Disgust and contempt appeared on some of their faces. I ignored them and nodded at Fredric.
I followed his instructions, committed to perfecting the move.
[ System Alert: Deligent training detected.
Your persistent effort to hone your craft has enabled you to break through a foundational threshold.
Congratulations! You have unlocked the function, Growth Through Mastery!
You can now increase your skills and mastery through consistent training and repetition!
Welcome to the path of diligence. ]
[ You have obtained a +1% Increase in Weapon Mastery - Sword ]
Huh! Not only could I get stronger from completing the quest, but I could also achieve a similar result from diligently training. This..
I executed the move once more, and this time, the blade moved more naturally in my hands as though it were second nature.
It felt as though this move had been deeply ingrained into every fibre of my being.
But I’ve been practising by myself all this while, and hadn’t seen any alert until now.
Does this mean that not only do I need to practice it diligently, but I also need to practice it correctly?
It dawned on me that diligent and correct practice were equally crucial.
I needed a tutor before I could practice on my own.
If I had a broad understanding of swordsmanship, then I might have awakened this function a few minutes after the class began.
The system notification hasn’t popped up yet.
I still needed to determine how many moves I needed to execute or how long I needed to diligently practice before I could gain another point.
"Good. Train more and you will get the hang of this form," Fredric said, with a gentle smile.
I swiftly recovered my composure and nodded.
"Mr Fredric, I would like to hear your thoughts on how to perform a move correctly," I requested.
Until I uncovered all their plots, I no longer cared about the consequences that would emerge from being too friendly with Fredric.
All that mattered was taking advantage of the opportunity to gradually increase my strength.
Fredric’s gaze flickered as though he was taken aback by my request.
It was brief. It vanished instantly as he regained his composure and nodded.
"Alright. Go ahead and show me the move when you’re ready."
I raised my sword up, remembering one of the moves I had used against Ivory.
I swung my sword downwards from my head to my toes.
I looked at him and said, "I keep losing balance at the final step. I hope you can show me where I’m getting it wrong."
Fredric nodded with a serious expression. He drew the wooden blade hanging from the side of his waist and lifted it upwards, mimicking the move.
Then, he swung the blade downwards with fluidity that was much smoother than mine. Even his footwork was impressive.
He might be a douchbag, but he was worthy of his title as an instructor.
"Place your back foot firmly on the ground. Without a strong rear foot, your body will overextend, forcing you to lose your balance. When the sword cuts, flow with the strike, but don’t let it drag you. Let momentum do half the work," Fredric explained as he sheathed his wooden blade by the side.
"Go ahead and give it a try one more time."
I nodded. I planted my rear foot firmly on the ground, raised my blade upwards, and struck forward.
It was a clean cut, much more fluid than my previous performance.
Most of all, there was no system alert.
It wasn’t yet on par with the execution that Fredric had shown me. I still needed to practice a bit longer and see the results.
"Thank you," I said, my tone grateful.
"Hah! What are you thanking me for? Aren’t I your instructor? Your progress helps me as well," Fredric said. "I’m glad that my class finally has another talented student. I expect a lot of great things from you in the future, Ezekiel..."
He stretched his hand forward and gently gripped my shoulder.
"Take care of yourself."
I caught the hidden intent behind his words. It couldn’t escape me. Still, I didn’t plan on dying anytime soon.
"I will," I nodded, my tone filled with appreciation.
At that moment, our conversation drew the attention of everyone in the class. I caught a glimpse of Ivory, Milas and several other top rankers staring back at us.
"Alright, time to get back to class," Fredric said, withdrawing his hand. He nodded and turned around, returning to the front of the group without sparing a glance at the other students around me.
As his back faded to the front, they shifted their gaze towards me. Envy. Hatred. Scorn. All these malicious emotions were directed towards me.
Because of my friendly interaction with Fredric, they likely already believed the rumours spread by the descendants of the Zahara Clan about me.
Yet, I drew my sword and continued to execute the move according to Fredric’s instruction.
They didn’t like me from the outset, so this was most likely a way for them to further vent their disdain against me. I was in no way annoyed. Because the more time they spent distracted, directing their malicious emotions at me, the faster I caught up with them.
I hope they stared at me longer.
"Sheathe your swords!" Fredric ordered. His mana-amplified voice resounded across the stage. "Each of you should pair up with a partner and practice the move that you’ve just learnt. Don’t stop until you and your partner can execute the move!"
"After that, the class will be over today. You may begin!"
The class immediately scrambled to pick their opponents. Perhaps, because they understood that Fredric’s intent was to allow those who still hadn’t learnt the move to grasp it correctly.
It was just like in class when the teacher had thoroughly explained a topic and provided many examples, yet there were still others who didn’t understand.
I use Grammarly to thoroughly edit my work. But some mistakes might still slip through, so please let me know if you see one.