Over the course of the next three weeks, I was trained by Andrew on how to better control my Aura and how to clearly distinguish it from Mana.
At the start, I felt that the process was actually really easy, after all, once I got the hang of it, telling apart mana from aura was relatively easy.
But I was wrong.
Although it became easier for me to bring out mana and aura separately, the true hard part was telling them apart when they were both outside my body and/or were used with the purple flames of my profession skill.
Not only that, Andrew saw fit, on the topic of Aura, to start training my body even further.
This was not exactly a bad idea, but it was surely taxing, considering that I was already training my body before.
With all of this, it was expected that in about a month, my Strength Stat would increase to F-, as it happened to my Stamina Stat a few days ago.
Which meant that I was making great progress.
But today, I was finally going to train to improve my control and use of my profession skills.
"Okay, so today the focus is for you to try to create as many items as you can, the fewer similarities they have, the better, and if you can do multiple at once, do so."
With Andrew's order to go ahead, I went just ahead to do so.
Focusing my mind on my profession skill [Cosmic Forge (SS)], I tried to divide my mind into visualizing as many different objects as I could.
If I didn't want to make sloppy work, I could at best do two different objects, maybe three if I focused hard enough. But considering that I still wanted to save enough mental energy to work out the details, which required a manual control over both the mana and aura in the cosmic energy used in the forging process, it was better to go for just two objects.
'Since I can only do two objects, I will try to make them as different as possible.'
The first one he decided to be a knife, not just because of its similarities with a sword but also due to its smaller form. The second one he decided to create was a streetlamp.
Both shapes were relatively simple if one just recreated the lamp and not its functionality, as that would require constructing its inner workings, which I was completely oblivious about.
As I took control of the cosmic energy, I started by making two spheres, of different sizes, out of it. Breathing in deeply, I started shaping them into the desired forms.
The smaller orb was meant for the knife. I shaped the blade and then the handle.
The bigger orb was left for the streetlamp. I shaped the contours of the streetlamps I was most familiar with, a.k.a., the ones from the rich district of the city, the fancy ones.
I then gave the shapes and parts the properties of the materials they were composed off.
This was easier than I thought it would be, with my knowledge of smithing, knowing what each material was capable of was a given.
Soon the purple light of the cosmic energy dissipated, revealing the two objects.
The streetlamp fell loudly between me and Andrew, some glass shards scattering. The knife, however, was caught mid-air by my great Instructor.
"There are some details that need working on. Although the shapes are well done and the materials are spot-on, there are still some flaws."
He approached, pointing at the blade of the knife.
"Because the streetlamp had that particular curve and was not meant to be sharp, the knife ended up dull in certain parts of the edge."
He then pointed at a specific edge of the lamp.
"While there are parts of the lamp that are unusually sharp. Overall, it's pretty great. Let's try different objects and minimize the flaws. After that, we should try to increase the speed of the creation and the number of creations at a time."
That was a flaw that was not inherent to the skill but to the user. It was easy to understand, just like a person finds it hard to spin their hands in different directions or make their two hands draw different objects. I couldn't completely distinguish the two objects when creating them, forcing parts of both to be shared.
The sharpness of the blade and the curve of the dull streetlamp. In a situation where I needed to create two different objects, or two different swords, let alone more than just two objects, such a flaw could be my undoing.
But such a flaw could be overcome with training.
And training I did.
From then on, Andrew forced me into a tight schedule of forming objects, none of them were easy and took a great toll on my mind. Two vastly different objects. Various similar objects. Objects that he had never seen and sometimes ever heard about.
And slowly, I was getting better at it.
From creating a cotton ball at the same time as a rubber duck to creating up to seven longswords of perfect quality. As well as creating a couch based on a very vague description from Andrew, although I was pretty sure that he took it for himself.
I just can't prove it. Yet.
And after completing this milestone, a new challenge approached.
"Changing of an object while creating it?"
From an outsider's point of view, my [Cosmic Forge] seemed to be simply the conjuration of objects, however, I needed to go through the same process that smiths and artisans went through in the production of an item. I couldn't just change it midway, could I?
"Yes, by utilizing your other skill's flames to change them mid-forgery."
Is that even possible?
It's not like I'm questioning if I'm capable of using two skills at once, that I know I can. I was wondering if I can even use the [Cosmic Forge's Flame] to change the properties and shape of an object that hasn't been created yet.
"It should be possible. More often than not, profession skills that have a certain external condition, like just working on an object or only working at night, can bypass these rules when applied to their user or other profession skills. So, yes, it should work."
I pondered for a moment. There were skills like that, weren't there? Both the main characters and others had such skills.
Even if Novel Marcus was never shown doing this, it didn't mean that he wasn't capable of it. And that meant it didn't mean that I couldn't either.
And so I tried.
I visualized the object that I was most familiar with, a sword. Bit by bit, the mass of cosmic energy that appeared on my hand slowly took shape.
Midway, I activated [Cosmic Forge's Flames] and directed the azure and crimson flames towards the still-forging sword. The flames merely revolved around the unfinished object, not yet put to use.
With a simple mental note, the flames merged, forming the familiar purple flames. Soon, the parts of the sword that I had already finished started changing, those being the crossguard and the blade. I then changed them to fit a saber instead of the traditional longsword.
Soon the purple flames dissipated, revealing the finished product.
A saber with a longsword handle.
It wasn't a huge difference, an unbeknownst spectator might say that this sword was just a saber with a slightly different crossguard.
"See, I told you it was possible. With this you can change things midway in case you think something else is needed in the battle."
Picking up the saber and swinging it a few times, he turned around, away from me.
"You see, versatility is extremely important. Your profession gives you great amounts of versatility, and the amount of different things you are learning with your family gives you even more versatility. But, you see, a battlefield changes with every move, every step, every swing, and every spell. They all change the battle. Someone with such a big arsenal must know what to use, when to use it, and why."
He turned to me once again, his face serious.
Suddenly, flames ignited from his left fist, lightning coursed through the saber, and the various wooden weapons in the racks started floating. The changes did not stop there.
A third eye opened on his forehead, and his skin turned grayish as it hardened.
"Now I will teach you what I was truly hired to teach you. How to use your versatility."
That was it, Andrew was activating various skills that he had copied over his career. I could recognize them as some of the skills he had used in the novel.
[Flame Fist (B)]
[Lighting Enhancement (C)]
[Third Eye of the Calm Mind (S)]
[Telekinesis (D)]
[Ironskin (B)]
"Come at me and use all your arsenal, as best as you can."
********
Author's Note: One more chapter, hope you like it, please comment you opinion
Check out my other Novel: Unsealed Demonic Dragon goes to the Academy