Chương 33: [BL] 33. Strength [1]

The arrows came like a delayed rain as they arced and split through the sky toward the Shamanic Lich. An intense light impaled through its body, pierced its chest, followed by its shoulder, leg, hip, and neck. The Lich let out an alien screech as brilliant illumination glared across its flesh, banishing impurity. It clawed at its head and shrieked up at the moon. The sight was as if the riftborn begged the Bright Stars above for forgiveness; it fell on both knees and life slowly left it.

Josha's sword tip forced the Shamanic Lich to meet the [Rider]'s eyes, craning its face up. From afar, Willow saw Josha's shoulder tremble. Willow crossed the distance along with the Legionaries; she nocked another cold arrow and was ready for anything, but as a second pass, the cold shaft disappeared, and her arrow turned into a normal, plain arrow. That is annoying. Wordlessly, the Legionaries split apart right in front of her the moment they arrived, leaving a direct path to the Shamanic Lich.

Willow glanced at them from the corner of her eye, uncomfortable with the gesture. She looked back at Maxim, who was somehow still alive and being treated. By all rights, he should be the one who received the kill. But Willow would not complain. She strode forward, putting her hand on Josha's shoulder. He gave her a small nod and sheathed his sword. The sea of gleaming blue grass they stood on had been ripped apart by the Shamanic Lich, either by its frost or whirlwind.

Willow took a quick glance around at the mess left behind: the crater that gored through the earth itself, the bits of frost that crusted the plain grass—freezing them—and, of course, the death around her. Her bright Rune let its opinion be known by sending anger through Willow's body. This time she did not bother resisting; she drew a cold arrow and aimed it straight at the Lich's neck. The riftborn body, prattling with light, writhed in pain as the light tore its body apart into a swaying mist of gold.

Despite everything, the Shamanic Lich tried to fight still and reached for Willow, only for her to bury her arrow right into its neck. [Your power surged…] That is new A slight pain cut inside Willow's brain, and she winced slightly.

[Your Hunt is successful] [Shamanic Lich is slain] [Reward: Bow of Frost (Tier one)] [Bonus experience for completed Hunt] [Bonus experience for slaying the Shamanic Lich] [Bonus Experience for slaying Ritual Lich] [You grow exponentially stronger] [Spell] [Mana Draw] [Enhancer] [Hunt Trophy]—The Hunter's victim is not merely a decoration for her; they're the experience that contributes to her growth, and shall remain so. Allow the Hunter to absorb the Class Stone bearer that the Hunter had killed. Limit [0/5].

The Huntress will be given a choice on how her trophy shall be processed, either by making it a weapon or granting the Hunter attributes or spells and enhancers. Grant 3 Strength, 6 Dexterity, 2 Vitality, 2 Constitution, 5 Sense, 2 Arcanic, 3 Bright Runes. [Grant Hunt III]—The Hunt will continue, for there will always be a target. Increase Hunt Party to 8. Summon Olympya Archer and Olympya Executioner every time Grand Hunt is called.

Summoned Olympya Archer and Olympya Executioner's levels will be adjacent to the hunter's levels; if death embraces them, they will return for the next hunt. Both summons will take spots in the Hunt Party. Grant 2 Strength, 3 Dexterity, 1 Vitality, 1 Constitution, 2 Sense, 1 Arcanic, 1 Bright Runes. [Archer Calling II]—Increased Archery learning rate. Imbue the sense of the Archer inside of the Hunter. Grant 1 Strength, 2 Dexterity, 1 Vitality, 1 Constitution, 1 Sense, 1 Arcanic, 1 Bright Runes.

Name: Willow [Hunter] Class: [Hunter—Level 19] Outfit: [Huntress Garb] Rune: [Bright 9/14] Attribute: [10 Strength, 22 Dexterity, 6 Vitality, 7 Constitution, 14 Sense, 6 Arcanic] [14 Bright Runes] [+100% Dexterity] Spell: [Mana Bow] [3] [Mana Arrow] [1] [Hunter's Constellation] [3] [Mana Draw] Enhancer: [Grant Hunt III] [Archer Calling II] [Steady Draw] [Hunter's Mark II] [Feather Step] [Predator's Defiance] [Quick Feet] [Hunt Trophy] — The reason why dozens of tier-one soldiers struggled against a single tier-two was due to the stat difference a tier-two would have gotten the moment their class upgraded.

Even a group of warriors would find it hard to fight against a tier two mage who stood alone and surrounded. It was a reality that a tier-three soldier of the empire tried to make Willow accept. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"The reason Maxim took the fight to the Shamanic Lich was that he deduced it must have spent a lot of power and runes to mind control me—a tier three and after seeing it, he recognised the damn Lich had used a proxy in the Ritual Lich to cast its spell, which would strain its rune cost further." Willow listened half-heartedly. She clutched the back of the saddle and stilled her breath as they rode through the forest.

The rider—a woman in front of her—had strange, lustrous silver hair that she did not bother to tie, and it whipped against Willow's face. She grumbled when some of the white strands made it into her mouth. [?]"Are you listening, girl?" The woman who couldn't possibly be ten years older than Willow asked.

"I do."

"You are, but you refused to. And that is the bigger problem," she said. Willow chewed her cheek. After the battle concluded, the first thing she did was to go find Josha and demand that he take her to Habel. She had felt that now she was more than capable of handling the Tier two Ember Blade. Not long after that, Leynah—one of the two Tier Three [Champions]—approached her and volunteered to escort Willow instead.

"It will be faster if Josha is with us," Willow reasoned again.

"And again, what if there's more than one Ember Blade? Not just Ember Blade; they also have Ember Archer. That boy has excellent potential; I'd hate it if he died early. Besides, you're not listening."

"I am!" Willow snapped. She drew a sharp breath and let out a sigh.

"I know well that the chances are Habel is already dead." Leynah glanced at her, and for the first time Willow just noticed something exotic about her. Whilst her irises were a boring blue, her pupils were like starlight, shifting between yellow and white. Is she human?

"Are you human?" Willow asked and had to shout the question against the wind while keeping herself steady as the full gallop rocked her body and almost made her bite her tongue twice.

"You're really an outworlder, huh?" She caught a glimpse of a smile tugging at her cheek.

"I am, but it's a bit complicated."

"How so?"

"Look up," Leynah pointed a finger upward toward the bright stars that were still splitting the dark skies with their streaks of brilliance.

"Not the bright stars, but the stars above them." Willow leaned forward so she could comfortably tip her head, and it was hard to make out, but she saw it. Above the dazzling spectacle of the Bright Stars, normal stars watched, and they watched with intensity.

"When you're charging with the Legion, did you get guidance from the spirit? An information?"

"Stars of war?" Willow asked.

"Yes, stars are the eyes of God." Willow opened her mouth; a question almost escaped her, but she closed it again. She bit her lips, unsure whether to tell her about the time when she had just awakened her Dark Wind class. There was something about the Ravenous Eyes, wasn't it? She could not remember exactly what.

"I'm bathed under the radiance of rabbit stars—observed by Lan'ae. The goddess grants me her blessing, which I shall not tell you what." Did I hit a sour subject? Willow wondered.

"We're here," Leynah said. Her horse, a white gelding, shifted its feet before entering the pool of water and trudging forward where the groups of large trees stood on their own little island with their branches' blue leaves touching. The dense leaves covered the bright stars above, and the pool shone a gleaming sapphire. There was a shift on Leynah's shoulder. Willow braced herself and peeked. Habel's body lay respectfully on the blue grass with his hand holding his legionary spear above his bronze chest plate.

"There is no injury," Willow said. Hope swelled in her chest, but then Leynah shook her head.

"No, child, that's not good news. The Ember folk always, always cleanse their dead duel opponent's corpse as a sign of respect." The moment those words left Leynah's mouth, something twitched inside Willow. A sense of appreciation, though mixed with anger at herself for not arriving early enough. She stilled her breath, and Leynah noticed, squeezing her hand in hers. She dismounted and unsheathed a sword strapped to the horse's saddlebag.

Willow's eyes did not leave Habel's corpse; the man looked so peaceful that it was unthinkable to think that he had just been killed in a duel. It was not right. There was no wound. Willow dismounted as well and made her way toward Habel. An azure branch shielded his body, rippling passing blue light which reflected in his bronze armour. She knelt, the grass tickling her knees, and she whispered an apology to him, then quickly shut her mouth. Her instinct of a hero win again.

She bit her lip and took a deep breath until her eyes locked onto someone standing beside the tree, not five meters away. The Ember Blade bowed to her. At their distance, a trail of light rippled through as the two trees' branches did not reach each other. Willow did not think; she acted in an instant. She unslung the cerulean cold bow. Its shaft was brilliant blue, like crystallised wood, where, between the bow stave and nock, was the thin crystalline string.

The Ember Blade flowed into motion and lifted its large, red-dark heather shield, tucking its head down and glancing at Willow with its sabre unsheathed. It looked like just touching the bow was declaration enough for it, as the Ember Blade rushed across the gleaming pool where suddenly it stopped, dodging a powerful downstruck a silver-haired woman swung. The Riftborn shifted backward, letting Leynah's sword finish its arc before flowing forward and launching an attack with a stab, but it was too slow.

Leynah had pulled her sword back and thrust forward, right into the Ember Blade's neck. It ducked, and motes of emberlight flowed into its armor. The water around them hissed as vapor rose. The Ember Blade's sabre glowed bright orange. Willow drew her cold arrow until Leynah snapped.

"Don't! You're just making it stronger!" The Ember Blade attack was so fast that Willow's eyes only saw a blur of movement, and the next thing she saw was a trail of liquid light that extended from the sabre and a stout tree's trunk cut in an instant. The tree groaned, slowly falling backward, creaking a deep rumble, and its leaves bristled as gravity pulled them down. A high waterfall spurted upward. A slight earthquake shook the ground, forcing Willow to stay down, gripping the earth below and dropping her bow.

Bright, shining blue leaves fell around her like glistening cherry blossoms. Almost unfairly, the liquid white light returned to the Ember Blade's sabre and mixed together with the dark steel, shimmering the weapon; a drip of hot white lava-like substance fell against the pool, then followed with a splatter of drenching blood. Willow questioned her own eyes. She spurted a laugh. For the Ember blade, despite all of its strength, now had its throat cut open. Leynah unsheathed her sword.

She removed a dagger and carved into the Ember Blade's chest after dragging its body to the surface where Willow was.

"Class Stone," Leynah said. [Flame Spell Blade Class Stone] Strength: A Dexterity: B Vitality: C Constitution: C Sense: C Arcanic: A A class that held the power of the fire element within its sword.

"You just killed it. Just like that," Willow sputtered a laugh, her eyes shifting to Habel's body.

"It never stood a chance against me," Leynah said simply.

"Shall we return? Drey is strong, but he is not in his best condition. I should be there with him."

"His body—""We will bury him here and mark this place for the future to give him a proper funeral." Leynah bent down and picked up the sabre of the Ember Blade.

"This class stone will go to his daughter. You will tell no one, right?" She smiled.

"I won't," Willow promised.