Chương 96: Ruthlessness

However... It still wasn't enough.

"Bang!" The arrow struck Marcus directly in the right side of his chest. Even without a sharpened arrowhead, the shaft couldn't pierce Marcus's tough flesh. But the terrifying force carried by the arrow still slammed into his body with full force. Marcus let out a muffled grunt. A burning, agonizing pain spread from his right chest, causing his muscles to twitch uncontrollably.

"Don't break the arrowhead! Again!" Failing once did nothing to stop Marcus. He dropped to one knee, madness burning in his eyes, and roared at the top of his lungs.

"This level isn't enough! I need a real threat! I need to feel like death is closing in!"

"One more time, Vaelis!"

"Fine!" Vaelis gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He knew Marcus had already gone completely over the edge. No amount of persuasion would bring him back. If that was the case... Then he would test it. Vaelis drew another arrow. After hesitating for a moment, he didn't remove the metal arrowhead. Marcus... I hope you can really block this. He nocked the arrow and drew the bowstring. Under the sunlight, the arrowhead gleamed with a chilling metallic sheen as it quietly locked onto Marcus.

The instant Vaelis aimed at him, the fear of death suddenly seized Marcus's heart. His breathing became ragged. His heartbeat thundered like a war drum. Even his legs instinctively shifted, desperately wanting to dodge. The pressure caused his aura to become even more chaotic, raging wildly inside his body like an untamed beast.

"Focus... I have to focus..." Block that arrow! I have to stop it! This is my best chance to break through to a Mid-Tier Warrior! Marcus! A trace of hesitation flashed through Vaelis's eyes, but he still released the bowstring. The arrow tore through the air with a sharp whistle!

"Whoosh!" Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"Roar!" At the same moment, Marcus let out a furious roar. He poured every ounce of his will into a single thought. Defense! Marcus desperately tried to control the rampaging aura within his body, forcing it toward the surface and attempting to form a shield. But once again... He failed.

"Pfft!" A spray of blood erupted from his shoulder. The arrow buried itself into Marcus's left shoulder. The instant it struck, Marcus felt as if his entire shoulder had been torn apart by unbearable pain. The overwhelming impact forced his body backward several steps. Once again, he failed to condense his aura into a shield....

"So... that's why you got injured?" Inside a room at the Redbeard Inn, Zelier stared at Marcus with an utterly speechless expression. After hearing that Marcus had been injured, he immediately came over to check on him. But he never expected Marcus to be this insane. To break through, he had actually asked Vaelis to shoot him with real arrows... Was this man's courage a little too ridiculous?

"You too." Zelier turned his head and gave Vaelis a helpless glare.

"Marcus told you to shoot him, and you actually did it? What if something went wrong?" Vaelis merely shrugged and said nothing.

"You should be thankful Vaelis wasn't using aura, and that he wasn't aiming at Marcus's head," Grey said with a laugh.

"Cough... It's not his fault." Marcus coughed awkwardly.

"And besides, it was worth it... If I didn't force myself past my limits, I never would have become a Mid-Tier Warrior."

"Huh?" Zelier's eyes widened in surprise.

"You... broke through?"

"Yeah." Marcus nodded, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. He slowly clenched his uninjured right hand into a fist. A visible current of energy spread outward, wrapping around his forearm. Then, with a low hum, it condensed into a thick, solid, translucent shield of energy. An Aura Shield! This was the defining mark of a Mid-Tier Warrior!...

"Ha... ha..." After being struck by the arrow, Marcus knelt on one knee, his breathing heavy and restrained. Blood flowed down his arm, dripping onto the grass and spreading into a small dark-red stain.

"Marcus!" Seeing this, Grey's expression changed drastically, and he immediately rushed forward.

"I knew it!" Vaelis let out a deep sigh and also prepared to move over and treat the wound. Fortunately, he had the foresight to bring a medical kit beforehand. He had already held back with that shot. With his strength and archery skills, a full-power shot would have caused a far more serious penetrating injury.

"Don't come over!" Marcus raised his right hand with difficulty. His voice was filled with unwavering determination. Supporting himself, he slowly forced his body upright. Sweat poured down from his forehead. The muscles along his jaw tightened, making his side profile look as sharp and rigid as if carved from stone. He stared at Vaelis and forced several words through his teeth.

"Vaelis... continue."

"You're insane!" Vaelis finally lost his temper. He had never met someone this stubborn.

"Marcus, stop this madness!" Grey couldn't stand watching anymore either.

"Continue!" Marcus ignored both of them. His expression had become almost savage. That brutal determination, that refusal to give up no matter the cost, seemed to seep directly from his bones. A faint layer of white mist slowly emerged across Marcus's body. His wild and rebellious aura was forcefully suppressed by sheer willpower, then forcibly driven back into his flesh and blood. He was only one step away. He was about to succeed! Vaelis looked at Marcus's reckless determination.

Then he looked down at the longbow in his hand. His heart struggled violently. Finally... The same ruthless resolve rose within him.

"Fine...! You're betting that you can block it." Vaelis's eyes hardened.

"Then I'll bet that you can." The hesitation and pity vanished from his face. Only absolute focus remained. The third shot. Vaelis drew his bow. Marcus forced himself to endure the unbearable pain in his shoulder. He stared at the arrowhead glowing with cold light. Not even blinking. Focus... Use every bit of your concentration! Feel it! Feel that power inside your body, the power waiting to break free! Merge your aura with the determination to protect everything you cherish!

"Whoosh!" The third arrow flew. At that instant, the entire world seemed to slow down before Marcus's eyes. He could clearly see the arrow's trajectory. He could feel the pressure created as it tore through the air. And then— The faint white mist surrounding his body suddenly began collapsing inward at an astonishing speed. It condensed. Compressed. And perfectly fused with his body! Just before the arrow struck him... A thick, pale-white shield materialized.

"Boom..." The arrowhead was blasted away by an overwhelming force, spinning through the air before flying off in another direction. Success!

"Are you serious...?" Grey stood frozen, completely stunned by what he had just witnessed. Marcus had actually endured this impossible pressure... And completed the breakthrough from a Low-Tier Warrior to a Mid-Tier Warrior!