Several days passed peacefully.
Life within the Grand Academy quickly settled into a rhythm.
Every morning...
The new disciples attended Foundation lessons.
The afternoons were free for self-study or practice.
The evenings belonged to the students themselves.
Some chose to cultivate until late into the night.
Others sparred in the training grounds.
A few visited the bustling Academy Market.
Kieran...
Went to the library.
---
The Grand Library stood on the eastern side of the Academy.
It wasn't the largest building.
Nor the tallest.
Yet countless disciples entered and exited its doors every day.
Above the entrance, carved into polished white stone, were six simple words.
Knowledge Is the Beginning of Wisdom.
Kieran paused to read them before entering.
---
The moment he stepped inside...
He froze.
Books.
Shelves upon shelves of books stretched farther than he could see.
Some contained martial histories.
Others detailed Magical Beasts.
There were records of herbs, minerals, formations, ancient civilizations, philosophy, medicine, astronomy, and hundreds of other subjects.
The scent of old parchment filled the air.
Kieran's eyes shone.
"I could spend years here..."
he whispered.
---
At the reception desk sat an elderly librarian.
He wore plain gray robes and half-moon spectacles.
Without looking up from his book, he spoke.
"First visit?"
"Yes."
The old man nodded.
"Don't try reading everything."
Kieran blinked.
"I wasn't planning to."
The librarian chuckled.
"Every first-year says that."
---
He slid a thin booklet across the desk.
"The Library Guide."
"Read it first."
Kieran accepted it respectfully.
"Thank you."
---
Unlike the other students who hurried toward manuals on cultivation...
Kieran wandered through the ordinary sections.
History.
Geography.
Languages.
Records of ancient empires.
He stopped before a shelf labeled:
The Geography of the Melika Realm
Pulling out a thick volume, he sat beside a nearby window.
Hours passed unnoticed.
He learned of kingdoms beyond the Gardenia Empire.
Great deserts where no ordinary life survived.
Endless seas inhabited by colossal Magical Beasts.
Mountain ranges older than recorded history.
Every page revealed just how small his world had been.
---
"So that's why Crystal always said..."
"The world is larger than imagination."
He smiled.
She had never exaggerated.
---
Not far away...
Selene spotted him.
"I thought I'd find you here."
She sat across from him.
"What are you reading?"
"Geography."
She looked surprised.
"Most new students go straight for cultivation manuals."
Kieran gently closed the book.
"I don't even know the world yet."
"How can I decide which Path to walk?"
Selene smiled.
"That sounds exactly like you."
---
The two spent the afternoon discussing the books they had found.
Selene recommended several texts on ancient symbols.
Kieran suggested a historical record she had overlooked.
Neither noticed...
That the elderly librarian occasionally glanced toward them with quiet approval.
---
As sunset approached...
A notice was placed upon the central board of the library.
Many students gathered around it.
The heading read:
Selection of Foundation Instructors
Beginning tomorrow...
Every first-year disciple would choose a Foundation Instructor.
Though all students attended common lectures...
Each instructor specialized in guiding disciples along different Paths.
Some focused on combat.
Others on scholarship.
Others on formations, alchemy, or beast studies.
Students could request whichever instructor best suited them.
---
Mira's eyes sparkled.
"This is exciting!"
Ronan folded his arms.
"My choice is obvious."
"The Spear Hall?"
Mira guessed.
He nodded.
Selene looked thoughtful.
"I'll choose the Rune Pavilion."
She turned toward Kieran.
"What about you?"
He remained silent.
He honestly didn't know.
Every Path seemed fascinating.
---
That evening...
As Kieran returned to his courtyard...
He noticed Elder Rowan standing beneath an ancient maple tree.
The old instructor smiled.
"I've been waiting for you."
Kieran bowed.
"Elder."
Rowan clasped his hands behind his back.
"Have you decided which Foundation Instructor you'll choose?"
"Not yet."
Rowan nodded as though expecting the answer.
"Walk with me."
The two slowly strolled through the quiet Academy paths.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
Finally...
Rowan asked,
"What are you searching for?"
Kieran thought carefully.
"...Understanding."
The Elder smiled.
"Good."
"But understanding of what?"
Kieran looked toward the stars slowly appearing above the Sacred Peaks.
"The world."
"Myself."
"And..."
He hesitated.
"...why I was born."
Rowan stopped walking.
He looked at Kieran with gentle eyes.
"The Academy can help you answer the first two."
He looked toward the endless night sky.
"The third..."
"...you must answer yourself."
---
Those words echoed in Kieran's heart long after Elder Rowan departed.
As he entered his courtyard...
A cool breeze drifted through the open window.
The surrounding Magna stirred once more.
This time...
It didn't merely brush past him.
It lingered.
As though waiting.
Deep within his body...
The Ancient Foundation Seal trembled again.
Another tiny fragment broke away.
The cracks were beginning to spread.
The twelve years of preparation were nearing their end.
And somewhere far beyond the Academy...
Crystal suddenly looked toward the night sky.
Her smile carried both relief...
And anticipation.
"He is almost ready."
End of Chapter 75