What is Martial Skill?

Oliver chuckled lightly, his voice rasping in the familiar way that Andre had come to recognize. “Andre, how’s the arcane staff I commissioned from you coming along?”

“You?” Andre blinked in surprise, his eyes narrowing as he scanned Oliver up and down. “You're that mysterious mage?”

Oliver didn’t bother to hide his identity; after all, he would be using the staff in the upcoming battle, and his role would be hard to conceal. It was better to just put it out in the open.

“I didn’t expect the mysterious mage to be so young,” Andre mused aloud. Lately, Oliver’s reputation had been growing in the town, and even Andre had heard rumors. It seemed this young man was even more impressive than he'd thought. After all, how else could he have acquired so many rare materials?

At the very least, Oliver seemed to possess the strength of a full-fledged mage. With him on the team, their chances against the wraith-Kramar had just improved significantly.

“Mr. Stark,” Andre continued, “your staff is nearly finished. I just need to let the magic settle before it’s fully stable. You can pick it up tonight.”

Oliver nodded, pleased with the progress. “Tonight?”

“Yes, tonight. The wraith Kramar tend to appear at night as well. It should work out perfectly.”

Hector and Violanda exchanged curious glances. “I envy you,” Hector remarked, “having an arcane weapon so quickly. I wonder what kind of magic it will carry.”

Andre shrugged, “I don’t know the exact magic, but I suspect it’s related to fire, considering the fiery serpent scales I used. It’s likely to be fire-based magic, which is highly effective against creatures like the wraiths. The staff will significantly boost your power in the upcoming battle.”

With Andre’s help, the group was one step closer to confronting the wraith-Kramar. They spent the rest of the morning seeking out the hidden practitioners among the townspeople. Some were unwilling to assist, while others eagerly offered their support.

By noon, Oliver’s group had managed to gather five full-fledged mages. With Oliver included, that made six individuals with formidable magical abilities.

The group gathered to discuss their strategy for dealing with the Kramar monsters.

“I’ve got an idea,” Andre said, his voice low but full of thought.

Though his stout, stocky appearance might have made him seem like a simpleton, Andre, a seasoned black-market merchant, was no stranger to scheming.

“Out in the wilderness, there are plenty of bandit hideouts. These bandits have bounties on their heads, and most of them are hardened criminals. Why not capture some of them?”

“Capture them? At a time like this? For a few coins?” someone scoffed.

“Let him finish,” Hector said, raising a hand to silence the objection. He seemed to have an inkling of Andre’s plan.

“I’m thinking,” Andre said, “that the newly hatched Kramar are especially drawn to human flesh. The attack at the tavern last night happened because too many people gathered there. If we capture some of these bandits and gather them in one place, the monsters will surely come after them!”

“Whether we want to exterminate them all, or leave one alive to lead us to their nest, this could simplify our task. And if their nest happens to have members of the Silver Circle cult inside, all the better. We can wipe them out and claim the bounty from the Lord of Glensorne City.”

After Andre finished speaking, the group nodded in agreement. It was a clever plan, and for the moment, it seemed like their best option.

Of course, Hector, Oliver, and Violanda exchanged a few knowing looks. While the plan had merit, it carried significant risks. No one knew exactly how many Kramar there were or how strong they had become. The Silver Circle cultists could also be attracted to the trap, making the situation even more unpredictable.

If the Kramar were as powerful as rumored, they could easily overwhelm them. At least if they took this gamble, they would have a fighting chance. Without it, they might as well just wait for their doom.

“We’ll need extra hands to capture these bandits,” Hector said, a serious tone in his voice. “Andre and Oliver will stay here in town. The rest of you, follow me. The sooner we move, the better—time’s running out.”

Hector mounted a brown horse and glanced back at the group. They had five fine horses, all provided by the local lords, who were reluctantly helping out in the face of this crisis. The cost of inaction was too great for them to ignore.

“Follow me!” Hector shouted, raising his staff high. “We defeat the Silver Circle cult, and the rewards will be plenty! This is our chance to secure a bright future!”

With a rallying cry, Hector urged his horse forward, galloping out of town, with the rest of the group close behind. The sound of hooves thundered in the air as dust swirled in their wake.

As the group disappeared into the distance, Oliver stayed behind with Andre and followed him back to his forge. The familiar warmth of the furnace greeted them, and the apprentices were still busy hammering away at hot iron, shouting orders in unison.

“Your staff still needs a bit more time,” Andre said as he led Oliver into a back room. “It’s almost done, just like I predicted. We’ll need to let the magic settle before it’s fully ready for use.”

Andre’s eyes shifted to a strange, lime-covered object lying in the corner. It was the shape of a staff, but wrapped in a layer of some sort of forging material. Oliver couldn’t help but wonder what it was for.

As they waited, Oliver didn’t waste time. He stepped into the back yard and began practicing his martial skills in the training area. Though he wasn’t a knight, his strength was on par with one, and he had even received a knight’s basic manual from Professor Arcanus.

Some of the techniques in the manual were useful for boosting his combat abilities, so Oliver had been practicing them whenever he had time. Today was no different, and he focused on improving his skills while waiting for his staff to be completed.

Knightly martial skills could be divided into two categories: basic techniques, like striking and swordsmanship, which Oliver was focusing on, and the more advanced techniques that utilized the core of War.

The War core was different from the magic core. It provided an endless supply of strength and endurance. Knights who possessed it could fight longer and harder. Strong martial skills could tap into this core’s power, channeling it into their fists or weapons for explosive damage.

Unfortunately, Oliver didn’t possess a War core, and he couldn’t use the advanced techniques. However, his physical strength far surpassed that of ordinary people, and even mastering the basic techniques would give him a significant boost in combat.