Max repeated the process until his Mana was fully depleted; without Mana, he could not utilize his Inborn Skills.
He had to wait for his Mana to replenish, which would take some time. While waiting, he reflected upon the sensation he had experienced during his sword practice.
In essence, the laws were fixed. They could not be altered and did not differ from person to person. Thus, the steps to utilize Inborn Skills were identical for everyone.
However, according to general knowledge, the first step, Intent, simply meant the user possessed the desire to activate that particular Skill. Yet, for Max, this method did not work as intended.
'Could there be a different meaning to the first step of Intent? Could it be activated through multiple methods?'
Numerous questions surfaced in his mind after recalling that distinct sensation.
He could attempt to replicate it; it was not as if doing so went against the norms of the world. Ultimately, the end result simply required the Skill to be activated.
Max waited for five minutes before his Mana recovered enough to utilize the Skill again.
He planned to test his new findings.
Since he had felt the sensation when he used the first step with the intent to hurt the dummy, his intention here during Healing practice needed to be a positive one, a genuine desire to save the twig.
With his mindset adjusted, he readied himself, pouring all of his positive intent into replenishing the twig into a branch that had been freshly snapped just five minutes prior.
Following the successful execution of the second and third steps, Max maintained his intent for a brief moment.
Tick!
Suddenly, something shifted within his body.
He felt healing magic release from his palms and enter directly into the dry twig. Instantly, the twig began to transform from a withered state into a living one.
'It worked!'
Max exclaimed inwardly.
It had actually worked.
How could simply altering his intent activate the Skill? What kind of twisted logic was this?
As the healing magic continued to pour into the twig, the dull, brittle brown bark rapidly shifted into a vibrant, supple green.
Just as its freshness reached the halfway mark, the Skill was abruptly canceled; his Mana had been completely drained.
Max was highly satisfied with this progress.
By relying on this exact method, he could utilize every other Skill and slowly improve his strength.
While he was immersed in his joy, he suddenly received a notification, prompting him to open his status screen.
[Divine Miracle]
Skill Proficiency: 2%
Description: Instantly restores all injuries, removes all negative conditions, and fully replenishes the health of the target. The skill can only be used on a single target.
Max was surprised by this new change.
The moment he successfully utilized the Skill, the Skill Proficiency had automatically appeared. Although it currently displayed a mere 2%, the Skill's effect was highly efficient; within a short period of time, the entire nature of the twig had changed.
Quickly picking up the twig, Max walked toward the instructor.
Today's Healing practice was sufficient. He needed to test this exact same method in his other Classes.
"Ms. Frances, the result."
Max placed the half-replenished twig down before her.
Hearing this, Frances shifted her gaze, and her eyes instantly widened in surprise.
Noticing the scene, everyone who was practicing turned their eyes toward the twig resting on the table.
Everyone present knew that Max was a person of very average talent who had utilized the backdoor to join the academy. They possessed the pride of having worked hard to gain admission, and thus they looked down upon him.
But now, seeing that this youth had already finished the practice, they were truly shocked.
Their eyes burned with humiliation as they tried even harder on their own twigs.
They absolutely refused to lose to a person who had joined through mere influence.
While the students harbored this kind of fire in their hearts, Frances herself was surprised by Max's sudden improvement.
Naturally, she knew all about Max and his mediocre talent regarding Skill usage.
However, compared to his other Classes, his talent as a Healer was actually above average.
Now, seeing the result laid out before her, it was definitely a big surprise for her.
"Well done. The result is impressive, but you must continue to try hard," Frances stated, offering both a compliment and advice.
"Yes, Ms. Frances, I will try hard. I shall take my leave now, as I am late for my Archery practical class," Max announced before walking out of the room.
Hearing Frances compliment Max, the other students tried even harder, their faces twisting with various emotions.
After exiting the Healing practice room, Max walked toward the open grounds where the Archery practical class was currently taking place.
There were plenty of youths, both boys and girls, practicing with various bows and arrows.
Max walked directly toward the instructor, who was currently seated and reading a book.
Noticing someone approaching, the instructor tilted his head.
Upon seeing Max, his expression shifted slightly.
"You, have you finally remembered the direction to the Archery class?" the instructor asked mockingly.
There was a reason for this attitude; Max usually skipped most of the practical sessions, having only attended a few classes since he first joined the academy.
The reason being that Archery was his least favorite, as he severely lacked talent for this Class.
Compared to his Skills in this Class, he considered himself an expert in his other two Classes.
However, that was no longer the case.
Since he had discovered a new method to utilize his Skills, he was now ready to become an expert in Archery as well.
"Moon," the instructor called out.
Soon, a young woman walked toward them in large strides, coming to a halt before the instructor.
"Yes, Mr. Duncan," the girl named Moon responded.
"This is Max. Teach him a few of the basics," Duncan stated nonchalantly as he returned to reading his book.
The girl looked at Max, and Max was already staring right back at her.
The girl possessed a slim and tall frame, featuring long limbs and a sharp jawline.
She was certainly a good-looking girl, but compared to Isabelle, her beauty was one degree inferior.
Max felt slightly reluctant about this situation, as he had expected the instructor to teach him the basics rather than a fellow student.
However, he could not complain; he simply had to act appropriately.
"Follow me," she stated as she walked toward the practice spot.
She picked up a bow and some arrows from the rack, where various types of bows were systematically arranged.
Max simply picked up a medium-sized bow as well.
When he had left his dorm earlier, he had not planned to attend the Archery practical class; thus, he had not brought his own custom-made bow and arrows.
Moon waited for him to retrieve his equipment.
Once Max stood beside her, she assumed a smooth, practiced stance at the firing line, her sharp jaw setting into a look of absolute focus.
Without offering a single word of instruction, she nocked an arrow, drew the bowstring back to her cheek in one fluid motion, and released it.
Shoo!
The loosed arrow whistled as it pierced through the air, embedding itself dead center into the target fifty paces away.
The bullseye quivered under the force of the impact.
She cast a quick look at Max, who stood with a dumbfounded expression after witnessing the young woman's Archery Skills.
Without waiting, she reached for a second arrow, repeating the motion with mechanical precision.
Two more shots followed in rapid succession.
All three arrows clustered tightly within the innermost red ring.
"Do you have any doubts?" Moon asked once she had finished displaying her Skills.
Max, however, inwardly questioned the situation.
Was this supposed to be teaching the basics?
You did not speak a single instruction; you simply executed what you were good at, as if you were showing off.
Shaking his head inwardly, Max merely nodded without saying anything.
He figured he would not receive any proper instruction even if he asked a question.
Furthermore, Max had already been extensively taught the basics of Archery.
Thus, the instructor assigning the young woman to demonstrate the basics was merely done for the sake of formality.
"Please, show what you have learned thus far," the young woman stated as she stepped away from the spot.
Displaying no emotion, Max took her place.
These people were highly haughty regarding their Skills. If a less talented individual were caught in this situation, they would simply utilize it to flaunt their superiority.
However, that was no longer the case.
Max was not the same youth from a few days prior or even few hours prior.
Now that he had discovered a method to exhibit his strength, he would no longer tolerate this sort of behavior.
[Celestial Arrow]
Max assumed a firm stance.
First came his Intent: the desire to obliterate the target positioned far ahead of him.
Second came Mana Channeling.
Third was the Action.
Max drew the bowstring back as far as he possibly could and released it.
The bowstring snapped forward, propelling the arrow at a blinding speed.
Max had aimed directly at the nock of the very first arrow the young woman had shot, which remained lodged in the center of the target mark.
In an instant, Max's arrow pierced Moon's arrow, splitting it in half and embedding itself into the dead center of the target.
Tick!