THE RETURN TO SLOWAN TOWN-VILLAGE
THE RETURN TO SLOWAN TOWN-VILLAGE
"Bommurs, Raven how are your templar trainings going?" I asked my friends.
"Well, we have just reached Awakening Level 5 and we gained a Conjuring Star", they told me.
The conjuring star was the magic that would allow a templar to conjure magic which was usually the most sought-after advancement that templars would hope for because it would empower the conjuring of magic. All the other templar skies, merely improved the attributes of the templar but does not benefit conjuring.
"We can conjure magic now", Bommurs said to me.
"If only we knew how", Raven replied to him with a qualification.
"Don't worry, I have the perfect thing for the two of you", I replied to my two friends.
"What did you get for us from your trip to Gaesov town? You were gone for a long time", Bommurs asked me.
"Here try these on", I told them as I gave them the souvenirs that I brought for them.
"Wow these are the gauntlets that Darronn used against me last time that almost killed me", Bommurs said to me as he admired the magical gauntlet that I gave him.
The gauntlet was actually much better than the one Darronn had because besides utilizing the templar's Power sky to improve the strength of punch, it also uses his Momentum Star which improves the speed of the punches with the gauntlet as well.
"Hey, this Gauntlet is probably even better than the one that Darronn has", Raven told us as he tried on a few empty punches in the air.
Raven and Bommurs were both fascinated with their gifts and both of them quickly went sparring with their new gauntlets.
"Minna, I have something for you too", I told Minna as I gave her a knee cap.
"What does the kneecap do?" Minna asked me.
"The kneecap is a passive channeling item that would improve your Momentum magic while you wear it even without directly channeling magic from your Conjuring Star", I told her as she quickly tried on the kneecap and ran around.
"Wow I can run much faster with the kneecap", Minna said to me as she gave me a kiss on the cheek to thank me.
Although I have the maturity and thinking of an adult, I was still a teenager, so when a girl kissed my cheeks, my face blushed in embarrassment as the guys laughed at me.
-----
I gave 3000 silver pieces to my father Kechum to buy the cottage that we were living in and to save the balance.
"How did you get so much money, Orion?" Kechum asked me.
"I helped Grammer, and the merchants catch some bandits and they gave me a share of the bounty from capturing them", I told Kechum.
"I never thought Grammer was the kind who could catch bandits", my father said to me not really believing what I told him, but he would let me off for now because Grammer would return soon, and he would ask him personally about the money.
After I distributed the spoils from my trip to Gaesov town, it was time for me to return to hunting in the deep forests of Slowan.
-----
For the next month, I hunted deep inside Slowan forest, and I killed many Taniths and other Mercury Tiered creatures.
After every kill I would try to absorb the magic from the creatures' hearts as soon as possible, otherwise, I would store them inside my magical drawers for later use.
However, despite all the killings, my magic remained at Awakening Level 3 with little signs of progressing to the next level.
If it was Bommurs and Raven who had absorbed all the magical creature hearts that I did, they would be a Mercury Tier Templar by now. Indeed, it was much tougher to advance an Angel Affinity and the toughness increases the higher level I progressed.
It would be winter in two months, and I needed to return to Slowan village soon because most of the creatures would hibernate, so there would be much less prey for me.
But while I was planning to leave the deep forest, the area was littered with carcasses of magical creatures including many Mercury-Tiered ones.
"Damnit there's another Boss in the forest", I thought to myself.
Although it was a danger to be around a powerful beast, there were plenty of opportunities around as I quickly scooped up all the magical hearts from the dead creatures lying about. This was another bountiful harvest without much work at all.
"Rawwrrr"
Suddenly I was spotted by the Boss in this area.
"Damnit, I'm caught", I complained to myself as the Boss creature in the area came after me.
-----
The air was heavy with the musky scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, punctuated by the occasional rustle of foliage and the distant call of nocturnal creatures.
Amidst the shadows and twisted branches, a hushed silence blanketed the forest floor. Unbeknownst to the unsuspecting victims that wandered in, an ominous presence lurks nearby.
Suddenly, a flicker of movement catches the corner of my eyes as a fleeting glimpse of sleek fur blending seamlessly with the gloom. My mind was alerted and warned by the ominous signs in the forest.
As the silence gave way to an eerie stillness, the atmosphere became charged with an otherworldly energy.
From the depths of the darkness, a low, haunting laughter emerges which was a mix of mirth and malevolence. It grew louder, echoing through the trees, as the forest seemingly held its breath in anticipation.
Out of thin air, the magical creature reveals itself, the Boss of this zone, which looked like a hyena of supernatural origins. Its ebony coat shimmered with iridescent streaks of midnight blue and deep purple, its eyes aglow with an otherworldly light.
The creature appeared larger than life, its form possessing an uncanny grace, belying its deadly intent.
The hyena's elongated limbs move with an unsettling fluidity, as if it defied the laws of nature. Its long, curved fangs glint ominously, showcasing a supernatural sharpness. Every muscle in its body quivered with an ancient power, as if infused with obscene magic.
With a chilling growl, the hyena pounces, its movements defying expectation. Its lithe figure launched through the air, landing with silent precision before its unsuspecting prey, me.
The forest floor trembled under its weight, leaves crunching beneath its padded feet.
-----