"That's amazing," Liam said joyfully as he used the ring. Following James' instructions, he could now clearly sense the objects inside the ring. Soon, a long, sleek, black sword appeared in his hand.
"Fits quite well... I like this sword," he said as he swung the sword a few times.
"Hahaha... Of course, I only pick the best from that shop," James said with a grin.
"Is it really okay... It seems a bit expensive..." Liam asked, a bit worried about using so much money that wasn't his.
"Don't worry... It's all from that uncle anyway," James smiled, then gestured for them to head out of town.
"Alright, let's go meet grandfather... Time is short."
***
"Alright... First, I'll teach you how to sense energy," Michael said as he stroked his beard. In his hand, tiny bolts of electricity formed, coursing through his fingers and then gathering into his palm. Finally, it condensed into a small orb of electricity, crackling with energy.
"Actually, sensing energy is quite simple... You just need to focus."
"Focus?" Liam furrowed his brow, still not understanding the old man's words.
"That's right... It's a bit vague, isn't it? Even I don't know how to explain it perfectly... But I have a little trick to help you feel it." With that, he shot the electric orb directly at Liam.
"Ahh... Ahh... Ugh..." Taken by surprise, the electric orb immediately zapped him. The shock made Liam convulse uncontrollably as he collapsed to the ground, rolling around to alleviate the spasms. His body now flickered like a blinking light.
"Hahaha... Ahh..." James, watching nearby, burst out laughing, but another electric orb immediately hit him too. Now, he was in the same state as Liam.
"Sigh... That boy is always like this, no wonder he got captured by that Kraken," Michael sighed in disappointment, seeing his nephew lose focus for a moment.
"Alright... I'll be training both of you on this."
"Why? I've already mastered it..." James struggled to speak as he lay on the ground, his voice stuttering due to the current still running through him.
"After being zapped twice, and you still say that? Losing focus, even for a second, could cost you your life..." The old man said with an irritated expression, adding, "Don't underestimate these drills... If your opponent can hide their energy, you'll definitely die."
"People can hide their energy?" Liam asked, struggling to stand up after the electric shock.
"That's right... But that's something far in the future. For now, let's focus on mastering the basics," the old man said while stroking his beard.
"Now, both of you, close your eyes. Try to dodge the electric orbs by sensing their energy."
Liam was startled by the old man's instructions. He trembled a little and asked, "Is this really the only method?"
"Unfortunately... This is the only method for those of us with poor mana abilities," the old man shrugged.
"Don't give up... You'll see the difference between us soon enough," James smirked, implying this was something he was already proficient in.
***
For the rest of the afternoon, the three of them trained together. It was clear that James dodged most of the electric orbs, while for Liam, it was a disaster. Out of 1,000 orbs, he only managed to avoid 10. Now, Liam was charred black, his hair curly from being zapped so many times.
"Alright... Take a break," Michael said, seeing that Liam could no longer endure the pain.
"Hahaha... Liam, look at yourself now," James laughed uncontrollably when he opened his eyes and saw Liam's burnt appearance with curly hair. But right after, he got hit by another electric orb.
Seeing James convulsing on the ground again, the old man let out a sigh.
"Sigh... How many times have I told you..."
Liam, enduring the pain coursing through his body, began to emit a faint energy. Gradually, his small wounds started to heal.
"I want to continue."
Michael saw this and nodded in approval.
"Force energy really is convenient..." He then turned to James and said, "If only my nephew had half your dedication..."
"That kind of reverse psychology doesn't work on me," James grumbled as he tried to sit up after being hit by the electric orb. "Let's just continue, old man..."
And so, they trained all afternoon. The results were promising—Liam managed to increase his successful dodges to 30 out of 1,000.
"Alright... I think that's enough for today," Michael said calmly, stroking his beard. "At this pace, I estimate that in about a week, you'll be able to fully sense energy. After that, I'll teach you basic swordsmanship since it's the easiest to learn."
"Actually..." Liam then explained everything to them about the Nyx mark and the man from the Smith family.
"Unbelievable... And why didn't you ask him to give me one too?" James glared at Liam, annoyed.
"Honestly, he already helped me... I don't even remember who he is, so how could I just ask for more?" Liam scratched his head, trying to explain.
"That man is probably responsible for supervising and training the kids in the Smith family," Michael mused, stroking his beard.
"Anyway, the mark's effects in your brain are short-lived, so it's best to start training now to retain as much as possible."
"Alright... James, start training with Liam... and neither of you are allowed to use mana."
"I'm going to beat you to a pulp for hiding good stuff from me... after I spent so much money buying you expensive things," James said with a mixture of emotions, crushing sand in his hand as he glared at Liam.
"I'm ready," Liam said, not paying much attention to James' threat, assuming a battle stance. As soon as he spoke, James threw the sand in his hand at him.
Caught completely off guard, Liam reflexively closed his eyes, which led to him receiving a hard punch to the stomach. The intense pain dropped him to the ground, clutching his abdomen in agony.
"Looks like that mark isn't as great as I thought..." James smirked triumphantly. But right after, Michael shot another electric orb at him, making him convulse on the ground again.
"The purpose of this training is to hone your technique, not to win at all costs," Michael said with a frown. He then turned to Liam, still writhing on the ground, and added, "But this is also another lesson for you. In a life-or-death battle, you must win by any means necessary, even if the methods are dishonorable."
"Then why... are you still shocking me?" James managed to ask through his trembling.
"I'll keep doing it until you can dodge it," Michael said with a smile as he stroked his beard.
"Alright... Continue," Michael commanded. They kept training like that throughout the afternoon. They trained by day and evaded monsters by night. Occasionally, they would join Michael in hunting sea creatures. Time passed quickly, and half a year flew by.