Amelia wasn't about to let James settle into comfort. "You pulled that off once," she said, "but in a real battle, you won't have time to think about rune placement—you'll have to layer them instinctively."
She gestured toward Claire, who activated another rune, its glow shifting as the shadows around them deepened.
"This time," Amelia continued, "you'll fight multiple opponents—and you won't know what's coming next."
James gripped his bow, heart pounding. He barely had time to recover from the last fight, and now he was being thrown into a more unpredictable battle.
From the glowing rune, two shadow beasts emerged, their forms shifting—one sleek and fast, the other heavy and armored.
James instantly analyzed their differences. A basic rune wouldn't cut it—he'd need to adjust his inscriptions mid-fight or risk losing control.
The sleek beast dashed forward, moving in erratic patterns. The armored one advanced slower but carried sheer force—if it got too close, a single hit could end the fight instantly.
James took a breath—no time to hesitate.
He etched a speed rune onto his first arrow, knowing it would help against the fast-moving beast. The second arrow—he layered a piercing rune, hoping it would crack through the heavy armor of the other.
Then—he fired.
The first arrow streaked forward, but the sleek beast twisted mid-step, dodging at the last moment.
James cursed under his breath—his rune worked, but the enemy was more unpredictable than he expected.
The armored beast lunged at him, forcing him to roll away, barely avoiding impact. He quickly inscribed another rune, but his focus was slipping—his layered runes weren't syncing properly under pressure.
Amelia didn't intervene—she was watching, waiting to see if he could adjust in real time.
James gritted his teeth, switching tactics. He merged two runes—speed and precision—onto a single arrow, guiding his arcane power carefully to keep them from clashing.
The moment he released it—the arrow flew perfectly, slicing through the air before striking the fast-moving beast dead center.
One down.
But the armored beast was still closing in fast.
James had seconds left to inscribe another rune before it reached him.
---
James gritted his teeth, gripping the last arrow in his quiver. He had seconds before the armored beast would reach him—too close for any mistakes.
A third rune.
It was dangerous. Too many layers could lead to unstable energy, and if it collapsed, the arrow might explode prematurely—or worse, backfire.
But he had no other choice.
He worked fast, carving the impact rune onto the shaft alongside the piercing and speed runes, his arcane power weaving through all three inscriptions.
The arrow hummed, energy fluctuating wildly, threatening to break apart under its own pressure.
The beast lunged.
James released.
The arrow streaked forward, the runes activating in sequence—first speed, making it nearly impossible to dodge.
Then piercing, ensuring it cut through the thick armor.
Finally—impact.
The arrow hit, sinking deep into the beast's plated chest—and then the explosion followed.
A shockwave blasted outward, cracking the ground beneath it, sending the beast hurtling backward, its form shattering into mist like the first.
James stumbled, breath ragged, arms shaking from the energy still thrumming in his veins.
Silence.
Then—Amelia let out a low whistle. "Reckless," she said. "But effective."
Claire crossed her arms. "I thought that arrow was going to explode before it even left your bow."
James let out a tired laugh, running a hand through his hair. "So did I."
Amelia nodded, satisfied. "You proved you can layer three runes—but that doesn't mean you should rely on it every time. We'll need to refine the technique so you're not forcing unstable energy through sheer luck."
James grinned, still catching his breath. He had pushed his limits—and survived.
But now came the real challenge—mastering what he had barely controlled.
---
James **stumbled slightly**, his body aching not from physical injury—but from **arcane exhaustion**.
He had forced **three layered runes** into a single shot, and while the technique had worked, the aftermath was hitting him hard. His **arcane power reserves were dangerously low**, leaving a deep fatigue clawing at his senses.
Amelia noticed instantly. "You **overexerted** yourself," she said, crossing her arms. "If you keep doing that, you won't last in a real fight."
Claire stepped closer, studying him with a mix of curiosity and concern. "You need to recharge, or your next fight is going to be sloppy at best—or fatal at worst."
James exhaled, nodding. He could feel it—a dull throbbing in his core, the residual strain of forcing unstable energy through his inscriptions.
Amelia sighed, rolling her shoulders. "Fine. We'll give you time to recover—but when you're ready, we're moving straight into combat application training."
James glanced up. "What kind of combat applications?"
Amelia smirked. "Different enemies require different rune setups. It's time you learned which runes work best against which types of opponents."
She pointed toward the field. "You handled speed and armor separately—but what happens when you fight something that shifts between both? Or an enemy immune to impact force? If you don't know how to adjust runes mid-battle, you'll be dead before you even realize your mistake."
James exhaled, exhaustion clear—but determination sharper than ever.
"Give me a few hours," he muttered. "Then we start."
Claire nodded. "Good. We'll prepare the test while you get your strength back."
James sat down near the old wooden post at the edge of the orphanage yard, feeling his arcane power slowly recovering.
He had barely scratched the surface of true mastery—but if combat adaptability was the next lesson, he knew one thing for sure—it was only going to get harder from here.
---
James took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't afford to waste his recovery time. His arcane power was slowly recovering, but instead of just resting passively, he decided to prepare—ensuring he wasn't walking into the next combat test blind.
He gathered a few old rune-inscribed parchments from Amelia's belongings, flipping through them carefully. The texts described various rune combinations, detailing how certain inscriptions enhanced others—or outright clashed if layered incorrectly.
A rune for velocity paired well with one for trajectory correction, creating highly accurate projectiles.
But a rune for pure impact force, if stacked with unstable kinetic energy, could detonate prematurely—something he had nearly experienced in his last fight.
James absorbed the knowledge quickly, marking down notes in his mind. Every battle required different inscriptions, different layering techniques. He couldn't simply rely on instinct forever—he had to refine his approach.
At the same time, he forced himself to relax, letting his arcane power fully stabilize before the next encounter. If he rushed too fast, his energy would remain erratic, affecting his ability to inscribe runes accurately in combat.
Hours passed, and as twilight settled over the orphanage, James finally stood, stretching out his limbs. His energy was fully restored, his mind sharp, prepared.
Amelia noticed the change immediately. "You ready?" she asked, adjusting her gloves.
James nodded. "Let's do this."
She smirked. "Good. Because this time, we're not holding back."
Claire activated the rune at the edge of the open area, and three enemies took shape—each unique, each requiring different rune adaptations.
James gripped his bow tighter, pulse steady.
---