Ch 53 : Mysterious Bow

Months ago, after mastering all the advanced runes, Teacher Garrick had offered him a gift as a reward. Auron had requested a bow, something suitable for his growing skills. At first, Garrick agreed, thinking it would be a simple task since it was only a Tier 2 weapon. But after witnessing Auron's condensation of the Inferno Lance of Ruin, the blacksmith reconsidered. The complexity and power Auron had shown required better materials, so the crafting process had taken longer than expected.

When Auron reached the forge, he knocked on the heavy door. "Teacher Garrick, are you there?"

Before he could hear a response, a loud boom echoed from inside, followed by a wave of heat. Without hesitation, Auron burst through the door, running toward the source of the explosion. The forge was filled with swirling smoke and sparks, and at the center of the chaos, a bright red bow floated above the crafting table, radiating with power.

Teacher Garrick stood beside it, wiping sweat from his brow. "Good timing, Auron," he said, his voice both weary and excited. "You're just in time to bind the bow. You need to add a drop of your blood to link it to yourself. That way, controlling it will be far easier."

Without delay, Auron nicked his finger with a small dagger and let a single drop of blood fall onto the floating bow.

As soon as the blood made contact, a transformation began. The bright red glow intensified, turning a deep blood-red. Mysterious patterns, ancient and unknown, began to emerge across the bow's surface, shimmering in the dim light of the forge. Auron felt a sudden connection with the weapon, as though it had become an extension of himself.

Teacher Garrick's eyes widened in astonishment. "That reaction… Have you unlocked a hidden bloodline? This kind of response from the bow is highly unusual!"

Auron shook his head, confused. "I don't know. My parents are just commoners from a small town. They had never mention of anything special about our bloodline."

The blacksmith scratched his beard, still eyeing the bow with interest. "Well, it's not unheard of for things like this to awaken under the right conditions. Either way, you're bound to this weapon now. Use it wisely, and make sure it earns a reputation. I put a lot of time and effort into this one, so don't let it go to waste."

Auron chuckled, but before he could respond, Garrick waved him off. "Alright, off with you. You've got your bow. Go make a name for yourself—and for my creation. Now, leave me be. This one drained me."

Before Auron could say anything else, Teacher Garrick practically pushed him out of the forge, leaving him standing outside in the cool air, bow in hand.

Auron stared at the weapon for a moment, feeling the power thrumming within it. The weight was perfect in his hands, and he could sense how responsive it would be to his commands. He couldn't help but smile.

With renewed excitement, he made his way back to his room, eager to test the bow in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Alice and Thyra were already seated inside a carriage they had bought for their journey home. Auron, having learned to drive a carriage just last month, was the designated coachman.

"What's taking Auron so long? We all reached our rooms at the same time, didn't we?" Alice grumbled as she adjusted her seat.

"Yeah, but I saw him leave the room before he even went inside," replied Thyra, a little confused herself.

From a distance, they saw Auron running toward the carriage, bag in hand.

"Sorry for the delay! I stopped by Teacher Garrick's to pick up my bow," Auron said, a bit out of breath as he tossed his bag onto the carriage and took the reins.

With the horses in motion, Auron glanced back at the academy one last time. "Goodbye, Swamp Enclave Academy. See you in two months." His mind was full of memories from his time there, and he was feeling nostalgic already.

Auron skillfully maneuvered the carriage, following the directions marked on the map he had purchased. The journey home would take about three days, and he wanted everything to go smoothly.

"Hey, Auron," Alice called from inside the carriage, breaking the silence. "Are you really serious about that hunting plan? Will your parents even let you do it?"

Auron sighed. "I'm not sure. But winter is always so dull for me. Everyone just stays inside, and I want to do something useful. Plus," he added with a grin, "I want to try out my new bow."

"New bow?" Thyra raised an eyebrow. "Your bag's way too small to have a bow in it."

Auron chuckled and, without a word, a blood-red bow materialized in his hands.

Both Alice and Thyra stared, wide-eyed.

"Where did that come from? It's like you cast a spell!" Thyra exclaimed.

"It's beautiful," Alice said, her gaze locked on the intricate, mysterious patterns adorning the bow. "Did Teacher Garrick really make this?"

"Yeah, he made it. But these strange patterns only appeared after I bound the bow with my blood," Auron explained, still as puzzled as they were. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on with the bow either. His thoughts wandered back to the moment it transformed, linking it to something deeper, something within him.

"Did you inscribe any runes on it? It feels like there's some powerful magic at play here," Thyra asked, leaning closer to inspect the bow.

Auron shook his head. "Not me. I haven't inscribed any runes yet...," he trailed off, a sudden realization dawning on him. The Primordial Fire Heavenly Rune—it wasn't just on his soul anymore; it was imprinted in his blood, in his very genetics.

A wide grin spread across Auron's face. Channeling fire celestial aura into the bow, it immediately burst into fierce, scorching flames. The horses whinnied in alarm, spooked by the sudden heat.

"Easy, easy," Auron quickly cut off the aura and calmed the horses down.

Alice blinked in surprise. "Why did you laugh like that? You looked way too happy all of a sudden."

Thyra nodded, equally confused.

Auron chuckled softly. "I just figured out why the bow transformed. It's nothing bad—it's actually kind of amazing. Maybe I just accidentally inscribe something really powerful."

"What do we have here?" Auron muttered, his tone serious as his mana detection picked up a presence nearby. His detection radius now spanned 25 meters, and something had just crossed it.

"Not too strong. An early Tier 2 magus, I think," Auron assessed quietly, narrowing his eyes.

Turning to Alice and Thyra, he spoke calmly but firmly. "You two stay here. We've got company, but I'll handle it." Before they could protest, Auron vanished into the shadows.

Both girls exchanged worried glances but knew better than to argue. Silently, they prayed for Auron's safety.

Using Shadow Glide, enhanced by his darkness celestial aura, Auron slipped through the forest like a wraith, approaching the source of the disturbance. As he got closer, he overheard a conversation between two men.

"Are you sure the kid is with them?" one man asked.

"Young Master confirmed it. Our target is the girl with brown hair," replied the leader of the group.

Hearing this, Auron's anger spiked. "Who is this 'Young Master'? Thyra shouldn't have offended anyone..." His mind raced until one name surfaced. Edmund Stoneforge.

Suppressing the murderous rage building inside him, Auron listened for more.

"What about the others? Kill them too?" asked the first man again, clearly indifferent to the lives of those traveling with Thyra.

"You can do whatever you want, but leave the girl to me." The leader's voice turned lecherous as he smiled.

That was the last straw.

"Try saying that again," Auron's voice came from behind them, cold and menacing. Before they could react, his palms slammed into their legs, channeling his Fire Celestial Aura Ripple Palm. Instantly, their legs melted into a grotesque mess, reduced to molten flesh and bone.

The men collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.

Auron stood over them, his expression icy and unforgiving. "Are you ready for a little truth or dare?" His voice was low, dangerous, as he crouched down to their level. "Because this isn't a game you're going to walk away from."

The leader whimpered in pain, fear flooding his eyes as he realized the situation had taken a deadly turn.