Whisperfang

Silas followed Lady Fyra through the academy's stone corridors, each step echoing in the quiet halls. It grew colder the deeper they went, and the air became heavier with mana. 

Fyra led him down a spiral staircase before stopping in front of a pair of massive metal doors, engraved with countless runes pulsing with soft, golden light.

"This," Fyra gestured grandly, "is the Arcane Vault. Everything inside is either enchanted, dangerous, or both."

She placed her palm against the metal, and the runes flickered before the doors groaned open, revealing a vast underground chamber. 

"This is one of the many benefits our academy provides," Fyra strode in like she owned the place.

Shelves lined the walls, filled with magic tomes, artifacts, and potions. Weapons rested on display racks, each humming with power. The sheer variety of enchanted equipment was overwhelming—some glowed with holy light, others pulsed with elemental energy.

Silas stepped inside, his gaze roaming over the selection. He spotted an obsidian staff crackling with purple lightning, a dagger that conjured wind with every swing, and a Warhammer etched with frost runes.

Fyra walked ahead, gesturing to different sections.

 "Swords and melee weapons are on the right. Magical armor and relics are in the center. And ranged weapons—" she pointed to a corner filled with crossbows, throwing knives, and bows, "—over there."

Silas wandered toward the ranged weapons. He didn't need a sword or heavy armor. Something lightweight, precise, and deadly suited him best.

His fingers brushed against a sleek, black recurve bow hanging alone on the wall. Unlike the other weapons, it had no shine—it seemed to absorb the light around it. The limbs were made of dark, polished wood, and the string was a thin, silvery thread.

{Inspect}

{Whisperfang}

{Whisperfang is a sleek, black recurve bow crafted from dark wood, a rare material that naturally absorbs light, giving it a dull, matte finish. The bowstring is woven from shadow steel fibers, making it nearly unbreakable while allowing the user to draw it with minimal effort.}

{Grade: Enchanted Arms}

{Skills}

{Silent Shots; Arrows fired from Whisperfang make no sound, preventing enemies from detecting the shooter's position.}

{Shadow Cloak – Arrows become invisible mid-flight, making them nearly impossible to dodge unless the target has enhanced perception or mana-sensing abilities}

{Leech: Whispering relies on its user's mana to function. Its arrows are dependent on its user's elemental affinity}

Fyra walked up to his side and traced his gaze—

"Good eye!" She smiled. "That's Whisperfang. It's… difficult to use, but if you can master it, you won't find a better bow."

Silas didn't respond—he carefully lifted it, and the moment his fingers wrapped around the grip, a faint hum vibrated through his palm. 

Unlike other enchanted weapons, Whisperfang didn't flare with magic—it felt subtle, almost alive.

He tested the pull, and to his surprise, it was effortless. It felt like Whisperfang was begging for permission to feed off his demonic force. 

Silas reached for the quiver, only to pause as a thin, ghostly gray rune flickered to life along the limbs of the bow. A ghastly arrow materialized, formed entirely of mana. 

Slowly the gray mana consolidated and took the form of a bone arrow.

"It generates its own arrows?" Silas' eyes narrowed.

"If you feed it mana, yes." Fyra nodded. "And every shot is silent and invisible in flight. Now you can assist your undead from the back lines. Perfect for someone like you, don't you think?"

It felt like Fyra could read his mind with a single glance.

Silas stared at the bow in his hands. Whisperfang suited him too well—it was exactly what he needed now. 

"I'll take it." Silas decided after a brief pause.

"Good choice."Fyra's grin widened. 

—

Enchanters, Forge masters, and Alchemists were the moneybags of the magical world. The cheapest of potions sell from a few silver coins, and the weakest of magical gear could easily sell for over 1 gold coin.

Weapon grades were divided into five: enchanted arms, mystic blades, arcane relics, elder weapons, and divine artifacts.

Wishperfang was only in the first grade, yet it was sold at 7 gold coins. Peasants without a noble family backing are forced to join just to afford proper items and equipment.

Fyra had suggested he also got a grimoire, but Silas declined; he has barely up to 40 gold coins left in his small fortune, and he intends to save the money until an opportunity arises in the future.

He refused to purchase extra armor, claiming it would slow him down. With this, he was ready to join the other members of the class accepting missions—however, they didn't want to send him out alone.

Such a precious asset cannot be left unsupervised until he is strong enough to protect himself. Thankfully he didn't have to go outside because of the Loth Magic Academy quarterly ranking festival.

The Valgard Empire Academy followed a simple system that allowed the empire to benefit from its young images while nurturing them. This system was known as the contribution points system.

Valgard's contribution point system can best be described as the greatest scam in humanity's history—no different from cheap labor. Students performed missions that would normally cost a lot if they hired independent mages.

For these missions, they are awarded contribution points, which can be used to purchase all types of magic equipment, food, and everything needed for survival in the academy. This way students gain experience gained experiences and a means to finance their stay in the academy while gaining invaluable experience 

However, this was not the only way to acquire contribution points. Students were ranked under two categories; combative and support. The higher the rank, the more resources are allocated to them every month. 

It is said the top students don't need to live a life of luxury and never have to worry about missions. The Empire Magic Academy was a foundation for all mages—many graduated fully equipped and with immense combat experience.

This system put in place is the reason Valgard was the last human empire in existence