Chapter 99: The Talent of Being Able to Give Up (2)

Anis chose to leap and dodge Gyro's Aura Flight, but in doing so, he lost control of the offensive. Thus, when he saw Keter leap into the air, he frowned. This was the same choice he had made.

But it wasn't.

Keter didn’t just lightly jump; he made a powerful leap, conjuring a platform made of aura mid-air to propel himself higher, nearly eight meters into the sky.

Soaring into the air, Keter nocked an arrow and shouted, “An arrow fundamentally contains two key aspects: power and speed. Combining these two creates strong-swift, the basic form that all archery should aim for.”

Twang!

Keter released the bowstring. Anis couldn’t follow the arrow’s trajectory, and it vanished from his sight.

Boom!

A deafening roar erupted beside Anis, prompting him to turn his head. Gyro, who had been advancing, had stopped. He blocked the arrow with the broad side of his greatsword, letting out a whistle.

Anis’ jaw dropped, and Luke and Taragon were equally stunned. The arrow Keter had just fired possessed the power of Leo Archery and the speed of Yaksha Archery—it was fast yet powerful. Was such a combination even possible?

But that wasn’t all. As Keter descended, he fired five consecutive arrows in rapid succession.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound was more like explosive cannon fires than arrows striking a target. No one would believe such a sound came from blocking arrows.

Anis felt as if lightning had struck his mind. Keter’s arrows were both destructive and fast.

Why have I always approached these traits as mutually exclusive? It was prejudice. I was trapped by the notion that a single arrow could only embody one trait. But could I do the same as Keter and embody the power of Leo Archery and the speed of Yaksha Archery right now?

Anis shook his head.

If it were easy, I would have already thought of it myself.

Aura came with inherent qualities—hardness, destruction, sharpness, propulsion, and so on. These traits were applied to a weapon to improve its destructive power. Similarly, aura could boost an arrow’s speed by coating it with aura to reduce the air resistance or by focusing aura at the arrow’s tip to create additional thrust.

These applications required rigorous training. Aura didn’t naturally assume qualities; the wielder had to impose their will upon it.

For example, when Anis used Leo Archery, he imbued the entire arrow with a destructive and sharp quality. He also added a technical spin to it to supplement its speed for higher penetration. In contrast, Yaksha Archery, the fastest technique, concentrated aura at the tip to thrust it forward upon release. This case was putting intent in the aura.

However, most considered combining both quality and intent simultaneously impossible. But Keter had demonstrated otherwise. He had just broken new ground in archery, but the battle wasn’t over.

As Keter landed, he crouched deeply, nearly sitting, and fired another arrow while holding the bow horizontally. It was noticeably slower than his last arrows, perhaps because it was rushed. It was aimed at Gyro’s head, but the arrow was much less powerful.

Gyro blocked the five arrows Keter shot from the sky with his greatsword. Since this attack was much slower and weaker, Anis thought it was a meaningless attack. But then something unexpected happened.

Squelch.

Huh?

It was not the sound of an explosion, but the sound of flesh being pierced.

What could make this kind of sound?

Gyro let out a low grunt and muttered,, “Who would’ve thought such archery existed?”

His voice carried both surprise and admiration.

Luke, Anis, and Taragon were baffled and frustrated because they couldn’t figure out what had happened. Gyro moved his sword aside for them to see, and what they saw was shocking. One of Keter’s arrows was embedded in Gyro’s right calf, wobbling as he stood.

With a wry smile, Gyro said, “It’s been a while since I’ve felt pain like this. Shall we continue? I’m starting to enjoy it.”

“That’s enough for now,” Keter replied, striding over to Gyro and swiftly pulling out the arrow. As blood gushed from the wound, Keter poured a low-grade elixir on it and used Mana Suture to close the wound. The injury healed rapidly.

“You are treating me right after you hurt me? Feels weird. If you had this kind of archery, you could have given me a heads-up.”

“If I had told you, it wouldn’t have felt even less authentic than it already is. And if it looked staged, those three wouldn’t have learned anything either.”

“You’re not going to apologize, are you?”

“Would you prefer five hundred gold as compensation or an apology?”

“You can shoot me again. Treat me like a target practice dummy if you want!

Ha ha ha!

”

“Stop laughing; you’re spitting.”

“Yes, sir.”

Keter then turned to the trio. “You, Number Two! Explain how I managed to shoot strong and fast arrows.”

Eagerly, Anis responded, “You combined aura qualities and intent simultaneously.”

“And you, Number Three?”

“You must’ve used an enormous amount of aura.”

“Both answers are only half correct,” Keter replied, infusing aura into an arrow.

“What qualities do you think I imbued this arrow with, Number Two?”

“Strength, which symbolizes destruction.”

“Wrong. That’s not all. I also imbued it with speed.”

“That’s impossible. While swiftness enhances an arrow’s velocity, it can’t break past its natural limit. Your arrows, however, broke past that limit; they achieved speeds akin to Yaksha Archery, the sixth technique of Zodiac Archery.”

“You’re right. I exceeded the speed limit through intent-driven aura. But why give up swiftness entirely?”

“Because it doesn’t influence maximum velocity.”

“True, it doesn’t affect the maximum. But it shortens the time needed to reach that maximum.”

“... What does that...

Oh!

”

Anis’ eyes widened as another revelation struck him. It was like his brain was exploding, not with pain but with pleasure—the pleasure of enlightenment.

It’s acceleration. By using swiftness, the momentous acceleration can be increased drastically. A simple increase in velocity using intent means that it reaches its maximum about halfway. But if it starts with swiftness, it begins at maximum velocity, leaving opponents no time to react!

He sank to his knees, trembling with the weight of his newfound understanding.

Meanwhile, Keter continued lecturing the group.

“Not only that, you’re not putting your soul into your shots. You shoot as if it doesn’t matter whether you hit or miss. That half-heartedness disgusts me. Shoot with the intent to kill. Draw the bowstring until it’s about to snap. Treat each arrow as if it’s your last chance to live.”

Taragon raised a hand hesitantly.

“But there are many problems with overdrawing your bow: your shooting gets slower, and the bow will break. How do you address that?”

“I, of course, have a bigger aura reserve than you guys. But it’s not just that; I use aura more, and you should, too. Why do you think overdrawing makes you slower to shoot the arrow? Don’t rely solely on muscle strength to draw the bow. Use aura to augment your pull and reinforce the bow. With aura protection, even the roughest handling won’t break it.”

“

Oh...!

”

“And lastly, do you know how my arrow struck Gyro’s leg? Simple. I stacked intents. Easy, right?”

This time, no one understood. Keter didn’t explain any further. There were disadvantages to explaining it intuitively—it killed their creativity, and that was not the growth he was looking for.

I have no intention of caring for you until the very end.

If Keter taught them everything from start to finish, they would most likely rely on him for every single thing. He found that extremely bothersome, so he decided to stop now.

Plus, this was the perfect timing to show them

the thing

.

“Trainees, rest for an hour. Go over the battle between Gyro and me. After resting, you will fight Gyro again. Dismissed!”

* * *

Luke, Anis, and Taragon split up immediately, as they considered each other rivals instead of comrades.

“

Sigh

... I get the gist of it, I think,” sighed Taragon deeply as he stood behind the armory in the training grounds.

He couldn’t completely understand the principles Keter was explaining, but he had grasped the general idea.

“This one arrow needs to hold three different auras: strength, swiftness, and an intent for eruption. The intent for eruption could follow the methods of Yaksha Archery, but the problem is how to apply all of these at once.”

Keter hadn’t shared any specific methods for doing so, and while Taragon felt disappointed, he could also understand why.

It must be a secret unique to Keter, something he can’t just reveal. There must be a good reason why he can’t tell us.

He was becoming increasingly convinced of Keter’s inherently good nature.

“

Hmm...

”

Taragon gripped an arrow in his right hand, attempting to infuse it with aura. He tested applying all three attributes at once.

Crack!

The arrow shattered in his hand. He had failed to control the aura.

“Ugh, what if I divide the aura into three layers and assign a different meaning to each layer? But the arrow can’t seem to handle that much aura. Should I try reinforcing the arrow with protective aura instead?”

There were plenty of arrows, so Taragon gave it another shot. However, he failed again.

“If I keep going like this, the aura consumption will be way too high. I’ll burn through all my aura in just five shots.”

Picking up another arrow, Taragon hesitated, his expression turning grim.

He might find a way through practice, but the real problem was the pitifully low amount of aura he possessed.

Taragon had started training in aura cultivation at the age of eight. Thirteen years later, his total aura was equivalent to only sixteen years of effort. Compared to other noble families, this was woefully insufficient. Children from other noble families his age typically had at least thirty years’ worth of aura.

This wasn’t solely because Taragon had slacked in his training. Sefira’s aura cultivation method simply wasn’t very efficient.

Moreover, aura and archery didn’t have a natural synergy. The Sefira family focused more on honing pure archery skills than on increasing aura reserves.

Just then, a shadow loomed over Taragon’s feet.

“Taragon, what are you thinking so hard about?”

“Ah! I-Instructor!”

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Keter, who had appeared silently, shook his head.

“Break time is free time. You can call me Keter.”

“Oh... Okay.”

“Were you practicing?”

Keter nudged some of the broken arrows on the ground with his foot.

“Yeah. It looked hard, but trying it out made me realize it’s even harder. Where did you learn this technique, Keter?”

“I made it myself.”

“You... made it? By yourself?”

“It’s not completely original. I borrowed ideas from various places.”

“Wow, that’s amazing... Especially at your age. And you have so much aura...”

“Me? Not really. I only have twenty-two years’ worth.”

Before going to Liquor, Keter had only ten years’ worth. However, thanks to consuming numerous elixirs there, he had gained an additional twelve years’ worth of aura in one go.

“That’s not as much as I thought. Still more than me, though.”

“How much do you have?”

“Sixteen years’ worth.”

“Are you sure you’re from a noble family? That’s a pitiful amount. Even if your cultivation method is inefficient, it’s like you’ve never had an elixir in your life.”

Some noble families independently produced their own elixirs. Among the seven families of the Lilian Kingdom, four created and consumed their own. Producing elixirs required astronomical wealth and technology, which the Sefira family couldn’t even dream of.

“Even if we had elixirs, I wouldn’t be able to take them. I have three older brothers ahead of me. And even if my turn came, I would give it to Cherbyl. That’s the right thing to do.”

“Cherbyl? Who’s that?”

“Oh, you probably wouldn’t know him, Keter. He’s the youngest in our family. He’s studying abroad in the Samael Empire. He’s a real genius—probably even more so than you.”

“I don’t care about people who aren’t here. Anyway, Taragon, this won’t do.”

“Won’t do? What won’t?”

“I was going to give this to Anis, but...”

Keter stepped closer to Taragon, glanced around, then pulled a small glass bottle from his pocket. Inside, a crystalline pellet gleamed like ice.

Pop!

When Keter opened the lid, a crisp, refreshing scent wafted out, making Taragon’s eyes widen.

“K-Keter, is this—?”

“You’ve probably never had one, but you can guess, right? Yeah, it’s an elixir. And not just any elixir—this is top-tier!”

“...!”

“Ever heard of the secret elixir of the Browning duchy in the north, the Pure Spirit Pellet?”

“A P-Pure Spirit Pellet? This is

the

Pure Ice Pellet?”

Every year, a single drop of water condensed with the essence of water and ice dropped in an underground ice cave tens of thousands of years old. The Pure Spirit Pellet was an elixir crafted from only that.

“Just one of these can grant you five years’ worth of aura for free. Plus, it purifies the impurities in your existing aura. That means the density and purity of your aura will improve drastically.”

Gulp.

Taragon swallowed hard, unable to take his eyes off the elixir.

“You’re giving this to me? Thank you!”

Whoosh!

Taragon, ever impulsive, reached out to grab it, but his hand only grasped empty air.

Of course, Keter had pulled his hand back.

Taragon leaned forward, and Keter pushed him away.

“I’ll give it to you—if you’re willing to buy it.”

“What?!”

“What do you mean, ‘what?!’ Did you really think I would just hand it over for free?”

Keter rubbed his fingers together, signaling money.

“It’s for sale.”