Chapter 141: Favorite Uncle

Chapter 141: Favorite Uncle

Chapter 141 - Favorite Uncle

Why? What are you planning? Moui peered down at him with a stubborn frown.

So, thats a yes, Kai grinned. I knew I could count on you, Uncle. Come on, lets go, you need to show me your wonderful skills.

Not waiting for a response, Kai strolled into the Veeryd jungle humming a happy tune. With a heavy sigh, a second set of steps followed behind. His smile grew larger.

Glad you can still see reason. You had me worried for a moment.

Do you know a quiet place where you can show me your skills?

Follow me, Moui grumbled and marched off the trail into the thick vegetation, uncaring of any shrubbery or branch in his way.

Kai followed the path the lumbering hunter opened. Im sure were going to have the best time together.

The outskirts of the jungle around Sylspring were the home ground of gatherers, whether professionals or people wanting to make ends meet with herbs and small game.

Awakened beasts preferred the higher mana regions deeper in, and large predators had long been hunted out of the outskirts. The main danger was getting lost or bitten by a venomous creature, as safe as it got inside Veeryd.

Uncle, what kind of skill do you use to keep critters away? Does it use mana?

No fly buzzed around them. Kai had managed to recreate a similar effect by projecting his mana presence, though it never worked quite as well. Observing the blinding figure with Mana Sense, Kai tried to use Mana Echo, but the skill couldnt latch onto anything.

Is it because I cant copy that skill or am I doing something wrong?

Moui glanced over his shoulder. Its a passive effect of a profession skill to heighten or hide my presence inside the jungle.

Im not sure if that counts as a mana construct or a casting. Maybe if I knew exactly what to look for.

At Yellow in both race and profession, Mouis twin network shone with blinding light. Being incredibly intricate on top also didnt help. His Mana Sense was high enough to observe the main pathways, but he quickly lost himself in the myriad of branching channels thinner than a hair.

At least I can look without getting a headache now.

Hed need a month just to figure out the flows of mana, as for understanding what any of that meant or how it worked

Id have better luck trying to reinvent astrophysics.

Are you going to tell me why you need to observe my skills? Moui asked, the scowl fading.

With a mysterious smile, Kai answered just as the hunter was about to open his mouth again. I want to try to copy them with my profession skill. Teasing was an art that required balance.

A broken branch crunched under his boot, breaking the silence, his eyes bulged in disbelief. You can copy my skills?

Well, as long as they use mana, probably? Hopefully. Im still trying to figure out how it works. Kai beamed at him. Thats why I need my favorite Uncle's help.

Why didnt you ask me that directly? Moui said with exasperation. I was beginning to think that you it doesnt matter. Next time, just tell me if you need help.

That you what? And where would be the fun in that anyway?

And thats why youre my favorite uncle.

Im your only uncle.

One does not exclude the other, Kai said with a cheeky smile.

Moui shook his head in exasperation. Hurry up.

The hunter increased his pace. Though he wasnt technically running, he might as well have been. Each stride took three of his own to keep up. Kai scampered after him, too proud to run.

Youre just taking advantage of my shorter legs.

Climbing up a rocky cliff covered in moss, Kai seriously wondered if the hunter was just leading him through the thickest greenery and mud pits for fun.

A mile back was already enough.

The low mana density told him they were still in the outskirts, but there were no signs anyone passed by here in quite a while. No broken branches, trails, or harvest plants to show the passage of the gatherers. Kai doubted anyone had come this way more than once a year. And they were both able to perceive anyone who came near them anyway.

Pushing a branch out of his face, he hid his relief as Moui finally stopped. The place before him offered enough of a distraction. There were no clearings or meadows in the Veeryd jungleapart from those people createdthough this must be as close as it got.

The high trees gave way to small wet shrubberies as the ground sloped gently toward a pond with a creek feeding into it. An orange frog jumped into the water with a panicked croak, its bright form hiding beneath the lily pads.

You dont need to make a full draw.

I know. Nocking the arrow so the fletching wouldnt brush the bow when he released, Kai soon discovered that no, it wasnt fine. It was like trying to bend an iron bar, his muscles strained with effort, barely drawing back a palm.

I told you. We can go ask Kea to lend hers.

Empower surged through his arms allowing him to draw halfway through. See. I. Can. Do. it. Kai gritted teeth.

You should lower your elbow, keep your back straight, eyes on the target, not on me, you need to draw with your shoulders, not your arms Moui fell into teaching mode, correcting his posture.

Nope. Once was enough. Im happy with my sword.

Letting his profession skill take the lead, mana slowly wrapped around the arrow like layers of tape. The difference with Mouis Piercing Shot was glaring. Though he couldnt tell how much exactly since the arrow missed the tree and buried itself deep into the ground.

Lucky you. Want to switch places?

You need to be firm when you release the arrow, dont let your finger brush the string. Try again, Moui gave him another arrow.

Its fine, Piercing Shot worked. Dont you have another skill I can copy?

Not many that I can use for twenty minutes straight, and testing needs to be done properly, Moui patted him on the head. Dont worry no one is good the first time they use a bow.

Great.

With his calm and reasonable words, Moui gave him no excuse to refuse.

Can you explain how your skill works? the hunter generously offered. Profession skills can be tricky to master.

Its called Mana Echo

Kai had to admit he wasnt an expert on the topic. He could probably figure it out by himself, but it'd be much faster with his Uncle's help and experience. Praying the spirits to be merciful, he resigned himself to his second lesson of archery.

Maybe this time itll go better.

The first test was to measure their shots against each other. Moui could draw the bow like him and shoot from the same distance. They just needed to hit the same tree. It took Kai three tries before his arrow planted itself into a trunknot the one he had been aiming at.

Going second, Moui hit a palm from his. His shot barely penetrated a few fingers into the bark, while the hunters was halfway through.

Perfect, lets move on to another skill, Kai smiled brightly. He had never expected a copy to be as good as the original. Especially since he didnt push Mana Echo beyond the minimum threshold to make a copy.

Dont be hasty, Moui observed the two arrows with a thoughtful look. We need to see how hard youd hit without my copied skill.

I fine. One more.

I guess thats reasonable. It'll be useful to see how much a copied skill helped.

If he had to suffer this humiliation, he might as well do it properly. After some tries, his arrow finally hit a trunk, planting itself only half as deep of what he had achieved using the echo.

Done. Now we know.

You said you could improve the quality of your copies, Moui all-too-reasonably said. Do you know how much? Piercing Shot is an easy skill to measure the difference.

There was no smirk on his tanned face, nor amusement in his dark green eyes, but Kai knew this wasnt a coincidence.

I underestimated you. Im glad my lessons did not fall on deaf ears, young padawan

By the time they walked outside Veeryd, the sun was kissing the horizon beyond the jungle. His arms and back were strained. Spirits knew how sore hed be in the morning.

Worse of all, Kai couldnt really be mad. One reasonable suggestion after another, Moui helped him figure out more of Mana Echo working than he could have managed alone. The three new levels in his status taunted himlevel 6, while Gifted Novice went up to 3.

Observing Piercing Shot for longer helped, but the return quickly worsened. While the gap could be shrunk, his echoes would likely always be less effective and cost more mana than the original. There was also good news though.

After looking at several of Mouis skills for hours, he had figured out a fundamental piece of Mana Echoes. Initially, Kai had thought he should have let the profession skill work on its own. How wrong he had been. While spending more time copying Piercing Shot helped, the true key to improving his copies was understanding.

The more he understood what was going on, the faster and more effective his echoes were. When he finally started to wonder how, where and why mana threads wove that way, the copy drastically improved.

Dont sulk, it was good training. Moui patted him again.

Im not Kai pressed his lips together.

This isnt over.

Trying to avoid his uncle's eyes, Kai noticed a man watching. The look was brief, but something was off about him. Like many other farmers, the guy sat in a chair in the middle of his field. He glanced at each person who walked out of Veeryd. Eyes too sharp for somebody at the end of a hard day of work.