Chapter 20
Magic Weapon
Date: Unknown (39th day of the Journey)
Morning came for Hyoren and Elise. Protected by the shimmering barrier of Ward Stones, Hyoren's sleep was deep.
The morning didn't wake him gradually. There was no soldier's sleep jerking him awake at the first shift in the wind. No rustle of leaves triggering his alertness.
Instead, Hyoren woke because his body was finally done. He had slept like a log. Far longer than he could remember.
"Ugh. My body aches..."
He shifted. Groaned.
"Wait. Already morning? Where am I?"
Hyoren tried to sit up from his makeshift bed. A chorus of groans and protests erupted from every muscle in his body. His back was stiff. His neck was sore.
But as the physical discomfort registered, he became aware of something else—the fog of exhaustion in his mind was gone.
His mind felt clear. The constant haze that had plagued his mind since arriving in this world had lifted. For the first time in thirty-nine days, he felt truly rested.
That clarity snapped him into his situation.
He wasn't in his cave. He wasn't sleeping on top of a tree. He was lying on a soft bed of woven leaves, safe under a barrier of Ward Stones, with the smell of a dying campfire in the air.
He looked around.
The fire had burned down to embers. The barrier still shimmered overhead. And then he saw her.
Elise was watching him with an amused glint in her eyes. She was already up. Kneeling by the fire pit. Looking fresh and ready for the day. Her silver hair was tied back in its usual ponytail. Her gear was already arranged neatly beside her.
"Elise.. Good morning..."
He sat up fully. Embarrassment crept into his voice.
"I'm sorry if I woke up so late. And thank you. Thank you for this. For the Ward Stones... for letting me rest."
He met her gaze. His own eyes were clear. Free of the desperate edge they'd held for so long.
"I didn't realize how much I needed it. My mind... it feels clear for the first time in a long time."
It was a simple statement. But it carried the weight of a month of unspoken terror. A month of sleeping with one ear open. A month of constant vigilance. A month of soldier’s sleep.
“Good morning Hyoren. And you’re welcome..”. Elise's voice was light.
"It's fun watching your ever-vigilant face finally relax too. So I couldn't bring myself to wake you up. Also think this as revenge. "
Her mouth formed a mischivious smile.
“You saw my drool yesterday. And now I see yours. Now we are even. Fufu…”
A soft laugh escaped her lips. Her teasing made Hyoren’s ears red. He rubbed the back of his neck. The thought of drooling and snoring was mortifying.
He stood up. Stretching his arms high above his head. Trying to hide his embarrassment behind a series of stretches. His spine crackled. His shoulders popped.
He looked up at the sky, gauging the time. The dual suns were already high, meaning they had lost a good chunk of the morning.
"I think we should hurry a bit. Thanks to my oversleeping, we might not leave the forest today."
Elise stood up, dusting off dust from her short skirt and leather stocking.
"No need to hurry, Hyoren. Akela won't run away. And we don't have any deadline."
She adjusted her quiver.
"Let's take it easy. One or two extra days on the road is fine. Our supplies are still plenty. And we can source food from the wilds."
Hyoren let out a breath. His shoulders dropped. The tension faded.
"No rush… Okay. That's a relief."
She was right. For now, he could afford to take it easy. There was no urgent deadline. No monster chasing them. No timer counting down.
They could walk at their own pace.
"First, let's eat. There's no more fresh meat, so let's just dig into our stocks of preserved meat. Then we pack up."
They ate quickly. The preserved meat was salty and tough, but it filled the stomach. Hyoren found himself missing the squirrel from the night before. But he didn't complain.
After eating, Hyoren cleaned their camp.
He scattered the leaves they had used for bedding. He broke up the charred wood of the fire. He kicked dirt over the ashes until the spot looked undisturbed.
Then he gathered his meager belongings. There wasn't much to pack. His steel-tipped spear. Four flint throwing dagger. A few leather pouches. His leather bag, which contained his preserved meat and his spoils of magic stones.
He strapped the pouches to his belt. He picked up his spear, giving it a quick inspection. The steel dagger was secure in the tip. The resin and vine from the Tangler had done their job perfectly.
Elise packed her belongings too.
She checked her supplies in her leather bag. She shook a potion vial, checking the color and clarity of the liquid inside before returning it to her bag. She counted her arrows one by one, running her fingers over the fins to ensure none were damaged.
"Hyoren, please make sure the fire is out before we leave."
Her voice carried across the clearing.
"I already did. It's out."
Elise nodded. She moved to the four corners of their camp. One by one, she collected the Ward Stones.
As she picked up each stone, its glow faded. The shimmering barrier flickered. Then disappeared entirely.
"Alright, the camp is clean. Time to go."
She slung her bag over her shoulder. Fitted the quiver of arrows to her hip. Adjusted her bow on her shoulder. Secured her short sword on her belt.
Hyoren picked up his own spear. Adjusted his bag. Took one last look at the clearing where he had slept so deeply.
"Okay, Elise. Let's walk."
With that, she turned and began to lead the way. Hyoren followed.
***
The third day of their journey to civilization started. As usual, Elise navigated the forest with the movement of a veteran. Picking a path that was easy to traverse. Hyoren followed behind. He already knew Elise’s pace, and he followed Elise lead.
“We should reach the edge of forest at noon, or at most, when suns almost set. Then we will camp there.”
She stepped over a fallen log without breaking her stride. But then she stopped. Her ears twitched.
She pressed herself close to the trunk of a nearby tree. Hyoren did the same.
He pressed his back against the bark. Slowed his breathing. Peered around the trunk. He saw them.
Two insects on the ground. Ants. Similar to ants on Earth. But two things made his eyes widen.
The size.
They were the size of dogs. Around one meter in length and half meter height. Their black carapace shone under the suns light. The surface looked tough.
And their mandibles. Long. Sharp. Dagger-like. And sometimes—flame flickering from them.
The two ants hadn't detected them yet. They were sniffing the ground. Foraging. Their antennae twitched as they searched for food.
"Cinder-maw Ants..." Elise muttered.
Her voice was low. Meant only for his ears.
"They're a bit of trouble. But only two of them, it seems. Should be manageable."
She turned to face Hyoren.
A smile touched her lips. It was the smile of a hunter who had found prey.
"It's time to upgrade your gear, Hyoren."
Hyoren didn't understand her meaning. But he didn't question her. He just nodded.
"There's two of them..." Elise's voice was calm.
"My skill can kill one easily. But I can't use them in quick succession."
She held up her bow.
"Hyoren, I need you to distract the other while I wait for it to be usable again. Roughly one minute."
One minute. Sixty seconds of fighting a giant fire ant.
Hyoren gripped his spear. He didn't question veteran ranger. She knew what she was doing. She had assessed the situation. Calculated the risk. And decided this was the best approach.
"Ready, Elise."
Elise then nocked an arrow on her bow. Then her brow furrowed. Focused.
Hyoren felt it. Aethell. Gathering from her body. Flowing toward her hands. Toward her bow. Toward the arrow.
"Magic Arrow..."
She muttered the skill name.
As she spoke, the arrow changed.
Unlike her other skills—like Charge Arrow, which made the arrow tip gleam—this skill transformed the entire arrow. Light gathered from her hands. It flowed into the arrow. The shaft began to glow blue. Softly at first. Then brighter. Brighter.
The arrow became an arrow of light. Then she used another skill.
"Charge Magic Arrow."
Unlike her usual Charge Arrow, this skill—powered by another skill—didn't even leave a light trace or sonic boom.
One moment, the light arrow was on her bow.
The next moment, it was already lodged into the ant's thorax.
The creature didn't even have time to react. The arrow punched through its carapace like it was paper. Green liquid seeped from the wound. The ant's legs buckled. It collapsed to the ground.
The other ant snapped its head toward them. It had seen its companion fall. It had detected the threat. It charged.
"Hyoren! The other ant!"
Elise's shout snapped Hyoren from his frozen state.
He ran forward. Spear raised. The ant was fast. Faster than he expected. Its mandibles glowed. Flames flickered along the edges.
He met the ant head-on.
His spear—shaped like a Japanese yari—caught the ant's mandible on the crossguard. The steel tip deflected the strike. The ant's head jerked to the side.
But then, fire erupted from the mandibles.
Flames poured over the steel tip. The heat was intense. Hyoren felt it on his face. On his hands.
"What. Fire?"
Shocked, his grip weakened. The ant broke free from his spear, then lunged. Trying to stab him.
But his training kicked in. He pivoted. His body moved on instinct. The ant's mandible swept past him. He used the momentum. Slashed the ant from the side.
The steel tip met the carapace—Clank—it was like hitting iron. The blade skipped off.
Elise's voice cut through the chaos.
"Focus, Hyoren! Don't try to damage them without magic! Focus on keeping it busy!"
Hyoren's spear locked again with the ant's mandible.
"Understood!"
He shifted his stance. No more trying to kill it. Keep the ant occupied to buy time.
His steel tip burned from time to time. The fire licked at the blade. But the steel held. The blade remained intact.
"If my spear still had the horn tip...It would have already shattered from the constant fire attack."
In the corner of his eye, he saw movement. Elise had run to the side. Positioning herself trying to get a clear shot.
She prepared another arrow.
The ant lunged again. Hyoren caught the strike on his spear. Held it.
And then—the second ant fell—another arrow of light punching through the carapace. The creature collapsed.
***
Hyoren stood over two ants corpses. His breath was fast.
Elise walked over to him. Her steps were relaxed. She clapped him on the shoulder.
"Good work, Hyoren. That one moment almost made my heart jump. But overall, good work."
He tried to take a deep breath. Slowing his heart rate. He exhaled slowly.
“You too Elise. Those two Magic Arrow… the power to punch those hard as iron carapace.”
As they talked, Hyoren noticed something. The absorption of essence—experience points—began to happen. He closed his eyes. Felt the energy. The Aethell flowing into him.
He focused on the sensation. Measured it. Compared it to what he had felt before.
"These ants… They give eight experience points each. Both are Level 8? Same level as a Goblin Warrior?"
He looked at the corpses with new understanding.
"No wonder they're so tough..."
Elise’s gaze landed on him. Her expression was impressed.
"So it's true. You can actually feel how much experience points you got by feeling."
She shook her head slowly.
"Meanwhile, me—and all people I know—don't even feel the difference between these ants or goblins. I absorb experience points. That's all I feel. I need to check my guild card to see how much I got."
She crouched next to the nearest corpse.
"Okay, Hyoren. Time to dissect these Cinder-maw Ants."
Following Elise, Hyoren crouched beside her.
"So what did you mean by upgrading my gear? Is it using materials from these ants?"
Elise drew her short sword from its sheath. She began cutting into the ant's head.
"Yes. These ants have two kinds of materials which are useful for us."
She held up a finger.
"First, the carapace. Blacksmiths can make shields or armor parts from them."
She held up a second finger.
"Second, the mandible. These are sharp and dagger-like. Useful either as small daggers or spear tips."
Hyoren watched her work.
Her movements were precise. Careful. She used her short sword to cut around the mandible. Keeping it intact while separating the base from the head.
"But this time, we only take the mandible. The carapace is too bulky to carry to town."
Made sense. They had days of walking ahead. Carrying heavy armor plates would slow them down.
He watched as she used her short sword to open the base of the mandible. Slicing the connections one by one.
"You need to be careful when harvesting it. You need to keep the base intact. This long and sleek part just below the blade-like portion. The ‘handle’"
She pointed with her blade.
"Without it, the material would be useless."
Hyoren watched her work around the mandible. Memorizing the technique. The angle of the cuts.
"Why, Elise?"
Elise finally finished separating the first mandible. She picked it up and held it out for him to see.
The shape was now truly like a dagger. A long, black, sleek handle. The blade portion was about ten centimeters. The handle was around five centimeters.
"Blacksmiths can polish this or create better weapons from it. But as is, it's already useful because of this base, the handle."
She looked at him.
"Watch this."
Hyoren watched as she grabbed the mandible. He felt the pulse of Aethell flowing from her hand into the weapon.
With a whoosh—the dagger burst into flame. Fire covered the blade. Then she threw it.
The flaming dagger flew through the air. It struck a nearby tree. The blade embedded into the bark. The flame continued to burn for a while. Blackening the wood.
Elise turned back to him.
"It becomes a magic weapon. From this shape, we can use it as is—a small knife or throwing dagger.”
She smiled.
"I saw you use a flint throwing dagger. I think this Cinder-maw Mandible would be a perfect upgrade to your throwing knife."
Hyoren's mouth fell open. A magic weapon.
"You asked why we need the base intact? Because the core to create the flame rests in this part. The ants use it to create fire. And we can utilize it too."
She pointed to the handle portion.
"We can get a magic dagger without needing a Runic Inscriptionist. Without the base, it would just be a normal dagger. Sharp, yes, but normal."
His mouth made an O shape. He was mesmerized.
He walked to the tree bark. Pulled the dagger free. The flames had died down, but the wood was still hot. Still smoking.
He examined the weapon. He turned it in his hand.
"This is… The handle isn't hot? Even though the blade was burning brightly? So this is magic."
He tested the dagger. The weight. The balance.
It was similar to his flint dagger. The shape was different. More curved. More organic. But with his throwing skill, he easily understood how to handle it.
He tried something. He poured his own Aethell into it. The dagger burst into flame. Just like Elise's had.
He stared at the weapon in his hand. A magic weapon.
Elise watched him with a warm expression. He was like a child finding a new toy. The wonder on his face. The excitement in his eyes.
***
They harvested the rest of mandibles. Hyoren mimicked Elise’s way to dissect. Careful cuts around the base. Slicing the connections one by one. Keeping the flame core intact.
He managed to get one intact mandible. The shape was slightly rougher than Elise's. The cuts were less clean. But it was functional.
Meanwhile, Elise had already finished two. Her movements were practiced. Efficient. The mandibles came away cleanly. Perfectly preserved.
She looked at his work. Nodded in approval.
"Not bad for your first time."
She gathered all four mandibles. Handed them to him.
"Here, Hyoren. Keep them secure. You can use them as is—better throwing daggers than your flint. And when you need the magic, you can use them."
Hyoren took the mandibles. Turned them in his hands.
Four Cinder-maw daggers. To replace his four flint daggers.
He looked at his old weapons. The flint daggers he had crafted in his cave. Crude. Uneven. But they had served him well.
"This flint dagger saved me multiple times. But yeah. It's true I need to upgrade."
He walked to the base of a nearby tree. Dug a small hole with his hands. Placed the flint daggers inside. Covered them with dirt. Patted the earth down.
He found a small stone. Placed it on top as a marker. A small tribute. To the weapons that had kept him alive.
Then he slotted his new four Cinder-maw daggers into his pouch. The fit was different. Slightly larger than the flint. But they sat securely.
Elise stood up. Brushed dirt from her knees.
She walked again. Without looking back, she started talking.
"With these Cinder-maw Ants starting to appear, this means the forest exit is already nearby, Hyoren."
Hyoren followed her steps.
"Their territory is not in this forest, Elise?"
Elise sidestepped a patch of soft ground. Her eyes scanned the terrain ahead. Choosing the best path.
"No… Their colony is on the forest edge. Between this forest and the grassland."
She gestured vaguely to the north.
"The grassland is our next step. But we won't bother them, though. The colony has hundreds of those ants. We would get overwhelmed instantly."
The thought sent a shudder through Hyoren.
One of those ants had given him trouble. He had to parry and dodge. He couldn't damage it without magic. He couldn't imagine hundreds of them.
"Let's avoid them, then." His voice was firm.
Elise nodded.
"Exactly. Their colony is a bit far from this river we followed. So we should not meet them often"
She resumed walking. The forest continued around them.
***
Hyoren picked one of his new daggers. He held it in his hand. He poured Aethell into it. The dagger burst into flame. Fire covered the blade. Hot and bright.
He stopped the Aethell flow. The flame died down.
He repeated the process. Testing the weapon. Understanding its properties. Feeling how much Aethell it required. How quickly the flame responded. How long it lasted.
Elise noticed his fascination. She deliberately slowed her steps. Let him experiment. A small smile played on her lips.
Satisfied, Hyoren finally placed the dagger back into his belt. The weight was different from his old flint daggers. More substantial. More powerful.
He looked up at Elise walking ahead of him. He quickened his pace to catch up.
"Elise. Can I ask something? About Aethell."
She glanced back. Her expression was open.
"This magic weapon uses Aethell. So can we use magic without relying on tools like this?"
Her ears twitched. Her eyes scanned the surrounding forest. Checking for threats. Listening for danger.
After making sure there was no immediate threat, she began to explain.
"Yes, of course. We, the people of Kresneger, can harness the power of Aethell to use magic."
Hyoren followed closely behind her. He didn't want to miss any words. This topic excited him. Magic. The dream of every person who loved reading fantasy and playing games.
"Then how do we use magic, Elise?"
He stepped over a root.
"Are there requirements? Or prerequisites?"
Elise walked slowly. She picked a small animal trail alongside the river. The ground was smoother here. Easier to traverse. The water murmured beside them.
"Yes…." she held up a finger.
"It's a skill to perceive and move Aethell in your body."
Hyoren's mind flashed back. The moment he first perceived his core. The hours of training afterward. The struggle to move the energy. The breakthrough when he finally succeeded.
"Yeah…. I got that skill. After I reached Level 4, I started to perceive my core. And after I trained for hours, I got the skill and managed to move the Aethell around my body. Strengthening my body parts."
He paused.
"I called that skill Magic Manipulation."
Elise turned around. She walked backwards. Facing him. A smile on her lips.
"Yes. That skill. Magic Manipulation is indeed the skill. It's the fundamental skill to control the energy that powers living creatures. The Aethell."
She gestured around them. Her hands reached out as if trying to grab the air. The invisible energy in the air.
Then she turned back around. Walking forward again.
"It's the skill to actually use magic. To harness the power of Aethell."
The river sounds beside them were comforting the two.
"In its basic form, you harness the power of Aethell by moving it around your body. And indeed, strengthening it."
She glanced back at him.
"The higher your skill level, the faster and stronger you become. Yes, it's a useful skill that most people would train—especially those who need to fight, like us adventurers. But the skill's true purpose is not only that."
That made sense. Enhancing the body was a brute force application. A way to use the energy directly. But there had to be more. There had to be a reason the skill was called Magic Manipulation.
"Its true purpose?" he felt his heart rate quicken.
"Don't tell me…it's indeed to use magic?"
She wasn't surprised anymore by how knowledgeable Hyoren was. He lacked some common sense about this world. But somehow, he understood concepts that should be alien to him.
"Yes, Hyoren. It's the precursor for any human to use magic."
She raised three fingers.
"When you reach Level 3 on Magic Manipulation skill, you can start to attune into Aethell. Resonate with it. And then you can use elemental magic."
She lowered her hand.
"The process of harnessing Aethell to use magic is called Attunement of the Aethell."
Hyoren started to digest Elise’s explanation.The process of using magic. Every novel and game had different systems. Some required verbal components. Others required somatic gestures. Some used wands. Others used sheer willpower.
He couldn't assume he knew how this world worked.
"Attunement of the Aethell, huh. Can you explain more about it, Elise?"
Elise walked in silence for a moment. The river murmured beside them.
"While I'm more than happy to explain more about the process… I'm not qualified to do so, Hyoren. As I can't use it myself."
Realization struck Hyoren.
"Oh right. Your Magic Manipulation skill is only Level 2."
He remembered her guild card. The information she had shown him.
"I'm happy you remember it, Hyoren."
There was a hint of amusement in her voice.
"And yes, I always strove to become a Ranger. So I didn't train my magic. I only trained it to Level 2 so I can imbue my arrows with magic."
She gestured vaguely. Trying to make him remember the fight with two Cinder-maw Ants.
"That Magic Arrow skill. But that's all. I can't use any elemental magic or understand the process."
She sighed. A hint of regret colored her voice.
It was a common choice for martial classes. Why spend years studying runes when an arrow to the eye worked just as well. Why devote countless hours to magic when a blade was faster and more reliable.
"The process of Attunement of Aethell is complex…." she continued.
"You need to study complex runic arrays. Imagine and fetch the runes in your mind. Remember the chant."
She looked into the front. But her eyes wandered to somewhere far away.
"My younger sister Lyra is the one who trained to become a mage. She used to complain to me about that."
Hyoren's interest peaked. Memorization and imagination. Those were his strong suits.
He had always imagined using magic since he found his first fantasy game. He had visualized fireballs and lightning bolts. He had practiced the gestures in his room when no one was watching.
And his memory was good. Learning in the medical field required heavy memorization. Anatomy. Physiology. Pharmacology. Thousands of terms and concepts.
"I see. If I want to use magic, or train to do it, I need to seek a different teacher. Thank you, Elise."
Elise glanced back at him. Her stride was still constant.
"You can ask other mages to mentor you. Or study it yourself using books…. But if the path of Mage is the one you want to chase, you should actually go to the Magic Academy."
The concept of a school for magic was so... civilized. It jarred with the image of the wild, monster-filled forest he had been living in. It implied structure and society. A peaceful place to study.
He stood still. Processing.
Feeling Hyoren stop, she slowed her stride. She didn't turn around. Just waited.
Hyoren started to walk again, trying to catch up with her.
"Yes. Scholars and mage-wannabes can study in the academy at the Capital of the Kingdom of Altaria."
She glanced back.
"Other nations also have academies, if they fancy you more."
The Capital. It sounded like a distant place. Far from the frontier. Far from the wilderness.
"I see. That's definitely interesting."
He thought about it. The possibility of learning magic. Of attending an academy. Of becoming a true mage.
"But going to an academy seems like a luxury for me now. I might study a bit of magic in my free time. But I've decided I will stick to becoming an adventurer. Not a student. Or even a scholar."
He kicked a stone. Watched it skip across the ground.
"I can't spend years in an academy. Maybe in the future. But not now."
He had priorities. He needed to become stronger. To understand this world. To establish himself—to find a place in this new world.
The Academy could wait.