“Liam!?” Mercer and Avery shouted as they rushed around the table and to his side.
As they approached, Liam raised a hand out to stop them. He then pulled out a Weak Blueberry Mana Potion, drank it, and said after finishing the liquid, “Sorry. I ran out of mana and received one nasty headache after the chime dinged in my mind.”
“Crap man. Don’t scare us like that,” Mercer complained as he let out a sigh of relief.
As Mercer looked relieved, Avery had a different look on her face. A look of suspicion. She eyes the hammer Liam had his Arcane Hand gripping just moments ago before it had puffed into an arcane smoke cloud, dropping the tool on the table. Her eyes then narrowed as she looked back at Liam, who looked much better. “What do you mean by the chime that dinged in your head?”
“Chime that di…,” Mercer repeated softly as he gave Avery a confused look. “The only reason one would receive a chime in their head would be…” Mercer’s eyes widened as he looked like something clicked. He looked back to Liam and asked, “Did you do it? Did you manage to get Mana Blend or did something just level?”
Liam, who was just as confused as Mercer a couple seconds ago, stared at them. He then noticed something at the corner of his eyes and pulled up not one, but a few. He then stated as he stared at the first notification, “Hold one. I have a few I need to get through.”
He then mumbled, “Arcane Hand reached level eight…level nine…level ten. Sub-stat Mental Absorption reached level eighteen. Sub-stat Magical Practicality has reached level twenty two. Hm, not bad. I haven’t leveled that one in a bit. Sub-stat MP Recovery reached level twenty seven. Arcane Mana Type Manipulation has reached level thirteen…fourteen. Congrat…” Liam paused as he stared at the final notification.
He tried to hide the small grin that was forming as quickly as he could, but he wasn’t fast enough for Avery’s sight. She knew what he stopped himself from saying which caused irritation to bubble up within her. Deciding not to hold it in, she slammed a fist down on the table and shouted as she pointed her middle finger at Liam, “Fuck you!”
Liam couldn’t help himself any longer as he started chuckling. Mercer didn’t need any explanations as his confused expression turned into a joyous one. He grabbed both of Liam’s shoulders and shook him as he congratulated him.
Liam stared at the notification and the description of the new ability, still chuckling as Avery threw slurs of irritation at him.
[Congratulations! You have received the Non-Class Magical Ability – Mana Blend. Mana Blend has reached level 1! Progression to level 2: 100%!]
[Congratulations! Mana Blend has reached level 2! Progression to level 3: 8%!]
[Mana Blend – Ability to blend a Mana Type with an object, weapon, or equipment. This is a temporary blend that allows the object, weapon, or equipment to receive an effect on the Mana Type that is being blended. Allows user to receive certain information like added or loss of weight of the object, weapon, or equipment as well as how much of the mana the target can handle. Increase understanding and blending of mana into an object, weapon, or equipment requires the level of the ability, the level of the Mana Type being Manipulated, as well as Mana Channeling, Mana Control, and Mana Manipulation abilities to increase. Ability Type – Non-chant, Mana Channeling. Target – Single. MP Cost – depends on Mana being channeled.]
Liam stared at the description and found that it matched with what Avery had explained earlier and that weird feeling he had gotten when the ability finally worked. It may have been for a brief moment, but he had felt something clicked. The weight of his hammer in his Arcane Hand felt more real. Like it was his own physical hand gripping it instead of the Mana Hand.
He felt the weight of it, the way the head of the hammer was heavier than the handle. He felt like he could move it easier and in a better way than before. However, the one thing he felt that he couldn’t understand was how much mana the tool could handle. It wasn’t a lot. For that brief moment, he understood that if he tried to pour in more mana than the amount that flooded into it at the end it would destroy it entirely.
Liam didn’t know how he knew that. He just felt like he knew it. Even as he stared at the tool he couldn’t feel that same feeling of understanding anymore. After confirming it by grabbing the tool with his own hand and staring deeply at it, he couldn’t grasp the amount of Mana it could hold on to. With that confirmation, he was certain that he would only have that knowledge when using the ability.
“Seriously though. How were you able to grasp it so quickly you jerk,” Avery complained as her words brought Liam out of his thoughts. She saw the confused expression on his face and understood he wasn’t even listening to her, which made her mad even more.
Before she could voice her complaints even more, the door to the room suddenly swung open. Key yelled out as she and Uncle Naro entered, “I could hear your choice words all the way from the deck. What’s got you in a tizzy?”
Liam and Mercer stared at the two incoming people. Before either of them could answer, Avery spouted, “Get this! I came down here to see what he was doing like you had suggested and got to talking about Mana Blend.”
“Okay?” Key said, not sure why Avery looked so flustered.
“He didn’t know what it was, so I went to explain it to him like how you told me,” Avery continued. Her irritation grow with every word that slipped out of her mouth. “He went to try and see if he could get the ability and failed.”
“Uh huh?” Key muttered as she looked confused. “Failure is to be expected. Especially since he had just heard about it when you came down here right?”
Uncle Naro on the other hand gave Liam one look and grinned as Avery continued while hiking a thumb at Liam, “Oh no. Not with this lucky bastard. No, that would be too much to ask for. No instead he tries again after getting some inspiration.”
“After getting some…,” Key started to say until she started to understand Avery’s annoyance. “You don’t mean?”
“That’s right,” Avery huffed. “This bastard was able to get Mana Blend on his second attempt of trying it out.”
Key looked absolutely dumbfounded as she stared at Liam. She could believe what she was hearing, but the look of pure annoyance on Avery’s face and the look of bashful guilt on Liam’s told her she was right.
Key’s stare went to Uncle Naro’s as the man let out a loud belly rumbling laugh. “I figured this would happen.”
“What do you mean by that?” Key questioned. She was still baffled and puzzled by this sudden development as she said, “While the ability is not an overly complicated one once you have some idea on how to get it, it still requires you to have some knowledge on how to get it. It is even harder to achieve it when using a Mana Type Hand.”
“I agree with you on all points. Liam here, however…is a special case,” Uncle Naro started to explain.
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“A special case?” Key inquired with a raise of her eye brow.
Uncle Naro looked at Liam and asked, “Tell me. Did you get into a trance when you received the ability?”
“Kind of,” Liam started as he rethought everything that had happened. He then explained, “I felt like one was about to happen, but I never reached it. After Avery told me about how she thought I had already had it during that one fight, I thought back on what I could remember. Through remembering all the things I felt and experienced I tried to recreate that sensation but also added something else I remembered. That last bit was what helped me reach the last part.”
Key narrowed her eyes as she asked, “During what fight? Also what did you add that you remembered?”
“I knew he was close and on the cusp of being able to get the ability, after I had him fight a Wave Rider Crab by himself,” Uncle Naro started to explain.
“You made him do what?” Key questioned as a look of shock grew on her face. “A Wave Rider Crab? Seriously? Are you an idiot?”
Uncle Naro waved a hand in her direction to try and get her to calm down as he continued, “He had his team with him. If it looked like he was going to be in any trouble they would have stepped in. Anyways, after he had won and came back. He explained what had happened. Apparently he had entered received and activated his Battle Zen ability towards the end of the fight and had used Mana Blend without even realizing it. And since he wasn’t able to grasp what he had done he hadn’t received the ability.”
“Ba…Battle Zen?” Key stammered before looking at Liam. “Seriously? A Crafter received a Battle Zen?”
“I knew that he was close and was hoping he would come across the ability on his own with this training without my help or guidance to it,” Uncle Naro continued, ignoring Key’s and Avery’s looks. “I figured if I sent Mercer to him the boy would make a connection to one of his abilities and it would give him something to think about which would lead him to the ability. What I didn’t plan was you sending Avery here to do the same but giving him the name of the ability and what it does.”
Key’s mouth dropped as she stared at Uncle Naro. “Seriously?”
“That’s what I am saying!” Avery huffed as she crossed her arms. “I hate how quick you pick things up.”
Liam raised both hands up as he defended himself while saying, “In my defense, you were the one who gave me all the reminders and pointed out what you saw during my fight with the Wave Rider Crab.”
Avery glared at him, making him snap his mouth shut before he said any more. As he did this, Key looked back at him and asked with a curious look, “What was it?”
Liam tilted his head as he asked, “What was what?”
“The thing that you remembered that helped give you the final push?” Key asked.
“Oh. That…,” Liam started to say until he felt somewhat embarrassed.
“Well? What is it?” Key asked, pushing him to speak.
“Well…after remembering what I saw and felt during the fight when my Battle Zen happened. I remembered seeing lines of mana that connected me and my Mana Hands while my Mana Sight was activated,” Liam started. Key nodded her head. “When I tried again after my failed attempt, I activated Mana Sight and tried to see if I could see those lines again. At first I couldn’t. However, after I calmed my mind and body the lines started to become visible.”
Key looked surprised at this, but to her it still didn’t answer her question. She was about to say as much, but stopped as Liam continued, “As I stared at the lines I thought to myself that maybe I needed to feed more mana to my Arcane Hand in order to get it to work. However, when I tried to, the thin line wouldn’t grow. It stayed about a hair strand’s width. Then I got to think that this reminded me of something. Something I had learned back in the Tutorial Area.”
Avery and Mercer stared at Liam. One was writing everything down in his notebook with curiosity and interest while the other, while still annoyed, grew more interested on what had helped him get the ability.
“What did you learn back in the Tutorial Area?” Key asked.
“I remember learning how to fill a certain object with mana that had a protective layer coating it. One that you had to find a way to pierce through and then pump mana into the coating in order for it to become easier to use for…” Liam paused for a moment. He knew he was going about it in a round about way, but he also felt that if he just said it then Avery would get upset. After all, she didn’t have any experience in what he did back then. He let out a sigh as he decided to just get it over with and said, “Fuck it. I remembered what Fia had taught me when I was learning Bone Smelting and Bone Forging.”
“Crafting…,” Avery muttered. He could she her eye twitch for a brief moment before she added, “What helped you get past the final part was something that had to do with your crafting experience? Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Liam answered as he averted his gaze from her.
That didn’t help as he jumped slightly in his chair as she yelled, “How in the hells is that going to help me understand how to get the ability? I don’t know Blacksmithing let alone crafting.”
“That’s actually…,” Key suddenly started. Her words drew everyone’s attention to her. Liam was thankful that it made Avery stop for the moment, even if there was a chance it would be brief. They could see she was thinking it over in her mind over and over and could hear her mumble, “Yeah…that could work…I had really considered that was a possibility…But, like Avery said…not everyone crafts…but it still works as an example.”
Her head snapped up to look at Liam before she looked at Uncle Naro. With a scoff she said, “Seriously. He’s just like you.”
Uncle Naro grinned widely. “Now you understand why I have taken a liking to him.”
Key narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. “Yeah. I could see that.” She then looked at Avery and said, “I can now understand why you decided to curse the boy out. I don’t blame you. Even if he had inspiration from a Trance…Battle Zen…whatever. For him to grasp it like that right in front of you when you’ve been practicing all day. That’s just unfair.”
Avery was taken aback by her sudden words. She didn’t know what to say and was about to open her mouth but stopped as Key stated, “I like your attitude. I may have said I’d teach you some things, but your competitiveness with this guy makes me want to do more. What say you? Want to become my apprentice in the Rapier arts and learn the path of a Mage Blade?”
Once more Avery was taken aback by Key’s attitude. What she was offering her was a chance to train her Weapon Skills in her Rapier but to also learn how to become a Mage Blade. As she thought about that last part she grew confused. Was a Mage Blade another term for Magic Swordsman? She knew trying to think about it wouldn’t get her anywhere, so she started, “I accept your offer. But I’m a little confused about something.”
“What are you confused about child?” Key asked, already happy with the quick response.
That smile she had on her face quickly faltered as her right eye twitched while Avery asked, “Is a Mage Blade similar to a Magic Swordsman?”
Key looked down at Avery, a disappointed expression grew on her face, and she was about to take back what she had just offered, but stopped as she felt a large hand fall gently on her shoulder. Key looked up at Uncle Naro and saw the look of amusement on his face. She then heard him say, “Before you go on a tangent. Remember that she is a new arrival and doesn’t know the things you know.”
Key looked back at Avery. She then took the question in as it was conveyed. An ignorant one made by someone who did not know any better. She let out a sigh before giving the girl a warm smile and replied, “No. No they are not similar. There is a lot of differences between them. For example, a Mage Blade is a class that blends mana with their weapon and can use mana to form new ones while a Magic Swordsman…is a class that wields their weapons and casts spells faster. They do not have the finesse a Mage Blade does nor the capabilities of being able to beautifully blend Mana and sword together. In my opinion they are just a cheap knock off or a failed bunch of idiots wishing they could…”
Uncle Naro let out a sigh as he looked at the others and said while cutting off Key’s tangent, “Both classes lead down different paths. To be honest I believe that a Mage Blade class is better suited for you than the Magic Swordsman class. I was hoping you would be interested in it after meeting Key here.”
Avery looked at Uncle Naro. While she had some reservations with the man before, the fact he was thinking about her future and showing her a different option than she had been considering before made her more thankful. She gave him a smile and nodded as she said, “Thank you.”
“Don’t go thanking him yet child,” Key stated with a wicked grin. “The path you are about to embark on is not an easy one. You may be hating it after a good while and curse both of us. In fact you are behind and have a lot of things that will need to be corrected. Let us be off. We have a lot to do and not enough time in the world and the more time wasted here is more time the two single minded crafting fools will have to get ahead of you.”
Key turned around and made her way out the door. Both Mercer and Liam looked at Avery. She had a grin plastered on her face, but the uncertainty in her eyes spoke to them saying she wasn’t sure what she was getting herself into. With a bit of encouragement, Liam and Mercer place a hand on both sides of her back and gave her a little push. She let out a squeak, not expecting that to happen before glaring at the two and making her way out the room.
Uncle Naro shook his head before looking at the two guys. He then said, “Well, looks like its going to be a competition between the two of you. Better not let me down.”
Liam laughed a little as he said, “I’ll try not to.” He then looked at Mercer and asked, “What are your plans?”
Mercer shrugged before asking, “Want to listen to some music as you train? I still need to practice some more with both my instruments and Mana Control.”