After finishing their lunch and cleaning up the house for maintenance.Liam went into his room for his daily breathing exercises.
The house of Massoutré have a traditional technique which allow the practicer to fully control their mana flow,allowing for a more diverse way of distributing mana into their surroundings and objects,which is their Forte and their greatest pride.
although not as powerful as a mage or shaman's.This technique have one main major benefits other caster cannot enjoy,Which is infusing your mana with different attributes into any kind of medium just like enchantment.It would be similar in a way to how magic swordmens enchant their blade with their spells but unlike arcane archer the swordsmens can only use it on their contracted blade of choice and nothing else.
Sitting in his bed,he steadily controlled his breath and aligned the rhythm with his flow of mana.As he could currently sense,his main attributes is of the flame affinity,which is great news in Liam's opinion.
The flame attribute is considered the best along with wind attributes for an arcane archer,they can cause great damage to their enemies in a short notice.And if used correctly and with enough practice,it have the potential to rival and surpass mage's volatile destructive spells in efficiency.
Liam is currently using this breathing exercise for greater focus inorder to expelled a great amount of mana from his body and manipulate them around his body.This serves to enhance his mana control and increasing his mana's qualities and quantity through rapidly using them up.
Just like how a person build their body and tone their muscles.As long as a constant supply of mana was used,Liam can increase his mana capacity and quality of it with a slow but steady daily practice.
Currently,Liam is capable of infusing his mana through spells casting to reinforce any body parts or object for a period up to 8 minutes depending of how much mana was used.As long as he continue this practice he can eventually infuse multiple objects with his mana for a longer period of times.
The explosive flame arrow was considered a Grade C spell created through the exclusive training for arcane archer.With enough time and practice Liam was confident in his ability to conjure much higher graded spells.
After finishing his exercise and stretching ,a knock on his door signal him that it was time for the last training session of the day.He swiftly moved out of bed,taking his bow with him as he follow his uncle.
Arriving in a large clearing in next to a nearby small Grove of trees,Jerome started his last lecture for the day.
"Liam,I need to leave for the northern frontline next week just after the festival so I will finish teaching you one of the most essential spells for us."Jerome said as he lightly tap a piece of Boulder on its side.A circle of engraving flash with emerald light after the tap,signaling the completions of the spell.
Next,he threw a stone the size of his palm into the circle,the circle flash again but brighter this time when the stone came into range.Rigjt after that,a blast of powerful wind blade exploding from the engraving turned the stone into dust,drifting away in the wind.
"Even though this spell should only be taught to one of us when they have been registered as a silver rank or when their mana core is matured to the second stage.Your mana should be enough to allow you to cast it a few time at full capacity."Jerome commented as he pause to make sure Liam is soaking the information in.
At this moment in time,Liam only have the stage one basic mana core composition,but due to his innate talent along with countless hours of sharpening his mana.His mana core at full capacity can be compare to second stage,but he doesn't understand why haven't it advance yet.In this world ,mana core can be advanced repeatedly until they hit the individual's threshold which prevent any further improvement.
"Now try to etch the engraving I taught on the ground following the proper procedure like usual. Afterword I will step into it,if you can leave a scratch on me.Then your training for this spell will be close to it's completion."Jerome fold his arm in front of his chest and urge his nephew to start his endeavor.
Although reluctant,Liam did as he was told and taught,he understood that even with a fullly charged engraving from him,he might not be able leave anything whatsoever on his uncle's reinforced body.
Hence there was no need to worry about his safety.As usual,he can feel his power sapping away while he manipulate the reddish mana particles released from his mana core.He willed them to form a particular pattern into the ground as the medium with the the intent to release the full extent of explosive mana in an instant.
"It's done,uncle."Liam said as soon as he is satisfied with the spell formation and took a dozen steps away from it.Jerome nodded and stepped on it with one foot as Liam arrived at a safe distance.
Boom!
The faint engraving glowed brightly for a brief moment before it released a surge of flame in an instant,the echo of a explosion follow its wake.Liam stood,waiting for the smoke and soil to settle down and watch the result unfold.
"As expected of uncle,not even a mark "Liam thought with bitterness.As soon as the smoke clear away,Jerome stood where the engrave once was without any signs of damage even on his light causal clothing.
This was not due to Jerome having battle harden body but the light layer of mana surrounding his body.No matter how good of a fighter Jerome is,his body will still take some damage from that flame without equipment or other spells.
The ones that is able to ignore this amount of damage can only be of some warrior related profession that have passive ability that enhance their natural toughness.
"My boy,your grandma hit harder than that,Again"Jerome grin with a face that show he was having fun bullying his nephew."But it's not bad"jerome thought as he recall the violent vibrations he felt from his shell.For a stage one arcane practitioner to cause a effect such as that to his most basic of defense spell when he was a peak stage four,Liam's spell prowess was definitely remarkable.Alas,that was not what he was looking for in this test for him.
Liam eyed another batch of dirt ground for a moment,pondering his options.In theory,there was no way his current spells power can have any sufficient effect on Jerome.But he still have a few option,but only one might guarantee good result,which was quite risky and frankly very difficult.Not that it will stop him from trying.
Liam repeated the process again and ask for his uncle to proceed with the test.Jerome have some idea of what his niece might have done differently this time considering liam have ran all the way to the edge of the clearing,still he stepped on the landmine with anticipation.
Boom!!
Like last time,the pattern glowed and soon explode in all it's glory.But this time,the blast seems a few time stronger and glow much brighter with the intense heat reaching Liam's location at the edge of the clearing.
After the smoke and dust clear.Jerome was standing there with a smug expression on his face,but still no injuries can be decerned except a few small Crack on the faint layer of mana shell surrounding Jerome.
"Hiding more engravings under ground is definitely a good idea as long as it is not discovered,it's just a bit short on the mark.But I will let you pass this time"Although it wasn't a complete success,for kids the age of Liam,what he just achieved is considered extraordinary and this was the result Jerome was looking for anyway.
To test if Liam was cunning and witty enough to cover his current lack of firepower against enemy much stronger than him.
As soon as Jerome lower his shield down and started his brisk walk to his niece,a engraving appeared and glowed in front of his face in mid air .The smoke haven't been cleared completely and Jerome didn't expect his nephew would have another one prepared after the first barrage was finished,so he never noticed the faint trace of a hidden trap right ahead of him and put his reinforced shell down willingly.
"Surge." Liam activate the spell with a mental commend and a innocent smile plasters his face that will scared away even fully grown adults in this situation.Even if Liam was just excited for his tactics to work.
Another loud explosion rang out amid the quiet evening,accompanying with it is a scream of pain and terror from a middle-age man who is currently regretting for awakening his niece's cunning and shameless side too much with his teaching.
"Dad,to think that a day like this would happened to you,hahahaha I am speechless."Winey giggle as she gently applied a layer herbal wrap on her father's cheek which is now darkened with burnt skin.A apologetic Liam was standing by with his hand hung low and a sheepish smiles on his face.
"Sorry uncle I thought you would still keep some of your mana powering the spell to reinforce your body afterward,so I made one stronger than needed."Liam sighs with regrets.Jerome on the other hand was thinking about if he should start planning his retirement.
But alas,he was very proud of his niece for being able to think of this sequence of action in order to injured him.Which showed his great potential as a strategists.
"Ah,do not worry about it Liam.It was a wonderful tactics in and of itself.This old man just cannot keep up with the youngling as witty as you."Jerome chuckled in a carefree manner.
"Now,I am definitely sure you will do well in the Academy without me there,but if anything is bothering you,just tell your aunt and she will help you with it."Jerome explained as he sipped his cup of herb tea,thinking about his beautiful wife whom he haven't seen for weeks,but grimace when he recalled that she found him in a red light district again just before leaving for her job.
"Yes,I will do that so don't worry about me uncle."Liam said as thoughts of meeting his loving aunt again brought a joyful smile to his face.