Chapter 80: Explosive Flame Mastery [2], Monster Horde [1] From Moon’s current position, where he’d fought alongside Kael, Ironpeak Base was roughly forty miles away. Mirage had a top speed of about fifty miles per hour, but that was only achievable under peak conditions on flat, open roads. The terrain between Moon’s current position and the base was by no means easy to navigate—dense forest, uneven ground, occasional streams to cross, and obstacles that required careful manoeuvring. All of that chipped away a significant portion of potential speed. Based on Moon’s observations of Mirage’s performance during their travels, he estimated they’d average about twenty to twenty-five miles per hour through this terrain. At full speed, it would take roughly two hours to reach their destination. ♢♢♢♢ During the travel, Moon didn’t waste his time simply riding Mirage. He continued practising and studying [Explosive Flame], determined to maximise every moment he had left with the Pyromancer class. During his practice, he never got close to depleting his mana. That would be foolish when heading toward a potentially dangerous situation. Rather, he allocated approximately twenty percent of his reserves for training. Once that portion was spent, he’d focus on internal comprehension while his mana recovered naturally, then repeat the cycle. As Mirage carried him steadily through the forest, Moon channelled fire magic and activated Explosive Flame, creating a small fireball in his palm. The key difference between regular fire and explosive fire is how the mana is structured, Moon thought, studying the flame carefully. Normal fire magic releases energy continuously, like a candle burning steadily. But Explosive Flame compresses the mana, holding it in an unstable state that wants to expand violently. He released the fireball toward a dead tree trunk as they passed. The sphere struck and detonated with a satisfying explosion, blowing chunks of rotten wood in all directions. It’s like... filling a balloon with too much air, Moon continued his internal thought. The magical structure holds the compressed energy together until impact triggers the release. Then everything expands outward all at once instead of burning gradually. He formed another explosive fireball, this time paying close attention to how his mana moved during the construction. The fire element gathered first, then was compressed inward through precise mana manipulation. The compression created pressure; he could feel it like a weight in his palm, something that wanted to burst free. The proficiency probably increases based on how well I understand this compression principle, Moon reasoned. Just throwing fireballs mindlessly will improve it slowly. But if I can consciously refine the compression, make it denser, more unstable, more controlled... He threw the second fireball at a boulder they were passing. The explosion was slightly larger than the first one. Moon felt and saw the increase in proficiency, confirming his theory. Conscious understanding accelerated skill development more than repetition. Kael’s breakthrough technique at the end of that fight—perhaps he came to some sort of optimal pressure point? If his theory was correct. That meant Kael had taken this same principle he had comprehended and pushed it further. Moon created a third fireball, this time attempting to compress it more than usual. He could feel resistance; the magical structure wanted to collapse or detonate prematurely. Holding it stable required intense concentration. It’s like trying to squeeze water in your fist. Push too hard, and it escapes through your fingers. But if you can maintain perfect pressure from all sides simultaneously.. The fireball in his palm grew slightly denser, the flames darker red at the core. He threw it at another tree. BOOM! The explosion was noticeably more powerful. The tree trunk didn’t just scorch—it splintered, wood fragments flying outward in a cone of destruction. [Proficiency: 35%] Moon smiled at the number he was reading. The theoretical limit would be compressing so much fire mana that the explosion approaches the power of higher-tier magic despite using the same amount of raw mana. He continued the pattern. Create. Compress. Analyze. Throw. Observe the results. Each repetition taught him something new about the skill’s mechanics. And the compression itself—there must be an optimal ratio. Too little compression and it’s just a regular fireball. Too much and the structure becomes impossible to maintain, either detonating prematurely or collapsing entirely. After depleting twenty percent of his mana through repeated practice, Moon stopped casting and focused purely on internal comprehension. He closed his eyes, feeling Mirage’s steady rhythm beneath him, and visualised the process in his mind. He mentally practised the technique without actually casting, refining his understanding of each step. Where did the compression feel most natural? Where did it resist? What mental image helped maintain stability? Think of it like a soap bubble. The surface tension holds the air inside under pressure. But if you touch it wrong, the whole thing pops. The mana structure is the same, a thin shell containing enormous pressure, held together by precise mana threads. His mana slowly regenerated while he processed these insights, climbing back toward full capacity. Once he felt ready, Moon opened his eyes and began the cycle again. Two hours of travel provided multiple opportunities for this training regimen. By the time he was approximately ten minutes away, Moon checked his skill progress. [Explosive Flame] [Rank: Rare] [Proficiency: 45%] [Details: You can conjure flames that detonate on impact. The size of the explosion scales with mana invested. Detonation radius: 2 meters. Explosions affect all targets within radius, including the caster. +80% Damage.] He was more than satisfied with his progress. He’d nearly doubled his proficiency during the two-hour journey, going from barely understanding the skill to approaching halfway toward mastery. Unfortunately, he’d also reached another plateau in his rate of improvement. The gains were slowing again, meaning there was another variable he hadn’t grasped yet, another conceptual pathway he needed to comprehend before proficiency could continue climbing efficiently. The war at Ironpeak Base will provide plenty of combat opportunities. Real battle conditions always reveal insights that training can’t replicate. I just need to position myself intelligently to maximise both survival and skill development. Mirage slowed as they began ascending a hill that separated them from direct sight of Ironpeak Base. From this elevated vantage point, Moon could see smoke rising into the sky in heavy, dark columns that came from multiple directions rather than a single source. Sounds of combat echoed even from this distance. Whether it was spells being cast, screams or the clash of metal and the roars of beasts. Moon dismounted near the peak and began climbing the final stretch on foot, moving cautiously. He channelled mana in preparation for whatever awaited at the summit, keeping his reserves ready for immediate combat. When he reached the top and looked down at Ironpeak Base, his eyes widened in disbelief.