Master Of None

As Gil was working, he sat down looking at the last fifty arrows he had fired. Every single time he had tried different stances he would normally utilize in a battle. The flow of a fight would always change the angles and stances needed. It was the same with how the high elven dagger technique came together. Different styles together allowed for better fighting.

Each elemental style of wielding the daggers was major. The wind style allowed for a faster attack that would pierce vital points, basically a focus on the weakest points in an opponent. Whereas the earth style would allow for deflection and clocking using the daggers. It was ideal when facing an opponent with some strength or even with a slightly faster speed than the wielder of the dagger.

The same was for each of the elven dagger styles that came back together for the high elven dagger style. It gathered the manas equally from all the forms taken within the style that would have helped each affinity elf gather mana for their attacks. By doing so it allowed for more powerful overall strokes and defenses empowering the body overall and the style specifically.

Because of this, if someone mastered a basic all rounder dagger style and mastered the high elven dagger style, the high elven dagger style would win. It was more optimized for the flow of mana and the assimilation of those manas together to strengthen the entire style and user.

The issue with translating that potential in to an archery technique was that the bows would need to handle the pressure of the added manas. They were mixed manas which would cause more stress than would be normal on the bows.

In terms of bow styles, there were an endless number of them that the elves had made through the years. The swift bow technique that was used to fire arrows rapidly was an arrow technique often used with wind elemental arrows or for an archane archer with the wind affinity necessary it would be used to fight arrows faster. That alien was enough to be one step in making the high elven archery technique.

Where the challenge came even further was that each arrow was damaged differently by each elemental mana added to the arrow. Let alone when there were multiple manas within the same arrow, that would cause the arrow to break sometimes before it even reached the target or when it was still touching the bow itself.

This left Gil with a lot of damaged and broken basic arrows and more than just a few broken bows. Therefore, he had nothing to show except for the theory that he would mix more and more of the different bow techniques he had learned. And he had learned a significant number while he began to learn more about the entire elven race.

Now he was in a position where all that learning and teaching was paying off more and more because he was seeing the gaps in what he knew and how to teach it all better.

”The issue is not just stability in the mana absorbed or the balance. The techniques put too much pressure on the arrows and the bows.” Gil sighed since he was doing the best he could to avoid needing specialized arrows and bows for this technique. He could say that he didn’t need such things for the high elven dagger technique but he knew that wasn’t true either.

He had been sure that the weakest daggers produced with the cheapest materials did not and could not survive the high elven dagger technique due to the mana. However, the higher quality daggers without affinities or runes could manage to survive being used under the pressure since the body acted as the focus on the manas. The skills would be applied using those mana so the mana didn’t gather only in the dagger.

The issue he saw as he practiced the stances and firing an arrow trying to replicate the same feelings he had when using the high elven dagger technique proved to show he was not gathering mana around his body. It was all gathering in the bow and transferring to the arrow in a rush.

If he used high quality bows and arrows it would be a perfectly fire technique to teach the elites. The issue with that was he would not be able to teach it to everyone. An elite already had an ingrained and trained technique they had used for many years, having them stop that technique would be detrimental to their growth rather than helpful.

He also knew very well that he could not force the mana to go to his body and the stances without the technique losing its flow and being more like the dagger style he had been using. Meaning he had to adjust every single piece of the technique he was making or else he would lose the goal entirely.

”Are you going to give up?” Gil had expected he would be in hot water still so when he heard Alma’s voice he was somewhat shocked. ”What? Didn’t hear me coming because you were way too focused for the last three days straight?” She was smirking a little. Her eyes said she was glad he had returned but there was a slight glimmer of frustration since he had immediately isolated himself. She knew his goals but she wanted to have him back to helping the people sooner than later.

Therefore, she had found the time to watch and hear what some of her guards had mentioned he was doing. When she had the chance, she snuck here and decided that an outside point of view might give him a little encouragement. Plus, she was sure he would be waiting to see her too.

”Maybe you should try and actually fight like you would normally, instead of trying to cut and assemble techniques without actually using them fully? It looks like you are trying to break things while you move instead of using them as intended.” This was something that Gil would not have seen for his perspective.

While part of him screamed he should leap up and act as a husband to Alma as he was, he also understood he might get in a bit more trouble by doing so and tossing aside his current work. If he managed this he would be able to show her the fruits of his labor while also greeting her properly later. But, he did understand the point she was making.

His movements were focused on the highest pressure the technique would be under. The denser mana that would be drawn to it, and even the fact that when he was at his strength he would be pushing the bow and arrows to the limit. He wasn’t considering that an archer first using this technique in the earliest form, would change weapons and arrows slowly but surely. That the mana and the strength behind each shot of the bow and arrow would not be enough even to be called powerful.

He was acting like everyone who used the technique he was making was already able to fight him in an all out battle. Not that a child would pick up the bow and slowly use it.

”You mean I am not making a technique for those working with bows and arrows now. I am making one for the next generation to learn about and grow with them.” He sighed loudly before he picked up the bow and adjusted his strength to the weakest he possibly could while trying to move through the motions.

The fluidity was nothing to be proud of. The strength behind the arrows also somewhat laughable. Yet, it all worked. He wasn’t drawing as much mana since he was assuming that anyone who used this technique would not understand manas or even the technique enough to draw on the manas with enough power. The basic starter bow and arrows would hold up since there was not enough understanding and strength to achieve what he was doing.

”I think I was getting too much in my own head. If you hadn’t-”

”I didn’t come here. I just happened to stop by. So make sure you bring a gift when you plan dinner.” Alma smirked even more before turning around and walking away. Gil noticed she had a few vines growing where she had stepped, proving she had learned a few new tricks about seeds she dropped here and there. She’d trained a lot too while he was away.

He also understood he had a lot to make up for without the fact that he also needed to help the elves a little more now that he was back. ”I guess I have a dinner to plan.” He laughed a bit while noticing a few more elven archers were finding places to peek at his training for some new tips and tricks.

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