Chapter 17: Three Worthless Arts
"And this second one, Iron Palm Art."
Dusk clicked his tongue.
"You train it by plunging your hands into heated iron sand. It is practically a Warrior Path Art. The problem is that the method written in this book is so outdated that its efficiency is terrible."
"Terrible?"
"Modern Warrior Path Arts strengthen the entire body evenly. This one simply burns and hardens a single part, such as the palms. Few people prefer such a crude method."
Dusk shook his head.
"The time required is another problem. According to the manual, you need to repeat this foolish training for at least ten years before seeing any real achievement."
He tapped the words Beginner Volume printed beneath the title.
"And this is only the introductory section. There are probably more stages after it. Imagine spending ten years thrusting your hands into hot sand only to complete the introduction. I would not even consider wasting my time on it."
Elliott swallowed.
A tedious and inefficient training method that required ten years of repeated practice.
In other words, it provided an almost endless supply of safe attempts.
'Still, ten years is a long time. Even with Infinite Proficiency, wouldn't this take several years?'
Finally, Dusk picked up Intangible Sword.
"This is an Arcane Spell that imitates a sword edge with the bare hand."
"A sword edge?"
"Yes. It seems to have been created by a fairly promising Adept Order, so the manual itself is remarkably complete."
Dusk gave a bitter smile.
"The problem is its absurd difficulty. Its power is not impressive enough to justify that difficulty either. That is why no one pays attention to it."
Elliott looked puzzled.
"If the manual is complete, surely someone must have attempted to learn it."
"Many did. The circulation method is so twisted and complicated that most wasted years without mastering it. Eventually, the headaches became unbearable and they gave up."
Dusk continued.
"The structure seems intended for geniuses or highly skilled Adepts. But why would people of that level bother with something like this? They have access to better and stronger secret arts."
It was a tragic Spell Manual with no appeal to anyone.
It offered nothing to geniuses, while ordinary people had no chance of mastering it.
"That is why no one wants it. It has no market value, so it was thrown into this dusty corner."
After finishing his explanation, Dusk pushed the three manuals toward Elliott.
"What do you think? All three are either impossibly difficult or nearly impossible to complete, but they should not damage your body."
"They are certainly interesting."
"You don't like them? I know a few useful techniques with reliable power, though I cannot guarantee their safety."
A deep smile spread across Elliott's face.
Didn't like them?
Nothing could be further from the truth.
A projectile spell that could not be fired.
A laborious art that required ten years of repetition.
A complex problem that no one had managed to solve.
Combined with Infinite Proficiency, these manuals were no different from treasures that continuously produced wealth.
"Thank you for the offer, but these will be enough."
"You truly intend to study them?"
Dusk looked unable to understand him.
Was Elliott seriously planning to learn a half-finished Arcane Spell, along with an Iron Palm Art that required ten years merely to finish its introductory stage?
Elliott ran a hand over the covers.
"One man's trash is another man's treasure. What others cast aside may be exactly what I need."
Dusk let out a low sound of amazement.
Elliott sounded as though he possessed a firm philosophy of his own.
However, to a seasoned Mercenary like Dusk, it seemed more like youthful stubbornness dressed in impressive words.
'He has skill, but he seems strangely stubborn.'
Continuing to argue would no longer be advice. It would be interference.
They were not family. They had only traded medicine once. There was no reason to create hostility over Elliott's personal choices.
"Haha, impressive. You intend to walk a path no one else will."
Dusk concealed his thoughts and smiled along with him.
"You saved me a great deal of effort. Thank you."
"It was nothing. Take your time. I have my own business to attend to."
Dusk gave a brief bow and returned to the shelves he had been examining.
The surroundings became quiet again.
Elliott gathered the three manuals and sat in an isolated corner.
He opened Finger Bolt, Incomplete Edition first.
'I paid ten mana stones to enter. I should get everything I can from the fee.'
Taking the book outside would cost additional money.
He had not brought paper or a quill to copy it either.
The most profitable choice was to memorize the entire contents here.
The manual was thin.
Its opening section described how to draw Mana from the Mana Core and guide it through the arm's Mana Channels toward the tip of the index finger.
As Dusk had said, the later pages had been torn away, leaving only ragged marks.
'Without the release method, this is little more than a crossbow without a trigger.'
It did not matter.
His goal was failure. There was no reason to worry about firing it.
Elliott followed the Mana Formula written in the book, closed his eyes, and steadied his breathing.
He drew up the faint Mana within his Mana Core.
It moved through his arm, passed his wrist, and gathered at the tip of his index finger.
A faint vibration spread through the air as his fingertip grew hot.
'There.'
But that was as far as it went.
Unable to find a way out, the gathered Mana circled aimlessly before dispersing without strength.
A weak crackle sounded.
Ding!
[Acquisition failed!]
[Mana dispersed due to the incomplete formula.]
[Trait, Infinite Proficiency, activated!]
[Proficiency greatly increased!]
[Understanding of Finger Bolt, Incomplete, has increased.]
[Novice: 3%]
A faint understanding of Finger Bolt's Mana circulation entered his mind.
"As expected, it doesn't work."
Elliott had briefly hoped that the system might complete the missing technique through its correction.
The system remained indifferent.
It had only increased his proficiency in the incomplete version of Finger Bolt.
Elliott clicked his tongue.
'That is still useful.'
He might be learning only an incomplete technique for now, but things could change once his proficiency reached its limit.
He had learned the properties of Bloodwort by repeatedly burning it. If he completely mastered the process of gathering Mana, he might eventually discover the missing release method on his own.
Elliott closed the Finger Bolt manual without hesitation.
He had memorized its contents and experienced its circulation method. He could continue practicing it alone later.
Two manuals remained.
Intangible Sword and Iron Palm Art.
Elliott reached for Intangible Sword without hesitation.
Training Iron Palm Art required heated iron sand or a container filled with medicinal ingredients.
It was not something he could attempt here with no preparation.
"Let's examine Intangible Sword first."
Elliott opened the worn cover.
Dense lines of writing filled the first page.
[To shape Mana into a sword, draw it from the Mana Core, divide it between the Front Mana Channel and Spinal Mana Channel, reverse both currents, and open the Mana Node in the palm at the same time...]
"What is this nonsense?"
Elliott nearly cursed aloud.
Dusk had not exaggerated.
An ordinary manual would explain each step clearly.
Intangible Sword presented a tangled problem and expected the reader to solve it with no guidance.
Circulating Mana normally was difficult enough. This technique demanded that he reverse and divide it at the same time.
Was he supposed to tie his Mana Channels into a knot?
'No wonder no one learns this.'
This was not an art intended for geniuses.
The person who created it must simply have been deranged.
Instead of closing the book, Elliott smiled.
'Good. I like it.'
The more complicated it was, the more opportunities there were to make mistakes.
He closed his eyes and immediately attempted to twist his Mana according to the instructions.
Elliott squeezed a small amount of Mana from his Mana Core and drew it upward through his chest.
Near his collarbone, he divided it into two currents.
One moved left.
The other moved right.
A sharp pain pierced his head.
The divided currents collided inside his chest and burst apart.
Elliott suppressed a groan and clutched his chest.
Ding!
[Acquisition failed!]
[Mana circulation became tangled. Mental energy has been consumed.]
[Trait, Infinite Proficiency, activated!]
[Proficiency greatly increased!]
[Understanding of Intangible Sword has increased.]
[Novice: 1%]
It had been only one attempt, yet his mind throbbed as though he had spent the entire night solving an impossible puzzle.
'So this is what Dusk meant when he said the price of failure was mental exhaustion rather than physical injury.'
His body had not suffered Arcane Deviation, but his head felt as though it might split open.
An ordinary person would have tried twice, cursed the technique, and thrown the book away.
Elliott pressed his fingers against his temples and straightened his posture once more.
"This is manageable."
A headache could be endured.
What mattered was that the tangled threads of Mana had loosened slightly after that single failure.
'Again.'