Chapter 9: The Forbidden Forest
The next day, after a quick breakfast, Athar arrived in the classroom for the theory class.
He occupied the same seat at the rear, he had occupied the previous day, and though he had kept himself away from any sort of friendship for now, he could see the formation of small groups or pairs in the class.
The class was noisier and more chaotic than the previous day, and sounds of consistent chatter echoed in the room.
The arrival of Vale brought a sense of silence as everyone took their seats, and he assumed his position behind the podium.
"Hello, everyone," he greeted warmly. "A very warm good morning to you all."
"Today will be the day when we start our theory lessons. In the beginning, we will keep things slow and start from the very basics."
"I know there might be a lot of you who might already be knowledgeable about what I will be teaching, especially during the initial few classes, but I expect complete cooperation from you all," he said. "I would not like it if the class is disturbed because you were too impatient or too knowledgeable."
"On the contrary, I would suggest you all listen carefully, and maybe I could provide a new perspective about certain things you already know," he added.
"And if you have any doubt, please raise your hands, and I will come back to you."
"Now, the very first thing I want to discuss is," he said as he wrote on the board and repeated the same word, "CULTIVATION."
"Before I talk about what cultivation is, let me ask: Why do we cultivate? What need do we have to cultivate? Anyone?"