The next simulation was quite simple. It mirrored the previous one, but this time, Atticus was required to utilize mana.
He noticed a significant similarity between this learning process and when he had been mastering the second art.
He had first focused on mastering the physical movements before learning how to channel mana effectively. Fortunately, he was already familiar with mana manipulation, making this phase a bit easier.
'I have to synchronize my mana flow with my movements,' he thought.
This current challenge was different from the previous one. Atticus had to match each flow and slash with his mana. Additionally, he quickly realized that the projectiles were stronger now, each one enveloped in a layer of mana.
The sound of the air tearing grew louder as the projectiles moved at speeds multiple times faster than before. Although Atticus was prepared, he found himself with far less time to react. Even with his perception heightened to the maximum, the projectiles moved with such insane speed that they caught him off guard.
'Shit!'
Multiple projectiles struck Atticus like wrecking balls smashing into a humanoid watermelon.
He reappeared and instantly heard Cedric laughing heartily from the side. Rolling his eyes, Atticus returned to the center of the room, settling into a stance.
A chime resounded, followed by the mana-coated projectiles shooting toward Atticus at blinding speed.
This time, he was ready. Atticus became a blur as he cut down each projectile at inhuman speed, an azure streak filling the space.
Now able to utilize mana, he also benefited from its passive recovery. However, this task proved to be even more daunting than the last one. It required more effort, and more importantly, Atticus had to keep his perception at full throttle throughout the process.
Like before, the projectiles seemed endless until, eventually, a loud chime sounded, signaling the end.
Atticus was granted a brief moment of respite before he was forced to stand and continue the process once again.
This cycle continued for days until Atticus was able to meet the minimum time required to move on to the next stage.
"You look like shit," Cedric remarked.
Atticus, focused on catching his breath, chose not to respond. Aside from the first time, he had died multiple times again due to small errors, and Cedric never failed to laugh at him each time.
Breathing heavily on the floor, Atticus eventually caught his breath and shakily stood up. It had been a hellish few days, and he had to push himself continuously. The
situation wouldn't have been so bad if he had access to either his water or light element. Beyond aiding movement, he was more focused on their healing capabilities.
"What's next?" Atticus asked as he stood up.
Cedric smiled, finding Atticus's current state amusing. "You should rest for a bit. The subsequent lessons will be taught by me."
Atticus saw no issue with this and even welcomed the extra rest. He slumped down on the floor and slept for a few hours.
Waking up feeling refreshed, Atticus approached Cedric.
"Unfortunately, because of my current state, you won't be getting any demonstrations. I apologize. However, I'll do my best to explain it so you'll understand."
Atticus felt a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be receiving a demonstration, as that was where he learned most easily and effectively, but he didn't complain. He knew it was his fault that Cedric had ended up in this condition in the first place.
Noting Atticus's silent acknowledgment, Cedric continued.
"You've learned the movement and how to sync it with mana. The next two processes involve linking each slash together and then combining them to form one single, powerful slash."
'It's just like Ae'ark's,' Atticus thought.
"You're probably thinking of that Aeonian boy. You're right; it's practically the same principle, but considering your current state, I'm sure you'll be able to make yours more lethal and stronger," Cedric said, throwing Atticus a wink. Atticus immediately understood.
'My will,' he realized.
"Now, moving on. The next step is linking each slash together. The principle is simple, but the execution is tricky. For each slash you unleash, you need to create a small connecting mana thread between them. This means you have to be more conscious of each slash you execute so that the threads don't become entangled."
Atticus grasped Cedric's explanation clearly. All he had to do was create a thread to link each of his slashes together.
He immediately set to work, standing in the middle of the room. Mana-coated projectiles shot toward him, and he began cutting them down.
However, after just a few seconds, Atticus made an error, got hit, and died. Reappearing, he heard the loud sound of Cedric laughing.
'Bastard,' Atticus thought, but he ignored him and returned to the center.
'It's a lot trickier than I thought,' he mused.
During the last attempt, the threads had gotten entangled, and because he had panicked and tried to untangle them, he momentarily lost focus.
'I need to map out the paths of each projectile to determine the best possible path for my slashes,' Atticus thought.
He did just that. As soon as the projectiles approached, his mind worked quickly, mapping out each of their paths before determining the best trajectory for his slashes.
It went more smoothly than the first time, but Atticus soon made another mistake and ended up dying again.
He allowed the intense sound of Cedric's laughter to fade into the background as he walked back to the center of the room, deep in thought.
'The projectiles are constantly coming, so I need to continuously map out their paths,' Atticus realized.
Releasing a deep exhale, he began another trial. This time, he was able to last longer, but he eventually died again. However, he was getting the hang of it.
With every mistake, Atticus thought and made adjustments as he continued.
Soon enough, days passed, and it had already been more than a week since Atticus had entered the katana's realm. He moved like an azure blur in the middle of the pristine white room, cutting down projectiles upon projectiles.
A loud chime suddenly sounded, and the projectiles stopped appearing. In front of him was a staggering number of azure slashes, held together by tiny interconnecting threads.
Cedric approached, his amusement replaced by a grumpy expression. "Of course, you'd break the record," he muttered. The normal learning time was three months, but Atticus had significantly shortened that time.
"Let's move on to the final process."