162 AOTL (1/2)

Before Wallace could fully comprehend the new forging method. For now, it was just a lump of information in his brain. He first had to learn the Secret Arts.

Only a couple of minutes had passed for him to fully absorb the surge of information coming from the crystal. He now had time to analyze all some things that was put into his brain.

'The memory crystal was arranged to last for just three days. That should be the time limit for the examination but this timeframe they gave was too short... Sigh~ They just wanted for us to work all day in this room, huh.' Wallace concluded after calming his thoughts.

After being surprised from his discovery about the possibility of sixth generation mana artifacts, he realized that the country was still full of mystery to him.

There were still a lot of things he hadn't discovered about this world even with his Avalon. This made him even more hopeful about creating more powerful objects in the future. After all,  he didn't plan to build a spaceship, mech frames, or other superior technology devices that was only fully based with advanced science.

He had wanted to integrate magic to science and his Ravencroft Printer was currently his best sample followed by his Combat Simulator Pod.

'Anyway, as long as I completed this task within three days, they would most likely give us something to retain our memory. After all, once I became Sir Slaine's apprentice, he would still teach us the complete Secret Arts and this new forging method was probably the biggest reward once we passed the examination.' Wallace thought which perfectly made sense. Everyone was aware that Sir Slaine's apprentices would be allowed to practice Awakening of Thunder and Lightning. The first apprentice, Lacus Minerva, was a living proof for this. But for the second, third, and fourth apprentices, they weren't active or it can be said that they are not registering their creations for some reason. There were only rumors about their artifacts that were barely being seen to the public.

Wallace sit on top of his bed to start practicing the breathing technique. He also didn't forget to compile a bit of information about this Secret Arts for the A.I. as his backup.

[ Awakening of Thunder and Lightning ]

[ Also known as A.O.T.L, is a Secret Arts belonging to the Cloud Hawks Manor's Grand Arcanist, Slaine Allusia. The AOTL is the only one from the 3 known Secret Arts that allows the user to focus on the manipulation of the thunder and lightning using a unique circulation method of mana or also called as a breathing method. The breathing method of AOTL amplifies the presence of the metal element of mana in the atmosphere and collides it with a medium, creating lightning. AOTL had long evolved and no longer constrained with traditional movements and forms and has instead been taught so that each successor could incorporate AOTL into their own styles as a way to advance the art.

The method to awaken or learn the AOTL depends on how the user incorporates it to their body.

Essentially, the AOTL uses the ”quality, not quantity” approach, as the Secret Art relies on having a very refined and pure Mana even if not much in amount, instead of enormous quantity of unrefined Mana. The breathing method is the key to purifying the Mana to be used, similar to how only pure uranium can be used to create an atomic explosion ( Wallace's own comprehension ).

Included in the memory was a simpler statement that explains the Secret Arts breathing process. It needed Mana within the Mana Pool of a magician and Mana from the outside and then turns them like negative and positive charges which are then collided.

The focal point of breathing is inhaling of outside Mana (negative charge) and exhaling of Mana from the Mana Pool (positive charge).

To learn this method, a tough body was required. During Sir Slaine's Arcana Test, the metal element's presence in the examinee's body was further enhanced allowing everyone to have an easier time learning the breathing method that normally takes half a year. ]

Wallace summarizes the information about the AOTL. Unfortunately, he used a loophole during the examination so his body didn't received that metal enhancement in his body.

'So that was actually some kind of enhancement. I thought that it was just a torture. I should've worked harder instead and bear the pressure.' Wallace thought but there was no point regretting the past so he could only start practicing the breathing method.

The method heavily relies on the practitioner's good control in their bodily functions so he had to fully concentrate in order to achieve any significant progress in this breathing method.

***

It was tiring. Six hours had already passed but Wallace couldn't maintain the correct rhythm.

'What's missing? I followed all the instructions...' Wallace thought for a while and suddenly had an idea

'No, maybe it's not that I'm missing something but I just needed time to practice it and be more natural.'

To be able to tell whether the breathing method was mastered or not wasn't just to complete a single correct cycle of inhaling and exhaling mana but it must be to the point that you can complete the perfect cycle unconsciously.

However, Wallace was too conscious whenever he completed the cycle and it reaches to the point that he notices everything. Everything in terms of the changes within his body.

Being sensitive about any abnormal changes within the body might be good in some other time, but Wallace doesn't want that at the moment as his concentration was being loss.