difficult ti comprehending the initial insights he had and that's with them focusing on one task.
And this isn't even scratching the surface. What he gained so far was just an initial insight. He has yet to make contact with the real depth of Concept Laws, and because of that, he understood that this will certainly take more ti.
"A lot is correct." Uruk chuckled as he took another sip of his tea. "Moreover, not even I would be able to determine where your path leads you. This is sothing that you must slowly explore on your own. The best I can do is to provide you with tools that will help you figure out what's best for you, the sa way I did to others before you."
Uruk stretched out his hand and took Cedric's badge. He pinched it with his thumb and index finger, crushing it completely. Then, he cupped his palms and molded the remains in between.
After a few seconds, he opened it and revealed a new badge, much to Cedric's surprise. There weren't many changes in the badge, the only difference is that this new badge also had Uruk's sword energy within. And there's a good amount too.
Uruk then threw the badge at Cedric and said: "With that, you can now use the Sword Communion Hall and the Sword Collesium. Those are places that could help you gain insights towards your path."
"That badge is also a sign that you are now a proper student of my class. Your monthly allowance is increased to 5000 Aps per month. Since you achieved Sword Heart before you were 30, you'll receive a bonus of 50,000 Aps for that achievent."
"I know that Thirdy told you this before and that you have a good mory, but just to remind you, your allowance could still increase once you are promoted to a Sophomore Student and beyond. You are doing well, just keep up the pace and you'll get there."
"I see. Thank you, Instructor." Cedric cald his thoughts.
Yesterday, he was feeling a bit troubled since his supply of APs was cut off due to his early graduation but it turns out that he didn't need to worry at all. With the boons he received just now, he wouldn't need to worry about his monthly expenditure anymore.
"Last but not the least...I advise you to be careful." Uruk suddenly sounded solemn. "Your stunt at the military camp was too provocative. I wouldn't be surprised if you entered the hit list of the Demon Race if you hadn't already."
"I'm not saying that you shouldn't do those kinds of things. Hell, I actually want you to improve those moves because they are seriously impressive. But I do ask that you keep it as a last resort."
"Within the academy, you can be confident. The Demon Race will never be able to touch you while you're here. I can't tell you much but even Demon Kings would hesitate to infiltrate this place, so you should be rest assured of your safety here."
"Out there, on the other hand. You'd be more vulnerable so you must always be careful. The mont you leave the gates of the Academy, your guard must always be up at all tis. The Demon Race are cunning, they could use ans that not even the army are aware of."
"I left a considerable amount of my cultivation on your badge. Enough to repel any accidents that may co your way. However, it is limited after all, and I would really appreciate it if it's never triggered at all. Because if it did, then it ans that the demons really wanted you dead."
Uruk's words caused a shiver down Cedric's spine. He took a deep breath and said: "I'll be more careful from now on."
"Yeah, you do that. But not to the extent that your resolve to kill demons starts wavering. Keeping a low profile and cowardice are two completely different things."
"Don't worry, with your progress, you won't have to do it forever. Once you reach the Planar Traveller Realm, you can be a bit more reckless. You'll understand what I an once you get there."
"That's all I have to say, go back to your training."
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